Slicethepie News

RocknReel interview with Miranda Barber!

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:32:24 G9T

Click the image to see the full interview!

This week's Virtual Trading winners...

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:27:26 G9T

1	roller	£30
2	Gecko Ltd	£20
3	Top Gun	£15
4	teejays	£5
5	Geet Records	£5
6	Badboy Productions	£5
7	Kavo	£5
8	TippiToo	£5
9	dudewheresmycar	£5
10	monkey	£5

Shortwave Fade's single 'Leave' out next week!

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:25:50 G9T

In celebration of their upcoming single 'Leave' Shortwave Fade are throwing themselves a single launch party in London.

Click the image to enlarge the flyer

The party will take place on Saturday the 13th September 08 from 4pm - 8pm at Rota, Notting Hill Arts Club.
The boys have got themselves support from Timothy Edwards, Themselves and The Keyz.

It's free admission and the guys would love to see you there!

All Genres 8 Showcase round up

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:04:53 G9T

Here’s a roundup of the positions so far in the All Genres 8 Showcase...

1. Sofia
Location: Chile
Genre: Alternative, Indie, Rock

2. Matthew Johnston
Location: Canada
Genre: Acoustic, Pop, Pop Rock

3. Lisa Crawley
Location: New Zealand, United Kingdom
Genre: Alternative, Folk, Pop

4. A Moment Before
Location: Israel, United Kingdom
Genre: Acoustic, Folk, Rock

5. Voodoo Johnson
Location: United Kingdom
Genre: Rock

This week Lisa Crawley jumps up a step to third place over taking A Moment Before! This just shows that nothing is for certain yet and your votes still count!

Click here to get your vote in.

Bacardi B-Live Presents La Fiesta

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:23:06 G8T

Win free Queue Jumper tickets to the ‘La Fiesta’ event in London presented by Bacardi B-Live!
In celebration of Sabrina Rabello, the first Latin American Artist to raise finance on Slicethepie, we have teamed up with Bacardi to give away guest list entry to 10 lucky winners and a friend to the ‘La Fiesta’ event in London presented by Bacardi B-Live. With these tickets you won’t have to queue up to get in!

Bacardi are transforming seOne London on the 4th September into a Cuban Street Festival - a tribute to the parties hosted at the Bacardi summer house which spilled out into the town square of Santiago de Cuba. With a number of acts including, DJ Yoda, Beardyman, Krafty Kuts, Evil Nine, Filthy Dukes, Guilty Pleasures, DJ Food, Jazz Bomb and some Very Special Secret Guests! (Yet to be announced!)
The big street festival is taking place on Thursday 4th September.

To get your hands on a pair of these tickets all you have to do is...
Complete the title of this song written by our latest successful showcase Artist, Sabrina Rabello...’Once upon a -----.

Email your answer, along with your full name, date of birth, e-mail address and postal address to bacardi@Slicethepie.com.

***IMPORTANT***
To enter - you must be 18+ and live in the UK. You will also need to provide your own transport to the event.
The cut off for last entries is 11AM (BST) on Monday 1st September 2008. The winners will be notified by email and announced on Slicethepie at 3PM (BST) on the same day! For more information on La Fiesta and Bacardi you can visit the site here www.bacardi.com/lafiesta . Good Luck!

Newsletter 55 - 29th August 2008

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:57:33 G8T

Slicethepie makes regional shortlist for O2 X Awards!

Now in its fifth year of being, the O2 X Awards is something any company would be proud to make the regional short listings for. Next week, the Slicethepie team will be heading into central London to meet with the O2 X Awards members to see if we can pick ourselves up another award!

You can visit the O2 X Awards site here for more information.

Bacardi B-Live Presents La Fiesta

Tommy Ludgate’s 4th video blog!

To find out how Tommy has been creating some of the effects used on her album ‘Wall Of Words’ check out her fourth video blog here. Buy Contracts in Tommy's album.

Get closer to the Artists you love! Backstage Pass holder forums...

If you’ve helped finance an Artist on Slicethepie by buying a Backstage Pass, don’t forget that you are now entitled to access to an exclusive backstage Forum on the site. Here you can read updates from the Artist, have your say in the album making process and meet other likeminded music fans.

Backstage Forums are located at the bottom of the Forums section.

Shortwave Fade celebrate single release at Notting Hill Arts Club

‘Leave’, the first single to be taken from Shortwave Fade’s forthcoming debut album, will be released on Monday 8th September. They will be celebrating it’s release with a double whammy in London the following weekend – first playing the Notting Hill Arts Club on the 13th and then the Proud Galleries the next day.

Here are the details:

Buy Contracts in Shortwave Fade’s forthcoming album (‘Deletia.’)

Shaun Barrowes album out 23rd September

And in other release news, don’t forget that the Shaun Barrowes album ‘Big Bang Theory’ will be released on September 23rd , followed by Tommy Ludgate’s album on October 6th.

To buy Contracts in either of these album’s and secure your share in their potential financial success - visit the Trading Exchange.

Miranda Barber nominated for Australian Songwriter Award

Two of the tracks from Miranda Barber’s Slicethepie financed album ‘Lips’ Decision’ have made it to the top 10 in the acoustic/folk category at this year’s Australian Songwriter Awards! (The results should be announced tomorrow).

Download ‘Lips’ Decision’ from iTunes.

Business Talk: Digital Mission and Econ Music Conference

And on the business side of things, come mid-September, Slicethepie CEO David Courtier-Dutton will be heading across the pond to take part in the Web 2.0 Expo in New York. This is a result of Slicethepie being selected as 1 of just 21 UK companies to take part in Digital Mission, as organised by Chinwag Media and our second web mission so far.
To find out more about the Web 2.0 Expo click here.
To find out more about Digital Mission click here.

The following week, David will then be speaking at the EconMusic Conference at the Natural History Museum. The panel also includes Ben Drury, the founder of 7 Digital, Billy Bragg and Spencer Hyman, the COO of Last.fm.
Find out more here.

Walk.DontWalk Update

After great success in the Road To V 2008 competition, we were saddened (and surprised) to hear the news that unfortunately Walk.DontWalk didn’t secure a slot at the V Festival.

However, we’d just like to hammer home the fact that they have achieved an amazing amount in coming so far – making it down to the final 4 out of thousands of bands, in what is arguably the most popular and well-regarded unsigned competition of the summer.
The fact that the band have achieved this in less than a year since forming and coupled with the response they got from NME, the judges and the fans who made it to the competition finals, Walk.DontWalk seem to be one of those bands who just have ‘it’ and we are sure they’re on their way to great things.

The band are set to play the famous Proud Galleries in London tonight, supporting Cage The Elephant.
Their Slicethepie financed debut album is on its way, stay tuned for more news. Buy Contracts in Walk.DontWalk’s album.

Other news

Scout in the All Genres 9 Scout Room; Join the UK Gibson Guitar Arena; Join the All Genres 10 Arena; Vote for your favourite new Artist in the Showcase;

Music Industry news

Slicethepie Artist albums: click to download

The Alps - 'Something I Might Regret'
Miranda Barber - 'Lips' Decision'

All Genres 8 Showcase Update

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:37:04 G8T

Here’s a roundup of the positions so far in the All Genres 8 Showcase...

1. Sofia
Location: Chile
Genre: Alternative, Indie, Rock

2. Matthew Johnston
Location: Canada
Genre: Acoustic, Pop, Pop Rock

3. A Moment Before
Location: Israel, United Kingdom
Genre: Acoustic, Folk, Rock

4. Lisa Crawley
Location: New Zealand, United Kingdom
Genre: Alternative, Folk, Pop

5. Voodoo Johnson
Location: United Kingdom
Genre: Rock

No change this week for our top 5 Showcase Artists, who are still battling it out for the £15,000 finance. Votes are still coming in so it’s not too late to have your say!

Don’t forget to vote.

This week's Virtual Trading League winners

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:07:12 G8T

Congratulations to this week’s Virtual Trading League Winners!

1. Concourse - £30
2. jologs - £20
3. Herbalisation - £15
4. roller - £5
5. None - £5
6. Gecko Ltd - £5
7. Termin8ter Records - £5
8. Mr K & Mistress - £5
9. ramonbayron - £5
10. Country Lane Records - £5
10. sloppyjoe - £5
10. METAL RECORDS - £5

To be in with a chance of winning one of next week’s cash prizes, head to the Virtual Trading Exchange and see if you’ve got what it takes to become a Music Mogul.

All Genres 8 Showcase Update

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:31:42 G8T

Here’s a roundup of the positions so far in the All Genres 8 Showcase...

1. Sofia
Location: Chile
Genre: Alternative, Indie, Rock

2. Matthew Johnston
Location: Canada
Genre: Acoustic, Pop, Pop Rock

3. A Moment Before
Location: Israel, United Kingdom
Genre: Acoustic, Folk, Rock

4. Lisa Crawley
Location: New Zealand, United Kingdom
Genre: Alternative, Folk, Pop

5. Voodoo Johnson
Location: United Kingdom
Genre: Rock

Slicethepie is open to all Artists, in all countries and with 5 different countries represented in the current top 5, this is our most international Showcase yet!

Don’t forget to vote.

Get closer to the Artists you love!

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:42:27 G8T

Backstage Passes enable you to help finance Artists’ albums and be a part of their success. If you hold a Backstage Pass in a Slicethepie Artist then, as well as securing a free copy of their album upon completion and the right to buy discounted Contracts for the Trading Exchange, you will also be granted access to an exclusive backstage Forum.

The backstage Forums enable you to stay in touch with the Artists you have financed, have your say in the album making process and connect with other likeminded music fans. They are located at the bottom of the normal Forums section and have been a bit quiet lately - so head on over now and get them going again!

To secure future access to the Sabrina Rabello or Trail backstage Forum, visit the Financing section, pick up some Backstage Passes and get closer to the Artists you love!

Walk.DontWalk Update

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:13:53 G8T

For those of you who missed the final verdict on the Road To V competition on Channel 4 last night, we are saddened (and surprised) to bring you the news that unfortunately Walk.DontWalk didn’t secure a slot at this weekend’s V Festival.

However, we’d just like to hammer home the fact that they have achieved an amazing amount in coming so far – making it down to the final 4 out of thousands of bands in what is arguably the most popular and well-regarded unsigned competition of the summer. The fact that the band have achieved this in less than a year since forming and coupled with the response they got from NME, the judges and the fans who made it to the competition finals, Walk.DontWalk seem to be one of those bands who just have ‘it’ and we are sure they’re on their way to great things regardless.

Their Slicethepie financed debut album is on its way, stay tuned for more news.

Attention Scouters!

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:06:57 G8T

The All Genres 9 Scout Room got underway last week so there’ll be lots of Scouts busy on Slicethepie giving their insight on Artists’ tracks and helping to decide which Artists show enough musical potential to be in line with securing the Finance. Here are some tips as to how you can stand above the rest in the Scout Room...

Firstly, don’t forget that the better you are at Scouting, the higher your Scout star rating will be and with it the amount you get paid per review - you will also have a greater influence over which bands move forward to the Showcase. Check out our guide to gain lots of invaluable information about improving your rating and achieving Top Scout Status!

Why not also add our facebook Scouting application which enables you to compare your rankings and accuracy against your friends and challenge them for the top spot!

You can also find out more about Scouting, including how you withdraw your earnings and earn Tips, by taking a read of our faqs. And if you’ve never Scouted before, check out our tutorials to get you started.

Scout now!

This week’s Virtual Trading League Winners

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:49:00 G8T

Congratulations to this week’s Virtual Trading League Winners!

1. In Progress - £30
2. Highthorn Music - £20
3. Eagle Eye Records - £15
4. S C O O B Y D O O R E C O R D S - £5
5. jologs - £5
6. Country Lane Records - £5
7. Herbalisation - £5
8. Gecko Ltd - £5
9. ramonbayron - £5
10. Mr K & The Mistress - £5

To be in with a chance of winning one of next week’s cash prizes, head to the Virtual Trading Exchange and see if you’ve got what it takes to become a Music Mogul.

Miranda Barber tracks in line for Australian Songwriter Award

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:25:48 G8T

Out of thousands of songs, an impressive 5 of the tracks from Miranda Barber’s debut album were shortlisted in the acoustic/folk category for the Australian Songwriter Awards 2008. The top 10 for each category have since been selected by industry experts and 2 of Miranda’s tracks – ‘Sweetheart's Embrace’ and ‘Too Damn Hard’ – have made it through!

We’ll find out how she does in the next few weeks. Stay tuned...

In the meantime, if you haven’t yet heard Miranda’s Slicethepie financed album ‘Lips’ Decision’ head on over to iTunes to download it.

Tommy Ludgate ‘Wall Of Words’ out 6th October!

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:46:52 G8T

Blues-soul songbird Tommy Ludgate, who raised the finance for her album through music fans and investors on Slicethepie back in November, will release her debut album ‘Wall Of Words’ on 6th October.

The album features 10 tracks produced by Tom Kelly (Nerina Pallot, The Puppini Sisters, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds) and mixed by Hugh Padgham (David Bowie, Sting, Paul McCartney, Sheryl Crow.)

The tracklisting is as follows;

1. Nothing to Say
2. Pain
3. Sweet Release
4. Wall of Words
5. Make Me Rich
6. So Cruel
7. Sweet Don't Taste
8. Temporary Lover
9. .Took It For Granted
10. Don't Breathe In Dirt

You can preview some of the tracks from the album on her profile and watch behind the scenes footage of the album making process by checking out Tommy’s video blogs at www.youtube.com/tommyludgate. Additionally, Backstage Pass holders can visit their exclusive Tommy Ludgate backstage Forum and read Tommy’s posts, leave her a message and communicate with other like-minded music fans.

Newsletter 54 - 8th August 2008

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:54:12 G8T

Slicethepie selected for Digital Mission – we’re off to New York!

Slicethepie has been selected to take part in its second web mission this year, having recently been confirmed as 1 of just 21 UK companies chosen to take part in Digital Mission in New York! Digital Mission is organised by Chinwag, a specialist community for digital practitioners, in association with the UK Trade and Investment government agency and TechCrunch UK.

Other companies selected include personalised music magazine website Idiomag, the gamer’s social networking site UGame, personal shopping recommendation service Veedow and World TV, where users get to create their own TV channel.

So come September, Slicethepie will be packing it’s cyber bags and heading across the pond, in the direction of the Web 2.0 Expo in New York!

Find out more here.

Temposhark win SXSW Click video competition!

The video for Temposhark’s track ‘Blame’ has won the Sound Check category at this year’s SXSW Click video competition - meaning that the video will be screened at the world famous SXSW Film Festival in 2009!

The video was directed by Tokyo-born, Brooklyn based digital artist, Motomichi Nakamura who has also exhibited his work at New Museum of Contemporary Art in NYC as well as the Sundance film festival.

The SXSW Festival is renowned for uncovering the most cutting edge and promising new talent, with many of today’s young musicians, film makers and digital media whiz kids being discovered as a result of showcasing at the event. This success adds to Temposhark’s growing list of achievements, including appearances on Fearless TV in NYC, being playlisted on Sub.tv, being nominated for a Hollywood Music Award and being selected by iTunes as one of their ‘Hotly Tipped for 2008’ artists!

Watch the winning video here and buy Contracts in Temposhark’s album here.

Walk.DontWalk now in final 4 of Road To V competition!

Walk.DontWalk are now down to the final 4 in the Road T V competition to win a slot at this year’s festival!

The judges – including NME journalist Mark Beaumont and Dirty Pretty Thing Carl Barat – selected the bands that they thought stood out from the crowd and have what it takes to open this year's V Festival, based on the performances at the competition finals back in May and reviews from gig attendees.

The winners will be announced on the Channel 4 Road To V show at 12.15am on 14th August. Fingers crossed!

Buy Contracts in Walk.DontWalk. Find out more about the competition on the Road To V website.

We’re going monthly...

We’ve been listening to your feedback and clogging up your inbox is definitely not our intention – so we’re cutting back on our Newsletter activity. This will be our last weekly Newsletter – from now on, we’re going monthly!

The Slicethepie Newsletter will be sent out on the last Friday of every month and will aim to look back at the biggest news stories of the last month and have a look forward to what’s coming up in the next one.

You can still stay up to date with all the latest Slicethepie happenings, including Showcase position roundups and weekly Virtual Trading League winners, by regularly checking in with the Latest and News sections on Slicethepie.

So the next Newsletter will be reaching your inbox on 29th August and the one after that on the 26th September.

New Scout Room now open – get reviewing!

The All Genres 9 Scout Room opened yesterday and reviewing is well underway. You do the A&R this weekend and get paid to help us uncover the most exciting new musical talent. The better you are at reviewing, the more you will earn.

Did you know that you can also add the Artists you’d like to keep an eye on to your Watchlist? Once you’ve reviewed over a certain number of tracks you will be given a ‘Tip’ which you can then use on your Watchlist Artists – if they make it through to Financing you will receive a free Backstage Pass!

Head to the All Genres 9 Scout Room and start helping to uncover the best in new music.

Top rated tracks from the All Genres 8 Scout Room

Here are the top 10 rated tracks from the All Genres 8 Scout Room, which finished last week...

1.Mindy Hughes - Tomorrow
2.Matthew Johnston - You're So Obvious
3.The GoStation - Not Enough
4.The Brink - I Remember
5.Edward Bell - Autumnal Goodbyes
6.Mindy Hughes - Eternity Begins
7.Matthew Johnston - Awake In Love
8.Lisa Crawley - Stranger
9.Edward Bell - The River
10.The Brink - Can I find You

Showcase roundups so far...

All Genres 7 Showcase

1.Sabrina Rabello
2.Sugar Shack
3.Painting By Numbers
4.Plum Crazy
5.Ryan Inglis

We’re approaching the last week of voting for this Showcase – don’t forget to get your vote in!

All Genres 8 Showcase

1.Sofia
2.Matthew Johnston
3.A Moment Before
4.Lisa Crawley
5.FOXTROT BRAVO

Check out the Artists and vote now.

Other news

Check out Laura Stevenson’s new website; Check out some backstage photos of The 5150s at Y-Not Festival; Join the Gibson UK Guitar Bands Arena; Be our Facebook friend; Be our MySpace friend; If you hold a Backstage Pass, don’t forget to check out your exclusive Backstage Pass holder forum; Practice your music mogul skills on the Virtual Trading Exchange; Or take it to the next level on the real Trading Echange. Watch a video interview with Trail here.

Music Industry news

Slicethepie Artist albums: click to download

The Alps - 'Something I Might Regret'
Miranda Barber - 'Lips' Decision'

Virtual Trading League winners

1	S C O O B Y D O O R E C O R D S	£30
2	ramonbayron	£20
3	Gecko Ltd	£15
4	Herbalisation	£5
5	Country Lane Records	£5
6	Eagle Eye Records	£5
7	jologs	£5
8	ILL-TENN	£5
9	papa joes 1	£5
10	Little city Rewinds	£5
10	KFI	£5

Compete in this week's Virtual Trading League and be in with a chance of winning one of next week's prizes.

Walk.DontWalk now in final 4 of Road To V

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:40:20 G8T

Birmingham based Slicethepie band Walk.DontWalk are now down to the final 4 in the Road To V competition to win a slot at this year’s V Festival!

The judges – including NME journalist Mark Beaumont and Dirty Pretty Thing Carl Barat – selected the bands that they thought stood out from the crowd and have what it takes to open the festival, based on the performances at the competition finals back in May and reviews from gig attendees. This is an amazing achievement, especially for a band that only formed less than a year ago!

Earlier this year, Walk.DontWalk raised finance for their forthcoming album through music fans and investors on Slicethepie and Contracts in the album began trading on the Exchange back in March. They have now finished recording work and are currently planning the album’s release.

The winners of the Road To V competition will be announced on the Channel 4 Road To V show on 14th August, at 12.15am. Stay tuned!

Slicethepie selected for Digital Mission in New York!

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:07:29 G8T

Slicethepie has been selected as 1 of just 21 UK companies to take part in Digital Mission in the USA, this September (our second web mission!). The Digital Mission gives us the fantastic opportunity to attend the renowned Web 2.0 Expo in New York and will involve a busy Expo-related itinerary, mixed with high-profile networking events and individual meetings with US companies and potential investors.

Digital Mission is organised by Chinwag media (a specialist community for digital practitioners) in association with UK Trade and Investment government agency, TechCrunch UK and Winston & Strawn. The judging panel included the editor of TechCrunch Mike Butcher, ex-Dragon’s Den Doug Richard and Reshma Sohoni, the CEO of Seedcamp - amongst a number of other respected digital and business experts.

To find out more and see a list of the other companies selected, visit the Chinwag website.

Temposhark win SXSW Film competition!

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:28:03 G8T

The video for Temposhark’s track ‘Blame’ has won the Sound Check category at this year’s SXSW Click video competition! This means that the video will be screened at the SXSW Film Festival 2009.

The SXSW Festival is world renowned for uncovering the most cutting edge and promising new talent, with many of today’s young musicians, film makers and digital media whiz kids being discovered as a result of showcasing at the event. Since playing this year’s festival in March, bands like Vampire Weekend, MGMT and Bon Iver have fast-tracked into the limelight and music videos screened at this year included pieces by The Go!Team, TV On The Radio and Blonde Redhead.

The video for ‘Blame’ was directed by Tokyo-born, Brooklyn based digital artist, Motomichi Nakamura who has also exhibited his work at New Museum of Contemporary Art in NYC as well as the Sundance film festival.

This success adds to Temposhark’s growing list of achievements, including appearances on Fearless TV in NYC, being playlisted on Sub.tv, being nominated for a Hollywood Music Award and being selected by iTunes as one of their ‘Hotly Tipped for 2008’ artists!

Temposhark are currently writing for their forthcoming Slicethepie funded album. You can buy Contracts in that album on the Trading Exchange and secure your share in its potential financial success.

Newsletter 53 - 1st August 2008

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:43:50 G8T

Shaun Barrowes Album ‘Big Bang Theory’ Out 23rd September!

Shaun Barrowes will release his 3rd album ‘Big Bang Theory’ on 23rd September. The album features 13 tracks written and performed by the talented jazz-pop musician. ‘Big Bang Theory’ was actually professionally recorded and produced a while back, but its release was postponed due to Shaun’s busy schedule during his 5 month stint on American Idol (he made it to the final 48!)

We recently caught up with Shaun for a quick interview, where he told us more about the album, his previous experiences with the record industry and the story behind his number No.1 fan Celine Dion – you can check it out here. For more Shaun links, visit his website www.shaunbarrowes.com where you will also find a video blog and links to his YouTube Channel.

Buy Contracts in Shaun Barrowes.

Catch Up With Our Latest Artist Video Blogs

After taking some time out from band duties to focus on their university finals, Armstrong are now back in the game and are soon to be heading to the studio. They’ve recently uploaded a new webisode - you can check it out here.

Buy Contracts in Armstrong’s album here.

Additionally from the land of video blogs this week, Laura Stevenson unveils her camera skills in her very first video blog , which you can check out for yourself here. Contracts in Laura have recently begun trading on the Exchange, so head over to secure your share of her album’s success.

The 51 50s Play Y Not Festival This Weekend.

This weekend The 51 50s are set to play at Y Not Festival in the Peak District, second only on the bill to Frank Tuner. To find out more, visit The 51 50s MySpace at www.myspace.com/5150smusic.

Buy Contracts in The 51 50s.

New Showcase Open! Last Chance For Artists To Enter All Genres 9, Before Scout Room Starts...

The All Genres 8 Scout Room came to a close this week and has therefore resulted in an exciting new batch of Showcase Artists! There are 16 Artists from a variety of genres currently awaiting your vote. Just clickety click here to check them out and vote.

The All Genres 9 Scout Room will open next week – this gives any Artists coming out of the previous Scout Room a chance to consider the Scouts’ feedback, change their tracks, then enter the All Genres 9 Arena and get in on the next round of financing.

Artists – join the All Genres 9 Arena.

Scouts – why not keep your fingers and thumbs busy by heading to the Virtual Trading Exchange and honing your Music Mogul skills? Each week, the top 10 Virtual Traders win a cash prize.

Positions Roundup From The All Genres 7 Showcase...

Here’s a roundup of the results so far from the All Genres 7 Showcase. Bringing you the top 10 this week...

1.Sabrina Rabello
2.Sugar Shack
3.Painting By Numbers
4.Ryan Inglis
5.Plum Crazy
6.Ortega
7.Kitsch
8.The Goodnights
9.Lisa Winship
10.Adele

To check out these Artists and their tracks, visit the All Genres 7 Showcase and vote now. It’s up to you to decide who will be the next Artist to go on to record their album.

Other news

Walk.DontWalk complete album - pick up some Contracts before the hype affects the prices; Be our MySpace friend; Be our Facebook friend; And add our Facebook Apps; Brush up on your Music Mogul skills – visit the Virtual Trading Exchange; UK Guitar Bands secure finance for your music and a Gibson Les Paul.

Music Industry news

Slicethepie Artist albums: click to download

The Alps - 'Something I Might Regret'
Miranda Barber - 'Lips' Decision'

Virtual Trading League winners

1	In Progress	£30
2	Conncourse	£20
3	S C O O B Y D O O R E C O R D S	£15
4	Smash and Grab	£5
5	roller	£5
6	Eagle Eye Records	£5
7	Mainstrum Synergie	£5
8	Row 29 Records	£5
9	Luckytown Media	£5
10	ramonbayron	£5

Compete in this week's Virtual Trading League and be in with a chance of winning one of next week's prizes.

Interview with Shaun Barrowes

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:48:39 G8T

Congratulations on securing the Finance on Slicethepie! How does it feel?
It’s nice to get the recognition and much needed financing. Music careers are incredibly expensive, and I’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on mine, if not half a million, by now. I spent $50,000 on the production of my album before spending 5 months on American Idol, during which I received NO income. I spent all my advertising/marketing budget during those five months, so when I was cut, I didn’t know how I was going to market my album. With the $30,000, I’ve been putting together a PR and marketing campaign that’ll finally get my album some attention.

How will you be using the Finance? We hear you already have an album recorded, could you tell us a bit more about it and how it was recorded?
The financing will all go towards marketing, publicity, etc. We’re putting together some online ads, updating and renovating my websites, and approaching all publications and online radio stations. My album was recorded with the best musicians and engineers around, in a great, professional studio.

Have you made any promotional plans yet?
We’ve brainstormed and looked into all our options. We have finalized the PR deal, and that campaign should begin in a week. The viral marketing campaign is still undergoing final revisions.

Could you tell us a bit more about yourself?
I’ve been making music since I was 16, when I cut my first album. I’m 28 now, so that was 12 years ago. I grew up all over the US: Alaska, Utah, California, Maryland and Kansas. I’ve been performing since I was 3, and songwriting since I was 15. I lived in Los Angeles for a few years, writing for other artists and playing keyboards in a rock band for Sony Records. I started my solo singer/songwriter career in January of 2006 and have been building my fan base since.

Tell us a bit more about your previous experience with the music industry...
I’ve been working around the industry and trying to break in for 12 years. I recently broke in, when I was hired to write 26 songs for a big Children’s TV show, and the theme song to a big, upcoming Video Game by the makers of Gears of War. I made it to the top 48 on American Idol this year, as well, and that was a great experience and has opened some doors for me.

We see that you’ve just recorded your first Portuguese song – what was the inspiration behind this?
I have some Brazilian fans that are crazy about my music. One of them wrote a very simple song in Portuguese and I fell in love with it. I finished the song, arranged and produced it, as well as wrote English lyrics to fit the melody. The English lyrics are nothing like the Portuguese lyrics, but they still fit the song, and those lyrics were inspired by my own personal experiences. Our objective with this is to introduce my music to the Brazilian market.

And Celine Dion’s a fan?
One of her close friends found my music on Myspace. Before my account was deleted, I was getting a lot of attention, and this friend of hers happened to find my music and take a listen. He became a huge fan and started raving about it to all his friends, including Celine Dion and her husband, Rene. They took a listen and have become fans ever since. They’ve expressed interest in touring with me, singing a duet with me, etc. There’s a lot of talk in this industry, so who knows when any of that will happen, but it’s a feather in my hat to know they like my music that much!

Who are your influences?
Sting, Billy Joel, Elton John, Gershwin, Danny Elfman, Thomas Newman, The Beatles, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Green Day, and many others.

Do have a message for your Backstage Pass holders?
I’m very driven in my music career. The fact that I spent 6 months on tour last year as a solo artist; a tour that I booked, marketed, managed, etc. by myself, should indicate just how determined I am. The music industry is evolving, and I’m doing everything I can to stay ahead of the curve. I’ll keep you posted on the latest developments in the STP forums. Thanks for the support!

Shaun Barrowes' album 'Big Bang Theory' will be released on 23rd September.

Download a free Shortwave track – one week only!

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:38:53 G7T

Shortwave Fade have just about completed work on their forthcoming Slicethepie funded debut album ‘Deletia.’

The band have recently confirmed that ‘Leave’ will be the first single to be taken from the album and will be released on 8th September. They will be celebrating the single release with a special launch party at Notting Hill Arts club on September 13th and everyone’s invited. You can find out more details at myspace.com/shortwavefade.

In the meantime, the band have decided to offer you their work-in-progress track ‘You Were Right’ to download for free - but only up until this Friday. To download it all you need to do is follow this and enter the password: YOUWERERIGHT.

Newsletter 52 - 25th July 2008

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:30:31 G7T

Download a free Shortwave Fade track – one week only!

Shortwave Fade secured financing for their album through Slicethepie back in January and have since been busy recording with producer Gavin Monhaghan (Editors, Jesus & Mary Chain, Scott Matthews.) ‘Leave’, the first single to be taken from the album, is due to be released on 8th September and the band will be celebrating the single launch with a little shindig at Notting Arts Centre in London on September 13th, to which everyone is invited (it starts at 4pm and it’s free.)

In the meantime... as a warm up, Shortwave Fade have decided to offer their work-in-progress track ‘You Were Right‘ to download for free, for one week only and exclusively through Slicethepie! To download it, follow this link and enter the password: YOUWERERIGHT.

(P.S. For Londoners looking for something to do tonight, the band will be headlining a night at Storm in Leicester Square at 10pm this evening.)

Buy Contracts in Shortwave Fade's forthcoming album.

Laura Stevenson Contracts now on sale – secure your share of her album’s success!

Laura Stevenson recently became the 18th Artist to secure finance for her album through music fans and investors on Slicethepie and Contracts in her album are now officially trading on the Slicethepie Exchange! This means that anyone can secure a share of her album’s potential financial success, simply by heading over to the Exchange and picking up a few Contracts.

Laura has already started making plans for the album and hopes to begin recording soon. If you’re a Backstage Pass holder, you can stay up to date with all the latest album news by checking out the exclusive Laura Stevenson backstage forum.

Buy Contracts in Laura Stevenson’s album. Find out more about Contracts.

Lights Action go to Church...

After taking a quick break to play T in The Park Festival a couple of weekends ago, Lights Action are now well into recording their Slicethepie financed debut album. In fact, they have taken on a somewhat religious approach...

The band have spent the past week recording in the serene surroundings of the Union Chapel, Islington, North London. The Union Chapel is actually quite a popular venue for musicians, it’s amazing acoustics having attracted the likes of Bjork, Beck and Goldfrapp all to play gigs there in recent months. You can see some photos from the recording sessions on www.myspace.com/lightsactionband.

Keep up with all Lights Action’s news, plus check out the details of their upcoming Academy Tour, on their website www.newcoldworld.com.

Buy Contracts in Lights Action.

Get paid to discover new music this weekend...

The All Genres 8 Scoutroom continues this weekend, so if you fancy doing the A&R and getting paid to discover and review the best in new music – head to the All Genres 8 Scoutroom.

What do you think it takes to make a successful recording Artist? Is it the delivery? The voice? The lyrics? Or, dare we say it, the ‘X’ factor? Who do you think, beneath the production, shows promise as songwriters? Or possesses the strongest musical ability? (Feel free to continue this discussion on the Forums.)

Whatever you think it takes, let your objective judgements be heard in the Scoutroom, and soon, maybe your favourite new Artist will begin raising finance for their album!

Check out our Guide For Scouts to learn more about what makes a good review.

All Genres 7 Showcase Update

1.Sabrina Rabello
2.Sugar Shack
3.Painting By Numbers
4.Plum Crazy
5.Ryan Inglis

Don’t forget to vote!

Other news

Join the Gibson UK Guitar Bands Arena; Temposhark nominated for a Hollywood Music Award; John Tayles completes album; Get paid to do what you love – visit the Scoutroom; Watch Walk.Don'twalk on Channel 4 again here; Compete to win one of next week's Virtual Trading League cash prizes; Or you be the record Exec on the real Exchange; Download The Alp's new single.

Music Industry news

Artist albums - click to download

The Alps - 'Something I Might Regret'
Miranda Barber - 'Lips' Decision'

Virtual Trading League winners

1	Mainstrum Synergie	£30
2	roller	£20
3	Eagle Eye Records	£15
4	Row 29 Records	£5
5	Smash and Grab	£5
6	jologs	£5
7	teejays	£5
8	sloppyjoe	£5
9	Luckytown Media	£5
10	hbroucek	£5

Compete in this week's Virtual Trading League and be in with a chance of winning one of next week's prizes.

Walk.DontWalk on Channel 4 Tonight!

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:41:13 G7T

Walk.DontWalk will be featured in tonight’s episode of ‘4Music: Road To V 2008’ on Channel 4 (UK) at 12.35am BST. The band are soon to find out whether they will playing an opening slot at this year’s V Festival, after wowing the crowd and judges back in May.

This week, the boys are busy mixing their Slicethepie funded debut album, after spending some time recording at Konk studios in London and then at ex-hippy commune The Lazy Moon studios in Banbury. They will then set to work on planning its launch and we hope to have a release date for you soon. The boys already have one comeback gig booked for 28th August, at the legendary Proud Galleries in Camden, with more sure to follow soon.

In the meantime, if you’ve not yet heard their music, check out their Slicethepie profile.

Newsletter 51 - 18th July 2008

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:59:07 G7T

Laura ~~Masen~~ Stevenson Completes Financing!

Masen</strike> Stevenson Completes Financing!" /> Laura Stevenson (find out why, after spending one week as ‘Laura Masen’, Laura has reverted back to good old ‘Stevenson’ here) today completed Financing, making her officially the 18th Artist to raise funding for her album through music fans and investors on Slicethepie!

Laura writes fragile, heart-on-her-sleeve songs, drawing inspiration from a range of influences including Tracy Chapman, Suzanne Vega, Radiohead and Gillian Welch. But beneath the gentle melodies lies a determined young woman, who isn’t afraid to speak her mind and stand up and be counted. She’s already turned heads on the Northern Irish music scene and is now making plans to take things to the next level with the recording and release of her album. She could well be set to join the leagues of the great female Artists that have emerged of late...

Discounted Contracts are now on sale to Backstage Pass holders and Contracts in her album will be available to everyone in 1 week’s time, when anyone will be able to secure their share of the album’s financial success if it sells enough copies.

Walk.Dontwalk On Channel 4 Next Week!

Slicethepie financed band Walk.DontWalk are still waiting to find out whether they will be taking to the stage at this year’s V Festival, after wowing the crowd at the final of the Road To V ’08 competition in Liverpool back in May. The performance won them a whole heap of new fans, evidence of which you can see in this post on NME.com. You can also catch the band on TV in next Wednesday’s episode of ‘4music: Road To V 2008’ on Channel 4.

In the meantime, the band have been working on their debut album and after spending some time in the legendary Konk studios, with Loz Brazil (Arctic Monkeys, Kooks, Editors, Estelle) on production duties, recording is now finished and mixing is underway. We hope to have a confirmed release date for you soon....

Buy Contracts in Walk.DontWalk.

Shortwave Fade single ‘Leave’ out 8th September!

Shortwave Fade will release the first single from their Slicethepie funded debut album ‘Leave’ on 8th September. The band have now finished recording their album (working title ‘Deletia’) and will be using 10x Better for its promotion. More details on the single and single launch party coming soon...

Buy Contracts in Shortwave Fade.

Budding Music Moguls Listen Up - Report From The Trading Exchange...

Scars on 45 Contracts hit an all time high this week, with a Buy For price of £3.48 at 9am on Wednesday. With their album release date expected to be confirmed soon and it’s actual release to follow, plus the inevitable surrounding live dates, now seems likely to be the best time to purchase Contracts before prices get any higher. You can either hold on to these Contracts and wait until they payout if Scars' album sells enough copies, or alternatively, a well-timed Contract sale could also potentially make you a tidy sum...

Elsewhere on the Trading Exchange, Jamie George Contract prices are also creeping up, with a Buy For price of £1.73. With lots of writing and studio experience from his previous musical incarnation in boyband 3rd Edge and some of his tunes already securing playlist spots on London’s biggest Urban Radio station KISS 100, he is definitely one to watch.

To stay fully up-to-date with all the latest happenings on the Trading Exchange and get a heads’up before everyone else, subscribe to our Market News RSS feeds. You can also find out more about each Artist Contract’s Trading history by clicking on their name in the Market Overview section.

Miranda Barber In The Papers...

Just a round up of some of the latest press links for Miranda Barber lovers...

Download ‘Lips’ Decision’ from iTunes. Buy Contracts in Miranda Barber’s album.

All Genres 7 Showcase Update

1.Sabrina Rabello
2.Sugar Shack
3.Plum Crazy
4.Ryan Inglis
5.Painting By Numbers

Brazilian Sabrina Rabello is still in the lead this week. Don’t forget to vote for the Artist you’d most like to go on to raise Finance for their album!

Other news

The Alps single ‘Not So Laughable Now’ out Monday – watch the video; UK Guitar Bands: join the Gibson UK Guitar Bands Arena; Laura Stevenson discounted Contracts now available to Backstage Pass holders; Get paid to do what you love – visit the Scoutroom and earn money listening to new music; Be our Facebook friend; Or our MySpace friend.

Music Industry news

Virtual Trading League winners

1	roller	£30
2	Eagle Eye Records	£20
3	In Progress	£15
4	Row 29 Records	£5
5	Tomster Tracks	£5
6	ILL-TENN	£5
7	None	£5
8	papa joes	£5
9	Herbalisation	£5
10	Etheral Chords	£5

Compete in this week's Virtual Trading League and be in with a chance of winning one of next week's prizes.

Newsletter 50 - 11th July 2008

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:54:05 G7T

Slicethepie Named as one of the ‘Top 10 Hottest Music Websites’ in the world By Wired.Com!

Influential US tech website Wired.com this week named Slicethepie as one of the top 10 ‘hottest’ music websites around. This is an amazing accolade from the top tech/entertainment website in the world.

Also featured in the top 10 were YouTube, Imeem, Muxtape and RCRD LBL - and MySpace, Pandora and Hype Machine also get a mention. We are very proud to be sitting amongst such fantastic and innovative sites.

Visit our Press section to read the full article.

Temposhark 'Hotly Tipped For 2008' By iTunes!

Temposhark have been included in the ‘iTunes Essential: Hotly Tipped For 2008’ playlist, selected by none other than the discerning ears of the iTunes staff!

The playlist aims to ‘flag up future winners’ and ‘point the way to excellence’ and also includes tracks by The Ting Tings, MGMT, Noah & The Whale and The Last Shadow Puppets. Click here to view the album tracklisting on the iTunes store.

Buy Contracts in Temposhark.

Have You Tried Trading Yet?

What with the recent announcement of Slicethepie Artist appearances at some of the UK’s biggest music festivals this summer, coupled with the impressive list of Slicethepie Artist achievements to date (growing ever stronger every day,) now is the perfect time to check out the Trading Exchange and secure your share in any of our Artists’ future financial success.

If you’ve never tried Trading, why not get a head start before everyone else wants a piece of these 17 fantastic Artists too. Check out our Tutorials for a step by step guide to creating a Trading Account, our FAQs to find out how Trading works or head straight to Market Overview to check out Contract prices and make a trade.

Help yourself to a piece of the music industry!

Laura ~~Stevenson~~ Masen Backstage Passes Still On Sale

Just to clear up any confusion Laura Masen = Laura Stevenson! To find out the reasons behind the name change, check out her Myspace Blog.

Backstage Passes in the Irish songstress are still on sale– pick up a few and secure your copy of the album, access to an exclusive Laura Masen forum and the right to buy Contracts at a discounted rate.

To find out more about Laura, visit her Slicethepie profile.

All Genres 7 Showcase Positions So Far

1.Sabrina Rabello
2.Sugar Shack
3.Plum Crazy
4.Painting By Numbers
5.Ryan Inglis

Voting continues this week. Who will be the next Artist to go on to make their album? It’s up to you. Vote here.

Other news

Download Miranda Barber’s ‘Lips’ Decision’ from iTunes; You be the A&R - get paid to review new music in the All Genres 8 Scout Room; Stay up to date with Lights Action’s album making progress on their new website; Lights Action play T in The Park this weekend; Check out Armstrong’s latest video blog;Join the Gibson UK Guitar Bands Arena; Be our MySpace friend; or Facebook friend.

Music Industry news

Virtual Trading League winners

1	In Progress	£30
2	Row 29 Records	£20
3	Lucky Town Media	£15
4	Concourse	£5
5	teejays	£5
6	Pfrog	£5
7	antuk81	£5
8	Toby Domoney	£5
9	Aaron H Records	£5
10	Tomster Tracks	£5

Compete in this week's Virtual Trading League and be in with a chance of winning one of next week's prizes.

Slicethepie Artists: Coming To A Festival Near You This Summer

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:15:25 G7T

Following on from the impressive list of Slicethepie Artists’ successes to date (published to celebrate our 1st anniversary a few weeks ago) comes the news of a number of festival appearances they are in line to play this summer.

Here’s how things are shaping up so far...

Isle of Wight - Scars on 45 – Been and gone!

Zoo Thousand – Lights.Action! – Been and gone!

T in The Park – Lights.Action! (confirmed) – 11th – 13th July

Secret Garden Party Festival – The Alps (confirmed) – 24th – 27th July

Y Not Festival – The 51/50’s (confirmed) – 1st – 3rd August

Summar Sundae Festival – Shortwave Fade (tbc) - 8th-10th August

V Festival – Walk.DontWalk (tbc) – 16th -17th August

Leeds Festival – Armstrong (tbc) – August Bank Holiday weekend

Scars On 45 and Lights.Action! have already played Isle Of Wight and Zoo Thousand and Eight festivals respectively and next Lights.Action! (who are fast developing a great word-of-mouth reputation for their live shows) will hit T in The Park in Scotland, this weekend - sharing the line up with The Verve, The Kooks, Amy Winehouse and Kings Of Leon. The Alps are then set t to play Secret Garden Party Festival, a festival which celebrates all things creative and advises you to ”look out for Grannies on the loose, digital fun fairs, sock wrestling, burlesque beauties, and suicidal sports.” And at the beginning of August, The 51/50s will take to the stage at Y Not Festival, second only on the bill the chart topping Mystery Jets.

Shortwave Fade and Walk.DontWalk are eagerly awaiting confirmations for places at the Summer Sundae Weekender and V Festival, after making it to the final in competitions to win slots at the festivals. Additionally, Armstrong are also currently taking part in the early stages of a competition to play at this year’s Leeds Festival.

So, if you’re heading to one of the above festivals this year, don’t forget to look out for your favourite Slicethepie Artists!

Newsletter 49 - 4th July 2008

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:59:24 G7T

Miranda Barber Debut Album Now Available On iTunes!

Miranda Barber’s debut album ‘Lips’ Decision’ is now available to download from iTunes!

“Barber is a refreshing new talent and she has proven the public made the right choice with this impressive debut.” - Entertainment Focus UK

“A truly impressive debut album.” - Seatwave

“The whole thing is full of catchy tunes and quirky inflections.” - Vanguard Online

Miranda also has a number of upcoming gig dates in and around London – click here to find out more. We caught up with Miranda prior to her album launch for an interview - you can check it out here.

Buy Contracts in Miranda Barber.

Slicethepie Artists Appearing At A Festival Near You This Summer!

Over the past few weeks, we’ve had a steady flow of news pouring in from our Artists regarding performances at some of the UK’s biggest and best festivals this summer.

It started with Scars on 45 playing at the Isle of Wight Festival earlier this month and then The Alps were confirmed to play at the Secret Garden Party. Next it was The 51/50’s announcing their appearance alongside Mystery Jets at the Y Not Festival. Then Walk.Don’tWalk bagged themselves a position (as well as a glowing write-up on NME.com) in the final of this year’s Road To V competition to win a slot at V Festival. Next The Critical stepped forward, with their place in the final 5 in line to play at the hugely popular Benicassim festival in Spain. (news just in: unfortunately they haven’t won this time, but they have secured themselves some backstage tickets to the festival!)

And, as if that weren’t enough, Shortwave Fade have now announced that they are in line to play at the Summer Sundae Weekender in August, (vote for them here) and Lights.Action! have just announced that they will be joining The Verve, Stereophonics, Rage Against The Machine and Kings Of Leon on the line-up at this year’s T in The Park festival in Scotland. So, if you’re heading out to a UK festival this summer, don’t forget to look out for your favourite Slicethepie Artists!

This is how summer’s shaping up festival-wise so far...

Isle of Wight - Scars on 45 – Been and gone!

T in The Park – Lights.Action! (confirmed) – 11th – 13th July

Secret Garden Party Festival – The Alps (confirmed) – 24th – 27th July

Y Not Festival – The 51/50’s (confirmed) – 1st – 3rd August

Summar Sundae Festival – Shortwave Fade (tbc) - 8th-10th August

V Festival – Walk.DontWalk (tbc) – 16th -17th August

Lots To Keep You Busy This Weekend On Slicethepie - New Showcase open now and new Scout Room on it's way !

It's all change this week on Slicethepie, as the All Genres 7 Scout Room drew to a close, the new Showcase got underway and the All Genres 8 Scout Room is due to open soon.

Here are the top rated tracks from the All Genres 7 Scout Room.

1.Krystal Rogers – Can’t Be With You

2.Ortega – Girls Got Game

3.Tim Corley – Turnaround

4.Chantel Upshaw – Ain’t No Good!

5.Mark Hildreth – It’s My Life

6.Adele – Wilted Rose

7.Kitsch – Beautiful

8.Mark Hildreth – Magic Spell

9.Ryan Inglis – If I Fall

9.Krystal Rogers – Truth

The All Genres 7 Showcase is now open and there are several first time Artists, as well as some familiar faces, awaiting your vote. The Artist/s deemed the most worthy by you will go on to secure £15,000 to record & market their album, before joining the Slicethepie Trading Exchange, where you can secure your share in their album’s potential financial success.

Don't forget to vote!

Backstage Passes In Laura Stevenson Still On Sale – Be A Part Of Her Success!

Laura Stevenson, the latest Artist to win a Showcase on Slicethepie, continues raising Finance for her album this week.

Backstage Passes are currently on sale for £5 each and, as usual, will secure you the right to buy discounted Laura Stevenson Contracts and secure your potential share in her album’s success, as well as access to an exclusive backstage forum on Slicethepie. Most importantly, Backstage Passes will also entitle you to a free copy of the album upon completion!

Buy Backstage Passes here and check out Laura's MySpace here.

Be Our Myspace Or Facebook Friend

If you’ve not yet checked out our snazzy new MySpace, now’s as good a time as any to head over, have a browse and make friends with us too. Click here to visit our MySpace page. Or if you’re more of a Facebook-er, you can become a Facebook Fan here.

Check in with these pages on a daily basis to keep up to date with all the latest Slicethepie News and Market News, which will help you to stay ahead of the game on the Trading Exchange. You can also find links to all of our Financed Artists, as well as meet other Slicethepie Scouts and Investors.

Additionally for Facebook Fans – you can add our Scouting app to compare Scouting skills with your friends and our Watchlist app to display your musical discoveries and thus put an end to arguing over who discovered which bands first!

Other news

Vote for Temposhark’s video for ‘Blame’ in the SXSW Click Festival; Download Miranda Barber’s album from iTunes; Stay up to date with Lights.Action! album news on their new website; Join the Gibson UK Guitar BandsArena; Read an interview with Tommy Ludgate.

Music Industry news

Virtual Trading League winners

1	teejays	£30
2	antuk81	£20
3	Row 29 Records	£15
4	nominomster	£5
5	Is that a record?	£5
6	RDost	£5
7	LyleCrystal	£5
8	lemonylime	£5
9	allstar.productions	£5
10	Bellissimo	£5

Compete in this week's Virtual Trading League and be in with a chance of winning one of next week's prizes.