Jeeni Blog

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Bowie Vinyl, is Heaven Sent

/ By Andie Jeenius
Bowie Vinyl, is Heaven Sent

New David Bowie vinyl is heaven sent, for fans and collectors alike. We all have phones and computers bulging with playlists or demand 'Alexa' instantly plays a chosen track. However, the buzz around vinyl is real, after years of being cast off to the world of the geeky collector. If you have never sat next to a deck and placed a needle on a record, you've missed one of the joys of life. Record labels are now taking vinyl more seriously than they have probably done for 30 years and production is now seen as key to any new release.

January 8th 2021 would have been David Bowie's 74th birthday. To mark this occasion, Parlophone/ISO are offering two previously unreleased cover versions, pressed onto a limited edition, double-sided 7" single. This heaven sent vinyl offers the tracks, 'Mother' by John Lennon and Bob Dylan’s 'Tryin' to Get to Heaven'.

David Bowie - new double-sided release

The 7” single is limited to 8147 (Bowie's birth date) numbered copies, 1000 of which will be on cream coloured vinyl, available only from the official David Bowie store and Warner Music’s Dig! store (the remainder will be black). Both tracks will be available to stream and download.

Bowie's version of 'Mother' was produced by Tony Visconti in 1998 for a Lennon tribute, that never materialised. It was originally recorded by Lennon for his 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. Bob Dylan’s original 'Tryin' to Get to Heaven' was released on his 1997 'Album of the Year' GRAMMY winning 'Time Out Of Mind'. David’s version was recorded in February 1998 during the mixing sessions for the ‘LiveAndWell.com’ album.

As if this wasn't enough for the die-hard Bowie fans and vinyl collectors, Parlophone are also marking the 45th Anniversary of Bowie's 10th studio Album, 'Station To Station' with a limited edition pressing in red and white vinyl, to be released 22 January 2021.

David Bowie - 'Station to Station' anniversary release

Originally released 23rd January 1976, it has remained a classic among fans and critics alike. The album was unusual as it contained just six tracks, but still offered at a little over 38-minutes of music.

'Station to Station', was the first David Bowie album to become a bigger commercial success in the USA, than in the UK. It reached #3 on the Billboard 200 and #5 on the official UK album chart.

Four of the 'Station To Station' tracks were released as commercial A-sides by RCA, with 'Golden Years' being the pre-album hit on both sides of the Atlantic. The song scored Bowie yet another top ten just in time for the Christmas UK chart in 1975, where it remained right up to the release of the album in January 1976.

45 years on from its release, 'Station To Station' is now seen as a musical bridge between the ‘plastic soul’ of 1975’s 'Young Americans' and the start of Bowie’s Berlin era with 1977’s 'Low'.

For more information go to: www.davidbowie.com

12
Mar

Kings of Leon Post Teasers of New Material

It's been 4 years since the Nashville rock legends have released any official new material, but this week sees them releasing snippets of new singles. The Kings of Leon have so far posted three teasers of new material over the holidays, which have fans eagerly awaiting their arrival on 7 January 2021. 'Walls' was their last album, which sold over 77,000 units in it's first week. In March 2020, the band shared a live recording of a new song, 'Going Nowhere'  The performance was recorded in their hometown of Nashville and featured only frontman Caleb Followill, on acoustic guitar. It's been a long wait for their fans. The first post was a snippet of the new single, 'Must Catch the Bandit' on 25 December with all the signature sounds of previous Kings mega-hits. “Blame it on the holiday ‘cheer’, but I just feel like sharing,” bassist Jared Followill tweeted on Christmas Day (December 25). @kingsofleon then tweeted ‘the w8 is nearly over’ TEN MONTHS ago. Enough.” https://www.instagram.com/kingsofleon/ On New Year's Day, the second teaser was released, 'Feel The Way You Do' and today, third track 'Dancing in Your Head' has just dropped. These two tracks have a mellow sound with some thoughtful melodies and riffs. The video clips are all be black and white so far, sitting within simple frames and bold graphic type. 'Must catch The Bandit' has already clocked up over 145k views. In June 2020, the Kings of Leon were due to headline the Finsbury Park Festival, their first London performance since 2017, but as with all the summer festivals, the pandemic cause another postponement. Announcing the cancellation in May, promoter Festival Republic said they were 'working hard' with Kings Of Leon to arrange a new show. There are five more days to the official release date of this highly anticipated eighth album, so can we expect a new track each day - let's hope so?! www.jeeni.com

05
Jun

How to Apply To Play Music Festivals & Events Across the World

I found this great article on Di++O website with links to current UK and overseas opportunities. It's really useful and very informative, as it is up to date and also has direct links to the festival or event where you can apply - so super helpful. Remember, before you apply to perform at any of these music festivals and events, be sure to read the application instructions and conditions carefully for the best chance of success. Some events may only accept submissions from artists of certain styles and genres, so make sure your act fits the bill before submitting your application. CURRENT UK & EUROPE OPPORTUNITIES Are You Listening? Festival | April 2020 | Reading, UK | Apply here Live at Leeds | May 2020 | Leeds, UK | Apply here Hanwell Hootie | May 2020 | London, UK | Apply here Mello Festival | May 2020 | Worcestershire, UK | Apply here Elderflower Fields | May 2020 | East Sussex, UK | Apply here The Great Escape | May 2020 | Brighton, UK |Apply here Sound City | May 2020 | Liverpool, UK | Apply here Leestock | May 2020 | Suffolk, UK | Apply here Wychwood Festival | May 2020 | Cheltenham, UK | Apply here Camden Rocks | May 2020 | London, UK | Apply here Long Division Festival | June 2020 | Wakefield, UK | Apply here Sweden Rock | June 2020 | Sölvesborg, Sweden | Apply here Eden Festival | June 2020 | Dumfries, Scotland | Apply here Isle of Wight Festival | June 2020 | Isle of Wight | Apply here Beacon Festival | June 2020 | Oxford, UK | Apply here Sea Sessions | June 2020 | Donegal, Ireland | Apply here Leigh Folk Festival | June 2020 | Essex, UK | Apply here Black Deer Festival | June 2020 | Kent, UK | Apply here Kendal Calling | July 2020 | Kendal, UK | Apply here Y Not? Festival | July 2020 | Derbyshire, UK | Apply here Ampthill Festival | July 2020 | Bedfordshire, UK | Apply here EskFest | July 2020 | Cumbria, UK | Apply here Nibley | July 2020 | Cotswolds, UK | Apply here Daxonbury Festival | July 2020 | North Bedfordshire, UK | Apply here Techfest | July 2020 | Nottinghamshire, UK | Apply here El Dorado | July 2020 | Herefordshire, UK | Apply here Ipswich Music Day | July 2020 | Ipswich, UK | Apply here Barn On The Farm | July 2020 | Gloucester, UK | Apply here Brainchild Festival | July 2020 | East Sussex, UK | Apply here Not a Cult Festival | July 2020 | Worcestershire, UK | Apply here Nass Festival | July 2020 | Somerset, UK | Apply here Beat-Herder | July 2020 | Lancashire, UK | Apply here Ashford Festival in the Park | July 2020 | Kent, UK | Apply here Shankra Festival | July 2020 | Lostallo, Switzerland | Apply here Nozstock | July 2020 | Herefordshire, UK | Apply here Boomtown | August 2020 | Hampshire, UK | Apply here 110 Above | August 2020 | Leicestershire, UK | Apply here Off Festival | August 2020 | Katowice, Poland | Apply here Humber Street Sesh | August 2020 | Hull, UK | Apply here Beyond the Woods | August 2020 | Lincolnshire, UK | Apply here Farmer Phil’s Music Festival | August 2020 | Shrewsbury, UK | Apply here Arctangent | August 2020 | Bristol, UK | Apply here Green Man | August 2020 | Brecon, UK | Apply here Beautiful Days | August 2020 | Devon, UK | Apply here Weyfest | August 2020 | Surrey, UK | Apply here Victorious | August 2020 | Portsmouth, UK | Apply here Valley Fest | August 2020 | Bristol, UK | Apply here Phoenix Festival | August 2020 | Cotswolds, UK | Apply here Cambridge Folk Festival | August 2020 | Cambridge, UK | Apply here Off The Tracks Festival | August 2020 | Leicestershire, UK | Apply here End of the Road | September 2020 | Dorset, UK | Apply here Illusive Festival | September 2020 | Northamptonshire, UK | Apply here Worcester Music Festival | September 2020 | Worcester, UK | Apply here Euroblast | September 2020 | Cologne, Germany | Apply here Live at Heart | September 2020 |Örebro, Sweden | Apply here Reeperbahn Festival | September 2020 | Hamburg, Germany | Apply here Equinox Festival | September 2020 | Lincolnshire, UK | Apply here Waves Vienna | September 2020 | Vienna, Austria | Apply here Moseley Folk Festival | September 2020 | Birmingham | Apply here Mercat de Musica | September 2020 | Barcelona, Spain | Apply here Iceland Airwaves | November 2020 | Reykjavik, Iceland | Apply here CURRENT USA, CANADA & SOUTH AMERICA OPPORTUNITIES Tiny Lights Festival | June 2020 | Ymir, Canada | Apply here Blue Ox Festival | June 2020 | Eau Claire, Wisconsin | Apply here NXNE | June 2020 | Toronto, Canada | Apply here Nelsonville Festival | June 2020 | Nelsonville, Ohio | Apply here Epicenter Festival | May 2020 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Apply here Music at the View | May 2020 | Tonasket, Washington | Apply here Texas Music Showcase | July 2020 | San Antonio, Texas | Apply here Red, White & Bluegrass Festival | July 2020 | Beaver Creek, Ohio | Apply here Hopscotch | September 2020 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Apply here Arise Music Festival | August 2020 | Loveland, Colarado | Apply here Springfield Indie Soul Fest | August 2020 | Springfield, Massachusetts | Apply here Rock al Parque | August 2020 | Bogota, Colombia | Apply here Americanafest | September 2020 | Nashville, Tennesee | Apply here Deadwood Jam | September 2020 | Deadwood, South Dakota | Apply here Strawberry Music Festival | Spring/Fall Annually | California | Apply here Joshua Tree Music Festival | Spring/Fall Annually | Joshua Tree, California | Apply here CURRENT AUSTRALIA, AFRICA & ASIA OPPORTUNITIES Bali Spirit Festival | April 2020 | Bali, Indonesia | Apply here Cape Town Coffee Festival | May 2020 | Cape Town, South Africa | Apply here Bayimba International Festival | August 2020 | Uganda | Apply here Winter Fest | August 2020 | Lesotho | Apply here Music Matters | September 2020 | Singapore | Apply here Maldon Folk Festival | October 2020 | Maldon, VIC, Australia | Apply here Mushroom Valley | October 2020 | Yalboroo, QLD, Australia | Apply here Tablelands Folk Festival | October 2020 | Yungaburra, QLD, Australia | Apply here Queenscliff Music Festival | November 2020 | Queenscliff, Vic, Australia | Apply here Thanks Di++O Team for such a great article, we have sent links to your website so that our members can find out more. https://www.dittomusic.com/ Our next blog will pinpoint what you need to consider once you have applied and been accepted to play. We are going to create a check-list that our members can actually use. Best of luck and let us know how you got on.

03
Sep

Music Tech Startups announce strategic alliance for the greater good of the Musician and Performer.

We are delighted to announce the strategic alliance between Jeeni and California-based AmplifyX, the only FINRA and SEC compliant platform that allows investors to build a portfolio by directly funding musicians. The alliance was arranged by Kelli Richards, Jeeni Managing Director USA, who was mentored by Steve Jobs at Apple where she launched and managed the Apple music and entertainment division. This represents a major advantage for Jeeni in the USA, our most important global territory in terms of artists and revenues. We gain access to more rising stars along with their followers and fanbases, with mutually advantageous joint promotions and publicity. The partnership will officially kick off at the end of August with a global streamed concert, featuring our 10 most popular artists from both sides of the Atlantic, and will be co-branded between Jeeni and AmplifyX. Co-founder of AmplifyX Bobby Kamaris says, “Our companies run in an adjacent space helping independent artists, and our philosophies and motives are very very close. What you guys at Jeeni have done in putting it together and launching is actually incredible.” Co-founder of AmplifyX Adam Cowherd adds, "Did you know that artists take home only 12% of the $43 billion spent on music annually, according to Citigroup? [1] The hip-hop artist Russ put it perfectly when he said, 'The music business isn’t set up for the artists to get rich. It’s set up for everyone else to get rich off the artists.' [2] If you start looking deeper into the music industry, one of the first things you’ll discover is how broken it is. Artists are the nucleus of the business, but somehow they’re the individuals left with no ownership of their Intellectual Property (IP), inhibited creative freedom, and only a sliver of the earnings. There are so many entities involved in the value chain of music that it has created a convoluted industry structure that lacks equality and transparency. When we break down the mechanics of the music industry, we see just how many hands are in the pot: record labels, managers, producers, booking agents, and streaming platforms. A report by Ernst & Young highlighted the post-tax payouts of streaming revenue and identified that record labels are taking nearly 75% of the payout. [3] Why are artists today signing with record labels?" Jeeni Founding Director Shena Mitchell adds, "This is an exciting opportunity for Jeeni to develop strong relations with USA partners. AmplifyX is focused on building a new framework to fund independent artists with their unique platform for artists to raise capital from nontraditional sources. Our visions are entirely complementary and aligned." Jeeni, is the social music platform that brings artists closer to their fans, and shares revenue ethically. Jeeni is presently raising funds on Crowdcube and is 110% overfunded with 4 days to remaining. If you want to see our pitch click HERE.