Virgin Music Group has signed a global partnership with Mom+Pop Music, adding the independent label and its roster of artists including MGMT to its distribution network.
Mom+Pop, fully owned by founder Michael “Goldie” Goldstone and co-owner Thaddeus Rudd, has been operating for 16 years.
It also represents Caamp, Del Water Gap, and Magdalena Bay, as well as genre-diverse artists like Mother Soki, After, Violent Vira, Galdive, The Kilans, Chaparelle, and Tiny Habits.
Founded in 2008, Mom+Pop aims to give musicians “more creative control and long-term support outside the major-label system,” according to a press release on Thursday (August 21).
Nat Pastor and JTMyers, Co-CEOs of Virgin Music Group, said: “Goldie and Thaddeus’s vision for Mom+Pop reflects the same independent spirit and ambition that drives everything we do at Virgin Music Group.”
“They’ve built one of the most respected and successful independent labels in the world, and their decision to partner with us is a powerful validation of what we’re building. We’re honored by their trust and excited to support Mom+Pop in this next chapter of global growth.”
“Goldie and Thaddeus’s vision for Mom+Pop reflects the same independent spirit and ambition that drives everything we do at Virgin Music Group.”
Nat Pastor & JT Myers, Virgin Music Group
Before Mom+Pop, Goldstone helped launch Pearl Jam, Cage The Elephant, Rage Against the Machine, and Regina Spektor, amont others.At Mom+Pop, he has worked with Grammy-nominated artists including Courtney Barnett, Flume, and Tycho, as well as FKJ, Orion Sun, and underscores.
Mom+Pop’s catalog includes releases from Tegan and Sara, Sleater-Kinney, Tom Morello, Porter Robinson, Sleigh Bells, Ashe, Beach Bunny, Goth Babe, and Ingrid Michaelson.
Its artists have also produced a couple of hit records including Flume’s Skin, which spawned the multi-platinum, top-10 pop hit Never Be Like You (2 billion streams), Ashe’s platinum single Moral of the Story (2b streams), and Beach Bunny’s Prom Queen and Cloud 9, both platinum-certified hits.
“Goldie made a significant impact on my career, showing me how A&R and artist development go hand in hand.”
JacquelineSaturn, Virgin Music Group
JacquelineSaturn, President of North America and EVP, Global Artist Relations at Virgin Music Group, said: “Goldie made a significant impact on my career, showing me how A&R and artist development go hand in hand.
“I’ve watched Goldie and Thaddeus build such a meaningful roster and outstanding team at Mom+Pop. Their ability to identify, nurture and break independent artists with authenticity and heart is truly exceptional. We can’t wait to get started.”
“Thaddeus and I have worked with JT, Nat, Jacqueline, and Jeremy in different capacities over the years, and that shared history—along with their entrepreneurial spirit—was the catalyst for this partnership.”
Michael Goldstone, Mom+Pop
Goldstone said: “Partnering with the team at Virgin is positively the right fit for us—they’ve been the most flexible and respectful of our ethos and independence.”
“Thaddeus and I have worked with JT, Nat, Jacqueline, and Jeremy in different capacities over the years, and that shared history—along with their entrepreneurial spirit—was the catalyst for this partnership.”
Rudd added: “Virgin is a place where entrepreneurs are empowered. We share a deep belief in artistry, a passion for music, and a commitment to independent music. That shared foundational view will be a powerful next chapter for Mom+Pop.”
The Virgin partnership follows the launch of Goldstone and Rudd’s new creative and digital agency PIPES Music earlier this year. PIPES provides content creation and social media campaign strategies for Mom+Pop artists and acts and other external clients.
“Virgin is a place where entrepreneurs are empowered. We share a deep belief in artistry, a passion for music, and a commitment to independent music. That shared foundational view will be a powerful next chapter for Mom+Pop.”
Thaddeus Rudd, Mom+Pop
Elsewhere at the indie label, Mom+Pop last week appointedZoeBarton as Executive Vice President of Digital, Viral (Pipes), Commerce, and Marketing. She joined the company from ORIGIN, where she served as General Manager and Head of Creative, leading digital strategy and campaigns for artists including A$APRocky, LISA, and ONEOKROCK.
new video loaded: Anxiety Mounts in Gaza City as Israel Threatens a New Offensive
By Saher Alghorra For The New York Times and Nader Ibrahim•
The Israeli military announced its operation to take Gaza City, where many displaced Palestinians have taken refuge, was underway on Thursday, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considered a cease-fire proposal.
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Israeli troops have begun advancing on Gaza City as part of the military’s plan to besiege and occupy the area. Despite a global outcry, the Netanyahu government is pressing forward with the assault. Soraya Lennie explains what we know.
German prosecutors say a Ukrainian man has been arrested in Italy on suspicion of blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea, several months after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The man, identified only as Serhii K, was arrested in the province of Rimini and was part of a group who planted explosives under the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines from Russia to Germany, federal prosecutors say.
The Ukrainian is suspected of being one of the masterminds of the operation, which involved charting a yacht and sailing from the German port of Rostock.
Ukraine has denied involvement in the blasts, which severed a key source of natural gas for Europe.
Although Nord Stream 2 never went into operation, Nord Stream 1’s two pipelines had provided a steady supply 1,200km (745 miles) under the Baltic from the Russian coast to north-eastern Germany.
Shortly before Russia’s invasion, Germany had cancelled its process to approve Nord Stream 2, which was 100% owned by Russian gas giant Gazprom. Months later, Russia shut down Nord Stream 1.
Then, on 26 September 2022, several explosions were recorded close to the Danish island of Bornholm that ruptured three of the four pipelines.
Mystery surrounded the identity of the saboteurs – however last year German reports suggested a team of Ukrainian divers had hired a German yacht and sailed out into the Baltic to attack the pipelines.
German prosecutors issued a warrant for the arrest of a diver named Volodymyr Z last August.
They said the suspect held in Rimini would be brought before an investigating judge after he was extradited from Italy.
The prosecutors said the man was “strongly suspected of jointly causing an explosion and of sabotage undermining the constitution”.
There is no evidence so far linking Ukraine, Russia or any other state to the attacks.
Starbucks will provide a flat 2% pay bump to all salaried employees in North America this year as the coffee chain looks to minimize costs as part of CEO Brian Niccol’s turnaround efforts.
Under Niccol’s leadership, Starbucks has required some remote workers to relocate to its headquarters and tightened return-to-office policies for corporate employees. The flat 2% pay raise is a shift from the company’s previous compensation model that let managers weigh in on how much of a raise their salaried direct reports received.
The salary hike, first reported this week by Bloomberg and confirmed by Fortune, will apply to all salaried employees, including corporate employees, workers in manufacturing and distribution, and store managers. The uniform increase will not apply to baristas, who are hourly employees.
Starbucks is hoping to turn around its business with Niccol at the helm, who had previously helped improve financial results at Chipotle. The coffee chain has asked executives to limit costs to help pay for efforts to create better service, improve wait times, and make stores more inviting, according to Bloomberg.
“As we make these significant investments, we need to carefully manage all our other costs,” the company said in an internal email reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
How Starbucks’ salary hike stacks up
The 2% pay raise lags behind the U.S. inflation rate of 2.7% and average salary increases measured by different surveys.
A recent Payscale survey found U.S. employers increased salary budgets by an average of 3.6% this year, and are expecting this average to edge down to 3.5% in 2026.
Ruth Thomas, Payscale’s chief compensation strategist, told Fortune the move to lower pay increase budgets is not surprising as economic concerns like tariffs and policy uncertainty have pushed businesses to be more conservative.
“Economic concerns have now overtaken labor competition as the primary driver of compensation decisions,” Thomas said. “Sixty-six percent of employers cite this as the reason for pulling back, up 17 percentage points from last year.”
A recent Korn Ferrysurvey found that in the U.S., an average of 3.6% salary increases are forecasted in 2025. This accounts for senior leadership positions, junior hourly roles and everything in between. Six percent of survey respondents were retail companies.
Yet, the survey also found that despite 88% of respondents anticipating revenue growth, one-third have already reduced salary budgets due to economic uncertainty, creating tension between talent retention and cost management.
Korn Ferry North America Workforce Reward & Benefits Leader Ron Seifert told Fortune a modest pay increase of 2% can be counteracted by above-market pay. As of mid-August 2025, the average hourly pay for a Starbucks corporate employee in the U.S. is $15.23 an hour.
As for a flat increase for all employees, Seifert said high performers may be compensated in other ways outside of their pay raise.
“We know most employers try to make sure that they’re taking care of their high performers and are mindful of the impact of the messages that they’re sending when they’re doing something different,” Seifert said. “My guess is that (the employers) also have other mechanisms for rewarding those individuals that just have not become as public.”
Introducing the 2025 Fortune Global 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in the world. Explore this year’s list.
The NBA is experiencing a major shift. International stars are now leading the league, and former Dallas Mavericks champion Tyson Chandler believes Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are at the center of it.
International Players on Top
The last seven NBA MVP awards have all gone to non-American players. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has led the charge. The Serbian star owns three MVP trophies and is widely seen as the best player in the world. He has finished in the top two of MVP voting for five straight seasons, something only Larry Bird had done before.
Alongside Jokic, the top tier includes Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic. Giannis and Jokic have championships. Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the league’s most dynamic guards. Doncic, though still without an MVP or title, remains firmly in the conversation with his unique skill set.
Jokic and Doncic Redefining the Game
Jokic has changed how the center position is played. His passing and vision are unmatched, and his versatility makes him stand apart. Doncic brings a different approach. He mixes European fundamentals with elite scoring and creativity, making him one of the hardest players to guard.
Chandler praised both stars at the Basketball Without Borders Europe camp. “They’re incredible for our game,” he said. “They are brilliant to watch; all their games are beautiful and different. And I love what it’s doing for the competition of the game.”
A Global Shift in the NBA
Chandler also noted how the balance of talent has changed. “Before, if I ran off the top 10 or top 15, it was going to be American-led,” he said. “Now, you run off that top 10, top 15, and it’s a lot of internationals in there.”
The rise of Jokic, Doncic, Giannis, and Gilgeous-Alexander shows how global the NBA has become. These players are not just part of the league, they are shaping its future.
Horrific scenes in Gaza City show at least two Palestinians killed and three badly wounded people clinging to life, after Israel struck a bustling street in Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood. The attack comes as Israel announced it had begun its planned offensive to seize Gaza City and displace the one million Palestinians living there.
There is a consensus on the stagnation of the smartphone market. Improvements in processors or megapixels do not hide one reality – they are just hand-carried touchscreen devices. What kind of devices will we start using in this decade as an alternative to handle new approaches such as mixed reality? It looks like augmented reality, or AR glasses, could be the key. In one of their latest iterations, AR glasses from a Chinese company promise to translate the environment and offer music in a piece of hardware close to conventional glasses.
What are AR or augmented reality glasses?
Augmented reality or AR consists of a digital information overlay – including text and images – on a real-world view. Real images can be seen in a mediated form, as in the case of a cell phone screen, or directly, through the lenses of a pair of glasses.
In the case of AR glasses, it is usual to include a screen or to use projection mechanisms on the lens so that virtual and real images merge for perceptual purposes. In theory, this approach should be more effective, as the user can be hands-free and move around the everyday environment without hindrance. One of the earliest examples of this technology was the late Google Glass.
How do they differ from virtual reality?
And that is mainly the difference between AR glasses and a VR headset. In the case of augmented reality glasses, the user interacts with the environment and can carry out their daily activities. In contrast, virtual reality offers a fully immersive experience beyond physical reality.
In practice, however, the boundaries of AR goggles and VR headsets are not so clear-cut. New prototypes of AR glasses, such as the one being developed by Meta, allow the lens to be darkened, thus providing a virtual reality experience. At the same time, wireless VR glasses with built-in cameras can display physical reality combined with virtual elements.
A pair of glasses to translate reality
All the experts agree that ergonomics and ease of use will be critical to the mass adoption of AR glasses. The new model presented by a Chinese company at CES 2023 is a step in that direction. They are still somewhat bulkier than classic glasses, but a user could wear them daily.
These AR glasses integrate a proprietary processor similar to the latest generation of cell phones, two micro-LED screens with Full HD resolution, and a 1000 nits brightness, which in theory, allows them to operate indoors and outdoors at different times of the day. However, the most exciting aspect is their applications.
The company claims that the glasses integrate an AI system that can translate conversations with other people in real-time. That is to say, while the interlocutor is speaking, the lenses show their words translated as in a subtitled movie.
Apart from that, the model incorporates GPS functionalities that make it possible to identify buildings and monuments in the environment. And, thanks to a Bluetooth connection, it can also display notifications received on the cell phone, such as messages or alerts. Finally, it allows listening to music and taking pictures to share them directly on social networks. And all of this is managed through a gestural interface.
Other applications of AR glasses
The first applications of AR glasses have focused on professional environments. And, probably, the ability to solve simple tasks more efficiently will be the main selling point on their path to mass adoption. For now, AR glasses are excelling in applications such as these:
Construction. In architectural environments, whether in the design phase or on-site, being able to access 3D views of models and construction elements can significantly speed up processes.
Maintenance in industrial environments. Receiving hands-free assistance on parts or breakdowns in real-time is an excellent support for operators, as this AR project applied to water management
Logistics management. The use of AR glasses can improve the agility with which products and parcels are managed in a warehouse for the purposes of locating and moving them.
Surgery. If there is one environment where having your hands free is critical, it is surgery. Having vital signs indications or alerts in the middle of an operation can be of great help to surgeons.
Video games. This is one of the most prominent applications since it can show characters or game elements combined with real environments, as is the case of Pokemon Go.
In addition to AR glasses, another avenue for exploring augmented reality is smart contact lenses, a promising technology that also brings challenges.
