News you may have missed! (3/12/23)
WTF Avril?! + blink-182 footage you haven't seen + Spotify is turning into TikTok + Music piracy + NEW MUSIC!
Happy Sunday! This week brings us an update on the Avril Lavigne and Mod Sun saga, 100s of hours of unseen blink-182 footage about to arrive, Spotify turning into TikTok, music piracy still being a thing, The Offspring winning a huge lawsuit, and a lot of new music!
So let’s get to it!
OUT NOW: WTF Avril?! + blink-182 footage you haven't seen + Spotify is turning into TikTok
This week, we are going to talk about newly released albums from Story of the Year and Meet Me @ The Altar. Then we’ll discuss some news from the week that includes some follow-up updates on the Avril Lavigne and Mod Sun drama, then there’s some old never-before-seen unearthed blink-182 footage that will start being released. We also talk about Spotify becoming TikTok, and a specific pop-punk band coming under fire for doing some sexist things and only fueling the stereotypes of males in the pop-punk scene.
Listen to our latest episode here.
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ICYMI: blink-182 cancel tour dates + Mod Sun and Avril call it quits + WTF Sumerian Records?!
Unbelievable fan concert stories pt. 2. For this week, we asked the question on Reddit, and Redditors responded. This week's question is: What is the craziest thing you've witnessed at a concert? Here’s part 2 of this episode. If you ask me, it’s even funnier than the first. Listen here.
SoundCloud is testing a TikTok-like feed for music discovery. SoundCloud is testing a vertical feed discovery feature for a select number of users on its iOS and Android apps. The feature shows 30-second previews of songs selected by either the artist or SoundCloud's AI tech. The app's new "Discover" page will show songs based on users' listening history and musical taste, with captions explaining why a particular song is recommended. Users can "like" the song to add it to their "Liked tracks" and tap on the play button to listen to the full version. SoundCloud has also introduced a new page design that makes it easier to comment on tracks or add them to a playlist.
Live Nation, Ticketmaster Has Boosted Lobbying by Almost 400%. No surprise here. Live Nation has deployed a team of over 30 lobbyists to defend its 2010 merger with Ticketmaster from growing criticism by US senators, including calls for a Department of Justice investigation. The company, historically a low spender on lobbying, spent $1.1m on lobbying expenses in 2022, nearly five times its annual average from 2012 to 2018, according to Open Secrets. Live Nation's lobbying efforts include defending criticism of Ticketmaster's handling of the Swift presale and could increase further as the company seeks to exit the consent decree after it expires in 2024. The company's lobbying activities surpass those of competitors AEG, SeatGeek and Viagogo.
Music piracy is rising and the U.S. is a trouble spot. A report from UK technology company MUSO has found that global music piracy increased in 2022 for the second year in a row, with over 15 billion visits to music piracy sites. While streaming has caused a drop in peer-to-peer and file-sharing behavior, it has also led to an increase in streaming fraud. MUSO found that piracy is not negligible, with illegal downloads of artists including Justin Bieber, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan detected. The US is third on the list of countries for piracy traffic, behind Iran and India. Stream-ripping remains the most prevalent form of piracy in the US, accounting for over half of piracy demand in the country.
Warner Music CEO urges holdouts in streaming price hikes to raise subscription fees. Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl said that streaming companies that haven't raised their prices are contributing to the undervaluing of music. Kyncl noted that if the price of an individual streaming subscription plan were adjusted for inflation in 2023, it would cost $13.25 instead of the current roughly $10 a month. Several music streaming companies, such as Apple, Amazon, and Deezer, have raised their baseline prices recently. However, Spotify has yet to raise the $9.99 pricetag on its U.S. premium subscription plan. Kyncl did not address Spotify specifically but urged streaming companies to get in line and raise their prices.
Gorillaz & Godsmack Go No. 1 on Rock Album Charts. Gorillaz and Godsmack are leading Billboard’s rock album charts with their new albums, "Cracker Island" and "Lighting Up the Sky," respectively. Gorillaz's "Island" debuts at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Top Alternative Albums charts, with 64,000 equivalent album units earned. It also tops the Vinyl Albums chart and Top Album Sales. The album's single "Tormenta," featuring Bad Bunny, leads seven of its songs in the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart at No. 9. Meanwhile, Godsmack's "Lighting Up the Sky" launches at No. 1 on Top Hard Rock Albums with 21,000 units. The album opens at No. 19 on the Billboard 200.
PATD Just Played Final Show + Brendon Urie Shares Sincere Message. Panic! at the Disco played their final show at the AO Arena in Manchester, England on March 10, marking the end of the band's nearly 20-year run. The band's founding vocalist, Brendon Urie, had announced earlier that the group was ending because he wanted to focus on his family. The group performed over two dozen songs at their final concert, including their new album, Viva Las Vengeance, and classics such as “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.” Urie expressed gratitude for the band's fans in a social media post, saying that he will always be grateful for the 18-year experience. Fans thanked Urie for helping them through difficult times and for creating beautiful memories.
Hot Mulligan announce new album. Hot Mulligan revealed that they will be releasing a new album titled Why Would I Watch on May 12th through Wax Bodega (available for pre-order). Produced by their longtime collaborator Brett Romnes (of I Am the Avalanche), the album's first single "Shhh! Golf is On" is a passionate, emo/pop punk track that gives fans a glimpse of what's to come. Lead vocalist Tades Sanville has revealed that the song is about his mother and his plea for her to pass away, as each time he hears about her, she becomes a worse person than before.
Machine Gun Kelly, Mod Son Named 'Worst Directors' at the Razzies. Machine Gun Kelly and Mod Sun won the Worst Director award at the 43rd annual Razzie Awards for their work in Good Mourning. The film received a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated in almost all categories. Good Mourning almost won Worst Picture, Worst Actor, Worst Supporting Actor, Worst Screen Couple, and Worst Screenplay. The film follows the story of movie star London Clash after he believes he receives a breakup text from the love of his life. Critics have described the film's storyline as going downhill from there. Damn.
Vinyl Outsold CDs in 2022 for First Time in Over Three Decades. Vinyl sales surpassed CD sales in the US for the first time since 1987, with more than 41 million units sold last year compared to 33 million CDs. Taylor Swift sold the most vinyl units in 2022, followed by Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo, Kendrick Lamar, and Fleetwood Mac. However, streaming still accounted for the bulk of revenue, making up 84% of the all-time high of $15.9 billion overall. Paid subscribers increased to 92 million from 84 million in 2021, while ad-supported streaming revenue from platforms like YouTube and the free version of Spotify grew 6% to $1.8 billion. Record companies are working to build a healthy streaming economy where artists and rights-holders get paid wherever and whenever their work is used.
The Used and Pierce the Veil Announce 2023 North American Co-Headlining Tour. The Used and Pierce the Veil have announced a co-headlining North American tour for 2023 called "The Creative Control Tour." The tour will begin in May in Austin, Texas, and end in July in Phoenix, Arizona. Don Broco, Deathbyromy, and girlfriends will provide support on select dates. Pre-sales for tickets began on March 7th, while general ticket sales began on March 10th. The two bands will be touring in support of their upcoming albums: The Used’s Toxic Positivity and Pierce the Veil’s The Jaws of Life.
Study: One-in-Five Music Industry Workers Experience Sexual Abuse. The study surveyed over 1,500 people who work in the music industry from 109 different countries and found that one in five reported experiencing sexual harassment or abuse at work. Furthermore, 34 percent of women in the music industry experienced some form of sexual abuse or harassment at work, but these percentages were higher for nonbinary individuals (43 percent) and transgender individuals (42 percent). The study also showed that 53 percent of participants agreed that men are paid more than women and nonbinary individuals. Finally, the study revealed an increase in mental health struggles since working in the music industry, particularly for women, nonbinary and transgender individuals.
The Offspring win lawsuit brought by an ex-drummer regarding $35 million catalog sale. Former drummer for punk band The Offspring, Ron Welty, has lost his lawsuit against the band over unpaid royalties. Welty claimed he was owed millions of dollars from the sale of the band's music rights to Round Hill Music in 2015, and that lead singer Bryan "Dexter" Holland tried to "erase" his contributions to the band's history. However, a Los Angeles judge rejected Welty's accusations, calling some of them "completely illogical," and ruled in favor of The Offspring on all remaining claims. In response, Welty's attorney said they will continue to fight and appeal the decision. The case had been ongoing since September 2020.
Mike Shinoda drops new single featuring Kalie Morgue "In My Head" from Scream VI
Hot Mulligan share "Shhh! Golf is on"
Your Broken Hero has released a video for new song “Blink-182”
The XCERTS drop new song “Ache” featuring Sam Carter of Architects
The Lunar Year drop new single “Hey! Wait!” co-written with blink-182’s Mark Hoppus
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