Happy Holidays to All! I wish you and your families a happy and prosperous new year! I've been in deep clean up mode for this latter part of 2011. My home had a bit of a plumbing leak a few months back which really caused quite an upheaval. I had to go threw and throw out a lot of boxes and stuff in my garage which was quite time consuming... and revealing. I hadn't realized how stuff I no longer needed was taking up so much needed space. I'm very excited at what the future will bring! As we enter a new year I hope we all can move along with a wonderful sense of optimism and hope!

Alaina aka Suga Lane

Here's your link!

We've got 50 more FREE Downloads for Fans as a Thank-You for all your encouragement and support! Get "RIDE IT- Changin' Lanes" HERE":

FREE DOWNLOAD FOR FANS

xoxo
Suga Lane

Thanks Street-Teamers 4 Ca$h!

A Big Thank You to Street Teamers who've signed up for Ca$h! Here's link to submission form for any new street teamers who want to get in on on this opportunity

http://form.jotform.com/form/10070536467

Also form is on my site http://sugalane.com

Thanks Again!
xoxo
Suga Lane

Exclusive FREE Download on Bandcamp - 1st 50 Fans -

I've got my Bandcamp page hooked up with FREE Downloads of Ride It - Changin' Lanes! It's really cool because on bandcamp, you can download different types of files like wav. aff etc - So check it out!

http://sugalane.bandcamp.com

xoxo
Suga Lane

Show Tomorrow Yay!

I'm trying to hydrate for tmw already! It's gonna be a big party and I want to have all the fun I can! Thanks to my friends helping out, let's go easy on all that food and drink huh! Make sure to visit the Suga Lane Music booth and let us know what you think about what we're doing....in other words smiles, gifts, and even emails - show us luv! I've been working hard to bring you that hot new stuff and I'll perform a sampling of a few songs LIVE tmw afternoon - not sure what time - I've been advised around 3, 4 or so.... Anyway the doors to car show open at 11 and close 8pm so come out and enjoy yourselves

A few spots for artists and vendors

For submissions, Hit me up at sugalane@yahoo.com

SEEKING Hot Dancers for Corona & Digital Dope Show ! ASAP- Female / Male

Seeking 2-4 dancers for August 2011 show! This will be another huge concert and car show - sponsored by Corona, Digital Dope and more - so bring your A game.  This show will require back-up dancing and those chosen will hopefully move on to be a permanent part of Suga Lane Music! Sexiness and showmanship is important! Interested in Male and Female, age -  open - prefer those with choreography skills and ability to interpret and move to several genres. I love great personalities and strong work ethics ie. hard workers! Please no drama or druggies!

1] Make a video of you dancing to 1 or more tracks from: http://soundcloud.com/sugalane

2] Post a link to your video audition on facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=145129612229930 

3] After video review, selected dancers will be invited to audition in person for Suga Lane Music. Thanks and good luck!

xoxo - Suga Lane

Beware of Spooky Strangers

Hey People - whether you're an Artist/Performer or not, be careful and safe out there in both cyberworld and in person. Remember there are those ppl, with no good intentions, who prey upon us. Stay alert, ask questions, require recommendations, do background checks, go to meetings and appointments with an assistant or bodyguard, carry protection/weaponry, etc.... whatever you need to do to keep yourself safe.

Lots of Beefcake Action...

So...we all are inundated with the effects of global warming...from the extreme weather to the bleak predictions for our grandchildrens'grandchildren.  Some of us feel a pressure to make a few changes, maybe recycle something or whatever we can come up with. Others sit back and say 'oh life is short anyway'... it'll work it's way out....'they'll be living on some other planet [hopefully]' - I considered that last one myself. Every little thing we do is making some carbon footprint, huh. I volunteered once at a recycling plant...dirty and busy. I even got some cool stuff hehe. It can be a job in itself just to find out where and how you can recycle many things. After my enlightenment as a volunteer, I attempted to recycle EVERYTHING that would normally go in the trash. Ah, that was ridiculous with all the cans, boxes, bottles, etc. I had more in the recycling bin, than in the trash. It was quite a responsibility, so I reverted back to recycling in moderation. I guess they get most of what is usable out of the garbage, anyway...and somebody recycles it.

But, who would think that a visit to the local recycling plant would yield so many fine specimens of men. I was a bit caught off guard by the local beefcake up in there. Sure, the majority are recycling for much needed cash, not because they are treehuggers ...but you have to give them credit for putting such efforts toward our environmental future. From young to old, short to tall, every ethnicity, language, in khakis or dirty jeans... I gotta give a shout out to the recyclers. There were only a handful of women. Hey Ladies, let's not be shy! Join the fun. Yeah, so that old refrigerator or ugh scrap metal, ain't your thing. Get your neighbor, boyfriend, brother, or even girlfriend to lend a hand and make it happen!

xoxo
Suga

http://soundcloud.com/sugalane/cries-r-broken-ma

Checking Out Fresh Graphics

If you or someone you know might have some ideas for fresh graphics for an EP cover, let me know. You can just comment and post sample. I'm thinking about a new look for the cover for Ride It Remix. Thanx ...

xoxo
Suga

Some Clutter Keeps Calling....

So my mind feels a little mushy after working through the math required of tax forms. One minute I'm on a it, getting it done... this form, then that one, then oops, oh I missed that line...redo. Anyway, between snacking on fruit and frozen pizza, I lost any inspiration to finish this s%&% "stuff" and now it's really becoming quite a drag.

As 2011 gets cranked up, I know a lot of us are clearing out the clutter in our lives. It's such a great feeling to get rid of junk. Whether you need to clear your closet, your garage, your desk, your colon...or your heart - don't be scared, go for it. I gathered up a ridiculous amount of stuff for donation. I was so embarrassed when I realized exactly how much stuff I had sitting around unused and useless. I had enough for my own little thrift store. Ridiculous. Just stuff wasting space. I reflect on the possibility that there's someone out there who can use some of the stuff I'm holding hostage here. Some items are easier to get rid of than others. Some may talk back or put up a little fight..or even continue to call you, or email.... but find peace in knowing that when you clear out the things that no longer serve you and your purpose, you're actually making space for something new and better. Also, once those blockages are gone, you can have a clear view of the stuff you really want to use.

Starving Artists and Nickels

So as an update to my CD Baby rant/review, I did seek out and find where my song "Ride It-Changin' Lanes" was hiding amongst the digital distribution companies. As an independent artist, serious about perfecting the art of songwriting, I am like Bambi wandering through the woods of distribution looking for food. I did locate my debut single on several sites. I had no idea they had it up a few months ago [check "review of CD Baby"]. Anyway as an excuse to rejoice [or lament, depends on how you look at it] there was a financial report of my first nickel earned from a few ppl streaming the song at Zune and Rhapsody in December 2010. Cool,... I think. Well, the song's 7 streams on those 2 sites = .05, you do the math. I can't speak for all songwriters and/or recording artists, but for me, I write songs because I have something to say deep down and I'd like to touch someone somewhere. Maybe make you laugh, maybe make you cry, maybe make you feel a little sexy. ..And even though I am a struggling single mom, and a nickel won't buy the baby formula or diapers, one of the greatest payments for me came to me like this: I was out at a local spot [this past summer], checking out some tunes, incognito, and a girl comes up to me in the bathroom and says hi. I didn't recognize her at first b/c she'd changed her hair, then she started singing this song. It was a song she'd heard me working on with her bf, a local producer. She said how she loved that song and she had a special sparkle in her eyes as she sang it. She asked me to sing it for her friends...I declined, I hadn't heard it in a while and it was late hehe, I didn't want to scare them...but anyhow, that is what makes it all worthwhile.

ITunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ride-it-single/id395357899

CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sugalane1

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ride-It/dp/B004581N2W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294728323&sr=8-1

Last.fm: http://www.last.fm/music/Suga+Lane/Ride+It

Zune: http://social.zune.net/search.aspx?keyword=suga%2520lane

Rhapsody: http://www.rhapsody.com/suga-lane

Emusic: http://www.emusic.com/search.html?mode=x&QT=suga+lane

Napster: http://music.napster.com/artist.htm?id=13377634

Coffee Addiction?

So I actually slept a bit this morning. For the first time ever I awoke to find my baby sitting there playing contently with her toys, watching me sleep. What a magical moment! Wow , she was having fun and I was actually resting for the first time in weeks. I don't even know what time that was, but when I awoke later...ie a few minutes ago, it seemed like a dream. She's asleep again and I am starved and considering some coffee. There's coffee in the house, but I'd love to get a few things from quik trip. My car is parked on an incline and shuffling snow ain't my thing. So as I listen to the snow slowly start to break off in pieces...I wonder when will we be getting out and about again...and yes, I do have longings for a warm beach somewhere due south.

Loving the Atlanta Snow and Sweet Potato Pie

I can't remember the last time we had this much snow within less than a year's time. Can you? It's pretty and a great excuse to be inside with some cocoa. I think I have chocolated and coffeed [is that a word] myself beyond the regular confines of day and night. Wait what day is it? What time? Oh it's already 10 pm, hum, feels like 10 am...of the next day. I'll have to cut that guilty pleasure back out of my diet this week. Check out  "The Natural Baby Show" for more guilty pleasures. Oh yeah, makes me think of one that I wish I had right now - either my sweet potato pie or even Mickey D's. I discovered McDonald's sweet potato pie a few months ago, um almost like homemade. I believe it was discontinued at the McDonalds near me...and how do I know that...well the last few times that I happened to stop by in the middle of the night, hoping to get one, they politely let me know they didn't have any and that I could get an apple pie instead. Those are good too, but when you have your mind and stomach set on one thing....it's a bummer. I gotta go find something sweet and ah healthy..NOW.

uh new myspace

What about the new myspace? That's some overwhelmingly confusing *&%(, not sure what's going on..hadn't been on in quite a while, and really wasn't thrilled with the html disappearing act. ugh...but great decision to partner up with reverbnation...there's mostly artists not music fans on reverb, but the page setup is clear cut, nice design and simply easy to use.one. I guess you have to upgrade on da space to get any luv huh lol. Too much of a headache and sooo commercial , a battleground for us starving indie artists.

Suga Lane: RE: Please Use Some Grammar Skills!

Suga Lane: RE: Please Use Some Grammar Skills!: "Here's a copy of an email I just received. I'm not trying to be mean to the sender, I understand how we use slang and lack of punctuation......"

RE: Please Use Some Grammar Skills!

Here's a copy of an email I just received. I'm not trying to be mean to the sender, I understand how we use slang and lack of punctuation...but there is a limit to these things...please. Let this be a lesson in how not to write:

ORIGINAL EMAIL


From: **************@aol.com>
To: sugalane@yahoo.com
Sent: Sat, January 8, 2011 8:06:38 AM
Subject:

hello suga lane i am djs short for ********* i am a producer formerly rap artist thats about to release my final lyrical album called everyday issues but i do have a few artist that i work with. i dont know if you have music for your show and if so i would like to submit some tracks to you. what i have seen over the years most shows have their own people that compose their show tunes, but if it is possible and uyou are willing to listen i will be honored to send you something as long as i know what type of music you are looking for. i have done a theme song for the maury povich show sent them emails and its all the same. they dond have anything for submissions just to view ur dirt. of course i got and automayed email that does not pertain to what my question was and i am sick and tiered of this. thes song that i recorded is called "*** *** ******" i expalined what it was and i have not got a responce yet and its been almost a month now but its not the first time i have sent them a message which i have gotten no responce. if you would be willing to give me the chance to display my composition talents you will not be disapponted. what ever you need or want i can provide. thank you please respond.


MY REPLY

Re:
From:
Suga Lane
Add to Contacts
To: xxxxxxxxxxxx@aol.com>
Hi,

I read your "note" and I would love for you to submit for show. There is a link to submission form for Metallic Moon Show
on my blog: http://sugalane.blogspot.com. Something you might want to consider in any future emails, notes, etc., if you want to be taken seriously. USE CAPITALIZATION, PUNCTUATION AND BASIC ENGLISH SKILLS! What you sent me was horrendous. I can understand a little fun slang here and there...I do it plenty, but this is ridiculous...especially for business. I am giving you the benefit of the doubt, b/c I know "artists" can sometimes be a lil' "off". Ok, tighten up ur game gurl, this is 2011!

xoxo
Suga Lane

P.S. [ I hope you didn't send that same note to Mr. Money]


So then I received a response today, proving that the whole point was missed, I'm like huh?

Re:
From:
Mrsmuckas
Add to Contacts
To: sugalane@yahoo.com
Thanks but if you looked at my reverb nation page you would I am a man everybod makes misstakes.

Answer to ur question..

Yes, I received a timely response, definitely and very nice...but the fact that I had to email to find out any updates and the having to research other distro updates...after paying for a service. Idk, am I asking for too much?

reviewing cdbaby

Hey, I'm not complaining...but I signed up for cdbaby and submitted my 1st single through them for distribution. like 4 mths ago. They said it could take up to 3 mths. Well 4 mths later, there was no update about the digital distro...geez that's a minute, so i e-mailed them and they replied that single was on itunes and with a link...but they told me they don't get any updates or links from any of the other digital distribution companies...that I have to keep checking EACH of them. Huh? maybe I'm naive, but that sucks. Do any artists have any insights on which company is the quickest and most reliable to do biz with? http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ride-it-single/id395357899
www.itunes.com/sugalane

Thx to all who r feelin my photos after havin da baby, no gym yet just diet magic and vitamins! I'm so glad I can get back in my clothes, I was a lil nervous for a minute lol