Richie Frieman

PEV is going international once again – in a big way. We welcome one of the biggest pop stars in Russia, George Hodos – the newest import to the states with credentials that go on for miles. Between a Russian chart-topping smash (“Where Do I Go”), regular appearances on Russian radio, VH1, and Musicbox as well as on several magazine covers, Hodos was even named one of the “Top 50 Men of Russia”! Huge!

Give this a go – swing by Scott McKeon’s MySpace page – sample a few tunes. Hear the intricacy of the guitar; the fullness of both the lyrics and the voice behind them. Now give me a range – how many years has Scott McKeon spent on road? How long has he been honing his craft, dedicating hour upon hour to his guitar slaying – sitting up at all hours of the night pulling together “the” song?

It’s not every day that I get to write about an artist I feel like I actually know personally – so I take some real pleasure in introducing you to Mr. Chris Steele. We’ve hung out with Chris a few times, first when he played with Trevor Hall at Ram’s Head Live in Baltimore, followed by a video shoot with the group at Sound Garden in Fell’s Point, as well as more musical reviews at Sonar and 8x10.

Certainly a first for PEV, Chatmonchy boasts an all-girl rock outfit, fresh from the mainstream of Japan (and for those of you as ignorant as me – Chatmonchy actually doesn’t mean a damn thing). Mainstream isn’t exactly the best word to describe the success of Eriko, Akiko and Kumiko – just read this insane timeline. They hit the scene in 2004, and by 2005 Sony Music Japan had gotten a hold of them, releasing their debut EP, “Chatmonchy has Come” through Sony's Ki/oon Records.

Cruising the aisles of the Pool Tradeshow during MAGIC, it was hard to keep track of where I was. Some booths made me feel an east coast, some a west coast feeling, others showed a more European flare. With anyone who is anyone in the fashion world gathered in one space to show their lines, you are so concerned about making sure you see everyone that rarely do you circle around to the same booth more than once.

Just a note to anyone out there starting out in a new band … if you find yourself playing with a band like PEV alum The Clarks for your first show – you’re on the VERY right track. I’d venture further to say your band is probably pretty badass, but I don’t wanna get carried away (and if you’re not familiar with The Clarks – quickly jump to our archive and control+f those guys).

Walking through the Street section of The MAGIC Marketplace you heard all kinds of awesome sounds blasting through stereos from various designers. However, in the midst of the rap, hip/hop, electronic and club music filling the convention center, Skullcandy, the headphones, earphones and accessories company that has become a global sensation, attracted every music lover to their booth.

Leigh Marble came into the music business with similar aspirations as many of his fellow artists – to “make the whole world roller skate.” Well… while the story may be different, the message is the same. Marble recognizes the power of a well-crafted tune – whether it changes your state of mind or just makes you cruise around the rink.

Regardless what you do for a living, when you wake up in the morning, you have a routine. Some may be more streamlined than others – say a rock star verse a doctor – but a routine is still in place. Whether you are a musician, lawyer, doctor, teacher, businessman/woman, you name it, we all have our own morning rituals that we have for one way or another incorporated into our daily activities.

There has been a long-standing battle in the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fashion between two industry heavyweights; TapouT and Affliction. Forgive me for putting both names in the same sentence since the bitter rival between the two brands have caused enough heated discussion alone to garner its own pay-per-view event between friends and athletes choosing sides, but at this year’s MAGIC Marketplace Conference all was settled.