With three albums out on their own Trashy Moped Records — delete.delete.i.eat.meat, Paparazzi Lightning and Robotique Majestique — the act has landed itself on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and the long-running PBS concert show Austin City Limits (which yielded their first DVD, Live From Austin TX, on New West Records). Ghostland Observatory also boast three live albums taken from their sets at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2006 and 2007 and their appearance at last year’s Lollapalooza.

Their rapid rise piqued record company interest, but the act prefers to remain masters of their own music business fate. “We listened to what some major labels offered us, and there wasn't much of a difference between what they could offer and what we can offer ourselves,” says synthesizer player and drummer Thomas Ross Turner, who likes to take the stage wearing a flowing cape. “That old-school apparatus — sign to a label, get a manager, a publicist, get a video on MTV, this and that — those things aren't so necessary anymore.”

Ghostland Observatory — whose other member is singer and occasional guitarist Aaron Behrens — has won a wide swath of fans by melding the sometimes seemingly disparate elements of electro and rock. “In the 1990s, you either liked rock or you were into techno,” Turner explains. “The rock people didn't embrace electronic music at all. Then Radiohead and others started to combine the two, and people started to think, ‘Oh, yeah, that's kind of cool’.”

The twosome plan on continuing to make their own way musically and in how the market and promote their music, relying on the strength and spirit of what they create. “Who knows what the future will bring,” Turner concludes. “As long as we're honest and we try our hardest to put on the best show we can, I believe we'll always shine through.”

On the album, he proves that Tin Pan Alley now travels through some new territory and reasserts the notion that a great song can be dressed in many styles. “There were some great songs written in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s,” notes Anka, who also stresses that swing music remains a viable mode. “The fashion of that era hasn’t gone away—Vegas, Sinatra, all of that kind of stuff.”

On Rock Swings, he blends what at first glance may seem like disparate elements into one of the more groundbreaking albums of what is closing in on a 50-year career.

And if anyone knows what makes for a good song, it’s Anka. In 1957, he emerged at the age of 16 from Ottawa, Ontario to score a No. 1 hit with “Diana,” which went on to sell 20 million copies worldwide. By the time he was 18, Anka had five more Top 5 songs to his credit, including another No. 1, “Lonely Boy.”

The hits launched a career as a recording artist, entertainer, songwriter and actor for Anka. With some 900 songs to his credit, he has enjoyed more than 150 million plays and 60 million copies sold of his compositions. Some of the many artists who have recorded Anka songs are Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Tom Jones, Linda Ronstadt, The Sex Pistols, Nina Simone, Gypsy Kings and Robbie Williams.

He helped launch Donny Osmond’s singing career with the No. 1 song “Puppy Love,” provided Buddy Holly with his biggest (and sadly posthumous) hit, “I Guess It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” and penned Frank Sinatra’s signature song, “My Way.” Anka also co-wrote the theme to “The Tonight Show,” which has been performed over 1.4 million times, earning him the Classic Contribution Award at the 2005 BMI Film/TV Awards.

Beloved in his native Canada, Anka is an international star who has recorded albums in Japanese, German, Spanish, French, and Italian. He composed the theme music for the film The Longest Day , which won Anka an Academy Award nomination, and he has also appeared in such movies as 3000 Miles to Graceland , Mad Dog Days and Captain Ron . And Anka remains busy as a performer, touring some 10 months out of every year.

Rated by Billboard as the one of the most successful artists in the magazine’s history, Anka is a truly global phenomenon. Odds are that if you have a pair of ears, you’ve likely heard something created or sung by Paul Anka.

BMI honored the composers and songwriters of the music from this year's top-grossing films, top-rated prime-time network television series and highest-ranking cable network television series at its annual Film & Television Awards dinner. Held May 18 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, the black-tie gala was hosted by BMI President and CEO Del R. Bryant and BMI Vice President Film/TV Relations, Doreen Ringer Ross. More than 100 awards were announced during the ceremonies.

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the BMI Richard Kirk award for Outstanding Career Achievement to composer Graeme Revell. Named after late BMI Vice President Richard Kirk, the prestigious award is given annually to the composer who has made significant contributions to film and TV music. Past recipients include John Barry, Randy Edelman, Danny Elfman, Charlie Fox, Jerry Goldsmith, Earle Hagen, Michael Kamen, Alan Menken, Mark Mothersbaugh, Thomas Newman, Mike Post, Lalo Schifrin, Alan Silvestri, Richard and Robert Sherman, W.G. "Snuffy" Walden, John Williams and Patrick Williams.

Graeme Revell	Counting Crows

Revell, a New Zealand native, is in the midst of a historical career in film and television music. With credits including "Sin City," "Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D," "Dead Calm," "The Crow," "The Insider," "CSI: Miami," "The Negotiator," "Blow," "Open Water" and more, he has become known for his blending of traditional ethnic music and ambient sounds. He started his scoring career after picking up on rhythms in patient vocalizations at an Australian hospital for the mentally ill, where he worked as an orderly. His experiments with recordings of human and insect sounds and industrial machinery led him to create the early industrial band SPK. His first score was for director Philip Noyce and producer/director George Miller with "Dead Calm," for which he won an Australian Film Industry Award for Best Score.

Kevin Eubanks	Lalo Schifrin	Stu Phillips

Honoring Revell at the dinner via video messages were directors Robert Rodriguez, Phillip Noyce, Danny Cannon, David Twohy and Carl Franklin, as well as journalist Jon Burlingame. Chucky, the star of the "Chucky" film series for which Revell scored "The Bride of Chucky," narrated the video salute to Revell.

Calling Revell, "...the best secret weapon a director can ever have," director Noyce described working with him on the film "Dead Calm." "Graeme immediately sparked at the material and the opportunity. He hadn't scored a film before, but he had that great composing sense. We wanted a composer who would bring a completely different score to a very elemental movie. Graeme started at the idea of taking sounds that were part of the movie and incorporating them into the score; sound of wind, sound of water.

Mike Post	Pete Townshend

"The movie was completely different once we put Graeme's score in," he added. "He added tension, he added pace, he created drama, and he gave the film a unique aural quality."

Revell's skill at collaboration with the director was a theme that permeated throughout the evening. "Honest," "innovative," "soulful" and "a true renaissance man" were just some of the descriptions that the directors offered. His vast range of musical talents were lauded, including his use of a wide array of ethnic sounds and voices, atmospheric noises and wide ranging knowledge of obscure percussion and voice styles. His encompassing musical style constantly delivers a fresh new sound and approach to each score he has done. Cannon said, "Graeme is modern and he is up to date. That's what is great about him. He is so willing to use new techniques, new inspirations and is always willing to try something different, move the goalposts."

BMI also gave out the award for the Most Performed Song From A Motion Picture to the Counting Crows and their publishing companies for the "Shrek 2" song, "Accidentally in Love." BMI also recognized this year's Emmy Award winners for music.

The first BMI Spotlight Award was given to television composer Frank Gari and the inaugural BMI Classic Contribution Award was presented to the creators of "The Tonight Show" themes, composed by Johnny Carson, Paul Anka and Kevin Eubanks.

With a nod to the digital music age, BMI handed out its first Ringtone Awards for the TV music themes that have become the most-performed songs in the mobile space; the awards went to Stu Phillips for the theme to �Knight Rider� and Lalo Schifrin for the theme to �Mission Impossible.�

Taking home multiple awards at the dinner were past Richard Kirk recipient Mike Post with four Television Awards for the "Law & Order" series "Law & Order," "Law & Order: SVU," "Law & Order: CI" and "Law & Order: Trial By Jury." Pete Townshend picked up three awards for "CSI," "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: NY." Double winners included Harry Gregson Williams for the films "Shrek 2" and "Man On Fire"; Rolfe Kent for the films "Sideways" and "Mean Girls"; Harald Kloser for "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Alien vs. Predator"; Thomas Newman for "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "Six Feet Under"; John Keane for "CSI" and "The Amazing Race 7"; and Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, Anthony Jackson, Jeff Lippencott and Mark T. Williams for "The Apprentice 2" and "The Apprentice 3."