LEGENDmag

Apple (itunes) bites LEGENDmag, with indie-pendence day campaign

We figure we won’t do alot of talking about it we’ll let you be the judge!

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July 2009 Indie Events

July 2009 Indie Events:

Chicago, IL
–Jul. 18–20 — Pitchfork Music Festival

Coney Island, NY
–TBA — Siren Music Festival

New York, NY
–Jul. 19–26 — Int’l Indie Film/Video Festival

San Diego, CA
–Jul. 23–26 — Comic Con

San Francisco, CA
–Jul. 17 — PSFK Conference (Marketing)

If you know of any events that we missed, please post them in the comments.

The Philippino culture has the great food debate - Traditional or Fusion

Catch up on your indie intake and check out the most popular posts on LEGENDmag last week

Pride: It’s Not Just About Being Gay… It’s About Being Naked

Out and About: The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival keeps it indie in NY

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Out and About: The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival keeps it indie in NY

What’s left to be said about Brooklyn and its place in the annals of rap history? How many songs have been written singing its praises? Who knows and who cares? As long as there are rap albums to be made, you’re more than likely to find at least one rapper claiming the BK Borough as his home, natural citizen or label-implanted resident. The irony of it all is that although rap ‘started’ in the Bronx, NY’s biggest impact upon rap on a whole has no doubt come from Brooklyn. Say what you want about Queens’ contribution (Nas, Run-DMC, Russell Simmons, 50 Cent, LL Cool J., etc.), Brooklyn has been absolutely pertinent to NY’s impact on rap worldwide. From the pioneers, such as Whodini and MC Lyte, to the current auto-tune slayer, Jay-Z, Brooklyn has single-handedly kept NY on the rap map. Knowing this, it seems only right that Brooklyn be the place where an annual festival celebrating NY rap is held on the other side of the Hudson River.

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Finding your “Soul Power” with Raashan Ahmad, of the Crown City Rockers (video)

As the from man for the Crown City Rockers, Raashan is no stranger to making music and controlling the crowd. His solo album Push that dropped a short time ago on OM Hip Hop was departure from his fronting of the popular hip hop band but was a welcome gesture of intamcy. That vibe is furthered along with his new venture Soul Power, mostly made while out on tour. This album gives us an even more intimate feel and we thought we’d get just a bit deeper with him in our next legends features.

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On the download (free indie music): Alice Russel and Raashan Ahmad (mp3)

Alice Russell - Got the Hunger
Download

With a voice that fits perfectly in todays soul landscape of strong traditional voices with solid instrumentation Alice Russel is doing her part to keep good music alive. I’ve been dying to see her live and haven’t had the chance to do so as of yet being that she’s in England. Her love for music is obvious and even more apparent when you hear her talk about it.

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7 tools to get you where you’re going

Here are some tools that I’ve used in my life and observations I’ve made interviewing tons of independents and learning lessons from my own life.

1) The most important thing, before your mental capacity, before your creativity, and is the most important key to your success is your health. It’s not that unhealthy people don’t make it, this is not some kind of be healthy or don’t succeed mandate. It’s simply an observation that most people whom are successful in ANY field, at some point address their health. Whether forced upon them by illness or something they’ve been doing for a while, they make their health a priority. If you’re thinking that dehydration, exhaustion, light starvation, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, or excessive drug use don’t affect you in a negative way, I have something very simple to tell you…..YOU’RE WRONG.

2) Who you choose to hang out with, associate with, and talk to on a regular basis is a direct link to how fast or easily you’re deciding to let yourself get where you need to go. Anyone whom you feel isn’t a positive addition to you life just shouldn’t be a big part of it. There’s no need to make phone calls and declare someone to NOT be part of your life anymore, it’s not like they did anything to you. The thing is just to not allow to be in it anymore or move them out of your inner circle as quick as possible.

3) Find people who are doing the things you aspire to and move them into your circle as quick as possible. There’s no need to ask these people about their “secrets” or how they got to where they are. You will learn simply by being around them. Athletes play with guys who are better so they get better. A students have study groups and honor societies so they can learn better. Just put the right people in your life. The thing is that most times their advice will only get you so far because although they know what they did that worked they have NO IDEA what will work for you and neither will you until you put in the work and do it for yourself.

4) STAY THE COURSE! I have come to believe that commitment, consistency, and perseverance in what you do are more valuable then talent, leadership, even confidence. You will simply learn the things you need to over time but not unless you stay in the game. I have seen people with less talent, people whom are labeled as hard to work with, people with no new ideas, become what they wanted and be MORE SUCCESSFUL then people will great skill by simply staying the course and never giving up.

5) You cannot choose how success comes to you but you can make plan. Some people take a long time to get where they have to and others are overnight successes. Some people think they will be millionaire’s and become millionaires in a year, while others believe they will make millions and become heads of non-profits. Don’t be concerned with how you get the result, be committed to achieving the result. (In case you haven’t heard any of the stories, Tony Tone Toni played for 14 years before hitting it big and the guy that bought McDonald from it’s original owners was 50 when he did so, there’s plenty of time to figure it out).

6) Any-one’s advice but your own is over rated. I have gotten advice from some TOP NOTCH folks, and I’ve always been thankful for their words. When people whom I admire or simply think highly of tell me what they think I have always tried to do the most with that. The thing here is that no one has walked your path. If I were to tell you to start in a small market and learn your chops in that market before moving to the big time as I did, you might be missing out on an opportunity to jump international right away and become an overnight success story. Do what your gut tells you and yes that means if you can’t hear your own positive talk (your gut) learn a technique that will help you hear it loud and clear. (try exercise or meditation or both)

7) Action = Results!
Thoughts > Belief > Passion >  Action! Atleast that’s how I believe it works (you can also place planning anywhere in that formula). But what you have to remember is that NOTHING is more important then action. If you don’t have a plan, action can still get you to where you want to go. If you act without belief, you have still done something (and alot of times this can lead to having the confidence and belief you didn’t have when you started). I’ll be honest, I have rarely know life without passion. But I have friends who have lived most of their life without any real passion for any activity and through acting on impulse or plan have found their passion. Action is the key!

Indie film makers are looking for your support at Indiegogo

We found this film while surfing the indiegogo site for a future story. Film makers of all kinds gather on this site to share their dream of finishing a film. Here’s an excerpt from a film called Rolling Stock still in the making.

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As big car companies strike out, inde car companies step up to the plate

Car companies like Tesla and Aptera have made Cali the go to location for car innovation. Look, design, and most of all technology is what’s driving the push. So it’s should be of no surprise that yet another company is throwing their hat into the ring for the first ‘real’ fully electric car for the masses. The President and CEO of Coda automotive had this to say about their sedan due out 2010 “The Coda sedan is an all-electric vehicle for everyone…It’s a practical revolution for real drivers who need reliable transportation.” At $45,000 I’m not sure if the care if for “everyone” but it seems like a great step forward. (more…)

On the download (free indie music): Music from Santogold remixed by King Britt and Pseduo Slang (mp3)

We have definitely been loving all the music we get because we have a mag but what’s good if it’s not shared? So we decided to start hitting you off with the great music that we get to hear all the time. Feel free to leave your thoughts about the music in the comments. You can download music from Santogold and Pseudo Slang after the jump! (more…)

Looking for your soul? You might find Asya Shein, an Indie Legend in the making.

I honestly try not to do articles on people whom I like because I don’t want to be biased and tell an unbalanced story. But there are times when that rule flies out the window and I have to share with the world some of the amazing people I come across in my search for “indies” doing amazing things across the planet.

World, meet Asya Shein….AGAIN! Chances are if you’ve been to a web 2.0 conference or travel in soul / hip hop / progressive music circles you’ve met or seen her before. If not, I’m sure you’ve been to an event sponsored by Fusicology, her event/portal even if you didn’t know it. (more…)

Murphy-Goode Winery Holds Contest for Employment

Nothing like independent thinking outside the box, right? Well Murphy-Goode has done just that by holding a contest to win 6 months of employment as their social media coordinator. The requirements were simple:

–Create a 60-second video
–Submit an application
–Promote the crap out of your video
–Wait for the votes to roll in!

The winner gets a job making $10,000 per month, for six months, serving as the winery’s own lifestyle correspondent in Healdburg! WOO!

We have been going through the videos and love the concept. As expected they run the gamut from dry and boring, to fun and creative. But LEGENDmag’s own Sabina Fowler has entered and (as biased as we already are) we think it is top notch!

Nevertheless, whatever happens from the contest… it is refreshing to see that indie companies continue to lead the way in creative employment techniques!

Watch all the videos here.