Advertisement Artists & Music Billboard. FILTER Cat_enl nec 14) (Continued from page THE NEW MUSIC SHOWCASE poster, an album poster, postcards, www.billboardtalentnet.com boxes containing the video and ad- The first professionally oriented virtual marketplace to promote unsigned and Continental Drift. vance albums, beverage coasters, and developing artists to the music industry and audiences worldwide. electronic press kits will be provided to key retail accounts and clubs. This month Inside The Music: Reprise plans to take part in listen- V2 Recording Artist MOBY ing stations, tour programs, and hol- UNSIGNED ARTISTS AND REGIONAL NEWS MOBY, a versatile musician who has gained recognition in the 1990's for his contri- 13 Y L_ A f2 12 Y I L I C 4G iday promotions from September butions to dance Et techno music, will answer your questions as the July featured through December. guest in our Inside The Music section. Located at www.billboardtalentnet.com, "Initially, Filter sold slow for us, but Inside The Music is a free monthly QEtA session that invites BTN users to pose WHAT A DRAG: Thanks to the off -Broadway phenomenon "Hedwig after the song got play, things picked questions to top music pros and personalities - providing free advice and guidance & The Angry Inch," Burlington, Vt.-rooted artist Yolanda is now start- up," says Moby Disc VP Bob Say. "But to help further one's career from the people that influence and inspire it. ing to connect with mainstream audiences. it has been a long time, so they will Previously a curiosity to fans of RuPaul's brand of warm and fuzzy have to re- establish themselves. The Favorite Artist Picks July 2, 1999 drag, the singer/songwriter born Roger Mapes is drawing crowds to most important thing it seems is to club gigs that are heavy on quirky come- get airplay. If the single gets play, the The Most Popular New Talent On BTN dy, politically charged diatribes, and deli- people will come to buy." # Artist Genre Weeks On ciously garish costuming -not unlike the Before heading out on the Family 1 Atello Hard Rock, Rock 1

famed Hedwig character created by John Values tour Sept. 25, Filter will play 2 Bumpy Knuckles Hip -Hop 1

Cameron Mitchell. "Except I was out four secret shows open to the public 3 Lisa Christine Pop, R'n B 1

here working it long before that show, in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, 4 Gina Giacinto Country, Pop 1 honey," says Yolanda with a laugh. and Los Angeles. The Chicago show 5 Naked Blue Pop, Rock 4 Backed by a collective of local musi- will probably be Webcast. From June 6 Eliot Popkin Pop, Folk 2 cians dubbed the Plastic Family, the until September, the band will also do 7 Cindy Alexander Pop, Rock 6 artist has just issued a stellar self-made press and TV/radio visits in Canada, 8 The Black Brothers Pop, Rock 3 9 Honey And The Bees Pop 8 disc, "Welcome To Yolanda World." It Australia, and Europe. A Japan, 10 Pat McGee Band Rock, Acoustic 15 offers a stylistic blend jazz- YOLANDA is of spiced soul European tour scheduled for the Weekly results are based on votes cast by BTN's registered online audience for any artist featured on the site. Votes are and acoustic -pop songs that explore "the 3am Management- managed, Pinna- limited to one vote per artist per user. Top 10 position is determined by the average of all votes received. trials and tribulations of being queer in the 21st century," the artist says. cle Entertainment- booked act from Although such a description hints at narrow audience potential, exam- Sept. 6 -18. Kaclio b Favorite Song Requests July 2, 1999 ination of tunes like the delicate, heartbreaking `Angels" and the poet- Tour dates as well as Webcasts, The Most Listened -to New Tracks On BTN ic, Paul Simon -esque "Home" proves that Yolanda is an artist with con- chats, E -mail solicitations, album siderably broad appeal. samples, contests, message boards, # Composition, Artist Genre Weeks On For more information, contact Yolanda at 802 -863 -2437. photos, and biographies can be found 1 Rise And Fall, The Black Brothers Pop, Rock 2 on wwwofficialfilter.com. 2 All I'm Thinkin Of, Gaby Pop, R 'n B 3 NATIVES OF HIP-HOP: Native Trinity is striving to take its place As if that weren't enough, four 3 Better Than I Am, Cindy Alexander Pop, Rock 9 next to fellow New Jersey rappers Queen Latifah and Naughty By independent marketing companies 4 Ordinary Girl, Naked Blue Pop, Rock 4 5 Big Payoff, Atello Hard Rock, Rock 1 Nature on the genre's platinum shelf. (Concrete Marketing, Noise Pollu- 6 Papasan Chair, Soup Rock, Acoustic 5 (aka R -Sun), Native Bandbitch, Composed of Abry Braby Face) and R.J. (aka tion, and Ground Control) 7 Can't Miss What You Never Had, Pat McGee Band Rock, Acoustic 13 Trinity kicks a potent blend of tight, notably literate rhymes with have been hired for street snipes, to 8 If You Want Me To, Gaby Pop, R'nB 2 rugged, radio -ready grooves. work the metal and rock hangouts, 9 Take Me Away, Brilliant Trees Pop 11 Braby Face serves as the act's and to distribute promotional mate- 10 Typical Man, Lava Pop, Alternative 11 producen rials at the X Games in San Francis- Weekly Radio BTN rankings are based on audio access requested by the sites registered and unregistered online audience for featured on the site. On a demo that's become a hot co, Ozzfest, and retail accounts. And any composition item among hip- hop -savvy A &R there is a "See Filter In Germany" New Talent Spotligh execs recently, Native Trinity sweepstakes with Beck's beer and shines particularly bright on the ads in magazines like Rolling Stone, The Most Outstanding And Available Acts On BTN jams "50 Wayz" and "Alphabet Details, Spin, and Playboy, with re- City" -both of which reveal a tal- movable Filter stickers. J-ZONE ent for carefully skirting the line Kostich explains the feeding fren- An aspiring hip -hop producer from Westchester County, NY, dividing the pop masses and zy: "To say the least, we have been as a child 1 -Zone was fascinated NATIVE TRINITY street purists. waiting for this project for a long by his parents funk and jazz "We've been rockin' for over 10 time. Richard knows what he wants, record collections. However, it years," says R-Sun. "This hip -hop thing is not for everybody Only and he isn't afraid to go out and earn wasn't until 1988 that he ... became addicted to the sounds the strong and talented will survive." it. And from all our early research of Bomb Squad, Marley Marl and Perhaps. All we know is that Native Trinity is sliding into prominence and response, we have every reason 45 King, who incorporated his at a time when the genre could benefit from a sturdy creative bridge to believe it is going to be huge." favorite childhood records into between Will Smith and DMX. Don't miss the chance to catch the lads Patrick takes a bit more modest beats, via sampling. He got his ' first sampler at the age of 15, k as they continue plying their wares along the East Coast club scene- approach when trying to predict the and two years later learned the to wildly enthusiastic audience response, by the way. future. "The future is a mystery, but craft of engineering. Studying For more information, call Meridian Entertainment at 201 -521 -9742. I'll tell you one thing. When I was 14, studio production in college, he I used to sit in the basement and lis- produced and mixed his album and senior project as well as GOIN' TO THE MOVIES: Nearly every artist we encounter is gunning ten to music nonstop," he says. "I was doing the scratches and 700/o of to get a tune attached to a film soundtrack-for obvious commercial rea- an addict and decided then and there the MCing. Featuring five MC's tr a war sons. With the album supporting "Films That Suck," a plethora of that I wanted to do that for a living. that he's been working with, ' unsigned bands gets the chance to enjoy widespread exposure. Now that I am allowed to, I intend to it features unorthodox sample choices, as J -Zone strives to The set was assembled by veteran artist manager Andy Morris with do it for as long as possible and hope experiment and make records filmmakers Ann Gillis and Marvin Baker, and it showcases the gui- my music makes people happy." that entertain and live his tar- slinging skills of the Distractions, whose jangly, blues -spiked "Get definition of good music. Back To California" is deep in the pocket of current modern rock radio Assistance in preparing this story Genre: From: d,,.,. sought: trends. After one listen, we guarantee that you won't be able to shake was provided by Clay Marshall in Hip -Hop New York Recording, Publishing the song's chorus. Los Angeles. Also quite appealing is "Seen The Future," a cynical, '80s -vibed rave - For further artist details log on to www.billboardtalentnet.com /jzone up by the Shapeshifters. We're loving the track's surf-rock guitar licks and swirling organ lines. This definitely leaves you intrigued and hun- For details about these and other up and coming artists visit our website at gry for another taste of the band. FOR THE RECORD www.billboardtalentnet.com Other unsigned bands featured on "Films That Suck," a "mocumen- Phone: (212) 757 -2031, Fax: (212) 757 -2041, info @billboardtalentnet.com tary" on the indie movie scene, are the Dharma Sons, Will Jones & The headline for a feature on The Billboard name is a trademark of BPI Communications, Inc. and is used under license by Talent Net Inc. Participation in Western Fringe, B.E. Taylor, the Steve Shuffert Band, Pocket Doyle Bramhall's album "Jelly - Billboard Talent Net does not specify or imply an endorsement from Billboard. Change, R.B. Morris, and Wolf Hoffman. cream" in the July 15 issue Sponsored by ,:: For additional details on any of the bands on the soundtrack, contact misidentified his label affiliation. AS CAP AGP at 615 -726 -3202. He is signed to RCA Records. wa,PI MUSIC tcu+s Advertisement

BILLBOARD JULY 24, 1999 17 www.americanradiohistory.com