Music News

Silent Album Earns $20,000 on Spotify Through Royalties

The Michigan-based funk band, Vulfpeck, released a completely silent album, Sleepify, in March to help crowdfund a tour. The band prompted their fans to play the “album” on loop while they sleep in hopes it will help fund a tour where shows are free for fans. The album is ten tracks of silence, running around thirty seconds each. This stunt garnered them almost $20,000 in royalties.

According to Vulfpeck’s keyboardist, Jack Stratton, the band received a check for $19,655.56 from Spotify and another $1,100 expected to come.

In a video posted in March, the band told fans to play Sleepify while they sleep in hopes to fund a tour where tickets are free. Initially allowed on Spotify, the streaming service initially told the band to take down the album and eventually took it down in April. Vulfpeck is in the process of booking their tour.

Kele Okereke Set to Release New Album, Trick

After last summer’s The Nextwave Sessions EP and the announcement of Bloc Party’s indefinite hiatus, vocalist Kele Okereke has announced that he will soon release his sophomore album. As the follow-up to his first, The Boxer, released in 2010, Trick is set to release on October 14th. Okereke has released an album teaser in anticipation as well as the track listing.

Track listing:
1. First Impressions
2. Coasting
3. Doubt
4. Closer
5. Like We Used To
6. Humour Me
7. Year Zero
8. My Hotel Room
9. Silver and Gold
10. Stay the Night

Smallpools Release New Song and Announce Tour

Smallpools, LA-based indie pop band, announced tour with Panama Wedding and Magic Man. It is their first headlining tour, opening for bands such as Neon Trees and Grouplove. As well as announcing the tour, Smallpools released a new song, “Killer Whale” which is available for free on Soundcloud and for streaming on Hype Machine.

Smallpools are Sean Scanlon on vocals, Mike Kamerman on guitar, Joseph Intile on bass and Beau Kuther on drums. They are planning on releasing their first full-length album soon.

Watch Spoon’s New Video: “Do You”

They Want My Soul, the highly anticipated follow-up to 2010’s Transference is set to release on August 5th. Recently, Spoon released a video for their single, “Do You.”

As part of a video series for Urban Outfitters, the video has Spoon vocalist, Britt Daniel, driving around, surrounded with apocalyptic events going on around him.

Finish Ticket’s Van Gets Broken Into

Finish Ticket, an indie rock band from San Francisco, had their van broken into last night, July 17, in San Francisco on the corner of Golden Gate and Larkin. Stolen were a 2012 Candy Red American Standard Stratocaster and an Arctic White Mexican Standard precision bass. The theft occurred around 11:30pm – 12:15am.

Meeting in high school, Finish Ticket have been together since 2008, and recently released their debut album on May 19. The band consists of Brendan Hoye (vocals), Alex DiDonato (guitar), Michael Hoye (bass), Gabe Stein (drums), and Nick Stein (keyboard). Currently on tour in support for their album, Tears You Apart, Finish Ticket have dates through August, finishing the tour in Studio at Webster Hall in New York City.

For inquiries on the stolen instruments, contact their manager Warren Wyatt at (808) 333-4224.

Banshee Bones Making New Music Video

LA-based experimental rock band, Banshee Bones are currently working on an music video for “Dark Depths,” the opening track on their new record, Birds of Prey. Banshee Bones are currently creating sets for the video, as they decided to do stop motion with clay. Birds of Prey was released on October 2nd, 2013 and have played shows in support of it over the course of this last year.

Members, Eugene Rice (vocals), Ryan Rice (drums), Joe Perez (guitar), and Salem Romo (bass) all met in the famous music school in Los Angeles, Musicians Institute, and from then on, they have been creating music together.

You can visit Banshee Bones on their Facebook, Twitter, and their website. For more, Melodic Tree will also be home to up-to-date information on Banshee Bones on a regular basis.

The Drums Announce New Album

Two days after the release of their new single, “Magic Mountain,” the Drums have announced their new and third album, Encyclopedia, due to release on Septemeber 23. The Brooklyn indie-pop duo released the track listing, cover, and title for their follow-up to the 2011 release, Portamento. 

Jonny Pierce, in a recent interview with “Spin, stated, “Encyclopedia is full of magic and surprise while maintaining a serious, more weighty tone throughout. We were feeling very angry, confused, and alone when we made this album, and we wanted to be very honest this time around, even if being honest meant making some people uncomfortable. We’ve left the beach for higher ground, always searching for hope.”

The Drums has also announced an extensive US tour in Septemeber, dates can be found on their website.

The track listing:

1. “Magic Mountain”
2. “I Can’t Pretend”
3. “I Hope Times Doesn’t Change Him”
4. “Kiss Me Again”
5. “Let Me”
6. “Break My Heart”
7. “Face Of God”
8. “U.S. National Park”
9. “Deep In My Heart”
10. “Bell Laboratories”
11. “There Is Nothing Left”
12. “Wild Geese”

Divided Heaven Announces Summer Tour

Divided Heaven, an LA-based project by Jeff Berman, has announced summer tour dates, including dates with Vans Warped Tour. Touring in support of his new album, Youngblood, which was released on March 25 2014, Divided Heaven has been on tour extensively this year, going around the states, and most recently, Europe. He is also going to tour in Japan after these summer dates.

As a solo project, singer-songwriter, Berman also has worked on various other projects, such as the band, Protagonist. Living in Washington DC, Berlin, and currently Los Angeles, Berman draws lyrical influences from his experiences in these cities.

The dates are:

July 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Lulu’s.
July 20 – Shakopee (Minneapolis), MN – Canterbury Park (Warped Tour)
July 21 – Fargo, ND – The New Direction
July 22 – Winnipeg, MB – Le Garage
July 23 – Grand Forks, ND – Ojata Records
July 24 – Mankato, MN – What’s Up Lounge
July 25- Omaha, NE – Josephine’s
July 26 – Normal, IL – Firehouse Pizza and Pub
July 30 – Milwaukee, WI – Marcus Amphitheater (Warped Tour)
July 31 – Bonner Springs (Kansas City), KS @ Crickett Wireless Amphitheater (Warped Tour)
August 2 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah State Fairpark (Warped Tour)
August 3 – Denver, CO – Sports Authority Field at Mile High (Warped Tour)
August 4 – Denver, CO – Illegal Pete’s (South Broadway)
August 5 – Laramie, WY – Crowbar and Grill
August 6 – Casper, WY – Elevation
August 7 – Greeley, CO – Moxi Theater
August 8 – Ft. Collins – Surfside 7

For updates on Divided Heaven, you can go on his Facebook, TwitterTwitter, and his website.

R.I.P Tommy Ramone, Last Founding Member of the Ramones

Known for his role as the founding drummer in the Ramones, Tommy Ramone has passed away as announced by the band’s official Facebook page. As the last surviving member, Tommy was 65 at the time of his death. He started the Ramones in 1974 with his friends in high school, creating one of the most influential bands in rock music.

Joey Ramone, the first member to pass, died from lymphoma, Dee Dee quickly followed the year after, dying of a heroin overdose, and Johnny died of prostate cancer in 2004.

Tommy died of bile duct cancer yesterday, July 11, under hospice care after receiving treatment, according to BBC News. Ramone was the drummer from 1974 to 1978 and co-produced their first three albums.

Credited for their shaping of rock and for the creating of punk rock, the Ramones remain a major influence for many musicians today, even though they never reached commercial success during the time of the band.

The announcement was followed by a quote of Tommy’s from 1978, that read, “It wasn’t just music in The Ramones: it was an idea. It was bringing back a whole feel that was missing in rock music – it was a whole push outwards to say something new and different. Originally it was just an artistic type of thing; finally I felt it was something that was good enough for everybody.”

Pink Floyd To Release New Album in October

To commemorate the twentieth anniversary of The Division Bell, Pink Floyd is set to release a new album, The Endless River sometime in October. The album is based on a 1994 session with Richard Wright. David Gilmour’s wife, Polly Samson, initially announced the new album in a tweet that read, “Btw Pink Floyd album out in October is called ‘The Endless River[.]'”

Touring backing vocalist, Durga McBroom-Hudson gave more information on the album on her Facebook page, along with a picture, stating, “The recording did start during The Division Bell sessions (and yes, it was the side project originally titled “The Big Spliff” that Nick Mason spoke about). Which is why there are Richard Wright tracks on it. But David and Nick have gone in and done a lot more since then. It was originally to be a completely instrumental recording, but I came in last December and sang on a few tracks. David then expanded on my backing vocals and has done a lead on at least one of them. That’s the song you see being worked on in the photo.”

The Endless River is set to release the October of this year.