Drowned in Sound
Encyclopedia
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK
based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway (who manage Mick Hucknall
and Brett Anderson
). The site is an editorially independent music website.
The freelance writing team is currently spread across the globe, with contributors based in four continents - North America, Asia, Europe and Australasia. The site is mostly based on contributions from unpaid writers and has an integrated forum
to allow for discussion and comments on interviews, news and reviews. It also includes a user-rated database of artists and bands as well as details for most live music venues (big and small) in the UK. Aside from space for comments, there are separate forums for general discussion, music related discussion and advertisements for people requiring bands or musicians. The site has over 60,000 registered members, and gets around 470,000 unique visitors per month.
In November 2007, DiS teamed up with ad-supported download site RCRDLBL.com to launch an audio and video blog, entitled "Drownload".
DiS have been involved with Summer Sundae
festival since 2008, and in 2010 kick off their 10th Anniversary celebrations with a line-up headlined by The Futureheads
and Frightened Rabbit
. Previously, they hosted the Friday night billing of the Rising Stage as being presented in partnership with Drowned in Sound.
, Stina Nordenstam
and Brett Anderson
. Silentway continue to invest in both businesses. The remaining shares in the record label are owned by founder Sean Adams.
In October 2007, it was announced that DiS had formed a partnership with Rupert Murdoch's Sky media company. This joint venture
with BSkyB was named Quietus Group.
On August 18, 2008, it was announced that DiS's partnership with BSkyB had ended by mutual consent, making the majority of its staff redundant in the process.
Music Monthly ranked DrownedinSound.com 9th on its list of top 25 internet websites. In November 2006 it passed the 150,000 unique readers a week mark and was nominated in the Best Music Website category at the 2007 PLUG Awards and the Best Website category at the 2007 Shockwaves NME Awards.
The site and a handful of its writers received nominations at the 2006 Record of the Day awards, held in London on November 21, 2006. The site won in the category of Best Podcast
and finished runner-up in the category of Best Website for the second year running.
In September 2007, DiS was nominated in two categories at the annual BT Digital Music Awards - best music magazine and best podcast (audio). In November 2007 DiS was named Best Online Music Publication at the annual Record of the Day awards. In 2010 Drowned in Sound won Best Publication at the Record of the Day awards.
which has released recordings by:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway (who manage Mick Hucknall
Mick Hucknall
Michael "Mick" Hucknall is a British singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the British band Simply Red, and is recognisable for his smooth, distinctive voice and wide vocal range, as well as his red curly hair.-Early life:...
and Brett Anderson
Brett Anderson
Brett Lewis Anderson is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he briefly fronted The Tears, and has released four solo albums...
). The site is an editorially independent music website.
History
DiS started as an email fanzine in 1998 called 'The Last Resort' but was relaunched by founder Sean Adams as Drowned in Sound in 2000. It is currently edited by Sean Adams.The freelance writing team is currently spread across the globe, with contributors based in four continents - North America, Asia, Europe and Australasia. The site is mostly based on contributions from unpaid writers and has an integrated forum
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
to allow for discussion and comments on interviews, news and reviews. It also includes a user-rated database of artists and bands as well as details for most live music venues (big and small) in the UK. Aside from space for comments, there are separate forums for general discussion, music related discussion and advertisements for people requiring bands or musicians. The site has over 60,000 registered members, and gets around 470,000 unique visitors per month.
In November 2007, DiS teamed up with ad-supported download site RCRDLBL.com to launch an audio and video blog, entitled "Drownload".
DiS have been involved with Summer Sundae
Summer Sundae
Summer Sundae is an annual music festival held in Leicester, England which focuses on indie, alternative, and local music...
festival since 2008, and in 2010 kick off their 10th Anniversary celebrations with a line-up headlined by The Futureheads
The Futureheads
The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland. consisting of Ross Millard , Barry Hyde and David "Jaff" Craig...
and Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit are a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, formed in 2003. The lineup consists of lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and lyricist Scott Hutchison, guitarist and bassist Billy Kennedy, guitarist Andy Monaghan, drummer Grant Hutchison and guitarist and keyboardist Gordon Skene...
. Previously, they hosted the Friday night billing of the Rising Stage as being presented in partnership with Drowned in Sound.
Ownership
A percentage of DrownedinSound.com (the web site) and DrownedinSound's record label are owned by Silentway Ltd., the independent management company who look after Simply RedSimply Red
Simply Red were a British soul band that sold more than 50 million albums over a 25-year career. Their style drew influences from blue-eyed soul, new romantic, rock, reggae and jazz...
, Stina Nordenstam
Stina Nordenstam
Stina Nordenstam is a singer, songwriter and musician.-Career:Nordenstam's voice led to early comparisons with artists such as Rickie Lee Jones and Björk. Her early albums, Memories of a Colour and And She Closed Her Eyes were jazz-influenced with elements of alternative rock...
and Brett Anderson
Brett Anderson
Brett Lewis Anderson is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he briefly fronted The Tears, and has released four solo albums...
. Silentway continue to invest in both businesses. The remaining shares in the record label are owned by founder Sean Adams.
In October 2007, it was announced that DiS had formed a partnership with Rupert Murdoch's Sky media company. This joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
with BSkyB was named Quietus Group.
On August 18, 2008, it was announced that DiS's partnership with BSkyB had ended by mutual consent, making the majority of its staff redundant in the process.
Awards
On March 19, 2006, The ObserverThe Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
Music Monthly ranked DrownedinSound.com 9th on its list of top 25 internet websites. In November 2006 it passed the 150,000 unique readers a week mark and was nominated in the Best Music Website category at the 2007 PLUG Awards and the Best Website category at the 2007 Shockwaves NME Awards.
The site and a handful of its writers received nominations at the 2006 Record of the Day awards, held in London on November 21, 2006. The site won in the category of Best Podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
and finished runner-up in the category of Best Website for the second year running.
In September 2007, DiS was nominated in two categories at the annual BT Digital Music Awards - best music magazine and best podcast (audio). In November 2007 DiS was named Best Online Music Publication at the annual Record of the Day awards. In 2010 Drowned in Sound won Best Publication at the Record of the Day awards.
Record label
In 2003 Drowned in Sound started a record labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
which has released recordings by:
- Adam GnadeAdam GnadeAdam Gnade is a San Diego, California-born American musician and author currently living on a farm in rural Kansas. In his bio he defines his music as "talking-songs", which he describes as mixing the spoken vocals of talking blues songs with country music, Appalachian folk, noise, psychedelic...
- Bat for LashesBat for LashesNatasha Khan , also known by her stage name Bat for Lashes, is an English musician. She sings and plays the piano, bass, guitar, harpsichord and the autoharp....
- Blood Red ShoesBlood Red ShoesBlood Red Shoes are an indie rock duo from Brighton, England. They have released two full-length albums, Box of Secrets and Fire Like This, plus a slew of early singles on limited 7" vinyl pressings.-Formation:...
- Brett AndersonBrett AndersonBrett Lewis Anderson is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he briefly fronted The Tears, and has released four solo albums...
- Emily HainesEmily HainesEmily Haines is a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter. She is the lead singer and keyboardist of the band Metric and a member of Broken Social Scene. As a solo artist, she performed with her own name and under the alias Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton...
- Emmy the GreatEmmy the GreatEmma-Lee Moss , known by her stage name Emmy the Great, is a London-based singer-songwriter. She has released two albums, First Love and Virtue.-Early life:Moss was born in Hong Kong to an English father and a Chinese mother...
- JenifereverJenifereverJeniferever is a band from Uppsala, Sweden formed in 1996. Their music could be described as ambient indie rock or post-rock; it is slow-paced, melodic, and frequently building to an orchestral-like climax. Their sound has been compared to bands such as The Appleseed Cast and Sigur Rós. Their name...
- Kaiser ChiefsKaiser ChiefsKaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
- The KoreansThe Koreans (band)The Koreans were a four-piece indie rock band from London, England active between 1998 and 2004. Their music has featured in the HBO television series Entourage, The O.C. and the Juiced video game soundtrack.-EPs:...
- Les IncompétentsLes IncompétentsLes Incompétents were an indie-rock band from west London. They met with negligible mainstream success, but supported, amongst others, Mystery Jets, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, and Babyshambles.-History:...
- Martha WainwrightMartha WainwrightMartha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
- MetricMetric (band)Metric is a Canadian indie rock and New Wave band founded in 1998 in Toronto. The band has also at various times been based in Montreal, London, New York City and Los Angeles...
- RedjetsonRedjetsonRedjetson was a UK based post-rock band who were influenced by a diverse selection of bands including Interpol, Slint, Radiohead, Joy Division, Explosions in the Sky, My Bloody Valentine, Sigur Rós, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Doors & Mogwai....
- The StillsThe StillsThe Stills were a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 2000. The band consists of Tim Fletcher , Dave Hamelin , Olivier Corbeil , and Liam O'Neil , Gregory Paquet .-History:The band members have known each other since the age of...
- ThisGirlThisGIRLThisGirl was a rock band from Rotherham and Sheffield, England. The band was formed in 1999, and has released seven albums/EPs. They were well known for their energetic performances and had a series of successful tours, most notably playing on the Barfly stage at Download in 2004...
- Towers of LondonTowers of LondonTowers of London are a Punk Rock n Roll band, fromLondon, England, who formed in 2004. Their music mixes elements of rock and heavy metal music with 1977 style British punk...
- YouthmoviesYouthmoviesYouthmovies were an English rock quintet, comprising Andrew Mears , Al English , Graeme Murray , Stephen Hammond and Sam Scott...