Here is Richard evangelizing indie music to a Promax attendee while Dan makes deals in the background – Making it happen!

To top it off, there is a great article in USA Today about how important bands are to messaging.

Click to read “Ad Track: Jingles out, cool songs in”

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Next stop for the licensing team is Promax (NYC, June 17, 18, 19), the marketing and promotions conference for TV and Cable companies. We have a booth there as well so come and visit!

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Here is a picture of our spectacular booth:

We signed about 10 new catalogs while we were there – including:

NORDIC TRACKS – a great Canadian based house and techno label.

And the legendary Joey Weltz, a member of Bill Haley’s Comets and co-writer of “Rock Around The Clock.”

Stay tuned for more MIDEM updates in the weeks to come!

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We will be blogging from time-to-time while we are there so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, enjoy this picture of our booth (well, at least the artist’s rendering) and wish us luck!

And to those staying home, don’t worry – our trusty staff will still be in the office to help you out with any questions!

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Great albums are one thing, but individual songs deserve their time in the sun as well. We’re amped to share our favorite songs added to the Rumblefish catalog in 2007. Across all genresâ??rock, punk, house, hip-hop, jazz, and classicalâ??these are the 40 top songs that had us grooving all year:

Under Byen “Tindrer”

Tinkering and glistening tones from a Danish buzz band.

Sybris “The Best Day In History Ever”

Female-fronted indie rock band with a vocal style reminiscent of early Cat Power.

The Mighty VIC featuring La Bruja “Hangeo”

Hot Latin-inspired hip hop tracks featuring actress, poet, and rapper, La Bruja.

ATFC “Desire”

London-based tech house cooked to perfection.

Samsaya “Dodge It!”

Rapped and sung “Bollywood” lyrics over party hip hop.

Two Sheds “Perfect”

Tender with a hint of sadness and empathy.

Dave Pell “Mambo 69″

Lively horn section evokes images of old time Las Vegas lounges.

Real Life “God Tonight”

Synth pop from the 80s, remixed in the 2000s.

Street Drum Corps “Wrecks”

Percussive and loud with lots of shouting.

Unrest “I Do Believe You’re Blushing”

Legendary early 90s indie pop.

Down By Law “Easy Street”

Hardcore melodic punk by one of the genre’s forefathers.

The Timeout Drawer “I Fell So Far and I Fall So high”

Melodic guitars, vintage Moogs, and Mogwai/Godspeed influences.

50 Foot Wave “Bug”

Scratchy guitars, punk-ish melodies, and a splash of Throwing Muses‘ Kristin Hersh.

Gunsolo “Arcadia”

4:52 of smooth, mellow, electronic-organic vibe. Both unobtrusive and active at the same time.

Face To Face “Bill Of Goods”

Fist-pumping late 90s arena punk.

Deepgroove “Mardi Gras”

Minimal beats, trancey thuds, 70s disco/spy themes & filter sweeps; a great techno song.

Lydia “So Again”

Balanced mix between melodic pop and arena hard rock.

Tokyo Vogue “New Tomorrows”

80s band re-releases this unheard gem resembling Howard Jones at his best.

Ocasion “Sabor a Mi”

Traditional Latin tune with smooth rhythms and captivating vocals.

Co Pilgrim “Sweet Treason”

Heartbreaking falsetto paints minimally hushed waltzes and down-tempo melodies.

The Smashup “Never Gonna Kill Us”

Thrashing guitars, banging drums, and screaming vocals.

March Fourth Marching Band “Space Hole”

Equal parts carnival jazz, gypsy brass, big band, and funk.

Ultraviolet “Gimme My Electro”

As much at home in an 80s dance club as it is in the contemporary New York hipster bar scene.

Hyim “Evolution”

Reggae-infused feel-good pop bliss.

True Love Always “Mediterranean”

Elements of bossanova, jazz, and indie rock.

The Dimes “Catch Me Jumping”

The perfect medley of voice, instrumentation, and quirkiness creates catchy indie-pop.

DJ Egadz “Grim Advantage Pt 1″

Subtle blips and bloops provide a dark, trip hop backdrop.

Dylan In The Movies “My Only Sweet”

Lush and emotive indie ballads are nicely orchestrated and subtly affecting.

Alex Acuna “All For Nothing”

Latin Jazz that is heavy on percussion, subtle performances, and smooth female vocals.

Fans of Jimmy Century “The Record That U Play”

Fun electro clash pop evoking Goldfrapp remixed by Oakenfold.

The Feelies “When Company Comes”

Mostly instrumental/jangly folk song with heart and feeling.

Yonder Mountain String Band “Half Moon Rising”

Jangling bluegrass with soaring vocal harmonies.

Parker Theory “Leaving California”

Mid-tempo radio rock, ode to the left coast.

Slimey Things “Breaker breaker”

Strange, weird, and bizarre â?? â??nuff said.

Parlor Tricks “Under The Tree”

Holiday-inspired tune with soul and cool vocal effects.

Teddy Goldstein “Sure Wasn’t You”

Singer-songwriter, tongue-in-cheek folk pop.

Whiskey Priest “Get Well Card”

Alt folk ode to getting dumped.

Walt Mink “Goodnite”

90s power pop with intelligent songwriting and complex time signatures.

Cottonhead “This Is What I Want”

Ghostly, haunting, and beautiful country western & indie pop.

The Young Werewolves “Zombie Car Chase”

Like the Reverend Horton Heat mixed with The Cramps and a Halloween fetish on the side.

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2007 was a great year for our catalog. We added thousands of songs by new artists, and lot of new material from Rumblefish veterans as well. With that in mind, we’d like to turn your attention to our 15 favorite Rumblefish albums released in 2007:

Copperpot “WYLA?”

Smart, bright beats by an edgy, creative producer with guest spots by KRS-One and the guys from Tortoise.

Stars Of The Lid “And Their Refinement of the Decline”

Released to critical acclaim, these sleepy yet emotional pieces are ideal for score â?? particularly as ambient soundscapes and melodically charged white noise.

Track A Tiger “We Moved Like Ghosts”

Originally a solo project, the band’s sound has filled out gracefully to create beautifully textured, harmony-filled original indie pop gems.

Night Kills The Day “The Study Of Man”

Think Interpol meets the Promise Ring, with the right amount of style and pretension and topped off with lyrics about running terrified around NYC.

Strider “Tiger Stomp”

Classy, massive electro house with squelchy synths, pounding robot beats and fluid basslines, this 2007 breakout techno star is one to keep your eyes on.

Free Diamonds “By The Sword“

Perfect for scoring that scene where high school sweethearts either fall in love at a kegger or go and fight the jocks from a rival school. Yes, it is THAT good.

500 Miles To Memphis “Sunshine In A Shot Glass”

Fusing country guitar riffs and saloon style piano with punk rock attitude, they deliver twang-ridden lyrics about booze, heartache, and regret.

Seahorse “I’ll Be New”

Acoustic guitars, piano tinkering, and tin drums combine to create a rustic yet contemporary look at love and loss. Reminiscent of Paul Westerberg’s solo work.

Up The Empire “Light Rides The Super Major”

Pounding drumbeats that keep you dancing, and hypnotically-driving guitar hooks soaked in distortion. Similar to Superchunk, Sonic Youth, and Idlewild.

Glenn Mercer “Wheels In Motion”

After a self-imposed retirement, Feelies’ frontman Glenn Mercer is back with a solo album full of jangley pop rock gems.

Shane Newville “Formless”

Intricate and soulful combination of instrumental break beat, hip hop, and left-field electronica. This late night soundtrack album calls to mind the best works of DJ Shadow, Aphex Twin, and Four Tet.

MathClub “Mathclub”

Falls into line beside contemporary rock acts like Editors and the Killers with powerful hooks, self-reflecting lyrics, and danceable rhythms.

La Fleur Fatale “Night Generation”

Swedish psychedelic indie rock with sweeping guitars, cute organ leads, and memories of the coolest party none of us were invited to.

Jasmine Ash “Shine“

Breathy, intimate, eternally young vocals over shruggingly catchy pop music.

The Dimes “The Silent Generation“

Their combination of quirky sounds, unique instrumentation, and catchy lyrics lays the groundwork for great indie pop vignettes.

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AMC PROMO “HITCHCOCK WEEKEND”
Featuring “Like Murder” by Twilight Sleep

AMC churns out a lot of film promos every week that are in need of the right music to make their classic programming appeal to TV audiences with modern cinematic tastes. Eric Ruhalter, AMC producer, is the brain behind this spot, which is a great example of how the right music can actually help create the messaging and visual content for a project.

“With a spot like ‘Hitchcock Weekend’ you find the song first, then match the visuals to it,” explained Eric. He began by using Rumblefish’s trusty search engine to find a song which would fit the mood he had in mind for the promo. In this case, Twilight Sleep’s “Like Murder” fit the bill.

“I listened to a lot of different songs but that one just jumped out at me,” explains Eric, “it had a Hitchcock-ian tension with a nice building feel to it in a contemporary style.” He then worked with his editors to find visuals that matched the lyrics resulting in one of the coolest and creepiest clips we’ve seen in a while.

The band was appreciative of the prominent use of their song. “Of course, we enjoyed hearing our music in the Hitchcock spot, as his films are thematically aligned with our sound,” explained Twilight Sleep’s producer, Raj. The spot has helped raised the band’s profile by driving new fans to their site.

Stream the promo here.

MATCHSTICK PRODUCTIONS “7 SUNNY DAYS”
Featuring “Speak 13″ by Trystero

There’s nothing quite like stepping onto a piece of plastic and barreling down the side of a snow-covered mountain with that one perfect song blaring in your earphones. Our long-time client Matchstick Productions is one of the most creative and innovative action/snow sport film companies around. Matchstick’s 7 Sunny Days features a particularly cool use of a Rumblefish piece. Executive Producer Murray Wais chose Trystero’s “Speak 13″ as the background track in rich photographic scenes that needed the right song to help convey an awe-inspiring, dreamlike feel.

Murray explained that this song was perfect for a series of surreal, point-of-view shots. “It’s like you are in a dream, it’s very ethereal and abstract,” says Wais, “and the lyrics worked really well with what is happening on screen.” Murray went on to add that music selection is a vital part of their film production process and more often than not, the chosen song actually drives their edits.

Anything else to add, Murray?

“Check out our sick teaser for 7 Sunny Daysâ?? it features another great Rumblefish track, John Richardson’s â??Thunder Drums’”

MEN IN TREES â?? Episode 202
Featuring “Grip” by Brett Phillips

ABC’s Men In Trees is a great TV program that has made a name for itself by showcasing cool bands and rising talent. Music is such a vital element to the show that they even created a music guide as a resource for viewers to find out which songs were used in each episode.

Men In Trees has turned to Rumblefish a number of times asking for cool, unique music. We especially love the use of “Grip” by Brett Phillips in the second episode from last season. The song was used prominently during transitions between scenes, and worked perfectly with its blend of natural energy and the right amount of tension.

Susan Dolan, from Men In Trees, told us that the lyrics were an important reason they chose the song. “The words, â??waiting for a sign’, were relevant to one of our characters and what they were experiencing in that particular scene,” she emphasized.

All in all, we think Men In Trees uses killer songs to a terrific effect. Watch clips from the show here.

ADIDAS IN-STORE
Featuring hundreds of songs from the Rumblefish catalog.

Sonic branding client adidas was looking for more than just radio-tunes when they asked us to help them curate their in-store music program. They wanted to create a unique experience for their customers.

adidas “Originals” stores are stocked with eclectic vintage clothing that is meant to appeal to a very hip, fashion-conscious audience. The environmental music in their locations needed to bolster the customer experience by exhibiting both a purposeful and unique feel. Rumblefish also recognized adidas’ need for recognizable “major label” music that its customers could identify. So we hooked them up with an established background music provider and worked with its music programmers to curate a mix that complemented adidas’ brand persona.

Of course, adidas loves truly original music. So in addition to the major label tunes we incorporated Rumblefish catalog music in the program as well. Walk into any adidas Originals store and you’ll hear banging cuts from Rumblefish artists like: The Procussions, Free Diamonds, Two Sheds & Night Kills The Day alongside contemporary hit bands like Architecture in Helsinki, the Verve Remixed Series, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Devendra Banhart and more.

Check out adidas Originals here.

RENEWABLE NRG â?? TV and WEB CAMPAIGN
Featuring “Can’t Stand Me” by Brightwings

We know a good environmental cause when we see it (we do live in the 3rd “greenest” city in America, after all) so when Renewable NRG approached us for music through their agency Leopold Ketel, we were excited. We found the perfect song to use both for background music on their website and in a series of TV commercials promoting their solar energy products.

Russ Wright, CEO of Renewable NRG, is a musician himself so he had some ideas for music and the Brightwings “Can’t Stand Me” provided exactly the right match. The band was delighted to be affiliated with such an environmentally friendly ad campaign and there is even talk of a continuing their association with a series of live shows in 2008.

Check out the song on their website and see/hear the synergy in real-time.

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We were pleased to attend and speak at â??The Meeting 2007â?, an event by ASPEN/SNOWMASS which provides forums for ski and snow film makers, producers, sponsors and athletes to meet and discuss issues affecting them everyday. On Friday, October 5th, I gave a presentation on Music Licensing Basics and hosted a Q&A immediately afterward. Many of the attendees had some great questions concerning music licensing, particularly in light of the nationally reported RIAA lawsuit win that same day.

After the presentation, Rumblefishâ??s Dan Holmes and I attended other panels, meetings and social activities. Some key highlights include our interview (link coming) with filmmaker Eric Iberg (â??Ideaâ?), Teton Gravity Researchâ??s â??Lost and Foundâ? premiere, getting interviewed by Plum TVâ??s Torre and the harrowing experience of driving go-karts on an empty stomach (thanks RedBull!) All in all, it was a great experience and Rumblefish is pleased to be involved in this young, growing industry. See you next year!

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In the last month, both ASCAP and BMI have made the headlines for two very different reasons. First, ASCAP ruffled a gaggle of feathers by issuing a flurry of lawsuits against bar and restaurant owners for playing music without a license. ASCAP and BMI both offer annual blanket licenses to establishments to cover the right to publicly perform music in their respective catalogs. Public performance includes jukeboxes, cover bands, karaoke, that iPod playing your favorite songs in your store, etc.

Originally, the reports came in that a Tucson bar was hit with a multi-million dollar lawsuit by ASCAP â?? it was later reported to be around $210,000. But, there were about 15 other establishments who each got hit with a similar suit. Most of the establishments have since settled with ASCAP out of court for undisclosed sums. It is likely that the amounts they settled on are close to the standard yearly license (around $1K per location) rendering the lawsuit nothing more than a tactic to reach ASCAPâ??s ends.

One week ago, ASCAPâ??s biggest competitor, BMI released year-end figures showing revenue of $839 million, surpassing ASCAP for the first time. BMI attributes this increase to new revenue streams from digital media, cable and satellite systems and, you guessed it, record numbers from eating and drinking establishments. The music industry press has lauded BMI for these new numbers and BMI is routinely cast as the Robin Hood to ASCAPâ??s Prince John. However, a closer look reveals that BMI may just be catching up to ASCAPâ??s methods of shaking down local coffee shops.

So, the rhetorical question I leave you with is this:
As artists collecting revenue from ASCAP/BMI, do we have coffee on our hands?

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