How Amanda Palmer gave the music industry the finger with crowdfunding
The once and future queen of crowdfunding has a new collaboration with the legendary Edward Ka-Spel that is psychedelic, ethereal, and envelope-pushing in all the right ways.
Flobots carry protest from the screen to the streets on ‘Noenemies’
Emcee Jonny 5 of Denver-based alt-hip-hop trio Flobots tells us how they tailor their music and lyrics to create calls to social action without being overtly partisan
How Hollis Brown ditched albums and found online success one single at a time
Roots-rockers Hollis Brown have mastered the art of modern-day music marketing — and their authentic tune stylings have just the right amount of musical moxie to back up their ambitions.
How the Black Angels mixed Native American rhythms and angst for psychedelic bliss
Alex Mass of The Black Angels discusses going beyond psychedelia and tapping into Native American rhythms for an all new sound.
JC Brooks on how ‘The Neon Jungle’ straddles genres to retool the uptown funk sound
The uptown sound is still around, but now under JC Brooks own name. His new album, The Neon Jungle can succinctly be described as an album-length soundtrack for one crazy/incredible night out.
Dustin Bates of Starset thinks WAV could become the record player’s replacement
Digital Trends sits down with Dustin Bates of prog-rock band Starset to talk 360 degree VR mixing techniques, hi-res audio, and more.
Spin it or stream it, Mastodon is thrilled if you hear their heavy, harmonic sound
How Mastodon divvies up vocal duties, embraces the streaming culture, and writes a potential hit without the intention of doing so.
For the Dollyrots, crowdsourcing fans free them from labels, keep them authentic
Luis Cabezas of the Dollyrots speaks with digital trends on how both vinyl and digital music have their time and place, and why crowdsourcing their fans keeps their music authentic.
Jim Eno of Spoon gives us the scoop on ‘Hot Thoughts’ and streaming music
Spoon drummer Jim Eno talks with Digital Trends about the overall sonic template for Hot Thoughts, the band's first studio effort in three years, the ongoing importance of album sequencing in the streaming era, and more.
Jay Farrar on ‘alternative country facts’ and why he’s super serious about vinyl
Farrar pn the making of 'Blue', championing vinyl while accepting streaming, and laying down the alt-country template with Uncle Tupelo.
Guitar monster John 5 on how he released an album, one song at a time, on YouTube
Guitarist John 5 discusses how he released an album one song at a time on YouTube.
Alec Ounsworth won’t side with streaming over vinyl, but understands you might
Alex Ounsworth talks to us about his take on Vinyl vs. streaming, mixing tricks, and remastering 10-year old albums.
Ian Thornely tells us why Big Wreck sounds like a balls-out aural bouillabaisse
Big Wreck has extrapolated the best of Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters, and Soundgarden and puréed those ingredients into a balls-out aural bouillabaisse all its own. In our exclusive interview, the rockers sound off on streaming, how to produce a great record, and what makes for a kick-ass concert.
Ramin Djawadi’s live concert tour takes ‘Game of Thrones’ on the road
We speak with Ramin Djawadi, composer and musical director for HBO’s Game of Thrones and Westworld, about the upcoming live tour which will bring GOT’s music to life in a concert setting.
How UB40 Featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey created ‘cuddly reggae’ by banishing bass
UB40 Featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey have sold over 70 million albums to date, and their new record promises to up that total. We speak with the band about how it eliminated bass for its latest album, and why it works.
The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne on stereo vs. surround, and working with Miley Cyrus
We spoke with audio experimenter and renowned rock star Wayne Coyne about The Flaming Lips’ new album, jamming with Miley Cyrus, and streaming vs. vinyl.
Modern hard rockers Alter Bridge get in tune with the political mood and streaming
Alter Bridge vocalist/guitarist Myles Kennedy talks about how the band’s latest album reflects the emotions a lot of people are feeling right now, as well as how streaming has gone from “shady” to being “the new frontier.”
High-res recording can make or break a record. AFI’s Jade Puget explains why
On ‘The Blood Album,’ AFI guitarist Jade Puget says recording in high-res was instrumental to capturing the band’s evolved – but still hardcore – sound
Jake Clemons Blows Past E Street Band Expectations to Share His Own Very Personal Solo Story
Filling his uncle's size 16 boots as the E Street Band's sax man, Jake Clemons found a balance between honoring his predecessors and forging his own sound, which he now carries on to a new album: 'Fear & Love.'
Shallow Side’s streaming chops run deep, but they love vinyl too
We ask Shallow Slide about their new album, how they're bringing rock and roll back to its roots, why they like streaming music so much, and the purpose vinyl serves.
The Beach Boys’ unsung hero Mike Love shares the band’s secret sauce
The Beach Boys' lead vocalist Mike Love shares his thoughts on the band's legacy, vinyl, mono, and the secret sauce that allowed the band to create their "sonic oasis."
Embrace streaming or die! The Struts have no qualms about music’s next step
They’ve played with Mötley Crüe and The Rolling Stones, but acclaimed rock saviors The Struts aren’t letting it get to their heads, and they know the real future lies in streaming.
Lou Reed’s digital remasters once brought him to tears
Before Lou Reed's death in 2013, he took to the studio with mastering engineer Vlado Meller to remaster all of his solo records from the original tapes.
Prog legends Marillion have mastered crowdfunding, high-res rock
Marillion keyboardist Mark Kelly reveals how to properly layer song mixes, how Marillion pioneered the concept of crowdfunding, and the real reasons long songs get broken into multiple parts.
The Devil Wears Prada’s new LP battles your ‘ADD’ with perfect song placement
We recently spoke with metalcore favorites The Devil Wears Prada to talk about the perils of streaming, short attention spans, and the art of the perfect album.
‘We can’t hold back the sea when it comes to streaming,’ says Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason
It takes 27 discs to encompass just seven years of Pink Floyd’s career, from 1965 to 1972. Drummer Nick Mason shares a few of his favorite uncovered gems, and what it took to make them sparkle again.
Enigma performs ‘musical alchemy’ with Merlin, his Mac-packed mobile studio
We speak with Enigma, the world-renowned musician known for hits like Return to Innocence. Enigma tells us all about his thoughts on streaming music and his eighth album, The Fall of a Rebel Angel.
To capture his father’s legacy, Dweezil Zappa turns to surround sound
Dweezil Zappa doesn’t live in the shadow of his father – he embraces it. The son of legend Frank Zappa discusses how he captures the right sound on tour, working with surround sound, and his father’s legacy.
Radio made Extreme famous, but streaming keeps their live shows alive
Extreme hit it big in 1991 with More Than Words, but in the more than two decades since, the band has continued to thrive by focusing on its live sound, and rolling with the times as radio has morphed into Spotify.
International superstar David Gray finds his Babylon (again)
British electro-folk singer/songwriter David Gray made an indelible impact in hearts and minds across the globe with his 1998 album White Ladder. Gray talks with Digital Trends about his career since releasing that multi-platinum disc, the role of streaming music today, and what it means to climb the rungs of success.
Before he blinded us with science, Thomas Dolby was dumpster diving for synths
Thomas Dolby helped legitimize electronic music with tracks like She Blinded Me With Science, which was accompanied by a hit music video on the bourgeoning MTV network. He was also an early proponent of music sharing via the internet.
How California DJ SNBRN made Sunset House music catch fire
Sunset house blends of real instruments like piano, strings, and horns with synths and samples to create the duskiest of sonic vibes — it’s the smoothest electronic dance music yet. DJ SNBRN explains where it came from and where EDM is going.
Streaming finds new fans, but what pays the bills? Rachael Yamagata found a way
From a cellist who plays the violin between his legs, to a “happy accident” that filled dead air with an orchestra, Rachael Yamagata’s recording process for Tightrope Walker was anything but ordinary.
KISS’ Paul Stanley talks vinyl, Spotify, ‘the injustice of the internet’
KISS frontman Paul Stanley explains why the internet hasn’t been good for artists, why he isn’t as enamored with vinyl as everyone else, and how KISS’ legendary Las Vegas act translates into Blu-ray and Dolby Atmos for ‘KISS Rocks Vegas.’