The Blog on mTraks™

Sony Music Entertainment and IODA Partner to Create Leading Digital Distribution and Services Network for Independent Rights Holders

see the full article in Earth Times here: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/sony-music-entertainment-and-ioda,880282.shtml

mTraks was very stoked to support and attend Billabong's Design for Humanity show on June 17th at the Avalon in Hollywood, CA. This is a great cause to provide clean drinking water for sub-saharan Africans. All proceeds from the show went to this cause. Please check the video below which provides a great overview of the event.

Monday June 22, 2009 San Diego, CA
Concert Review

photo by Dey Martin

After a long absence from the scene in San Diego, Unwritten Law with members Steve Morris, PK, Dylan Howard and their rock solid front man Scott Russo, shook the house hard - the Wavehouse that is - on Saturday June 20. The evening show was packed with several hundred rabid UL fans many rushing the stage and slamming in the best San Diego punk tradition.

Most in attendance sang at the top of their lungs with fists pumping along with Scott's best old school and many recent hits including Shoulda Known Better, Save Me, Welcome to Oblivion and Seein' Red. They played for a solid hour or more.

Did anyone see what happened to that guy in his wheelchair who tried to make it to the front of the stage? The poor guy got dropped, flipped, shaken and tromped as Scott worked the crowd into a frothy tither.

UL has most recently signed with San Diego record label Suburban Noize and is in the studio finishing off a new record presumably to be released on SN. According to their MySpace page they will be busy this summer on the Warped Tour.

Thanks boys for a great show! I'm your bestest new fan again. Check a few pictures from the show on our Flickr account here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36654045@N05/sets/72157620284743432/
Dey Martin
mTraks.com

Hey good people of mp3 downloady land! mTraks now has music videos and we'll soon be implementing a righteous video search feature. Check it out and download lots of music. Ok?

Hey everyone,
On Thursday 5/7/09 mTraks attempted to implement major site wide changes and improvements that were to include video search and other very cool stuff. Unfortunately, the changes did not roll out smoothly and resulted in the site going down on and off. Yesterday, Friday, around 8:15PM the website crashed again and was down for 12 hours approx. Please rest assured that the site remains secure. We have rolled back the changes to a previous saved version until we can iron out what is causing the site to go down when video search is implemented.

We'll keep you posted here in this blog area.

Sincerely,

mTraks support

Technorati Profile

There is a concerted effort underway by music labels, film companies and publishers to hold ISPs responsible for cutting off Internet access to those that are doing illegal downloading of music files over P2P networks. Free speech advocates who object to government intrusion into the Internet oppose the measures.

Under the French plan, citizens accused of making illegal downloads three times in 12 months would have their Internet service severed by a new administrative agency. Individuals who had their service cut off would have to resort to the French court system to challenge the move.

Could US government action be next?

The New York Times article below is an important read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/technology/internet/21net.html

By Dey Martin ~ King of Clubs

It was mighty fun at SXSW 2009 this year. And hey, no rain! Rumor was that Metallica was going to play under a secret name at Stubbs. Did they? Please write me back if they did 'cause I love finding out about shows that I missed.

I saw a slew of really good bands in Austin this year. But I must say that I was somewhat distracted by the throngs of bearded bohemian males carrying guitars practically everywhere I looked. What's up with that? Is it that groupies like beards now? If so, then I am seriously considering growing out my beard - if it will work with the ladies. Hehe.

I checked out and shot The Decemberists at Stubbs. Woo-hoo! They were fanciful and moody under the starlit night. My favorite show on friday was Crystal Antlers at La Zona Rosa sponsored by Village Voice . It was a day show with Cursive and Gomez also rocking packed house. Sadly the Crystal Antlers record, Tentacles, which I bought after the show, does not accurately represent. I promise, this is not going to be a review but rather simply a montage of what flew by my sphere of awareness in pictures - with a touch of commentary.

Crystal Antlers

Here's a pic I took of Colin Meloy of the The Decemberists performing live at Stubbs on Wednesday night. Their new album The Hazards of Love is out on March 24. I think you can stream it on imeem here http://www.imeem.com/ewcom.

I also really liked TBD Records recent signing 'Other Lives' from Oklahoma. Their songwriter/singer Jesse Tabish is mesmerizing. They played the KCRW show at Buffalo Billiards upstairs. Nice stage, really nice space, a great bar and nice people. I could have stayed there all night.

I caught Portland favs and now N-die supergroup Starfucker here's a pic of them on cramped stage. You can buy their record here on mTraks http://www.mtraks.com/artist/starfucker/

Cursive was great at La Zona Rosa on Friday afternoon. I had a feeling that most people came to see Gomez and got blown away by how good Cursive was.

I went by the Filter party where I caught a couple of songs by Great Northern. Fun in the sun.

Great Northern

Then it was off to the Alternative Press VIP party upstairs at Speakeasy. A rooftop spot called Terrace 59. But I had to trip out of there before Dirtblonde did their DJ set.

DJ Tommy Sunshine

More SXSW 2009 photos being uploaded daily here!

Pictures of SXSW on our Flickr account!

Coachella Artists on mTraks!!!

Sunday, April 19th
Brian Jonestown Massacre http://www.mtraks.com/artist/brian_jonestown_massacre/
Christopher Lawrence http://www.mtraks.com/artist/christopher_lawrence/
Fucked Up http://www.mtraks.com/artist/fucked_up/
K-naan http://www.mtraks.com/artist/k_naan/
Mexican Institute of Sound http://www.mtraks.com/artist/mexican_institute_of_sound/
Public Enemy http://www.mtraks.com/artist/public_enemy/
Roni Size Reprazent
The Gaslight Anthem http://www.mtraks.com/artist/the_gaslight_anthem/

On Friday at 10:30am the mTraks main drive crashed which took the site down for six hours. We were able to restor many functions including shopping cart purchases. Music downloads after purchase are still being worked on and are not working at this time. We will honor all music purchases or provide a refund.

mTraks Support

UPDATE Sunday 7:56PM PST
Purchased tracks download system malfunction has been fixed.

mTraks Support

The FCC has proposed a plan to allow free access to broadband wireless Internet - a plan the White House opposes.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10120842-94.html?tag=rtcol;pop

Torche Interview: Casbah Carries the 'Torche'
Wednesday, December 03 2008 | Topic: Shows
Torche
TORCHE TOUTS MEANDERTHAL, THE STRESS OF TOURING AND THE VOLCANO TACO
By: Desiree Howell and Brittney Carratelli

Torche is a four piece from Miami, Florida. Some have described this band as metal, pop and sludge. They call themselves “bad ass rock and roll.” Their music has a unique, hard-hitting sound that provokes a wide range of emotions, and they have a large fan base throughout the world.
The Casbah in San Diego hosted Torche on November 14, 2008. Before the show, members Juan Montoya, Steve Brooks, Jonathan Nuñez and Rick Smith sat down with mTraks.com to discuss their current tour and latest CD Meanderthal.

Torche has toured through Europe relentlessly and has played several shows in Japan before beginning their US tour in October. With the April release of the CD Meanderthal, the whole band agrees that their fan base has increased all over the world. “I think [fans] can hear that we are growing and progressing,” said Jonathan Nuñez. “They can hear we are having more fun and growing up,” he added. “Yeah, this time around, it was a lot smoother, we actually played for lot of people that were more into…what we’re into,” said Juan Montoya. This tour marked the first time Torche has ever performed in Japan, and it was exciting for Torche to see how enthusiastic the fans were about the music. “It was really cool, a lot of them [in Japan] were a little bit reserved, but I think we brought them out of their shell,” explained Montoya.

These shows were important to the members of Torche, as it has always been a life dream of theirs to perform in Japan. With that dream realized, what is next for Torche? Montoya pointed out that every experience and every show gets better and better and that they are looking forward to playing in the Nightmare Before Christmas concert in the UK December 5th through the 7th. “It’s going to be amazing!” exclaimed Montoya. “It’s with the Melvins, one of my childhood favorite bands,” he added.

Torche has come a long way from their earlier days of touring in a small van with all of their music equipment. Their musical success has afforded them a trailer and room to move while on tour. Even still, their schedules are hectic and sometimes they just want some time to themselves. “I’d like a break,” said Brooks. “We’ve been off like two months, in the last 6 months, I know that’s what I need,” he added. Montoya agreed, saying “It’s pretty intense… you are with three or four other people all day long and people get on each other’s nerves, smells get on your nerves.”
Has the “rock star” lifestyle lived up to their expectations? Brooks concedes that it can be hard to balance their passion for music with the shadiness of the music industry.

“It breaks a lot of people, and bums people out with all of the shit you have to put up with,” admitted Brooks. Rick Smith pointed out that many bands break up dealing with the pressure of success. “We are at the breaking point with all the touring,” Smith said with a serious look on his face. “This is the test to see how long we will last,” Smith added. Nuñez, who had been fairly quiet throughout the interview, softly said that the success has changed things from what they started off doing. “It’s different… what was important at one point and what [we] used to enjoy,” Nuñez said.

Montoya recalled how as a child, he thought being a rock star would be the most amazing thing. “It’s a beautiful thing of your childhood,” said Montoya with a smile on his face. What he really wants for the band though, is to create meaningful music and to be innovative. Being a “rock star” is not a high priority for Torche. What do they really want? As unique people, the members of Torche have different goals. “As long as we are together [I want to] make the most interesting music that we can [and] be challenging with the music,” said Montoya. “We get to travel the world and meet amazing people.”

Brooks admitted he doesn’t like to make plans, but rather “fly by the seat of his pants and see what happens.” He acknowledged that while touring sometimes is stressful, he loves it, and wants to see more of the world. When asked what his goals were, Nuñez sat quietly for a moment with a pensive look on his face. What he wants is to develop as a band and to be satisfied with the music that they produce. Above all though, Nuñez wants to succeed, live comfortably and to do it in a respectable way.

“Integrity is a big part of it for me,” Nuñez stated. “As long as I see things paying off and progressing, I will be happy.” What Smith wants, on the other hand, is very specific. “I want to party, write good records and hang out on tour,” Smith said. “I still have more of the world I’d like to see!” he exclaimed. He has some business ideas in mind as well that he has considered pursuing. “I would get a Taco Bell tattoo and see if they pay me $10,000 to get their logo tattooed on me!” Smith said with a devilish grin. “I plan on writing them a serious proposal ‘I love your fucking volcano tacos SO much, I will get your logo as a tattoo.” Taco Bell, if you are reading this, just imagine the kind of advertising potential Rick Smith is offering.

Everyone else, check out this band Torche. They take their music seriously, but also know how to have a good time. However you choose to categorize them, just know that this is a band that transcends labels to produce a dynamic sound that is worth listening to. You can check out songs from their recently released album Meanderthal here on mTraks and read more about Torche online at http://torcheband.blogspot.com.

Looking for great Christmas music? mTraks has what you're looking for. To browse through our collection of Christmas music simply type "Christmas songs" into the search box (above right) by ALBUMS (click on ARTISTS to see the drop down menu, then select ALBUMS). You'll find a diverse collection from Bing Crosby to Nat King Cole. Just to make it really easy, click here to browse our christmas music collection:
http://www.mtraks.com/search?x=0&y=0&search_category=album&search_query=christmas+music

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

Happy holidays!

mTraks staff

CMJ was this week October 21 - 25. Check out all of the after party haps click here:

In preparation for the upcoming Street Scene music festival here in San Diego we've searched our catalog for artists on the two day lineup. Follow these links to check out some of our favorite artists!

Performing Friday, September 19
Beck http://www.mtraks.com/artist/beck/

Spoon http://www.mtraks.com/artist/spoon/

Cat Power http://www.mtraks.com/artist/cat_power/

Michael Franti and Spearhead http://www.mtraks.com/artist/michael_franti_spearhead/

Hot Chip http://www.mtraks.com/artist/hot_chip/

Devotchka http://www.mtraks.com/artist/devotchka/

Foals http://www.mtraks.com/artist/foals/

Performing Saturday, September 20
The Black Crowes http://www.mtraks.com/artist/the_black_crowes/

The Hives http://www.mtraks.com/artist/the_hives/

Cold War Kids http://www.mtraks.com/artist/cold_war_kids/

Ghostland Observatory http://www.mtraks.com/artist/ghostland_observatory/

Spiritualizedhttp://www.mtraks.com/artist/spiritualized/