NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ mtvU) - Last night on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, and Epic Records unveiled the winner of mtvU's inaugural "Best
Music on Campus Artist of the Year" competition: Bamboo Shoots, of Middlesex County College.
Propelled by votes from college students nationwide, the foursome from New Jersey emerged as the top choice of the more than 1,300 unsigned college acts registered on mtvU's BestMusiconCampus.com. Bamboo Shoots - fusing upbeat, danceable rock, electro and South Asian/Indian sounds - was announced as mtvU's inaugural "Artist of the Year" via a network debut performance on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," a platform which has helped launch countless up- and-coming bands to superstardom. The band will now set out on an unprecedented journey that will see them record a full LP with Epic Records, premiere two music videos on mtvU/mtvU.com, perform on tour dates with top national artists and collect a $50,000 cash advance - all of which will be documented in an original mtvU series premiering in the fall.
"College students prophesy the future of new music long before anyone else, and their ringing endorsement of Bamboo Shoots speaks volumes about the potential of this impressive band," said Stephen Friedman, GM of mtvU. "BestMusiconCampus.com exists to help launch the careers of the best unsigned college artists and this is its crowning moment - placing Bamboo Shoots among Epic's stable of groundbreaking acts and giving the band an amazing opportunity to realize its dreams."
mtvU's "Best Music on Campus" (BMOC) enables college musicians and bands to build profiles with songs, videos, pictures, blogs and more. During BMOC's first yearly cycle, students from Savannah College of Art and Design, the University of the Arts, and the University of Miami won record deals with renowned indie labels and performance dates at mtvU events such as "Spring Break '07" in Cancun. The site will continue to offer unsigned college acts unique opportunities over the summer, including a second "Battle of the Bands" competition. Winners will open for top emerging and established artists at mtvU's new summer concerts at Six Flags Theme Parks. The competition kicks off June 1st; a new collection of record deals and other chances at national visibility will be announced in the fall.
As BMOC "Artist of the Year," Bamboo Shoots receive a promotion, video, tour and record deal from mtvU and Epic Records worth up to $1.5 million. Formed in 2004, the band consists of long-time friends Avir Mitra and Karl Sukhia, the group's primary songwriters and musical collaborators for more than a decade. They are joined by percussionist Ankur Patel and lead guitarist Ahmed Mahmoud. The band will soon head into the studio to work with top Epic execs on an LP that will receive major backing and huge national visibility: on-air, online, on tour, radio, retail and more. To hear Bamboo Shoots' winning sound, please visit http://www.BestMusiconCampus.com.
