Guide to Vinyl vs. CDs: Which Sounds BetterWhen it comes to physical music sales, there are just a few options – vinyl, CDs, and., as a novelty, cassettes. Which is one is best? by Tony van Veen,. Continue reading
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Signing Story: Jobi RiccioDate Signed: January 2023

Label: Yep Roc Records

Type of Music: Americana / Indie

Management: Chris Tetzeli and Nate Meese - 7S Management, nate@7smgmt.com, 303-565-5690

Booking: N/A

Legal: David Wykoff - david@davidwykofflaw.com

Publicity: Anna DeNelsky - Shore Fire Media, adenelsky@shorefire.com

Web: jobiriccio.com, instagram.com/jobiriccio

A&R: Mariah Czap

Singer-songwriter Jobi Riccio caught her big break when she entered and won Citizen Vinyl’s Asheville, NC NewSong Music competition in 2019. Her prize was the professional production of her record by producer and musician Gar Ragland, who also sponsors the contest. Ultimately this led to the completion of her record Whiplash, which dropped in the summer of 2023, and to a deal with Yep Roc Records. 

“Gar knew some folks at Yep Roc through the North Carolina connection and sent them my record,” Riccio recollects. “They were super into it and that’s how I got my deal with them. He spoke with some other labels but I felt that Yep Roc seemed the most artist-driven; they really championed their artists being at the creative helm of everything.

“After I was offered a potential deal, I flew out and met with the folks at the label,” the singer continues. “I played a small showcase for them and Red Eye Distribution, who’s now my distributor. They were phenomenal people and we had the best time. It was clear that they’d listened to every single song on Whiplash. They were fired up about it as a whole body of work and about me as an artist.”

Work on Whiplash began in 2020 but due to the pandemic, it took some time to complete. Several singles from it have been released, the latest being “Lonely Tonight” in August. When Music Connection spoke with Riccio she was on a brief hiatus before stepping back out onto the road in November for a tour of the Northeast.

The NewSong Music contest is sponsored by Ragland’s Citizen Vinyl. In addition to his studio, he also runs a pressing plant and the indie label NewSong Recordings. “At the top of the building there’s an old radio studio where people like [bluegrass originator] Bill Monroe and other folk and bluegrass musicians would play when they’d come through North Carolina,” Riccio explains. “Whiplash was the first record done in [Ragland’s] studio since he acquired it.”

NewSong Music was launched in 2001 followed by Citizen Vinyl in 2020. Interestingly, Riccio’s entry was recorded as a voice memo on her phone rather than professionally. Given the minimal requirements, such contests should be within nearly any artist’s grasp.

Happy Holidays from HypebotHappy Holidays to the Hypebot communities, and thank you for helping us have a very successful 19th year of always free coverage of music marketing, music tech, and the new. Continue reading
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Kane Brown: The Changing Face of Country MusicPhotos by Angelea Presti

Tattooed, pierced, multi-racial: Kane Brown is an eminent arena-packing music sensation blazing his own path to country music fame. First emerging on social media singing covers, and releasing a crowd-funded EP in 2015, he has earned 10 chart-topping No. 1 singles on country radio. Now headlining sold- out international tours and stadium dates, his latest collection is aptly titled Different Man.

Growing up with an imprisoned father, Kane Brown moved between hardscrabble northwest Georgia and small town Tennessee—sometimes living in a car with his mother, and suffering a stepfather’s physical abuse. Remarkably, he kept his life on course. For this exclusive MC interview, he speaks of collaborative songwriting, show-stopping stagecraft, the strength of family, and the ever-expanding inclusion of modern country music. 

Music Connection: We enjoyed hearing your duet with Elvis Presley on “Blue Christmas” this past holiday season. The King and the Kane—that is quite a combination. 

Kane Brown: Honestly, I was so excited. I did a rendition of the song last year. And when they came back and said they were going to throw him on there, I was blown away. It was out of this world crazy. I got to talk to some of the people who worked with him, and they said they saw a great amount of similarities—with both of us breaking barriers, with people telling us, “No, you can’t do this,” but we did it anyway.  This was awesome, coming from people I’ve met who actually knew him. But I would never compare myself to The King. 

MC: One of your new tracks, “I Can Feel It,” is built on a sample from “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. The result is certainly a dramatic reset of traditional country songwriting. 

KB: We were originally trying to get Phil Collins out to the Stagecoach Festival in Coachella that I played. We were in the writer’s room the next day, and he was still on our minds, and the song just wrote itself. I haven’t had a chance to play it live yet, but we’re going to use it for a huge onstage production. It’s going to be amazing. I haven’t met Phil Collins, but hopefully if this song goes to N0. 1, I will get a chance to.

MC: What is it like playing Stagecoach? 

KB: It is so much fun. The first year I played at maybe 4:00 p.m. The second time was right before direct support, and this time I got to headline. It was the best feeling in the world. We also got the big screen right when they switched it from Coachella (Valley Music and Arts Festival), so I had even more reason to be excited. I remember showing up, and just seeing that huge LED wall which is what I love in production. When I saw that, I was ready to go. I had so many friends, and people I work with in the industry show up, it was surreal.

MC: Your most recent album, Different Man, begins and ends with songs about Georgia, your birth state. Why are there so many classic songs about Georgia?

KB: Georgia, of course, is my home. I would die for The Dawgs (the University of Georgia’s Bulldogs football team.) It’s beautiful place, with beautiful songs about it. I ain’t got much else to say, other than that.  

MC: Your song “Bury Me in Georgia” is a barnburner. The guitars on that track are like flame throwers. 

KB: Yes, that’s (producer-guitarist) Dann Huff for you. 

MC: We saw a self-effacing reference to your musical abilities, with the modest description that you play “Campfire guitar.”

KB: I’ve got your basic chords. When I was doing covers, I learned off of YouTube. It’s funny now when I see people covering my songs, and teaching others how to play them, so it’s a full circle moment. I’ve got your G-B-A-C-C minor… then I get to the bar chords and I give up. I’m not going to be a shredder, or the guy who is solo playing. I like to run across the stage. 

MC: As a co-writer, what do you bring to the collaborative environment?

KB: Songwriting is so difficult. Once you find your place, that’s what you’ll be good at. I look at myself as kind of like an A&R of the writer’s room. Sometimes I will bring the title. I used to do that more, much earlier in my career. Now when I come in, I know which people I work well with and which writers will work the best together.

MC: Can you tell us more about this selection process?

KB: It’s what I’m feeling. There are some writers who can do everything, and others who do sad ballads. So if I’m feeling depressed, I’m going to bring my guy Josh Hogen in.  I mean he can do everything—he’s on “Bury Me in Georgia”—but that’s his sweet spot. 

MC: You are also the artist who will personify the song onstage, and project its narrative.  

KB: If any writer is working with an artist, and you have an idea, and that artist isn’t loving it, move onto something else. I’m not afraid to say “no.” Not every artist will, but if I don’t like something, I’m going to tell them. And these are the people I write with. And they’ll say, “OK—let’s move on and find something else.” I also try to write songs that will most likely be singles. It’s pointless for me to write a song that’s just a cut, unless it’s a story song that’s going to touch people, regardless. But even those will go to radio. 

MC: Nashville writers have spoken to us about the concept of “Putting furniture in the room” in lyrics—creating tangible, visual impressions. 

KB: The more imagery the better: I just wrote a song the other day with the lines, “The floor is covered with shattered shards of glass.” I was real upset, and I got inspired; that’s why I wrote that lyric. I really try to just be different. A lot of songwriters are just saying the same thing. I heard a Morgan Wallen song that was about beer, which has been done many times in country, right? But the way this song, ”More Than My Hometown,” said it is, “I love you more than a California sunset/More than a beer when you ain’t 21 yet.” That’s what’s clever, and different; a new way of writing about something that others have written about before. 

MC: Your songs feel conversational and real—especially when the lyrical tone is darker. 

KB: I don’t always release those songs, because I love my marriage (laughs). But as an artist, you have to break out of the box, because within your group of fans not everyone is happy, and they will relate more to the sad songs. Everybody breaks down at some point. If you’re not singing about them, then you’re not appealing to them. The hardest part is writing a song, and not lying. If you sing a song with deep emotion, people are going to portray that song as you. 

MC: Your song “Grand” has songwriter Mike Posner in the writers’ credits. We think of him as a fascinating, and seemingly inexhaustible lyricist. 

KB: Yeah. He’s also one of the sweetest guys in the world, with great energy. Sometimes if you get in the room –especially with first writes – you can check out if you’re not into it. With Mike, there’s no checking out. Positive energy, nice guy, lots of lyrics, stays focused the whole time. You don’t see him picking up his phone, he’s always working. I love writing with him.

MC: Do you book blocks of time for writing songs?

KB: I have my own publishing company, Verse 2 Music, a joint venture with Sony Music Nashville. It’s Kent Earls and me. I brought him over with me from Universal (UMG). Kent is the head of all the writers, so he books their schedules and he books my schedule. Right now I’m trying to get an album out, so I am trying to write as much as possible. That’s when I will book my own schedule. I recently put a studio in my house, so I never have to leave home again. I have people come over all the time. 

MC: Which program do you use for recording, Logic or ProTools?

KB: We have both on the computer, but my preference is generally ProTools. 

MC: Do you have a live room?

KB: Yes sir.

MC: Neighbors don’t come banging on the door complaining about the noise?

KB: Nah, we’re pretty secluded. 

MC: We read that “I Love Country Music” was written at a writers’ retreat.

KB: We’ve been doing writers retreats here in Tennessee—but this time we went down to Florida. Writers’ retreats are when you get a bunch of writers that you work with a lot. You go out away from y’all’s house—no babies, no girlfriends, no wives, and no distractions, and you just write. We were on a lake when we wrote that one. 

MC: Different Man has 17 tracks—that’s a generous outpouring of music. 

KB: I forgot that’s how many songs are on that album. Mostly I was trying to make everything uptempo. I’ve tried to stay away from the slow songs. I look at my live shows, and think single-wise, and just try to write songs that are rocking as much as possible. Those are the hardest songs to write. We got a good amount on Different Man. I wish there were a couple more that were singles. 

MC: “Pop’s Last Name” is a beautiful sentiment

"I grew up without a father

He’s been locked up since ‘96

But there’s another man, he ain’t here no more

That raised me as a kid"

MC: Is it difficult to be that revealing within a song?

KB: I’m an open person. I will always tell others how I am feeling. If you upset me in any way, I can’t fake that smile. My face is going to show it. It really comes in my writing too. A lot of times I have even deeper lyrics. I have people who have to tell me, “I don’t know boss, that’s awful dark—that’s out there.” I don’t feel like it’s bad at all being vulnerable. 

MC: A line from the song says: “He said, ‘knowledge over power.’”

KB: he never really told me that, but I remember we didn’t have money, so he’d have to fix stuff. This is what I’ve learned since being an artist. I thought that line would be something he would say if he did have money. For me, coming from where I come from, and knowing what I knew, whenever I didn’t have money, I’d rather know how to fix something than have the money to pay someone else to do it. 

MC: On your 2023 “Drunk or Dreaming Tour,” you headlined Fenway Park in Boston, selling out all 37,755 seats in the venue. How do you maintain intimacy on that massive scale?

KB: I was so excited. The adrenaline was crazy. But when you get up there, you really only see the people in front of you, and the flashlights in the stands. It almost feels like a club. I know it sounds weird to say, but you don’t see how big the atmosphere is until I started walking the stadium and it was crazy. I’ve learned to go out and perform, and try to make everybody feel like I love ‘em, as much as I do, even though they are a baseball field away from me. 

MC: In the past you have told stories from your life as well, to keep the human elements in the show. Now you’ve this epic production and pyro happening. 

KB: Yes sir. I think that’s the hardest thing for me. It’s been two years since I switched to this big live performance thing as opposed to my storytelling. I’m really excited for this next tour. We finally got a B stage where I can do the intimate-type stories. I used to do a fan favorite that made everyone tear up called “For My Daughter.”

"They say history repeats itself

Well, I guess that’s up to me

Yeah, I grew up without a dad

I’m gonna be the best one I can be"

There were video projections of my family and me. I want to incorporate more of that into my show, rather than just the pyro and energy. 

MC: Do you work with a creative director on your live presentations?

KB: Yes. He’s been with me for six years now. His name is Alex Alvga. He also does my music videos. He’s super talented. 

MC: You now have a record label, 1021 Entertainment—a joint venture with Sony Music Nashville, and also the Sony-affiliated publishing company, Verse 2 that you mentioned. One of your signees to the publishing company is your co-writer Levon Grey. How did you meet him?

KB: I found him in Alabama. He did a couple of songs on social media, and tagged a couple of other artists along with me. I researched him, and reached out. He was writing all of these songs by himself. I said, “Man—if I get you in a room with me and a couple of other writers, I wonder what we could create?” I brought him in, did the A&R thing I was telling you about, and we wrote “One Mississippi” the very first time we ever wrote. 

MC: On Different Man, you assumed co-producer responsibilities. What does that expanded role entail?

KB: It’s just a little more paying attention. When I came in as a new artist, I used to go in with Dann Huff, give him the demos, and think that my job was done. “This is what I have, and I’m going to trust you to turn it into what it should be.” With this album I knew exactly what I wanted—I was going more into this show thing. I was telling Dann what I wanted. I could hear sounds. People ask me, “What do you listen to?” I literally don’t listen to any music other than what I am writing. The radio might be on every now and then, but other than that, I will listen to a song I wrote last week a thousand times—try to hear different sounds, and lyrics.  

MC: Clearly, with your success, more artists of color, and LGBTQ+ representation, country music is changing. 

KB: I think it’s wide open right now. Country music is changing like crazy. People said I was the frontrunner and I didn’t know how to take it. I’m glad that I’m not the only one now. I’m in my own kind of lane and I feel comfortable, but I didn’t feel that the first couple of years. 

MC: Your visual identity projects your music, and it’s all you. 

KB: You’ve got to be yourself. Coming in, I tried to be like everyone else. Growing up, I went to an all white school called Soddy-Daisy High School in Chattanooga. There were four colored kids in the school: Hispanic, Black, mixed. I was always in cowboy boots, all Bass Pro Shop. I’d go fishing, and we were mudding (off-road driving) everyday. 

MC: Was it to a country soundtrack?

KB: I’d listened to country music since I was a baby, because my mom loved it. I got back into country music around the time that Florida Georgia Line was hitting, so I got to experience all of that. I moved in with a roommate, and he was telling me that I had no swag, he’s like “Bro—you’ve got to be different. Swag out, and make people look at you.” I started doing that, and that’s when I went viral. People thought I was a rapper, and I stood out. 

Contact: Jennifer Vessio – 1220 Entertainment, jennifer.g.vessio@gmail.com 

Meg Kehoe – Sony Music Nashville,Meghan.Kehoe@sonymusic.com

Quick Facts

• Kane Brown’s late father claimed African-American and Native American heritage. His mother is Caucasian. 

• One of Kane Browns classmates at Lakeview Middle School in Fort Oglethorpe, GA, was future country star Lauren Alaina. Breaking through as a first runner-up on American Idol, she encouraged Brown to audition for the show. He was rejected for sounding too much like Idol’s Scotty McCreary. 

• X Factor tried to put him in a boy band, which he declined. Instead, he did his own covers online. His cover of Lee Brice’s “I Don’t Dance” went viral, with 60K shares overnight. A version of George Strait’s “Check Yes or No,” captured seven million views. 

• Working for the home improvement store Lowes in Hixson, TN, Brown would sing in the aisles. His fellow red vest employees encouraged him to enter a talent show. He has since partnered with the store for the 100 Hometowns restoration project with the first recipient the local Boys & Girls Club. 

• His first six song EP, Closer, financing with Kickstarter crowd funding, hit the country charts and attracted major label interest. 

• Brown’s eponymous record-breaking debut album produced six-times Platinum No. 1 hits “Heaven” and “What Ifs.” With his debut effort, Brown became the first artist in Billboard history to top all five country charts simultaneously.

• Working outside of the country idiom, Brown has collaborated with hitmakers like Khalid, H.E.R., Becky G and Marshmello.

• Kane Brown and his wife, singer-songwriter Katelyn Jae Brown, recorded a chart-topping duet “Thank God,” for Different Man. It became his 10th No. 1 single.

• NBC’s Christmas at Graceland—staged in December 2023 at Elvis’s Memphis home. featured with artists including John Legend, Post Malone, and Lana del Rey.  

• The first black artist to headline Fenway Park in Boston, Brown will return on his 2024 “In the Air” Tour.

How much will ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’ earn this Holiday season?We all know how popular Christmas tunes take over every radio station during the holiday season, but have you ever thought about who’s getting compensated for all those streams? And. Continue reading
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Thomas Coesfeld’s plan to refocus BMG on music rights continues, as Bertelsmann-owned firm divests live concert companiesUndercover and Karo transferred back to their minority shareholders
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France plans to tax music streaming & other countries are taking noteMusic streaming platforms, especially Spotify and Deezer, are in an uproar over France’s proposal for a new music streaming tax. This could be a precursor for other countries to do the same, but it. Continue reading
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Neural DSP Launches Morgan Amps Suite Guitar PluginNeural DSP announced the launch of the Morgan Amps Suite guitar plugin, which combines the tonal sophistication and feature-laden functionality of Morgan Amplification with the virtual mastery of Neural DSP’s plugin technology. Morgan amps can be heard beneath the fingers of guitar legends, including the searing riffs of Josh Smith (Joe Bonamassa, Raphael Saadiq), the soulful melodies of Michael Landau (James Taylor and many more), and the genre-defying riffs of Tosin Abasi (Animals As Leaders).

In the world of guitar amplification, few brands shine as brightly as Morgan Amplification. Founded by the visionary amplifier builder and guitarist Joe Morgan in 2009, Morgan Amplification emerged as a beacon of craftsmanship and innovation for a new generation of guitarists. Drawing inspiration from era-defining vintage tones, Joe set out to create amplifiers that not only paid homage to the classics but also pushed the modern boundaries of sonic possibilities.

“What we share with guitarists is a deep and abiding respect for legacy sound,” observes Neural CPO Francisco Cresp. “Our modeling technology has been able to precisely capture the nuances and features of the Morgan amps, and bring them to life in a plugin version for anyone to access to their fullest extent.”

The Amplifiers

Inspired by classic designs, modernized and made more reliable, these amps were born out of a desire to provide the most touch-sensitive and responsive sound possible while also providing an unparalleled pedal platform.

AC20 — The Morgan AC20 is a single-channel, 20-watt amplifier based on a vintage Vox AC30. It provides very rich, thick tones at high gain settings. 

PR12 — The Morgan PR12 is a single-channel, 12-watt amplifier based on a classic Fender Princeton Reverb. It offers bright, super-clean tones to robust overdrives. The PR12 also features a distinctive spring reverb that has become a hallmark of this compact but powerful amp type.

SW50R — The Morgan SW50R is a single-channel, 50-watt amplifier based on a Dumble clean channel with the addition of a tube-driven reverb tank. Entirely hand wired and built to order, this amp encapsulates everything Morgan Amplifiers does best. At full volume, the amp breaks up dramatically, producing killer tones for grunge and stoner rock.

To learn more and purchase the Morgan Amps Suite, click here.

For more information on Neural DSP, click here.

AllMusic Loves 2023 ReissuesSeeking a connective thread among the AllMusic editors' favorite reissues and archival releases from 2023 is a bit of a fool's errand. There is variety within these editors' lists, not only in terms of genres but also in the reissues themselves. Dig through the individual lists to discover the myriad reasons why we loved the archival releases of 2023.

Earl Scruggs’ 100th Birthday CelebrationOn Saturday, January 6, 2024, a stellar lineup of bluegrass and country artists will come together at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium to celebrate the 100th birthday of the legendary Earl Scruggs, whose revolutionary style of banjo playing forever changed the landscape of bluegrass music. The special tribute concert will air LIVE, one time only, exclusively on Veeps. All Access subscribers can access the show for free, otherwise individual tickets are on sale for $14.99. 

This extraordinary show will feature musical direction by the renowned Jerry Douglas, with performances by The Earls of Leicester, The Del McCoury Band, Gena Britt, Alison Brown, Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Stuart Duncan , Jimmie Fadden, Bela Fleck, Jeff Hanna, Sierra Hull, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Jim Mill, Justin Moses, Jerry Pentecost, Todd Phillips, Harry Stinson, Bryan Sutton, Tony Trischka, and more. Proceeds will benefit The Earl Scruggs Center, which is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of Scruggs' remarkable life and contributions to music.

Scruggs is the most influential and imitated banjo player in the world. The duo he co-founded, Flatt & Scruggs, provided the banjo-driven music for the theme song of the hit TV series, The Beverly Hillbillies. The 1967 blockbuster film Bonnie and Clyde featured their 1949 recording of Scruggs’ composition, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” — one of the most recognizable songs in the bluegrass canon. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985, the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 1991, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007, and the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009. The Recording Academy presented Earl with four GRAMMY performance awards and the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. Among numerous other honors, Scruggs was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003.

Earl Scruggs’ 100th Birthday Celebration will be available for free for Veeps All Access subscribers, or fans can buy an individual show ticket for $14.99 on veeps.com. The show will air LIVE on Veeps on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 8 p.m. CST. 

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About Veeps: Veeps is the world’s leading streaming platform for live music and entertainment where fans can connect with their favorite artists through live and on-demand concerts, comedy shows, and more. Launched in 2018 by Joel and Benji Madden, Veeps has streamed performances to millions of viewers worldwide for thousands of artists including Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Foo Fighters, and Kings of Leon. Veeps has been named a Fast Company World’s Most Innovative Company, nominated for an Emmy, and holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest ticketed livestream performance by a solo male artist. Veeps content is available via veeps.com and apps on Apple TV, Roku, iOS, Samsung, and Android. Veeps is a part of Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV).

About All Access: Veeps All Access is the first music subscription service to offer premium quality concerts and live music entertainment, connecting artists with fans when they can’t be in the crowd. Subscribers will have unlimited access to hundreds of upcoming live and on-demand performances each year, exclusive Veeps-only artist content, merch drops, and more for $11.99 a month, or an annual fee of $120. It’s your all-access pass to a show, every night, wherever you are.

ABBA Voyage had a $400m+ economic impact in London in its first yearConcert series' producers have published an analysis of the event's socio-economic impact in London
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VEVO DSCVR ARTISTS TO WATCH 2024: Fridayy, Libianca, StrandzIntroducing the final three artists in Vevo's global watchlist for 2024
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The global success of Nigeria’s Tems without a full album releaseDespite not releasing a single full album, Nigerian musician Tems is a global superstar who continues to rise “Higher.” The Chartmetric team digs into how it happened. by Chiamaka Muoneke. Continue reading
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How to use Spotify’s Showcase feature to get new listeners [Brian Hazard]Spotify’s latest marketing campaign feature helps target only new users instead of wasting precious ad dollars on those already listening. Brian Hazard digs into how and how well it works.. Continue reading
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AI in Music Production: Advancements, Collaborations & Copyright Issues [Virginie Berger]AI has shifted how creative works are composed, expanded the potential possibilities of production, and more. Here are some of the multifaceted roles that AI has in today’s music industry…. Continue reading
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