All about the world of music from the inside

  • Eno, Jacob Collier, and others name the Earth as co-writer of songsBrian Eno, Jacob Collier, Dave and Stormzy producer Fraser T Smith, and Anna Calviare are among a growing group of musicians naming the Earth as a co-writer of their music. Continue reading
    The post Eno, Jacob Collier, and others name the Earth as co-writer of songs appeared first on Hypebot.

    Brian Eno, Jacob Collier, Dave and Stormzy producer Fraser T Smith, and Anna Calviare are among a growing group of musicians naming the Earth as a co-writer of their music. Continue reading

  • Google AI can now uncover stolen music samplesGoogle has developed AI that can snuff out samples from copyrighted songs that may have been disguised with audio editing. How will this affect the future of digital music? by. Continue reading
    The post Google AI can now uncover stolen music samples appeared first on Hypebot.

    Google has developed AI that can snuff out samples from copyrighted songs that may have been disguised with audio editing. How will this affect the future of digital music? by. Continue reading

  • The REAL reasons governments want to ban TikTokNations worldwide are now scrambling to set restrictions on the use of TikTok. In this op-ed, Karl Bode of techdirt explains why banning a single app may not be the. Continue reading
    The post The REAL reasons governments want to ban TikTok appeared first on Hypebot.

    Nations worldwide are now scrambling to set restrictions on the use of TikTok. In this op-ed, Karl Bode of techdirt explains why banning a single app may not be the. Continue reading

  • Last week in music industry commentaryCommentators in the thick of the industry last week shared their opinions and thoughts on Spotify’s new AI DJ, new music technology, and more. LGBTQIA+ musician Villano Antillano proves the. Continue reading
    The post Last week in music industry commentary appeared first on Hypebot.

    Commentators in the thick of the industry last week shared their opinions and thoughts on Spotify’s new AI DJ, new music technology, and more. LGBTQIA+ musician Villano Antillano proves the. Continue reading

  • Getting It Done: The week in D.I.Y. & Indie MusicThis week, our tips and advice for the independent and do-it-yourself musicians out there covered how to get fans excited about your new release, music law basics, and more… Crowdfunding. Continue reading
    The post Getting It Done: The week in D.I.Y. & Indie Music appeared first on Hypebot.

    This week, our tips and advice for the independent and do-it-yourself musicians out there covered how to get fans excited about your new release, music law basics, and more… Crowdfunding. Continue reading

  • REWIND: The new music industry’s week in reviewLast week was a busy week by any definition; the music industry was no exception, with TikTok restrictions advancing, Eminem opposing a ‘shady’ named podcast, and more. U.S. Copyright Office. Continue reading
    The post REWIND: The new music industry’s week in review appeared first on Hypebot.

    Last week was a busy week by any definition; the music industry was no exception, with TikTok restrictions advancing, Eminem opposing a ‘shady’ named podcast, and more. U.S. Copyright Office. Continue reading

  • Coco Jones is Named BET Amplified Artist for MarchBET names the multifaceted actress, singer/songwriter and rising R&B star Coco Jones as its BET Amplified artist for March! BET Amplified is BET Music's stamp of approval for the next big thing in music. As BET celebrates Women’s History month, the brand is proud to amplify powerful and talented up-and-coming female artists, and Coco Jones is no exception. 

    Fresh off of an Outstanding New Artist win at the 54th NAACP Image Awards, Coco Jones’ rocketship to stardom shows no signs of stopping any time soon. Since breaking onto the entertainment scene as a Disney star, the “ICU” singer has gone on to star in movies, join the cast in Peacock's “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reimagining “Bel-Air” as “Hilary Banks,” and score a Top 20 Urban Radio hit with multiple Billboard chart entries. 

    Coco Jones can now also add BET Amplified Artist to her list of accolades. As a BET Amplified artist, Coco Jones will receive BET Music’s support across multiple BET campaigns and platforms, including BET, BET Her, BET Jams, BET Soul, BET.com, BET Socials, and BET’s Official YouTube Page.

    Previous BET Amplified artists include Armani White, Babyface Ray, DIXSO, Doechii, Glorilla, Ice Spice, Kalan.FrFr, Lakeyah, Lehla Samia, Lola Brooke, Muni Long, Nardo Wick, Tone Stith, Young Stunna and more!

    ABOUT COCO JONES:

    Coco Jones – the 25-year-old multi-hyphenate actor, singer/songwriter who stars on the Peacock hit Bel-Air, recently released her major-label debut EP What I Didn’t Tell You with hit single “ICU.”  Coco has been in film and on TV since she was a tween, starting out as a recurring guest on Disney’s musical sketch comedy, So Random!, and, in 2012, as the golden-voiced love interest in the network’s TV movie, Let It Shine. Most recently, she won Outstanding New Artist at the 54th NAACP Image Awards. You also may have seen her on the tiny screen—with millions of social media followers, dedicated to upping representation for proud, talented, dark-skinned Black women. 

    In 2020, in an act of vulnerability and bravery, Jones decided to respond to a viral tweet asking what had happened with her career via YouTube. She filled fans in on obstacles she’d faced as a dark-skinned Black girl in both the acting and music industry and was met with an outpour of support. “It reignited me dreaming big dreams,” Jones says of the endearing online experience. From there, she began speaking positive affirmations, claiming the creative endeavors she longed to sink her teeth into.

    Fast-forward to 2023, the multi-faceted Coco Jones, signed to High Standardz/Def Jam Recordings, has at last launched her music career with a brand of R&B as soulful as it is relatable, as diary-honest as it is marked by powerful storytelling. And though she’s young, it’s been a long time coming.

    BET names the multifaceted actress, singer/songwriter and rising R&B star Coco Jones as its BET Amplified artist for March! BET Amplified is BET Music’s stamp of approval for the next big…

  • Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History Leon Russell Photo by Jim Roup; Album covers Courtesy of UMe

    Leon Russell, (April 2, 1942-November 13, 2016), the former Claude Russell Bridges, was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, and left the physical world dying of a heart attack in Nashville Tennessee.

       Russell is the subject of a new biography. Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History, from author and musician Bill Janovitz, published March 14, 2023, via Hachette Books.

       The 592-page title is described in the book announcement as “the definitive biography of the legendary musician, composer and performer, a profound influence on countless artists, including George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Elton John, and Willie Nelson.

       “Leon Russell is an icon, but in many ways, he is also an underappreciated artist. A Zelig figure for a number of decades, he is spoken of in tones, reserved not just for the most talented musicians, but also the most complex and fascinating.

        “Russell’s career is like a roadmap of American music, yet he worked integrally with English rock royalty like Beatles and the Stones. He played piano on records by such giants as Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, and Phil Spector, and on hundreds of classic songs with major recording artists. Russell inspired Elton John’s career, and Elton inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

        “In his prime, Russell filled stadiums on solo tours, and was an organizer/performer of both Joe Cocker’s revolutionary Mad Dogs and Englishmen 1970 tour and George Harrison’s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh. Russell founded Shelter Records in 1969 with producer Denny Cordell, establishing offices and studios in Hollywood and eventually Tulsa, fostering wild and free atmospheres for musicians to live and work together.  

       “The book dives deeps and explores the personal side of Russell, who struggled with his demons, including substance abuse, severe depression, and a crippling stage fright that wreaked havoc on his psyche over the long haul.”  

       The litany of collaborators and beneficiaries of the creative worlds Russell inhabited were recording artists such as Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett, Rita Coolidge, Dave Mason, Bob Dylan, Freddie King, J.J. Cale, Jim Keltner, Jimmy Karstein, Gene Clark, Marc Benno, Gary Lewis, the Wailers, Kim Fowley, Claudia Linnear, Don Nix, Mud Crutch, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Dwight Twilley Band, Gary Busey, Phoebe Snow, Bonnie Raitt, and the Gap Band. 

        As a bandleader, Russell was an early proponent of culturally diverse groups.

    For over a half a century I’ve been dialoging with a handful of musicians, writers, deejays, record executives and songwriters about Mr. Russell. 

        In early 1960, future guitarist of the Everly Brothers (1961-1963) Don Peake, and guitarist Elliot Ingber, a 1965 founding member of the Mothers of Invention, were playing at the Sea Witch club and Pandora’s Box. Peake and songwriter/record producer Kim Fowley encountered “Claude” [Leon] and a pal from Oklahoma, [either Chuck Blackwell or Johnny Williams]. 

    “Claude had a soft southern accent,” recounted Peake in a February 2023 interview we conducted.  

      “Kim was always deep in the trenches checking out talent. We went to an Italian restaurant on Pico Blvd. called Mama’s, owned by the mother of the great singer, Timi Yuro, who was on Liberty Records. In 1961 she had a big hit single, ‘The Hurt.’ Later, in 1962, I really got to know Claude at a Phil Spector session at Gold Star studios.” 

       In LEON RUSSELL: The Master of Space and Time's Journey Through Rock & Roll History (Hachette Books; 3/14/23; $31; ISBN: 9780306924774), shines the spotlight on one of the most important music makers of the twentieth century.

       A long out-of-print collection of intimate, solo piano and vocal recordings by legendary musician, composer, and performer Leon Russell is being reissued. Signature Songs, originally released in 2001, will be available on CD and pressed for the very first time on vinyl, via Dark Horse Records on March 17, 2023.

        Signature Songs includes stripped-down and unique takes on songs from across Russell’s remarkable canon, from the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame classic, “A Song for You,” to his own classic hits, “Hummingbird,” “Delta Lady,” “Tight Rope,” “Stranger In a Strange Land,” “This Masquerade,” “Out In The Woods," and “Lady Blue.”

        When Elton John heard the news about Russell’s physical departure, he immediately took to Twitter to comment on his musical hero.

        “My darling Leon Russell passed away last night. He was a mentor, inspiration and so kind to me. Thank God we caught up with each other and made The Union. He got his reputation back and felt fulfilled. I loved him and always will.”  #LeonRussell #RIP #TheHandsOfAngels.  

         For Leon Russell fans, I recommend seeking out a copy of a live album from the Omnivore Entertainment Group distributed earlier this century. Nine selections from a 1973 Russell concert at the Budokhan in Japan, coupled with bonus tracks added to the CD release from a memorable 1971 show from Houston, Texas.

       Harvey Kubernik is the author of 20 books, including 2009’s Canyon Of Dreams: The Magic And The Music Of Laurel Canyon and 2014’s Turn Up The Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll In Los Angeles 1956-1972.   Sterling/Barnes and Noble in 2018 published Harvey and Kenneth Kubernik’s The Story Of The Band: From Big Pink To The Last Waltz. In2021 they wrote Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child for Sterling/Barnes and Noble. Otherworld Cottage Industries in 2020 published Harvey’s Docs That Rock, Music That Matters.

    Kubernik’s writings are in several book anthologies. Most notably, The Rolling Stone Book Of The Beats and Drinking With Bukowski. Harvey wrote the liner notes to the CD re-releases of Carole King’s Tapestry, The Essential Carole King, Allen Ginsberg’s Kaddish, Elvis Presley The ’68 Comeback Special, The Ramones’ End of the Century and Big Brother & the Holding Company Captured Live at The Monterey International Pop Festival.  

        During 2006 Harvey spoke at the special hearings initiated by The Library of Congress held in Hollywood, California, discussing archiving practices and audiotape preservation. In 2017 Harvey Kubernik appeared at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, as part of their Distinguished Speakers Series.

       In December 2021, Harvey Kubernik was interviewed and served as a consultant on the Ron Chapman-directed Revival69: The Concert That Rocked The World about the 1969 festival held in Toronto, Canada featuring the debut of the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band. Chapman interviewed Klaus Voorman, Shep Gordon, Alice Cooper, Robby Krieger, Danny Serrafine, promoter John Brower, Rodney Bingenheimer, and Geddy Lee of Rush. Pennebaker/Hegedus Films is executive producer.  The movie is an official 2023 SWSW selection in Austin, Texas and screened March 12th and 16th at the Zach Theatre.    

       In 2023, Harvey, photographer Henry Diltz and authors Eddie Fiegel, Barney Hoskyns and Chris Campion were filmed by French director France Swimberge for her Mamas & Papas documentary scheduled for the European arts television channel, Arte. Kubernik is serving as consultant.   

     Leon Russell Photo by Jim Roup; Album covers Courtesy of UMe Leon Russell, (April 2, 1942-November 13, 2016), the former Claude Russell Bridges, was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, and left the physical…

  • From Universal’s billions to Deezer’s new Board Director… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe biggest stories on MBW from the past seven days
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  • Milk & Honey signs trio of new clients, all songwriter/producers behind chart hits: JHart, The Elements, and Alexis KesselmanM&H founder, Lucas Keller, calls JHart "one of the greatest songwriters and voices in the business"
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  • ‘Who Gives A Sh!t About Indie Music?’ SXSW panel [Mark Your Calendar]Bandsintown managing partner and founder Fabrice Sergent will host “Who Gives A Sh!t About Indie Music?,” a panel at SXSW on Thursday, March 16, to explore the current state and. Continue reading
    The post ‘Who Gives A Sh!t About Indie Music?’ SXSW panel [Mark Your Calendar] appeared first on Hypebot.

    Bandsintown managing partner and founder Fabrice Sergent will host “Who Gives A Sh!t About Indie Music?,” a panel at SXSW on Thursday, March 16, to explore the current state and. Continue reading

  • Michael Brandvold on Spotify DJ: It ‘needs to do more’Last week Spotify launched DJ, an AI-voiced personalized stream, and we asked some industry veterans to share their initial impressions. Your Morning Coffee’s Jay Gilbert said that it “accurately curated. Continue reading
    The post Michael Brandvold on Spotify DJ: It ‘needs to do more’ appeared first on Hypebot.

    Last week Spotify launched DJ, an AI-voiced personalized stream, and we asked some industry veterans to share their initial impressions. Your Morning Coffee’s Jay Gilbert said that it “accurately curated. Continue reading

  • How musicians can sell NFTs using Public Pressure: NO CRYPTO REQUIREDNFTs have ‘revolutionized’ the music industry as quickly as its boosters promised. But they still have an important role to play, and Brian Hazard found a service that helps make. Continue reading
    The post How musicians can sell NFTs using Public Pressure: NO CRYPTO REQUIRED appeared first on Hypebot.

    NFTs have ‘revolutionized’ the music industry as quickly as its boosters promised. But they still have an important role to play, and Brian Hazard found a service that helps make. Continue reading

  • Universal Music Group generated more than $1bn per quarter, on average, from recorded music subscription streaming in 2022UMG posts double-digit YoY growth (just!) in its recorded music subscription streaming revenues
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  • Gibson Records Signs Ghost HoundsGhost Hounds (L-R): Joe Munroe (keys), Thomas Tull (guitars), Tré Nation (lead vocals), Bennett Miller (bass), Johnny Baab (guitars), and Blaise Lanzetta (drums).

    Gibson Records--which delivers guitar-driven music to the forefront of culture--has announced its second album release will launch with the signing of the rock ‘n’ blues group, Ghost Hounds. Gibson Records will release the new album from Ghost Hounds, globally in June 2023, in partnership with Firebird Label Services for distribution. Fans can pre-save the first single off the forthcoming album titled “Dirty Angel” set for release on Thursday, March 9, HERE.

    The new Ghost Hounds album follows the first official release from Gibson Records, Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators’ acclaimed fourth full-length album titled 4, which was released last year in partnership with BMG.

    Headquartered in Music City, Nashville, TN, Gibson Records works with Gibson artists to produce, record, and promote their music to fans around the world under an artist-friendly partnership. Gibson Records continues the evolution of the Gibson Brands multi-media platform, which supports collaborative artist partnerships and brings experiences to music lovers worldwide, generating forever fans across the globe. Over the past three years, Gibson has launched successful music initiatives built around their iconic brands, premium guitars, and amazing artists. Not to mention initiatives that have re-energized the Gibson fanbase on the worldwide stage and the music community at large, including Gibson Artist Collections, the award-winning online network Gibson TV which creates cinematic original series, books and multimedia content from Gibson Publishing, A.I.-enabled interactive, guitar-learning on the Gibson App the mentorship program for young players Gibson Generation Group (G3), the philanthropic arm Gibson Gives, and the global flagship store the Gibson Garage--the ultimate guitar experience and music destination in Nashville.

    GHOSTHOUNDS.COM

    Ghost Hounds (L-R): Joe Munroe (keys), Thomas Tull (guitars), Tré Nation (lead vocals), Bennett Miller (bass), Johnny Baab (guitars), and Blaise Lanzetta (drums). Gibson Records–which deliver…