News: Andrew W.K. To Host Weekly Show On Glenn Beck’s Radio Network
–Written by Kevin Madert
In an announcement earlier this week that would be weird if anyone other than Andrew W.K. was involved, Glenn Beck confirmed the rocker/pianist/television host/motivational speaker/all-around partier as the latest addition to TheBlaze. W.K. will host the semi-eponymous America W.K. on Beck’s radio network from 10:00AM-12:00PM, debuting this Saturday, May 2. The show is described as follows by W.K.’s website:
Read More“Andrew will host a raw and penetrating discussion of what it is to be alive – meaning, motivation, mind set, and making dreams come true, all included in a celebration of life itself – and all with a positive and honest outlook. Andrew will also field questions and input from the audience, adding an engaging interactive component.” – via AndrewWK.com
News: Four Year Strong Stream Another New Song
I’ve got this buddy up from Boston, actually, he grew up in Worcester, and for those who know the area, that is a major difference that is very relevant to this topic. He swears up and down that Four Year Strong haven’t been the same since their debut album, It’s Our Time. Now, this is mostly because he’s a deeply stubborn man, but it’s also because he’s one of the hometown faithful of the band. I’d argue, of course, that Rise of Die Trying was a phenomenal album, as will most anyone else, but they aren’t going to sway his opinion.
But yesterday, these Worcester natives released “I’m A Big, Bright, Shining Star”, the second single off their upcoming self-titled album. And if I didn’t know any better, I’d say this song alone was good enough to make him change his mind. The track contains all of the elements of classic Four Year Strong; a little gritty, heavier than a lot of their later work, and most importantly: gang vocals. Very, very well done gang vocals. Check out the song for yourself after the jump, and stay tuned for Four Year Strong’s self-titled album, due out on June 2nd via Pure Noise.
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Dreamscape Artist Spotlight: Michal Menert
–Written by Kevin Madert
Dreamscape is fast approaching, and we can’t wait to join Badvss Raves and all of you at Camp Ramblewood May 8-10. In the days leading up to the festival, we’re hoping to get you better acquainted with some of the artists playing the festival; if you read about them here on the AltFreq page, you should definitely catch their performances at Dreamscape.
Colorado native Michal Menert has come a long way since his days as co-producer on Pretty Lights’ debut full-length Taking Up Your Precious Time. In the decade since that album’s release, he’s built a name for himself with his never-stationary sound and his admirable work ethic, overcoming plenty of obstacles in the process. Dig a little deeper with us as we highlight one of Dreamscape’s most forward-thinking performers.
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Breaking: Camp Bisco Returns for 2015, Finds New Home In Scranton, PA (UPDATE)
–Written by Kevin Madert
UPDATE: Camp Bisco has confirmed via Twitter it will return in 2015. The festival will be held at Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA July 16-18. Regarding a lineup, the festival simply teased “stay tuned.”
Originally posted 4/28: It’s a great day for music lovers, festival goers, and East Coasters alike. Long-running Disco Biscuits-helmed Camp Bisco appears to be returning for the summer 2015 season, albeit in a new home: Scranton, Pennsylvania. The official Bisco website was replaced earlier today with a word search (see below), which was also posted to Bisco’s various social media outlets.
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Show Preview: Atmosphere w/B. Dolan, Dem Atlas, and DJ Adatrak @ Echostage (Thur. May 2)
–Written by Kevin Madert
While spring has struggled to shake the persevering grasp of winter, I’ve struggled to maintain my composure in the lead-up to May 2. Between this recent bout of cooler weather and my steadily rising anticipation for Atmosphere’s Echostage debut this coming Saturday, neither I nor spring seem to be succeeding. The Minnesota-based duo is bringing the Fortunate Tour to the nation’s capital with B. Dolan, Dem Atlas, and DJ Adatrak along for the ride.
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News: New Yorker Article on the Early Days of Music Piracy
I’m a sucker for a history lesson on the makings of the modern day music industry.I’m such a nerd about the topic that I wrote no less than five research papers in college about modern music industry topics like piracy and digital media. It’s a fascinating subject, in the past 20 years alone we’ve been through so many ups and downs, so many technological advances, and the whole time the industry has had to keep up, with varying degrees of success. This article published by The New Yorker covers one of those not-so-successful attempts to keep up with the times. The article goes in depth on one of the biggest music piracy rings to hit the industry in the early days of the internet and leaked albums.
It’s a long read, but it is very much worth it. If only I had this as a source back when I was writing papers on the subject…
Check out the article, “The Man Who Broke the Music Business”, and let us know what you think!
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