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We’re just not that worried about showcasing creative work that we had no part in. There are some fantastic artists, composers and companies doing good work way under the radar these days, and we figure what comes around goes around. Well, we hope, anyway. It’s a karmic thing, I guess… like if karma were less religious and more of a secular ethic of reciprocity. But I digress.

Browsing some of my favorite inspirational feeds and blogs last night I happened across this trailer for OFFF 2007

One of our favorite unsigned bands, The Real Efforts Of Real People, is comprised of two talented musicians and good people, Ben West and Kristopher Pooley.

Both have a list of credits a mile long, are touring with pop artists we know you’ve heard of (Pooley is currently the Musical Director and Keyboardist for Gwen Stefani), and they’ve created some of the vibiest and chill new music that we’ve been fortunate enough to represent for commercial licensing opportunities at Burst Labs [check out their library of music here].

We’ve been so swamped producing music for our catalog updates that we blanked on letting you all know there’s an article and in depth interview with Kristopher in last month’s Keyboard Magazine.

Burst Labs tries desperately to buy some underground cred by loosely co-sponsoring Temulent (a.k.a. Judson F Snell a.k.a. Stinky Fistervitz) at When Worlds Collide, an entire night of hardcore electronic music in Detroit, MI.

A longtime co-conspirator (dude wrote tracks for the second Gravity Music Library disc, don’tchakno…), Temulent name-drops Burst on a don’t-call-it-a-rave-it’s-an-unlicensed-event-with-drugs-and-loud-electronic-music-party flier.

Why? Because we pay him and his own label does not.

If you’re near Detroit and wanna experience some aural needling, be sure to drop in on November 10th. [dh]

Kings Of A&R is digging Northern Room, and from the looks of the comments at their site, they’re not alone. It’s super cool to see people responding to a project that we believe in and played a part in building.

If you can’t make it to New York this week for CMJ, check out the latest news directly from the band :

“As most of you know, Northern Room is going to New York City this week to do a showcase at the CMJ Music Marathon. These timeslots are difficult to get, and are a fantastic opportunity for us. Normally, we would just be asking for your support and prayers, but — thanks to a last-minute offer from amiestreet.com — you have the opportunity to see our show live, through the magic of the internets!”

Head over to Northern Room’s page at Amie Street and click on the ‘Videos’ tab… you’ll be able to watch a live feed from their showcase at Arlene’s Grocery tomorrow, October 17.

More from the band :

This fall has brought a flurry of activity to the Northern Room camp.

Not only has their music been placed in recent episodes of online serial dramas such as LonelyGirl15 and The Facebook Diaries, they’ve spent the past couple of weekends here in Burst HQ’s Studio A putting the finishing touches on masters for their new CD, Last Embrace Deluxe Edition, and they’re headed to New York City next week for a coveted slot at CMJ 2007.

Northern Room performs October 17 at Arlene’s Groceryin NYC

Borrowing the name from their debut EP, Last Embrace, this new release features all of the songs (6) from that EP as well as the 4 songs that I produced for their Only Seconds EP.

They’re also including 3 bonus live acoustic tracks, a previously unreleased tune from the Nashville sessions for Last Embrace, and a music video for the atmospheric and dynamic title track (see below).

Here’s a full track listing for Last Embrace Deluxe Edition :

1. We’re on Fire
2. Galaxy
3. For All These Years
4. Dutch Radio
5. Stars of God
6. Last Embrace
7. Waiting
8. Let Me Out
9. Everyday
10. This Wreckage

BONUS MATERIAL :

live acoustic

11. Last Embrace
12. A Witness
13. We’re On Fire

previously unreleased

14. Home

PLUS the music video for Last Embrace

Of course you’ll want to grab a copy of their new CD (right?!)…

Good news : It’s included with advanced tickets to their concert at Milwaukee’s Historic Turner Hall. Billed as the “biggest Northern Room show yet,” it promises to be a great time with a few surprises as the evening goes on (including a full gospel choir!).

See Northern Room live at Historic Turner Ballroom on November 2

Advance tickets are a mere $7 ($10 at the door). Seven bucks for a disc chock full of good music and one of the hottest concert tickets in town?! Can’t beat it. Grab yours here.

If you can’t make it to New York for their performance at CMJ on Oct. 17, you will be able to catch a live stream of the show courtesy of Amie Street.

If you can’t make it to Milwaukee for their show on Nov. 2, check out Kramp & Adler’s morning show on 102.1 (or streaming on their website), where Northern Room are the featured guest that morning.

Of course, the entire Northern Room library of music is available here at Burst Labs for select commercial licensing opportunities.

Congrats, guys… it’s fun watching great things happen for great people. You’ve been working your butts off and it shows. All of us at Burst are happy to say “we knew you when.” [dh]

One of our favorite up and coming indie bands, The Farewell Circuit, have been hard at work playing shows this past summer and gearing up to record their next batch of songs. We had a blast pulling their debut EP together (you can hear some before and after tracks at my producer site), and - line-up tweaks notwithstanding - they’re getting ready for their next few steps (writing, showcasing, yadda yadda…).

For starters, Danny, Geoff, Evan and DJ will be interviewed on Kramp & Adler’s morning show this Friday morning October 5th at 9:30… on the dial at 102.1 in Milwaukee. For those outside the region, or if you just dig the non-terrestrial-broadcast-thing, check out the 102.1 website for a live stream, and make friends with the hosts at Kramp’s myspace page.

TFC will also be playing at the Miramar Theatre this Saturday, October 6th, for Snapdragon Fest. We do like our festivals in Milwaukee, but we’re not sure you’ve ever had an opportunity to take in this much shoe-gazing, parent-loathing emo or petulant and frenetic ska in one weekend. Of course we dig Snapdragon Records… we rep some of their artists for music licensing opportunities at Burst Labs.

And the boys are headed to Nashville for an October 17th showcase with a few major label affiliates after building on the connections that their new guitarist, DJ, brings to the team (he was a member of This World Fair, whose song Don’t Make Me Wait was featured in the thriller Disturbia).

Be sure to check out all of The Farewell Circuit’s songs that are currently available for licensing at Burst Labs, and wish them luck at the Farewell Circuit myspace page… or head over to Third Shift Recording Co. and buy a copy of their debut EP (or grab your favorite song at iTunes). [dh]

There’s not much to say, really… just enjoy. [dh]

The latest artist to join us at Burst Labs is Mike Mangione, a dynamic and powerful singer with a subdued and moody new record on his hands - Tenebrae.

There will be obvious comparisons to Ray LaMontagne, Jeff Buckley, and even some Damien Rice, but that shouldn’t diminish a genuine and heartfelt collection of songs such as this. Mike has managed to weave a soundscape thick with emotion and allowed his fantastic voice to shine whether he’s whispering in your ear or belting it out in earnest.

“With Tenebrae I wanted to do something different; I wanted to record something that had a life of its own. I am such a huge fan of producer Daniel Lanois. His albums are like audible incense, seeping through the speakers and filling the room with a funk.”

In the past three years he’s logged over 150 shows a year throughout the country, including such notable performances as SXSW in Austin TX, Midwest Music Summit in Indianapolis IN, Chicago’s Mobfest, and Milwaukee’s Summerfest. Through his travels, Mike met with producer Duane Lundy (The Apparitions, The Scourge Of The Sea, The Parlour Boys) and the two quickly developed a relationship.

From his artist bio :

“Duane and I were both looking for the same thing when we met each other; we were both looking to record a live album.” The two began talking about Ray Lamontange, Ryan Adams, Emmylou Harris, U2, and, of course, Daniel Lanois. “We were like two kids in a candy shop throwing out songs and artists that have moved us.” Mike and Duane picked a date to begin recording, and decided to do as much as they could live with very little overdubbing. “I wanted the album to be recorded as a live performance so that it could breathe and bleed together — literally bleed together into the microphones. I didn’t just want an assortment of songs thrown together on a CD, I wanted consistency and tone; I wanted an album.”

A couple of favorite tracks for us :

Killing Floor, a slow-burner with a tense and contemplative tone.

It’s Me Not You, the album’s lightest and catchiest number, a spare and funky acoustic groove.

We’re thrilled to bring you one of our favorite up and coming independent singer-songwriters, Mike Mangione. Grab his CDs at his website or at iTunes; and, of course, all of the songs on Tenebrae are available for select licensing opportunities right here. [dh]

From the Wish We’d Thought Of That category, an article at Wired shares some insight into the mind of Michael Hearst, the ‘urban geek’ behind Songs For Ice Cream Trucks and one of the two ‘urban geeks’ behind One Ring Zero (the other being Joshua Camp).

Songs For Ice Cream Trucks is twisted, childish and slightly macabre - listening to the music makes us feel as though something isn’t quite right, not unlike the creepy parolees trapped in rolling house-arrest that used to frequent the waterparks of our youth. But if only for sheer joy of coming up with the perfect product for a ridiculously small niche of the music licensing world (an already ridiculously small niche!), we do wish we’d thought of it!

A favorite part of the new site is the cartoon bubble page that gives some backstory for a few of the toy instruments in his collection (you’ll find this under the Instruments tab at the main page). An example :

I found this electric chord organ on ebay for $19… it’s rather out of tune but maybe that’s a good thing(?) It makes almost as much noise from the motor as it does from the keys. I like it!

It appears that, yes, Matt, you are not alone in your fetish.

One Ring Zero, however, isn’t creepy or childish, but a rather literate library of exotic and quirky music with references to mannequins and Siamese twins. “Booktronica,” as coined in the Wired article. Others have referred to them as “acid-klezmer,” “ethno-hipster,” or “Fellini-esque circus flea music,” according to Hearst, and they remind us of a mix between our friends KSA and Irritating Rainbow (maybe a slightly more polished and less cheeky version thereof).

We’re off to the Lab to concoct some Booktronica for a future specimen upload.

Kudos to Coudal’s Fresh Signals for another fun find. [dh]

The latest addition to the artist catalog at Burst Labs, we bring you Codebreaker.

We’ve known about Steven and Sage, these two long-time compatriots of electro-funk-disco-house, for a few years now. But when our very own Old Man Malcolm started gigging with them and bugging us to give their new record Exiled! a listen (buy it at iTunes)… well, let’s just say we like Malcolm. A lot. So we listened. And we think you’re gonna dig them, too… especially if you’re licensing songs for a new videogame or hipster ad.

Twentyfourhours says :

Armed with killer basslines, wicked beats, and that sweet warm summer feeling you just can’t get enough of.

even The Washington Post has weighed in :

Unless you’re so cutting edge it hurts, you probably haven’t heard of Codebreaker yet — and we’re stressing the word “yet.” Definitely one to watch: The sound recalls some crazy house party where Cameo is drinking with Prince, Phoenix is partying with Daft Punk and Bootsy Collins is jamming on the sofa. Fritz has already said the band’s “Dream Lover” — is “the best damn dance song” he’s heard in ages, thanks to a rubbery bassline, jumpy guitars and synths that don’t overwhelm the vocals.

They’ve shared the stage with the likes of Hot Chip, VHS Or Beta, Datarock, The Silversun Pickups, Har Mar Superstar, The Electric Six, Soviet, Radio 4, Green Velvet, Shiny Toy Guns, Phoenix, The Fever, Outhud, Stereo Total etc… and are ready for the next step, gaining momentum on both coasts and around the world. To wit, check this sweet remix by Miami Horror that Matt unearthed last week at the tastemakers known as Gorilla Vs. Bear :

So pony up… get those hips moving and those temp tracks droppin’. We know you’ll dig these guys and we’re stoked to be hosting their newest release Exiled! at the Lab for select licensing opportunities. [dh]