Page 411 – That Eric Alper

5 Ways to Turn Social Media Followers into Newsletter Subscribers

Eric Alper

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Aug 23, 2025

In the music industry, followers are great — but subscribers are gold. Social media platforms change their rules and algorithms all the time, but your newsletter list is yours. It’s the direct line between you and your audience. Here are five smart ways to turn casual followers into loyal newsletter subscribers.

1. Offer Exclusive Content

Followers love behind-the-scenes access. Tease snippets on socials, but gate the full version behind your newsletter. Think unreleased demos, lyric breakdowns, rehearsal footage, or tour diaries. Fans will subscribe for the chance to get what no one else sees.

2. Use Social Media Call-to-Actions

Don’t just post — direct. Add clear CTAs in captions, Stories, and pinned posts with “Subscribe for early ticket access” or “Join my list for weekly music tips.” A follower might scroll past a post, but a direct reminder nudges them into action.

3. Incentivize with Giveaways

Run contests that reward subscribers. Free merch, signed vinyl, or even a Zoom meet-and-greet work wonders. Announce on social platforms but make subscribing the entry ticket. This flips casual interest into lasting loyalty.

4. Leverage Tour and Release Hype

Big moments are subscriber goldmines. Before a single drops or a tour goes live, frame your newsletter as the first place to hear the news. Early-bird ticket links or subscriber-only presale codes drive urgency and conversion.

5. Cross-Promote with Collaborations

Feature guest posts, playlist swaps, or Q&As with fellow artists. When you promote their work and they share yours, you both win. Just make sure newsletter signups are the call-to-action at the end of every collab.

Turning followers into subscribers isn’t about spamming links — it’s about offering value that feels special. In music, exclusivity and connection drive loyalty. When you make your newsletter the backstage pass, fans won’t just follow — they’ll stick around.

Michael Jackson’s Isolated Vocals For “Rock With You”

Eric Alper

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Aug 23, 2025

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Michael Jackson’s Isolated Vocals For “Rock With You”

“Rock with You” remains one of Michael Jackson’s most enduring classics, blending silky vocals with a smooth disco groove. Written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones, it was originally offered to Karen Carpenter before Jackson made it his own. Released in late 1979, the track hit #1 on both pop and R&B charts, dominating airwaves into early 1980. Today, it’s celebrated not only as one of Jackson’s greatest hits but also as a defining anthem of the disco era’s final chapter.

Metal Power Trio Freeze the Fall Release Dark New Single “Oubliette”

Music

Eric Alper

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Aug 23, 2025

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Metal Power Trio Freeze the Fall Release Dark New Single “Oubliette”

“Oubliette,” the latest single from Kelowna power trio Freeze the Fall, is a tightly crafted cut blending aggressive riffs, soaring melodies and intense lyrical themes. The track marks a significant step forward for the metallers, showcasing their ability to write songs that are both blistering and emotionally resonant. “Oubliette” has a certain je ne sais quoi with its use of secret French language messages encoded throughout the song.

This hard-hitting progressive piece sends audiences into a twisted Parisian silent film of a bygone era with its accompanying visualizer. The single comes off the group’s EP, The Red Garden, out everywhere June 18th via 604 Records. Reminiscent of acts like Architects, Spiritbox, and early Bring Me The Horizon, the EP is produced, mixed and mastered by Jordan Chase and engineered by Colton Douglas at Oo-de-lally Recordings in British Columbia, Canada.

The song’s powerful, bursting chorus provides clarity that directly contrasts the heavier, chaotic verses, making the track instantly replayable and anthemic. It explores themes of isolation, inner conflict and emotional release, mirroring the song’s title reference. “Oubliette” refers to “a dungeon of forgetting.” The raw and melodic vocals performed by frontwoman Quinn Mitzel, paired with the haunting harmonies between backing vocalist and bassist Aria Becker, enhance the tension between despair and resilience. This duality speaks to the band’s deeper message about acknowledging pain, yet refusing to stay buried in it. The tight musicianship and precise transitions reflect a group that’s not only technically skilled but also emotionally in tune with their message.

“Oubliette,” added to CBC Music’s Canadian Metal, follows The Red Garden’s first three singles, “Aurora,” “Hypothermia,” and “VHS,” which represent an intense, raw, and emotional shift. The Red Garden is an evolution both in sound and storytelling. Leaning into themes of nostalgia, emotional distance, the EP is marked by its cold, isolating atmosphere and heavy, almost post-metal textures. It combines elements of melding introspective and poetic lyricism with soaring, anthemic instrumentation. Adding to a sense of grandeur and emotional release.

With still so many secrets and hidden truths to be revealed, The Red Garden feels like a defining moment for Freeze the Fall, showcasing their ability to craft deeply moving, high-impact music. It is a promising collection of songs that expands on their signature sound.

Hardcore Supergroup Pig Pen Unleash Ferocious Debut ‘Mental Madness’

Music

Eric Alper

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Aug 23, 2025

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Hardcore Supergroup Pig Pen Unleash Ferocious Debut ‘Mental Madness’

Pig Pen is made up of vocalist Matty Matheson (chef, restaurateur, and actor from FX’s The Bear), guitarists Wade MacNeil (Alexisonfire, Dooms Children) and Daniel Romano, drummer Ian Romano (Daniel Romano’s Outfit), and bassist Tommy Major (Daniel Romano’s Outfit, Young Guv). The music is tough, harsh, intense, noisy, soulful – a blitz of pure hardcore energy.

After warming up with a frenzied, sold-out show at Toronto venue Sneaky Dee’s in late April, Pig Pen now announce their recorded debut. Mental Madness is out now through pivotal hardcore label Flatspot Records, a home for many breakthrough acts including Speed, Scowl, and End It. The first song arrives in “Mental Mentality,” highlighted by stomping rhythms, breakneck riffs, and enraged vocals. Matheson delivers “I have the mental madness. I’m sick. I’m sick. I’m sick.” as a cathartic release begging to be screamed back to.

The video for the song features live footage from recording in the studio and on stage at the band’s first show.

After spending months passing along riffs and playlists filled with inspiration, the ten tracks on Mental Madness were written in a day and recorded the next. With a band made up of career musicians, the do-it-yourself approach for the album was a no-brainer, taking the wheel by self-recording and producing. The tracks were sent off to Arthur Rizk (Cold World, Fucked Up, Power Trip) for mixing and Grammy Award-winning engineer Alan Douches for mastering. The album packs grit and bounce, combining elements of ’80s hardcore with true rock and roll flair. The subject matter on Mental Madness sticks to themes that Matheson describes as “mental health shit:” topics like isolation, loneliness, and “letting your mind destroy you.”

Mental Madness Track Listing:

1. Rabid Beach
2. Heat Wave
3. Pig Pen
4. Power Love Train
5. Mental Mentality
6. Highway
7. Venom Moon Rising
8. Problem Mind
9. Howl & Veil
10. XJXIXDX

Lo-Fi Rock Outfit Tlooth Release Self-Titled Debut Album

Music

Eric Alper

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Aug 23, 2025

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Lo-Fi Rock Outfit Tlooth Release Self-Titled Debut Album

Tlooth returns with a new chapter: a self-titled debut full-length steeped in duality, embracing both lo-fi grit and unexpected beauty. When a band falls apart, it usually stays that way—but for Tlooth, dissolution became the catalyst for something new. The result is a record that retains the raw edges of lo-fi recording while pushing into new sonic territories, balancing the immediacy of live tracking with the textural depth of layered production.

The album itself is a study in contrasts—recorded in fragments yet cohesive, embracing imperfection yet deeply intentional.

With this release, Tlooth is also taking action beyond the music. Proceeds will support Phillips Black, a nonprofit dedicated to providing legal aid for incarcerated individuals facing the harshest penalties under U.S. law.

Tlooth Track Listing:

1. Too Calm
2. Roald Dahl
3. Give & Take
4. Song No. 1
5. You Say It’s Prayer
6. The Blood
7. Gone Under
8. Listen

Emo Rock Duo Greywind Release Fierce New Single “I.K.A.M.F.”

Music

Eric Alper

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Aug 23, 2025

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Emo Rock Duo Greywind Release Fierce New Single “I.K.A.M.F.”

Having heralded their return with a stormer of an emo anthem – “Acid Rain” – a few weeks back, Irish brother-sister duo Greywind are adding to their new era catalogue today with the release of a fearsome new single, “I.K.A.M.F.”

“Acid Rain” saw success on the Kerrang! Chart and has been spun on the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show and more, with the cinematic music video (Quentin Tarant-emo anyone?!) racking up over 60,000 views in weeks.

Inspired by great emo pop originators like Jimmy Eat World, Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance, Greywind aims to bring the genre into the future with an insatiable energy and armed with a never-ending supply of hooks. The duo’s flair for the dramatic and knack for an earworm melody is seeing them build their musical world, which they welcome you to be a part of.

Hardcore Metal Force Orthodox Drop Crushing New Single “Keep Your Blessings”

Music

Eric Alper

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Aug 23, 2025

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Hardcore Metal Force Orthodox Drop Crushing New Single “Keep Your Blessings”

On A Door Left Open, Nashville heavy hitters Orthodox brutally capture the sense of unease and full-on dread one would feel having their comfort and routine violated. What got in—or what got out? For their next single and new video, “Keep Your Blessings,” drummer Mike White worked with director Errick Easterday to create a story that brings that sense of unrest to life.

Orthodox’s fusion of frenetic, intricate rhythms, pushed-to-the-breaking-point riffing and emotive vocals has refined itself to a bleeding edge proposition on their expansive, monolithic fourth studio album. With help elsewhere by Mastodon’s Brann Dailor, Boundaries’ Matt McDougal and Comeback Kid frontman Andrew Neufeld, Orthodox have truly pushed hardcore heaviness to a new level of brutality.

At the centre of it all is guitarist Austin Evans, whose upside-down, lefty way of playing is as radical as his writing, which is littered with harmonics, squeals and borderline laser noises. The album’s barrage of riffs, shredding solos (courtesy of newest member Ben Touchberry) and countless breakdowns contrast unto crushing chugs—accentuated by diverse rhythms from drummer Mike White and bassist Shiloh Krebs—ensures the whiplash-laden listen never gets comfortable. Atop that, Adam Easterling’s brash bellow is even more powerful here—resulting in new dynamics that had producer Randy LeBoeuf (Jesus Piece, Kublai Khan TX, Dying Wish) exclaiming he could hardly believe it’s coming from the same man.

Orthodox have built a name on fervent, visceral live shows. With their most blunt album, both lyrically and musically, the wrecking ball that is Orthodox is coming to shatter the expectations and minds of fans of metal and hardcore alike. Their headlining U.S. Summer tour kicks off on 21st June with a special hometown release show with fellow straight edge bands Year of the Knife and Inclination in Nashville. Mugshot, Omerta and fromjoy will join them as support for the entirety of the tour, which crosses both coasts, the Midwest, and more.

Metal Visionaries Black Satellite Unleash Dark New Single “Downfall”

Music

Eric Alper

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Aug 23, 2025

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Metal Visionaries Black Satellite Unleash Dark New Single “Downfall”

Rising metal visionaries Black Satellite have released their haunting new single “Downfall,” which is available now on all streaming platforms and accompanied by a striking official video.

Black Satellite continue to carve their own path in the metal world, fusing industrial grit with gothic atmosphere to craft a sound that is as intense as it is unforgettable.

“Downfall” was recorded and produced by acclaimed producer Kane Churko (In This Moment, Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach) at The Hideout Studio in Henderson, Nevada.

Rock Titans Shinedown Unveil Stripped-Down Piano Version of “Three Six Five”

Music

Eric Alper

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Aug 23, 2025

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Rock Titans Shinedown Unveil Stripped-Down Piano Version of “Three Six Five”

Record-breaking rock goliaths Shinedown have released a stripped-down and hauntingly beautiful piano version of their hit single “Three Six Five” via Atlantic Records.

The original, electric version of the song has already caused quite a stir at US radio, charting at four radio formats where it has reached #5 at Alternative, #13 at Hot AC, Top 30 at Active Rock, and Top 30 at Mainstream AC radio – and is set to reach Top 40 radio shortly. The song’s spectacular rise at radio was preceded by Shinedown themselves, as they pulled off a similar feat previously with their track “A Symptom Of Being Human.”

Earlier this month the band kicked off their Dance, Kid, Dance Tour at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. The band delivered an incredible performance with jaw-dropping production and pyrotechnics. The 36-date tour is one of the largest run of shows the band has ever put on. It will be the first time the band has ever headlined some of the USA’s most legendary venues including Madison Square Garden.

Indie Rockers Human Moods Release Debut Full-Length Album ‘Enigma’

Music

Eric Alper

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Aug 23, 2025

0

Indie Rockers Human Moods Release Debut Full-Length Album ‘Enigma’

Maine-based indie rock band Human Moods just released their first full-length album Enigma. The band, formed by Chris Muccino and Sheridan Ranger, blends classic and modern rock sounds, pulling influence from bands like Fleetwood Mac and The Pretenders. The album features 10 songs—two never-before-released alongside other fan favorites that were featured on the group’s previous releases.

Enigma kicks off with “Better Times,” a steadily rhythmic song with a mix of gritty guitars and acoustic guitar picking and a tasteful, vintage vocal vibe. The chorus tells listeners, “Better times are meant to live now. You’ve got to live and live well.”

“Hindsight” is about midway through the record and is one of the lead singles. It delivers more of a laid back but upbeat energy with its groovy bass line, smooth synths and piano to give it a dash of class. The song is an easy listen but the message carries some weight. It’s about personal growth through reflection and the realization that clarity often comes only after experiencing confusion or pain. “If I knew then / What I know now / I wouldn’t have wasted / So much time / It’s so much easier from this side / Hindsight is / Hindsight is 20/20.”

The album comes to a close with “Effortless Symphony,” a song originally released on their 2024 double side Capsule Temporelle. The song has a hypnotic feel with a catchy guitar riff and features an energetic chorus.

Enigma was recorded by Muccino at Evergreen Studio in Bath, ME, with help from Anthony Gatti and mastering by Grammy-winner Adam Ayan. Sheridan handles all vocals, with help from guest singers on a few tracks. Greg Goodwin plays bass, and Mike Chasse is on drums. The album art comes from Harpswell artist John M. Mishler, whose pointillist-style ink work adds a creative touch to the packaging.