PROTO TRACKS DIGS DEEPER FOR INDEPENDENT ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Where do you find great electronic music?
Buried in the bins of vinyl shops? Obscure websites, scouring through cryptic lists of MP3's? Friends who spend every hour living and breathing the music?

Proto Tracks aims to change all that. This grassroots project supports and promotes independent electronic music artists and record labels, bringing these sounds to a wider audience. All over the world, hundreds of independent labels pop up every season - many with limited funds and little access to mainstream distribution channels. These labels have a tough time advertising and marketing their music, and music buyers have a hard time finding quality new music at their local record shop. Proto Tracks bridges this gap by producing compilations, featuring the most innovative independent electronic and urban music out there - most of which members will hear before it is available anywhere else. Every other month, members who have subscribed to Proto Tracks receive the compilation CD, accompanied by a booklet describing the artists and record labels featured. Record labels on the compilation receive free promotion for upcoming releases and are able to get it straight to the doors of people who want to hear it.

Today, Proto Tracks announced the release of its latest compilation, Proto Tracks Volume.03. This release showcases another selection of fresh tracks, many pre-releases, from record labels all over the world. Proto Tracks Volume.03 brings listeners fuzzy electro from Ghostly International. A punky take on new wave from Ersatz Audio and ambient scintillations from Interchill. Other labels featured on Proto Tracks Volume.03 include: Sentrall, Moving Records, Omoa Music, Bip Hop, Residual, ING Recordings, Play, Pickin' Mushrooms Recordings, ISM Records, and Qlipothic.

The Proto Tracks team, supervised by renowned Music Director, Jonah Sharp, continually searches out music from the most innovative independent labels.

Proto Tracks prides itself on maintaining an independent voice in the music business. "Proto Tracks is not affiliated with any specific label or music genre and music labels don't pay to be part of Proto Tracks," comments Sharp. "This way we can maintain our editorial integrity and stay true to our subscribers."

Since its February debut of Volume.01, entitled "I Love SF", Proto Tracks has attracted subscribers from all over the world, including Japan, Canada, the US and throughout Europe.

Proto Tracks offers a three-volume subscription for $42 in US and Canada (international subscriptions are also available). To become a subscriber or sample tracks, visit Proto Tracks online at www.prototracks.com or contact Proto Tracks by phone at (415) 668-2366. Proto Tracks is based in San Francisco, California

At long last, the news you've all been waiting for, the new Never the Bride CD "Surprise" is AVAILABLE NOW!

I'ts not (yet) available in the shops, but you can now order it on-line from the new-look Never The Bride website: www.neverthebride.com - go to the 'Merchandise' page

PHREEWORLD AT THE PROGMAN COMETH FESTIVAL

Phreeworld will be playing at the Progman Cometh Festival 8/16-8/18. The festival will be held at the Moore Theatre - Seattle. For driving directions, schedule,etc,, ... please visit the festival sponsor's web site:
www.twomonkeyfinger.com

Phreeworld will be playing in the second show - Saturday 8/17 around 4pm. You can buy tickets on-line here:
www.ticketmaster.com/venue/122968/

SONGWRITING COMPETITION PRIZE UP TO $65000 IN CASH AND PRIZES

Do you want to win great prizes and gain exposure in the music industry? Enter your songs now to win a Grand Prize of $5,000 in cash and $25,000 in merchandise/services and a chance to have your music heard by the music industry's top decision makers and musicians!
A total of $65,000 in prizes will be shared by 27 winners. All musicians, bands, songwriters, and solo artists are invited to participate!

ISC is a new annual songwriting competition that provides the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena and gain the kind of exposure needed to further their careers. For more info and to enter, visit http://www.songwritingcompetition.com

MARYNKA NICOLAI AND SOME LOVELY GIRLS!!!

Marynka Nicolai and her band Some Lovely Girls will play the Winston International, Warmoesstraat, Vrijdag, August 23 at 21:00.

Marynka is a Russian singer living in Amsterdam for 13 years and performs songs of love, adventure, dreams and wishes. Her music is an interesting mix of folk, pop, groove and classical; featuring cello, harp, oboe, bass, electric guitar and piano and this is a band who has fun on stage!

The players are
Marynka Nicolai -vocal and piano
Fabulous Fabienne van Eck -cello
Lucious Laura Stek -harp
Delightful Dorinne Schoon -oboe
Mysterious Mike Stewart -bass
El Bow Evers -beats
Norton Blue -psycho wah guitar

More information at www.marynkanicolai.nl

PRAHA7 AT KINGS CROSS FESTIVAL

For all those that missed us at Sound (or would like to see us again), we will be playing at The King's Cross Festival next Friday (23rd August) and 9.30pm. It's an outdoor festival and should be a lot of fun, weather permitting. It is staged in the open theatre courtyard, next to King's Cross station

SEPIA APPROACHED BY MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Thanks to everyone who came down to the somewhat small Buffalo Bar last night. Despite the venue size and the complete lack of promotion, all the bands seemed to pull together good sets, and the evening was quite enjoyable!

After the set, The Sepia were approached by an artist management company, who expressed an interest, we'll keep you posted!

So, it's off to floods-ville (sorry, we meant Europe) or more precisely, Yugoslavia, for the headline appearance at the trenchtown festival, lake Palic, Subotica. The band will be leaving on wednesday to arrive for the performance on Friday 23rd, 11.00pm.

WAMPUS MULTIMEDIA SIGNS TVFORDOGS

Wampus Multimedia has signed tvfordogs, a modern rock act from the United Kingdom.

You might think abstractly of tvfordogs as "the next Radiohead." But that would be to sell this ground-breaking outfit short of their place in the pantheon of compelling British rock acts. Although you might, while spinning their soon-to-be-released debut CD, Heavy Denver, hear enticing snippets of Thom Yorke or Coldplay in the alchemy, you'll soon detect an undeniably personal view of our postmodern world. And you'll drop your drink. And then you'll be along for the ride. Wampus releases Heavy Denver in the United States this November.

Dedicated to the support and promotion of independent music, Wampus is home to growing roster of indie artists. Two innovative programs help artists reach their audience -- signature and affiliate. Interested in becoming a Wampus artist? Read all about it