First off, congratulations goes out from us to the whole Fool’s Gold crew on the launch of their new retail space at 536 Metropolitan Ave in Brooklyn. Reports from various sources around the web all tell us the good news we expected: the space is pretty spectacular and anyone who attended Friday’s grand opening bore witness. Now open for business officially, they’ve decided to collabo with Hitachi’s G-Connect to create a new streaming live experience called Tight Space starting on Wednesday, July 20th.

From the Fool’s Gold Blog:

On Wednesday, July 20th, Fool’s Gold and G-Connect will launch the first episode of Tight Space, a new web streaming series broadcast live from 536 Metropolitan, the new Fool’s Gold storefront in Brooklyn. Fans who “like” the G-Technology Facebook page will be able to watch exclusive live DJ sets from Chromeo, A-Trak and Treasure Fingers, powered by the new G-Connect wireless storage solution from Hitachi. Hit Facebook.com/GTechnology for more info, and stay tuned for more details on Tight Space.

Don’t live in NYC? Don’t worry — remember to follow G-Connect on Facebook for a chance to win a trip to Brooklyn to experience Tight Space in person.

The good people over at exfm are having terrific giveaway for Record Store Day 2011 & you can get in on the action — here’s the deets courtesy of The exfm Blog:

To honor Record Store Day and give back to the exfm community we’re giving away an exfm gift pack. This gift pack will be chock-full: a Crosley Revolution Turntable, $100 worth of vinyl from our favorite local record store to enjoy on your new turntable and a pile of exfm swag. The Crosley Revolution is a turntable of firsts: their first battery-powered turntable, the first with a platter smaller than a teacup saucer, and the first with a wireless transmitter for cord-free enjoyment. Mouths watering yet?

So how do you get your hands on these goodies? It’s simple; starting NOW until 10:00pm EST on Saturday, April 16, just reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr.

Twitter: Tweet, “Record Store Day Bonanza” with the hash tags, #exfm<3rsd11 and #crosleyturntable to @exfm.

Facebook: Visit our Facebook page and write on our wall, “Record Store Day Bonanza”

Tumblr: “like” this Record Store Day Bonanza Post.

We’ll choose one lucky recipient at random to be announced on Monday, April 18th. This fortunate exfmer will also be profiled on our blog along with a little Q&A if they are willing to indulge us.

Zero 7 are offering a unique opportunity to amateur remixers and DJ’s alike: a chance to remix some of their most popular tracks using the full stems. Through 10 August 2010, you can use these stems to remix and upload your remixes of “Destiny”, “Home”, “Futures” and “Swing”. Remixes will be voted on and the band will select a winner from the top picks to receive an Ableton Live Software Suite (valued at approx. $280 USD/£400). If you don’t have any remix software to use, Zero 7 is recommending you try Aviary for free.

For details and to check out the latest mixes, visit the Zero 7 Remix Contest page. To obtain stems, click here and head to the Zero 7 Soundcloud page where you can download the individual parts.

On April 7, the release of their full-length debut, Black Diamond, Buraka Som Sistema will unleash their hybrid of kuduro, hip-hop, grime and hard-edged dance music on North America. Ten days later, on Friday, April 17, their live show – with physics-defying dance troupes, serious percussion and rotating rapid-fire MCs – kicks off at Coachella. Festival-goers will be the first to see the explosive multi-decked performance, an event that travels cross-continent through Vancouver, San Francisco, Toronto, Chicago and Boston, finishing up at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on May 2.

The half-Portuguese, half-Angolan DJ/producer team has already managed to blow away European fans and critics, as a recent sold-out show at London’s the Scala this past February attests. No wonder why The Observer, the UK’s premier newspaper, called them “the best thing since electricity was harnessed,” and Belgium’s De Standaard described their show in Brussels as “the party of the year.”

In anticipation of their time abroad, Buraka Som Sistema have also just announced their Sound of Your Community YouTube Dance Contest. Their song, “Sound of Kuduro” featuring DJ Znobia, M.I.A., Saborosa & Puto Prata, celebrates the music, dance and culture of Angola, but for their trip to North America, they want to see our dance moves, showing off our own communities, cultures, and customs.

The winner will get his or her video played on stage during their North American tour in their set. The runner-up will receive a customized Buraka Som Sistema skateboard deck and an autographed copy of Black Diamond.

The full details can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/group/burakacontest

FREE MP3:
Buraka Som Sistema – Kalemba (Wegue Wegue)(Hot Chip Remix)

Pre-Order Black Diamond by clicking here (out April 7)

BURAKA SOM SISTEMA SPRING 2009 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
Apr 17 Indio, CA @ Coachella
Apr 21 San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
Apr 23 Portland, OR @ Rotture
Apr 24 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
Apr 25 Seattle, WA @ Nectar Lounge
Apr 28 Chicago, IL @ Sonotheque
Apr 29 Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo
Apr 30 Montreal, QC @ Zoobizarre
May 01 Boston, MA @ Harper’s Ferry
May 02 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

Brian Wilson — you know, The Beach Boys? SMiLE? musical genius Brian Wilson? — has a brand, spanking new album out entitled That Lucky Old Sun. There’s no lack of brilliant pop songwriting genius to this new collection & we’re thrilled to offer you a chance at owning your very own, limited edition copy on 180 Gram archive-quality vinyl — a $30.00 retail value! Runners up can receive a copy of his single, “Midnight’s Another Day”, on 7″ vinyl. For details on how you can win, join us after the jump!

– Send an email to contest at loudersoft dot com & include “Brian Wilson Vinyl Giveaway” in the subject line. Be sure to include in the email all your contact info — and don’t worry, we’re not giving your email address to anyone under any circumstances.

– In the email, I want you to pick and write about a Brian Wilson or Beach Boys song lyric that has a significant meaning for you. Tell me the name of the song and (in 250 words or less) why the lyric(s) you selected is (are) so significant to you —

eg. “The first time my husband and I ever kissed, we were listening to Brian Wilson’s ‘SMiLE’ and the song “Vegetables” came on right as he was making his move. Mid-kiss we started laughing and he said, “I’ll never put down my vegetables”. As a vegan, I knew I’d found the one.”

The contest is open to everyone except employees of Capitol Records & its subsidiaries, employees of FADER Magazine or Cornerstone Promotion. By entering the contest, you agree to have your entry reproduced, in part or in whole, on Loudersoft. Entries must be received no later than 10am EST on Friday, September 26th, 2008. Entries received after this will not be considered. Winners will be announced next week. You may link or repaste these contests details anywhere.

Good luck to everyone & I’ll see you next week!!

To prove how easy it is, I made this in just a few minutes. It speaks for itself, so I won’t try. What is there to be scared of? Give it a shot! There’s currently only 50 entries, and you have until July 7th to enter.

Can you sing? Do you love Aimee Mann? Have you ever wanted to share a stage with her? Well, this contest sounds like it’s right up your alley. Full information on how to enter after the jump.

Lucky Fan Gets Chance to Sing with Aimee Mann

Aimee Mann’s fans have been singing along with her songs at shows and at home for years. Now Aimee is now giving these fans, and anyone else, a chance to sing with her live. All they need to do is video tape themselves singing Aimee Mann’s new song “Freeway,” from her upcoming CD @#%&*! Smilers, and upload it to YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/group/aimeemanncontest

Aimee Mann and SuperEgo Records will view and pick their favorites. The top winner will have an opportunity to sing live with Aimee at one of her upcoming shows! Ten runners-up will receive an autographed copy of Aimee’s new CD, @#%&*! Smilers, and all finalists will be considered for a music category spotlight on YouTube. The contest starts June 4th and submissions must be received by July 7th.

Entrants can get the lyrics, the instrumental version of “Freeway” and contest details at: http://www.aimeemann.com/freewaycontest/
Aimee Mann will be touring throughout the summer and fall, along with upcoming television appearances on the Tonight Show and the View.

AIMEE MANN TOUR DATES
Jun 2 ’08 Largo Los Angeles, CA
Jun 6 ’08 House of Blues Anaheim, CA
Jun 10 ’08 Largo Los Angeles, CA
Jun 12 ’08 Minnesota Zoo Mineapolis, MN
Jun 13 ’08 Pabst Theater Milwaukee, WI
Jun 15 ’08 Bonnaroo Festival Manchester, TN
Jun 16 ’08 Cains Ballroon Tulsa, OK
Jun 17 ’08 La Zona Rosa Austin, TX
Jun 18 ’08 House of Blues Dallas, TX
Jul 9 ’08 Chautauqua Auditorium Boulder, CO
Jul 11 ’08 Botanical Gardens Denver, CO
Jul 12 ’08 Deer Valley Resort Park City, UT
Jul 14 ’08 Mountain Winery Saratoga, CA
Jul 15 ’08 Stewart Park Roseburg, OR
Jul 16 ’08 Woodland Zoo Seattle, WA
Jul 18 ’08 Vancouver Music Festival Vancouver, BC
Jul 19 ’08 Aladdin Theater Portland, OR
Jul 24 ’08 Calgary Music Festival Calgary,AB
Jul 26 ’08 Berklee Performance Center Boston, MA
Jul 28 ’08 Washington Park Albany, NY
Jul 30 ’08 Highline Ballroom New York, NY
Aug 1 ’08 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY
Aug 2 ’08 9:30 Club Washington, DC
Aug 4 ’08 World Cafe Live Philadelphia, PA
Aug 5 ’08 World Cafe Live Philadelphia, PA
Aug 7 ’08 Edmonton Folk Festival Edmonton, AB
Aug 28 ’08 Koolhaus Toronto, ON
Aug 29 ’08 Royal Oak Music Theatre Royal Oak, MI
Aug 31 ’08 Ravina Highland Park, IL
Sep 2 ’08 The Pageant St Louis, MO
Sep 3 ’08 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN
Sep 4 ’08 Bama Theatre Tuscaloosa, AL

(ed. note: When putting this piece together, we had some technical difficulties with the music player. They’re fixed — full album stream after the jump.)

Solid pop music is a commodity these days and, too often, the things I hear are simply “pretty good” or “okay”. However, in the mailbag today was an email from Brooklyn band called Anthem In. I don’t know how else to say it: I haven’t stopped listening to it from the second I put it on, so I’m very pleased to tell you about the band and about the record itself.

The self-released debut from this foursome comes out on June 24th and is well worth more than a cursory listen. Instant comparisons to lots of other bands will come to mind — Teenage Fanclub, Sloan, Rogue Wave, Death Cab For Cutie, Pinback — but the comparisons are only to give you a place to start from. There’s no Xeroxing going on here — if anything, there’s subtle referencing that never sounds forced.

So, if you already like any of these bands, Anthem In’s self-titled debut will be instantly gratifying. This is the kind of beatific album which walks the fine line between indie pop and radio rock, never stepping too far in either direction, always pulling you further and further in until they’ve got you right where they want you. More music and a giveaway after the jump.

Anthem In – Down

The chance union of Allen Orr and Ashley Proffitt eight years ago in Atlanta was the catalyst in the creation of Anthem In’s dynamic sound. The addition of Keith Vogelsang on bass and Paul Pettito on drums in 2007 completed their gregarious performance module, and the band set out to create these 13 songs. The result is consistent: songs that make you think, make you sing along and make you want to shake your ass all at the same time. The bittersweet harmonies and melodies enmesh perfectly with staccato guitar parts, faux-Fender keyboards and a driving rhythm section. With repeated listenings, I start to wonder why I haven’t known about Anthem In all along, like I’ve been cheated by some mystery of time to not have had the opportunity to enjoy their music for years.

If I can think of one unknown young band deserving of your full and undivided attention in 2008, Anthem In is far and away and the one. So much so, I’m devoting this column to this stream of their entire album for you to hear along with these two approved MP3′s you can download and share, “Down” and “Hold On To Me”, both of which appear on their debut.

Furthermore, I have five copies of the CD to give away to the first five commenters to respond below. When you respond, make sure you include your current and correct email address so I can write to you for your mailing address. I’ll make sure that you get your very own copy of the CD to enjoy.

Anthem In – Hold On To Me

http://nissanlivesets.com/pickme.

He’ll be playing a full band set of songs from his new album Last Night, old faves, and a couple of surprises. It’ll be a first-time chance to catch these new songs performed live in a really cool, intimate setting at Fox Studios. More info and a/v from the new album below.

Yahoo! Music and Mute Records want you to join us when Moby takes the stage for Nissan Live Sets in West Los Angeles, CA.

May 21, 2008
7 pm (subject to change, you need to arrive two hours before)
Location: West Los Angeles

The first 200 fans to submit their name and their guest’s name will get in the doors for this exclusive taping. Just go here to submit or for more info: http://nissanlivesets.com/pickme

Listen to Moby’s Last Night album sampler

http://www.myspace.com/moby

Little Rock’s finest, the one and only American Princes, are back at the wheel again in a couple of weeks. Their new release, Other People drops on Yep Roc on April 15th. We’re looking forward to hearing this one. This single and video are good indications that it’s another strong release from one of the most promising young American rock bands out there.

American Princes – Real Love

But Wait! There’s A Contest! And tour dates! — More Info After The Jump –

From the press release:

Also, in celebration of the release, Yep Roc is posting a new song stream each day on their Myspace page’s blog (http://myspace.com/yeproc) and asking listeners to post their responses to the song in the form of pictures, poems, videos, or whatever they can think of! The contest began April 1 and will run until the April 15 street date. Enter to win tickets to a show or a signed personalized poster. Each day will have a new winner, and one grand prize winner will be announced at the end of the contest. So check it out, and tell your friends!

Go check out the contest and the info on their MySpace page — http://myspace.com/americanprinces

American Princes on tour

4/12 – Little Rock – The Rev Room
4/15 – Chapel Hill – Local 506
4/16 – Covington – Mad Hatter – w/Lucero
4/17 – Pittsburgh – Mr. Small’s – w/Lucero
4/18 – Buffalo – Mohawk Place – w/Lucero
4/19 – Hoboken – Maxwell’s – w/House & Parrish
4/22 – New York – Mercury Lounge – w/Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
4/23 – Scranton – Test Pattern – w/The Sw!ms
4/24 – Detroit – Small’s
4/25 – Grand Rapids – The Intersection – w/Lucero
4/26 – Minneapolis – Hexagon Bar
4/27 – Des Moines – Vaudeville Mews
4/28 – Omaha – The Slowdown
4/30 – Columbia – Mojo’s

5/1 – Kansas City – Davey’s Uptown
5/2 – Wichita – Kirby’s Beer Store
5/3 – Fayetteville – George’s (in the Lounge)
5/10 – Little Rock – Rock n’ Roar
5/14 – Austin – Stubb’s – w/Northern State
5/15 – Dallas – The Prophet Bar – w/Northern State
5/16 – Houston – Warehouse Live – w/Northern State
5/17 – Baton Rouge – Spanish Moon – w/Northern State
5/20 – Birmingham – w/Northern State
5/21 – Atlanta – The Earl – w/Northern State
5/22 – Chapel Hill – Local 506 – w/Northern State
5/23 – Baltimore – Ottobar – w/Northern State

Pre-Order Other People from Yep Roc by clicking here or you can purchase digital singles/CD from Amazon by clicking here.

To celebrate this week’s single release (we still have those in England) Radiohead have broken up the song ‘Nude’ into pieces for you to remix.

For those of you who enjoy this sort of thing, you can buy the separate components or ‘stems’ (bass, voice, guitar, strings/FX and drums) and remix your own version of the song. You can do this by adding your own beats and instrumentation or just remixing the original parts. More information here: http://www.radioheadremix.com/information/

You can buy the stems here: http://www.radioheadremix.com/buy/

You can upload your finished mixes here http://www.radioheadremix.com and be judged and even voted on by ‘the public’.

You can also create a widget allowing votes from your own website, Facebook or MySpace page to be sent through too.

Hope you enjoy it

For those of you who aren’t that way inclined, Nude is also available in its entirety on CD and 7 inch (UK release) at the usual retail outlets.

The cool kids over at Pornophony have started what is being called the (wait for it…) Indie ‘Beat’ Off. In short, you have 7 days to take their indie rock track and create a remix out of what they give you. Pinch it, poke it, twist it, curl it, fade it, braid it, extend it or suspend it — the level of glamour is completely up to you.

Every Monday, a new track will be posted for mixing. After you remix it, submit it to Pornophony, at which point it will be judged by none other than yours truly, along with Stereobotic and Rock Sellout. This contest is open to anyone who wants to give it a shot, so have some fun for a change! For a complete list of rules, click here to check it out, and good luck!

We love giving stuff away to readers and this is one contest which is sure to get tomacco farmers everywhere singing our praises.

Hopefully (by now) you know that the long-awaited The Simpsons Movie opens nationwide on July 27, 2007. Loudersoft is proud to give you a chance to win a very cool prize package courtesy of The Simpsons Movie including a limited-edition copy of The Simpsons Movie Soundtrack: Limited Edition Donut Packaging in (yes) a giant pink doughnut with sprinkles. The soundtrack, composed by Hans Zimmer, will be available on July 31st. But you can win your very own copy right now!

The Contest:

Wiggum It … Just A Little Bit!!

Submit a *short* video clip of you saying your favorite quote from our favorite character, Ralph Wiggum. It doesn’t have to be long — one to three minutes is good — just enough so we know that your cat’s breath smells like cat food. Need help finding a quote? Try looking for one here. You can submit videos using YouTube, Brightcove, or simply email your completed video in AVI, MOV, or WMV format to contest@loudersoft.com. Video files emailed to that address must be 10MB in size or less or the server will reject your email. If your video is larger than 10MB, try uploading it to YouTube or Brightcove?

The Rules:
– Your video must be submitted no later than July 20th, 2007 to be considered.
– Entries must include your name, address, telephone number, and email address. This information is only for use in this contest and will not be given, sold, traded, or shown to anyone outside of Loudersoft for any reason.
– Your video should be no longer than three minutes in length and be of (hopefully) you doing your favorite Ralph Wiggum-quote.
– By entering this contest, you grant Loudersoft license to use your likeness and the video or video links emailed by you at loudersoft.com freely and without restriction on their website without expectation or guarantee.
– If you are the contest winner, you will be notified by email no later than July 23, 2007.
– Submit your clip to contest [at] loudersoft [dot] com.

Edit: To prove how easy this is, I made this video with my Canon PowerShot A520, uploaded it, and posted it in less than three minutes.

Iceland is a land of puffins, volcanoes, eco-friendly Vodka and amazing music festivals.

In honor of Iceland’s 63rd birthday, Reyka Vodka and Iceland Naturally have just announced a once in a lifetime contest for 1 lucky winner and 9 friends to fly to Iceland for three days and 2 nights of partying, soaking in the Blue Lagoon, sight seeing and to attend the world renowned Iceland Airwaves Music Festival.

Any US or Canadian resident over 21 can enter to win here:

http://www.icelandnaturally.com/Reyka/

The Iceland Airwaves Festival runs from October 17-21 2007 and the Lineup includes:

Bloc Party * Of Montreal * !!! * Best Fwends * Mum * GusGus * Buck 65 * Chromeo * Bonde de Role* Annuals & Others to be announced soon

THE CONTEST:

The Republic of Iceland has birthed international successes in the musical realm with such acts as Sigur Rós, Múm, Björk, Amiina; and most importantly BANG GANG. It is time to brush up on your Icelandic for, “Where is the bathroom?” or “Please fluff my pillow” because you can enter to win a TRIP FOR TWO TO ICELAND COURTESY OF ICELANDAIR, BANG GANG & FROM NOWHERE RECORDS.

BANG GANG is looking for the best fan remix of “It’s Alright” from the new BANG GANG album Something Wrong. To create your remix and enter the contest, visit the links below to hear the original song and download isolated multi-tracks of “It’s Alright”. Then use them and whatever else you have up your sleeve (just no illegal samples), to create a kick-ass remix! The entries will be judged by Bardi Johannsson of Bang Gang himself!

LINKS: “IT’S ALRIGHT” ORIGINAL ALBUM TRACK | “IT’S ALRIGHT” REMIX TOOLS

As an example (and for fun), check out the SHOUT OUT OUT OUT OUT REMIX of BANG GANG’s “Find What You Get” HERE.

THE PRIZE:

WIN! - Two plane tickets from one of Iceland Air’s US gateways (NYC, Boston, Orlando and Baltimore)
WIN! – Two nights in a Reykjavik hotel
WIN! - Transportation to Keflavik airport to the hotel and back
WIN! – A Bunch of Exposure

THE RULES:

Contestants must submit an MP3 OF YOUR REMIX, YOUR FULL NAME, AND E-MAIL ADDRESS to banggang@fanaticpromotion.com by Friday, May 18. Make sure that you mention Loudersoft.Com in your entry.

Anyone can participate, and contestants can submit as many remixes as they wish.
The winner will be notified on Monday, May 21.

THE FINE PRINT:

• Contest winner is responsible for their own transportation to and from one of Iceland Air’s US gateways (NYC, Boston, Orlando and Baltimore).
• The prize can be used within one year of the issue date, except June, July, August and Christmas holiday period.
• By submitting your e-mail, you agree to receive information on low fares to Europe from IcelandAir.
• All contest entrants understand and agree that under no situation will Fanatic Promotion, Inc. be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, incidental, special or exemplary damages resulting from your participation in this offer.
• By sending your mp3, you confirm that: All rights in and to the recordings remixed versions of the recordings are owned by FROM NOWHERE RECORDS and to the extent necessary you assign all rights in the remixed recordings to FROM NOWHERE RECORDS.

Bang Gang – Something Wrong
Bang Gang – It’s Alright