#90 - The Sunday Club 🌞

Happy Sunlighter Sunday! Our Sunday Club has grown tremendously since the start of the year (by ~70%!), and as such, we plan to scale our newsletter with more insights and tools in the coming months. Aside from that, a couple of must-see moments in rock ‘n roll this week: Ed Sheeran got to make his childhood dreams a reality when he joined The Offspring on stage at Bottle Rock. Meanwhile, Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless got bit by a bat (yes, you read that right) while opening for AC/DC in Spain…

Rating Rationale: This year has been Young Miko’s “growth to mainstream” year, and her debut album att. is a punctuating statement that flaunts her authenticity and unique trap sound during a time when reggaeton diversity has begun to plateau. With longtime collaborators, Mauro and Caleb Calloway (Rauw Alejandro, Bad Bunny), Young Miko and her coterie interweave a wide range of hip-hop production and relatable reference points–sampling Technotronic’s “Pump Up The Jam” in “MADRE” and Mac Miller’s iconic hook from “Nikes on My Feet” in “wiggy”–with Miko’s bold personality to construct an album that feels like a genuine collage of Young Miko’s personality and Y2K digital age interests, and perhaps, serves as a bridge that brings more listeners who prefer traditional hip-hop production to reggaeton. There are many great songs on the album - we like “rookie of the year,” “tamagotchi,” “ay mami,” and “oye ma’.”

John Summit & Kygo set to drop summer albums, Fred again.. shares collab with Anderson .Paak & Chika, LCD Soundsystem announce LA residency

Electronic music fans, rejoice: John Summit officially has a release date for his debut album, Comfort in Chaos. Additionally, Kygo shared news that he will drop a self-titled album in late June, just in time for his upcoming tour.

After teasing the collaboration on Instagram last week, Fred again.. dropped his new single, “places to be,” featuring Anderson .Paak and Chika. 

LCD Soundsystem will play a series of eight shows in an LA residency that will take place at the Hollywood Palladium and Shrine Expo Hall.

Camila Cabello will feature Drake twice on upcoming album, James Blake will play an “eclectic solo show” in NYC

Camila Cabello's upcoming album, C,XOXO, will feature two tracks with Drake, one being a solo interlude called “Uuugly.” We spy another sneak diss track…

James Blake is set to play a special eclectic solo show in New York on June 12th, keeping fans guessing on the location and meaning of “eclectic.” The show coincides with the release of his new single, “Thrown Around.”

Foster the People are in a Paradise State of Mind, BADBADNOTGOOD drop Chaos, Order, and Growth trilogy, Wilco tease “summertime-after-dark” EP

On Friday, Foster the People announced they’ve signed with Atlantic Records and dropped the leading single, “Lost In Space,” from their upcoming fourth studio album, Paradise State of Mind. This will mark the band’s first album release in seven years.

BADBADNOTGOOD has released a new three-part project titled "Mid-Spiral Suite," which showcases Chaos, Order, and Growth as they bring their continued evolution and experimentation in jazz and instrumental music to life.

Wilco will expand upon their 2023 EP, Cousin, with their upcoming EP, Hot Sun Cool Shroud, an album they describe as “summertime-after-dark” on June 28th.

Melt Festival will end after a 27-year run

After hosting its final weekend this summer, Germany's Melt Festival will be canceled after 27 years, marking the end of an era for the beloved staple of electronic music. Why? The festival director shares, “Melt no longer fits into the German festival market and cannot withstand the developments of recent years without radically altering the festival concept. It’s a difficult decision, but we believe it’s time to explore new paths and create space for fresh ideas.” We wouldn’t be surprised if more festivals begin to follow suit as genre-blending and internationalism continue to change listening habits…

Primer: Did you have a simultaneous fit of rage and sadness when BROCKHAMPTON announced their hiatus at Coachella? Yeah, we did too. As BROCKHAMPTON began to step away from the limelight, a younger Bay Area hip-hop group had been quietly developing, away from mainstream eyes. The group, known as AG Club (or “avant-garde club”), consists of 14 total contributing members (and counting…) and may be the perfect collection of cross-functional artists (vocalists, graphic designers, writers, and videographers) to fill the current void of hip-hop collectives. While membership has been somewhat “loose” and the open door policy of “everybody’s in the club” has been the prevailing ethos governing AG Club, the four core members Jody Fontaine, Baby Boy, Ivan Collaco, and Manny Madrigal act as the glue for the club. They’ve built a reputation for multi-faceted artistry, and with cosigns from A$AP Ferg and NLE Choppa on their popular remix of “Memphis,” AG Club poses as a real answer to the revival of hip-hop groups.

What’s Next: While we’ve followed AG Club since 2021, we believe their recently released project, BRODIE WORLD, can provide the momentum that propels both the group and the hip-hop industry back towards advancing versatile hip-hop group acts.

Ticketmaster data hack, Rostr launches Stack, Sony eyes Queen catalog

🔒 Ticketmaster Hacked: It seems Live Nation can’t catch a break (nor should they). They’re now in the midst of another class-action lawsuit, as nearly 600 million Ticketmaster customers’ personal data was hacked.

📔 Stacks on Rostr: New to the industry? Rostr has launched a new product called Stack, a comprehensive directory of music tools and resources designed to support artists and industry professionals. Check out our friend Rob Abelow’s guide to your direct-to-fan business.

💨 Another One Bites The Dust: Sony Music Entertainment is speculated to purchase the Queen catalog, valued at $1 billion. Given its recent $600 million acquisition of Michael Jackson’s catalog in February, this sale would make it a banner year for ownership of music rights for Sony.

📉 Bye Bye HYBE: After seeing a Q1 decline in revenues, HYBE has sold $50 million worth of SM Entertainment shares. This move comes after a year of battles for corporate control and news of a $78 million stake this past March.

💰 Securing the Bag: To advance the adoption of AI music, Music.AI has partnered with Vultr and Dell Technologies to grow and scale its business.

Billie Eilish sees soft debut for HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, ZAYN makes first foray into Alternative/Americana

📈 It’s tough to compete with Taylor Swift. During the past week of eligible streams, Billie Eilish’s HIT ME HARD AND SOFT debuted one notch below #1, an undoubtedly disappointing outcome for Interscope after the surprise reveal of the album and its subsequent heavy promotion. However, “LUNCH” has been a standout single, reaching #1 on several secondary charts. Separately, ZAYN has been in the process of reinventing his sound, with his most recent album qualifying for Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Americana/Folk Albums.

Charli XCX’s BRAT comes out Friday, KAYTRANADA and Meghan Trainor are accidental competitors with the same album name

📅 For upcoming albums, tours, and festivals access our comprehensive music calendar here.

📣 Album Announcements: On Thursday, Roddy Ricch shared on Instagram that he’s been working on an upcoming personal project, The Navy Album. AWOLNATION announced new album, The Phantom Five, will be released on August 30th. After a two-year hiatus, Action Bronson is returning to hip-hop with a ridiculously-titled (we love it for the culture) eighth LP, Johann Sebastian Bachlava The Doctor.

⏩ Here are album releases to look out for this week: 

1. Charli XCX, BRAT

2. KAYTRANADA, TIMELESS

3. Tems, Born In The Wild

4. Peggy Gou, I Hear You

5. Dagny, ELLE

6. Meghan Trainor, Timeless

7. AURORA, What Happened To The Heart?

8. NxWorries, Why Lawd?

9. Alfie Templeman, Radiosoul

10. 42 Dugg, 4Eva Us, Neva Them

11. L'impératrice, Pulsar

12. Bon Jovi, Forever

13. Various Artists, Bad Boys: Ride Or Die Soundtrack

14. 2hollis, boy

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See ya next Sunday 😎

Chris and Donya