Blackstone Says Its June 3 Offer for Hipgnosis Songs Fund Is Final

Blackstone doesn’t intend to increase its latest offer to acquire Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF), the London-listed investment trust it first launched a takeover bid for on April 20. The private equity firm said in a regulatory filing Tuesday (June 25) that the financial terms of its June 3 offer “are final and will not be increased” unless a higher offer or possible offer materializes.

The announcement appears intended to thwart any attempts by opportunistic investors to extract a higher offer from Blackstone. Analysis of shareholder data by The Financial Times shows that hedge funds known to trade on takeover targets have acquired “well over” 25% of HSF’s shares, raising the possibility that Blackstone’s offer will fail to reach the minimum 75% approval threshold when shareholders vote on the proposal at HSF’s July 8 general meeting.

Related

Hipgnosis Songs Fund Board Backs Blackstone’s Revised Takeover Plan

06/03/2024

Blackstone’s latest offer of $1.31 per share values HSF’s share capital at a total of $1.584 billion. After some back-and-forth with Concord, which bid $1.25 per share on April 24 and $1.14 per share on April 14, Blackstone increased its bid to $1.30 per share on April 29 and then to the current $1.31 per share price on June 3.

Securing the acquisition would allow Blackstone to consolidate HSF’s 65,000-song catalog with two entities it currently owns: the private music assets investment fund Hipgnosis Songs Capital and Hipgnosis Song Management, the investment advisor to HSF. The collection of rights held by HSF includes songs by Neil YoungJourneyLindsey BuckinghamBlondie and more.

A purchase by Blackstone would bring an end to the six-year-old HSF and the turbulence of recent years. Launched as a pure-play investment in the safety of classic music copyrights, HSF was hit by a stagnant share price that hurt its ability to raise cash for additional acquisitions. Financial mishaps — such as an errant royalty accrual that caused the company to cancel its dividend — and accounting issues led shareholders to vote against continuation in October and set the stage for turnover on the board of directors and a plan to attract bidders to satisfy shareholders.  

Show Me The Body announce headlining fall tour across North America

Show Me The Body and their mutual aid and creative collective CORPUS NYC are teaming up for a stacked fall tour. The Corpus Grows tour starts on Sept. 24 in Boston and wraps up in NYC on Nov. 2, hitting Detroit, Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, Seattle, Denver, Vancouver, Portland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and more North American cities along the way. See the full schedule below.

Read more: 15 best modern hardcore bands for day one fans

They’ve lined up some killer support for the run, including High Vis, BIB, Special Interest, ZelooperZ, Bearcat, and HiTech, varying by date. Tickets to all shows go on sale Friday, June 28 at 10 a.m. local time, with artist and local presales starting Wednesday, June 26 at 10 a.m. local time.

Show Me The Body 2024 tour dates
9/24 – Boston, MA @ Royale *$+!
9/25 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall *$+!
9/26 – Cleveland, OH @ The Roxy *$+!
9/27 – Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life *$+!
9/28 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick *$+!
9/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater *$+!
9/30 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom *$+!
10/02 – Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall *$+!
10/03 – St Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall *$+!
10/05 – Birmingham, AL @ Furnace Fest
10/06 – Denver, CO @ Summit *$+!
10/08 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox *$+!
10/09 – Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl *$+!
10/10 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater *$+!
10/11 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall *$+!
10/12 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock
10/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco *$+~
10/16 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim *$+~
10/18 – San Diego, CA @ SOMA *$+~
10/19 – Phoenix, AZ @ VIVA PHX
10/20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater *$#~
10/23 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s *$#~
10/24 – Dallas, TX @ Studio @ The Factory *$#~
10/25 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall – Downstairs *$#~
10/26 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s *$#~
10/27 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade – Heaven *$#~
10/29 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground *$#~
10/30 – Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club *$#~
10/31 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage *$#~
11/01 – Philadelphia, PA @ Brooklyn Bowl *$#~
11/02 – New York, NY @ Knockdown Center *$#~

*= w/ High Vis
$= w/ BIB
+= w/ Special Interest
#= w/ ZelooperZ
!= w/ Bearcat
~= w/ HiTech

Marsh Releases Single ‘Floodlights’ Ahead Of Steam Train Set

Our favourite Deep & Progressive producer is back with a wave of news today!

Good, great, incredible news for all of you fans of Marsh! The longtime Anjunadeep contributor — who, by the way, hosted his own day stage in Gjipe, Albania this summer at Anjunadeep Explorations with artists such as Wassu and Guy J — is back on news delivery this week, as he managed to sneak an entire single into the internet, which came out today.

‘Floodlights’

Best experienced on a warm, summery open-air dancefloor, Tom’s track today is a true nod to his earlier sound. Deep and groovy, yet not nearly as high-energy as recent tracks such as ‘Fulfillment’ alongside Ferry Corsten, ‘Floodlights‘, his latest, takes us back to the Lockdown Marsh — I might have premiered terminology here.

The song is a floaty ball of bliss, blending warm basslines with ethereal pads, slowly evolving textures, and rocking Tom’s signature hypnotic Trance pluck. To top it off, the vocals used further add to the delicate nature of the whole arrangement. It’s a soft track, clever and shy, but a true, elegant nod to the past, both looking back on Tom’s discography and the whole of Dance music.

“‘Floodlights’ evokes images of light piercing through dark, foggy forests“, Marsh says. “I first debuted the track in my Kew Gardens mix, and it quickly became the most replayed moment of the set! The idea started with an ambient, fuzzy chord progression. Then I began jamming with the iconic DX7 Solid Bass patch (courtesy of Myon) and quickly found the bass riff. Next came the vocals. I fell in love with the angelic, choral vibes, which added a special hook to the record! It all came together quickly and has been a joy to feature in my recent sets”.

A Steamy Set Coming Soon

Tom has made it a part of his identity to record DJ sets in beautiful places. But after an Estes Park immersed-in-nature set, Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex, Castello Zamittello in Malta (my personal favourite), Kew Gardens in London, and even a cliffside gig in England and more, you would think he was running out of locations and concepts. Enter a steam train.

Once a point of discussion on Armin van Buuren’s A State Of Trance back last year when Marsh stopped for a guestmix, sketching and planning became a reality, and we will see the release of a fully filmed DJ set from the historic Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways’ (FfWHR) Snowdonia Star on Thursday, June 27th.

The train holds a special place in Marsh’s heart, as his parents, Andrew and Jacqui, volunteered and worked for Ffestiniog. The set, filmed by Marsh’s friend and long-standing collaborator Sam, is exceptionally cinematic and showcases breathtaking views of the Welsh countryside. In fact, we’ve left a little extract of said set a few paragraphs above, which happens to be the moment Tom drops his ‘Floodlights’ single during the ride.

Listen to Marsh‘s ‘Floodlights‘ below for your Spotify play you know and love. Click this link to stream the single on your platform of choice. And be sure to come back on Thursday as we share Tom’s gorgeous set! We can’t wait.

The post Marsh Releases Single ‘Floodlights’ Ahead Of Steam Train Set appeared first on EDMTunes.

Bright Eyes Welcome Cat Power, Matt Berninger For New Album

Exit Interview: The National’s Matt Berninger On Double Albums, Cincinnati And David Letterman

Conor Oberst’s Bright Eyes will return this fall with their 10th studio album, Five Dice, All Threes. Due Sept. 20 from Dead Oceans, the project includes guest turns from Cat Power, the National’s Matt Berninger and the So So Glos’ Alex Orange Drink. First single “Bells and Whistles” is out now.

The song’s accompanying video was filmed in Oberst’s Omaha, Ne., home base. “This is a song about the many little details in life that can seem insignificant or frivolous or temporary at the time but eventually end up forming your destiny,” Oberst says. “And it’s also kind of a whistle while you work scenario.”

More from Spin:

Update: Pearl Jam, Neil Young Set For Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival

Dismemberment Plan, Cap’n Jazz Reuniting For Best Friends Forever

Exit Interview: The National’s Matt Berninger On Double Albums, Cincinnati And David Letterman

Bright Eyes will support Five Dice, All Threes with a handful of fall dates in the U.S. and Europe, beginning Sept. 19 at New York’s Brooklyn Steel. The group will also play the Riot Fest and Best Friends Forever festivals as part of the itinerary.

The new album is the follow-up to 2020’s Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was, the group’s first album in nine years and debut for Dead Oceans after it spent more than a decade on the homegrown Saddle Creek label.

Here is the track list for Five Dice, All Threes:

1. Five Dice
2. Bells and Whistles
3. El Capitan
4. Bas Jan Ader
5. Tiny Suicides
6. All Threes (ft. Cat Power)
7. Rainbow Overpass (ft. Alex Orange Drink)
8. Hate
9. Real Feel 105°
10. Spun Out
11. Trains Still Run On Time
12. The Time I Have Left (ft. Matt Berninger)
13. Tin Soldier Boy

Here are Bright Eyes’ tour dates:

September 19 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
September 21 – Chicago, IL – Riot Fest
September 22 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha
October 11- Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
October 12 – Los Angeles, CA – The Bellwether
October 13 – Las Vegas, NV – Best Friends Forever Music Festival
November 10 – Wolverhampton, UK – Wulfrun Hall
November 11 – London, UK – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
November 12 – Nijmegen, Netherlands – Doornroosje
November 13 – Ghent, Belgium – Ha Concerts
November 14 – Cologne, Germany – Carlswerk Victoria
November 15 – Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom
November 16 – Weissenhauser Strand, Germany – Rolling Stone Beach
November 18 – Stockholm, Sweden – Fållan
November 19 – Oslo, Norway – Parkteatret

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

Boston Manor Announce Australian Headline Tour For 2024

Boston Manor | Credit: Supplied

UK rockers Boston Manor are coming our way next year to support Trophy Eyes on tour across the country, warming up the stage for the Newcastle melodic punks at venues in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne.

But they’ve now decided to make the most of their trip down under with a handful of their own headline shows to the itinerary, stopping off in Newcastle at King Street on August 25th, The Baso in Canberra on August 27th, and wrapping up in Geelong at The Barwon Club on August 29th.

Boston Manor – ‘Sliding Doors’

They’ll be joined for all three dates by dynamic Brisbane-based four-piece sunbleached.

Boston Manor have been making waves in the alt-rock scene since the release of their 2022 album, Datura. The band returned with brand new music for 2024, dropping a fresh single ‘Container’ back in February and ‘Sliding Doors’ in April (listen above).

You can peep their full list of 2024 Australian tour dates down below.

Boston Manor Australian Headline Tour Dates

Sunday, 25th August – King Street, Newcastle, NSW

 Tuesday, 27th August – The Baso, Canberra, ACT

Thursday, 29th August – The Barwon Club, Geelong, VIC

Tickets on sale via Live Nation

Dates Supporting Trophy Eyes

Also supported By TOWNS

Friday, 23rd August – The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, QLD

Saturday, 24th August – Roundhouse, Sydney, NSW

Friday, 30th August – Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide, SA

Saturday, 31st August – The Forum, Melbourne, VIC

Tickets on sale now via Trophy Eyes

Further Reading

Trophy Eyes Announce 2024 Australian Tour With Boston Manor

Trophy Eyes Announce New Album ‘Suicide and Sunshine’

Boston Manor Release New Single And Music Video For ‘Sliding Doors’

The post Boston Manor Announce Australian Headline Tour For 2024 appeared first on Music Feeds.

Billy Strings Joins Zach Bryan During Buckeye Country Superfest

Photo Credit: Emily Butler

Over the weekend, the Buckeye Country Superfest occurred at the Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Country star Zach Bryan served as the headliner during the two-day gathering, June 22 and 23, with supportive sets from bluegrass golden boy Billy Strings. During Bryan’s Saturday encore, the Oklahoma native brought out a special guest, Strings, to assist on his 2020 Elizabeth originator, “Revival.” 

Strings arrived after a 21-song main frame delivered by Bryan, who pulled heavily from his third studio LP, American Heartbreak, and self-titled 2023 follow-up. After completing a run-through of the set’s final song, “Quittin’ Time,” the audience called the musician back to the stage, where he was eventually joined by Strings, who brought along his acoustic guitar. 

With much force, the pair and Bryan’s backing band ripped through “Revival,” adding instrumentation and building sections to extend the initial composition, recorded in the studio and later shared as a live track on Live From Red Rocks. Following Saturday’s sit-in, Strings posted a compilation video commemorating the pair-up. Watch below. 

Stings’ sit-in occurred after Bryan joined his concert opener, Jason Isbell, during Thursday’s June 20 show. The pair performed the Weathervanes originator “King of Oklahoma.” Read the full story here.

The post Billy Strings Joins Zach Bryan During Buckeye Country Superfest appeared first on Relix Media.