The Music Note

Ticketmaster has recently announced plans to close its two resale sites GetMeIn and Seatwave, in an attempt to combat touts who exploit the sites to sell tickets at inflated prices. The closure of these secondary ticketing sites, which will come into effect from next month, is certainly a positive step forward for music fans, with the added benefit that, in place of the secondary sites, Ticketmaster will be introducing a fan-to-fan exchange platform that will allow tickets to be sold at face value plus 15%, or below. However, it appears that Ticketmaster will still continue to operate its Platinum Tickets scheme, whereby premium seats for live music events are sold directly from the artist via Ticketmaster for amounts considerably higher than face value, which – according to Ticketmaster – provides fans with “fair and safe access to in demand areas at market driven prices”. The concept that fans can have safer access to some of the best seats in a venue, without having to resort t...

With a career spanning 20 years, Josh Rouse is an artist who continues to stylistically evolve with each new release. Originating with the alt country rock of 1998 debut Dressed Up Like Nebraska , his experimental creative approach has formed a catalogue that covers a multitude of genres, notably the 70s inspired pop/soul of 1972 , Spanish influenced El Turista , and the atmospherically cinematic arrangements of Bedroom Classics Vol. 2 , to name but a few. However, Love in the Modern Age – Rouse’s latest offering, may be his bravest transition yet, with an overriding 80s electro sound that is worlds apart from the rootsy, thought provoking, and at times, poetic aspects of previous release, The Embers of Time . Drawing inspiration from bands such as The Blue Nile and Roxy Music, the 80s influence is very much present throughout on Love in the Modern Age , from the keyboard and synth focused arrangement, right down to the Bryan Ferry-esque album artwork. On a side note, the album i...