You could WIN a Soul Driven Overdrive from Xotic Effects in today’s I Love Pedals Giveaway! Ends Feb. 11, 2022. Soul Driven OverdriveThe Soul Driven overdrive pedal offers powerful control over your mid frequencies, fattening up your tone, while simultaneously punching your tone through the mix. The pedal is equipped with incredibly flexible tone shaping, creamy boost and overdriven tones that will enhance harmonics while maintaining the transparency of your guitar tone.I Love Pedals Day #10: Xotic Effects

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PEARL JAM singer Eddie Vedder has released the trailer for an exclusive, intimate conversation between Vedder and Bruce Springsteen presented by Amazon Music. In the special, which was filmed on Bruce’s farm in New Jersey, the two break down Vedder’s new album, “Earthling” — from production and appearances by Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr, Elton John and Andrew Watt, to Vedder’s songwriting. Directed by Thom Zimny, the special will debut on Amazon Live tomorrow (Friday, February 11) beginning at 2 p.m. EST and will be available exclusively for 48 hours. The interview will be made available on Vedder’s YouTube page beginning Sunday, February 13.

“Earthling” is Vedder’s first album since 2011’s “Ukulele Songs” and his first solo tour in over a decade. “Earthling” illuminates every side of Vedder and includes collaborations with some of music’s most iconic legends. In a recent New York Times Magazine interview, Eddie said: “The album is structured kind of like a concert: The special guests come out at the end. Stevie, then Elton, then we’ve got our ‘Mrs. Mills’ song with Ringo. Then the last special guest was my father, whom I really didn’t get to know.”

In order to bring the album to life on stage, Vedder and bandmates THE EARTHLINGS recently hit the road in a series of U.S. concert dates for “The Earthlings” tour 2022. The shows kicked off on February 3 in New York and will wrap up on February 22 in Vedder’s hometown of Seattle. Special guest Glen Hansard is opening the shows.

THE EARTHLINGS are drummer Chad Smith, keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Josh Klinghoffer, bassist Chris Chaney, guitarist/vocalist Glen Hansard, and guitarist Andrew Watt. The newly formed group gave their live debut at Vedder’s own Ohana Festival last September.

Vedder has served as PEARL JAM’s frontman, in addition to a guitarist and primary lyricist, since 1990. Inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017 as a member of PEARL JAM, Vedder’s trademark vocal style inspired a generation. His energetic and unvarnished stage presence coupled with his honest conversations with the audience led PEARL JAM as pioneers in live performances and social justice.

Vedder’s signature ethos carries into his solo work. His first project came out in 2007 with the soundtrack album for the film “Into The Wild” and earned him a Golden Globe for the song “Guaranteed”. In 2012, Vedder’s sophomore solo album, “Ukulele Songs”, received a Grammy nomination for “Best Folk Album.” Most recently, he collaborated with Glen Hansard for the “Flag Day Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” and has released tracks off his forthcoming solo album “Earthling”.

Vedder’s lyrics address many of the key issues of our times including gun violence, racism, and climate change. In addition to the activism inherent to the music, Vedder is an outspoken advocate for several progressive, social, and political causes, most notably abortion access and the environment. A longtime supporter of Surfrider Foundation, Vedder has most recently been vocal in banning offshore drilling along the U.S. coast.

“Though some may think there should be a separation between art, music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest,” Vedder says.

In addition to his activism, Vedder and his wife Jill McCormick Vedder co-founded the EB Research Partnership, dedicated to finding a cure for epidermolysis bullosa, a family of rare genetic disorders that affects the skin. The Vedder family is active in supporting both the work of the organization and the children who are impacted by the disorder.

Vedder and his wife reside in Seattle with their two daughters.

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Legendary YES vocalist/songwriter Jon Anderson will once again tour with the Paul Green Rock Academy starting in April

The “Jon Anderson With The Paul Green Rock Academy” tour is a resumption of the tradition started in 2005 when Jon toured with the original School Of Rock all-stars. These shows, over 30 in total between 2006 and 2008, were nothing short of magical, and now Jon Anderson returns to continue that magic with a set of YES classics, deep cuts, mash-ups, and solo works, all with lush arrangements featuring choral singing, horns, and all the other benefits of having a backing band of 25 young musicians.

Says Jon: “The one thing about creating music with young musicians and singers is the adventure of it all. I sang and toured with the Paul Green School Of Rock many years ago… It was a miracle for me to join in with their young energy… And learn from them. Now here we are with the Paul Green Rock Academy… And again, their excitement and joy for making music really makes it all worthwhile. Plus they are a really talented bunch. There is a future in music, and these young souls prove it every time i hear them sing and play… I know you will have a wonderful evening spending time with the future of rock ‘n’ roll. Many blessings…”

Tour dates:

April 06 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
April 10 – Capital Theatre – Clearwater, FL
April 12 – King Center for the Performing Arts – Melbourne, FL
April 14 – The Plaza Live – Orlando, FL
April 16 – Rosfest at the Sarasota Opera House – Sarasota, FL

Anderson co-founded YES in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire, and remained with the band until 2008, when YES replaced him with Benoit David, an Anderson sound-alike who previously fronted the YES tribute band CLOSE TO THE EDGE. David left YES in 2012 and was replaced by Jon Davison.

In July 2020, Howe told Rolling Stone that there is virtually no chance of the surviving members of YES reuniting for a tour.

“I don’t think [the fans] should stay up late nights worrying about that,” he said. “There’s just too much space out there between people. To be in a band together or even to do another tour like ‘Union’ is completely unthinkable,” referencing the group’s 1990 “Union” LP and tour, which brought together the previous YES album’s lineup (Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Trevor Rabin, Alan White, Tony Kaye) and the then-ex-YES members’ group ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE (Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe). “It was difficult when we went through that, particularly because of the personalities,” Howe said. “I’m not saying any one person is to blame, but when you get a big hodgepodge like that together, it’s pretty much a nightmare. We made a nightmare of possibly a good thing back in 1990. I don’t think there is the stamina or the appetite for that kind of thing again.”

Anderson, Wakeman and Rabin had started touring as ARW: ANDERSON, RABIN AND WAKEMAN in 2016 and then adopted the YES FEATURING JON ANDERSON, TREVOR RABIN, RICK WAKEMAN moniker shortly after the group’s 2017 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction.

Howe last toured with Anderson and Wakeman in 2004.

YES has released over 20 albums across its career, including its self-titled debut in 1969, “Tales from Topographic Oceans”, in 1973, and its last album, “The Quest”, which came out in October.

Photo credit: Deborah Anderson

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Legendary amp builder and modder Dave Friedman delivers five 4×12” cabinets recorded at Sunset Sound Studios, outfitted with rare Celestion drivers. For his inaugural DynIR release, Dave provides a selection of 5 rare, tonally distinct 4×12” cabinets outfitted with a selection of must-have, hard-to-come-by Celestion drivers. These DynIRs were captured at the infamous Sunset Sounds studio, LA. A veritable melting pot of powerhouse cabinets primed for the modern creative to harness some of Dave’s next- level tone-bending knowhow. From original 70’s G12-65’s to mainstay Vintage 30’s – not to mention a super-rare cab from a 70’s Laurel Canyon rock and roll legend – everything the discerning tone chaser demands is here, ready to enrich your sound with some iconic Friedman wizardry. The following cabinets are included in this release: Friedman Vintage 412 Black – Mighty tone is the name-of-the-game with this DynIR, inspired by a vintage 4×12” Marshall slant cabinet complete with a classic chequered grill cloth and Celestion G12H-30 “Black Back” 55Hz 30W speakers. Sharing some of the character of its 75Hz cousin, this 55Hz version is deeper and darker in its tonal output; think of this BB30 as a more aggressive “Greenback” speaker with sublime bite, punch and depth.Friedman Vintage 412 G12 – This vintage 4×12” cab has been outfitted with a G12-65 speaker heralding from the late 70’s. Its massive dust cap and higher power handling translates to a warmer, fat sound, and was widely regarded as one the best speakers you could put into a 4×12”.Friedman 412 Green – Captured from a thunderous Friedman 4×12” cabinet loaded with Celestion Greenback Speakers, this unique DynIR guarantees to faithfully deliver that legendary tone synonymous with classic British cabinets. No half-hearted attempts here, the Friedman Green is the iconic modern tone of rock 4×12” cabinets, complete with the perfectly scooped midrange and airy top. Designed to be the ideal partner for British-voiced amplifiers.Friedman 412 Vint – Captured from a Friedman 4×12” cabinet loaded with Celestion V30 speakers, this DynIR is a sure-fire hit for tone chasers seeking legendary tones synonymous with British cabinets. Pushing out a formidably aggressive midrange, the Friedman 412 Vint is perfect for contemporary high-gain tone enthusiasts who demand the perfect blend of power, depth and uncompromising articulation.Friedman 412 Vint 6402 – It really doesn’t get any rarer than this! The Friedman Vint 6402 is a faithful capture of the iconic ‘naked’ cabinet that has been a mainstay in Dave Friedman’s workshop since the very beginning. Acquired from the backline of a 70’s Laurel Canyon rock and roll legend, “For What It’s Worth” it has no tolex so the bare wood resonates more musically and allows your amp to ‘sing’. This cabinet is loaded with a quartet of early 90’s “Greenback” speakers; these rare 6402 coned speakers are often considered to have a smoother tone than Celestion’s current Greenback speakers.All 5 cabinets have been captured with 8 industry standard microphones including the Blue Dragonfly, Shure Unidyne III 545, Heil Sound PR30, Sennheiser MD409, Shure SM57, Coles Electroacoustics 4038, Beyerdynamic M160 and Royer R-121. Each DynIR was recorded through the legendary 68×16 Sunset Sound Custom Discreet Console via a HH Electronics power Amp using only Mogami cables. The Dave Friedman Collection of DynIR virtual cabinets are compatible with all DynIR-enabled Torpedo hardware (including Captor X, C.A.B. M+ and digital legacy products), 3rd party Torpedo embedded devices and the Torpedo Wall of Sound v4 audio plug-in (Mac/PC).Two Notes Dave Friedman Cab PackThe Dave Friedman Collection retails at 39€ / $39 (USD) and is available from the Two notes store exclusively via the following link: https://www.two-notes.com/en/product/the-dave-friedman-collection. For more information on Two notes’ groundbreaking product roster and DynIR technology, visit www.two-notes.com.

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Hear and acquire this Imperial Triumphant flexi disc single, featuring an exclusive brand new track, available as part of the Decibel Flexi Series. Hurry, quantities are extremely limited!
The post Imperial Triumphant Premiere Exclusive Single, “Black Psychedelia (Redux),” Via the Decibel Flexi Series appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

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DISTURBED frontman David Draiman says that streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music “saved” the music industry.

The 48-year-old singer shared his opinion after a video compilation surfaced of podcaster Joe Rogan repeatedly using the “n-word” on his “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, which first launched in 2009 and became exclusive to Spotify in late 2020, prompting renewed criticism against both Rogan and Spotify at large. Just a couple of weeks earlier, Neil Young and other musicians pulled their music from the platform over their belief that Rogan and his guests spread COVID-19 misinformation. Meanwhile, some musicians have taken the opportunity to open up larger conversations about Spotify’s payout structures, artist rights, and the streaming economy at large.

Draiman addressed Spotify’s payment rate to artists in a series of tweets on Wednesday (February 9). He wrote: “All those attacking @Spotify, young and old, would do well to remember a couple little things called MUSIC PIRACY, and BITTORRENT SITES.

“Before streaming took hold, both artists and the very music industry itself was on the verge of collapse. Why? Because the heads of the major labels at the time refused to see the future when a young Sean Fanning and Sean Parker, the guys behind a little startup called @napster, approached them with a new way to reach their consumers at unprecedented levels, and they shot them down. So instead, Fanning and Parker let Napster do it’s thing for free. Piracy and BitTorrent sites soon followed along with the new perception that ‘music should be free’. Artists suffered, record labels suffered and the industry itself nearly collapsed. It took STREAMING to bring it back to life. Streaming made the labels profitable again, made catalog artists regain a royalty stream, and made Piracy obsolete. Streaming made legacy artists catalogs, like @Neilyoung and others tremendously valuable. It created the current environment where people stream their music, and where musicians had the opportunity to sell their catalogs, which had regained their value, like Neil did.

“Could or should @Spotify have a better streaming royalty rate?” he continued. “I believe so… …but it doesn’t take away the FACT that without streaming, there would no longer BE A MUSIC INDUSTRY, and these artists who are complaining after they already sold their catalogs for gargantuan sums of money, would be liquidating their assets… …and many would be struggling to survive.

“Artists you want to blame someone? Blame the heads of the labels in the days prior to Napster who refused to adopt new technology in favor of an antiquated retail system that had a higher profit margin. Blame your lawyers and your management for not negotiating a better royalty percentage in your respective record deals, and blame YOURSELVES for not paying attention to it.

“The majority of the legacy artists out there have newfound riches from streaming… …and music fans have easier and higher quality access to the widest range of music in existence,” Draiman added.

“In summary, stop bitching, educate yourselves and read your damn contracts.

“Streaming saved music. Wether you want to accept it or not…its the TRUTH.”

Draiman, who has been a vocal supporter of Spotify for years, previously discussed the paltry payments streaming services pay out to music rightsholders in a 2016 interview with “The Jasta Show” podcast. At the time, he said: “It’s a simple thing. It comes down to very, very basic principles. The question is, for your individual recording contracts, with whomever you’re signed with, what is your digital royalty rate? If it’s treated a license, that’s a 50-50 split. If it’s treated like however they want to go ahead and put it your fine print, and they’re giving you 0.04 percent of what they’re taking, well, then you can only blame yourself for not reading the contract, number one. Number two, the biggest problem is that when streaming services make deals with record labels, they make deals based on their entire catalog. So any label will license their entire catalog for, let’s say, ten million dollars. And over the course of that year, it only generates five million worth of spins. What happens to the other five million? They keep it. And it doesn’t go to the artists and it doesn’t go back to the streaming service. The record label pockets that. So all of that additional revenue that is pulled out unnecessarily, because it’s unjustified, right? — ’cause it should be spin per spin, right? — instead they say, ‘Hey, our catalog is gonna be worth ‘X’ in the next year, give us this.’ They are forced to agree to it, because it’s the only way they can legally stream the stuff on their platforms. And that’s why, if you just saw, and if you look at every single record label’s bottom line, digital has become the bulk of their profit margin, or leading towards profit. Warner Bros. just issued a statement this past quarter where it’s the smallest loss they’ve seen in years, and they’re going more and more into the positive, because of what they are generating from digital and streaming services. So it’s not that there isn’t money to be made. The issue is, take a look at your recording contracts, make sure you know what you’re getting, and whether we like it or not, streaming isn’t the big demon here; YouTube is the big demon. When you’re being paid a sixth of what a streaming rate would be, and they’re claiming that they’re giving you all the bang for your buck because of exposure when you’re the reason why people are going ahead and advertising, that’s the criminality.”

He continued: “The industry is creeping — and, unfortunately, it’s a creep — slowly, slowly towards finally making this whole digital concept a little bit more transparent; they’re gonna have to, one way or the other, eventually. When they do, just for accounting purposes, for data collection purposes, because that’s what ninety percent of these things end up being — big data plays — they’re gonna end up having to be accountable.

“Look, the Irving Azoffs of the world, the big heavy hitters of the world, are pushing us forward in that direction. I applaud Nikki Sixx and the guys from SIXX:A.M. for taking a strong stance on the YouTube issue. There are a number of people out there who are doing it right. But people are very quick to demonize streaming services. Spotify and entities like it were created to directly combat piracy. Piracy is the issue, and that’s what people are forgetting. It’s almost like the media is putting so much hype on these paltry royalty rates, when, in truth, at least there is a royalty rate. You get nothing from piracy — absolutely nothing — and you have an entire generation of fans that have been raised to think that that’s okay, when it still isn’t.”

Draiman added: “All of these streaming services are still — and Spotify in particular — seventy percent of their proceeds are going back towards license holders. License holders — that’s the key. But not only that. You can’t look at streaming as something that’s supposed to replace physical sales. Physical sales are done; they’re done. In two years, you won’t see records in stores anymore, period. The CD will be as extinct as the VHS tape just became recently; it’s just a matter of time. So the entire environment has shifted. The industry is finally adjusting towards it. It’s a painful adjustment period, it’s gonna take time, but it’ll get there, and whether we like it or not, the revenue stream will never be the same. So we need to then re-approach things, simply deal with the status quo, try and make these royalty percentages better, more in our favor, be smart about the recording contracts you are signing, pay attention to the fine print, and make sure you know what you’re doing. Start maximizing your touring, start maximizing your merch. You need to view streaming the same that we’ve always viewed publishing. Same thing — you are being paid per spin, not per sale. It’s not the same thing. So streaming royalties are not a whole lot different than publishing royalties. Physical sales may simply no longer be something we can count on, and that is a very hard pill to swallow.”

Spotify’s total monthly active users grew 18% year over year to 406 million during the fourth quarter of 2021. Its paid premium subscribers grew 16% to 180 million, while its ad-supported monthly active users increased 19% to 236 million.

Spotify has never turned a full-year profit since being listed in 2018.

A major part of Spotify’s expenses are the royalty fees that the streaming platform has to pay to the music artists and license holders.

All those attacking @Spotify, young and old, would do well to remember a couple little things called MUSIC PIRACY, and BITTORRENT SITES.
Before streaming took hold, both artists and the very music industry itself was on the verge of collapse.
Why?
— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) February 9, 2022

Because the heads of the major labels at the time refused to see the future when a young Sean Fanning and Sean Parker, the guys behind a little startup called @napster, approached them with a new way to reach their consumers at unprecedented levels, and they shot them down.
— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) February 9, 2022

So instead, Fanning and Parker let Napster do it’s thing for free. Piracy and BitTorrent sites soon followed along with the new perception that “music should be free”. Artists suffered, record labels suffered and the industry itself nearly collapsed.
— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) February 9, 2022

It took STREAMING to bring it back to life. Streaming made the labels profitable again, made catalog artists regain a royalty stream, and made Piracy obsolete. Streaming made legacy artists catalogs, like @Neilyoung and others tremendously valuable.
— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) February 9, 2022

It created the current environment where people stream their music, and where musicians had the opportunity to sell their catalogs, which had regained their value, like Neil did.
Could or should @Spotify have a better streaming royalty rate? I believe so…
— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) February 9, 2022

…but it doesn’t take away the FACT that without streaming, there would no longer BE A MUSIC INDUSTRY, and these artists who are complaining after they already sold their catalogs for gargantuan sums of money, would be liquidating their assets…
— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) February 9, 2022

…and many would be struggling to survive.
Artists you want to blame someone? Blame the heads of the labels in the days prior to Napster who refused to adopt new technology in favor of an antiquated retail system that had a higher profit margin.
— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) February 9, 2022

Blame your lawyers and your management for not negotiating a better royalty percentage in your respective record deals, and blame YOURSELVES for not paying attention to it.
The majority of the legacy artists out there have newfound riches from streaming…

— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) February 9, 2022

…and music fans have easier and higher quality access to the widest range of music in existence.
In summary, stop bitching, educate yourselves and read your damn contracts.

Streaming saved music. Wether you want to accept it or not…its the TRUTH.

— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) February 9, 2022

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Brass-heavy metallers Red Fiction ask the age-old question: “What happens if the last human to escape the Earth he just destroyed was judged by soul-sucking Aliens?”
The post Video Premiere: Entering the Final, Final Frontier With Red Fiction’s “Clone 13” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

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Recording console style drive and a flexible filter combine to yield full-spectrum filthiness.

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