3D FRIENDS

3D Friends write and perform unpretentious, melodic indie-pop electronica, filled with hooky melodies and memorable lyrics which feel more like stories related in confidence than song craft.
“Dark Land” feels as sweetly sincere as anything Everley Brothers might have penned, but for a new millennium. The songwriter spends time sorting out his puzzle of emotions about someone who he’s just met.
“Out of Your Way” makes small inconsequential moments seem epic and grandiose in a way that if it was emo, clearly you’d want to pistol whip the singer. But here, it fits.
“If You’re Interested”is another song that swells breathily, about ordinary problems requiring extraordinary solutions. These songs reflects a determined desire to deal with the the here and now while leaving behind the mess of the past. There’s a warmth to the songs, in their spartan arrangements what comes through strongest is the emotion.
www.3d-friends.com/ - IndieMusic.co - J. Rivera

All Right introduces 3D Friends as an act that deftly blends together pop-punk, emo, and electronic styles into a tremendously alluring style. The act is able to take influences as wide as The Red Hot Valentines, The Anniversary, Yellowcard, and Metro Station and provide their own unique twist. This track is produced masterfully, allowing listeners to distinguish between the disparate elements comprising the band. Just Wanna Hold You changes up things considerably, with hints of The Killers and Brit-pop coming through. It is this more introspective and echoing effort that allows 3D Friends to stretch their wings and create a song that stands up to multiple listeners.
If You’re Interested has a very new wave meets Chromeo opening that segues nicely into something much more emotionally intense. The band does well in replicating the experience of someone that is looking to find a significant other. The inclusion of the second set of vocals during this cut provides listeners with the momentum that they need to complete this EP. Out of Your Way is the final release on Summer Break, and 3D Friends are able to spin things down gracefully. A particularly presence percussion provides fans with something that they can cling onto long after the album has ceased to spin. The five tracks on Summer Break are enough to introduce fans to 3D Friends while allowing the band ample space to expand for subsequent releases.
Make sure to visit 3D Friends’ website at 3d-friends.com for samples of the band’s music, methods to purchase album tees and releases, and additional biographical information.
Top Tracks: Just Wanna Hold You, If You’re Interested
Rating: 8.6/10
3D Friends Summer Break EP / 2014 Self / 5 Tracks / www.3d-friends.com/ / www.facebook.com/timetogetaway


Read more: http://neufutur.com/2014/05/3d-friends-summer-break-ep/#ixzz31wVLbZ2w - Neufutur Magazine - James McQuiston

When it came time to select a theme song for MTV’s upcoming adaptation of the hit British teen drama “Skins,” the network wanted to try something a bit unconventional. So in October the brass at the network quietly launched an almost off-the-grid campaign where undiscovered artists could submit original tracks for the series.

“[We] sort of recognized the disconnect between the broader face of music and the changing face of MTV,” said Joe Cuello, the network’s vice president of creative music integration. “There is still a great music story to be told, but it’s simply grown from just the music video. The question we were faced with was how do we take the MTV brand, and all of its shows, and connect it to the music?”

Instead of rolling out a glossy promotion to tout the contest MTV partnered with Our Stage, a site that allows unsigned acts to promote their music and compete for monthly competitions -- past winners have been awarded with opening slots for artists such as Drake and John Mayer, snagged stage time at Bonnaroo and secured mentoring sessions with industry giants.

Cuello said the network had been toying with the idea of crowd-sourcing music for quite some time but had been reluctant to utilize any one specific portal.

“We have so many music heads at MTV. We wanted to collect it in an organic way without any protocol,” he said. “[‘Skins’] as a brand already has this incredible music sensibility established. It’s about independent music and sort of left of center. In many ways it reflects the MTVU brand, or ‘120 Minutes.’”

“It’s about really cool independent music that can range from bands on independent labels, or in this case artists that are unsigned.”

The competition garnered more than 6,000 submissions before crowning Daniel Chavez-Wright the winner.

The 21-year-old from Austin and performs under the moniker 3D Friends, will have his track "Lina Magic" as the theme to the show premiering Jan. 17. The series documents the uninhabited lives of a group of high school friends as they traverse the ups and downs of adolescence -- it aired in its original form in the States on BBC America.

Chavez-Wright, who classifies his sound as “low-fi, electronic, chill,” admits landing the top spot was surreal. “I was wanting to get it out there on some different sites, and I came across the Our Stage site. It asked me if I wanted to submit to a contest. One was something with Keith Urban, another was for Subway, and then there was ‘Skins,” Chavez-Wright. “I said this is probably the most likely fitting for my music. I never thought about it after that.”

MTV is also planning on using a handful of other top contenders to score the series. Similar to the U.K. version, the U.S. adaptation will have a teen advisory board that evaluates and recommends music to be included in the show. One of the teens will act as the show's music supervisor.

The contest comes at a crucial time for MTV, which has ventured further away from being a reliable destination for music fans as original programming such as “Jersey Shore,” “Teen Mom” and a slew of other unscripted shows dominate the airwaves. Recently the network unveiled, in beta form, the Music Meter, a site that offers fans an easy-to-navigate interface where they can explore 100 of the most buzzed about up-and-coming artists.

Though relegating clips from new and established artists to the tail ends of their shows and relying heavily on playing new tunes with the song’s complete info during episodes seem like a passive way to showcase music, the network has proved to be a key player in driving single sales.

When an October episode of “Teen Mom” featured A Rocket to the Moon’s “Like We Used To,” the band’s single saw a 398% increase in sales. And for all of “Jersey Shore’s” fist-pumping, tanning and drunken hook-ups, the hit show -- which is heavy on music, thanks to numerous club scenes -- has drummed up impressive sales for its soundtrack artists. The Midi Mafia saw an 874% increase in sales for its track, “Last Call,” and Steve Aoki’s “I’m in the House” got a 408% bump.

Cuello hopes MTV will replicate the crowd-sourcing model for additional series, both scripted and documentary.

“The slate of new shows is weighted towards some great scripted programming, which affords us the chance to connect some pretty great music,” he said. “It works we’re in the music business that isn’t driven by anything primarily but good storytelling.”

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy - Gerrick D. Kennedy - L.A. Times

Daniel Chavez Wright sat at his friend's place when he first heard his song "Lina Magic" playing during the premiere of MTV's show Skins.

"I don't have MTV at my apartment, but luckily, I had a friend that was nice enough to have me over for it," said Chavez. "I bought a bottle of wine and that was pretty much it."

The bottle of wine was in celebration of winning the OurStage competition "Score Skins Music Project." Wright was just another undeclared Austin Community College student trying to get his music out there when he threw his name in the ring for this competition.

"I just finished writing and recording and releasing the song "Lina Magic," and I wanted to get my name out there to more websites, more outlets on the Internet because I really didn't have too many pages up," said Wright, who also goes by the moniker 3D Friends. "I came across OurStage somehow and I just set up an account, and uploaded a song. After that, it asked me if I wanted to submit for any song searches."

There were three song searches available at the time: one for Subway, another one for Keith Urban and the one for the new show MTV was remaking of the BAFTA-winning British teen show Skins. Wright chose Skins.

"I'd never really heard of Skins before, but that's the one I chose out of the three that they gave me. I never really thought about it after that," said Wright.

He was announced as the winner in December 2009. His song "Lina Magic" is a featured song that opened the first episode, and it became the official theme song which will be played at the beginning of every episode.

"I'm definitely very stoked about this whole opportunity. It's really, it's just amazing... at first I was overwhelmed, but I think I'm starting to get more accustomed to it. I'm just really excited," said Wright.

Because of winning the competition, Wright has been busy promoting the show with interviews and photo shoots. With all this leading up to the show premiere, he was more than ready to take it all in.

"I think all of those things kind of prepared me for that moment. So whenever I actually saw it on TV, it was amazing. But like I said, I was a little more accustomed to it," said Wright.

Now that his musical debut has passed, Wright has future plans to release an album.

"I definitely have an album in the works. I'm really just working on getting my name out there. ("Lina Magic") is on MTV, and people are hearing it. There's a lot of things that come with that. So I'm really just preparing myself for that. And, I have some stuff in the works right now," said Wright.

Wright is currently taking a break from his classes for the semester.

"I actually registered for classes for this semester, but with all that is going on right now, I really don't have the time for it," said Wright. "I'm flying out to New York it seems like every other week. I really don't have the time for (ACC), but it's hard to say. It really is hard to say." - Sarah Vasquez - Austin Accent

watch video
The song that you hear at the beginning of each episode of the MTV show "Skins" was written by an Austin songwriter Daniel Chavez Wright.

Critics say it is Wright's unique songwriting ability that makes him a standout in the recent "Chillwave" music movement. - Jason Wheeler

MTV is hoping that a few million people will tune in Monday and hear the opening keys of "Lina Magic," a gauzy synthpop song that began its life as a bedroom recording by 21-year-old Daniel Chavez Wright. Within two minutes, Wright who won an online talent search to compose the opening theme song to MTV's high school drama "Skins," a remake of a popular British show will be catapulted from a largely unknown Austin musician to someone with at least a modest national presence.

Wright's story is a particularly dramatic example of what has become a major force in Austin music — licensing for film, television, commercials, video games and other media.

"It's not like five or 10 years ago where licensing was more of an exclusive club. Now the whole landscape is pretty blanketed with bands and managers and placement agencies pitching away," says David Lobel, who manages Grupo Fantasma and has helped land the band some high-profile licenses, such as in AMC's "Breaking Bad." "The competition is now ridiculously fierce to get placement, and to get anything resembling a reasonable fee if you do."

Just last year, the bouncy pop of Oh No Oh My accompanied an Interstate Batteries ad campaign. E! turned to Quiet Company for segues in "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." When the Gwyneth Paltrow- and Tim McGraw-starring "Country Strong" was released in theaters last week, it came with three songs by Austin singer-songwriter Hayes Carll. The music of jazz chanteuse Kat Edmonson helped sell Serta mattresses in a national commercial. Hop online on your Xbox 360 and you can download a pack of Spoon songs for "Rock Band." And yes, that was White Denim's "I Start To Run" making an appearance on "House" in October.

"In the beginning, I think that people looked at licensing sort of as found money. Not all bands would get licensing, but when something came through it was like a gift from God," says Gandhar Savur, business and legal affairs manager for Bank Robber Music, a music placement agency, which works to secure licensing for Spoon, Okkervil River, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears and dozens of others. "It hadn't become part of a typical business model of a band that people were relying on quite yet."

In the past few years, licensing has emerged as a major new channel both for revenue and exposure for up-and-coming bands. Michael Friedman, owner and founder of Coda Music Placement, who placed Austin bands Sounds Under Radio on the "Spider-Man 3" soundtrack, has seen the change first hand.

"When I first started my company in 2003, the record business was still in full force. Tower Records hadn't closed down, we were on the cusp of downloading and, as we all know, the music business has taken quite a turn since then," says Friedman. "There's probably 12,000 licensing companies out there now. Every label and publisher has people working to license the music by their bands. This is the way people make money now with music."

Fresh businesses

There are a million ands, ifs and buts — and reams of legalese — governing music licensing. How much money a band receives can vary widely based on the budget of the production and the popularity of the songs, the duration of the song's appearance, its use in trailers or on soundtrack albums, the number of parties involved in placing it and even whether it syncs with onscreen visuals. A song that closely parallels a movie's action — like, say, the Kinks numbers in "The Darjeeling Limited" — commands more than a song that plays in the background.

The process of licensing a song, essentially, works like this: A producer or director will decide what variety of music is needed in any given sequence. They will work closely with a music supervisor. Sometimes music supervisors will work with a music placement agency like Bank Robber Music, which can make recommendations based on the clients' needs; other times music supervisors will go after specific songs directly.

Once a song is selected, it actually needs to be cleared twice. The master recording of the song must be licensed from the record label, which generally splits the accompanying fee 50/50 with the artist. And the song itself — the lyrics and music — also has to be licensed through the publisher. Fees for each tend to be comparable. Some lower-budget film productions might pay small fees, or none at all, with larger kickbacks if the film performs well or receives wide release. Fees paid for commercials vary based on how long and in how many regions an advertisement runs. - Patrick Caldwell - Austin American-Statesman

Tonight's finale of "Skins" tied up a lot of loose ends in the romance department. Throughout the season, every character experienced the ups and downs of teen love--Tony and Chris especially--and their anguish was best conveyed to us via the show's moody music.

In the finale intro, you heard the melancholic sounds of Austin-based singer-songwriter Daniel Chavex Wright (he performs under the moniker 3D Friends). This former choir boy turned guitarist beat out thousands of other submissions in the "Score SKINS Music Project" last year and his song, "Lina Magic," became the lead music for the series. The track's all about childhood emotions and unrequited feelings--something the "Skins" gang knows tons about!

Just check out the video for "Lina Magic" below and see why 3D Friends was picked to open the show. - Rebecca Brown - MTV Buzzworthy

As part of MTV's Indie Music Month, we're premiering videos from some of the most exciting artists in the indie music scene. You may not know the name 3D Friends, aka Austin singer-songwriter Daniel Chavez Wright, but you've definitely heard his lo-fi chillwave song "Lina Magic" used as the theme song to "Skins." We're psyched to premiere the official video to the song you've been hearing every week since January.

In the video, clips of the show are interspersed with Wright, who is clad in the requisite uniform of every 20-something these days -- skinny tie and jean jacket -- as he dances in front of a green-screened city. Consider this video a greatest hits montage of "Skins," saving you hours of recording and editing your favorite parts of the show. You're welcome.

"Lina Magic" beat out thousands of other song submissions in the "Score SKINS Music Project," a competition staged by MTV to select the "Skins" intro music for the first time last year. We are admittedly a little biased, but nice job, judges! - Jason Newman - MTV Buzzworthy

Tags: Washed Out Within and Without, Toro Y Moi, The Beat Generation, Neon Indian, Hipster Runoff, 3d friends

Being a young band just starting out in the business is hard. This is a news flash to no one, and thus not the topic of this week’s Beat Generation column. But how hard must it be to get your band off the ground when no one can agree what your genre is? Or worse, if people argue that your genre isn’t real?

Chillwave (also known as hypnagogic pop or, ugh, glo-fi) is a word heavy with connotation for music nerds. A buzzy, bloggy genre which emerged in 2009 and quickly became the trendy, hip(ster) electronic genre of the moment, chillwave was, and still is, a contentious term. Many would state that it’s not even a real genre of music. If you believe the Wall Street Journal, Hipster Runoff basically invented chillwave in this blog post here. To be honest, there may be some credence to that.

It is clear that chillwave—lacking in geographic cohesion, a web-generated origin and following coupled with a very small roster of prominent artists who would fit the descriptions of the sound, let alone cop to being “chillwave” themselves—is a kind of music which needs more history, needs to be fleshed out more before it can posses a true character.

Having just said that, itlooks like 2011 is going to be a big year for those “chillwavers” or “chillwavians” or “chillwavites” (which one is correct?). We’ve seen album announcements in the past few weeks from many of the genre’s more prominent acts including upcoming releases from Neon Indian, Memory Tapes and Washed Out. However, Toro Y Moi got the first shot in when he released his sophomore effort Underneath the Pine this past February to favorable reviews. It’s worth noting that there is a stylistic shift in sound between this year’s release and Chaz Bundwick’s 2010 debut Causers of This. From fractured, shimmering J Dilla-influenced productions to slinky, sly funk-pop with an awesome throwback vibe. Groovy, yes. But is it cool enough, lo-fi enough to be chillwave?

Neon Indian’s upcoming Heart Attack, slated for release this summer looks like something more like what we’ve come to expect from these musicians. A teaser clip featuring main player Alan Palomo shuffling around a snowy Helsinki gives us a taste what his new record will sound like: chilly but not chill, hazy-trippy and stylish as all get out. You can check it out for yourself below.

NEON INDIAN – HEART: ATTACK from gorillavsbear.net on Vimeo.

Washed Out made a splash (haha) last week with the announcement of mastermind Ernest Greene’s signing to Sub Pop, the release of the sexy album art for his new record Within and Without and the first track “Eyes Be Closed”. Greene’s project may have the highest stakes and be the most anticipated of all the potential chillwave releases coming up this year. He arguably had the biggest “hit” with his breakthrough track “Feel It All Around” and he’s the only major chillwave artist who hasn’t had a full length release before this year. Honestly, after hearing about his wedding many thought it might take a bit longer for Greene to crank out a proper debut. But here we are.

Washed Out – Eyes Be Closed by Hypetrak

What’s the unifying theme here? There might be some common threads, underlying attributes that link these bands, stylistically speaking. The nostalgia, a disco influence and the hazy removal are all touchstones that these bands have in common. And we just mentioned some of the players; other prominent chillwave bands that come to mind include Small Black, MillionYoung, Teen Daze and whole slew of other bands of that ilk. Also, some OurStagers have gotten in on the chillwave movement. After all, 3D Friends, winner of the MTV “SKINS THEME SONG COMPETITION” actually describes himself as a chillwave artist. That said, is it all enough to make it a genre? Is 2011 the year of chillwave?

We don’t have the answers to those questions. But these bands are coming out with a lot of quality material in the near future. If the term chillwave isn’t good enough, I hope someone figures out something else that works. The music deserves it.
- DaytonOConnor - OurStage