Menke, a Swedish songwriter, producer, and instrumentalist, fills us in on her recent creative inspirations, her love of analogue photography, time in the circus, and more:
Read MoreLuckily, no fists flew at Irving Plaza, but the energy from both the band and the crowd reached levels I’ve never experienced. As ‘MDRN LV’ began to burst from the speakers, heads whipped towards the stage and never looked away.
Read MoreSoundCloud continues to support the interests of the independent artist. This past week, the streaming platform announced that they will implement a new feature that will allow artists to upload music universally to Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and other services. What does this mean for the streaming landscape? How will this affect artists and listeners? Here’s what you need to know:
Read MoreThis past year, Justin Jesso has set the stage ablaze. From touring the globe with Kygo to releasing his debut EP, Let It Be Me, he continues to add more dimensions to his artistry. As a solo artist and a songwriter, Justin’s drive to master his craft may be unmatched.
Read MoreFew things are more frightening than wanting to escape your own mind. How do you get out? In the following letter, Crywolf, otherwise known as Justin Taylor Phillips, opens up about his battles with depression, its connection to creativity, and the cross country motorcycle trip that changed his life:
Read MoreRebel Music Collective (RMC) is an entertainment label that was created by Kane Tabiri in 2011. The idea for the Collective came as Kane realized the arsenal of talent that he was surrounded by, namely in his sister, Ama, and his close friend, Charles Tyler. By 2015, Ama joined Kane and Charles Tyler to form the hip-hop/R&B group now known as Lo Village. The group is based out of their hometown, Gaithersburg, MD, a well-known breeding ground of hip hop and R&B legends ranging from Logic to Wale. Taking a new approach to modern day hip hop, Lo Village blends neo-soul, old school R&B, go-go, and traditional rap into a striking sound that instills both nostalgia and irresistible head-nodding in every listener.
Read MoreMusic Streaming has brought great music to billions of ears throughout the past decade. But some scammers are taking advantage of this technology to artificially pump up numbers and even going as far as stealing artists’ music. What does this mean for the music community? How can streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify cut down on this fraud? Here’s what you need to know:
Read MoreTime to look back on how America listened to music last year. Check out our summary of BuzzAngle’s 2018 Music Streaming Report. Who are the most streamed artists of the year? How has our taste in genre shifted? Who’s paying for music? Here’s what you need to know:
Read MoreAt the end of 2018, Alec Benjamin released a mixtape titled ‘Narrated For You.’ Before that, he got signed by a major label, made an album, then got dropped. He’s spent time touring with Matisyahu, Jon Bellion, and Hoodie Allen. Over in Europe, he played the guitar and sang for fans in parking lots outside of Troye Sivan and Shawn Mendes concerts. “I handed out a ton of business cards, my Staples bill was insane,” says Alec. From playing parking lot shows to releasing smash hits like ‘Let Me Down Slowly,’ here’s a bit of insight into Alec’s story telling process.
Read MoreBefore, a fan had to attend a concert venue to see their favorite artists play live. Now, MelodyVR is bringing you up close to live performances from the comfort of your couch. An Oculus Headset and the MelodyVR app can transport fans to the concert venue through virtual reality technology. How will this affect the live performance market? What does this mean for artists and fans? What will this experience look like? Here’s what you need to know:
Read MoreIn today’s do-it-yourself atmosphere, the artist can be in complete control of their work. Every intricacy, emotion, lyric, and backdrop can be carefully crafted by one mind. The mind of Timi Tamminen ventures to the outer edges of the spectrum rarely exposed in the mainstream. Any notion from the darkest thought to the most blistering ecstacy is fuel for the creative process.
Read MoreIn fifteen years as a professional musician, Scott Flynn has played trombone in powerful groups like Pretty Lights and Odesza. After a phone call from a friend, Scott entered the world of Pretty Lights and began to explore the depth of electronic music. 808’s, synths, and sound design opened him up to another realm beyond organic instrumentation. In this Open Letter, Scott dives into his developing relationship with electronic music, the importance of both instrumentalists and electronic musicians, and the sweet spot of the Venn Diagram where both worlds collide.
Read MoreAre phones killing the concert experience? Since the advent of the camera phone, filming at concert venues has become a mainstay of live performances. Instead of witnessing the real time production on stage, many are absorbing the climax of shows through the lens of their phones. How do the fans feel about this phenomenon? What do the artists think? And how can we find a middle ground between recording the moment and living in it?
Read MoreThe electronic project, mira côsta, is an up-and-coming production duo based in Chicago, IL. Dylan and Daniel of mira côsta originally met in college in St. Louis. After both taking jobs in Chicago, they began to pursue music together. They wrote this open letter to discuss the struggle of prioritizing their passion for music versus advancing their corporate careers.
Read MoreIn our latest podcast with Jon and Luke of Great Good Fine Ok, we spoke on the inspiration behind their latest releases, the creative process, Elon Musk, and the all important art of thrift shopping. We broke down a few tips from Jon and Luke to help you avoid some thrift shopping pitfalls.
Read MoreIn our podcast conversation with gnash, we discussed the inspiration behind his latest single ‘dear insecurity,’ the power of simplistic production, his relationship with G-Eazy, and many more intimate topics. We broke down a few quotes from the conversation and dove deeper into gnash’s words. You can stream the full episode with gnash and ‘dear insecurity’ below:
Read MoreFor our latest podcast feature, we sat down with Andrew Goldstein who goes by his artist name, FRND. Having worked with prominent musicians like Demi Lovato, Celine Dion, and Blackbear, FRND has built a strong songwriting foundation. In 2016, FRND began releasing music under his own moniker. He combines pop-punk elements with an electronic soundscape to bend genres in a unique style. Diving deeper into his sound, we pulled a few of FRND's quotes from the podcast and examined them further.
Read MoreBryan Sammis, one half of La Bouquet and the voice behind Olivver the Kid, battles clinical depression. In his own words, "dealing with depression alone can be terrifying." He wrote this letter to share how he copes, adapts, and most importantly, how this feels.
Read MoreLyta, an electronica-R&B artist from Houston, Texas, is starting to understand her soul. The first in her family born in America, Lyta possesses a soul rooted in refugee hardship. She knows what her family endured and gives everything back to them through her artistry. On the heels of her debut EP, Id, Lyta wrote this letter as an ode to her family's sacrifice and the journey of finding herself through music.
Read MoreWhat is the Music Modernization Act? How will one piece of legislation alter the foundations of the music industry as we know it? How will this act affect every artist from the bedroom producer just starting out to multi-platinum artists selling out stadiums? The MMA is set to shake up the chain of command and serve artists a larger slice of the revenue pie. Here's what you need to know:
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