(PR) NYC & Company, New York City's marketing, tourism and partnership organization today announced a partnership with Warner Bros. Records for the launch of the new album "Dig Out Your Soul" by British band Oasis, in stores October 7, 2008. The launch will see Oasis use the streets of New York City as the stage to premier their new music. Entitled "Dig Out Your Soul in the Streets," the launch which will be captured in a documentary created by NYC & Company's creative agency of record, Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) New York, will take place on Friday, September 12, 2008 beginning at 10am with an intimate rehearsal session where their new songs "The Turning," "Bag it Up" and "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady," along with new single "The Shock of the Lightning" will be taught to an eclectic group of more than 30 New York City street musicians from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Music Under New York Program. That same afternoon, the street musicians will take to the City streets to perform three unreleased Oasis songs publicly for the first time.
"We are excited that Oasis has chosen to not only launch their album in New York City, but also to enlist the help of our talented and diverse street musicians," said George Fertitta, CEO, NYC & Company. "Considering the fact that some of the most internationally-celebrated musical performers of this Century have had their start right here on our streets, there could not be a more fitting place for this to happen than New York City, and we encourage New Yorkers and visitors alike to take the opportunity to see these unreleased songs performed for the fist time on our City streets."
"This is a great example of new thinking applied to an album launch, a sort of backwards album release, where the music starts on the streets instead of ending up there," said Kevin Roddy, Executive Creative Director, BBH New York. "And there could not be a more relevant place for this new approach than the capital of street culture, New York City, which will provide a one-of-a-kind backdrop for Oasis's new songs to be unveiled."
Street musicians will perform Oasis's new songs at locations throughout the City including MTA approved subway station platforms at Grand Central, Times Square, Penn Station and Astor Place. A full list of street locations can be found at nycvisit.com/oasis and oasisnet.com. Additionally, bios for all of the selected street musicians, which come from all parts of New York City, and have different ethnic, musical and creative backgrounds, can be found on NYC & Company's dedicated microsite, along with exclusive clips from a documentary of the full event, from the musicians meeting Oasis to learning and playing their songs on the City streets, to be shot by renowned music video directors The Malloys and produced by BBH. Initial footage will be available to view at nycvisit.com/oasis on Friday, September 12 from 6pm, in advance of the full documentary which will be debuted shortly before the release of the Oasis album.
Oasis, along with NYC & Company, is further encouraging fans to film the street musicians using their own recording devices and to post the user generated content on a unique You Tube channel dedicated to the Oasis album launch. Additional content will be uploaded to http://www.youtube.com/digoutyoursoulsongs in the weeks leading up to the album release. For fans wishing to learn Oasis's songs themselves, from September 16, 2008, sheet music will be able to view at http://www.oasisinet.com/digoutyoursoulsongs.