NEW YORK (Andy Morris & Company/ www.www.amc-pr.com) - eMusic, the world's No. 2 digital download service - selling more than two million tracks monthly - today announced the debut of "the eMusic Dozen." Compiled by a "who's who" of influential musicians, rock critics and authors, the eMusic Dozens represent their personal picks of the 12 most significant albums in each of more than 60 sub-genres-from
Roots of
Nirvana to Old School Punk to
Modern Gospel and Eastern European Classical. The eMusic Dozens is the first in a series of exciting service enhancements that eMusic will roll out this summer.
eMusic is unique among download services in offering a world-class team of music curators who pen authoritative, impassioned album picks, regular columns and feature stories. Its celebrated roster of curators includes such luminaries as: editor-in-chief Michael Azerrad, an acclaimed author and editor; former New York Times pop music critic Ann Powers (Rock/Pop); founding rock critic John Morthland (Blues); Pulitzer Prize-winning Justin Davidson (Classical); and No Depression co-editor Peter Blackstock. eMusic also features more than 100 new album reviews a month, written by a vast team of prestigious critics, including renowned blues journalist Robert Gordon, post-punk and electronic guru Simon Reynolds, jazz scholar James Lincoln Collier, MTV News anchor Kurt Loder and Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore, American Splendor Comics author Harvey Pekar and author, producer and musician Lenny Kaye.
"This isn't your grandfather's 'desert island discs,'" said David Pakman, COO of eMusic and a managing director of Dimensional Associates, the private equity arm of JDS Capital that owns eMusic, The Orchard and Dimensional Music Publishing. "While other music services deliver the same old 1999-era functionality, eMusic subscribers gain another innovative way to discover music from more than 700,000 tracks in the world's greatest independent catalogue. The eMusic Dozen includes rich and enlightening commentary from rock legends like Lenny Kaye, the man credited with coining the phrase 'Heavy Metal.' He delivers his dozen most vital albums, alongside NPR reporter Chris Nickson who offers up his 12 essential Bollywood albums. eMusic's editorial content rivals that of many great offline music magazines-and Dozens expands upon this tradition."
Highlights of eMusic Dozens available at launch include:
* Crooners by pioneering rock critic and legendary musician Lenny Kaye.
* Avant Jazz Albums and Jazz Guitar Albums introduced by famed jazz critic Bill Milkowski.
* Jeff Chang's Can't Stop Won't Stop Dozen reflecting the name of his best-selling book on the Hip Hop Generation.
* Extreme Metal by Jeff Darnielle, leader of the critically acclaimed band Mountain Goats.
* NPR's Chris Nickson with a variety of Dozens on world music including: Balkans, US World Music, Middle East & North Africa, Middle East & North Africa, Bollywood, English folk and Irish Folk.
* Jambands by Dean Budnick, author of Jambands: the Complete Guide to the Players, Music and Scene.
Other Dozens available at launch include:
* Country for People Who Think They Don't Like Country and Contemporary Country by Kurt Wolff;
* California Avant Punk by Julianne Shepherd;
* Jazz Drummers and Stax Records Essentials by Fred Goodman, award-winning author;
* Stax Rare Gems and Black Power by Ron Wynn;
* Boomer Music and Neo-Garage by Dan Epstein;
* Progressive Blues and Blues for People Who Think They Don't Like Blues by legendary critic John Morthland;
* Gospel for Rockers and Modern Gospel by Mike McGonigal;
* Zappa, Avant Rock, Noise, Underground and Hip-Hop by Christopher Weingarten;
* Classic Rock and Comedy by Keith Harris;
* Southern Rawk by critic Kandia Crazy Horse;
* Electro and House by Michaelangelo Matos;
* Jazz Piano by Thomas Bartlett;
* Post-Rock by Andy Battaglia; and
* Post-Hardcore by Yancey Strickler.
In coming weeks, eMusic subscribers can look forward to the following eMusic Dozens:
* Chuck D by Hua Hsu;
* Pedal Steel by Peter Blackstock;
* Albums About Cats, Oddballs, eMusic Oddities, Indie Rock Obscure Gems and Indie Rock Classics by Michael Azerrad;
* Cool Indie Rock for Aging Hipsters, Italian Soundtracks, and Down Underground by Elisabeth Vincentelli;
* Gospel for Mothers by Michael McGonigal;
* Managing Editor's Dozen by Yancey Strickler
* Memphis by Alex Abramovich;
* Roots of Nirvana by Douglas Wolk;
* Soundtracks by Blake Lee;
* Colin Meloy's Dozen by Colin Meloy;
* Cool Chicago Indie by Greg Kot;
* The Dirty South by Jon Caramanica;
* Classical Music in the Movies by Anastasia Tsioulcas; and
* Creedence Key Tracks by Stanley Booth.
