Kim Gordon on “Selling Out”

Mar 4, 2015

Barnes And Noble Review: In 1990, Sonic Youth decided to sign to a major label. You received a lot of criticism for it — people said you’d “sold out,” a term that seems dated now. How did you feel about it at the time?

Kim Gordon: Well, we may have gone to a major label, but when we went on tour with Neil Young, we learned pretty quickly that we weren’t part of the mainstream – his audiences hated us! And being on a major label didn’t change us. We pretty much continued to do what we wanted to, including a lot of experimental stuff. Geffen never really promoted us, but in return they never pressured us either, or told us we had to go back and edit a song to turn it into something commercial. It was only when we signed with Matador that I realized in some ways that “These are our people,” and not the other guys.

BNR: The term “sellout” seems very ’90s — today, as you write of New York, “creative ideas and personal ambition are no longer mutually exclusive.” That punk-rock puritanism has sort of gone out of style, but have we moved too far in the opposite direction?

KG: I’m of the opinion that individuals need to look into their own souls and figure that out for themselves.

Via Barnes and Noble Review

Mumford & Sons Announce Third Album Details and 2015 Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers

Mar 4, 2015

Mumford & Sons have today announces the details of their forthcoming third album, Wilder Mind. Wilder Mind will be released in North America through Glassnote Records on May 4, 2015. It is produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, HAIM, Florence & The Machine) and features twelve new tracks, written collaboratively by the band in London, Brooklyn, and Texas.

A number of the new songs were written and demoed at Aaron Dessner’s (The National) garage studios in Brooklyn. The band also returned to Eastcote Studios in London, where they recorded Sigh No More, for further writing and demo sessions. The album was recorded at AIR studios in London.

This new album marks a significant departure for the young British band from their previous records, 2009’s Sigh No More, and 2012’s Babel. The early sessions in New York and London witnessed a change in the band’s approach not just to writing and recording, but to texture and dynamics, too. There is a minimalist yet panoramic feel to the new album, whose sound Marcus Mumford describes as “a development, not a departure.” It came about by both accident, and by conscious decision.

“Towards the end of the Babel tour, we’d always play new songs during soundchecks, and none of them featured the banjo, or a kick-drum,” says Marcus Mumford. “And demoing with Aaron meant that, when we took a break, we knew it wasn’t going to involve acoustic instruments. We didn’t say: ‘No acoustic instruments.’ But I think all of us had this desire to shake it up. The songwriting hasn’t changed drastically; it was led more by a desire to not do the same thing again. Plus, we fell back in love with drums! It’s as simple as that.”

“It felt completely natural, though,” says Ben Lovett, “like it did when we started out. It was very much a case of, if someone was playing an electric guitar, drums were going to complement that best; and, sonically, it then made sense to add a synth or an organ. We chose instruments that played well off each other, rather than consciously trying to overhaul it.”

Wilder Mind follows the 2012 release of Mumford & Sons’ sophomore album, 2012’s Grammy-winning Babel, which was the follow-up to their 2009 debut album, Sigh No More.

Mumford & Sons Wilder Mind Tracklisting:

1. Tompkins Square Park

2. Believe

3. The Wolf

4. Wilder Mind

5. Just Smoke

6. Monster

7. Snake Eyes

8. Broad-Shouldered Beasts

9. Cold Arms

10. Ditmas

11. Only Love

12. Hot Gates

To promote Wilder Mind, Mumford & Sons have announced the first details and line-ups for their 2015 Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers. Each Stopover is a two-day event that combines the intimacy of a community celebration with the excitement of a world-class music festival. Mumford & Sons will headline the Saturday shows, alongside an eclectic and energetic roster of artists curated by the band themselves. A series of smaller events involving local businesses, venues, and, most importantly, local people will happen in and around the town.

About this year’s upcoming Stopover tour, Mumford & Sons said: “The Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers are all about live music. We get to put them on in towns not normally frequented by touring bands in busses or splitter vans. We deliberately look for towns that have something unique, or some vibe of which they are proud, explore them and enjoy what they have to offer.”

Like 2012 and 2013, these outdoor events will take place in carefully selected and unique locations internationally, and will feature a host of acclaimed acts including Foo Fighters, Alabama Shakes, My Morning Jacket, The Flaming Lips, and many others, including more to be announced. This year’s host towns include Seaside Heights, NJ; Waverly, IA; Walla Walla, WA; and Salida, CO.

Tickets will go on sale at 10 am local time on March 6th from gentlemenoftheroad.com/tickets. Please visit the website for all ticket details.
Mumford & Sons Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers
Seaside Heights, New Jersey, USA

June 5th + 6th – Mumford & Sons, The Flaming Lips, Alabama Shakes, The Vaccines, The Maccabees, Dawes, The Very Best, Jenny Lewis, Little May, JEFF The Brotherhood, Blake Mills + more TBA

Waverly, Iowa, USA

June 19th + 20th – Mumford & Sons, The Flaming Lips, My Morning Jacket, Dawes, Jenny Lewis, The Maccabees, The Very Best, Rubblebucket, JEFF The Brotherhood, Blake Mills + more TBA

Aviemore, Scotland, UK

July 31st + August 1st – Mumford & Sons, Primal Scream, Simian Mobile Disco, Ben Howard, Lianne La Havas, The Maccabees, Jack Garratt, Honeyblood + more TBA

Walla Walla, Washington, USA

August 14th + 15th – Mumford & Sons, Foo Fighters, The Flaming Lips, The Vaccines, Dawes, Jenny Lewis, TuneYards, James Vincent McMorrow, JEFF The Brotherhood, Blake Mills + more TBA

Salida, Colorado, USA

August 21st + 22nd – Mumford & Sons, The Flaming Lips, Dawes,

Jenny Lewis, The Vaccines, TuneYards, James Vincent McMorrow, JEFF The Brotherhood, Blake Mills + more TBA

So Cute! Panda asks for hug to get down from tree

Mar 4, 2015

A breeder in China’s Sichuan Province wants to take this panda down from a tree, but the lovely panda wants a reward. So it asks the breeder for a hug before moving. Daaaw!

Taylor Swift Does It All – Save The Music Industry AND Stops Babies From Crying

Mar 4, 2015

6-month-old Rosie loves Taylor Swift, and it looks like Taylor Swift loves Rosie.

THIS IS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. http://t.co/4bNzbBdcsX
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) March 2, 2015

Music is your best friend when nobody else understands you.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Didn’t Start In The 1950s

Mar 4, 2015

I just finished reading author and photograph collector Jim Linderman’s book called The Birth of Rock and Roll that includes many found photographs of the types of musicians who contributed to what eventually became known as rock ’n’ roll music. It’s a facinating read to those of us who believed the genre started in the 1950s, or with Nirvana. I kid.

Linderman spoke with Lisa Hix of Collector’s Weekly in a fine article, published last week: “We have this notion that rock ’n’ roll started in Memphis in 1955, and it really didn’t,” Linderman says. “Bob Wills was playing in the ’30s and ’40s in Oklahoma, and Chuck Berry modeled ‘Maybellene’ on a Bob Wills song. The roots of rock go back a lot further than we realize. It came from the church, from vaudeville, from the music played in after-hours clubs, from juke joints. Some of it came from Ireland. It’s such a conglomeration, and that diversity is the real back story of rock ’n’ roll. Without any trouble at all, I was able to include people of all races in this book. I was able to show the melting pot in America, which came together to create this phenomenon.

“I was especially happy to be able to include so many women performers, because they never got their due,” he continues. “Which is why we don’t know who they are now. I love being able to illustrate how broad the music used to be, because now it’s so narrow and pigeonholed. It seems we’ve lost some of the breadth that used to be there.”

Amanda Palmer races to $13,000 per release in Patreon crowdfunding

Mar 4, 2015

From The Guardian:

Every time US musician Amanda Palmer releases a new song, video or long-form piece of writing, she’ll earn more than a total of $13,000 from her 1,400 backers on crowdfunding site Patreon, making her one of the site’s most popular creators.

It took just over 14 hours for the musician to reach that figure after launching her profile on the US-based site, with her fans pledging to pay an average of $9.28 each whenever she releases a new piece of content to her “patron-only” feed.

Palmer famously raised $1.2m in 2012 from fans on Kickstarter to fund the release of her last album, plus an art book and tour. She’s now shifting her efforts to Patreon, with its model of regular, smaller payments from fans to support the work of creators.

Canada’s Walk Of Fame Announces The Return Of The “Emerging Artist Music Mentorship Program”

Mar 4, 2015

Canada’s Walk of Fame announces the return of the highly successful Emerging Artist Music Mentorship Program, supported by RBC, as part of Canada’s Walk of Fame Emerging Artists Programs and Scholarships. Valued at more than $100,000, the 2015 national competition will once again focus on the world of music, calling all aspiring Canadian musicians to visit www.canadaswalkoffame.combeginning today for details on eligibility and submission requirements. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 11:59 pm ET.

In 2014, over 200 submissions were received from highly gifted emerging artists across Canada. After winning last year’s Grand Prize, Guelph, Ontario’s own NEFE opened for Canadian icon Burton Cummings during his Canada’s Walk of Fame Festival performance at Massey Hall and recently signed a recording contract with Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company.

“Last year’s Grand Prize winner was ‘discovered’ through this program, and we couldn’t be more proud of this. NEFE is an amazing talent,” says Melanie Hurley, CEO, Canada’s Walk of Fame. “When we launched this competition, our goal was to offer gifted Canadian musicians opportunities to develop their careers that they otherwise might not have. This mentorship program allows us to do just that with opportunities for exposure, mentorship, and access to key influencers and monetary support. It is an all-encompassing opportunity to provide aspiring musicians with the tools to flourish.”

“Through the RBC Emerging Artists Project, we are committed to providing opportunities and funding to artists in the early stages of their careers,” said Shari Austin, Vice President, RBC Corporate Citizenship and Executive Director, RBC Foundation. “We’re proud to partner with Canada’s Walk of Fame on this initiative, and are honoured to be able to contribute to the professional success of Canada’s next generation of musicians through this program.”

PRIZING DETAILS
Chosen by a selection committee comprised of music and industry experts, and announced later this year, the Grand Prize winner will receive:

A cash prize of $25,000
Performance opportunities at Canada’s Walk of Fame events
Twenty (25) hours of private recording studio time with a producer, periodically mentored by established Canadian music talent
Introductions to music industry executives
Album cover artwork design

Six additional winners will also be chosen. Their prize will include:

A cash prize of $7,000 for a Second Prize winner
A cash prize of $1,200 each for five additional winners
Performance opportunities at Canada’s Walk of Fame events

All winners will also be invited to participate in a private Music Industry Career Development Information Session with Q&A. The approximate value of the prizing in total is over $100,000.00 CDN.

“Canada’s Walk of Fame is a celebration of everything that makes our nation great, and the mentorship program ensures that the next generation of artists achieve this greatness,“ said Randy Lennox, President and CEO, Universal Music Canada. “Universal is honoured to be attached to such a wonderful mentorship program with RBC, and we look forward helping the next bumper crop of talented Canadians reach their goals both at home and abroad. As we have seen with last year’s winner NEFE, who signed with Universal Music for the world, the campaign is helping Canadian artists grow into the stars of the future.”

To be eligible for this year’s Emerging Artist Music Mentorship Program supported by RBC:

Candidate must be between the ages of 10-35. Anyone under the age of 18 must have consent by a parent or legal guardian in order to participate, should they be selected.
Must be enrolled in an accredited Canadian school or institution at the time of entry, or provide a resume which demonstrates a continuing commitment to developing a career in music.
Must submit a maximum 60-second video or audio file, of a solo or group musical or vocal performance via the entry form on canadaswalkoffame.com in one of the following formats: WebM files, .MPEG4, 3GPP, MOV files, .AVI, .MPEGPS, .WMV, .FLV, MP3
Only one submission per applicant will be accepted.

EARTH, WIND & FIRE and CHICAGO Announce North American Co-Headling Summer Tour

Mar 4, 2015

Two of the most successful and critically-acclaimed bands Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago announced today their North American co-headlining summer tour Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire – Heart And Soul Tour 2015 kicking off July 15 in Concord, CA. The 25+ date tour, promoted by Live Nation, will take the Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling groups through major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York City, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Boston. The tour will conclude September 6 in Atlantic City, NJ.

“One of the most exciting things about the show is when both bands perform at the end of the concert,” Lee Loughnane of Chicago said. “Having these 21 very talented musicians playing our greatest hits together puts the excitement level at a fever pitch! From the Heart of Chicago and the Soul of Earth, Wind & Fire, it is an unforgettable experience.”

“This is a real treat for fans of both groups to experience again the power-packed collaboration of Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago,” Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire added. “We are looking forward to it ourselves – it has always been one of our favorite tours.”

Tickets for the tour go on sale starting Friday, March 13 at 9 a.m. in select cities on www.livenation.com. Please see below for full details and on sale information.

With more than 200 million albums sold and 20 GRAMMY® nominations between them, the tour will provide unparalleled entertainment from two of America’s most legendary musical groups. Billboard hails that Chicago is one of “the most successful American rock band[s] of all time, in terms of both albums and singles” and “been able to fill arenas with satisfied fans” with music that has endured throughout time while Rolling Stone has described Earth, Wind & Fire as “a funk-fusion powerhouse that changed the sound and history of popular music.”

Earth, Wind & Fire is one of the most innovative and influential contemporary music forces of the 20th century. With a signature sound beyond category and a groove as deep as the soul of the planet the band has impacted the history of music and pop culture for over four decades. EWF has sold over 90 million recordings earning them a solid spot as one of the all-time bestselling music artists. Rolling Stone and VH1 ranked Earth, Wind & Fire on their lists of the Greatest Artists of Rock & Roll. Originating from Chicago in 1969, EWF’s career achievements include an induction into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2000), a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1995), eight Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. Earth, Wind & Fire’s music has influenced, been covered or sampled by top artists including, Prince, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Jay Z, Usher, Bruno Mars, P. Diddy, wil .i.am and more. Founded by music genius Maurice White; EWF’s co-founders Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson continues to tour and perform to sold-out audiences around the world.

Hailed as one of the “most important bands in music since the dawn of the rock and roll era” by former President Bill Clinton, the legendary rock and roll band with horns, Chicago, came in at #13, the highest charting American band in Billboard Magazine’s list of Top 100 artists of all time. And Chicago is the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in six decades. Chicago’s album, Chicago Transit Authority, was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2014. Lifetime achievements include a Grammy Award, multiple American Music Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Chicago street dedicated in their honor, and keys to and proclamations from an impressive list of US cities. Record sales top the 100,000,000 mark, and include 21 Top 10 singles, 5 consecutive Number One albums, 11 Number One singles and 5 Gold singles. An incredible 25 of their 36 albums have been certified platinum, and the band has a total of 47 gold and platinum awards. Chicago have toured every year since the beginning – they’ve never missed a year. The band is now in their 48th consecutive year of touring, and continue to be true ambassadors for their beloved hometown, carrying the city’s name with pride and dignity around the world.

Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire – Heart and Soul Tour 2015

All dates, venues and cities below subject to change.

Date	City	Venue	On Sale
July 15	Concord, CA	Concord Pavilion	March 14 @ 10 a.m. local
July 17	Las Vegas, NV	Axis @ Planet Hollywood	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
July 18	Los Angeles, CA	The Forum	March 14 @ 10 a.m. local
July 21	Phoenix, AZ	Ak-Chin Pavilion	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
July 23	Austin, TX	Austin360 Amphitheater	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
July 24	Dallas, TX	Gexa Energy Pavilion	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
July 25	Houston, TX	Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
July 28	Denver, CO	Pepsi Center	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
July 31	St. Louis, MO	Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
August 2	Indianapolis, IN	Klipsch Music Center	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
August 4	Atlanta, GA	Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood	March 14 @ 10 a.m. local
August 14	Bristow, VA	Jiffy Lube Live	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
August 15	Camden, NJ	Susquehanna Bank Center	March 14 @ 10 a.m. local
August 16	Wantagh, NY	Nikon at Jones Beach Theater	March 13 @ 12 p.m. local
August 18	Holmdel, NJ	PNC Bank Arts Center	March 13 @ 12 p.m. local
August 21	Kansas City, MO	Starlight Theater	March 13 @ 9 a.m. local
August 25	Cincinnati, OH	Riverbend Music Center	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
August 26	Detroit, MI	DTE Energy Music Theater	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
August 28	Toronto, ON	Molson Canadian Amphitheater	March 14 @ 10 a.m. local
August 29	Saratoga Springs, NY	Saratoga Performing Arts Center	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
August 30	Boston, MA	Xfinity Center	March 14 @ 10 a.m. local
September 1	Bethel, NY	Bethel Woods Center for the Arts	March 14 @ 10 a.m. local
September 4	Raleigh, NC	Walnut Creek Amphitheater	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local
September 5	Virginia Beach, VA	Farm Bureau Live	March 13 @ 12 p.m. local
September 6	Atlantic City, NJ	Borgata Events Center	March 13 @ 10 a.m. local

About Earth, Wind & Fire:

About Chicago:

eOne Music Signs Burn Halo

Mar 4, 2015

California rock act BURN HALO has signed a worldwide deal with eOne Music with plans to release an all new LP WOLVES OF WAR later this summer. “It was important for us to find the right team,” says frontman James Hart. “With Scott Givens and his staff at eOne, we believe we have found that team. We’re all very excited about the future of Burn Halo.”

WOLVES OF WAR will be the highly anticipated follow up to UP FROM THE ASHES released in 2011. The band teased their fans late last year with a lyric video for the title track seen below.

Bestival in Toronto Lineup & Pre-Sale Information

Mar 4, 2015

Toronto is looking to be the music capital of the world – for real – as UK Fest Bestival has expanded to North America, coming to Hanlan’s Point Beach, Toronto Islands, on June 12-13.

Check out the lineup below:

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE / NAS / FLUME / CARIBOU / SBTRKT (DJ) / FLOSSTRADAMUS / ROBIN SCHULZ / JAMIE JONES / ZHU / CLEAN BANDIT / WAVVES / JAMIE XX / RUDIMENTAL (DJ) / OWEN PALLETT / KEYS N KRATES / BORN RUFFIANS / BAKERMAT / OMAR SOULEYMAN / CASHMERE CAT / GRANDTHEFT / JUSTIN MARTIN / DUSKY / SKREAM / ROBERT DELONG / DJ TENNIS / CASSY / SHAMIR / LANE 8 / NATHAN BARATO / MATOMA / MUSEUM OF LOVE / HUNTER SIEGEL / SHAUN FRANK / KILL THEM WITH COLOURS / HUMANS / TOPS / WHILK & MISKY / TEI SHI / RIVER TIBER / HARRISON / COLEMAN HELL & MORE

PLUS ARENAS AND IMMERSIVE INSTALLATIONS:
THE BOLLYWOOD TEMPLE / THE BESTIVAL INFLATABLE CHURCH / YARN BOMBING TENT / COSTUME PARTY & PARADE / THE DRESSING UP BOX / THE DAY OF THE DEAD COCKTAIL BUS / SUNDAY BEST BALEARIC BEACH BAR / HULA HOOPING / FLASHMOB TAKEOVERS / CIRCUS TROUPES / MARCHING BANDS

Bestival curator Rob da Bank says:

“Canadian promoters Embrace and SFX Entertainment. Bestival Toronto is a partnership between Bestival, To say that we’re excited at Bestival HQ about launching our very first Bestival outside of the UK is a serious understatement. We’ve spent 12 years working up to this moment and are so proud to be teaming up with Toronto to launch the good ship that is Bestival overseas. I’m also very proud of our first heavy hitting line-up with typically diverse headliners, Florence and The Machine and Nas! Two amazing talents. We are also announcing; the best leftfield acts around with Caribou and Omar Souleyman, electronic music from Jamie xx and Flosstradamus. I really hope you can join us on the ferry to Toronto Island in June. See you on the beach!”

Tickets go on general sale on Thursday March 5th at 10AM here.