Volume 2, Issue #18

Joe Kurve

It’s always refreshing to see a young artist who isn’t afraid to stray from the mainstream. Joe Kurve a.k.a. Ryan Cameron refused to alter or change his unique style of techno/trance several years back when Orange, Texas wasn’t ready for that brand of music. Kurve, despite negative vibes and discouraging words from others, worked hard to get the electronica scene going both in clubs and studios. Kurve like most unsigned artists is using the internet to share his music with his fans. His third album “Rara Avis”, which was released last year is still receiving serious attention, especially the hit single “Khemical Awakenings.” Kurve, who has been involved with music since learning the bass and tuba in the eighth grade, has songs sprinkled all over the web, including several at MP3.com, Soundclick.com and Electronicscene.com. And with a ton of new tracks rearing to go, Kurve is expected to drop his fourth independent album in the late spring/early summer of next year.

Five Questions for Joe Kurve

1) First of all, how the hell did you come up with Joe Curve when your real name is Ryan Cameron?
“A close friend of mine actually pulled it out of nowhere. I really have no idea where he got it from and neither does he. But it stuck. I wanted something unique and that’s what I got.”

2) How did you get into electronica music?
“When I was in sixth grade I had bought this cd called “Rain Till Dawn.” It was an instant attraction. After that I just started going out and buying techno albums. I just fell in love with the music.”

3) Your last record “Rara Avis” had a lot of success on the web. Tell us about it.
“It was extremely fast and highly energetic. But its hard to describe, just all of my music. People listen to it and hear different things. Everyone has their own opinion of what kind of music it is.”

4) Is it true Psilly-X contacted you after your single “Khemical Awakenings” hit the net?
“Yeah. At first I though it wasn’t really him. But I checked it out and it was. He’s an international artist who reached out to me and told me I was doing a great job. It felt really good, especially since he’s a major influence.”

5) How big a role has the internet played in your career?
“I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. People wouldn’t have been able to find my music any other way.”

----Joseph Barracato

Zap Mama

For the past 14 years, Zap Mama have united musical cultures through their unique version of a cappella while traveling over several continents. On their journey’s they’ve won over hundreds of thousands of fans by sharing their musical heritage and introducing people to an unimaginable mixture of hip hop, soul, jazz and world music. Marie Daulne, who founded the group in 1990, is the visionary behind Zap Mama’s distinctive sound. The Belgian resident spent a large portion of 2003-04 in Philadelphia where her and her band created their fifth and most impressive album “Ancestry,” which was released earlier this year. It has churned out hit after hit and earned Zap Mama the popularity they deserve.

Five Facts about Zap Mama

1) Daulne was originally born in what was then called Zaire and most recently called, Congo, to a Belgian father and a Congolese mother. The family fled that country when Marie was three years-old after several wars broke out. Taking shelter with a tribe of Pygmies, her family eventually made their way to Brussels.

2) While in elementary school when most of her classmates were learning classical music instruments, Marie’s mother taught her polyphonic singing of the Central African Pygmies. At the time Marie was mostly influenced by Stevie Wonder and early hip-hop, and she honed her vocal skills by imitating the quiet-storm sultriness of Roberta Flack and the lip-smacking beats of the Fat Boys’ Human Beat Box.

3) Zap Mama broke onto the scene in 1993 and immediately struck a chord with its debut “Adventures In Afropea 1,” a strictly vocal venture. In 1994 “Sabsylma” received a Grammy nomination for Best World Music Album, further seducing the worldwide audience with the group’s a cappella approach. “7”, which was released in 1997, saw Zap Mama begin working with instrumentalists, as well as collaborating with dub reggae legend U-Roy and spoken word activist Michael Franti (Spearhead).

4) “Ancestry” includes collaborations with such superstars as Erykah Badu (“Bandy Bandy“), hip-hop royalty Common and Talib Kweli (“Yelling Away“), and The Roots, whom they worked with closely throughout the record. The album establishes Zap Mama as a main fuse in the continuing musical reunification of the pan-African Diaspora.

5) During the creation of “Ancestry, ” Daulne appeared on albums by Common (Electric Circus), King Britt (Oba Funke) and Erykah Badu (WorldWide Underground). She also jammed in the studio with the likes of Bilal and Nelly Furtado, and joined Erykah Badu’s band, for the singer’s 2003 national tour.

----Joseph Barracato

Pixies, Please Don’t Go Away...

The Pixies wrapped up their unforgettable reunion tour this past week with two legendary performances at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom. The gigs became the frosting and cherry on top of a eight-month memorable tour, the groups first since its original 1992 dissolution, which played to sold-out audiences across the world. As of now, it’s totally unclear if the group plans to head back to the studio or go there own separate ways. Hopefully, for their fans and even the rock community, the later won’t become a reality.


In case you weren’t able to catch the group on their tour there is some comforting news. As previously rumored, a film crew followed the band throughout the year for a documentary DVD. In addition, a separate DVD is in the works culling on-stage footage that will contain footage from six or seven of their shows. It’s likely the two DVD's will be combined into one double-disc set, but that it’s still not official. Either way, fans are in for a real treat considering the band was at the top of their game and rocked every venue the played, reminding concert goers just how solid a live act they are.


Now, here comes the bad news. A release date for the DVD’s hasn’t been set and there aren’t any plans for a live album since authorized soundboard recordings of many of the 2004 shows were sold via outlets such as DiscLive. Signs that the group won’t be heading back to the studio, or at least not in the immediate future, are evident as two members of the group will be devoting time for other projects. Frontman Frank Black plans to release two separate albums of material recorded earlier this year with session musicians such as Steve Cropper and the Band’s Levon Helm. Bassist Kim Deal plans to record a new album with the Breeders, which will be the group’s first release since 2002.




----Joseph Barracato

Q: What is music licensing?

-- R. Johnson

Music licensing can be a lucrative business for smart and enterprising Indie artist. In basic terms music licensing allows a third party "Use" (not ownership) of your intellectual property (in a sample, film, TV show, commercial, etc) for an agreed upon fee. This makes perfect sense given the days, weeks, months and year we put into our creations (ok some of us can do it in a few hours). Nevertheless, our musical creations can create mood, theme and atmosphere. They can encourage consumer to shop or remember a brand. In short, music is a driving force in our society and our economy. And being compensated for that work is very natural.

So how much should you charge? That questions has many factors including 1) How will your song be used? 2) How known is your song? 3)What company, business or professional plans to use your song? And the list can go on. The best advice I can give is to stay abreast of market conditions and offer your intellectual property at competitive rates. In some cases you may even license your music without fees. Why? Dare I say it -- free publicity!

--- Adam P.

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