The World’s First “Acoustically Perfect” Concert Hall Opens in Germany

Photo by Iwan Baan

The newly opened Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany is a visually stunning structure from a design perspective, with its gorgeous wave-shaped facade, curved elevators, and its seemingly endless stairs. However, the focal point of the $843 million building is its one of a kind central auditorium designed specifically for a balanced sound throughout the concert hall.

As reported by Wired, Swiss architectural firm Herzog and De Meuron worked alongside One to One studio to painstakingly build the coral reef-like structure from 10,000 unique acoustic panels lining the ceiling, walls, and balustrades.

Tattooed Babies And Tortured Teens: ‘The Kid’ Turns Youthful Angst Into Art

How to escape the chains that bind us from birth – that’s one of the questions The Kid is trying to answer. At 25, the contemporary artist’s young age has no bearing on his work, except for the fact that his pieces address the social determinism that weighs upon the younger generation these days.

The Kid in front of his painting I go alone, oil on canvas, 2016. (Source: The Kid/Facebook)

A self-taught artist, he is still using the same media (charcoal and ink pens) he started out with in the first pieces he exhibited. But he also excels at oil painting and silicone sculpture, as we can see in Too Young To Die? and As A Flower Chooses Its Color (be warned, this one might be hard to look at).
Today in Paris and Amsterdam, where he’s preparing his next exhibit, The Kid took some time between catching trains and painting to answer a few questions.

Third Man Records Slated to Finally Open Vinyl Pressing Plant in Detroit

Another giant leap for vinyl, courtesy of Jack White.

Back in November 2015, word went out that Third Man Records would open a vinyl pressing plant in label boss Jack White’s adopted hometown of Detroit. Just over a year later, the label has released a video teasing its imminent opening.

Vinyl Sales Aren't Dead: The 'New' Billion Dollar Music Business

Photographer: Noriko Hayashi/Bloomberg

Vinyl records are projected to sell 40 million units in 2017. This will bring the past seven years’ collective sales to the $1 billion benchmark for the first time this millennium. This impressive milestone has been untouched since the peak of the industry in the 1980s. While explosive by today’s standards, according to Deloitte, in its heyday (‘81), total vinyl album sales topped $1 billion in just that year alone.

The record industry’s hunters and gatherers have been busy collecting. According to Deloitte, new vinyl records and revenue will enjoy a seventh consecutive year of double-digit growth in 2017. But the slice of the pie is still a very small one - with broader music industry revenues projected to be approximately $15 billion this year, vinyl will account for only 6%.

I spoke with Toddrick Spalding, the Director of Music at the trailer production agency Mob Scene – a music expert by trade, and avid record collector in Los Angeles. At 37 years old, Spalding listens to vinyl daily. His “modest” collection is a very highly-curated mix of 2,000 albums, both old and new. Other collectors have over 10,000 albums, completing discographies and aggregating every album from a specific record label, so he feels his is relatively small. Anytime he travels somewhere new, Spalding takes a dedicated day to find the record store and add to his collection.

In Just 7 Years, Vinyl Records Have Gone from ‘Fad’ to ‘Billion Dollar Industry’

 

That’s right: vinyl records are about to become a billion dollar industry.  That’s the latest prediction from Deloitte, who exclusively shared their data with Digital Music News.

Looks like those beard-growing, wine-sipping hipsters were on to something.  That is, a billion dollars worth of something.   According to a game-smashing prediction released this morning, sales of vinyl records are set to become a billion dollar industry.  That is, in 2017 after just seven years.
Specifically, sales of records themselves will reach the $800-900 million-mark, with turntables and other accessories likely throwing things into 9-figures.

+ Still a Fad? Vinyl Records Return to 1991 Sales Levels

After that, who knows how big this can go.  The prediction was outlined in Deloitte’s just-issued ‘TMT Predictions’ report.  “Music industry vinyl is expected to continue its remarkable resurgence, approaching US $1 billion globally in revenues for the first time this millennium,” the report declares.

“New vinyl revenues and units are likely to enjoy a seventh consecutive year of double-digit growth in 2017.”

+ 12 Things That Won’t Happen In 2017 (My Music Industry Anti-Predictions)

Actually, music industry groups like the IFPI have been counting ten straight years of growth.  But hey, let’s not squabble: this is a growth spurt that keeps going, and bringing new users into the mix.

And reshaping an entire music industry in the process.

Buzzov-en 2017 News!

Buzzov-en is launching their own label! More about that will be revealed soon.


Later this month, be on the look out for two, digital, full- length albums, on Rusty Knuckles!

Also over the next few months, Buzzov-en will be going into the studio, to record three new songs, for a 7" on Rusty Knuckles; and a split on Patac Records!

Independent Labels Claimed 35% Market Share In The US Last Year… By Ownership

Last year, the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) issued a report suggesting that independent labels claimed a 37.6% market share in 2015.

The WINTEL write-up, co-authored by respected analyst Mark Mulligan, discovered that independent labels generated $5.6 billion in revenue in the year.

Unlike traditional market share metrics, which judge the industry on distribution power, the WIN report instead measured money generated by rights ownership.

Why that’s important: a big chunk of the major labels’ global market share is typically based on the revenue they accrue through their ability to distribute releases from independent label partners.
Much of this revenue, however, is subsequently paid through to the majors’ independent partners.
In the case of UMG, for instance, that includes Big Machine (Taylor Swift), Concord (Iggy Pop, Paul McCartney) and Glassnote (Mumford & Sons, Childish Gambino – pictured).

WIN argues that it’s the rights ownership figure, rather than the distribution figure, which is most important.

YouTube Loses US Music Streaming Dominance As Subscription Plays Jump 124%

People paying for the likes of Spotify and Apple Music played more music streams in the US last year than users of YouTube – in a dramatic market reversal.

That’s according to the latest data from trusted market monitor BuzzAngle – whose stats show that digital video music streams grew by just 7.5% in the year.

By contrast, audio on-demand services saw streams on their platforms grow by a whopping 82.6% – from 137.29bn in 2015 to 250.73bn in 2016.

That was enough to comfortably overtake digital video, which attracted 181.31bn music streams in 2015, up 7.5% on 168.59bn in 2015.

(Obviously, two related players completely dominate this field. So for ‘digital video’ you can largely read ‘YouTube and Vevo’. And before you ask… BuzzAngle’s tally includes both premium content and identified tracks attached to YouTube user-generated-content.)

Husky Burnette Tour Dates!

Husky Burnette  is getting ready to hit the road for Spring 2017! Check them out in your town soon!

Husky Burnette's Spring Fling Detour 2017 

4/13 Gillie's Bar, Kearney NE

4/14 Barleycorn's, Wichita KS

4/15 Lost Highway, Oklahoma City OK

4/20 The Salty Goat, Panama City FL

4/21 The Salty Goat, Panama City FL

4/22 The Salty Goat, Panama City FL

4/23 Tattanooga Tattoo Expo, Chattanooga TN

4/27 Coffee Pot Roadhouse, Roanoke VA

4/28 Melody's, Beckley VA

4/29 McGarvey's, Altoona PA

5/05 PJ's Lager House, Detroit MI

5/06 Moonrunners Festival, Chicago IL

5/12  Crooked Smile Festival, Winchester IN

5/19 Highlands Tap Room, Louisville KY

5/20 Southgate House Revival, Newport KY

5/27 Kings, Conway AR

6/03 Goat Fest IV, Clarksdale MS

6/04 Goat Fest IV Hangover Party @Levon's, Clarksdale MS

6/08 Melody's, Beckley VA

6/09 Scooter's, Lititz Pa

6/10 The Tusk, Philadelphia PA

6/11 Brigantine Blues And Brews Festival, Brigantine NJ

6/14 10th Ave Burrito, Belmar NJ

6/16 Brew and Cue, Chattanooga TN

6/22 Davey's Uptown, Kansas City MO

6/23 Barleycorn's, Wichita KS

ANTiSEEN, "We're Number One" Album Review

Scumfeast Metal 666, recently reviewed ANTiSEEN's latest album, "We're Number One." 

Check out what they had to say below!

"What can You say?  Mighty Joe Young is gone.  It was devastating to the bands, his friends family & fans and most including myself. I could not imagine ANTiSEEN without Joe. At the same time after all these years I certainly could not imagine a world without ANTiSEEN. Joe was as unique as they come in rock n roll. His sound was as important to ANTiSEEN as Jeff Clayton's vocals. The two things that stayed consistent for 30 plus years as a band.  He was loved by the fans and a lot of other people.  RIP Joe. You are still missed. But Ya know. One of the things that makes ANTiSEEN who they are. They don't stop. they don't quit or give up. They continue doing what they do."