Skizzy Mars

Buzz Track: Sirens / Douchebag
Link: www.facebook.com/skizzymars
Contact: frameworkny@gmail.com

Walk Off The Earth

I’m sure everyone has heard their cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know”, which has been blowing up on YouTube. There’s a lot of talk about a few majors trying to sign the band and use the cover to compete with the original at Radio in the U.S. (bad idea, btw).

Link: www.facebook.com/walkofftheearth
Contact: matt@unionlabelgroup.com

Sleeping At Last

Sleeping At Last is unsigned and the project of singer/songwriter Ryan O’Neal. His song “Turning Page” is featured in the latest Twilight movie.

Buzz Track: Turning Page
Link: http://youtu.be/kqGKVK2j0SE?t=9s
Contact: sleepingatlast@aol.com

For more music, visit www.facebook.com/sleepingatlast.

Lisa Scinta signs to UMPG

Lisa Scinta, first featured by us in March 2010, has signed a pub deal with Universal Music Publishing. She’s still available for records – contact Jason Murray for more info.

Dirty Loops

Blowing up on YouTube. Check out their cover of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” at this Link. Managed by multi-platinum songwriter Andreas Carlsson.

Link: www.facebook.com/dirtyloopsofficial
Contact: deborah@andreascarlsson.se

Recap: The Biggest Hits of 2011

The following artists enjoyed great success in 2011 and were all featured on Crazed Hits prior to getting signed:

NICKI MINAJ
First featured on January 28, 2009: Single “Super Bass” became Top10 Hit in the U.S. (3x platinum), United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Canada, and other countries. Debut album “Pink Friday” certified Double Platinum (over 2 million units sold).

LMFAO
First featured on July 10, 2008: Single “Party Rock Anthem” spent 6 consecutive weeks at top of U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart and scored additional #1 positions in Australia, Canada, Germany, UK, France, New Zealand, etc. Second single, “Sexy And I Know It”, also became worldwide #1 smash and resulted in group’s album reaching top of U.S. Billboard 200 Chart.

MAC MILLER
First featured on August 20, 2010: Debut album “Blue Side Park” debuted at number one on U.S. Billboard 200 chart with 145,000 copies sold in first week.

KESHA
First featured on September 15, 2008: Released single “Blow” in early 2011, reaching Top 10 in the U.S., Australia, and other countries.

DEV
First featured on January 22, 2010: Single “In The Dark” reached #1 on U.S. Billboard Dance Chart and #11 on Billboard Hot 100.

JESSIE J
First featured on October 13, 2008: Single “Price Tag” became #1 hit in the UK, France, Ireland, and New Zealand. Reached Top5 in Germany, Canada, Australia and #23 in United States. Debut album “Who You Are” certified Double Platinum in UK.

DRAKE
First featured on December 10, 2008: Second studio album “Take Care” debuted at number one on U.S. Billboard 200 Chart, selling 631,000 copies in first week and going platinum within five.

BRANTLEY GILBERT
First featured on January 19, 2009: Debut single “Country Must Be Country Wide” topped U.S. Billboard Country Chart. Debut album “Halfway to Heaven” sold over 300k copies (combined with original indie release). Also co-wrote #1 smash “Dirty Road Anthem” for Jason Aldean, nominated for 2012 Grammy’s as Best Country Solo Performance.

New Artist Signings

Merry Christmas! Here is a list of new artist signings which we never announced, mainly due to labels and A&R’s asking us to hold off:

• Ready Set Go (pictured above, formerly known as ‘Interstate’), have signed a deal with Warner Bros. Records. The group was first featured on Crazed Hits in 2008.

• Cris Cab, who we first highlighted in June, has signed to Mercury Records.

• Machine Gun Kelly has signed with Bad Boy/Interscope. He was previously featured by us in January.

• Tonight Alive, first featured in February 2010, have inked a U.S. deal with Fearless Records after first signing with Sony Australia.

• Sam Adams has signed to RCA. He was first featured in March 2010.

A&R Updates

• Multi-platinum producer/songwriter Tricky Stewart is expected to be named Head of A&R at Epic Records.

• Chris Anokute has been appointed SVP A&R at Island Def Jam.

• Word on the street is that Mike Caren (Co-President, Elektra Records, and EVP A&R, Atlantic) is leaving WMG for Universal.

• Shawn Holiday has been named SVP of A&R at both, RCA Records and Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

Drake debuts at Number 1

Drake, who we first featured 3 years ago when he was unsigned, released his new album “Take Care” last Tuesday. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 631k units sold, earning Drake the third biggest first week of the year behind Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter IV” (964k) and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” (1.1m).

Brantley Gilbert scores #1

Brantley Gilbert, who we featured back in January 2009 when he was unsigned,  is currently having a huge hit with his first single “Country Must Be Country Wide”. The song is #1 on Country Radio and #3 on the Billboard Country Charts.

Brantley co-wrote the first two singles, “My Kinda Party” and “Dirt Road Anthem”, off of Jason Aldean’s latest album, which has sold 2 million copies in the United States alone. Both songs were part of Brantley’s artist pitch when we first found him, with “Dirt Road Anthem” being our buzz track when we featured him. However, despite having two major hit songs in his repertoire, no major label seriously went after Gilbert. He had to give away his two best songs to a superstar artist and help him sell two million albums for the industry to take notice, with Scott Borchetta eventually signing him to a record deal earlier this year.

Whatever happened to labels hearing hit songs and artistic potential.