"Voice of a Generation" by Marquis H.K.(paperback) $33.99

Yep, MC has gone punk rock crazy with our books this month, thanks to this string of releases from the Earth Island imprint. Voice of a Generation is tagged “80s UK punx in their own words,” and that’s pretty much exactly what it is. It’s as much about the characters as it is the music; we learn (or, if you were there, remember) some of the larger-than-life people that were integral to the British punk scene during that decade.

Some of them are no longer with us, so it’s gratifying to know that their legend has been preserved for posterity. The photos, including a lot of mohawks, are magnificent.

The post "Voice of a Generation" by Marquis H.K. first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

The Return of Sugar is Oh-So SweetThe return of Sugar is something that many of us never dared dream of. For decades now, alt-rock icon Bob Mould has seemed content to go out and record as a solo artist, and that's been more than good enough. His albums have generally been great. "Listenable" at worst. But the point is, his fans have been content.

But last year, Mould put Sugar back together. For the uninitiated, Sugar was the band that Mould formed after the breakup of the semi-legendary Hüsker Dü, which existed from 1979-'88. Sugar formed in 1992 and only lasted three years, releasing the Copper Blue album, the Beaster mini-album, and the File Under: Easy Listening album. There was also the Besides record of b-sides, odds, and sods. And that was it. They were done. Mould, co-vocalist and bassist David Barbe, and drummer Malcolm Travis all went their own, separate ways.

They're back, and that's great news for lovers of dark-yet-melodic alt-rock. At the Hollywood Palladium at the end of September, a too-cool-for-school, hyper-hip crowd seemed reluctant to show their excitement, but the gentle hum of anticipation in the air betrayed them.

The set offered just about everything you'd want to hear from Sugar; all four of the aforementioned records were well represented. "Hoover Dam" from the debut was a highlight, as was "Changes," and both came quite early in the set. The tracks from Beaster, including a brilliant "JC Auto" were typically crunchy. That record is often considered Sugar's "awkward" sophomore effort, but it's this writer's favorite in their arsenal.

Crowd pleaser "If I Can't Change Your Mind" brought the evening to a close, after a solid two hours of '90s nostalgia that actually sounded fresh. Importantly, Mould and the guys looked like they were having a blast throughout, so hopefully this reunion isn't going to be short-lived.

The post The Return of Sugar is Oh-So Sweet first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

From Sony Music’s 260,000 deepfake takedowns to Suno’s live music expansion… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe biggest headlines from the past few days...
Source

10 Great Funk Albums That Were Completely Ignored When They Came OutDiscover 10 overlooked funk albums that deserve a second listen, from deep funk and psychedelic soul to Afro-funk and P-Funk gems.

Soulwax Shines in HollywoodSince 1995, Belgian sibling duo Soulwax, aka Stephen and David Dewaele, have been redefining what it means to be an electronic music group. While they also perform celebrated DJ sets as 2manydjs, the genre-defying, experimental project known as Soulwax has made an art of confounding expectations and defying genre-rules since they came into being in '95 with the 2nd Handsome Blues EP. The debut Leave the Story Untold album followed in '96, and they never looked back.

At Hollywood's Fonda Theatre on a warm evening in September, Soulwax performed two sets on consecutive nights, and we were there for the first. The first thing that jumped out was the elaborate set-up; the stage looked like a scene from Star Trek--a mass of giant boards with huge knobs and dials.

The next thing you couldn't help but notice was the trio of drummers suspended above them, which serves to beef up the sound while proving aesthetically spectacular.

Soulwax didn't perform anything from the first two albums, but we did get four tracks form 2004's beloved Any Minute Now, including "E Talking," and a manic "I Love Techno." "Do You Want to Get Into Trouble?" from 2017's From Deewee was a set highlight, though the pair leaned heavily on material from last year's All Systems are Lying.

The crowd, a mix of old ravers and young, curious electro-heads, lapped it all up. Because, honestly, there really is nothing like a Soulwax show.

The post Soulwax Shines in Hollywood first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Suno hires Ticketmaster’s Michael Chua to lead its live music team, including SongkickIn the role, Chua will lead the AI music company's live music operations, which include concert discovery platform Songkick.
Source

Can be interesting tools there for #music #Marketing with #AI but "AI-driven predictions" may seem just another take on the "new" A&R approach adopted by #majorlabels which generally aren't keen on the work of discovering and nurturing fresh artists. Instead, they want to use bigdata to identify acts that have already gained traction — simply invest and turn a profit.
Can be a bit contradictory...imho

Haircut One Hundred Rolls Back the Years in LAHaircut One Hundred is an interesting band. You hear that very-eighties name and, if you're yet to be initiated, your mind immediate goes to the glorious but undeniable silliness of the likes of Kajagoogoo. But then, anyone already ordained into the cult of Nick Heyward should no better. A keen student and fan of post-punk/art-rock collectives like XTC and the Talking Heads, Heyward has been a pop star and teen heartthrob for portions of his life, but he's also a very serious muso type.

The story of Haircut One Hundred is actually relatively short, despite stretching across multiple decades. There was only one album, 1982's Pelican West, before Heyward left to go solo. The rest of the chaps gamely attempted to soldier on, releasing the critically ignored Paint and Paint in '84. The recent reunion has yielded a new album, Boxing the Compass, which dropped in the summer.

Unsurprisingly, they don't play anything from Paint and Paint now that Heyward is back in the ranks. But the beloved debut and the new effort were both well represented at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles.

They opened with new newies: "Someone" and "The Vanishing Point," before pulling out "Nobody's Fool." The set is a solid reminder of this band's jazz and world music influences; there's a undeniably funky groove to Haircut One Hundred that, even at the majority of the audience's vintage age, is impossibly danceable.

The hits were all present and correct. "Love Plus One" and "Fantastic Day" brought the venue to life, though predictably the highlight was the genre-classic "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl."

It's been so long, but it's great to have Haircut One Hundred back.

The post Haircut One Hundred Rolls Back the Years in LA first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

HYBE’s Weverse Con Festival to make its international debut in India in 2027HYBE, home of BTS, calls Weverse Con Festival its “flagship global music festival”, featuring global, K-pop and Indian artists.
Source

The Hollywood Bowl Celebrates 90 Years of Buddy GuyThere are few finer sights in music than that of legendary blues man Buddy Guy walking onto the Hollywood Bowl stage, like a man a fraction of his age. Guy turned 90 in July of this year, and he's one of the few old school artists of any genre, never mind the blues, still performing.

At the iconic Hollywood Bowl, Guy was ably supported by Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, with special guest Joe Bonamassa. Those two men have done as much as just about anyone to carry the blues forward, and they sounded wonderful here. Kingfish in particular is a very natural player, bursting with groove and authenticity. He plays with a smile on his face, and it's easy to fall in love with his take on the genre.

But even Kingfish would concede that Buddy Guy is a class apart. He's a force of nature, and he seems to defy Father Time. The opening "Damn Right, I've Got the Blues" showcased the fact that Guy's throaty singing only gets better with age. The man simply purred through that song, plus the following "Hoochie Coochie Man," while his fingers danced across the fretboard.

There were excellent covers, including Denise LaSalle's "Someone Else is Steppin' In" and Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," before a spectacular jam with the aforementioned Kingfish and Bonamassa.

Ultimately, this was all about being in the presence of greatness.

Photos by Alex Kluft

The post The Hollywood Bowl Celebrates 90 Years of Buddy Guy first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Google picks Base for Music for its Gemini Startup Forum – as $1.7M-backed French company says it uses AI to predict music marketing ROIMore than 100 startups taking part, from 17 countries, were selected from over 2,000 applications, according to Google
Source

Hatebreed Signs With BLKIIBLKDate Signed: January 2026

Label: BLKIIBLK

Band Members: Jamey Jasta, lead vocals; Matt Byrne, drums; Frank Novinec, rhythm guitar, backing vocals; Wayne Lozinak, lead guitar, backing vocals

Type of Music: Heavy Metal

Management: steve.ross@nonameworldwide.com

Booking: Tim Borror - Sound Talent Group

Legal: Scott Bradford

Publicity: Amy Sciarretto - Atom Splitter PR, amy@atomsplitterpr.com

A&R: Mike Gitter

Web: hatebreed.com

Metalcore titans Hatebreed have had deals with numerous labels throughout their 32 years of making noise, enjoying stints with Victory, Universal, and Razor & Tie among others. Now a staple on the hardcore circuit, Hatebreed has reportedly played over 3,000 shows since its inception.

One figure in the metal world they met during their travels is Mike Gitter. As Director of A&R at Roadrunner Records during Hatebreed’s tenure with the label, they had a great working relationship back in the day. “He’s been a part of heavy music and hardcore for like four decades,” notes Matt Byrne, the group’s drummer since 2001. “He’s a friend. He gets the band and understands us.”

Having most recently released a trio of albums with Nuclear Blast, Hatebreed wanted to make a change. “They’re a great team,” Byrne diplomatically points out. “We just wanted to switch it up a bit.” 

Gitter’s latest endeavor is BLKIIBLK Records, a metal and hard rock-focused arm of Frontiers Label Group. Word got around fast about the GRAMMY-nominated band being a free agent, and it wasn’t long before Gitter reconnected with the kings of hardcore. “It made the most sense to land with him and BLKIIBLK,” explains Byrne. “We felt they would give us the push and direction that we need.” FLG made the grand announcement as part of its 30th anniversary celebration.

Hatebreed feels at home being on the same roster as other hardcore legacy acts Megadeth, Cro-Mags, and Biohazard. They’re also confident that Gitter will be able to honor Hatebreed’s history while simultaneously helping them carve out their future. Artists with the longevity of Hatebreed are likely to experience diverging goals with their labels over time. “We’re more apt to do one-album deals now,” Byrne reveals, and that’s ultimately what they got with BLKIIBLK. 

The group is in the midst of recording a new album due this fall; it will be their first since 2020’s Weight of the False Self.  “They’re not pigeonholed into a certain style or genre of music,” observes Byrne regarding BLKIIBLK’s artistic mission. “Obviously, they’re dealing with heavy bands, but it’s fresh energy. Let’s work well together and see where we go.”The post Hatebreed Signs With BLKIIBLK first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

UMG is now managing 130+ artists in Southeast AsiaGranite spoke during a fireside session at the Music Matters strand of the All That Matters conference in Singapore on October 5
Source

"The Scene Police Story" by Dennis P. Merklinghaus(paperback) $33.99

Much like Blijboom’s Rebellion book, The Scene Police Story is a niche punk rock exploration about a DIY punk collective. According to the blurb, “From sweaty squats and empty venues to landmark releases, endless touring, ideological clashes, broken vans, and mounting debt, this is a story about what happens when DIY ethics collide headfirst with reality.”

It’s a fascinating tale and, if nothing else, it vividly depicts the highs (and lows) that can be reached when a dedicated bunch of miscreants really put their minds to it. 

The post "The Scene Police Story" by Dennis P. Merklinghaus first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

"Punk at Sea: A Rebellion Festival Photo Book" by Michiel Blijboom(paperback) $19.99

The Rebellion Festival is a punk fest that has taken place annually in the English seaside town of Blackpool since 1996, initially known as “Holiday in the Sun.” It swiftly became one of the highlights on the global punk calendar (should such a thing exist), and Punk at Sea is a pictural history of the whole thing.

Blijboom has done a great job of conveying the sights and smells of the fest, largely through dazzling photos of the bands and attendees. There are some words, including a Q&A interview with Jennie Russell-Smith, the woman who started it all. Whether you’ve been to Rebellion before or not, there’s a lot to enjoy here. 

The post "Punk at Sea: A Rebellion Festival Photo Book" by Michiel Blijboom first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.