Turning Tables: What Musicians & Venue Staff Can Learn from the Art of ServiceLearn how Bruce C. Bryan's new book Turning Tables connects the lessons of great service with success in live music. From teamwork to timing, find out how the restaurant floor and the concert stage have more in common than you think.
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Setting the Stage for Alt-Rock's Early '90s UprisingAllMusic presents an excerpt of Greg Prato's new book Alternative for the Masses: The '90s Alt-Rock Revolution - An Oral History in which Ian MacKaye, Fred Armisen, and Matt Pinfield (among many, many others) recall what the indie music scene was like pre-Nirvana, and the stepping stones that led us to late 1991 – when alt-rock seemingly exploded on a global scale.

D’Addario Unveils John Lennon Art Series Picks & StrapsD’Addario announced on Monday the "John Lennon Art Series Signature Collection, a limited-edition lineup of instrument straps and picks, all honoring the imagination of a legend.""The Collection includes two unique strap designs and two pick assortments, each featuring Lennon’s original animal illustrations, as well as drawings inspired by the life and love he shared with Yoko Ono," they said in a statement. "From playful sketches to bolder, more intimate designs, every item in this Collection honors Lennon’s vision while giving players unique, premium tools they can rely on, all backed by elite D’Addario craftsmanship. The Collection also includes the Imagine Animals small instrument strap, perfect for kid-sized instruments or adult ukuleles and mandolins, with matching collectible picks."

Highlights (direct from D’Addario):

Secure & Reliable Straps. Each strap features durable leather ends for long-lasting security. That means a comfortable and dependable fit for every player.

Premium Picks for Superior Playability. Crafted from high-quality celluloid, these picks deliver a smooth feel and warm tone that’s perfect for players at any level.

Exclusive Collectible Items. These limited-edition designs put Lennon’s visual artwork on a new canvas, making them not only perfect tools for players, but one-of-a-kind stocking stuffers for collectors and fans.

“John Lennon’s art was as imaginative and honest as his music,” said Cassie Meloy, Accessories Product Manager. “This Collection celebrates Lennon’s creativity for players of all ages and introduces D'Addario’s first strap designed for kids, perfectly inspired by his playful Animals artwork.”

Availability & PricingThe John Lennon Art Series is available now through daddario.com and authorized retailers. Pick packs are priced at $7.99, with straps starting at $16.99.For more information, visit: ddar.io/johnlennon-prThe post D’Addario Unveils John Lennon Art Series Picks & Straps first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

OpenAI, valued at $500bn, reportedly working on generative AI music toolThe move would bring OpenAI into an increasingly crowded field of AI music generation platforms
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Tip Jar: Staying True To Yourself While Navigating Non-Stop Career Twists And TurnsBy DeeAnn

My journey as a singer/songwriter and recording artist is a bit unconventional because changing life circumstances led me to perform in various genres at different times over the years before I found my current creatively fulfilling niche, which incorporates the jazz sensibilities of my family’s roots into a soulful R&B/pop sound. 

I found singing in the choir growing up in the Catholic church boring, but the experience taught me a lot about working with vocal harmonies that would come in handy later in my career. My dad Frank DiMeo, a popular jazz singer in the Buffalo area, was my first musical mentor, while my mom turned me on to Barbra Streisand. Music was an essential foundational part of growing up in my family. I was always in the school choir and took as many music classes as I could. Helping form a 16-piece swing group in high school, in which we sang everything from ‘60s to Broadway music, got me even more hooked and allowed me to sing my first solo song. I learned more about blending harmonies through a quartet I created as an offshoot. I had been writing music from the time I was 15 or 16 and when I started recording music in my 20s, I arranged a lot of my own harmonies. 

Dreaming of becoming a professional singer came naturally to me in my teens and I was hoping to apply to several music colleges, hoping even that I would be accepted at Julliard, but my parents’ separation and then divorce at that time made attending college out of the question. My dad was this 100 percent jazz guy, but when I started looking for opportunities to make a living in music, the greatest opportunities were in Top 40 cover bands. I was good at it and I could adapt to multiple styles in what was considered pop music - but doing it for a long time stripped me away from how I envisioned myself as an artist. 

One of the musicians I worked with suggested I try singing country music, and I absolutely didn’t want to—until I realized just how great female artists like Trisha Yearwood, Shania Twain, and Martina McBride were. I started out only wanting to sing a few country songs per set, then got better at it and I envisioned a potential road for me in the genre. I started singing the National Anthem at county fairs throughout New York state, and the Erie County Fair hired me to open for country legend George Jones. I took it seriously enough to record some music (I didn’t write) in Nashville, and to this day some of the country I recorded plays in other countries throughout the world. Despite the diversity, every step took me one step closer to figuring out my musical identity.  

I’ve always admired women who can balance busy musical careers with family life, but when my husband and I decided to have children, raising them became my focus and I stepped away for a while. When the bug hit me again, as my son and daughter got a little older, I started teaching music at a Catholic school and even became a popular funeral singer. I seriously missed the stage, the lights, communicating with audiences and the passion I put into performing. 

For my soul to survive, I knew I had to make some changes. Here’s where the so-called “branding of DeeAnn” gets even tricker. I felt these deeper life experiences gave me a desire to sing something deeper and more soulful—and that led me to sing the blues! But I quickly realized that I couldn’t sing the blues all night long, so I fell into jazz, which of course made my dad very happy! I incorporate those jazz experiences, including my ability to scat into some of the R&B/pop music I make today.   

One of the biggest problems in not being true to myself was that I didn’t believe I could be a songwriter, even though my musical journey started out that way as a teenager. Meeting my first producer RiShon Odel, who has worked a lot with renowned smooth jazz artists Najee and Brian Culbertson, made a huge difference in getting me back in touch with this side of my artistry. Just as my confidence was at a low ebb, I sent RiShon the melody and lyrics of a song I had just written, and he created an incredible arrangement that developed into “Stay Here with Me,” which is to this day my all-time favorite original song I have released. He put so much soul into it. It was originally released on my 2019 live EP Stay Here and I released it as a single in 2024. I titled my debut album Desperately Seeking DeeAnn, first as a nod to the Madonna movie Desperately Seeking Susan but mostly because it captured the struggle of trying to find myself as an artist—and finally reconnecting with the vision I had for my life and career when I was younger before I joined all those cover bands. RiShon also produced my second album, It’s My Time. 

RiShon helped me believe in myself as a songwriter again and he brought my songs to life with some really dope musicians from his band Fifth Element who gave everything an R&B/gospel feel. The painful loss of my son William to a motorcycle accident has been a driving force for my artistry both spiritually and creatively because I sing much deeper and more soulfully and authentically, with so much emotion emerging from a place of pain. The albums I recorded with RiShon helped me lock in on who I am as an artist and taught me the value of not playing it safe. I bring the same blend of visceral emotion and freewheeling adventure to the three recent singles I recorded with my current producer Ted Perlman that re-imagine three of my favorite songs, Al Green’s “Simply Beautiful,” Sade’s “Kiss of Life,” and Brenda Russell’s “Piano on the Dark.” I feel like those songs, and the originals Ted and I are working on for my upcoming full length album, are authentically me. It’s been a long process, but I finally got here—and so can you! 

TIP No. 1: Always stay true to yourself, be honest and follow your gut because you might have different people trying to pull you in various directions based on what they think they know about you. No matter what you may be doing to make a living in the music industry, if you have solid ideas in your head about who you are as an artist, be consistent and stay real as you develop your authentic style. Trust in who you are because audiences relate to you best when you’re authentic and honest. They can tell when you’re faking it or just going through the motions.

TIP No. 2: Use social media to share what drives and inspires you as an artist to connect in a deeper way with fans. Take them behind the scenes into your process and things that have happened in your life that give you stories to tell in your songs. Your fans may not want to be saddened by your pain all the time, but they do want to know what makes you create your music. It’s also an opportunity to share other meaningful endeavors in your life. For me, that would include sharing the $84,000 I have raised for a scholarship at my son William’s alma mater, Canisius High in Buffalo, to fund national and international mission trips for male students.   

TIP No. 3: Finding the right producers and collaborators to work with is essential in helping you discover who you are. RiShon Odel and Ted Perlman have believed in me and my talent even when I haven’t. They bring their own experiences working with great artists into their work with me and I benefit not only from their musical brilliance but their life wisdom, which has helped take my own artistry to the next level.  

Building off the success of her sultry breakthrough track “Stay Here With Me,” DeeAnn’s 2025 got off to an inspiring start with numerous accolades in the 10th Annual JazzBuffalo Poll honoring musical greats in her beloved hometown. She was awarded Jazz Female Vocalist of the Year, received the most votes for the still very popular It’s My Time and was chosen runner up for the Most Memorable Performance and the John Hunt Jazz Artist of the Year Award. This extends a run of honors that began in her early days as a pop/rock singer, when she won Best Female Vocalist at the Buffalo Music Awards two years in a row. The post Tip Jar: Staying True To Yourself While Navigating Non-Stop Career Twists And Turns first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Music Business News Last WeekMusic business news last week included changes in how Ticketmaster handles ticket resale, proof of Bandintown's massive reach, Musician's guides to Instagram, Sora 2 and image sizes, MMF-US LA Summit, and more.
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New Music Critique: MinaxiContact: minaxitheband@gmail.com

Web: minaxitheband.com

Seeking: Booking, Film/TV

Style: Shoegaze, Psychedelic Rock, Hindustani Music

Absolutely fascinating. Brooklyn-bazed band Minaxi have taken upon themselves to blend shoegaze and psychedelic rock with Hindustani (Northern Indian classical) music, and the results are staggering. Hypnotic and ambient, the sound is chill in the classic psych-rock style, but it also feels spiritual and frankly gorgeous. “Minaxi’s vision is as bold as its execution. The band seamlessly integrates elements of Hindustani and Sufi music with the guitar-driven angst of psychedelia, the shimmering textures of shoegaze and ambient music, and the emotionally raw ethos of Midwest emo,” they say. The post New Music Critique: Minaxi first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Spotify is sponsor of Contemporary Black Music category at Music Business UK AwardsStreaming giant is latest partner for the UK industry's most enjoyable night of the year
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Musicians Guide To Facebook (2025 Edition)Is Facebook still worth it for artists? Yes - if you lean into what the platform now rewards: real conversation, short-form video, and smart, low-budget ads that funnel fans to owned channels.
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Live Music Industry News: UK levy • NIVA Summit • NY Ticket Fees • Bandsintown • TicketmasterIn the latest live music industry news, support for a levy to support UK grassroots venues is growing. The UK government endorses the plan as do many artists and most of the live music industry. Notably silent is Live Nation.
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No reviews on your new album? #Marketing #Music

Signing Stories: PsycropticDate Signed: May 2025

Label: Metal Blade Records

Band Members: Dave Haley, drums; Joe Haley, guitars; Jason Peppiatt, vocals; Jason Keyser, vocals; Todd Stern, bass

Type of Music: Tasmanian Death Metal

Booking: Liam Frith, TKO Booking

Publicity: Liz at Earsplit PR, liz@earsplitcompound.com

Web: psycroptic.com

A&R: Ryan Williams, Metal Blade

According to Todd Stern's philosophy on life, it was either kismet or merely good fortune that his Australian tech-death metal band, founded in 1999, found a home in arguably America’s best-regarded metal label, Metal Blade Records. Those with a contrary point of view might suggest that the band’s tireless efforts over more than a quarter-century of crushing it had something to do with the contract signing. Not only are they beloved in the “land down under,” Psycroptic have cultivated an American fanbase that resulted in them headlining multiple tours here.

“Mostly, we want to work alongside career bands that have stood the test of time and to have a close relationship with a label that believes [Psycroptic] still has plenty of room to grow,” Stern said. “It also doesn’t hurt to have a record label in our corner that has such a far reach and also the street cred to back it up. Plus it just feels like such a great fit.”

Getting into the nuts and bolts of Psycroptic’s signing to Metal Blade, Stern explained that they became free agents after their previous deal with Prosthetic Records ended, at which point they started working with TKO Booking Agent Liam Frith. 

“As we all started riffing ideas about what to do next as far as releasing a new record, new media ace [Ryan] Bart [Williams] at Metal Blade seemed to show interest and before we knew it there was an offer on the table,” Stern recalled.

It also didn’t hurt that Psycroptic are chums with a gaggle of acts on Metal Blade’s roster, including Black Dahlia Murder (for which Williams plays bass), Cannibal Corpse, Revocation, Goatwhore and The Red Chord.

“We’re very good friends with many bands that have called Metal Blade home forever, so naturally there were ‘consultations,’” Stern elaborated. “We’ve all been playing shows for ages, and it’s obviously common for recording artists to discuss the experiences that they’ve had over years.”

Shortly after Psycroptic’s signing to Metal Blade, they set loose a new song, “Architects of Extinction,” to be featured on their next record. It’s a long time coming, as the band’s last was 2022’s Divine Council.

“We just finished an amazing European Festival run that was really amazing for us,” Stern said in closing. “We’ll finish up the last touches on this new album, and then we’ll be ready to hit the ground running in 2026.”The post Signing Stories: Psycroptic first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Deezer reports Q3 revenues of $153m, confirms subscriber growth momentum in FranceDeezer's AI detection system and personalization features are 'attracting global attention, opening opportunities beyond our core markets,' said CEO Alexis Lanternier
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MMF-US LA Summit 2025: A Must-Attend Event for Artists, Managers and Music ProfessionalsThe Music Managers Forum-US (MMF-US) LA Summit is back, bringing together artist managers, self-managed artists, and music industry professionals for a day of keynotes, panels, presentations, and networking. If you’re looking to connect with leaders shaping the future of music, this event is not to be missed.
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Why no one is reviewing your album or new releaseWhy is no one reviewing your album or new release? Music PR veteran Ariel Hyatt of Cyber PR looks at how streaming, new media economics and increased competition have changed how music should be marketed.
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