Warner Bros. Records has announced that industry veteran Todd Moscowitz, along with Asylum Records, have joined the Warner Bros. label. In his new role, Moscowitz will serve as Executive Vice President, reporting directly to Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Tom Whalley.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to work even more closely with Tom and his team and to provide Asylum artists the unparalleled resources of Warner Bros. Records,” says Moscowitz. “It’s an honor to be a part of a label so deeply-rooted in the history and culture of our business.”

“Todd’s success in urban music and his commitment to artist development make him the perfect partner for Warner Bros. Records,” says Whalley. “As the music business continues to evolve, executives such as Todd, who appreciate the importance of great artists and understand the complexities of the business, will shape the future of our industry. I am thrilled that Todd will be leading the way with me at Warner Bros. Records.”

Although Moscowitz has joined the Warner Bros. team, he will still continue to operate as the CEO of Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group (ILG), which includes the label East West Records. In this position, Moscowitz will report to WEA Corp.’s president and CEO John Esposito.

Part of Moscowitz’s new role is to oversee the expansion of the label’s urban roster. Under the new arrangement, Asylum Records plans to take advantage of Warner Bros. Records’ marketing and promotions staff to help its up-and-coming artists, while Asylum will serve as an A&R and artist development resource for Warner Bros. Records, as the latter label tries to expand its presence in urban music. 

In 2004, Moscowitz was named president of Asylum Records, a label designed to provide full promotion, marketing and sales support to independent labels and artists in the urban genre. Some of the artists on the Asylum roster include Scarface, Bun B., Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Cam’ron, Ginuwine, Slim (of 112), and many others.

     

Irish soul singer and Atlantic Records recording artist Laura Izibor has announced concert dates for a North American tour, where she will accompany fellow songbird India.Arie. The tour starts out in San Francisco on April 1st.

Izibor’s debut album, Let The Truth Be Told, will be available at physical and digital retailers on June 16th. The first single off the album, “From My Heart To Yours,” which is currently ascending the airplay charts at multi-format radio outlets nationwide, including Urban Mainstream and Urban AC, helped introduce Izibor into the mainstream after the song was featured last year on an episode of ABC’s primetime television series Grey’s Anatomy.

In addition, the Dublin, Ireland singer has also benefited from having her music featured in other film and television projects, such as The Nanny Diaries, Step Up 2: The Streets, Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married, Seven Pounds, and MTV’s The Hills.

Izibor can look to past experience as a guide for her upcoming North American tour, as she recently completed a major European tour supporting John Legend.

Below is a listing of the North American tour dates:

April

    

01                    San Francisco, CA                  Zellerbach

03                    Portland, OR                           Crystal Ballroom

04                    Seattle, WA                              Paramount Theatre

05                    Vancouver, BC                        Commodore Ballroom

15                    Los Angeles, CA                      Club Nokia

17                    Indio, CA                                    Fantasy Springs Casino

18                    San Diego, CA                          House of Blues

19                    Anaheim, CA                            The Grove Anaheim

30                    Foxboro, MA                            Showcase Live 

May

01                    New York, NY                          Grand Ballroom @ Manhattan Center

03                    Baltimore, MD                        Ramshead Live

04                    Alexandria, VA                        Birchmere

06                    Charlotte, NC                          Amos Southend

08                    Portsmouth, VA                     Willet Hall

09                    Glenside, PA                            Keswick Theatre

10                    Durham, NC                             Durham Performing Arts Center

12                    Milwaukee, WI                        Riverside Theatre

13                    St. Paul, MN                             O’Shaughnessy Auditorium

15                    Toronto, ONT                          Queen Elizabeth Theatre

16                    Cleveland, OH                         House of Blues

17                    Chicago, IL                                House of Blues

21                    Dallas, TX                                  McFarlin Auditorium

22                    Houston, TX                            Arena Theatre

24                    Memphis, TN                          Orpheum Theatre

 

 

 

   

Multi-platinum and three-time Grammy Award-winning group The Black Eyed Peas have moved up the digital release of the group’s first single “Boom Boom Pow,” off their fifth studio album, The E.N.D., to Monday, March 30th, the date the single becomes available to all digital retail accounts.

The single impacted CHR/Top 40 Radio two weeks ago, and is currently #17 at the format. The record is the group’s eleventh CHR/Top 40 hit, tying them with the Backstreet Boys for most chart hits in the aforementioned format by a group this decade.

An accompanying video for the new single “Boom Boom Pow,” directed by production company Motion Theory (producers of Weezer’s Grammy Award-winning video “Pork and Beans”), will be released in early April.

The song was produced by will.i.am, and written by The Black Eyed Peas (will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, and Fergie). As previously reported, The E.N.D. comes out June 9th, 2009.

In addition, The Black Eyed Peas will perform tomorrow night (Friday, March 27th) at the Ultra Music Festival, which is part of the Winter Music Conference.

Mypace Music, the music component of social-networking conglomerate Myspace, has announced the addition of three senior executives to their staff: Jamie Kantrowitz, Alex Maghen, and Nancy Taylor. The new appointees will focus in areas such as global expansion, online and offline marketing, content, technology and business and legal affairs.      

“We are so excited to welcome these incredibly talented individuals to our growing MySpace Music team,” said Courtney Holt, President of MySpace Music. “The passion and knowledge that each of them brings to the table will help to truly solidify the company’s position as a global industry leader in the digital music space as well as the platform of choice for music fans and artists.”

In her new role, Jamie Kantrowitz operates as the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Global Marketing for MySpace Music. Her duties are to oversee the strategy expanding MySpace Music’s rich media platform of content partnerships and original programming, artist strategy and label relations, and consumer and product marketing initiatives. Kantrowitz is also responsible for leading the growth of the music platform across the company’s international territories. She will be based in New York, where MySpace Music will have an office. Prior to her current position, Jamie served as MySpace’s Senior Vice President, International Marketing and Content based in London, where she oversaw MySpace’s expansion into 30 international territories.

Alex Maghen will serve as Chief Technology Officer for MySpace Music, leading all technological and platform initiatives for the company. Maghen has more than fifteen years experience overseeing and developing interactive media technologies, including six years as CTO of Yahoo! Music/Launch Media and MTV Networks Online.

Nancy Taylor joins MySpace Music as Lead Counsel, Vice President Business and Legal Affairs. In her new role, Taylor will oversee the company’s business and legal affairs in the US and internationally with respect to MySpace Music. Prior to joining Myspace Music, Taylor held various creative and senior management positions with other major music companies, most recently as the Senior Vice President, Office of the Chairman and CEO of Warner/Chappell Music Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured above: Jamie Kantrowitz 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured above: Alex Maghen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured above: Nancy Taylor

The musical hotbed of Atlanta is once again introducing another one of its own to the industry, as R&B singer/songwriter Myko (pronounced Mee-ko) has secured a deal with SRC/Universal Records through New York Jets running back Thomas Jones’ imprint label, Outta Pocket Entertainment.

SRC founder Steve Rifkind signed the newcomer on the strength of his two singles “Late Nite Creep” (produced by the late Static Major) and “Spend Dis Bread” (featuring Rick Ross). “Give It 2 U” is the lead single from Myko’s forthcoming SRC/Universal debut album, and is currently impacting major radio stations.

As the flagship artist on Outta Pocket Entertainment, Myko is benefiting from his relationship with the football star, garnering numerous opportunities for promotion. Most recently, Myko performed at Jones’ Pro Bowl party in Hawaii, and is slated to perform at the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Miami on Sunday, March 29.

In addition to his upcoming album with SRC/Universal, Myko is also working on an independent project titled Options.

    

Jive Records has announced the signing of singer/songwriter Kevin Cossom, through an arrangement with multi-platinum producer Nate “Danja” Hills’ new label, New Age Rock Stars (N.A.R.S.).

Peter Thea, Executive Vice President, Jive Label Group states, “We’re thrilled to take our working relationship with Danja to the next level by working with Kevin. Danja is one of the most trendsetting producers in music, and Kevin is a remarkable talent.”

Expressing his sentiments about adding Kevin Cossom to the label, Mark Pitts, President, Urban Music, Jive Label Group says, “Kevin is an extremely talented singer and songwriter; he’s the total package. He’s a welcomed addition to the roster, and we know with Danja and the Jive Records team behind him he will definitely make his mark.”

Nate “Danja” Hills, the Grammy award-winning producer who has worked with Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Mariah Carey, shared his thoughts about his new deal, stating: “It goes without saying that Jive is a key factor in my success, so it only felt right to bring N.A.R.S. and Kevin Cossom to the label. I’m very excited that “KC” has the opportunity to be among some of the industry’s elite artists and that Jive recognized his potential to shine as bright as the rest. I’m excited for what the future holds in this growing relationship between KC, Jive and myself.”

Kevin Cossom is a singer/songwriter from Orlando, Fl., who has worked with R. Kelly and Young Jeezy (“Go Getta), as well as with other artists, including Lloyd Banks, Beanie Sigel, Rick Ross, Chamillionaire, Trey Songz and Rocko.

Earlier this year, Kevin Cossom released an EP entitled “PreAlbum,” which included the sultry single “Late Night.” Cossom is currently preparing the release of his debut album on Jive Records.

Interviewed by Peggy Menard
Written by Doug Wade

       

“Accelerate Your Life” is the slogan advertised by the United States Navy to win over new recruits, offering them hope and opportunity for a better future. For some, the phrase is an axiom that many officers and sailors can attest to. But for R&B singer LeMarvin Harris, his former stint in the maritime branch of the military was less rewarding than what he originally intended.

Prior to his time in the Navy, LeMarvin had always been interested in music, with hopes of one day landing a record deal. But like some parents whose children have musical aspirations, his mother thought that he should find a more stable line of work in case his music career didn’t pan out. After spending two and a half years as an E3 level Seaman, in which LeMarvin spent many nights drinking and quarreling with Petty Officers (despite LeMarvin’s feuds with his commanders, the term refers to their rank, not their behavior), life at sea began to take its toll on the Inglewood, Ca. native, influencing his decision to go AWOL (he was discharged from the military for his actions, but not before serving two months in military jail and time at a halfway house).

During the stretch of abandoning his military duties, LeMarvin revisited the place where he knew he would find the most comfort: the studio. He used the songs he recorded at those sessions to shop himself as an artist, eventually leading to deals with Tracey Edmonds’ Edmonds Record Group, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis’ Flyte Tyme Records. Although nothing ever materialized from those deals, it didn’t hinder LeMarvin from pursuing his dream of becoming a professional singer. Instead of letting the setback deter him, he brushed himself off, recorded new material, and proceeded to solicit labels with his music again, resulting in him signing with Universal Motown.

Unfortunately, LeMarvin’s time at the label was just like the previous others—a big letdown. “Oh I gave up, but kept finding myself in the studio,” says the singer. “I went through depression and all; I don’t know what kept me at it.” Luckily, LeMarvin got another chance when Eric Nicks, the former Senior VP of A&R that originally signed him to Universal Motown, acquired a distribution deal with Universal Republic to form his own imprint, Brookland Entertainment, which LeMarvin is currently signed to.

Gearing up for the release of his debut album, Confusion, scheduled to drop sometime in the spring, the West Coast representative decided to tap into his past to build upon his future. “It’s a mix of a lot of experiences: relationships, growing up in Inglewood. Basically trials and tribulations within my crazy life,” says LeMarvin. The lead single off the album, “Too Many Patrons,” is a testimonial song about the results of overindulging in Tequila, while “Around My Way,” which features The Game and Dr. Dre’s classic “California Love” sample, capture the everyday occurrences of life in the ‘hood for LeMarvin.

Indirectly, maybe the Navy lived up to its mantra and actually “accelerated” LeMarvin’s life, forcing him to choose the career path that he was supposed to pursue: music. With a sultry voice, a story to tell, a never give up attitude, and an executive behind him that continues to support his talent, LeMarvin is beginning to look more like the captain of his own ship, as opposed to being just another sailor.