This week TheBuzz caught up with Matty McKenzie, the bassist from The Action Design, for our new weekly interview feature, TheBuzz-By. Learn more about indie artists with our short list of random questions.

Along with recording their newest album, the band is offering fans a look inside their world with a live online T.V. show at www.theactiondesign.com/tv.

We, the Action Design, have decided we want to communicate with you even more directly. We’re putting together our own LIVE online TV show!!

On this TV show, we’ll be doing all kindsa different things. We’ll be having lively and (hopefully) entertaining discussions, question and answer segments, showings of videos and clips we’ve made just for you, and we’ll play some acoustic songs live. We hope to eventually have guests on our show, and we’re also taking suggestions for other things you think would be interesting. It’s still a work in progress, but we’d love it if you joined us!

- TAD Facebook Announcement

Get to know Matty McKenzie as he answers our Buzz-By questions.

KH: What was your first car?

MM: My first car was a hand-me-down from my parents. It was an Audi 4000S, I think it ran on diesel. It was not very sweet, but we cruised in that thing everywhere: going to show, skate spots, and swimming at the river everyday (in fact The Action Design Drummer Jake was a constant fixture in this bad boy). I remember my girlfriend always being bummed because the thing was knee-deep in old chicken wings, skate decks, and punk rock tapes…yes I did say tapes there…

KH: What movie soundtrack do you love?

MM: I would probably have to go with either the “River’s Edge” because the whole thing is Slayer and Mercyful Fate, or “Repo Man.” Either those or David Lynch’s “Eraserhead.”

KH: What were you listening to 5 years ago?

MM: Hmm, good question. I think I was really into the Faint, Ed Gein, Buck Owens, Dwight Yoakam, and whatever John Reis was doing.

KH: What’s your guilty music pleasure (song, band, artist)?

MM: Haha, I would like to say it’s Kelly Clarkson, but I don’t feel guilty about it. That chick is the shit.

KH: What are your favorite music/tech websites?

MM: My favorite music /tech website is probably just emailing our drummer and hopelessly whining until he just fixes my shit while sighing totally exasperated and disappointed while muttering under his breath something like “You’re not an idiot, dude…I don’t know why you insist on trying to pretend you are one.”

Check out the band’s Web site for more information about the show and album.

Over the last couple of weeks, there’s been a serious uproar in the UK’s indie music community. In case you haven’t yet heard the news, it seems that the BBC – the UK’s public service broadcaster, and the largest broadcasting network in the world – is on the brink of cancelling 6 Music.

6 Music is a digital station. Launched in 2002, it is the UK’s only truly major alternative/indie radio. Unlike the BBC’s other, mainstream-focused radio, 6 Music exposes listeners to indie labels, unsigned bands, and rarities from the BBC music archives (like the infamous John Peel Sessions).

The station also allows its DJs relatively extraordinary freedom to play tracks that they like, recommend new music, and shape the tone of their programs. In an era when radio DJs are anything but selectas, this is a rare enough phenomenon, indeed.

A Political Move

According to TimesOnline, the closure of 6 Music comes as part of a major restructuring of the BBC. The company is planning to close another station, the Asian Music Network, as well as halve the size of its website, and cut imported American programming. Apparently, the moves are all parts of a scheme to slim down in order to give commercial rivals more wiggle room.

Speculation has it that the restructuring is coming in anticipation of a new, conservative, recession-conscious British government coming into power during the next election. The BBC is trimming the fat now, so as not to seem like a monolithic public service monster to the country’s new right-wing overlords. See how global political currents affect the fate of indie music?

The Public Outcry

While many of the proposed changes are being accepted without a fight, folks are up in arms over the closure of 6 Music. Although the station maxes out at about 30, 000 listeners during peak times, it seems to have no shortage of supporters, with over 150, 000 on the Save 6 Music Facebook group alone.

The BBC is trying to reassure listeners that they will compensate for the loss by integrating more music into the rotation on other major radio stations. But would Florence and the Machine really have gotten the attention they have (thanks to 6 Music), if they were sandwiched in between the Pussycat Dolls and Boyzone? Hmm…

You can sign a petition to Save 6 Music here, and it would put you in good company. Out-of-work Brits with too much time on their hands aren’t the only ones stepping up to defend indie radio. Super-duperstars like David Bowie, Lily Allen, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, Music Week, BPI and AIM have all issued letters or statements on the importance of 6 Music to the indie music community, to the industry, and to the very integrity of the human soul. Look out, world!

But Does it Float?

The only question now is: will the corporate decision-makers be moved by the pleas of indie music supporters? Public outcry is one thing, but it doesn’t equal listeners, and it doesn’t equal increased revenue, which is always the bottom line in the end, isn’t it?

It could be argued that in the current digital climate, the BBC is just bailing off a sinking ship before it’s too late. Are fans actually discovering new music on the radio anymore? When’s the last time you found a new band to love on the actual airwaves? It can be argued that radio helps us sort through the cacophony of hopefuls vying for attention online, but so do music blogs with streaming audio, right?

Like I said, the points could be argued. However, as nice and helpful as blogs and internets and your older brother’s digital radio station are, the fact is that with 6 Music, the BBC has positioned itself as one of the few major media superpowers – to this day – actively promoting indie and underground music. And if the BBC is axing it to make room for commercial competitors, it may be not only missing the point, but eliminating something potentially irreplaceable.

If you’re standing in a forest, tilting your head way back to glimpse the tops of all those majestic, thickly trunked trees, it’s just impossible not to be moved by their centuries-old resilience; the stoic strength that sees them through even the harshest storms that Mother Nature can unleash.

Yet locked deep within the core of each of those mighty oaks and towering sequoias is something even stronger than their outwardly impressive surface layers: the heartwood.

A tree’s densest, most durable—and often most beautiful—element, the heartwood is the robust, knotty marrow that keeps it standing proud and tall for all to marvel at. And not only is Heartwood also the name of Canadian singer-songwriter Sora’s astonishing third release, it’s as well the perfect metaphor for her music: gorgeous, rich, endlessly enduring.

“[The title track] is a love song, a heart gift for my husband,” said Sora, who’s known by her given name of Andrea Hunt when she’s not performing. “I wanted to capture the feeling of a love beyond time, that permanence you feel when you’re with someone and it seems like you’ve known them forever. The feeling that it’s truly timeless.”

Timeless is the word that best describes the 11 songs on Heartwood, which was produced by the Juno-nominated Douglas Romanow. With its uniquely ancient-to-modern sound, Sora’s music weaves together contemporary rock with the mystical moods of Celtic folk, medieval madrigals, and other modes of early music.

The result is a heady, colorfully evocative tapestry that conjures the imagery of long ago but feels just as current as anything from the present musical landscape—all the while sounding like little else on today’s airwaves.

Across the album’s moody and atmospheric tracks Sora’s heartrending soprano glides like a graceful dove through swirling mists of violin, piano, harp, synthesizer, cello, guitar, percussion, and other instruments to deliver sweeping such performances as “Children of Lir,” based on the so-named ancient Irish legend, and “The Birch’s Lament,” a poignant epic inspired by Sora’s husband Bryan P. Hunt’s successful children’s book, Liselle and the Birch Prince.

Check out more about the artist at her Web site.

Mahogany Digital is offering  a free download of “Detour Ahead” from its newest artist, Jeff Hall.

Vocalist Jeff Hall, Kevin Mahogany’s protégé, premiered on the radio with two singles: “Cadillac Club” and “Detour Ahead.”

Discovered by Kevin Mahogany, Jeff Hall (pic left) has the vocal prowess reminiscent of jazz legend Mark Murphy. Hall brings a new urgency and street sense to traditional jazz, as evidenced by his vocal presentation and his onstage appearance. Hall defines a new direction for vocal jazz.

“When I heard Jeff, there was a quality in his voice there was a uniqueness to his sound,” Mahogany said with regard to his decision to introduce Jeff to the public.

As a lyricist himself, Mahogany recognized Hall’s outstanding talent and assigned him the task of writing the lyrics to “Cadillac Club.”

Jeff Hall’s “Cadillac Club” and “Detour Ahead” singles will be the first singles to launch the new Mahogany Digital label. Don’t miss your chance to feature one of the hottest rising stars on the touring circuit today.

All Jeff Hall singles will be available through various online retailers like iTunes, Amazon.mp3 and Rhapsody.

Download “Detour Ahead” here.

Mahogany Digital is a progressive label that seeks to embrace the digital age, while remaining true to our musical roots. As the consumer becomes more electronically oriented, we believe that the future of music will be in individual single releases, rather than full CDs.

More info: www.mahoganydigital.com

Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County will be hosting Lynn Riley, “Superwoman of the Sax,” at Bucks County Community College in Newtown on March 27. The Jazz in Bloom concert will benefit Habitat’s Youth United program and its goal to raise funds to build a home at the affiliate’s current homebuilding site in Perkasie.

Bucks County residents, Steve and Diane Silverhardt, stepped forward to donate their time and talents to Habitat for Humanity to help plan this amazing event. The Silverhardts are responsible for inviting the very talented Lynn Riley, who is also donating her services for the evening.

“I’ve been part of an interfaith house support group for Habitat Philadelphia and decided to refocus my community involvement with my move to Bucks County,” says Steve. “This concert is the first project of ours with Habitat Bucks and we couldn’t be more excited about it.”

“I am very happy to be donating my time and artistry for Jazz in Bloom. Habitat for Humanity is a wonderful organization helping people find decent housing, all the more needed in this time of economic crisis,” said Lynn. “The concert will feature myself and my band, The World Mix, performing our brand of World Zoot, infectious melodies over driving funk and world rhythms. The band will feature sax, flute, piano, bass, drums and percussion. We hope people will come out to support this worthy cause as well as to revel in our uplifting and accessible contemporary jazz.”

The Bucks County Community College is helping Habitat kick-off 2010 Youth United efforts and gladly agreed to host the concert at the Newtown Campus. The proceeds of the concert will go to help fund a handicap-accessible home for Habitat partner family, Brandon, a 23-year-old man paralyzed from the waist down due to a motorcycle accident.

“The accident has challenged and impacted every area of my life,” says Brandon. “One of the greatest challenges has been finding a suitable place to live – I’m so grateful to have found the Habitat for Humanity homeownership program.”

Brandon’s home will be located at The Stitchery, Habitat’s first-ever adaptive-reuse homebuilding program. In addition to containing two handicap-accessible homes, The Stitchery also keeps with Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County’s building goals to meet ENERGY STAR® standards and an NAHB National Green Building Program™ rating.

Tickets for Jazz in Bloom are $15, $8 for students and free for kids under 10. Buy your tickets now at www.habitatbucks.org, by calling Beth at (215) 822.2812 x305 or by visiting the Bucks County Community College office.

Learn more about Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County, Youth United and The Stitchery at www.habitatbucks.org. Learn more about Lynn Riley at www.lynnriley.com.

The Jazz in Bloom concert is sponsored by the Bucks County Student Government Association to benefit the Youth United program at Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County.

Non-profit organization To Write Love on Her Arms won a Shorty Award in the non-profit category. The Shorty Awards is an award ceremony created for people to pick their favorite Twitter users in specific categories. Categories included in the The Shorty Awards were advertising, entertainment, humor, government, and more.

The Shorty Awards were hosted by Rick Sanchez, a CNN anchor who was one of the first television personalities to ever use Twitter. William Shatner was also in attendance, via satellite, to present an award. Some other Shorty Award winners included Ted Leo of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, fictional Mad Men character Betty Draper, television show True Blood, and political innovator Newark, NJ mayor Cory Booker.

All winners were required to give their acceptance speech in 140 characters or less, sticking with the Twitter format. TWLOHA’s 140 character thank you speech was “”We accept this on behalf of people who struggle with depression, addiction, self-injury & suicide. Hope is real. Help is real. Thank you.”

Some of the academy board members included Craig Newmark (founder of Craigslist), Jimmy Wales (founder of Wikipedia), Alyssa Milano and MC Hammer.

TWLOHA is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for those struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

To watch the Shorty Awards, please go to http://shortyawards.com/.

For more information on To Write Love on Her Arms please go to www.twloha.com.

Indie Bands Get a Shot At Becoming Rock Band Famous

The Rock Band Network music store is officially live. Will it be the greatest thing to happen to indie music since iTunes? Let’s have a look.

For all you kids not in the know, the Rock Band Network is the newest incarnation of the Xbox Rock Brand, er Band franchise. Network allows bands to put their songs on Rock Band 2. And not just big name artists. Using development tools provided by Rock Band, all indie bands can now, theoretically, have their songs available for sale, download, and play at the Network music store. Here’s how it works:

The Investment

First thing’s first, of course. A hopeful band or artist has gotta sign up for the “Creators Club.” Membership is $99.00 a year, plus you need an Xbox Live Gold membership. This gives you access to the Rock Band Creators community.

Once cash has been shelled out, it’s time to prepare that perfect-for-Rock Band track for publication. An artist must have the original masters of their track to do this. Each different instrument track needs to be converted into MIDI to work with Rock Band.

Tracks can be converted to MIDI using the Reaper Digital Audio Workstation. Reaper can be downloaded here, for a free 30-day trial, but after that, you must buy a license – $250.00 for what I’m assuming classifies as “commercial use.” (Non-commercial is only $60.00.) Reaper and Rock Band are working together on the Network project, so once you’ve got Reaper, you just need to install some plugins available via your Creator membership and you’re all set.

Testing! Testing!

As soon as the effortless process of programming a song for the Xbox is complete, the song can begin the lengthy testing process. First, the creator tests the song out on his own Xbox to make sure the tracks are working. If nothing blows up, it’s time to – scary music playing in the background – SUBMIT FOR PEER REVIEW!

The playtesting/peer review process is one of the things that’s really going to make or break the new platform. This is where the community aspect of Creator comes in, and its success will hinge on the commitment and participation level of other Creators. (NB: even non-musicians can sign up for Creator accounts simply to act as testers and reviewers).

Once a song goes into the system, it’s playtested. Users can download and play the song, then comment on it in the community forum. Every song gets its own thread, where feedback is offered. It’s unclear whether feedback, at this point, rests on technical aspects of gameplay or the quality of the music on offer. This phase can last up to two weeks, and then its time to edit, and maybe even delete if it seems like you’ve got a dud on your hands.

And More Testing!

Suggestions addressed? Changes made? Great! Now it’s time to upload the edited “release” for peer review. The Rock Band Peer Review stage is the penultimate gorgon-defended gate to be faced before sweet, sweet freedom. At this stage, Community members comment on three categories: Defects (technical), Prohibited Content (legal), and Difficultly (quality). Reviewers fill out a form addressing each issue, and a song passes or fails depending on user ratings.

Finally, if a song passes peer review, it goes through a 48-hour hold period wherein administrators make sure that its publication isn’t going to get them sued. Again, it’s unclear whether the musical merits of the song are taken into account. If everything is kosher, congrats! Your song is now for sale – at a price the songwriter determines within a range of $1.00 to $3.00 – on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

But Will It Float?

Follow these steps, and any indie artist on the planet can sell their songs for Rock Band 2. Artists get 30% of every sale. The franchise is obviously incredibly enthusiastic about the new platform’s potential to promote indie bands. However, as is usual in the world of indie endeavors, success will depend not so much on the efforts of the corporate entertainment complex, but on the community involved.

Will the music store explode with thousands of offerings? Will the Rock Band Creator community really put in the effort required to play test and peer review all the songs submitted?  Will Rock Band players pay for songs by unknown bands? And will indie artists suddenly start becoming Rock Band famous? Tell us what you think!

Over 100 songs have been uploaded by music labels to the Rock Band Network, and unknown indie bands have the opportunity to expose their projects. So far, established bands have taken the spotlight, but this is a great outlet for unsigned bands to gain funding and get more fans.

Rock Band Network has allowed independent and unsigned bands to submit their own songs for users to download since mid-January. The offer is  for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions of the game with the intention of providing the most downloadable tracks to Nintendo’s Wii moving forward.

Indie bands can price their songs between 50 cents and $3, netting 30% of track sales. Users of the game will be able to preview songs before they purchase on the Rock Band Network store.

A set of professional tools, which will allow musicians on the front line of writing and recording songs to completely control their destiny. It will take 20-40 hours for first-time users to apply their music on the full-featured editing suite. Bands will also have admission to interactive products and then giving them direct access to the download store.

Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games, and distributed by EA Distribution.

The game has gained a solid fan base with sales of four million units and global revenues of $600 million after its launch in late 2007.

Will your band take advantage of the network?

Featured Blog:

Writer C.W. Ross’s Blog
http://writercwross.wordpress.com/

This blog combines C.W. Ross’ three previous blogs (see below) into a one stop shop for information, commentary, interviews and reviews for a wide variety of Indie and Christian music.
Indie Music Stop- IndieMusicStop.com
The CD Reviewer- TheCDReviewer.com
Christian Rockers Online- ChristianRockersOnline.com

Featured Podcast:

The TheDean! Show
http://thethedeanshow.blogspot.com

The TheDean! Show is a weekly podcast, recorded by TheDean! with guest host Thaddeus Penguin and produced by Logiconor. It reviews the week’s pro-wrestling, as well as movies, music and games from time to time, and there are regular segments such as: Mussolini Corner (makes fun of Muss.), TheDean! Sings( in which TheDean! must, without preparation, add lyrics about a specific subject to an instrumental track), The Smiting List (wherein someone is ’smitten’ with a giant LAZOR) and lots more.

Featured Station:

Middletown Station
http://www.middletownstation.web-log.nl/

Middletown station is a live streaming radio station and podcast based in the Netherlands airing every Sunday.

“The World Is…” is off of Matthew Ryan’s recent album, Dear Lover. The indie artist is currently on a U.S tour. Check out the schedule for the tour here.