News you may have missed! (3/5/23)
blink-182 cancel tour dates + Mod Sun and Avril call it quits + WTF Sumerian Records?! + Unbelievable concert stories you need to hear + NEW MUSIC!
Happy Sunday! This week brings us what seems to be confirmation of the Avril and MOD SUN breakup, blink-182 canceling some tour dates, and Sumerian Records getting weird on Twitter… We also shared some unbelievable fan-submitted concert stories that we want you to hear. Part 2 of those unbelievable stories will be dropping later this week (hint, hint). So make sure you’re following our podcast! Also, this week brings us some new music you need to check out!
So let’s get to it!
OUT NOW: blink-182 cancel tour dates + Mod Sun and Avril call it quits + WTF Sumerian Records?!
This week, Tyler and John discuss new music released from Meet Me @ The Altar and Paris Jackson. Then they move to news about blink-182 canceling some tour dates, the end of Mod Sun and Avril Lavigne’s engagement, the future of radio, a record label that should probably just stick to talking about record label things, and finally venues needing to stop stealing from bands.
Listen to our latest episode here.
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ICYMI: Our interview with Thriller Records / ex-Fearless Records President Bob Becker
Unbelievable fan concert stories. 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? As usual, bourbon was involved while recording this episode so please excuse the good time. Listen here.
Avril Lavigne and MOD SUN split. Mod Sun seemingly confirmed his recent breakup with Avril Lavigne through an Instagram post. In his post, he reflected on how his life had drastically changed in just one week and expressed his belief that everything happens for a reason. Mod stated, "I'll keep my head up + always listen to my heart, even when it feels broken," without specifically mentioning Lavigne, although Billboard has confirmed that the post was about their split. He also thanked his friends for their support during his tour, saying, "Being surrounded by love every night on tour has been an absolute blessing. I have the best friends in the entire world, thanks for always having my back. See you on stage." Last week, reports emerged that the couple had called off their engagement, and while Mod Sun's representative denied the rumors at the time, stating that the two were still together, Lavigne's team did not respond to requests for comment. Based on the timing of all of this, it’s believed that our interview with MOD SUN is the last one before the breakup as he was clearly recording inside his and Avril’s home as Lavigne’s album plaques hung on the wall behind him.
Spotify Launches U.S. RADAR Songwriters Campaign, Taps Beach Noise. Spotify has launched its RADAR Songwriter development program in the United States to give a leg-up to emerging U.S. songwriters. Beach Noise, a Grammy Award-winning songwriting and production team, is the first U.S. act to join the program and is credited with producing and writing six of the tracks on Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. RADAR Songwriters participants can expect spotlights and promotional pushes across Spotify's network, including bespoke covers of the RADAR Songwriters playlist, features in Spotify creative marketing campaigns, promotion on Notable, Spotify's home for songwriters and producers, and social support to amplify the news. Those selected will also receive a dedicated "Written By" playlist that will receive prominent placement in global spots featuring emerging talent such as RADAR and the Songwriters Hub.
Fall Out Boy Unveils ‘So Much (For) Stardust’ Tracklist, Featuring Ethan Hawke Collab.
Universal Music Partners With Deezer to Develop New Streaming Model. Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced a new partnership with Deezer to develop a "new model" that values the contribution of artists and fans in the growth of streaming. UMG had previously partnered with TIDAL in January. The need for a new model that values the contributions of artists and fans was a recurring theme in the earnings call. UMG executives did not offer many details about the new model, but one key element for CEO Lucian Grainge is that artists should be rewarded for bringing in fans to streaming services and driving engagement. Grainge also hopes that fans will be given more ways to engage.
A-Rod’s Ticketing Startup Raises $20 Million to Take On Ticketmaster. Former baseball player Alex Rodriguez and his business partner Marc Lore have raised $20 million to launch a new ticketing company called Jump. The platform will focus on improving the fan experience before, during, and after sports events, with a feature called “dynamic ticketing” that allows fans to pay to move to better seats during a game. Rodriguez and Lore were inspired to start Jump after exploring ownership opportunities with sports teams and seeing how many were failing to deliver a satisfactory fan experience. The company will initially be focused on sports events, rather than music or entertainment, but it remains to be seen whether it can avoid the price gouging associated with Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Both companies are currently being investigated for antitrust violations by the Justice Department and Tennessee’s Attorney General.
It Takes a Lot of People to Create All This AI Music. The music industry is already feeling the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI), as companies like BandLab use AI as the engine for their music-creation app SongStarter. BandLab's 60 million registered creators are generating more than 17 million songs each month, with the AI helping to generate beats or melodies at random or based on specific lyrics and emojis. However, the tracks that emerge from BandLab still depend on the interaction of human creators and AI. Other companies like LifeScore use AI to create unique, real-time soundtracks for every journey, relying on "Lego blocks of sound all made in a studio by real musicians playing real instruments through lovely microphones". The AI kicks in when it comes to assembling that sonic Lego, and although unsuccessful soundscapes are generated all the time, these companies have rigorous testing processes in place to ensure quality control. Boomy is another company that offers aspiring musicians the chance to make songs in seconds with help from AI tools. Since 2019, Boomy users have created over 12 million songs. The company has a generic content policy that rejects songs that are considered to be low quality or made solely by pressing buttons. Boomy plans to scale this approach by hiring more staff.
Godsmack Forced to Cancel South American Tour. The band announced on Instagram that they have to cancel their South American tour due to a lack of ticket sales. This means they can't find enough people who want to come see their shows, which makes it hard to pay for everything. They said they are really sorry and tried really hard to make it work, but now they have to cancel, but hope to come back and play for them in the future. The band recently released a new album called "Lighting Up the Sky" and are planning a spring tour in the United States starting from May 4th.
Spotify is testing playlists that could be unlocked by NFT holders. Spotify is working on a pilot project that will enable some NFT-based communities to unlock playlists with tokens. Universal Music Group-signed metaverse band Kingship has created a playlist that can be accessed only by Kingship key card NFT holders who link a crypto wallet, authenticate their NFT, and live in certain regions. Other communities such as Overlord, Fluf and Kevin Rose's Moonbirds are also offering playlists that can be unlocked with tokens. Spotify confirmed the pilot and said it is one of many tests it is conducting to improve the user experience. The service is for Spotify Premium users only and will be updated throughout the three-month testing period.
Joshua Roberts of Magnolia Park releases solo single with video “Angel”
Watch Meet Me @ the Altar perform “Kool” on the Kelly Clarkson show.
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