It was obvious that one sale of 1 CD on your web page to your listeners brings you more 💵 than several years from streaming if your artist is not that big - new/old #MusicBusiness

Trueblood Signs With Mercury RecordsDate Signed: January 2026

Label: Mercury Records

Band Members: Cameron Trueblood, drums; Dylan Trueblood, guitar; Mason Trueblood, vocals, guitars; Ethan Trueblood, bass

Genre: Alternative Rock

Management: Allison Kaye

Booking: Megan Glendinning

Legal: Nicky Stein

Publicity: Marisa Bianco, Katie O’Gara

A&R: Jake Levensohn

Web: truebloodtheband.com

It’s almost as if their last name was tailor-made to reflect their musical ambitions. The four brothers (Cameron, Dylan, Ethan, and Mason) in Trueblood started making music together during COVID when they were no more than 6, 8, 10, and 11 years old. With the world on lockdown, it was one of the few activities at their disposal at home. 

The boys began playing shows after the pandemic lifted, even when hardly anyone noticed. They once rocked out in front of a candle shop tucked behind a bar. “We had a two-hour time slot, and maybe four people walked by,” reports Cameron, the alt-rock group’s drummer. 

In August of 2024, they did their thing on the beach for around 300 people. At the time, that was their biggest show ever. “I was so excited,” exclaims Ethan. “I talked to my friends about that for the next few months.” That could have been their last show ever, given that Cameron was applying for college and Dylan wasn’t far behind. 

But come November, they posted a video on TikTok of a Linkin Park cover, and it went viral. A series of songs on social media followed, ultimately generating a billion views. “That made us start taking all this much more seriously,” claims vocalist Mason. 

They began uploading tracks to DSPs in 2025 and the natural next step was to start building a team. “Our parents helped us a lot as we were navigating finding a lawyer and a manager,” says guitarist Dylan, pointing out that they were all minors at the time. They did just that and subsequently let their management field label offers, one of which came from Mercury Records. 

“Mercury impressed us the most,” flatly states Mason. Adds Dylan, “We’ve been really grateful for all the work they’ve done. We love the team.” The fact that the label’s reps came to see them play, rather than just speak with them over Zoom, led the teens to feel comfortable joining the UMG family.

Since inking the deal, the Trueblood siblings have worked with a modest galaxy of megastars, including Maroon 5, Black Eyed Peas, sombr, and Coldplay. It’s something that likely wouldn’t have happened without the label’s backing. They also connected with producer Andrew Goldstein, who helmed their recent 5-track EP, First Impressions. 

“For us, signing with Mercury was a form of motivation,” insists Mason. “They kind of put a seed in our brains of taking the right path.”

Listen for their song, “Come Back, I Miss You,” on the EA SPORTS FC 27 Official Soundtrack.

Photo by Jordan WilletThe post Trueblood Signs With Mercury Records first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

UMG’s share price closes up 7.9% – adding around $2.5B in value – after Q3 subscription growth beats forecastsAt its peak today, the rally added around USD $4.8 billion (EUR €4.3bn) to UMG's market capitalization.
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How an Iconic 2000s Pop Anthem Found a Huge New Audience Through SaltburnSophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” found a new generation of fans after its unforgettable appearance in Saltburn, more than 20 years after its release.

Rod MacDonald at the Cul-de-Sac Soundtrack, Ann Arbor, MIWeb: rodmacdonald.com

Contact: Via website

Players: Rod MacDonald, vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica; Cheryl Dawdy, vocals

A traveling poet, composer, musician and street performer—these are all the requisite qualities of one known as a troubadour. Singer-songwriter Rod MacDonald has fulfilled all those roles, including the author of three books, for nearly five decades. He’s released over 15 albums, with his latest being Undo the Damage. 

MacDonald learned the craft of songwriting the old-fashioned way, by rolling up his sleeves, putting pen to paper and absorbing all the information he could consume from experiences as a resident of the storied Greenwich Village café and folk club scene for over 20 years. A number of his songs have been recorded by such luminaries as Jonathan Edwards, Dave Van Ronk, Four Bitchin’ Babes, Shawn Colvin and Garnet Rogers. 

MacDonald has played various folk festivals, theaters and sheds around the globe, but, assuredly, one of the forums where he exceptionally shines is within the intimacy of a living room house concert. It is a setting that appeared most comfortable for the 70-something singer-songwriter where there was no artifice; just the man and his music.

Over a series of two sets MacDonald played a treasure trove of his own compositions that were reflective of his views on society, politics, love and romance and an overall smattering of personal philosophy. The opening tune, based on a Scottish fiddle reel, was called “Come Out, Come Out Annie.”

It was a decidedly upbeat and lighthearted number that aroused the crowd and thoroughly engaged the attendees from the get-go. That was followed by another lively and clever take on married life called “You’re Already My Wife.” MacDonald is certainly an artist that immediately knows how to read a room, and his autobiographical tale of mid-life marital bliss connected with his demographic. He offers commentary on all aspects of the human condition and demonstrates his ability to break down a political regime on the calypso-flavored “Banana Republic.” 

The diversity of subject matter expanded into some Chuck Berry-like rock ‘n roll for one of his newer songs called “Leather Jacket.” It was simply about the joys of purchasing his first leather and all the exploits and memories they’ve shared. After that, MacDonald invited a friend and colleague Cheryl Dawdy to join him on one of her original compositions called “The Last Time.”

Dawdy was a member of the celebrated Ann Arbor-based vocal trio The Chenille Sisters for many years and it was nice to see her connect with MacDonald once again on a truly beautiful ballad. They collaborated on a couple more tunes throughout the night. The troubadour capped the first set performing the title track off his latest album. With lyrics inspired by our nation’s turbulent course of events, it appeared to be a rallying cry for many in the audience.The post Rod MacDonald at the Cul-de-Sac Soundtrack, Ann Arbor, MI first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Universal Music Group generated $3.90B in Q3, up 11.7% YoY – driven by Mrs. Green Apple, Olivia Rodrigo, Stray Kids, Ariana Grande, and The BeatlesAdjusted EBITDA came in at €729 million ($838.7m), a margin of 21.5%, down from 22.0% in Q3 2025 but up on the 20.5% margin it posted in the prior quarter (Q2 2026)
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How a 'Raw' Guitar Sound on a 1973 Album Changed Rock Music ForeverJames Williamson brought a fierce edge to the Stooges' sound with Raw Power. Discover how his sharp riffs and explosive guitar playing helped shape punk rock.

Exclusive: Create Music Group now owns a minority stake in DistroKidCreate, supported by private capital backers Flexpoint Ford and Ares, made the investment earlier this year
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Riot Grrl Carmen Stuns at the LA OperaComposed by Georges Bizet and premiering in 1875, Carmen is a widely adored opera that's performed in French and set in 1820's Southern Spain. Even casual fans of the art form know the aria "L’amour est un Oiseau Rebelle" (aka "The Habanera"--you'd know it if you heard it), and "Votre Toast, Je Peux Bous le Rendre" (aka "Toreador Song"). These are tunes that have become ingrained in popular culture; they're uplifting, joyous and, in the case of the former, sensual.

But, as is often the case with operas, the arias are infinitely more satisfying when placed in the context of the full show. This latest LA Opera production of Carmen, the first show of the new season, is directed by Thaddeus Strassberger. The conductor is Domingo Hindoyan, while costumes and choreography (both of which are vital and beautiful here) are by Mattie Ullrich and Antonio Najarro respectively.

Tenor Joshua Guerrero is the spurned Don José, bass-baritone Liam James Karai is valiant toreador Escamillo, and soprano Kathleen O'Mara is the unfairly-ignored (by Don José) Micaëla. All are magnificent, as is the entire cast. Special mention to the village children.

But the star is mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb in the title role. First of all, Carmen is an iconic character; determined to remain free of patriarchal bindings, there's a punk rock energy about her from the very start. We first meet her during an argument involving donkey-based name calling, that quickly escalates into a knife fight. Carmen is eventually jailed for slashing a woman's face. It's a proper street brawl, a gutter war, and Carmen swaggers through it all with the slightest hint of a smile on her face.

The character of Carmen is also intoxicating. The men that cross her path are apparently hypnotized into acting like fools and throwing their lives away. While imprisoned, she convinces Don José to release her which results in him getting jailed himself! A buffoon-like officer, Zuniga, keeps showing up to woo her (badly), while super-masculine Escamillo swoops in (his teeth practically twinkling like a cartoon hero). Carmen has her pick, and she knows it. But more important than love, certainly than any man, is her freedom.

"Her freedom is more important than anything else--any person, religion or society," Chaieb said in an interview printed in the event program. "And she says it in the opera: 'Libre elle est nee et libre elle mourra'--free she was born, free she will die. And she will see it through."

"At the time the opera was written, a woman was as good as the man she married," Chaieb continued. "Carmen makes her own decisions. She has power over her body, her sexual life, whether she works or not--everything."

Ultimately, she does die. After 150 years, the word is probably out on that spoiler, and it is an opera after all. The main character usually kicks the bucket. In this case, Don José can't handle the fact that she chose to be with Escamillo, and he runs her through with a sword. But the key is, she knows that death is near and she still chooses freedom over an abusive, imprisoning relationship.

Dear lord, we love the character of Carmen so much. Fans of Deborah Harry, Siouxsie Sioux, Alice Bag, Patti Smith, L7 and any other punk rock and/or riot grrl icon will love her too if they give themselves the chance to. Chaieb is perfect in the role; her voice soars and you simply can't take your eyes off of her.

Get out to see Carmen at the first available opportunity.

laopera.org

Photos by Cory Weaver

The post Riot Grrl Carmen Stuns at the LA Opera first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

10 Albums From 1986 That Deserve More AttentionThink 1986 was all about the big hits? These 10 overlooked albums tell a different story, from raw punk and experimental rock to heavy metal and power pop.

In the Studio with The Album Leaf: A Body of VoicesThe Band: The Album Leaf - Jimmy LaValle

Produced, Engineered, and Mixed by: Jimmy LaValle

Additional Mixing by: Joshua Eustis, Austin Tufts, Patrick Ryan Heaney, and Caesar Edmunds

Recorded at: Barking Dog Studios

Mastered by: Jared Hirshland

The Origin:   Capturing a multitude of delicate, dreamy melodic mementos and intertwining them into a wide array of escapist acoustic panoramas, The Album Leaf—sonic auteur Jimmy LaValle's solo project for over twenty-five years—has remained at the forefront of composing ambient leitmotifs that arrest the subconscious. His electro-ambient style has been noted for its devastatingly fragile cinematics, due in part to his ability to incorporate the abrasive punk sound of San Diego’s hardcore scene. While cutting his teeth as an active member of vanguard projects like The Locust, Guyver-One, and The Crimson Curse, LaValle played in parallel with the instrumental post-rock band Tristeza. This collision course served as the catalyst for his work alongside the somber, gothic world of The Black Heart Procession: these multiplicities fortify a midrib of musicality that remains emblematic of his hypnotic songwriting and continues to inspire generations of electronic and indie-ambient artists today.

LaValle’s insatiable curiosity for dissecting intense, dissonant noise began with his early four-track cassette recorder forays in recording that abrasive subculture, with those gritty instincts somehow influencing the lush, meditative textures of Tristeza. Working from early bedroom setups where tracks were pieced together during brief interludes between active band schedules, he perfected the art of finding music within the noise—led by the thought that there is beauty in the sounds all around.This creative urge became The Album Leaf. Two albums deep into his experimental solo pursuits, LaValle caught the ear of Sigur Rós with his intimate aesthetic after they picked up One Day I'll Be on Time. This critical introduction launched him into their Icelandic touring circle and eventually brought him to their Sundlaugin studio to record In a Safe Place. By fusing his experimental punk origins with his expanding ambient soundscapes and newfound studio connection, LaValle was able to bridge his work into a widescreen world of electro-acoustic songwriting, ultimately setting the stage for future shifts between solo work and full-scale collaborations.

That Icelandic session thrust The Album Leaf from an underground cult favorite directly onto the international stage, establishing LaValle as a vanguard of the vast indie-ambient scene. As demand surged for his emotive soundscapes across film scoring, television cues, and brand commissions, his sonic palette expanded exponentially, amassing an overwhelming library of music comprised of field recordings, the warmth of his vintage Rhodes pianos, and custom synthesizer sound design.

Yet even as his work grew into a massive discography of scores and studio releases, the brilliance of his melodies remained—an ongoing, overflowing album amicorum filled with sonic notations for all to discover. With his recent release A Body of Voices—an album elevated by seamless collaborations with artists like Theresa Wayman (TT) of Warpaint, Twin Shadow, and Stephen McBean of Black Mountain—LaValle carries forward this shared memento between creator and listener alongside a wide constellation of creative cohorts.

The Production: Every time Jimmy LaValle steps into the studio to create, he draws from a deep reservoir of acoustic sketches and unreleased ideas—a practice, more evident than ever before, of pulling pieces ready to be reimagined into expansive soundscapes. He is constantly thinking, trying to find the forgotten fragments of sound until he finally unearths that forlorn melody calling out for a current counterpoint harmony. This exploratory method has become front and center as he searches for the hidden musical threads within A Body of Voices.

“I have a lot of music that I've made and that I'm sitting on,” LaValle explains, reflecting on his backlog of instrumental sketches. “Some of those are more realized ideas than others. Some of them are unfinished and just a simple melody line or a chord progression. I'm pretty melodic to a fault and could hear where things could go. For this album, it was finding songs that I felt had room for another voice or could straight-up benefit from a vocal.”

Because he could naturally hear where those underlying tracks wanted to go, LaValle began identifying the specific vocal timbres and tonalities needed to complete them. For A Body of Voices, he reached out to artists who inspired him, tracking down the exact singers whose unique sonic identities he could already envision weaving seamlessly into his music.

This acoustic second sight allowed LaValle to treat the incoming contributions from his acclaimed collaborators as a modern serialization of the original album leaf tradition. Instead of rigid stems, these files became the guests' sonic notations in a shared digital journal—crafting their own sort of handwritten story within his space. By letting these distinct perspectives merge with his compositions, LaValle found the missing links needed to transform his isolated sketches into ambient dream-pop compositions that sit well within his sonic worlds.

This digital dialogue quickly shifted from passive file-sharing to an active, real-time creative loop as the incoming vocal tracks began to reshape LaValle’s own production choices.

When working with Theresa Wayman’s vocal contributions on "Intertwine," for example, LaValle allowed her unmediated cadences to illuminate the initial emotions of the track:

“Theresa gave me three vocal cadences set over the same subsection of the music: three different vocal takes, vocal ideas, directions,” LaValle explains. “I was able to take those and play what would be a verse, and then I caught the little things she did and thought, ‘oh, that's cool.’ I would then take that uniqueness, put it into Ableton, and do my own process with simple vocal production techniques.”

Yet even as his work grew into a massive discography of scores and studio releases, the brilliance of his melodies remained—an ongoing, overflowing album amicorum filled with sonic notations for all to discover. With his recent release A Body of Voices—an album elevated by seamless collaborations with artists like Theresa Wayman (TT) of Warpaint, Twin Shadow, and Stephen McBean of Black Mountain—LaValle carries forward this shared memento between creator and listener alongside a wide constellation of creative cohorts.

The Production: Every time Jimmy LaValle steps into the studio to create, he draws from a deep reservoir of acoustic sketches and unreleased ideas—a practice, more evident than ever before, of pulling pieces ready to be reimagined into expansive soundscapes. He is constantly thinking, trying to find the forgotten fragments of sound until he finally unearths that forlorn melody calling out for a current counterpoint harmony. This exploratory method has become front and center as he searches for the hidden musical threads within A Body of Voices.

“I have a lot of music that I've made and that I'm sitting on,” LaValle explains, reflecting on his backlog of instrumental sketches. “Some of those are more realized ideas than others. Some of them are unfinished and just a simple melody line or a chord progression. I'm pretty melodic to a fault and could hear where things could go. For this album, it was finding songs that I felt had room for another voice or could straight-up benefit from a vocal.”

Because he could naturally hear where those underlying tracks wanted to go, LaValle began identifying the specific vocal timbres and tonalities needed to complete them. For A Body of Voices, he reached out to artists who inspired him, tracking down the exact singers whose unique sonic identities he could already envision weaving seamlessly into his music.

This acoustic second sight allowed LaValle to treat the incoming contributions from his acclaimed collaborators as a modern serialization of the original album leaf tradition. Instead of rigid stems, these files became the guests' sonic notations in a shared digital journal—crafting their own sort of handwritten story within his space. By letting these distinct perspectives merge with his compositions, LaValle found the missing links needed to transform his isolated sketches into ambient dream-pop compositions that sit well within his sonic worlds.

This digital dialogue quickly shifted from passive file-sharing to an active, real-time creative loop as the incoming vocal tracks began to reshape LaValle’s own production choices.

When working with Theresa Wayman’s vocal contributions on "Intertwine," for example, LaValle allowed her unmediated cadences to illuminate the initial emotions of the track:

“Theresa gave me three vocal cadences set over the same subsection of the music: three different vocal takes, vocal ideas, directions,” LaValle explains. “I was able to take those and play what would be a verse, and then I caught the little things she did and thought, ‘oh, that's cool.’ I would then take that uniqueness, put it into Ableton, and do my own process with simple vocal production techniques.”

Photo Credit: Devin Oktar YalkinThe post In the Studio with The Album Leaf: A Body of Voices first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Spotify’s potential bill if The MLC wins its ‘bundling’ lawsuit outright rises to $619MPotential liability if The MLC wins its 'bundling' lawsuit outright has risen to approximately EUR €538M, according to Spotify’s Q3 2026 financial statements
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10 Songs That Sound Nothing Like the Artists That Recorded ThemEver heard famous bands sound completely different from their usual style? Discover 10 unexpected songs from Kiss, Metallica, Green Day, and more that showed a different side of these artists.

THOMSON REUTERS WINS A.I. FAIR USE CASEOn September 29, 2026, the US Court of Appeals for the Thirds Circuit upheld a district court judgment and ruled in favor of Thomas Reuters (the owner of the legal research engine, Westlaw) and against Ross Intelligence rejecting its fair use defense. Ross was a competing platform to Westlaw which took down its search engine in 2021 indicating that it did so because of the cost of the litigation. 

Ross used Westlaw’s summaries known as “headnotes.” Ross asserted as a defense that its use of the headnotes to construct its training data was fair use. Headnotes are brief summaries of legal points in a court’s decision. 

The Fair use defense provides for limited use of copyrighted works without the permission of the owner. It analyses four factors:

1. Purpose and Character of the Use

2. Nature of the Copyrighted Work

3. Amount and Substantiality Used

4. Effect on the Potential Market

A brief in the case was filed by The Recording Association of America and the National Music Publishers Association. The brief argued that training an A.I. model on copyrighted works with the intention of creating a competing service or product “cannot qualify as fair use.” The RIAA and NIMP brief noted:

“But as daunting as past challenges have been, they are dwarfed in scope and jeopardy by A.I. services that produce digital files that emulate and compete with human-authored music.

To train these models, A.I. companies unlawfully duplicate virtually all copyrighted music on the internet to ensure that the resulting outputs sound credibly similar in style and genre to the music on which the models were trained and to the music users seek in prompting the models.

The resulting outputs are proliferating in the marketplace at alarming rates. They flood streaming platforms, displace human-authored music, dilute royalty pools by diverting payments to fictional bands, and deceive consumers, who cannot tell whether they are listening to human artists or digital files created by a computer.”

The judge in the court of appeals case stated:

“Ross took an intermediate step of using the headnotes to train an A.I. program, which arguably presents a slight degree of difference in use,” the judge wrote. “But the undisputed evidence demonstrates that Ross used the headnotes to train an A.I. program for the benefit of its legal-research platform.”

“The undisputed evidence reflects that Thomson Reuters’ materials possess a creative spark, and Ross aspired to be a direct competitor by using them for a highly similar purpose. We therefore hold that Thomson Reuters’ materials are copyrightable and that Ross’ use was not fair use.”

Thomson Reuters released a statement:

“We are pleased that the appellate court affirmed the trial court’s decision in our favor. The appellate court agreed that Westlaw’s editorial content ---- created and maintained by our attorney editors --- is protected by copyright and that Ross’ copying of Thomson Reuters content did not constitute fair use.”

There has been a proliferation in the last few years of cases regarding the use of A.I. This case is a landmark case which addresses several issues.

Glenn T. Litwak is a veteran music and entertainment attorney based in Santa Monica, CA. He has represented platinum selling recording artists, music producers and hit songwriters, as well as management and production companies, music publishers and independent record labels.  Glenn is also a frequent speaker at music industry conferences around the country, such as SXSW and the Billboard Music in Film and TV Conference. Glenn has been selected as a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyer Magazine for 2022-2026. Email Glenn at gtllaw59@gmail.com or check out his website at glennlitwak.comThe post THOMSON REUTERS WINS A.I. FAIR USE CASE first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

HYBE AMERICAS launches Latin pop label TRU Records, with SANTOS BRAVOS as its first artistAlejandro Mejía has been appointed General Manager of TRU Records, overseeing its artistic and business strategy.
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