Hi Everyone,
Hope ye’r all doing alright..
Releases so today in Musiczone.ie’s Corporate HQ include the first two albums by THE STREETS, new ones from BEN HARPER / CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE, CABBAGE, DEAF HAVANA, KACEY MUSGRAVE, MAX RICHTER, THE VACCINES and reissues by THE SHINS (delayed from last week) SONNY ROLLINS and BAND OF HORSES.
Right so, releases then for next week the 6th of APRIL include (April looks a bit warmer to be fair and not just with RSD… RSD, oh more on that in the minute).. Via SONY, ELVIS PRESLEY “The Searcher” Original Soundtrack on 2CD, 3CD or 2LP, as well as JOHNNY CASH’s “Forever Words”… It’s a collaborative album consisting of 16 songs created from Johnny Cash’s unknown poetry, lyrics, and letters set to music by an astounding array of contemporary artists including Chris Cornell, Ruston Kelly & Kacey Musgraves, Rosanne Cash, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Brad Paisley, Kris Kristofferson & Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Elvis Costello, and more.
Universal for the 6th of April have two different reworkings of ELTON JOHN’s Greatest Hits… First one called “Revamp” done by contemporary artists, and the second one called “Restoration” done by country artists.
Uni also have new albums by 30 SECONDS TO MARS, LISA STANSFIELD, WINTERFYLLETH on 2CD Digi and LP, and live albums by ALBERT HAMMOND and HALL & OATES “Live in Dublin” (not the more recent one where the sound quality was very questionable I believe but an older one from 2014 I think)..
Lastly from Universal is the LP release of the newest LORDE album “Melodrama” and a FRANK SINATRA Best Of 20 track compilation called “Baby Blue Eyes” .
Speaking of Uni and RSD… We didn’t get a great fill across their titles with them to be honest, allocated a good bit less than last year… I don’t envy their job I suppose… Trying to keep 45 shops happy with small qtys…. Bit like trying to feed the starving, we’re a bit like the box on the mantelpiece in the old days for lent… Uni ireland were promised 50% of the Gallagher allocation which would have been 375 but only got 20% .. Do the maths… We got into double figures but not enough to satisfy demand (sorry in advance).. The Bowie through Uni is also a big problem… Cut to 30% of what I ordered… Again late arrivers will be disappointed maybe even some early risers too… The other Bowie’s will be ok i’d say for a good part of the day anyway (again sorry… And I am… I really hate disappointing regular lads).. The Cures, Soundgarden and David Sylvian are also tight… Springsteen and Rage are tight with Sony… The Zeppelin is tight with Warner and I have not heard from the others yet… Look just keeping ye folks informed (would appreciate no return sure you’ll look after me emails about the above please lads and ladies… It kind of is what it is… Overall it will be a good fill… I have highlighted 9 titles of 500 that will be problematic so far (good ones I know!)… Most of the rest should be fairly ok I hope… That’s the day for yeah lads… The day’s core message is to support indie shops and drive customers to it’s shops by offering rare bespoke vinyl… Anyway look, just being honest with ye…. That’s that till next
On the entertainment side
THE SHAKER HYMN, AUGUST WELLS, JOHN BLEK, THE BURMA, LEFTBANK (side project of Ruby Horse) and TRANSMISSION CLUB are all more or less confirmed… Maybe a nice surprise or two next week as well we hope…. THE SHAKER HYMN are the most underrated band in the country in my opinion… Two fine albums out and the new tune is quality once again delighted to have them in for a full band set… A quick listen here… More on the bands so next week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWygV9dKVnE
PIAS have one of my own favs in the new EELS album “The Deconstruction” on limited CD Digi, way more limited deluxe box set thingy with a few pink vinyl in it, the LP format of the album comes as two 10” records on yellow vinyl… Haven’t listened to any of it yet… Hoping for a nice surprise, don’t want to spoil it on myself like… new ones also from THE UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA and GOAT GIRL.. Iindies only formats on both these two also.. U.M.O. getting great reviews also.
I won’t bore ye too much like last week but funnily enough after my ramas about the state (good or bad) of the industry, the figures came through these last few days of how the music industry performed in the United States of Americaaa last year, 2017..
Here are the core points I suppose…
Total industry figure was 8.7 billion up 15% from 7,5 billion
Streaming was responsible for all the growth.
Streaming amounts to 65% of all paid for music consumed in 2017 in the States…. Like an Everly brother all they want to do is stream, stream, stream, stream… Whenever I want you all I gotta do is stream.
Physical is 17%.
Downloads are 15%
Synch is 3%
Physical was down 4% overall (which was much less of a decline than in recent years so there may be a settling down period… I doubt it!!)
Vinyl was up 10% to 400 million dollars but CD fell 6% to 1.1 billion dollars…
So that’s the nuts and bolts of it really folks…
CD still at 1.1 billion dollars.. Lot of cash
Overall positive for the industry… But for my part of it… So so… Nearly holding its own, so not too bad… Need to keep an eye over there, they cough we get sick type scenario..
Overall levels of turnover back to 2008 but still 40% away from peak levels…
Begs the question which im going to start asking… How much is the artist seeing?
If it’s 40% away from peak levels… Whats that 13 billion dollars… But grew 15% last year… If it keeps that up till surpass the peak in 3 years… Is the artist/band seeing it?
SPOTIFY are floating on US stock exchange next month I think..
Won’t bore ye anymore with industry stuff…. Would much rather talk about releases but a bit quiet there of late… It’s looking better later in the month.
Warner for the 6th of April have a 50th Anniversary Deluxe Boxset of LOVE’s “ Forever Changes”.. 4CD/DVD/LP in one boxset as well as the new album from KYLIE… A bit of a country album I think! Available on 6 formats… Great fun that for a retailer especially for an artist like Kylie… And lastly Warner have the new BLACKBERRY SMOKE album on Earache on CD, 2lp or indies only 2LP only 1K of them.
ROM have the second album from HINDS , a LEVELLER’S boxset on 2CD/2DVD which includes the documentary film, and the greatest hits on vinyl, MOBY “Play B-Sides” back again this time on black vinyl though, and a remix of the ZOLA JESUS album with bonus tracks.
The Orchard have the new album by LE GALAXIE “Pleasure” on CD and LP… Third album from them, May Kay formerly of FIGHT LIKE APES is now a full time member.
Orchard also has an OTHERKIN Live LP, Kamelot new album and MASTERSYSTEM album which is a supergroup made of members of EDITORS and FRIGHTENED RABBIT.
Well sin é for this week folks,
Thanks for listening
Ray
Musiczone.ie
