SMC | Artist of the Month MAYHEM!

by CA Marshall | Editor 
Starlight Music Chronicles

I am writing this now because it's about to get nuts. REAL nuts in the next couple weeks for all of us at Starlight Music Chronicles. We have our very first inaugural issue Magazine launching in a few short weeks, Photo Shoots, Branding, Interviews, (editing) and THEN...............there's our Artist of the Month Competition which has been growing at break neck speed within the Indie Music Industry as one of the most creative and fun Music Competitions going on Facebook.Best part? NO ONE has to leave their homes to attend! It's all by the click of a button from your computer, laptop, phone or other electronic device: anywhere you can connect to facebook and the Starlight Music Chronicles Page (https://www.facebook.com/starlightmusicchronicles) you can get to the EVENTS section of the page and scroll through each month, past, present, and future (we are always open for submissions at least a month and a half in advance - see above poster for the December 2015 Artist Submissions) (click here to enter) 80% of our monthly global views are coming through facebook via this forum. Exciting! Not just for Starlight Music Chronicles, but for the Artists being Promoted! 

Even today, there are two submissions waiting in cue for the December 2015 Competition! What began as a 'trial' has turned into a phenomenal response from Industry Peers and Musicians from all over the globe. And this is not just a casual statement either because each month, we are checking the stats and we are easily surpassing the previous whole month's visits globally in one WEEK! This is occurring more and more as the competition keeps moving forward and shows no signs of slowing down.

Each Artist that has won the competition so far have been very pleased to be cast as 'Starlight Music Chronicles Artist of the Month Alumni', a 'Class' (for lack of better words) of Indie Artists that are attending a (Music-School of Rock?) event of sorts where at the end of the year, all 12 winners will compete for the Starlight Music Chronicles Artist of the YEAR! This will include YEAR-LONG free promotion for the winning artist which can showcase new music, branding, etc. Considering that we get thousands of views per day globally to the website, this is a great addition to artists wanting promotion on what is becoming one of the Best Music Entertainment websites for Indie & Signed Artists. 

So far, we have Olivia Rose (August 2015 Winner), IAMWARFACE (September 2015 Winner), and Shay Esposito (October 2015 Winner) who have been featured for a month long promo spot for FREE on our site simply by participating in the Competition. (see this months promo spot) Aside from a few glitches here are there (facebook can be a ton of fun to try to get these tech things fixed in a timely manner *sarcasm*!), things have been running pretty smoothly. In addition to being featured for a month long spot on our website, we also include the Artists in our quarterly Magazine (launching later this month) with any new updates and progress that they have made since their win. 

But what is the point of these kinds of competitions? For Starlight Music Chronicles, first and foremost, it's the chance for Indie Artists to be showcased in a small forum (Only 10 Bands/Artists MAX are allowed per month) which allows the fans to digest what they are all about. We post the bands' Biography, Music, Achievements as well as allow the Artists themselves to post banners and info about themselves which ups the ante for the Competition. *Reference the September 2015 Artist of the Month Competition to see what we are talking about here. The Posters and even FAN videos that were submitted on the page was brilliant, encouraged, and interactive.

Another reason for hosting these competitions is for SMC to garner exactly what music the fans want to hear more of or read more about on our site. We have an 'Our Faves' page on the website as well as Spotlight features (www.starlightmusicchroniclesspotlight.com) on featured artists and The Chronicles (www.starlightmusicchronicles.blogspot.ca) where there are many featured Artists on Video as well as Song reviews, Announcements, Behind-the-scenes features, and much, much, more based on the genre and type of Artists our SMC fans want to hear more of.  

What we know so far is that many Indie Artists have been reaching out to us via this Monthly Competition for various reasons, some not even related to the competition (some want photo shoots, branding, etc). It's safe to say that since opening the SMC Artist of the Month Event, we could easily sum up the Competition has amalgamated the Starlight Music Chronicles website (and all social media outlets for that matter) as a sweet combo of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets The Wizard of Oz with a side twist of Rocky Horror Picture show. Yeah, and maybe a little of Alice in Wonderland and The Nightmare Before Christmas in there too for good measure! 

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Editor's Note: It always excites me (like Christmas, one of my favorite times of the year!) when I go to click the 'Submit Now' and launch button for the monthly Voting Poll to OPEN on the event. Something about that 'OPEN' sign that suggests freedom and joy and It isn't much longer after I hit 'Refresh' and the fan votes are off and running....and then the likes.....and then the comments.....(see above photo).

The few snags we have run across are really minor.......other Artists trying to post their fan pages or art on the event wall but it is strictly prohibited as the artists took the time to submit to us all of the requirements PRIOR to the poll launch. Usually when this happens, we encourage all artists that wish to have their music promoted to contact myself at editor@starlightmusicchronicles.com and I will be happy to discuss the event and the requirements. There have been some pretty wild comments on the content in these events as well but that is one thing I AM grateful for with facebook: they block those comments and delete them for us. We try to keep the competitions as clean and fun as possible because at the end of the day all we are trying to do is offer Indie Artists the support that is severely lacking in the Industry. 

We look forward to the next 9 months of competition and talks are already in the work of having an annual festival or 'showcase' of these artists so stay tuned for more information on that when we go to launch the Artist of the Year Competition next July 2016! 

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Starlight Music Chronicles Social Media:

Website: www.starlightmusicchronicles.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starlightmusicchronicles
Twitter: @StarlightMusicC and @CAMARSHALLSMC 
Google+: +Candice Marshall 
Instagram: www.instagram.com/starlightmusicchronicles/

ENYA RELEASES THE NEW ALBUM ‘DARK SKY ISLAND’ OUT NOVEMBER 20TH

*Official Press Release - Warner Bros. Records*
October 8th, 2015

After 75 million sales; four Grammy Awards; six World Music Awards; an Ivor Novello, an Oscar nomination, a Golden Globe nomination; and seven studio albums (plus the ‘Paint The Sky With Stars’ compilation) which have hit the upper echelons of charts all over the world, Enya will embark upon a new chapter in her spectacular career with the November 20th release of her new album ‘Dark Sky Island’.

The Enya creative triumvirate – Enya, producer and sound engineer Nicky Ryan, and lyricist Roma Ryan – started work on the album in the spring of 2012. Inspired by Roma’s work on a series of poetry books themed around islands and specifically the island of Sark’s decision to be designated as a dark sky island, the album’s title track was the first song to be written for the collection.

The album’s buoyantly optimistic first single ‘Echoes in Rain’ possesses an irresistible surge of globe-trotting euphoria which made it an obvious choice as the album’s lead track. While it shares the adventurous themes of Enya’s breakthrough hit ‘Orinoco Flow’, its rhythmic march instead celebrates the anticipation of a journey’s end.

‘Echoes in Rain’ also shares another coincide with its famous predecessor. Back in 1988, ‘Orinoco Flow’ was the final song that was recorded during sessions for the ‘Watermark’ album and it went on to become a global success. This time around, ‘Echoes in Rain’ was the final track to be completed for the album and has also been chosen as the lead single.

Sonically, ‘Dark Sky Island’ is a collection that’s both incredibly diverse and innately unified by the production: almost Spector-esque in its lavish, wide-screen multi-tracked layers of sound. Opening track ‘The Humming’ is an immediate highlight as it subliminally works its infectious magic within the course of a single listen. By contrast, ‘Even In The Shadows’ pulses with an insistent rhythm; the hymnal ‘I Could Never Say Goodbye’ is sparse in its reflective beauty; while ‘Sancta Maria’ blends synthesisers and classical instrumentation to create an ethereal soundscape that comfortably sits in both the past and the future. It’s almost a history of sound encapsulated in four hypnotic and otherworldly minutes.

“This album has a theme of journeys,” states Enya. “Journeys to the island; through the length of a lifetime; through history, through emotions; and journeys across great oceans. So although it’s not a ‘themed’ album, as such, we nevertheless have an underlying connection between songs.”

That concept can be demonstrated in ‘The Humming’, a song that muses on the cycle of the universe and how change affects everything. Such intergalactic exploration also extends to ‘The Forge of the Angels’ and ‘The Loxian Gates’ which continue the use of the Loxian language that Roma created and popularized with three songs from 2005’s ‘Amarantine’. It’s a futuristic narrative with a genesis that dates back to 1986 and Enya’s debut album / soundtrack to the BBC documentary The Celts.

‘Dark Sky Island’ will be available to pre-order on CD and digital download formats on Friday, October 9, with ‘Echoes in Rain’ provided as an instant grat track for fans.

For this triumvirate of partners and friends, the journey marches on unabated. With ‘Dark Sky Island’ and beyond, who knows what further expeditions lay unpredicted just over the horizon?

The full ‘Dark Sky Island’ tracklisting is:

  

The Humming

So I Could Find My Way

Even in the Shadows

The Forge of the Angels

Echoes in Rain

I Could Never Say Goodbye

Dark Sky Island

Sancta Maria

Astra et Luna

The Loxian Gates

Diamonds on the Water

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Enya's Social Media Links Are:

Website: http://enya.com/

Faecbook: https://www.facebook.com/Enya-22450120087/timeline/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/enyatv

Donna Marie & Michael J Cloke | SMC Review: *NEW* Song 'Just Someone I Used To Know'

by Candice Marshall

Only a little over a month ago, I received a friend request via Facebook from 'someone' named 'Donna Marie Sludds' and as per my usual routine when 'accepting a new 'facebook friend', I did my background check: Wikipedia (check), Website (check), Twitter (check), rave reviews and copious articles going back years (check check check!). Yes, that's what I discovered in my journey when researching this 'someone' known as Donna Marie AND Michael J Cloke (they come as a pair you see). This Irish-born husband and wife duo (who have been performing for a combined 19 years) have an extensive and creative music history with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

In fact, today, their single and cover of the Dolly Parton & Porter Wagoner song 'Just Someone I Used To Know' (originally released in March 1970) has released and is already sitting at number FIVE on the iTunes charts! But I am not surprised, this is a duo which has been burning up the Country Music Scene across the pond in a huge way as established musicians (as well as actors - both have appeared in the History Channel's prime television show: Vikings). They have made many Television and Radio appearances globally with industry peers such as Davey Arthur & The Fury's, Brian Kennedy, Derek Ryan, The Saw Doctors & Jeannie Sealy, and the Moore & Moore sisters and their imprint and legacy in Country Music continues to grow toward North American shores as well as Globally. 

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Just Someone I Used To Know

This song has been played many times in my grandfathers home while I was growing up so this would be a song that I am well aware of in it's original composition and sound. In fact, one could always hear Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn (the Greats, as we called them) playing in that old farmhouse long ago so I have come to associate classic Country Music with some of the fondest of family gatherings to this day. When hearing any Artist re-creating music from these iconic Country Geniuses, I have a very selective ear as to whether they can 'make the cut' or not. 

So here's my take: There's no denying, Dolly has a very distinguished voice which is iconic Classic Country Music and she has definitely made her mark in Country Music History. However.......there is no mistaking Donna Marie's lilting and beautiful, established vocals in this re-make: that this is an Artist who has fine-tuned the art behind what Classic Country music should sound like and she probably has the troph(ies) to prove it too! (in fact, I know she does!) Now, combine this with Michael J's strong vocals and stunning composition, audibly, the two take this vintage jewel (song) and place it in the top of the crown. For the sake of the 'theme' of this article, we will call this a universal 'Rodeo Queen's' crown too.

I encourage anyone to take a moment out of their day today and sit and listen to two minutes and 56 seconds of 'blast-from-the-past' bliss also known as Donna Marie & Michael J Cloke. Then when you are done doing that, go and Google them: at least seven pages of content will pop up. From a girl who was raised on the prairies of Alberta, Canada, with Classic Country Music as a music staple in her household, I can honestly say that this duo uphold the tradition behind this classic song and present it with a signature twist all of their own. Well Done!

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“Just Someone I Used To Know” is Available to download from iTunes and all major download stores today:

iTunes: https://itun.es/ie/ARS-9

Google Play Store: http://bit.ly/1iOLfhC

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Social Media Links:

Donna Marie Email:  donnasludds@gmail.com

Michael J Cloke Email:  mick_cloke@hotmail.com

Website: www.donnamarieandmichaelj.com

YouTube -   

www.youtube.com/donnasludds

www.youtube.com/michaelcloke

Facebook –

www.facebook.com/donnamariesluddsofficial

www.facebook.com/michaeljcloke

SMC ANNOUCNES | NEW CONTRIBUTOR | CLOUDS AS-SKIN (ARTIST)

This one came quietly to Starlight Music Chronicles(SMC), and just like his name suggests, he sweeps quietly in and out of the music scene as calm as a mid-summers eve. In fact, his new page on the SMC website titled: Clouds AS-Skin | Contributor isn't the typical 'In Your Face' bold graphics that you would normally see on our other pages: this is a collaboration of Graphics and Design. This is a new venture with a young Recording Artist who, although appears to be discreet, writes (and composes) powerful and compelling reviews that are honest, insightful and objective. This is Clouds As-Skin, and he is the NEWEST addition/Contributor to the SMC family. 

I met Clouds As-Skin via a mutual friend (and also extremely talented musician) Hayley Richman a little over a year ago and it was through a re-post she made of his song 'Wish You Could See' that had me from hello. The lyrics and melody combined were a perfect mix of power and beauty to create a hauntingly atmospheric piece. As a fellow writer, I could understand the creative edge that was presented before me, and so, like Clouds, I have quietly been following his musical journey.  In fact, he participated in the very first 'SMC Artist of the Month' competition held in August 2015 and as quietly as he slipped in, he slipped back out with exceptional grace. That's just who he is: never one to shout or promote himself from the rooftops (as is often required to be heard in this industry), this is a truly humble, talented, and incredibly intelligent individual and we are beyond happy to have him join SMC! As I always say, sometimes it is the quiet ones you have to watch....they are often just as full of epic creative substance as their opposites. 

Clouds As-Skins' official page has been launched a few days previous to this post awaiting on Artist approval and is now live on the website. Much like our Teen Beat writer IzzyB, you can expect some established creative pieces that give yet another perspective on the Artists we choose to support! 

Welcome to the team!

CA Marshall | Editor 
Starlight Music Chronicles

*Note: The page is linked to the Artists Tumblr account and is often updated as per his discretion. Please feel free to check in often via the little green icon next to the guitar on the front page of the website. 

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Clouds As-Skin Official Starlight Music Chronicles Page
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SMC REVIEW | The Cynz release 'SUPERFAN' album via Bongo Boy Records!

By CA Marshall | Editor-in-Chief

Starlight Music Chronicles

www.starlightmusicchronicles.com

When you first begin listening to Bongo Boy Records newest Recording Artists ‘The Cynz’ and their album ‘Superfan’ (release date: September 8^th, 2015), you really don’t hit euphoria until you hit track three with the song ‘Evolution’, and it is true nirvana when you get even further along into the album. What does this mean? Well, to sum it up, this is the equivalent to attending a three day festival: The first day everyone is pumped up and wildly dancing around and by day three, they are walking away, spent, nodding their heads in agreement that they had just witnessed the greatest music fest in their lifetimes. Coolest part about ‘Superfan’ is that you get to listen to it over and over again. This is a true garage rock punk sound that Vocalist Cyndi Dawson and Guitarist/Vocalist Henry Cynz have mastered.

It might sound a little derogatory to say that you need to skip past the first two tracks on the album, ‘Mean Girls’ and ‘Superfan’, to get to euphoria, that’s not in actuality what I am stating: truth be told, it is better to compare these two tracks to a ‘hyped up horse kicking at the barn door’ before it is actually released and calms down making this an album that is a powerhouse punch right from the start. THEN you get to the wide open field. ‘Evolution’ is absolutely my favorite on this album as it is a true punk rock sound that brings me back to a time when bands like The Clash and the Sex Pistols were the height of the day.

Going further into the album, you are brought back to earth with the song ‘Learn To Feel Alive’ and I am reminded of the 80’s beats that used to play on the turntable: a softer, more punk/pop sound which always made me fell comforted. ‘Quick Fix’, ‘Miles Between’, ‘Weight of the World’ and ‘Live Like We’re Dead’ pull you back into the swing of things, getting the party started again. ‘I’d rather be me’ and ‘Leave Me Alone’ have some super fun blatant lyrics with smashing guitar riffs which lead into ‘Right To Your Grave’ and ‘Blame It On The Kiss’ , a song that elicits visions of a Rocky Horror Picture show party full of misfits jumping around. The lyrics and sound invoke mischief and fun!

The final track on the album, ‘Something To Steal’ is truly the Sunday night festival encore: The beat combined with astronomical guitar riffs contrasted with softer lyrics is a real trip.

When I listen to this album, I close my eyes and see the Spiked Mohawk hair, Leather, Studs and piercings on the ‘Superfans’ who would  be walking around back in the day with the headset on and walkman tucked in their pockets. The songs are consistent throughout representing the bands persona and genre which will appeal to fans today that are yearning for a return of real and raw punk rock at its best. This is an album you will not want to miss out on. Headphones, anyone?  

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The Cynz Social Media

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1iPq4vn

Twitter: @CyndiCynz

Website: http://www.reverbnation.com/thecynz

Bongo Boy Records: www.bongoboyrecords.com 

SMC Review | REND drops POWERFUL *NEW* music single 'Skin and Bones'

by Candice Marshall

Just as eloquently beautiful and consistent with their last album, 'Winter to Summer', Canadian band REND has just dropped their brand new single release 'Skin and Bones' today and it is every bit of quality that this award winning band's fans have come to expect: absolute brilliance! At first, it sounded like a love song to me and certainly, for the purposes of the lyrics, it could be. However, after listening a few times, I interpret the song as: speaking about ones belief in a higher power and protection from that power in a world of people whose egos have consumed them. (Thus the title of the song) 

Frontwoman Carol -Lynne Quinn leads the band in a very lyrically powerful composition that talks about one looking past the surface of an individual and taking a deeper look within the beauty of their soul: lyrics like 'Everyone else is just skin and bones, but if I look close you're heart and soul, if I breathe you in, you make my head spin' specifically portrays this idealistic thought. The song throughout is ones reminder of staying focused on the positive and to always surround yourself in faith. This is a remarkable piece which reminds us to stop, take a moment in our busy lives and schedules, and remember the essence of who we are and how we can maintain a positive outlook in a sometimes superficial world. POWERFUL STUFF!

There is also a beautifully crafted lyric video (see below) which launched alongside the single release today and is also congruent with the branding REND has created. It is a must watch, even before listening to the song on it's own as it is very well orchestrated yet simple with thematic black and white tones throughout, almost like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, they belong together.

Instrumentally, Bassist Jeff Quinn, Electric Guitarist Steve Roe, and Drummer Jordan Dempster have created poetic justice in conjunction with Quinn's' lyrics that create a true alternative sound conducive to their previous album. I have personally seen this band perform live and nothing is done in half measures: their sound is always a powerhouse round-kick punch with strong vocals, extremely talented instrumentals, and true to their original recordings. What you see is what you get from REND and it is always GOLD.

Well Done!

CA Marshall | Editor
Starlight Music Chronicles
www.starlightmusicchronicles.com

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REND Social Media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rendmusic
Twitter: @RENDMUSIC 
Google+ : +RENDMUSIC 
Website: www.rend-music.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rendmusic

Bongo Boy TV and SMC Launch Their Biggest Indie Music Video Contest ToBe On National Television This Fall with ReverbNation

Press Release For Immediate Release Belvidere, NJ 

Bongo Boy TV with ReverbNation, who caters to more than 3 million music industry professionals, artists, managers, labels, venues, festivals/events the same source shows like The Voice and American Idol uses came together with sponsor Starlight Music Chronicles to offer a great opportunity for Independent musicians with Music Videos to be on Television this Fall. 

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START THIS FALL SEASON RIGHT AND BE ON TELEVISION! 

Starting today September 10th 2015 at 1:00pm, independent musicians with original music video can entry a new contest for free with a Reverb Press Kit account. This contest is open in all genres and runs through 10/10/2015. Winners will be announce on 10/15/2015. Bongo Boy TV and Starlight Music Chronicles will select Six (6) indie music videos, one entire TV episode, from ReverbNation submissions and air them on National TV with distribution by cable companies like NBC Comcast Universal, Cablevision, Time Warner, FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Suddenlink, Charter Cable and RCN Network Television. This episode will air at prime times in cities like Nashville, TN, The Jersey Shore, New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, California in towns across the United States. For a full list of distribution visit www.bongoboytv.com The TV Show is also available in The UK and Canada through GO INDIE TV ROKU CHANNEL. 

 In 2011, Grammy members Gar Francis and Monique Grimme, launched successfully The Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV Show Series. And now The Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV Show Series Presents Indie Music Videos from Around The World spotlighting independent artists and their music videos on 36 channels. Bongo Boy TV is NOT web TV but real television and is setting out to refresh and remake the indie music television experience by making it current and relevant to today’s media savvy audiences. Bongo Boy TV is like the awesome MTV but without soap operas and reality shows. BBTV brings your favorite indie band’s music videos straight to you on real television. 

Coming aboard this time is Starlight Music Chronicles (SMC) (www.starlightmusicchronicles.com) one of THE biggest and coolest online Music Entertainment Websites with five Contributors hosting monthly Indie Artist Competitions, Live concert Photography, Editorial features on Artists, photo shoots and a quarterly magazine! The site is owned and operated by Editor-in-Chief CA Marshall who also is a Contributor for Bongo Boy TV, Dynamic Magazine, Indie Music Bus, Indie Habit, and Nor'Easter Magazine. SMC is proudly affiliated with Morgan's Mission, Be The Game, Project Cuddle, and 'michigan' the Movie to name a few. 

This contest is made possible as CA Marshall from Starlight Music Chronicles and Bongo Boy TV supports indie musicians and their quest for greater success” TV show producer Monique Grimme shared. “We know TV viewers have asked for TV shows like The Bongo Boy Rock n Roll TV Show Series; MTV once dominated the scene and now we are filling their void. Bongo Boy TV’s distribution as grown enormously over the last 4 years with support from Bongo Boy Records and the artists that have featured their music videos on Bongo Boy TV. Together we are bringing Independent Music to Prime Time TV and nobody can’t stop us now. 

To enter this contest click http://tinyurl.com/BongoBoyTVStarlightMusicC 

Don’t have a ReverbNation account sign up for free here If your music video is selected, Bongo Boy TV will contact you to obtain an HD version of your music video. Your video must not contain violence, sex, or profanity. This opportunity is open to all genres of music and music follow FCC rules and guidelines for broadcasting. The show is rated is ALL AGES. 

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For more about Bongo Boy TV go to www.bongoboytv.com 

Information about Starlight Music Chronicles go to 
www.starlightmusicchronicles.com or 
Email editor@starlightmusicchronicles.com 

Media Contact: Bongo Boy TV – Email bongoboytv@aol.com 
Phone 908-455-1576 
Contact: Monique Grimme 
Web site www.bongoboytv.com

Emotion Sickeness Album Launch! | Bongo Boy Teams up with Swiss-Born Recording Artist Michael Resin

by CA Marshall | Editor

Starlight Music Chronicles

www.starlightmusicchronicles.com

I am a romantic, a deep romantic and when I have those ‘moments’ when I have the urge to watch a vintage movie, or even a modern drama, or even a play (Phantom of the Opera is my personal favorite), I know I can keep working, ignore that urge,  and not waste a moment watching these films. Why? Well, Swiss-born Michael Resin has wrapped up all of these ‘desires’ in his brand new album (Released September 1^st, 2015) by Bongo Boy Records and it is absolute magic to the ears! And all I have to do is hit the ‘play’ button on my laptop and I am in ‘my zone’. It is just that fabulous.

Heart-wrenching, languid, and sincere lyrics in absolutely every track elicit something deep within and I believe that this is the Artist’s goal as is suggested by the Album title: ‘Emotion Sickness’. I have been privy to listen to most of Resin’s tracks prior to the album release and I have to say that he has created a truly beautiful album which touches on every emotion of the human heart: sadness, desire, passion, frustration, anger, depression, and desperation. In life we all have emotions that we must face and/or conquer and the emotions derived from Love, Fear, Desperation, Desolation, and Circumstance is exactly what Resin has created: and he hits the nail on the proverbial head every single time in every single song. This is created with not only his brilliant vocal ability but also through gorgeous piano ballads that will truly pull at the heartstrings. Vocals and instrumental combined, it is truly magic.

But let’s talk about the song ‘Only Human’ for a moment here. After all, this was my very first experience listening to Resin via Bongo Boy TV. His video for the song was included in the episode I was reviewing and I remember that when the song had ended, I hit rewind. Then I hit rewind again. Then once more. I was absolutely blown away: I had never heard anything as beautiful as that song in my lifetime. Audibly you can hear the European flair in his vocals which only lend complete candor to this hauntingly beautiful song.  ‘Only Human’ is truly, the jewel in this albums crown.

Going deeper, there are collaborations in this release including the lovely gentle lyrics of French-born Betty Chrys in ‘Goodbye or Not’, a beautiful love duet (she has the vocal ability of Barbara Streisand here in ‘The Way We Were’) which elicits the struggles some couples face in their relationships: to go or to stay. Then there is the collaboration with Benjamin Karmer (also French), in the song ‘Thousand Tears’ which speaks to the heart about loss and coping with grief and Resin clearly and beautifully demonstrates in this ballad that it is perfectly okay to ‘not hide’ these emotions (through tears) because it is human to grieve in this way.

Other tracks in the album such as ‘Paralyzed’, ‘What I Feel For You’, ‘Believe in Love, ‘Point of No Return’, ‘I’m Free’, and ‘Falling of Deaf Ears’ are also stunning tracks and are consistent with the albums theme.

I am pretty selective when it comes to what I put on my iPod these days (after all, they can only hold so many songs right?) and I listen to hundreds of different genres and songs and artists every week. But with all due respect, this is an album which WILL be playing on my laptop steadily as I work. It has inspired me, lifted my spirits, understood my own struggles in life, and has brought me back to the very beginning, only several months ago when I first heard the enchanting vocals of Michael Resin. And that is the point dear readers: when an Artist leaves that kind of impression, they have succeeded in their creation as a truly gifted Artist. Make no mistake about it, Michael Resin, is that Artist.

This album is Starlight Music Chronicles approved! Well Done!  

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Bongo Boy Press Release:

September 1st, 2015 - Bongo Boy Records announces the release of 'Emotion Sickness' The Debut Full Album by Swiss Recording Artist Michael Resin.

This 10 Track album is going to Asia; where it will be made available through Bongo Boy Records' partner in Hong Kong. Distribution includes: Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and other Asian Countries. Michael Resin is no stranger at Bongo Boy. As Music Video Director (The Team Pool Label), Michael has also promoted many great music videos in National TV with The Bongo Boy Rock n Roll TV Show Series. Micheal is making his debut on Bongo Boy Records with 'Emotion Sickness' and Bongo Boy welcomes him to their International Roster.

To Contact Bongo Boy TV:

Monique Grimme/Gar Francis: info@bongoboyrecords.com

Website: www.bongoboyrecords.com and www.bongoboytv.com

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Micheal Resin

Michael Resin is originally from the Alpine heights if Lausanne, Switzerland took accordion and singing lessons at a very young age. Recently he released a few singles and 2 albums with Stephane Resin under the group name Be-Boys. In 2015 Michael recorded his first solo single called 'Point of No Return' of his new album 'Emotion Sickness'. a second single 'What I feel For You' was remixed by Recording Artist and Producer Benjamin Karmer. On June 6th the third single 'Only Human' was released' proceeds of the sale of the single go to Aid The Children's of Africa. The song is a message of Peace and Freedom.

Also in June, the music video 'Only Human' aired on Television in New York City on The Bongo Boy Rock'n Roll Show and went in heavy rotation Coast to Coast on 33 TV Channels later that month. (Time Warner, NBCUniversal Comcast, FiOS, Charter Cable and many more). 

This month "Emotion Sickness' is available for digital downloads in Asia with Bongo BoyRecords. 

Available everywhere else on Amaon and iTunes later this month.

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Michael Resin Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelResinArtiste?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichaelResin?lang=en

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-team-pool

Website: http://www.michaelresin.com/

SMC | Ten Great Rock Movies for Your Summer Viewing (3D Glasses & Dancing Optional)

Reviews by Xristopher Bland

Perhaps it’s so face-meltingly hot where you are right now that a Popsicle whipped from a passing car would feel like a refreshing romp through a sprinkler. Perhaps it’s raining. Or perhaps the mosquitoes are so thick, it doesn’t matter what the weather is because you’d rather be trapped inside the cottage than outside screeching “Jeezfreakinhoseit!” while in a fog of Raid and blood loss. That’s the trouble with writing. I can cue up a list of ten fantastic rock movies and recommend them as perfect viewing in the air-conditioned coolness of some hot summer night. Yet given geography, the fickle temperament of weather and when you read this, they could just as easily be perfect rainy-day movies. However this day finds you—either hot, wet or seemingly screeching in tongues—here are ten great rock movies (in no particular order) to watch this summer: 

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Frank

If crazy is as crazy does than “crazy” is staggeringly brilliant in “Frank,” the dark yet moving 2014 comedy-drama inspired by the life of musician-comedian Christopher Mark Sievey and his comic persona Frank Sidebottom. Co-scripted by Jon Ronson (formerly of Sidebottom’s band), the film centers around an aspiring yet creatively challenged songwriter named Jon (Domhnall Gleeson), who lucks into the role of keyboardist with an experimental band named the Soronprfbs. (Actually, the name is unpronounceable and has no conclusive spelling.) Encountering nothing but hostility from the band save the brilliant but mentally troubled lead singer-songwriter Frank (Michael Fassbender, who wears a papier-mâché head throughout the film), Jon believes he’s nonetheless bound for stardom after his secret video posts of the band’s recording sessions get the band invited to appear at the South by Southwest festival in Texas. Yet as Jon’s misguided vision, the band’s escalating hostility and Frank’s disintegrating stability swirl together, the film moves toward a profoundly moving conclusion revealing that fame, fortune and musical genius are not always in the best interest of each other, even though they regularly get mixed around in the same bag of nuts. 

Shot in County Wicklow, Dublin, and New Mexico, “Frank” premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, where audience members were given masks similar to that worn by Frank in the film. The music in the film was recorded live by the cast during filming, and Fassbender does an incredible job somehow animating a static mask with emotion. In tandem with the film’s U.S. release, Fassbender also made an appearance as Frank with his band on the “Colbert Report.” 

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24 Hour Party People 

The party runs some two decades in this 2002 semi-fictional British comedy-drama about Manchester’s music scene from 1976 to 1992 and the rise and fall of Factory Records (Joy Division and New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column and Happy Mondays). Based on the life of label founder Tony Wilson (marvellously played by Steve Coogan), the film begins momentously when Wilson sees the Sex Pistols perform at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall for the first time. Inspired to organize a series of punk-rock shows at a Manchester club (where the brooding, erratic Ian Curtis leads Joy Division in concert for the first time), Wilson soon opens Factory Records and funnels money into the club Haçienda as a venue for his bands. As wildly upward as the rollercoaster of success seems to be riding, the tracks on the other side begin to come apart after New Order fails to deliver on an album after two years and Happy Mondays spend all their money for a fourth album on a drug-fuelled Barbados mystery tour, leaving Wilson with one last ditch effort to sell his label to London Records. 

Often intercut with real concert footage (including the Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall), the film combines truth with rumors, an incredible soundtrack and the imaginings of screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce, who regularly breaks the fourth wall. In one scene, Buzzcocks member Howard Devoto (played by Martin Hancock) is shown having sex with Wilson’s wife in a club washroom while the real Devoto, as an extra, turns to the camera and says, “I definitely don’t remember this happening.” Coogan’s character himself often turns and comments to the camera, but if the blurred lines come across as rock ‘n’ roll swindle (to coin from the 1979 Pistols film “The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle), the filmmakers openly let viewers know what it’s all about—a capture in essence of a brief and incredible time when raw and incredible bands spat, snarled and otherwise vomited onto the world stage and changed the face of music forever. 

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Still Crazy 

While the phrase “we’re getting the band back together” will likely forever be tagged to the 1980 John Landis classic “The Blues Brothers,” the phrase actually defines an entire subgenre of films, with the 1998 Britcom “Still Crazy” remaining one of the best. Nominated for Best Picture at the 1999 Golden Globe Awards, the film opens in spectacular disintegration as the talented but famebesotted band Strange Fruit implodes at the 1977 Wisbech Rock Festival. Winding the clock forward 20 years, the film cuts to happenstance and former Fruits keyboardist Tony Costello (Stephen Rea), who’s asked to try to reunite the band for a Wisbech reunion concert. In seeking the help of former Fruits runaround girl Karen Knowles (Juliet Aubrey), the pair optimistically set out to re-create greatness by gathering former members and following the signs. (Indeed, it’s a recurring theme in the film that contains its own messages about trust and guidance.) Yet as the Fruits once more begin to ripen as still-incredible musicians, old grievances begin steering them toward an end that promises to be as bad as the first time. Co-starring Billy Connolly as roadie Hughie Case (the spiritual curator of the band) and Bill Nighy as the endearing-yet-haunted lead singer Ray Simms, “Still Crazy” doesn’t parody the comeback story. It honors and celebrates the fundamental truism that we all know what makes us happy—what we came here for. Though such passion can sometimes seem crazy within the so-called real world, it’s that very “craziness” that makes life, love and rock worthwhile and makes age just a story we tell ourselves. 

Musically reminiscent of Cameron Crowe’s 2000 drama “Almost Famous,” the soundtrack (released independently as a 14-track CD) was co-composed by Billy Connolly, Chris Difford (of the English band Squeeze) and songwriter Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill), with “The Flame Still Burns” as the most heartfelt accompaniment to the romantic thread of the story and “All Over the World” as its rockin’ high point. 

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Lemmy 

If the gospel according to rock was an actual book (and one day willing, there will be), there’d likely be a section called the Book of Lemmy, and it would simply say two things: “There’s Lemmy—the godfather of heavy metal—and there’s the rest of us, as evidenced by the 2010 documentary “Lemmy” by Greg Oliver and Wes Orshoski. Spanning some four decades, the film grittily chronicles Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister’s beginnings with the psychedelic space-rock band Hawkwind to blinding musical force as bassist and vocalist for Motörhead, considered a precursor to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the late 1970s. Featuring rock-royalty interviews with admirers like Slash and Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses), Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, David Ellefson (Megadeth), Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order), Joan Jett (Joan Jett & The Blackhearts), Alice Cooper, Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) and so many more as to dial the holy-craptitude levels to 11, “Lemmy” is more than a profile of a man ingredient-listed on the DVD as “49% mother—ker, 51% son of a bitch” (or, the perfect résumé to land a role as a crazed general in visual artist Bjorn Tagemose’s forthcoming liverock cinematic experience Gutterdämmerung). The film is an intelligent, rich and intimate study of a man so assured of himself and his vision of how he wants his life to be that he won’t suffer less, and that’s always an inspirational message for anyone, metal fan or not. 

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Ray 

Jamie Foxx gives an Oscar-winning performance as “Ray” (2005). Dramatizing the life and career of legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, the film spans 30 years, from Charles’ difficult beginnings in the segregated South through heroin addiction to his historic 1979 performance of “Georgia on my Mind” at the Georgia General Assembly. Independently produced by writer-director, Taylor Hackford (who spent 15 years securing financing for the project), the film affectingly captures the genius of Charles, who pioneered soul music in the 1950s, taught a generation to shake a tail feather and was one of the first African-American musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company. 

Also winning Golden Globe, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild and Critics’ Choice awards (making him the second man to win all five major lead-actors awards for the same performance), Foxx incredibly had his eyes glued shut for the role. The real Ray Charles (who went blind at age seven shortly after the drowning death of his brother) was consulted during the making of the film and was slated to attend the opening but passed away from liver disease a few months before the film opened. 

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The Runaways 

Girl power doesn’t come as a cutesy, overly frosted confection in writer-director Floria Sigismondi’s gritty 2010 biopic “The Runaways.” It comes as a stick of dynamite, lit in 1976 when the teenage allgirl hard-rock band the Runaways release their signature song “Cherry Bomb” (ranked 52nd on VH1’s 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs). Based on the tell-all book “Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway” by the band’s original lead vocalist Cherie Currie (mesmerizingly played by Dakota Fanning), the film focuses on the relationship between Currie and guitarist-singer Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) as the band comes together under the ruthless guidance and exploitation of record producer Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon). Perfectly timed in sound and temperament against the simmering angst of the time, the band defiantly switches its engines to full throttle in the maledominated world of rock and, like an explosion, sears its name alongside the likes of the Clash, the Ramones and the New York Dolls. Yet as brilliant as explosions can be, they’re short-lived, and as casualties come in the form of Currie’s escalating drug-abuse problems and dissention in the band (including a young Lita Ford played by Scout Taylor-Compton), “Cherry Bomb” begins to appear like a self-fulfilling prophecy in which even its creators may not be exempt from the blast. 

Though all-girl acts like the Spice Girls and Bananarama would arguably disserve female empowerment years after the Runaways through cutesy anthems like “Girl Power” and performances that seemed to say “I need a vitamin B12 shot,” “The Runaways” fills a persistent vacancy in rock, where all-girl bands remain anomalous and thereby many more sticks of dynamite remain to be lit. 

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Whale Music 

Mention the 1994 Canadian-made drama “Whale Music” to anyone who’s seen it and chances are that person will ask something along the lines of, “What did you think of the Rheostatics’ music? You have heard of the Rheostatics, haven’t you?” Sadly, that question came to me some three years ago when a friend recommended the film—the engaging story of a haunted, reclusive, Brian Wilson-type character named Desmond Howl (Maury Chaykin) who finds redemption, musical renewal and love through the enigmatic Claire Lowe (Cynthia Preston). Never having heard of the Rheostatics before, I wondered how I possibly could have lived in Canada my whole life without ever having heard of arguably the best alternative band the country had ever produced, and it remains one of the great regrets in my life that I never saw them live. If “Whale Music” seems small consolation to any fellow Rheostatic-less people out there, it’s actually tremendous consolation in and of itself as an incredible soundtrack that, like the film, comes across amazingly again and again. 

An adaptation of the 1989 novel by Canadian writer-musician Paul Quarrington, the film was released in 1994 as the Rheostatics’ soundtrack album “Music From the Motion Picture Whale Music” (not to be confused with the band’s incredible 1992 album “Whale Music”) The film features the band’s only Top-40 hit, “Claire,” which widely shot the band to fame and pretty much gave the Rheostatics everything they hadn’t been looking for as an alternative band wanting to stay that way.
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Hard Core Logo

Where the word “mockumentary” typically conjures up comedies like the 1984 classic “This Is Spinal Tap” and 1978’s “The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash,” director Bruce McDonald’s 1996 Canadian mockumentary “Hard Core Logo” is about as far from fluff as guns are from child-friendly toys. Adapted by Noel Baker from the novel of the same name by Michael Turner, the film “documents” the disintegration of the once-popular punk band Hard Core Logo and its members: lead singer Joe Dick (Hugh Dillon of the Headstones), fame-tempted guitarist Billy Tallent (Callum Keith Rennie), schizophrenic bassist John Oxenberger (John Pyper-Ferguson) and drummer Pipefitter (Bernie Coulson). In its always-present undercurrent of violence, desperateness and anger, it’s not difficult to predict how it will end, especially after John loses his medication and Joe discovers Billy’s offer to join another band. Yet as a character study riveting in its layers and complexities, it’s easy to experience why “Hard Core Logo” is frequently ranked among the greatest films to ever come out of Canada. Followed by the sequel “Hard Core Logo 2” in 2010, the film includes appearances by notable punk musicians, including Art Bergman, Joey Shithead (D.O.A.) and Joey Ramone.

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The Commitments 

Spectacular soul meets the pyrotechnics of ego in director Alan Parker’s 1991 Irish comedy-drama “The Commitments.” Based on Roddy Doyle’s 1987 novel (the first of the Barrytown Trilogy, all of which became successful film adaptations), the film centers around teenage music promoter and manager Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins), so disgusted with the bands he hears that he begins gathering what he envisions will be a world-class soul band. Fronted by the contentious but incredible vocalist Deco Cuffe (Andrew Strong, only 16 at the time of filming) and inspired by the trumpet of Joey “The Lips” Fagan (Johnny Murphy), Rabbitte sees his vision bearing out as the band begins to gel as the Commitments and finds its musical stride. Yet just as the band stands to meet greatness in the form of a promised club visit by soul legend Wilson Pickett, escalating ego clashes and relationship grievances between band members promises to end the show in calamity. 

Voted as the best Irish film of all time in a 2005 poll sponsored by Jameson Irish Whiskey, the film derives its incredible soundtrack from the actors, drawn from working Irish bands. So they’re actually performing their own music, released as a double-CD soundtrack that is a must in any music collection. 
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Get on Up: The James Brown Story 

Chadwick Boseman so convincingly and electrifyingly plays James Brown in the 2015 bio-drama “Get on Up,” it often comes off as one of the most amazing documentaries ever produced. Nominated for and earning so many awards as to be appropriate tribute to the Godfather of Soul, the film essentially unfolds in flashback from the opening scene in a darkened hallway where Brown walks to the sound of people chanting his name. Cutting to 1988 and Augusta, Georgia, where a shotguntoting Brown addresses a room of people over unauthorized use of a private bathroom in a strip mall he owns, the film interweaves Brown’s abusive childhood, partnership with musician Bobby Byrd in the Famous Flames and meteoric rise to funk stardom through King Records. Unflinchingly, the film also unveils Brown’s control issues, abusiveness, drug addiction and erratic behavior with such rawness, sympathy comes in short supply, even as the film details how he descended. Yet if music has little connection to the vessels through which the magic chooses to come, “Get on Up” shows the genius of Brown and the scope of how he impacted and changed the music business, and offers such high-precision, high-velocity funk performances by Boseman that it’s truly difficult to believe James Brown passed away in 2006. 

Originally titled “Superbad” while in development, the film stalled in development in 2006 before Mick Jagger read a script by writers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth and signed on as producer with Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer (Oscar winner for “A Beautiful Mind”). 

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