Why Live Music Changes Lives

14-Feb-2018 By Josey Dunbar

Picture this..

It’s a beautiful, sunny day in your local city – except you are unaware of this as you stand, shoulder to shoulder with strangers from all degrees of life. Packed like farm animals inside a dark auditorium awaiting the blinding of strobe lights and deafening of speakers with enough SPL per watt to uproot a forest. And yet, you leave this loud, crammed, seemingly undesirable experience as an inspired, satisfied and overall happier individual; and the question is: why? Why humans not only love, but crave the live music atmosphere, dates back to practically the dawn of mankind.

Even in prehistoric times, the art of live music was believed to play part in the lives of cavemen and women. Artifacts found revealing cave drawings of people dancing—and let’s be honest, who dances without music? Jump forward a few hundred-millennia to Ancient Greece where live performances of theater and music became not only a source of entrainment but also a means of projecting societal norms.

1700s: Opera emerges as a new type of live music performance; initiating a need for large showcase venues such as La Scala in Milan.

1850: Jenny Linda makes her debut in America, exceeding the crowd size brought out by any preceding artist.

1950s: Rock and Roll broke down the race barrier by showcasing black and white artists side-by-side on a shared stage.

Maybe it’s just in our nature or maybe there truly is something different, something unexplainable about live music. On that note (pun intended), the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center conducted a study which analyzed the compared human reaction to live and recorded music. According to the data retrieved through this study, live music resulted in greater relief of stress among patients than recorded tracks. The setting, the physical vigor and connection between fan and artist has the power to pull audience-members out of their busy lives for a moment, where nothing else matters but the art in front of them.

And that’s not even the best part. Concerts not only have illustrated a unique ability to reach people in a way no other means of art can, they are also -dare I say- saving the music industry. Mind you, this is a debated topic amongst music connoisseurs. Many argue, that as the profit from purchased music decreases with the incline in streaming, the touring and live music industry will pick-up the income slack.

Despite the outlandishness of this claim, it is valid considering the immense growth in live music profit over the past decade. Concerts and live tours, which were once mere means of promoting a new album, have evolved into a multibillion dollar industry. Millennials have undeniably taken part in the live music fad; however according to Ticketmaster’s 2014 Live Attendee Study, their presence was solely thirty-five percent of overall attendees. Therefore insinuating that older generations too have increased in concert attendance, and today take up sixty-five percent of the documented audience.

So picture this…

It’s sixty degrees in Dublin, You’re in an outside venue in close quarters with the stranger on your left. You take a moment to appreciate that one festival brought all of these people together. The lights of the stage dim, and outsteps the artist you came to see. And thus, you leave this loud, crammed, seemingly undesirable experience as an inspired, satisfied and overall happier individual; and the answer is: music.

Josey is a content writer for youbloom as well as a member of the marketing team. She is music obsessed and a diehard Tom Petty fan. Josey currently lives outside of Los Angeles where she enjoys excessively sunny days, train adventures and organic chai (yes, Josey is high-maintenance about her chai).

Spotify and Music As We Know It

05-Jan-2018 By Josey Dunbar

So, you may not have heard of them….but a long time ago music listeners used to pay for their music by

purchasing magical little devices called CDs. Now, I’m not saying we need to base modern life off

prehistoric tendencies, BUT suspend your disbelief enough to imagine a world where music hypothetically has more value than $0.006. $0.006. As in: you can’t even shop at McDonalds for 100 times the deemed value of modern music.. thanks, streaming!

History:

This whole evolutionary change (you know, the one where we demoted the value of art) can arguably be tied back to the October 7th of 2008 in Stockholm Sweden. On this fateful day was born Spotify, a digital audio streaming device, developed and released by partners Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. Contrary to popular opinion, Spotify’s foreign roots and sleek color scheme were not its sole motivators for success; rather, this was a result of excessive planning and a brilliant business model. Come summer of 2009 (less than a year following its official release) Spotify raised $50M in their second round of funding which was essential in the paying off of major record labels.

Reaction:

Not surprisingly, Spotify faced mixed reactions upon its release to the public. Its initial business plan massively underpaid artists and exercised the objectively suspicious need to pay off record labels who otherwise were unwilling to hand over their precious songs to be distributed to the public for practically nothing.

Artists were the first to catch on to the consumer-heavy focus of Spotify’s business model: essentially underpaying musicians only to cut the literal value of music by 99.4% (which was revealed when Spotify later released a statement illustrating the payout per new streamer to be less than a cent).

Underpaying artists may be in the best interest of consumers (and happy consumers means a happy Spotify bank-account) however, is discounted music really worth the scamming of artists and overall wear and tear streaming has on the entire music industry? Many don’t think so.

Artists and producers such as Thom Yorke, Taylor Swift, Nigel Godrich, and David Byrne spoke out against Spotify not only as business men and women fighting for economic equality, but also as concerned lovers of the art itself with fear for streaming’s influence on its future.

“If Spotify reaches its goal of gaining a definitive hold on the new delivery system then another precedent will be set and the idea that recorded music is practically worthless will become normal.” – Nigel Godrich

Influence:

As it was so beautifully stated by Mr. Godrich (likely in a British accent), Spotify and streaming as a whole will continue to demote the worth of music so long as

the literal marketed value of a song continues to drop so drastically.

As profit brought in by music alone declines, labels must find other means of making money off of artists and the easiest way to do this is by “branding” a musician. AKA owning the artists’ names not merely their music; naturally leading to creative restrictions from labels.

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At the end of the day, music is music. It evolved into what it was 10 years ago and it continues to reshape into what it is today just as it will tomorrow and forever. There’s no way to stop a changing industry from growing but there is a way to help it. To aid it rather from becoming something you don’t want it to be. At the end of the day- you, the fan- have the most influence of all. What you choose to buy sells and what you don’t will likely conform into something you will. So make the change you want to hear, music as we know it is ours to protect.

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youbloom’s Top 10 of 2017

22-Dec-2017 By Josey Dunbar

In 2017, independent artists from across the globe came together in Dublin and Los Angeles for a weekend of master classes, collaboration, and performance. Youbloom artists have been hard at work pumping out fresh sounds all year long. To wrap up this 2017 we thought we’d share some of our favorites. Tune in everyday for a new featured artist.

10. Shivan

Music Box is one of three singles released by the solo artist Shivan in the last year and it was a tough choice picking which one to feature. In Music Box, Shivan meshes silky smooth vocal harmonies with sparse synth tones of bells and plucked strings culminating in an airy atmosphere. This spacious intro gives way to a head-bobbing interlude powered forward by Shivan’s hocketing voice put through a vocoder. Shivan’s sound in general is clean, at times funny (take a listen to Manta Ray), and never lacking in innovative catchiness. You can check out more of his music on Spotify and SoundCloud.

9. We Bless This Mess

In their new single, Ocean, We Bless This Mess brings their soulful, raw fervor to a new level as Nelson Graf Reis leaves off the bass and drums to create a more stripped-back level of intimacy. The track starts with the sound of waves, barely audible and gently lapping. The waves quickly give way to Graf Reis’ soulful solo voice waxing sweetly against the brittle strumming of his guitar. Occasionally his own voice is subtly layered by vocal harmonies while at other times, it all falls away completely and were are left alone with Graf Reis’ beautiful, wailing words reminding us: “Step by step, you breathe the same air as eye.” If you want to see the music video that accompanies Ocean you can find it here on youtube. And to see what else We Bless This Mess has cooked up, find them on Spotify or follow them on Twitter to see when they’re playing near you.

8. The Magnettes

Ugly Youth, the newest album by the Suisse duo The Magnettes, is full of catchy songs that quickly hook listeners. The captivating and distinct sound of the Magnettes is fun and similar to that of Madonna. Their June release can be found on sites such as Soundcloud, and iTunes. Killers in a Ghost Town, the leading song on the album incorporates a wide variety of instruments in coherence with a more modern techno style.

7. OSIYM

OSIYM has been making a lot of noise this 2017, dropping 3 new singles and with music videos to match. Youbloom is excited to name one of these singles, the party anthem FLEX, as #8 on our countdown of 2017 releases. With its infectious beat and slick bravado, FLEX is a hot addition to your party playlist. The rap duo Nova and Charlie Black have become synonymous with the boom bap and trap scene in their hometown of Toronto and thanks to their witty word-smithing and on-stage charisma, OSIYM’s music has spread the continent. While there’s a lot of exceptional talent spilling out of Toronto right now, OSIYM is in no danger of being drowned out. Take a listen on Spotify or Soundcloud, and see what we mean.

6. Royal Prospect

Royal Prospect started 2017 off strong with the March release of Hearts. Hearts beautifully displays the group’s lyrical ability as well as the amazing vocal capacity of lead singer Oscar Reingsdahl. The song begins with a slow taste of the chord progression that later speeds and evolves as the mood of the song changes. The overall lyrical message is both relatable as well as captivating to the listener. Hearts can be found on iTunes and Soundcloud and check out their music video on Youtube. The group followed up Hearts with the September release of I Feel Alright. Unlike Hearts, which is a very vocally heavy song, I Feel Alright places great emphasis on the instrumental abilities of Gustav Reingsdahl (Guitar), Hannes Tingfors (Bass) Oscar Reingsdahl (Guitar) and Hannes Pennsäter (Drums). See what you’re missing and check out Royal Prospect!

5. Hannah

In her new EP, Blossom, Hannah swishes together a cocktail of jazzy piano accompaniment, chill-step hip-hop beats, and her soulful voice to create a mesmerizing piece of poetry. Originally from Chicago, and now making noise in Los Angeles, Hannah’s sound is unique and colored by the iconic cities she’s lived in. Blossom, on the surface, is a mellow set of Rap and R&B charts to chill out to. Listen a little closer, and it’s a story of Hannah’s life, her experiences, and finding her identity in a world off-kilter. Take a listen to Blossom on SoundCloud or Bandcamp.

4. Ivy Nations

Ivy Nations has undoubtedly had a successful 2017 with the release of two new singles and accompanying music videos. In early April, the group released the soothing track Live By Design. The steady and notable rhythm of this single immediately pulls in the listener as it sets the tone for the song’s entirely. The music video, which can be found on Youtube, beautifully captures the mood of this unique and unforgettable song. Check it out on Soundcloud and iTunes. Following Live By Design, Ivy Nations released the single Sentimental Hearts. This song has a happy and upbeat tone portrayed by the swift major chord progressions and catchy lyrics. You can catch Sentimental Hearts on Soundcloud and iTunes. Also, don’t forget to check out the new music video on Youtube!

3. The Fontaines

Choosing to feature The Fontaines on our Top 10 was easy. Deciding what to feature was the hard part. With 5 singles and 2 EPs out this year, the LA-based band has been pumping out breezy indie-pop ballads and New-Wave rock charts like you wouldn’t believe. In the end, we settled on Evaporate. We know what you’re thinking! Choosing the single that garnered the group 100,000 streams on Spotify and hundreds of new fans isn’t exactly bold but if you go ahead and press play, you’ll see why we just can’t stop listening. Comprised of funky guitar riffs, retro synths, and eerily sweet vocals, Evaporate gives off an air of old-school cool that’s hard to come by. You can hear more of what The Fontaines have been cooking up on Bandcamp or SoundCloud but of course nothing beats a live show and you’re in luck, they’re playing at the Troubador in West Hollywood on January 11th.

2. Cider Wasps

Cider Wasps’ 2017 featured the release of their EP Ethereal. This album was a compilation of five tracks, some of which had been previously made into music videos in 2016 such as their hit Hummingbird. Thirty seconds into this song and you’ll be dancing along. Hummingbird displays Cider Wasps’ ability to simultaneously rock-out while maintaining steady control over their sound and producing quality music that’s as catchy as it is artful. The band’s unique style is also portrayed through the vocal layering in Magic Beans. Check out Magic Beans, Hummingbird and the rest of the EP as well as upcoming tour dates on Cider Wasps’ Website.

To anyone who loves early 2000s rock, your year is about to get a whole lot better: check out Cider Wasps on iTunes, and Soundcloud!

1. Faulkner

The bi-coastal band Faulkner is back with their sanguine new single, Hot Streak. In style with the bouncy alt-rock ballads and sleek production present in their previous EP, Revanchist, Hot Streak manages to hook and groove, while still delivering in substance. Between lead singer Lucas Asher’s visceral imagery sung in punchy verse, and the soaring synths that sound unmistakably of The Killers, Hot Streak has a flavor you won’t want to put down. It’s no surprise since the group collaborated with Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and worked with producers like JP Bowersock (The Strokes) and Mark Needham (The Killers). Bash into the new year with this New Wave cut on Spotify and see why it was youbloom’s #1 in our Countdown to the New Year! Faulkner will be gracing the Peppermint Club in LA on February 8th, 2018.