Who Is Scott Austin?

Is there anything better than going to your favorite restaurant with a guaranteed reservation and in the meantime earning points towards CASH rewards for future restaurant visits???

Simple answer?  NO!

I have become a huge fan of OT.com, the subject of which has become a bit of an inside joke with the smASH-ster.  Here’s my point, if we’re going to go to these places anyway ( i.e. Katsuya / Morton’s / Pecorino / etc.), why not get rewarded?

Check it out and join the reservation revolution!!!  (kidding, the service is forever years old!)

So along with my resolution to bring back the WISA blog, and my new discovery of the RedBox DVD wundermachine, for 2010 we have initiated Taco Tuesdays at Authentik HQ.

What is Taco Tuesday you may be wondering? It’s quite simply an exercise in deliciousness whereby the Authentik staff and any Artists or friends wandering down the street can stop in for some freshly concocted tacos. Vegetarians need not fret as cheese quesadillas are an “off-the-menu” item available upon request.

!Que Sabroso!

So we’re t-plus 72 hours into 2010 and I have already discovered 3 things that I should have in 2009!

First, the RedBox DVD rental device. This very 2009, maybe even 2008 invention blew my mind yesterday, offering up over a hundred amazing dvd movies for just a buck, without having to deal with a line at the rental store or having to wait for the mail man via netflix. All in all, a win-win, thank you RedBox:

Second, and directly related to the RedBox, the Tom Cruise-led Valkyrie. This is EXACTLY my kind of movie. I’ll admit, I went into the second act a bit skeptical of the depiction of actual German events acted out entirely in English, but I quickly got over my fears. This movie is incredible, and exactly the kind of strategy-thriller I would expect from the man who could pull off the lead in both Jerry Maguire and Vanilla Sky in the same decade. I only wish I had seen it in theaters. God bless RedBox.

Finally, and only because we are staying on topic, we also rented Up. Pixar rarely disappoints, and I’m convinced that they’re target audience is adults, not kids. This one may prove the point even more so, with a storyline that starts off as nothing less than a bit “adult”, even dark, but rewards with colorful and otherworldy animation and a storyline finale that should make even the most hardened soul tear up. Bravo!

Ok, so with approximately 24 hours of vacation time left, and after a terrific meal/drinks outing with good friends Devil Ash and beau Christopher at Silverlake’s fabulous Malo Restaurant, I am back in the lair speaking of a great technological find that dispenses great new films at great prices, all whilst sipping a freshly tapped Heineken courtesy of other great invention (and recent Xmas gift from smASH) the Krups Beertender. Cheers!

So after much contemplation and soul searching, I’ve decided to bring back the WISA blog! After taking a much needed break from, well, myself, I’ve decided that it’s time to jump back into the blogosphere and journal some of the more exciting things going on around me.  I know that millions of fans have missed my musings, so I am happy to oblige those that just haven’t been able to see the sky the same way since my regular ramblings ceased!

If you know me, you know I’m not a “Facebooker” or “Tweeter” and since I have decided that most people’s status updates are nothing more than meaningless banter about almost entirely self-important issues, I promise to keep things as interesting as possible without appearing to “gloat” that special sheen.

So on that note, smASH and I are off to catch a sweet turn o’ the decade hang with Octavio, Jess, Scotty P, Janice, K. Lee, Bobby and whoever else we run into at the swanky new Palihouse Hotel in West Hollywood so stop in for a drink if you’re around!

Happy New Year’s Eve Everyone!

Just listen to The Kin who are not only good friends, they might be one of the most prolific songwriting duos to grace our ears in a long time…

The Kin

It doesn’t get any cooler than this… the folks at Google finally bested even their own efforts to create the best “google” logo ever.

In honor of the late great’s birthday, long live the King Of Pop and Rest In Peace M.J.

Congrats to my friends at Music Connection Magazine for creating a great site that continues to feed good information to the independent artist community… And glad to know they feel my past musings of wisdom continue to ring true.

“There is no magic button that anyone can push to make your band a success. There are countless variables that go into a breakout album, and the more you can do to further your band’s career through smart planning and follow-through the better.” Scott Austin, A&R Executive

Welcome to another installment of Breakdown with Scott Austin. In this episode, I answer viewer questions about how to pursue a career in music.

How cool is this?! I want to get a corner penthouse that overlooks… well, nothing!

“With the Black Eyed Peas’ “The E.N.D.” looking to recapture the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200 chart with slightly less than 100,000, this week will mark the first time a catalog album has sold more than a current release.”

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/michael-jackson-rocks-billboard-charts-1003988912.story