Review: Luke Middleton – nothing ever after

Luke Middleton - nothing ever after
Adam Grundy

The debut EP from Luke Middleton, a rising Alternative singer-songwriter, tackles heavy themes such as depression and mental health, while still navigating towards the light. nothing ever after was produced by Nathan Darmody (Allstar Weekend), and rocks along with great pacing and memorable moments. This EP, in particular, draws from Middleton’s time as an infantryman in the US Army and tackles some pretty heavy topics ranging from the process of him readjusting to life post-service, the emotional trauma and mental health challenges that he’s faced and has been working to overcome. With a sound that ranges somewhere between the brooding rock of Stabbing Westward paired with the vocals of Post Malone, Luke Middleton’s future looks incredibly bright.

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Silverplanes – “Down The Drain” (Video Premiere)

Silverplanes
Adam Grundy

Today I’m so excited to bring everyone the latest video from space rock trio, Silverplanes, called “Down The Drain.” On this eclectic single from Silverplanes, they channel their love for Alt-Rock hooks in the style of Smashing Pumpkins, paired with the pop sensibilities of Rooney, in a unique way that is sure to leave a mark on the music scene. The band shared:

”Down the Drain” is about life passing by so quickly and one day looking back thinking, how did I get here? What happened to all the things we were going to do? Realizing you have changed but you’re still the same deep inside, and finally coming to terms with all the crazy things that have happened and resolving to carry on. The video captures various stages of myself visiting past and future.

Silverplanes will be releasing their debut LP, Airbus, on April 5th. I was also able to catch up with this band for a brief interview below.

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Rising Costs to Tour the United States

Legal
Jason Tate

Anthony Pawelski, writing at AILA:

International artists face another barrier: a U.S. work visa. The O or P visa are commonly used for musicians. They are each limited to specific purposes and not a substitute for a green card. An artist may even have multiple O visas depending on their overall activities in the United States. Both O and P visas can be labor intensive depending on the musical genre, profile of band/artist, nature of the arrangement, and timeline. Like any U.S. visa, there are associated filing fees and attorney fees but, unlike the H-1B work visa, the O or P do not mandate the sponsor/employer pay all legal or government filing fees.

And now, touring is getting even more expensive. On April 1, 2024, the new fee schedule from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will take effect. Applications for most work visas and employment-based green cards will now have higher filing fees and require a new mandatory asylum fee ranging from $300 to $600 (non-profits are exempt). This new fee will be used to fund part of the costs of administering our nation’s asylum program and will be paid each and every time an O or P visa is filed (side note that it is possible that the final fee rule will be challenged in court and all or part of the new fee rule may be enjoined).

Unionized YouTube Workers Learn Google Laid Them Off

YouTube
Jason Tate

Jason Koebler, writing for 404 Media:

Thursday evening, the Austin, Texas City Council was set to consider and pass a resolution calling on Google to bargain with a union of YouTube Music workers who are based in the city. While one of the workers was speaking to thank the council, Google laid all of the workers off: “To be supported by the city of Austin and also our allies in the labor community gives us the motivation to keep this fight going,” Jack Benedict, a member of the Alphabet Workers Union was saying to the council.

One of his colleagues, Katie Marner, walked up to the pulpit: “Not to interrupt, but they just laid us all off,” she says. “They just laid us all off. Our jobs are ended today. Effective immediately.” A bell rings. “I’m sorry, your time has expired, but we’ll follow up on this,” Austin mayor Kirk Preston Watson says.

Universal Music Still Not Available on TikTok

Technology
Jason Tate

Reece Rogers, writing for Wired:

Over a month after the first songs vanished, it remains unclear when Universal and TikTok might reach new deals. “I think one of the risks for the music industry in general is if it turns out that the users on TikTok simply adapt,” says Cirisano, “and start using more unlicensed music. Start using more independent music. Start making more videos without music.” It’s quite frustrating for users to wake up one day and discover that videos with millions of views are now muted, and they might rethink their approach to making content.