Back To The Past: Why The Vintage Sound Is Becoming So Popular In Indie Music

While nostalgia in entertainment is nothing new, the indie music scene has been witnessing a particularly large wave of it recently with a number of bands adopting an audio aesthetic heavily reminiscent of the 70s/80s and even earlier. Here we explore why, and where the trend is headed. _____________________________ Guest…

What Bad Wolves’ Success Can Teach All Musicians [INTERVIEW]

Here James Shotwell chats with Bad Wolves, a rock and roll group who have been able to cultivate success in a genre some had deemed dead. In this interview, they detail how they found success with their recent cover of ‘Zombie’ and how the group’s collective experience in the music…

Giving ‘One Hit Wonder’ The Vernacular Boot

In this new essay, author Julian Tepper directly takes on one-hit wonders, and how the term can often negatively silo artists into a frequently mocked category of performer. ________________________ Guest post by Julian Tepper Dear One Hit Wonder, You and I have been on a collision-course dating back to 1986,…

71% Of Music Producers, Engineers Often Work Free [STUDY]

A new Music Producers Guild study showed that 88% of producers and engineers say that they have asked to work for free, with 71% agreeing to work unpaid within the last three years. 17% of those requests to work free came from major labels. Self-financed artists accounted for 77% of…

Concord Acquires Iconic Indie Rock Label Victory Records

Concord has acquired indie rock, metal, emo and punk label Victory Records and publisher Another Victory Publishing from Chicago-based founder Tony Brummel. The deal includes a catalog of 4,500 master recordings along with 3,500 compositions that includes A Day To Remember, Hawthorne Heights, Thursday, Silverstein, Taking Back Sunday, Atreyu, Bayside,…

Indie Video Series BalconyTV Rebrands As BALCONY!

After a short hiatus, Orchard/Sony-owned BalconyTV has resurfaced under the moniker BALCONY! and a new format that continues to expose independent artists with a focus on The Orchard’s vast roster. We’ll let Colleen Sweeney of The Orchard’s Daily Rind blog tell the rest of the BALCONY! story: For those of…

JUNO Awards Opens 2020 Submissions

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has announced that submissions for the 2020 JUNO Awards are open. To be considered for nomination for the 2020 JUNO Awards, releases must meet these criteria: National music release dates must fall between the eligibility period of September 1, 2018 and…

The Currency Of Deceased Rock Stars

In the wake of the passing of both Eddie Money and The Cars’ Ric Ocasek, Fred Jacobs here reflects on the lasting value of Classic Rock, and how music from the 60s and 70s continues to accrue cultural relevancy even as the number of actual artists from the era dwindles….

Fierce Panda Records: UK Label With Fresh Talent On The Roster [INTERVIEW]

ReverbNation recently sat down to chat with storied UK record label Firece Panda Records, a UK label with an impressive resume and some promising new artists on the docket, about their work over the past 25 years, the challenges of operating as an indie label, what they look for in…

5 Big Takeaways From IFPI’s Music Listening Report 2019

IFPI, the global recorded music trade organization, today released its Music Listening 2019 report, which surveys how music consumers 16-64 engage with recorded music across 21 countries. Here are 5 big takeaways. The IFPI Music Listening report has been published in previous years under the title IFPI Music Consumer Insight…