The 9th Annual IMA nominations were announced this week, and Shark Meat's The Staves fronted by Soren Anders was nominated for Best Cover Song for Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (Originally by The Smiths). 

Although a panel of judges will be making the final decision, you can ...

On Tuesday, August 25, 2009, Shark Meat released Celebrity du Jour, the first single and music video from Darren Ockert's upcoming album.  The new track, written, performed and produced by Darren Ockert features guitars by Dan Warner (Madonna, Kelly Clarkson, P!nk) and was mixed by J. Chris Griffin (Janet Jackson, Kanye West, Missy Elliot).

The track and music video are available on digital music stores and online music services including iTunes, Amazon MP3, YouTube,...

Jacob Jiles and his band are heading to Texas to play out a series of shows and record some new tracks.  They will be at Flipnotics on Saturday July 25th in Austin, Triple Crown in San Marcos on Wednesday July 29th and Momo's in Austin on Friday, July 31st.  With possibly more shows to be announced.  Catch them live at any of these shows while they are in town and visit...

The second music video from Soren Anders EP "The Last Leaf of Autumn" can now be viewed on YouTube.  The video is for the track "The Thorn In The Side Of A Boy".

With the help of remixer Kai Gross, Shark Meat Records today released Soren Andres' "I Know A Hundred Ways To Die (REBORN)" - A remixed version of the original debut CD of the same title.

The four track EP contains remixes of Proof Conjecture, Late For You Tango and two versions of I Know A Hundred Ways To Die.

The EP is available worldwide on iTunes

Soren Anders must get a smirky kick out of CD reviewers, because he makes it next to impossible for us to classify his music.  I had the same problem about a year or so ago when I reviewed the CD by his band Shimmerplanet.   It was one of my favorite CDs of
the year, but finding myself at a loss for words for the genre, I wound up having to classify it as “avant-garde rock.”  Which is reviewer-speak for “I don’t know what the heck this is.”
 
I was just going to file Anders’ solo offering under “singer/songwriter,” but that puts him in the same category as folk singers,...

The Shark Meat Records team is headed over to Berlin for the 2008 Popkomm Festival & Conference from October 8th - 10th.  We will be part of the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) group located at the A2IM booth (20.107c).  We look forward to meeting all of this year's Popkomm participants and hearing some great music from the many independent artists which will be performing all around Berlin.  To setup a meeting with us please us our...

Congratulations to our artist Molly Bea for making the semi-finals of the 2008 UK Songwriting Contest (UKSC) for her song "You Can't Bring Me Down."

The song can be downloaded from iTunes

The UKSC was formed through a partnership between the BRIT Trust (of BRIT AWARDS fame) and The Music Aid Organisation to promote the art of songwriting. The first UK Songwriting Contest was held in 2002. The contest is now held annually in association with these organisations, BBC Radio and other leading mu...

Prestigious UK apparel company Lyle & Scott are using songs by Shark Meat Record's artists Molly Bea and Jacob Jiles in their recent fashion show video highlighting their Autumn 08 collections.

Lyle and Scott's apparel has become popular in the UK music scene and is worn by bands such as Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys, Hard Fi and Razorlight. 

Jacob's song "She's OK" is featured in their online campaign. Three other songs from Jacob's forthcoming album "Goodbye Songs" are featured in Lyle & Scott in-store vi...

The debut release of the genre-defying music experience known as "Dandy Pants" is now available globally on iTunes stores.   The electronic "Beat Me" maxi-single containing four remixes can be previewed on iTunes and full-length previews are available in the Shark Meat Records Shop.

The members of...

Enjoy the latest music from three Shark Meat Records artists on May 8th at The_Underscore live in New York City.   At 8pm, Soren Anders will open the show performing new songs featuring violin, cello and piano for the first time from his upcoming June release.   Darren Ockert will follow with a debut of his indie tracks with his full band from his upcoming July release at 9pm.  Finally, Jacob Jile...

Even Kern's debut album "Did" was released today exclusively on iTunes stores globally. Shark Meat Records is pleased to announce that the Apple iTunes editorial team chose to feature Even's release across Europe in the following iTunes Stores: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Switzerland.  Many thanks to Apple iTunes for your continued support of independent artists and labels.  Congratulations to Even Kern!

Find our more about Even Kern on his artist page and visit y...

The Shark Meat Records' vision of a digital music economy has already taken hold. The latest music sales figures now show the iTunes music retailer in the #1 position among ALL physical and digital music stores passing the music giants of yesteryear including Walmart and Best Buy.  The Apple iTunes Store has climbed to the #1 position in retail music sales according to the NPG Group market research data collected via the MusicWatch survey and based upon January - February 2008 sales data.

When Shark Meat Records was founded in 2005, we bet on digital music and technology as the futu...

Welcome To Shimmerplanet is one of the most original and enjoyable releases in recent memory. The pair takes turns singing lead on the songs, and when they sing together, as they do on the exceptional "No Safe," they complement each other like two planets in the same orbit. The variety of the material, from the keyboard and vocal on "I Am Still Looking For You" to revved- up rock of "Everything's Perfect" to the deadpan vocals on "Happy" to the racing S&M heartbeat of "Beat Me" to humdinger "Envy," kept my attention from start to finish (including the "I Sleep With The Radio On" coda) a...

[English Translation]

Sophisticated Adult Pop

By Kjeld-Willy Hansen, 11 March 2008

Yes! For a debut album, there is a lot to be said for Even Kern’s ”Did” (from Stavern, Norway). This is sophisticated adult pop with beautiful arrangements, jazzy veneer, symphonic swells and light, funky rhythms.

… the album sounds wonderful, clever and smooth, with string instrument arrangements, fine-tuned choir arrangements, acoustic guitar solos, emotional vocals – at times intensely spoken – and powerful metaphors.

…if you have a penchant for comfortable, ear-...

Grace was the proud recipient of the 2007 TIMMY award for Best Singer. She received the honor during the recent 10th annual awards for her album Lovers Never Lie (In Bed).

The 10TH ANNUAL “TIMMY” AWARDS ceremony is the crowning result of Talent In Motion Magazine’s 2006/2007 past years’ endeavor towards producing a publication to promote emerging artists. Entertainment professionals and celebrities will attend the event, with special guest co-hosts Howard Thompson from CW11 and Ame...

It is made clear that Shimmerplanet sets out with their latest release, The One Who Kills Tomorrow, to record an album unlike anything on the market today. Front man Soren Anders, seduces the listener with his intensely personal lyrics and at the same time catches them off guard with each song's unpredictability. Carolyn Eufrasio's refreshing voice will put you in a snake charming trance. Right when you think you know where the album is going, Shimmerplanet whisks you off on an adventure around the world.
Is it rock, is it folk, is it classical? These are the questions I tried to answ...

Shimmerplanet's single "Author" from their album "For The One Who Kills Tomorrow" won best Pop/Rock song in the Vox Populi Independent Music Awards.

Darren’s Anything Is Possible, the first U.S. release by this British pop-export-turned-New-Yorker, shows off the artist’s talent and versatility. In fact, it’s one of Outmusic’s nominees for outstanding debut recording by a male. Not only did Darren write every song on the disc, he also plays every instrument on it. Polished-to-perfection performances and production make me want to dig out my platform shoes and boogie to this experimental electro-pop groove.In an interview, without dishing details, Darren confessed that the inspiration to look beyond the heartbreak theme of this a...

No, don’t fret your pretty little head. It’s not another Will Young song about his torturous relationships with the man in the mirror. For a debut release this is quite simply superb. It does sound a bit like the sort of stuff that Darren’s namesake, Darren Hayes might present to the world but mimicking accomplished performers is surely flattery by impersonation. Darren’s voice is polished to perfection and sits so well on the water of light disco beats and funky rhythms that lingers underneath the vocals- an undercurrent bringing things to the surface.

Sexuality smoulders as passion...

Congratulations to Shimmerplanet on making Indie-Music.com's Top 25 Indie Releases of 2007 with the album "For the One Who Kills Tomorrow."  Here's a link to the article.

It takes artistic courage to be this lyrically honest and musically experimental. Shimmerplanet is a collection of artists but mainly songwriter Soren Anders and vocalist Carolyn Eufrasio. They trade off on lead vocals. The music is filled with strings and deep grooves and a bit of playfulness (Anders is credited with, among other instruments, a toy piano). The lyrics sound like Anders passed every high school vocab test with flying colors. From the opening track “Silence of Midnight”: It’s getting late and I am exacerbated ... I’ve debated and debated this debasement; no abatement, I hate...

Shark Meat Records will be part of the A2IM American Independents Pavillion during MIDEM in Cannes, France.

Each January, the global music industry’s key players meet in Cannes to do deals, network, learn about the sector’s future, and check out hot new talent. Today, MIDEM attracts nearly 10,000 delegates from almost 100 countries, from the recording, publishing, live, sync, digital and mobile sectors.

Shark Meat Records have launched our label page on the popular last.fm music service where fans can discover, recommend and enjoy new indie music along side mainstream artists. Last.fm is a free service that automatically programs music based upon what you like to hear and similarities across artists and songs.

“On his debut disc, single-named, multi-hyphenated Darren revives the spirit of 1980s British synth-pop. He makes it his own with a dash of boy band married to contemporary spacey electronics and solid bouncing beats. As singer, songwriter, primary musician, and producer, Darren whips up an infectiously frothy and positive music confection. On a soaring chorus here or an arrangement there (”The Limit,” “Pie in the Sky”), Darren evokes the best of Erasure, but after a quick tip of the hat he brings the focus back to his own original perspective. His voice is smooth and easy, sailing over the...

DARREN is the first Shark Meat Records artist on the Pandora internet radio service that creates custom radio "channels" based upon similiar music & artists.

Shimmerplanet to release their CD "For The One Who Kills Tomorrow" which will be available on Amazon.com and directly in the Shark Meat Records shop. See release event details in Touring & Performances section below. Invitation / Press Release

Darren's single "You & I" climbed the Sirius OutQ Hot 20 charts this week to the #1 position as Shimmerplanet's "Author" holds the #3 spot.

Shimmerplanet's new single "Author" from their album "For The One Who Kills Tomorrow" has been in the Sirius OutQ Hot 20 Charts for over a month and reached #1.

Shark Meat Records signs deal to begin distributing and selling music videos on worldwide iTunes Stores.

Shark Meat Records is looking for new artists and has begun accepting SonicBids Electronic Press Kits. SonicBids is the largest EPK service and fits perfectly in the Shark Meat Records strategy of embracing digital technologies. Visit our Promoter Drop Box to submit your EPK.

Shark Meat Records signs agreement with AOL MUSIC NOW expanding it's digital delivery on to AOL's new download service. SMR artists are available on the AOL service.

Shark Meat Records joins the American Association Of Independent Music (www.a2im.org). A2IM represents a broad coalition of 160+ independent music labels to promote opportunities and enhance the market share of it's combined membership. A2IM urges government and businesses to support fair trade practices. In addition, A2IM acts as the leading edge for the exploration of new and innovative forms of music exposure and distribution.