? IC Community Weekly #61

Hey everyone, welcome to another IC Community Weekly!

This week in the news, AI music company Suno raised $150m on a $500m valuation! Wow!

Question: if AI companies asked to use your music so they could create tools that directly compete with and devalue your craft, providing nothing in return but the privilege of participating in a hellscape where nothing is real and everything is possible, would you have said yes? I guess we’re all ScarJo now?

Meanwhile a related op-ed got me so steamed I had to rant on LinkedIn. If you happen to agree, please do like and subscribe, the algorithm must be pleased.

ANYWAYYY despite these headwinds, this week the IC community did what they always do: released a veritable feast of new music and videos, announced tours, and much more! Regardless of anyones feelings on AI, everyone in the IC community is doing their best to get artists paid, and that makes you a-ok in our book. On with the news!

IC COMMUNITY NEWS

?? This week in IC! Our customer-only API, Cash-vs-Accrual accounting in IC, our new State51 importer guide, and how to find importer guides from within IC.

?? Wide Awake festival is happening this weekend in London’s Brockwell Park and the lineup features some excellent bands from IC catalogs inc. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Eartheater and Being Dead.

?? Fire Talk are having a Spring?Sale - save up to 70% off their entire catalog + free US shipping on orders over $50, as well as savings in their UK shop.

?? It was World Goth Day this week and The Mountain Goats (Merge) album Goths?just turned 7 this past Sunday - to celebrate, the album is 20% off on Hello Merch and Merge Records stores + is pay what you want for digital on Bandcampthrough May 27th.

?? If you’re an IC catalog or Partner and you’ve got news, releases, or other fun stuff you want us to include, just reply and let us know - this goes out to 3000+ inboxes every week!

IC PARTNER NEWS

A new section where IC Partners - aka organizations we’ve teamed up with to further help catalogs/artists get royalties done - get to flex some news. Want to become an IC Partner? Reach out to our co-founder Hunter.

• A2IM Indie Week announced that their 1-1 meeting portal is now LIVE so anyone with badges can start scheduling?meetings. If you’re still yet to buy one (and don’t want to miss your chance to see five members of the IC team all in one place) you can buy your Indie Week badge here and your Libera Awards ticket here.
• Music Business Association named their Bizzy Award winners for 2024 at Music Biz. We had a great time btw!
• Other Record Labels just released a new edition of their podcast about metadata - what it is, where it’s stored and how you keep it organised.

NEW IC CATALOGS

A very warm ?? to…

Matsor Projects, an independent label (distributed through Secretly) that was set up by Rostam, formerly of Vampire Weekend, and Kris Chen who originally signed the band to XL Recordings.

CHRISADAMGAMING, a content creator and musician who has amassed over 5.5 million likes on TikTok.

JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY

???? Secretly Distribution are looking for a UK Account Relations Director. Apply here!

???? Redeye Worldwide are looking for a Marketing Project Manager, View the full job description here and to apply, please send an email to [email protected] explaining your interest in this position (indicate Marketing Project Manager in the subject line) and attach your resume (in PDF or Word).

NEW RELEASES

ALBUMS

?? Father/Daughter released nothing or something to die for, the second full-length album by Hong Kong British artist mui zyu, which finds her “wandering between nothing and everything in her pursuit of peace.” In their review The Skinny called the record “a jaw-droppingly beautiful, immersive experience where each track melts into the next.”

?? Dots Per Inch released the new May Rio LP Elegant Ensemble, a record of “interventions into what a catalog of songs can look and sound like” that remove the studio-sheen of contemporary production. The end result: akin to “a backpacker carrying only bare necessities on a cross-continental trip.”

SINGLES

?? Keeled Scales released Bubblegum, the new single from Chicago band Tencithis week, which “begins with buoyant horns, doubled vocals, and bright Midwest guitars before exploding into a feral bombast”. Paste Magazine writes: "Bubblegum,' is only what I can categorize as “Twee Jazz”—and it’s absolutely a show-stopper. The Chicago four-piece are gearing up for a tour with Another Michael, and what better way to get the momentum swelling than releasing your best song yet?"

?? Gar Hole (via their imprint Tape Dad) released Oh Me Oh My, the second single from the upcoming Mr. Sam album, Again! Again!, “a smooth and playful rocker with dreamy pedal steel, joyful group harmonies and a triumphant refrain: It’s all in the things you love, my love!”

?? Joyful Noise released two new Folk Implosion singles - Bobblehead Doll and My Little Lamb from their upcoming record Walk Thru Me, their first album of new music in 25 years.

?? Polyvinyl released a new Squirrel Flower cover of the Neil Young & Crazy Horse classic, Cortez the Killer ft. members of Horse Jumper of Love, Teethe, Truth Club, Greg Freeman, and alexalone. The over-10 min track was recorded live at Cheer Up Charlies in Austin, TX on March 15th this year as part of the Stereogum & Topshelf Records Unofficial Showcase.

?? H1 Massive released Fake Paper, the new single from singer-songwriter (and former professional baseball player!) Joey Wit.

?? Pack Records released a new track from London-based musician Glimji calledone & only, a catchy garage influenced pop track ft. a lead vocal from fellow Londoner AMARA ctk100.

REISSUES

?? Get Better released a new dark red variant (limited to 300 copies) of the 2017 record Maggot by Dazey and the Scouts, which is raising money for direct on the ground aid for Palestinian refugees in Cairo, Egypt. The band have already raised over $7k with the new pressings!

PRE-ORDERS

?? Keeled Scales announced I SING. the latest from Asheville, North Carolina-based project Sinai Vessel. The new record will be out July 26th but in the meantime check out the technicolor pop of lead single?Best Witness. ?? Merge announced the new Carson McHone record ODES, a four song EP featuring covers of Margo Guryan, Conway Twitty, the MC5, and Arthur Russell. It will be out July 19th but her lovely cover of Russell’s I Couldn't Say It to Your Faceis already out and has an accompanying Daniel Romano-directed video.

?? Ramp Local announced that Blood, the Philadelphia rock outfit led by Tim O'Brien, will release their debut LP Loving You Backwards on August 2nd. Ahead of that you can check out their single One Dimensional Man, which came out yesterday.

VIDEOS

??? Singer, songwriter and guitarist Mary Timony (Merge) of Helium, Ex Hex & Wild Flag went record shopping at Amoeba Music in Hollywood for their What's In My Bag? feature.

INTERVIEWS

??? fantasy of a broken heart (Dots Per Inch) spoke to Stereogum for their Band to Watch feature. Their debut LP, Feats of Engineering, comes out August 1st but we highly recommend checking out their latest single Ur Heart Stops in the meantime, which The New York Times called “life-affirming” and Uproxx compares to “stepping into the neon-soaked hues of a delirious dreamworld”.

FROM THE ARCHIVE

??? Where I choose a video I love from YouTube’s treasure trove of music videos, live performances and curiosities.

This time: A five song Xiu Xiu (Polyvinyl) live performance for Spanish TV channel La 2 from 2004, including performances of fan favourite tracks Crank Heart and Fabulous Muscles: https://youtu.be/8noCkubQ5GY

SHOWS, TOURS + EVENTS

?? Oceanator (Polyvinyl) and Desert Mambas (Kill Rock Stars) are playing in LA with Team Dresch (Jealous Butcher) next month | TICKETS

?? LVL UP (Double Double Whammy) have announced shows to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their record Hoodwink'd. The first two shows have sold out but a third has been added for August 4th | TICKETS

?? UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS

+ check out the ?? Events Directory for more conferences, festivals, record fairs, webinars, etc!

May 27th - 28th ? Africa Rising Music Conference (Johannesburg, South Africa)

May 30th - June 2nd ? Primavera Sound (Barcelona, Spain)

June 1st - 8th ? Canadian Music Week (Toronto, Canada)

June 3rd - 5th ? NIVA 2024 (New Orleans, LA, US)

June 6th - 8th ? Primavera Sound (Porto, Portugal)

June 10th - 13th ? A2IM IndieWeek (New York, US)*

June 12th - 16th ? NXNE (Toronto, Canada)

June 13th - 15th ? Sónar + D (Barcelona, Spain)

June 13th - 16th ? Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN, US)

June 21st - 29th ? Rochester International Jazz Fest (Rochester, NY, US)

June 26th - 30th ? Glastonbury Festival (Pilton, UK) *we’ll be there!

That’s all for this one! Stay safe and we’ll catch you again next week.

- Adam & the Infinite Catalog crew