Mathias, a graduate of New York University and DePaul University, received praise for several of his compositions including the New York International Fringe Festival hit, The Passion of George W. Bush; the ingenious Desdemona Lives; and A Long Conversation. Adam is also a recipient of the Jerry Harrington Musical Theatre Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.

Alexander’s music has been featured at the Berkshire Theatre Festival, the New York International Fringe Festival, and VH1. His compositions include the music for Theatreworks USA’s Just So Stories and Lilly’s Big Day. Brad holds memberships with the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, the National Academy of Popular Music and the Dramatics Guild.

See Rock City is a collection of short musicals set at tourist destinations across the country, from Rock City, Georgia to Niagara Falls, stopping off at Coney Island, Route 66 and the Alamo. Each landmark introduces a new set of characters struggling to connect, to move past their fears and expectations in order to fully engage with each other. A young man searching for his place in the world believes his destination is written on the roofs of barns along the North Carolina Interstate. A young woman, afraid that she may be jumping too hastily into marriage, gets a helpful push from a mysterious tour guide. Two boys playing hooky from high school take the Q train to Coney Island only to find that the Spook House reveals greater fears than they ever expected. Every story stands alone, yet builds on its counterparts to create a complete evening of musical theatre.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance, and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, over 95% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.

Not that the band minds the comparisons. “Things were better in the ’70s,” insists guitarist and singer Andrew Stockdale, even if he’s barely old enough to attest to the fact. His contention is backed not only by their potent musical attack but also a mighty buzz, as well as their song “Love Train” providing the soundtrack for a recent iPod television ad.

Though ostensibly a new group, Stockdale started playing with bandmates Chris Ross (who plays bass and keyboards) and Myles Heskett (drums) in 1999. They spent more than four years playing together for just the sheer fun of it — and also honing their style — before emerging with an Australian EP in 2004 and gigs that sent ripples across Down Under.

By the next year, they had placed a record-breaking six songs on the “Top 100 for 2005” list from Australia’s national Triple J rock radio, as well as earning Triple J’s Australian album of the year award. An EP release in the U.S. at the beginning of this year stoked appetites for Wolfmother’s full CD, produced by David Sardy, whose credits include work with Oasis, Jet and Pavement. The band’s warm stateside reception confirms that they’ve taken something tried and true and made it new and exciting again.]]> 2006-10-15T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/4006 Artists, Depeche Mode, Everclear, Fall Out Boy, Train, Musical Styles, Rock, Musicworld, On The Scene On May 3rd, Island recording group Fall Out Boy - named one of the “10 Artists To Watch” by Rolling Stone - released its hotly anticipated major label debut, From Under The Cork Tree. Already tipped off as one of the “Most Anticipated Releases of 2005” by Alternative Press in its annual “Most Anticipated” issue (January) and chosen by MTV as one of the bands to watch in 2005, From Under The Cork Tree is now the #1 Tower online pre-sale title of all time, beating Depeche Mode, A Perfect Circle, Train and more.  The cd was produced by Neal Avron (New Found Glory, Everclear, Yellowcard). The first single is “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down.”

From Under The Cork Tree comes out during Fall Out Boy’s sold–out headline tour with Gym Class Heroes and The Academy Is… The 7-week, 38-city marathon cross-country tour schedule also featured Midtown and Silverstein on select dates.  Following their U.S. headline tour and album release, Fall Out Boy will be joining the punk rock elite on the main stage of the 2005 Vans Warped Tour.  In addition, Fall Out Boy will make their national television debut on Late Nigh With Conan O’Brien (NBC) on May 10th.

The upcoming release follows the band’s 2003’s cd Take This To Your Grave released on Fueled By Ramen.  The album has sold over 200,000 copies to date and yielded back-to-back #1’s on FUSE’s Ovenfresh, “Dead On Arrival” and “Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy.”

Meanwhile, Take This To Your Grave has become an industry phenom over the past two years, holding the #1 spot on the influential Alternative Press Reader’s Chart for months.  The magazine went on to vote Fall Out Boy the #2 most under-rated band of 2003, and one of “100 Bands You Need To Know For 2004,” before putting them on the cover of last August’s issue. 

Fall Out Boy has taken their “thoughtful, andrenalized punk rock...” Rolling Stone on the road logging over 550 tour dates in two years.  The band has established an incredibly dedicated fan base touring with top acts such as Taking Back Sunday, Blink 182, Yellowcard, Less Than Jake and many others. In addition, their impressive sales figures and press buzz will help catapult Fall Out Boy to the next level with From Under The Cork Tree.  States the New York Daily News, “This Boy is voted most likely to succeed.”

“From Under The Cork Tree” is in stores now on Island Records.

Hefty praise, but Smith's stunning debut, One Moment More (Vanguard), seems to warrant it. The tender agonies and hard truths she deftly puts to song connected with a wide variety of music lovers, including critics from Rolling Stone ("Smith's voice is marvelous") to The New York Times ("excellent debut"). The Los Angeles Times even called Smith's hopeful ballad "Angel Doves" "as moving as any pop effort this side of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water.'"

Smith recorded "Jolene" for last year's Parton tribute album, and the two dueted earlier this year on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. After the February 2004 debut of One Moment More, which Smith co-produced with veteran Steve Buckingham, every music journalist on the planet was clamoring for a few words, and Smith kept up a tour schedule that would wither a seasoned road warrior. But this adopted daughter of a Baptist minister father and choir director mom delivered the goods at every turn.

Reared on Long Island, NY, and transplanted to Knoxville, Tennessee in her teens, Smith is surprised at and grateful for the welcome. She is pragmatic, positive and downright funny in conversation, even if her songs suggest otherwise.

"Success is new. I've been a miserable failure the better part of my life," she says, letting loose a deep laugh, "and this is what a lot of those songs are about." But even with that gratitude for the positive reception, riding a fast train to fame is never easy. And her honesty in song also brings the particular burden of baring your soul over and over when you've done a deeply autobiographical album. "It can be draining," she admits without a shred of self-pity, "to go out there and do these songs every night and scrape up the pieces when I'm done. And then go out and do it again."

It's that unflagging candor in conversation and lyric, the latter of which is wrapped in a roots-rock carriage and propelled to the soul-ethers on a feather-bed soprano, that's endeared her to us. Whether it's a self-directed reminder of faith in hard times, as in "Come to Jesus," or chronicling a tough emotional childhood, as in "Raggedy Ann," or the raw yearning for her mother in the title track, Mindy Smith has given us both hope of surviving our hard times and the comfort of knowing there's someone who not only understands our angst, but has followed the rites of the people's poet, and set it all to beautiful music.

Considering the band members’ backgrounds in two of alternative rock’s most influential bands, it’s not surprising that Audioslave’s self-titled, Rick Rubin-produced debut album has been one of the year’s most eagerly anticipated releases. The album — which features cover art designed by Storm Thorgerson, best known for his distinctive ’70s work with Pink Floyd — retains elements from the band members’ previous musical incarnations, including the thunderous interplay of the power-trio axis and the powerful vocal wail and soul-baring lyrics that were Cornell’s Soundgarden trademarks. But the album boasts a broader musical and emotional palette that marks Audioslave as a distinct entity. For instance, the political lyrics that were a RATM trademark are absent, although social issues do crop up on such tracks as the album’s first single, “Cochise,” titled in honor of the rebellious Apache chief of the same name.

Given Audioslave’s big-name pedigree and the media scrutiny that’s accompanied every phase of its short history, it’s not surprising that various observers continue to speculate about the collective’s long-term future. Morello, for one, doesn’t seem concerned.

“This is a band, not a one-off,” says the guitarist. “I understand where people could wonder about what’s going on, and no one knows what the future holds. But I couldn’t be happier. From the moment we got together with Chris, it felt like a runaway train, an incredible, liberating burst of creativity.”

NSF Board member David Conrad, NSF Chairman Mark Alan Springer, Dennis Morgan, BMI's Frances Preston, Freddie Hart, Billy Joe Shaver, BMI's Del Bryant, and Kris Kristofferson

Keith Urban, Jessica Andrews, Marcel and James Slater saluted Morgan, whose hits include "Smoky Mountain Rain," "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool," "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For the World," "Nobody" and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me). NSF Board member David Conrad made the presentation to Morgan.

Craig Wiseman and Tim Nichols celebrate their Song of the Year win for �Live Like You Were Dying�

Kris Kristofferson and Joe Ely led the celebration for Shaver, whose classics include "Good Christian Soldier," "I Been To Georgia On a Fast Train," "Old Five and Dimers," "I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal" and "Live Forever." Tom T. Hall gave the induction speech.

Scotty Emerick accepts NSAI Songwriter of Year honors	President Emeritus Frances Preston was recognized for her longtime support of NSAI and NSF

After an introduction by Bill Anderson, T. Graham Brown reprised Hart's classic "Easy Lovin'," while Freddy Weller, Jim Casey and Dickey Lee performed the Hart hits "Bless Your Heart," "My Hang-Up Is You," "If You Can't Feel It (It Ain't There)" and "The Want-Tos."

�Whiskey Lullaby�: Bill Anderson, NSAI President Bob Regan, Jon Randall

In conjunction with the Hall of Fame inductions, the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) conferred a series of Songwriter Achievement Awards, with the top songwriter prizes won by BMI affiliates. The writing duo of Scotty Emerick and Toby Keith placed a pair of Keith songs among the top 40 vote-getters ("Beer for My Horses" and "I Love This Bar") to earn Songwriter of the Year for Emerick and Songwriter/Artist of the Year for Keith. BMI affiliate Tim Nichols accepted the Song of the Year prize for "Live Like You Were Dying," an honor he shared with his co-writer, Craig Wiseman.

It�s Five O�Clock Somewhere�: Jim Brown, Bob Regan, Don Rollins

Besides honoring the Song, Songwriter and Songwriter/Artist of the Year, the writers of NSAI's Professional Songwriters Division also singled out 10 songs and their writers for its 2004 Achievement Awards (using the criteria of "The Songs I Wish I'd Written").

�Letters From Home�: Tony Lane, Bob Regan, David Lee

BMI recipients were Don Rollins for "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," David Lee for "Letters From Home," Tim Nichols for "Live Like You Were Dying," Gary Duffey and Buck Moore for "Paint Me a Birmingha," Wendell Mobley for "There Goes My Life," Brett Beavers for "What Was I Thinkin'," and Bill Anderson and Jon Randall for "Whiskey Lullaby."

�Paint Me a Birmingham�: Buck Moore, Bob Regan, Gary Duffey

�There Goes My Life�: Neil Thrasher, Bob Regan, Wendell Mobley

�What Was I Thinkin��: Bob Regan, Brett Beavers

Keith Urban and surprise guest Ronnie Milsap

BMI�s Phil Graham with Billy Joe Shaver and Joe Ely

Chuck Cannon, Sony�s Tracy Gershon, Jon Randall, Lari White, Jessi Alexander, Beth Nielsen Chapman

Sony�s John Grady, Bob DiPiero, Scotty Emerick, Russ Emerick, Rivers Rutherford

Photos by Kay Williams]]> 2004-11-07T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/234064 Artists, Bowie, David, Crow, Sheryl, Gil, Gilberto, John, Elton, LaBelle, Patti, Mavericks, The, McLachlan, Sarah, Offspring, The, Parton, Dolly, Stevens, Cat, Train, Musical Styles, Folk, Pop, Singer-Songwriter, Musicworld, Feature, Type, International The artist best known as Cat Stevens is a man of many names — born Steven Georgiou and now named Yusuf Islam — as well as a number of musical incarnations and at least a small measure of controversy. But his songs transcend all of that, as lasting favorites that continue to resonate in his own recordings and numerous cover versions.

His songwriting legacy includes such classics as "Peace Train" (recorded by 10,000 Maniacs, Dolly Parton and Don Williams), "Wild World" (cut by Jimmy Cliff and Maxi Priest) and "The First Cut is the Deepest" (covered by Rod Stewart and, recently, Sheryl Crow). The list of others who have performed songs written by Stevens is as diverse as the modern music scene itself: Pearl Jam, Wayne Newton, Sarah McLachlan, Johnny Cash, Patti LaBelle, The Mavericks, Gilberto Gil, New Order, Floyd Cramer, Yo La Tengo and Elton John, to name but a few. And his catalog includes such other classics as "Moon Shadow," "Where Do The Children Play," "Morning Has Broken" and "Sad Lisa."

It's all an amazing accomplishment for a singer, writer and guitarist who was The Offspring of a Greek father (who ran a London restaurant) and Swedish mother. Raised and educated in Sweden, where his studies included classical music, Stevens landed in England during his late teens. Songs from his debut album, Matthew and Son , made him a U.K. pop star while a hit version of "There Goes My Baby" by The Tremeloes began his decades-long string of high profile covers.

After a bout with tuberculosis in 1969, Stevens reemerged as a unique folk-rock troubadour whose gentle style nonetheless conveyed songs of stunning depth, intensity and resonance. Albums like Mona Bone Jakon , Tea for The Tillerman , Teaser and The Firecat and others made him a staple on American pop and album radio as well as an international star. A longtime spiritual bent led him to convert to Islam in 1979 and not long after change his name and leave the music business. A decade later he made headlines with a statement supporting Ayatollah Khomeini's fatwa (Islamic death sentence) against novelist Salman Rushdie that Stevens later claimed to have been misinterpreted. The controversial declaration caused many U.S. radio stations to pull the music of Cat Stevens from their playlists. But the lasting strength of his creations and heart found within them has overcome that situation.

Last year Stevens returned briefly to the pop music scene to re-record "Peace Train" for an album to benefit the children of Iraq that also included contributions from Paul McCartney, David Bowie, George Michael and other British pop stars. “'Peace Train' is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to breeze thunderously through the hearts of millions of human beings," says Stevens, "and there is a powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again."

Buddy Guy	B.B. King	Etta James

Leading the list of BMI winners was legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy, who took home three trophies including Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year. His latest release, Blues Singer, won Blues Album of the Year and Acoustic Blues Album. Other multiple winners were singer/pianist Marcia Ball, soul singer Etta James, and jump blues/swing band Roomful of Blues with two awards each. World-renowned BMI artist B.B. King repeated as Blues Entertainer of the Year.

Marcia Ball	Bo Diddley	Slim Harpo

For the past 25 years, the Handy Awards have celebrated excellence in performance and recording of the blues and is the highest honor bestowed upon artists in the blues industry. The United States Senate passed a resolution last year declaring 2003 "The Year of the Blues" in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of when W. C. Handy first heard the blues in a train depot in Mississippi. Named for the "Father of the Blues," the W.C. Handy Blues Awards are produced by the Memphis-based Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization established to "preserve, celebrate and support" the blues. BMI is a long-time supporter of the Blues Foundation.

Roomful of Blues

The awards ceremony is the traditional opener to the Handy Weekend, a series of events for blues musicians, industry members, and fans. Handy Weekend events include a Blues Symposium with workshops, the Handy Awards Music Festival, a blues film fest, the Handy Awards Children's Festival and the annual induction of the Blues Hall of Fame. This year's inductees included BMI Icon Bo Diddley, harp master Slim Harpo and Chicago bluesman Jimmy Reed. To date, 96% of the performers in the Blues Hall of Fame are BMI songwriters.

BMI's 2004 W.C. Handy Blues Awards Winners:

Buddy Guy
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
Blues Album of the Year: Blues Singer
Acoustic Blues Album of the Year: Blues Singer

Marcia Ball
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year: So Many Rivers

Etta James
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year
Soul Blues Album of the Year: Let's Roll

Roomful of Blues
Blues Band of the Year
Blues Instrumentalist, Horns

B.B. King
Blues Entertainer of the Year

Nick Curran
Best New Artist

Pinetop Perkins
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year

Koko Taylor
Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year

Solomon Burke
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year

John Hammond
Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year

Duke Robillard
Blues Instrumentalist, Guitar

Dr. John
Blues Instrumentalist, Keyboards

Charlie Musselwhite
Blues Instrumentalist, Harmonica

Willie Kent
Blues Instrumentalist, Bass:

Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
Blues Instrumentalist, Drums

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Blues Instrumentalist, Other (Fiddle)

Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets
Traditional Blues Album of the Year: Which Way Is Texas?

Muddy Waters
Historical Blues Album of the Year: Muddy 'Mississippi' Waters Live

Kim Wilson and Amanda Taylor
Blues Song of the Year: "Looking For Trouble"

That's the task for the singer/songwriter duo of Micah and Lori Wilshire (rhymes with "fire"), whose debut album, New Universe , on Columbia Records, has spawned the multi-format radio hit, "Special."

The Wilshires aren't afraid of exploring romance in the Beatlesque "Without You," the yearning "In Your Arms" and "Tonight" (the latter two sporting classic Paul Buckmaster string arrangements). At the same time, like Buckingham-Nicks, Richard and Linda Thompson or Kantner-Slick, there's a feisty quality to Lori's powerful-but-earthy vocal style. On rockers like "Fool for You" and "I Know What You Did," Micah's crackling guitar becomes the musical equivalent to the quietly unassuming, but strongly supportive, mate.

In fact, the duo's marriage followed their musical relationship. "The moment we started singing together, we both knew our solo careers were over," says the Virginia-born Micah, meaning that in more ways than one. He first heard Houston native Lori while both were active on the Nashville club circuit. "I was just, like 'Holy crap!' She floored me."

After moving to L.A. in 2001, the two began recording demos, three of which ended up practically untouched on the album, including the first single, "Special," cut in a half-hour in their one-room apartment.

"That song was a picture of our life at the time," says Lori. "[The song]'Looking for a Hallelujah' is about finding your purpose, finding freedom and joy."

The duo is just now living out that dream, touring with Train and Seal and playing promotional radio shows around the country.

"I think everybody's looking over the horizon for a better place," says Lori. "What's important is what you go through along the way. You always have to struggle to make something great happen. But when you look back, you realize that's the most exciting part."

From the very beginning, the combination of Lori and Micah Wilshire has been something "special." And that's cause enough for a "hallelujah."

WSM Radio's Eddie Stubbs, Doyle Lawson, Del McCoury, Dan Tyminksi, BMI's Paul Corbin

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver was named Vocal Group of the Year for a third time and claimed victory for Gospel Recorded Performance with "The Hand Made Cross." They shared Song of the Year honors for "Blue Train (Of the Heartbreak Line)" with legendary BMI Award-winner songwriter John D. Loudermilk.

Dan Tyminksi, BMI's David Preston, IBMA Executive Director Dan Hays

Rhonda Vincent was crowned Female Vocalist for the fourth consecutive year, and Dan Tyminski, a member of Alison Krauss + Union Station as well as a solo artist, collected his third Male Vocalist award.

Bradley Collins, Dixie & Tom T. Hall

Krauss and Tyminski, who hosted the show from the Kentucky Center for the Arts in Louisville, accepted the prize for Album of the Year for Alison Krauss + Union Station Live, along with band members Barry Bales, Ron Block and Jerry Douglas.

Randy Scruggs, David Preston, Steve Fishell

Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol. III was named Recorded Event of the Year; produced by Randy Scruggs & The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the project featured performances by BMI talents Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Matraca Berg, Sam Bush, Rodney Dillard, Jerry Douglas, Glen Duncan, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Taj Mahal, Jimmy Martin, Del McCoury, Robbie McCoury, Ronnie McCoury, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Willie Nelson, Tony Rice, Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Doc Watson, Richard Watson, and Dwight Yoakam. Aubrey Haynie's The Bluegrass Fiddle Album was recognized as Instrumental Album of the Year. Top Instrumental Performers included six-time victor Rob Ickes (dobro) and four-time champ Jim Mills (guitar).

David Preston, Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminksi, DS Management's Denise Stiff

J.D. Crowe, who first gained bluegrass favor as a member of Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys and has recorded some of the genre's most influential albums, was inducted by Sonny Osborne to the IBMA's Bluegrass Hall of Honor.

Paul Corbin, Jerry Douglas, Bradley Collins

Mark Mason, Rhonda Vincent

Ronnie Bowman, David Preston

Congratulations to BMI's 2003 IBMA Award winners:

Hall of Honor Inductee
J. D. Crowe

Entertainer of the Year
The Del McCoury Band

Vocal Group of the Year
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Male Vocalist of the Year
Dan Tyminski

Female Vocalist of the Year
Rhonda Vincent

Song of the Year
"Blue Train (Of the Heartbreak Line)"
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artists), John D. Loudermilk (songwriter)

Album of the Year
Alison Krauss + Union Station LIVE
Alison Krauss + Union Station (artists and producers)

Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year
"The Hand Made Cross" (from the album Hard Game of Love)
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artists); Doyle Lawson (producer)

Instrumental Album of the Year
The Bluegrass Fiddle Album
Aubrey Haynie (artist and producer)

Recorded Event of the Year
Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol. III
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Matraca Berg, Sam Bush, Rodney Dillard, Jerry Douglas, Glen Duncan, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Taj Mahal, Jimmy Martin, Del McCoury, Robbie McCoury, Ronnie McCoury, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Willie Nelson, Tony Rice, Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Doc Watson, Richard Watson, Dwight Yoakam (artists); Randy Scruggs & The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (producers)

Instrumental Performers of the Year
Banjo
Jim Mills

Dobro
Rob Ickes