Current News

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: LONNIE HOLLEY/OH ME OH MY

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Lonnie Holley is an artist and art educator as well as a musician. His life story is something like out of a movie: born during the Jim Crow era, he was the 7th of 27 children. At the age of four, he was traded for a bottle of whiskey and was then put to work at the age of five. While working odd jobs – washing dishes, picking up trash at [...]

By | March 10th, 2023|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: LONNIE HOLLEY/OH ME OH MY

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: DE LA SOUL/3 FEET HIGH AND RISING

Although it is hard to believe now, it wasn’t easy in the late 1980s for Rap and Hip-Hop artists to gain much traction in the Billboard 200 Albums or Top 40 Singles charts. There were songs that were picked up by more adventurous stations earlier that decade – i.e., “White Lines” by Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel – but overall, Pop and Rock fans weren’t paying attention to the up-and-coming Rap stars of the day. [...]

By | March 3rd, 2023|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: DE LA SOUL/3 FEET HIGH AND RISING

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: STEVE VAI PRESENTS VAI/GASH

Since he first came to prominence as a member of Frank Zappa’s band in the early 1980s, Steve Vai has become one of rock music’s most iconic guitarists. Initially a transcriptionist for Zappa, Steve Vai became a full-fledged member of Zappa’s band and played with Frank from 1980 until 1983. After leaving Zappa, Steve Vai set up his own studio and recorded his debut solo album, FLEX-ABLE, released in 1984. That same year, he replaced [...]

By | February 24th, 2023|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: STEVE VAI PRESENTS VAI/GASH

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BBNO$/BAG OR DIE

Rapper, singer, and songwriter bbno$ was born Alexander Gumuchian in Canada to an Armenian family. A back injury put an end to his dreams of being a professional swimmer, so, in 2014, he turned his attention to music. Initially, he focused on music production and rapping for his own enjoyment, but he got his friends involved and formed the Broke Boy Gang. The group gained a little traction with live performances and posting their music [...]

By | February 20th, 2023|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BBNO$/BAG OR DIE

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: ANDY SHAUF/NORM

Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andy Shauf came to prominence with the released of his album, DARKER DAYS, in 2008. While he had spent his formative musical years as drummer of a Christian punk band, that album brought him to the attention of a much wider audience both inside and outside Canada. He followed that album with the EPs TOUR EP (2009), WAITING FOR THE SUN TO LEAVE (2010) and SAM JONES [...]

By | February 20th, 2023|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: ANDY SHAUF/NORM

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: MAGNOLIA RECORD CLUB PRESENTS: SPOTIFY SINGLES, VOL. 2

Founded by Nashville singer / songwriter Drew Holcomb, the Magnolia Record Club is a label that specializes in vinyl-only releases. With a motto that states “Curated by artists, not robots,” the label prides itself on the quality of their releases – from the music that flows between the grooves to the jackets and sleeves that embrace the vinyl itself. Drew Holcomb – who has been releasing a series of albums since 2005 - is best [...]

By | February 3rd, 2023|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: MAGNOLIA RECORD CLUB PRESENTS: SPOTIFY SINGLES, VOL. 2

Alliance Entertainment’s AMPED Distribution Brings Home 26 Grammy Nominations Across Its Family of Independent Labels

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AMPED Distribution, a division of Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation (“Alliance Entertainment”), a distributor and wholesaler of the world’s largest in stock selection of music, movies, video games, electronics, arcades, and collectibles, is proud to announce a resounding total of 26 nominations for the upcoming 2023 Grammy Awards. The recognition of artists in twenty-two unique categories is reflective of the eclectic, wide ranging profiles of AMPED label partners. “We are privileged to work [...]

By | January 27th, 2023|News|Comments Off on Alliance Entertainment’s AMPED Distribution Brings Home 26 Grammy Nominations Across Its Family of Independent Labels

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: FUCKED UP / ONE DAY

With a name that guarantees that they won’t get their own TV special on Disney+ or Nickelodeon, Fucked Up is one of Canada’s premiere Hardcore Punk bands. Formed in 2001, the group was founded by vocalist Damian Abraham, guitarists Mike Haliechuk and Josh Zucker, bassist Sandy Miranda, and drummer Jonah Falco, all of whom are still with the band over two decades later. The group immediately released a demo in 2001, which was followed by [...]

By | January 27th, 2023|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: FUCKED UP / ONE DAY

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BLACK STAR RIDERS/WRONG SIDE OF PARADISE

The roots of Black Star Riders reach all the way back to 1974 when guitarist Scott Gorham joined rockers Thin Lizzy. Once he joined the band as part of their unique twin lead guitar attack, Thin Lizzy became one of the most respected rock ‘n’ roll bands in the world. He remained with the rockers until their 1983 split, and all hopes for a reunion were crushed when leader Phil Lynott died in 1986. However, [...]

By | January 20th, 2023|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BLACK STAR RIDERS/WRONG SIDE OF PARADISE

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BEYOND THE BLACK / BEYOND THE BLACK

Symphonic Metal band Beyond the Black was formed in Mannheim, Germany in 2014. Fronted by vocalist Jennifer Haben, the group originally featured guitarists Nil Lesser and Christopher Hummels, keyboardist Michael Hauser, bassist Erwin Schmidt, and drummer Tobias Derer. They made their first significant live appearance at the Wacken Open Air festival in 2014 before releasing their debut album, SONGS OF LOVE AND DEATH, in early 2015. The album was a success and Beyond the Black [...]

By | January 13th, 2023|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BEYOND THE BLACK / BEYOND THE BLACK