(Reriani Communications) --- The first of its' kind, the Golden Mic Competition is an online talent battle sure to draw hype, specifically from the independent artist community. Eliminating loopholes and industry stigma and having done the necessary work, First Look Sessions and affiliates are providing a virtual, (no pun intended) once in a lifetime opportunity to many. With the skill and production of Italian, Platinum Hip-Hop Producer Goldhands Demassis, willing contestants can choose from three original, distinct tracks to dissect and create a masterpiece. Inspired by true hip-hop legends, Goldhands has been a household name overseas circulating beats and producing tracks for over 10 years. With features ranging from MTV Europe to The Source, XXL to MTV2, its' about time the United States recognize his dedication to the culture and affinity or making hits. With a wrap sheet of collaborations under his belt and a lifetime of inspiration, it is safe to say Goldhands would rather die than disappoint.

With the same mindset and the arena for success, First Look Sessions and Goldhands are allowing one lucky contestantto prove they have what it takes to succeed in this cutthroat industry. For as low as $19.99, contestants have three packagechoices to take advantage of and increase their chances at winning the grand prize. First Look Sessions has made it easierthan ever for artists to pay, record, and submit final tracks for consideration through the Golden Mic Competition website.Contestants wishing to enter tracks for consideration will have until Nov. 30th at 12am EST and the winning entry will be selected on Dec 25th 2010. One individual will be selected and win a package worth $5,000* courtesy of United Sound Music Group that includes a First Look Artist Development Package which will include, a roundtrip flight to New York City from anywhere in the world, a studio session to professionally record the winning track, a top quality music video to accompany the selected track, a professional EPK submitted to select major labels, an abundant Promo package and More!

(Reriani Communications) --- Today marks the one year anniversary for music marketing website The Musician's Guide (themusiciansguide.co.uk). To celebrate, founder Marcus Taylor from Oxford has announced the launch of a variety of new products and services including video training courses, interactive online tools, downloadable lists of music industry contacts and much more, in the hope that The Musician's Guide will soon become the 'go-to' place for all musicians looking for information on how to build a career in the music industry.

Since launching last year, The Musician's Guide has attracted almost 17,000 musicians to the website and has received a countless number of excellent reviews by readers and music companies who have agreed to endorse the guide, including Ditto Music, Top of the Ox, MicControl, and Splitgigs.

(Reriani Communications) --- Greenergy Productions, LLC will kick off one of the most talked about Reggae festivals on the East Coast – Hudson Valley Reggae Fest (Eco & World Music). This important social awareness concert event will be hosted by Honor’s Haven Resort & Spa which occupies 250 pristine acres in Ellenville, N.Y., in the beautiful Catskill Mountains.

“Over the past few months, the resort has worked closely with the event producers to envision an event unlike any other in the upper Hudson Valley region,” said Honor’s Haven Resort & Spa, event coordinator, Rianna Sciullo. “We look forward to a day of education, ecological awareness and a celebration of world music and culture.”

(Reriani Communications) --- Some people react to being laid off with anger, some with despair. Rob Sobol of New Social Voyeurs reacted by writing a song, “Keep Keeping the Faith.” “A whole lot of folks like you and me were or are suffering very quietly, trying incredibly hard to find a new job, they need to know they are not alone,” says Rob. Now available on YouTube and MySpace for free, “Keep Keeping the Faith” sounds like a combination of Lennon and McCartney, Queen, Muse and Elvis Costello, with a dash of the Pretenders and self-help thrown in for good measure.

While inspiring others was important for Rob (whose original Social Voyeurs all play on the song for the first time since their StarSearch/Philly buzz band era 23 years ago), writing the song was also important for him personally. “As to my own personal reaction, I have always found music to be inspirational in tough times in a lot of ways, so I naturally turned to my favorite songs, and then I sat down at my own piano and this song came out,” says Rob.

(Reriani Communications) --- Australian Mark Anthony, who now resides in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada, captured the inaugural Elvis Rocks Mesquite Saturday night, Aug. 7 before a sold out and standing room only crowd of more than 500 in the CasaBlanca Showroom at the CasaBlanca Resort. Anthony sang Elvis Presley songs You Gave Me a Mountain and Poke Salad to capture first-place money of $2,000. “This was an amazing event,” said Anthony. “The crowd was great and we all had a great time. Mesquite rocks, that’s for sure.”

Finishing runner-up and winning $1,000 was Las Vegan Travis Allen who sang “It’s Now or Never” and “You Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog.” Buckner, Mo., resident and former construction worker Eric Wise, known in the competition as ERok, captured third-place money of $500. Seventy five-year-old Claude Nielson of Mesquite finished in the final nine. In fact, the retired chiropractor was so impressive that his fellow competitors named him to receive the Elvis Tribute Artists (ETA) award.

(Reriani Communications) --- Robert Lauri has just released new songs on video and for his fans on Facebook (see it at youtube.com/watch?v=j0MMqZFixFo). He meshes music and images together perfectly to express his soul.

Robert Lauri has the infinite talent to create something completely new and innovative each time. His new clips represent different musical genres from his latest albums.

(Reriani Communications) --- The weekend long Memphis Hip Hop exposition and trade show of Music, Entertainment, education and networking scheduled for Memphis, TN September 2-5 known as the Memphis Hip Hop Weekend & Expo, tickets went on sale Monday (August 9). Tickets can be purchased at hiphopexpo.eventbrite.com.

The 2010 inaugural event will include activities and events such an Industry Meet N Greet Networking Mixer, conferences, workshops and development sessions as well as the Memphis Hip Hop Expo trade show. The Memphis Hip Hop Expo will feature exhibitors and vendors, live performances, a live Pro BMX bike show featuring Ricky Moseley and The Misled BMX team, a "Hip Hop Art, Ink & Fashion Show," celebrity appearances including by the Memphis Grizzlies and more.

(Reriani Communications) --- Perhaps one of Britain’s most distinctive and altogether different festivals, this weekend saw the Underage Festival come to town and showcase its musical offerings to its young audience. Created in 2007, the Underage Festival has been celebrated as one of the pioneering festivals in the music world for it’s exclusivity to younger people. Open only to 14-18 year olds, Underage Festival is that rarity of a festival. With other festivals perhaps too adult or mature for youngsters, Underage Festival gives teenagers the opportunity to enjoy music and experience that festival feeling that they will have no doubt missed out on with other festivals this summer. Underage Festival is the chance for the youth of Britain to enjoy that festival experience and enjoy it alongside their young peers.

WinkBall.com, the UK’s number one video website were of course at the heart of the action finding out what makes Underage Festival one of the highlights in the musical calendar, all via the emotional power of online video. WinkBall once again brought their revolutionary citizen journalism coverage to the centre of activity at the Underage Festival to speak with the people whose opinions matter most, the fans. WinkBall were also backstage catching up with some of the great musical acts that were on offer at the Festival. ‘Starry Eyed Surprise’ pop singer Ellie Goulding and grime and hip-hop stars Professor Green and Twizzle were performing at this great event and our WinkBall reporters managed to get a few words with these popular musical acts.

(Reriani Communications) --- Singer/songwriter Astrum Lux Lucis front person and founder of rock band One World (R)evolution embarks on a 70 city tour of the US September 11th. This is no ordinary solo acoustic show though, this is "The Rock Out & Recycle Tour 2010"! The tour supports the band's new release "Transitions", which is receiving rave reviews in the press.

The Rock Out & Recycle Tour 2010 incorporates an electronics, inkjet cartridge, and jewelry recycling fundraising campaign and partners it with Dogs Deserve Better, creating a multifaceted opportunity for the concert goer: listen to great music, recycle your old unwanted stuff, and support a wonderful charity.

(Reriani Communications) --- The Artist Management Conference 2010 (AMCON2010), taking place in New York October 14-15, 2010, brings together artist managers, self-managed artists and artists/bands seeking representation; and provides a forum for networking, learning, showcasing, and conducting business. Among the topics to be discussed is role of music managers in today’s D.I.Y (do-it-yourself) era.

“For many independent artists, the D.I.Y option is chosen either by design (because they are perfectly happy and capable of doing things without a manager or label) or by default (because they are unable to attract the attention of a manager or label)”, says Jeremy Rwakaara, conference producer at the Artist Management Resource and author of the Artist Management Manual. In this D.I.Y era, dozens of fan relationship management resources like Reverbnation and FanBridge, among others, are marketed to artists as tools that enable them to engage with fans in a more direct and meaningful way. Sites like GigMaven and Sonicbids, and resources like the Indie Venue Bible, enable artists to pitch directly to venues and book their own tours. Resources like Sellaband, Pledge Music, Kickstarter and others enable artists to raise money for recordings, videos, tours, and more. Music libraries and licensing agents (like those found at Music Library Report) offer assistance with music placements in Film & TV productions. Digital distributors like Orchard, CD Baby, Tunecore, IODA and others offer musicians a means to distribute their music directly to fans via iTunes, etc. Social media networks (Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, etc) make it possible for artists to handle publicity duties themselves.

(Reriani Communications) --- Fingerprints, known as "one of the best kept music secrets in the South," releases their long anticipated fifth CD, Dream Life, on August 10th on the Pacific Coast Jazz label. This project follows the enormous popularity of their last release, DNA, and proves this contemporary jazz band deserves greater national and international recognition. On Dream Life the band delivers exceptional grooves, emotional energy and some of the most soulful covers around. According to bassist and leader Frederick Nichelson, "Some of our work is comparable to groups like The Crusaders, Spyro Gyra and Pieces of a Dream, but we are careful to stay away from being over produced and seldom use midi-sequencing. We want to be known as a "real band" whose recognized sound of soul, blues and jazz have evolved through over twenty years of live performance." We're excited to have the opportunity to represent Fingerprints with their fifth and most celebrated CD, Dream Life," said Donna Nichols, founder and president of Pacific Coast Jazz." Nichols' label has teamed up with publicist Joy Foster of SV Media to help promote the new release and for access to international media buying. Pacific Coast Jazz, founded in 2003, is an independent jazz label that also offers artist management services. All PCJ artists are distributed worldwide by MVD Audio/Big Daddy Music.

With four accomplished CDs to date (Fingerprints, Reunion Live, Summertime Music and DNA), the distinguished sound of Fingerprints has been shaped through the years by its long-term members: Frederick Nichelson (bass), Claud Hardrick (saxophone, flute, vocals), Tim Jones (lead vocals, percussion), Kennan Wylie (drums, percussion), Jordache Grant (keyboards), and Robert Lacroix (guitar). Along with electrifying performances on Dream Life, the CD features surprise guest artists like Bernard Wright, Mel Scott, Todd Parsnow, Shelley Carol, Larry Davis, John Gordan, and Richard Smith. The songs on Dream Life are appealing originals by band members or musical guests along with three cover tunes written by, jazz icon Herbie Hancock(Tell Me A Bedtime Story), Grammy award winning songwriter Diane Warren (For You I Will) and a classic jazz standard by the great Tadd Dameron (Lady Bird). However, what is most special about this CD is the fourth track, "I Am A Man" with inspiring vocals from Tim Jones. Memphis native Frederick Nichelson was honored to co-write the title song with Stax/Volt artist Deanie Parker for the documentary,I Am A Man. Produced by the Memphis Tourism Foundation in partnership with Running Pony Productions and Old Bridge Media, the all-Memphis team also included Switch Creative, Electraphonic Recording and was written by Memphians David Appleby, Allison Graham and Steven Ross. The documentary is the story of one man, Elmore Nickelberry, and his fight for dignity, justice, and the power of the human spirit. Surrounded by the soul music that helped make Memphis famous, Mr. Nickleberry tells an uplifting life story of endurance and character as he is joined by the men and women of the 1968 sanitation strike whose courageous stand helped change the world forever. Dr. Martin Luther King supported their plight by saying to the public that "our society must come to respect the sanitation worker."

(Reriani Communications) --- Nashville native Star Murphy and her single “Swagg On” will be featured on the KiKi Miller Report which broadcasts on World Vibe Radio (worldviberadio.com) Monday, July 26, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. CST with rebroadcasts at the same time on Wednesday and Friday, July 28 and 30, 2010.


Born Courtney Lashae Murphy, the musical bug hit Star in her pre-teens when she received a standing ovation for her rendition of a classic Broadway tune during a middle school performance. A graduate of Tennessee State University, Star shines not only as a writer of songs, but has a passion for writing fiction and proven track record in nonfiction as a staff writer for Centerstage Magazine, a monthly online magazine. In just a few years, Star has risen from being virtually unknown to performing in the stage play “What a Difference a Day Makes,” opening for Yo Gotti at her alma mater’s 2009 homecoming, and getting radio ads both in the United States and Germany for her song “Swagg On “which features rapper Waka Flocka Flame.

(Reriani Communications) --- Authentik Artists is proud to announce the signing of Scottish/Filipino rock band Rag Rag for the release of Fighting Pride, theme song for world boxing champion and politician Manny Pacquiao. The song was recorded at Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas and The Record Plant in Los Angeles. Ringtones of the track are now available on retailers such as Jamster and Thumbplay and the band plans to debut the full song late summer ’10.


The track features vocals by Rag Rag frontman Glen Ragrag, Britain’s Got Talent finalist Madonna Decena and a very special spoken word intro by Manny Pacquiao for his home country of the Philippines.

(Reriani Communications) --- New Music Seminar (NMS), the “future of music” conference coming to NYC on July 19 – 21, announces the NMS Artist on the Verge (powered by OurStage) 2010 Summer Project finalists: Comic Book Heroes, Hotspur and Yonas. All three finalists will perform live at the NMS Artist on the Verge Party at Santos Party House on Tuesday, July 20th in New York City. The Grand Prize Winner will receive the NMS Reflection Award Presented by Mountain Dew and Doritos, an award worth over $50,000 in prizes, at NMS on Wednesday, July 21st.

Hosting the night will be music personalities Matt Pinfield and Leslie Fram, from New York’s newest rock station, WRXP’s “The Rock Show.” The three NMS Artist on the Verge Project finalists were chosen from more than 600 acts that were submitted and voted on by the NMS Music Committee, with the help of the OurStage.com fan community. All artists were selected with the input of NMS’s partners—as well as tastemakers, music bloggers and key industry executives—to determine the best artist with the greatest chance of success to break nationally. Criteria are based on music sales, touring history, merchandise sales, media (both online and in print) and other factors as determined by the NMS Music Committee.

(Reriani Communications) --- AKA Xio -- is defining the meaning of the term "Virtual Buzz". Her success with "So Alive" has been phenomenal. “So Alive” is Xiomara’s second album, a follow up to “Temperatures of my Life.” Xio's vibrant music is definitely worth an ear dropping! One of her songs, "Morning Pleasure," got licensed even before the album was released by Peace Lounge, a well-known compilation label in Germany. Xio’s demand along with her fan base is growing immensely, as evidenced by her topping the Reverb Nation NYC Pop Chart. Consequently, Xio has been “artist of the month” on several radio stations.

"So Alive" available on itunes, emusic, spotify and others "LaMega(97.9FM) Independent Artist Feature" - Luis Moreno, LaMega 97.9FM “So Alive” is an invigorating production of Electronic-Pop. This flavorful fusion of Electro, R&B and House will definitely pique your interest and uplift your spirit. Xiomara wrote all of the songs and co-produced some songs featured in this exceptional production guaranteed to make you stomp your feet as you are listening. Both productions, which are available in every Internet music store, have given Xiomara a good standing as an accomplished independent artist.