Michael J. Media April 2012 Newsletter
Contact: Mike Farley
608-848-9707
mike@michaeljmedia.com
www.michaeljmedia.com
www.soundcloud.com/michael-j-media
Greetings everyone, and welcome to April 2012. The first quarter of the year is in the books and April is a good month in several ways. I’m a big sports fan so I am looking forward to the NCAA final tonight, followed by the start of baseball season this week, followed by the Masters in golf starting Thursday and continuing through Sunday.
Before I get to our current roster and projects, I wanted to pose a few questions that have been nagging at my little brain the last few days….and maybe you can all have some fun sending me replies, which I may post next month….
When did everything become so expensive? I mean, I started wearing glasses about five years ago. And they cost maybe $125. In 2009, I think I paid $300 for glasses and my exam, which at that time was not covered by my insurance. I had my first eye exam in three years last weekend, and they were giving me sticker shock, trying to get me to buy glasses that were around $650 AND sunglasses that were around $500. So, almost $1200 for glasses. I wound up going with a nice pair of glasses and sunglasses clip-ons that totaled around $425. That’s more like it, but still ridiculous. Cushions for some outdoor deck furniture we bought—50 bucks each. And yesterday I priced the same New Balance running shoes I wear every day, everywhere—they were maybe $80 a few years back and are now $150 at the New Balance outlet store. I know prices have gone up on most products, but why have some things gone up exponentially?
Next question: why does everyone feel the need to drive 30 miles per hour over the speed limit, and up my ass when I’m cruising along at posted speed or 5 mph over? I think they must now teach people in driver’s ed how to tailgate without hitting the car in front of you, because it’s become an epidemic. Can anyone explain why this is or why it’s acceptable? I just think people should slow down in general.
Actually, that should be everyone’s motto these days. Slow down, try to enjoy the things life has to offer, like music. Ah, you knew I had to get back to this eventually, right?.......
New Clients and Upcoming Releases
Mark Bates: Night Songs Only 23 years old, Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Mark Bates has garnered critical acclaim for his debut, Down the Narrow, on NPR and the BBC while reaching the top 20 on the Americana UK charts. Mark was born and raised in Hurricane, West Virginia and his music paints an honest picture of the world he comes from. His new album, Night Songs, is due later this spring and was produced by Eric Liljestrand (Lucinda Williams). www.markbatesmusic.com
Stolen Rhodes: Falling Off the Edge After the casual listener stumbles upon Philadelphia rock band Stolen Rhodes, the first thing they may ask for is how they came up with this unique name. But before or after that, they will listen to the group, and its debut album Falling Off The Edge, which streets on April 3. This is a young band that channels classic rock through its own youthful sound and vision. www.stolenrhodes.com
The Mighty Short Bus: The MSB Family Band Award-winning Madison band The Mighty Short Bus (MSB) decided to do something different, in reaction to what was being done by many mainstream music acts these days. They decided to step out of the studio, and instead went to a barn amongst the rolling hills of The Driftless Area, set up some microphones in a circle and played and forming The MSB Family Band, a six-piece acoustic group that is, according to principal singer and songwriter Frank Busch, “the definition of Americana music.” www.mightyshortbus.com
Cash'd Out is the premiere Johnny Cash tribute act, and the only tribute band endorsed by and linked from JohnnyCash.com, the official Johnny Cash website. Cash'd Out has over 150 of JC's songs in their repertoire, and can deliver up to four hours of non-stop entertainment, including the June Carter Cash duets brought back to fame in the recent Oscar winning movie Walk the Line. www.cashdout.com
Recent Releases
Tommy Womack: Now What! www.tommywomack.com
David Olney: The Stone www.davidolney.com
Josh Harty: Nowhere www.joshharty.com
Treasa Levasseur: Broad www.treasalevasseur.com
The Iveys: Days & Nights www.theiveysmusic.com
Brad Brooks: Harmony of Passing Light www.bradbrooksmusic.com
The Companies We Represent
Bullz-Eye.com: With reviews, original entertainment features, sports, commentary, men's fitness advice, humor and blogs covering a wide range of topics, Bullz-Eye.com is one of the premier online entertainment magazines for men. Bullz-Eye.com/Black Mountain Publishing also publishes several blogs including Premium Hollywood, The Scores Report and Mikey's Kitchen. www.bullz-eye.com
New Releases Coming Soon From....
Jesse Terry www.jesseterrymusic.com
Tim Mahoney www.timmahoney.com
Recent Releases and Touring Acts
Ludo www.ludorock.com
Badfish, a Tribute to Sublime www.badfish.com
Scotty Don't (original project of Badfish members) www.scottydont.com
Poco www.poconut.org
Chris Knight www.chrisknight.net
Burning River Ramblers: self-titled www.reverbnation.com/theburningriverramblers
Pure Prairie League www.pureprairieleague.com
Darrell Scott Long Ride Home www.darrellscott.com
Tommy & The High Pilots www.thehighpilots.com
David Mayfield Parade: www.davidmayfieldparade.com
Boom Chick www.boomchickboomchick.com
Charlie Parr: Keep Your Hands on the Plow www.charlieparr.com
Dan Miraldi: Rock N Roll Band www.danmiraldi.com
Red Wanting Blue: From the Vanishing Point www.redwantingblue.com
David Jacobs-Strain www.davidjacobs-strain.com
Zach Williams & The Reformation: A Southern Offering www.zwrnation.com
Blogs and Writing Contributions
Mikey's Kitchen
Progressives Punch Back
Just Another Autism Blog
Big Blue View
Bullz-Eye.com's Grub for Guys
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