Spotify today took another step in its efforts to build out services for artists to help diversify itself away from a business model predicated on paying music streaming royalties to labels: it has acquired SoundBetter, a music production marketplace for artists, producers, and musicians to connect on specific projects; and for people who are looking to distribute music tracks to those who want to license them.
Gary Larson’s The Far Side website has been updated with new art and a caption that reads, “A new online era of The Far Side is coming!” It’s hard to tell whether or not this is teasing new strips or just online versions of the originals, but I’m excited nonetheless.
Agnostic Front will release Get Loud on November 8th. Today they’ve shared the new song “Spray Painted Walls” and pre-orders are now up.
Dashboard Confessional has announced a 20 year celebration tour and compilation album. The album, The Best of the Best Ones, will be released on January 31st and pre-orders are now up.
Read More “Dashboard Confessional Announces 20th Anniversary Tour and Compilation Album”
Mark Hoppus has shared an unreleased cover of The Cars’ “Just What I Needed” on Soundcloud. It included the following message:
A couple years ago, I was asked to record a creepy cover of Just What I Needed for a tv show. They wanted moody and strange, dark, and drony, with space for dialogue to go over it. I went into the studio with my friend James Ingram and this is what we came up with. The show was cancelled so quickly the episode never aired, but if you can imagine a grim and grizzled detective determinedly working a murder case that shook them to the very core of their being, this is the music the show requested. It’s been sitting on a hard drive ever since, and with the sad news of Ric Ocasek’s passing, I thought I’d put it up here. Enjoy it. And go listen to The Cars.
Belmont have signed to Pure Noise Records and released a video for their new song “By My Side.”
Read More “Belmont Sign With Pure Noise Records; Share New Song”
The new Jurassic World: Battle at Big Rock short is now available. Colin Trevorrow directed the eight-minute film, which he co-wrote with Jurassic World 3 screenwriter Emily Carmichael.
Phantom Planet have released their new song “Party Animal.”
The Interrupters have shared a live studio cover of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy.”
Read More “The Interrupters Share Cover of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy””
Fall Out Boy have shared the track listing for their upcoming greatest hits album.
Ric Ocasek, the frontman for The Cars, passed away over the weekend.
Ric Ocasek, the songwriter, rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the Cars, was found dead on Sunday afternoon at his townhouse in Manhattan.
The New York Police Department confirmed the death but did not give a cause. Sources have differed on Mr. Ocasek’s age — some saying he was 70 — but a few public records and previous articles about him suggest that he was 75.
My thanks to this week’s sponsor, Chris Vuoncino, who just released the new book, Who Will Survive. The hook for this novel is that it’s inspired by the music of Murder by Death and it’s now available for purchase in paperback and for the Kindle via Amazon.
The blurb for the book reads:
It’s late in the night at Bart’s Saloon, a seedy hangout on the outskirts of small town. The drinks are flowing, patrons are laughing and the Devil himself is at the center of attention. The night seems set to end without conflict until three gun shots ring out and leave the Devil a bloody mess, just a few steps from making his exit. Jack didn’t know he would be pulling the trigger when he entered the bar that night, but he felt justified in his actions as he made his way out the back door of Bart’s. What Jack could not have known, is that the Devil’s idea of revenge is far deeper, far crueler and more far fetched that anything he could imagine. One man’s actions will reverberate throughout a seemingly innocent town and everyone will be forced to fight off their demons, those which haunt them internally as well as externally.
The author received the blessing of the band in creating and publishing this story.
Let’s get ready for action.
This week’s newsletter has my first thoughts on the upcoming album from Blink-182. I also have some opinions on other new music released recently, including MUNA, Fall Out Boy, Green Day, and Charli XCX. I also have a few brief thoughts on preparing for trips, a couple of thoughts on the Apple event, and I go through my usual media diet rundown from the week. There’s also a playlist of ten songs I enjoyed this week. This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.
If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.
HalfNoise has released the new song “Natural Disguise.”
Mike Herrera has released a stripped down version of “A Thousand More Times” on all streaming platforms.
Read More “Mike Herrera Strips Down “A Thousand More Times””