It's a big week for the DMG! Brownout's new album OOZY comes out today on the Nat Geo Music label. Feel free to download the title track HERE. About.com has praised the effort as "one of the funkiest of 2012."

Out on the west coast, Rupa & the April Fishes are in the middle of the BAY RISING TOUR which has the band peddling their bicycles over 200 miles around the perimeter of the San Francisco Bay, presenting close to a dozen concerts with a bicycle powered sound system that converts the leg power of volunteer pedalers from the audience into electricity. Highlights of the tour include a stop at the San Quentin Penitentiary to entertain inmates and the homecoming celebration at The Independent on Saturday, April 28th. Read more about the tour with full list of dates, press coverage and more HERE. The band's newest full length album is being mastered this week with a release date later this year...stay tuned!

February 21, 2012

This weekend's Grupo Fantasma live album & DVD taping was a gigantic success, we couldn't have asked for a better team effort and we are buzzing with excitement. In no particular order, the DMG extends our gratitude to: Damon Lange and Nomad Sound, Bart Butler and the incredible production staff, security and bartenders at the Beauty Ballroom, Rupert Neve Audio in Wimberley for the mics, GF's longtime sound gurus Brendan Burke & Griper Nugent, illustrious guitar tech Salvador Hurtado, extra horn players and comrades Gengee Centeno and Leo Gauna, Glen Kaplan Lighting, Joe Hernandez & Co at MidNightGravity (Lasers & Visuals), Aaron Brown and the fine fellas of Onion Creek Productions, DJ Chorizo Funk, Mark Weber's 5:15 Music Services, Gibson Guitars, make-up artist Marge Gomez who made the guys look pretty, the Austin Chronicle for the weekend pick, Michael & Lia Crockett and KUT for the on-air support, Ian Morales / Austin Vida and especially the band's families and fans for their lifetime of support.

Love to all...and apologies if we forgot to mention anyone.

Pics of the weekend are up on the band's facebook.

Live review in the Examiner by Greg Ackerman

January 4, 2012

A happy new year to you all! There's a whole lot brewing with the DMG for 2012 including album releases and tours by most of our artists, so for now we'll keep it short and sweet. A warm welcome to our new full time associate Ms. Mari Akita and new signing The Giving Tree Band.

October 18, 2011

Sorry for lack of updates, it's been a very busy start to fall. Just got back from an epic journey to Greece and India...here are some of the highlights:

Oct 4th to 7th - Rhodes, Greece for the World Public Forum "Dialogue of Civilizations" Conference. Serious academics from all over the world with specialties ranging from art, theology, cultural studies, economics, history and much more. I especially enjoyed the roundtable discussion on improving early music education and awareness in impoverished or underserved communities worldwide. You obviously can't change the universe in two hours, but at least you can to begin to assess the issues. I was also good boy and went to synagogue for Yom Kippur at Kahal Shalom and fasted for 24 hours, which I broke in Athens with a massive meal of feta, tzatziki, olives, roasted aubergine (eggplant) and fresh pita.

Oct 8th & 9th - Athens, Greece. It was great to meet the REAL movers and shakers in Greece, the Exarchians and the proprietors of the art/music/community space Nosotros; organizing protests and rallies against years of governmental abuse and mistreatment of the masses, banking systems, schools, hospitals and beyond. And of course, I checked out the Acropolis.

Oct 10th to 12th - Mumbai, India made my orginal hometown of New York look like a small city and my current hometown of Austin look like a tiny rural village. I ventured out on as many long walks as I could to take in the sights, tastes, smells (good & bad) of this massive and multi-cultural mecca. My favorite part by far was spending time at the one of a kind blueFrog - India's premiere live music club and fully integrated music consultancy service, PR agency, label and much more. Not only was I blown away with the club itself as far as the design, construction, sound system, sight lines, food & drink, etc but I very much enjoyed the company and like-mindedness of it's vibrant staff. I hope to see them all very soon! To all my manager / booking agent / industry friends - if the blueFrog asks your band to play, stop asking questions and make it happen!

Oct 13th to 16th - the Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF) in Jodhpur bridged ancient musical traditions with contemporary sounds, not to mention it was held in the 15th century Mehrangarh Fort that overlooks the "Blue City". I've seen the Alhambra and other magical places over the years, but my personal tastes give the fort the highest of praise. We were put up at the Bal Samand Lake Palace Hotel - acres of gardens and lots of nooks and crannies to explore. Several days of wonderful music was capped off by a jaw-dropping and inspired performance by Rupa & the April Fishes under a full moon and packed dancefloor. Since it was my last real day in India besides travel, I braved the night and early morning and made it to Dawn Devotions at 5:30am. There I sat and saw the sun come up over an ancient city, as it has done for a millenium. A special thanks to RIFF Artistic Director Divya Bhatia and the staff of the Jaipur Virasat Foundation, who took the chance on some crazy Americans.

Oct 17th & 18th - 47 hours of travel back to Austin. Ouch.

I'll be posting pics and such on my personal facebook soon.

Read previous DMG news posts here.