BMI's "See It Hear First" podcast has become an important tool for exposing new BMI songwriters and artists to key industry professionals and fans alike. Since its release in May 2005, more than one million listeners from around the world have tuned in to discover new music from a broad range of genres and regions.

All editions of the BMI podcast are available at bmi.com/podcast, as well as from iTunes at bmi.com/itunes and Yahoo's podcast directory at podcasts.yahoo.com, or you can listen on the go with mobile podcasting services like Pod2Mob. The first in the music industry to be listed in Apple's podcast directory, "See It Hear First" is currently rated five out of five stars at Yahoo! and has won the "5 Star Award" from PodSpider, one of the world's largest podcast databases.

In addition to hearing great music from an array of vital new songwriters and artists, podcast listeners can also vote for their favorite artist to help them win a CD duplication package from Disc Makers, the leading CD manufacturer for the independent musician. Winners get 1,000 discs, a prize with a promotional value of more than $10,000.

Oh No! Oh My!
Nashville-based trio Oh No! Oh My! weave crisp, electronic backbeats with folk-inspired guitar strums and harmonies to create an experimental electro-pop-folk hybrid. The sunny vocals often relay tongue-in-cheek stories and declarations, and members Greg Barkley, Daniel Hoxmeier and Joel Calvin have each mastered several instruments apiece, including banjos, drums, guitars and accordions. Hear this band of tomorrow today on "Walk in the Park."

God or Julie
Manhattan's God or Julie embraces the blues both emotively and musically. Members Jon Paul, Adam and Aaron were sneaking into New York City blues clubs while still in high school and moved on to absorb bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Silverchair only after "trading licks and downing shots with blues players "four times our age." After adding Marc Slutsky on drums, the three friends became four, and the group's brand of emotionally charged rock struck a chord with listeners. Hear their guitar-driven sound on "Say Your Last Goodbye."

O.T.I.S.
Pianist/vocalist Jesse Gage and drummer Craig Myer form the Brooklyn duo O.T.I.S. The charismatic pair cites the Flaming Lips and Coldplay as chief influences, and the result is a creative combination of the saucy and the melancholy, anchored by Gage's classically trained piano background. Savor your first taste of O.T.I.S. here on "Weight of the World."

Justin Nozuka
Seventeen-year-old Justin Nozuka began singing and writing songs five years ago and now boasts a breathtakingly mature voice destined for greatness. Born into a deeply supportive artistic family, Nozuka claims he has never had a moment's doubt as to his life's purpose. A melodic and lyrical wunderkind of sorts, one can only imagine the musical territory this young man will explore and conquer in the many years to come. Hear Justin Nozuka first on his song "After Tonight," then learn more about this young artist through BMI's exclusive podcast interview.]]> 2006-07-25T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/533501 Artists, God or Julie, Queens of the Stone Age, Musicworld, On The Scene Some rock ‘n’ roll families snort up mountains of blow and fookin’ belittle each other in every interview. Some rock ‘n’ roll families outgrow their evangelical heritage and nail every aspiring model on either side of the Atlantic. Other rock ‘n’ roll families freak out when they share rehearsal space with former Spacehog members, blog extensively about their infatuation with other bands, and name their band after… we’re not going to divulge that just yet. God or Julie has plenty of time to emulate Oasis or Kings of Leon’s tabloid theatrics. For now, the modest Colorado transplants are preoccupied with wreaking sultry melodies, colossal walls of distortion, and indelible hooks.

It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. Two blues brothers and their cousin, move to the Big Apple to make it as a hard rock band. But trust us, the punch line kicks ass. In their early high school years, J.P (Jon Paul), Adam and Aaron Johnson were obsessed with playing the blues, sneaking into Denver clubs, trading licks and downing shots with players four times their age. Networking paid fast dividends. One of their first gigs was opening for surf legend Dick Dale. But once puberty kicks in, the blues seems like an old man’s game, and the Johnson boys soon found themselves intoxicated by not just the dreamy sway of Ours and Our Lady Peace, but the aggressive guitar rock of Queens of the Stone Age, STP and Silverchair. Now fast-forward 3 years, the Johnson clan relocated to Manhattan, befriended drummer Marc Slutsky (ex-Splender), and rechristened themselves God or Julie.

The band’s name, like it’s songs, eludes simple explanation. “I think if people like it it’s because it ties into something way down inside them,” says Jon Paul. “The music altogether is deeper than words,” continues Aaron, “and it has its own meaning for everyone because it’s filtered through their unique experience, including the four of us.” So about the name? Adam quips, “The band was discussing a friend who wrote literally every song about either God or his girlfriend Julie. In turn “God or Julie” got thrown into our grab bag of album title ideas, but when I suggested it as our band moniker, the light bulb went on and we all jumped on it. Mainly because of it’s wide-open “what-the-fuck?” quality.”

Recording the band’s debut full-length “What Doesn’t Kill You” wasn’t an arduous process so much as an intense one. As the album was being recorded, J.P. kept spawning new ideas, the band’s sound continued to be refined, and their identity was reformed. For example, in the self-produced opening tandem “Let It Bleed Again” and “Say Your Last Goodbye” God or Julie carries the smoldering melodic torch of Placebo, HIM and Muse, but JP’s emotive falsetto and Adam, Aaron, and Marc’s lockstep confidence make these songs entirely their own. As JP puts it “I wouldn’t say our writing’s cryptic, per se, but it’s less story-oriented and more about conveying emotion.” “All the songs are a little bit on the darker side,” adds drummer Marc, “But it’s not necessarily dark music.” Other “softer side” classics such as “Fallen Soldier” and “Oxygen” only add to the brilliance and diversity of the disc. “Our musical style and sound comes more from playing together for the past seven years than anything else,” muses Adam. Little wonder God or Julie can intertwine euphoria and melancholy so effectively - you can leave the blues behind, but the blues never leave you.

http://www.godorjulie.com/