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Mana’s Sergio Vallin on Enlisting Santana, Alejandro Sanz & More for Instrumental Album ‘Microsinfonias’
In a twist, the album also includes orchestral versions of hits by Alejandro Sanz, Juan Luis Guerra, Marco Antonio Solís and Maná’s lead singer Fher Olvera, but instead of featuring them on vocals, they play instruments: Sanz the flamenco guitar, Guerra the acoustic guitar, Olvera his harmonica and Solís the percussion. As for Vallín, he used 16 guitars for his opus, including that 1965 Fender Stratocaster pre-robbery, along with electric Gibson and Les Paul guitars, acoustic guitars by Conde and Ramirez and even a medieval lute. “Whatever worked best for the moment,” says Vallín, who has long had a partnership with Gibson and this year will release his own Sergio Vallín Les Paul. “More than an homage to the guitar, it’s an homage to musicians and music itself,” says Vallín, who also invit...
ASCAP & BMI Responds to DOJ’s Consent Decrees Inaction: Read the Open Letter
Read the full letter below. January 15, 2021 An Open Letter from ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews and BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill in Response to the DOJ Closing Statement on the ASCAP and BMI Consent Decrees Two years ago, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it would conduct a review of the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees to determine if they still served their intended purpose. Today, the DOJ has formally closed its review and will take no action to modify or terminate the decrees but left open the possibility of changes in the future. While we were disappointed that no action was taken, we are encouraged to see how the DOJ’s approach to these issues has evolved. In his closing remarks, AAG Makan Delrahim recognized several important truths that we have long understood: S...
Spotify Stock Downgraded by Citi, as Podcast Competition Heats Up
Spotify’s share price was already in retreat, dropping 12.5% from an all-time high of $370.95 reached on Wednesday (Jan. 13), however. Some experts would argue it’s still too high. The 25 analysts covering Spotify have a median price target of $298.53 with a high of $425.90 and a low of $141.30, according to Refinitiv. Key Takeaways: 1) The three leading audio streaming companies — Spotify, Apple and Amazon — are pushing hard into podcasts. If turning a music service into an all-around audio service attracts subscribers and reduces churn, record labels and publishers will benefit.2) Regardless of how its podcasts perform in the next year or two, Spotify has the resources to see its strategy through. It had €1.18 billion ($1.43 billion) on its balance sheet on Sept. 30, 2020, en...
Baby Dancing to Tool’s “Invincible” Will Lift Your Spirits During These Dark Times: Watch
Dancing Tool Baby (via YouTube), Tool’s Maynard James Keenan (photo by Kevin RC Wilson) With a pandemic still plaguing the world and insurrectionists storming the U.S. Capitol, we need a bit of levity in these dark times. That’s where a new video of a baby dancing to Tool’s “Invincible” comes in, brightening our spirits with every one of his little stomps. We stumbled on this video in its infancy, and we’re not just talking about the baby’s age. Criminally, it only had 20 views since being uploaded just before Christmas by YouTube user Mom of Five. With the Fear Inoculum track “Invincible” playing on the family’s television, complete with a graphic of the album cover, the little Batman-pajama-wearing toddler seems to be drawn to the music. As he makes his way to the TV with his sippy...
MLK/FBI Sure Feels Like a Film of the Moment: Review
The Pitch: What we publicly and historically know about Martin Luther King Jr. is as follows. The reverend was a pacifist and advocate for civil rights who rose to prominence in the 1960s. A champion for Black Americans, Dr. King was an oratory master, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning voice for a still-maligned class of citizens, and a firm believer in non-violent protest and demonstration. What many people don’t know – unless they’ve maybe seen movies like Ava DuVernay’s Selma — is that the goddamn Federal Bureau of Investigation dogged King for the entirety of his public life as a speaker and organizer. We’re talking wiretaps, plants, offensive leaks and letters pertaining to MLK’s infidelities, all to discredit a “communist” and an “agitator” under the auspices of J. Edgar Hoover’s square-ja...
Trailer Unveiled for Upcoming Serj Tankian Documentary Truth to Power: Watch
System of a Down singer Serj Tankian is the subject of a recently announced documentary film titled Truth to Power, which premieres on February 19th. The trailer and poster for the movie have now been unveiled. The new trailer offers a glimpse at what viewers can expect from the intimate documentary, which follows Tankian’s journey as a musician and longtime activist. The singer and his band continue to raise awareness for the crisis in Artsakh, an Armenian-adjacent state that was recently under siege by Azerbaijan and Turkey. In the past, they called for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. “[It’s] looking through my eyes at how message becomes reality through the arts,” Tankian said of Truth to Power in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone. “Instead of focusing on me as an ar...
Grandson on Teaming Up with Mike Shinoda and Travis Barker
Kyle Meredith With… Grandson Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Grandson jumps on the line with Kyle Meredith to talk about his first full-length, Death of An Optimist. Jordan Benjamin discusses using his voice to make a difference, activism in the post-Trump era, and if his songs change for him going into the Biden presidency. Benjamin also dives into his generation’s desire for instant gratification, making change through his XXResistance Fund, being a multi-genre rocker, and teaming up with Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda and Blink 182’s Travis Barker. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wedn...
Excellent !: First Look Photos From ‘Mortal Kombat’ Reboot Have Arrived, Director Promises Plenty of Gore & Fatalities
Source: AAron Ontiveroz / Getty Fans have wondered what to expect from the upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot. Entertainment Weekly has provided us some insight. Ahead of the film’s April 16 release in theaters and on HBO Max, Entertainment Weekly unleashed on us some first look photos from the film and they look very promising. In them, we see the iconic characters from the iconic fight game franchise like Lui Kang (Ludi Lin), Kung Lao (Max Huang), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), Bi-Han/Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), Scorpion ( Hanzo Hasashi), Kano (Josh Lawson), and newcomer to the franchise via the film Cole Young (Lewis Tan). EW reveals the movie will open up with a 10-minute flashback sequence that will highlight the feud between our favorite ninjas, Scorpion and Sub-Zero,...
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Tchami Delivers a Nostalgic Twist on Whethan and Oliver Tree’s “Freefall” [Listen]
Following a mesmerizing virtual NYE show for Tomorrowland, the relase of his long-awaited debut album Year Zero, and a breathtaking Elevation Sunrise Set in Miami, Tchami has no intentions of slowing things down as he carries his momentum into 2021. Just a week into the new year, the renowned French producer has unveiled a catchy new gem of a remix of Whethan and Oliver Tree‘s “Freefall.” Tchami’s reimagination of “Freefall” is a nostalgic house anthem reminiscent of what fans fell in love with in Year Zero. The remix features pulsing basslines and dreamy soundscapes to deliver a shimmering future house cut. Oliver Tree’s original vocals perfectly match Tchami’s smooth instrumental, creating a soulful play on th...
Here’s an EDM Remix of the Viral “Wellerman” TikTok Sea Shanty—And It’s Actually a Banger
Because nothing should surprise you at this point in the post-apocalyptic digital hellscape of content shoved down our throats in 2021, sea shanties have exploded on TikTok. Yes, the ol’ hymns chanted by 19th century pirates and barnacle-scrubbing, drunken sailors have found new life in a social media platform dominated by prepubescent teens. After a Scottish man named Nathan Evans posted his renditions of “The Scotsman” and “The Wellerman,” other TikTok users sang their own versions and stitched them together to create a chorus. Due to the collaborative nature of the songs, the trend erupted on the platform and mutated into what is now referred to as ShantyTok. Eventually, EDM found itself in the crosshairs of ShantyTok. A music producer and TikTok user named...
Dash Berlin and ANG Drop New Single “Firefly” on Hardwell’s Revealed Recordings
Dash Berlin is back to unveil a massive big room track alongside LA-based duo ANG. “Firefly” comes to us via Hardwell‘s Revealed Recordings, marking the iconic trance artist’s second release on the label since 2014. “Firefly” is equipped with all the necessary bells and whistles of a true progressive house track. Dash Berlin and ANG expertly incorporate fierce synth stabs alongside a soaring melodic framework, delivering a euphoric number. It’s the type of track that makes you wish you were back in 2011 under the electric sky with your rave group. Check out “Firefly” below. Last year, Dash Berlin made his triumphant return to Revealed with the single “Skies” alongside Blackcode and Charlie Miller. In 2020, he dropp...
EDM.com Presents Synth Sisters, Vol. 7
There is so much talent within the electronic music community that it’s difficult to keep a finger on its pulse. To assist you on your music discovery journey, EDM.com’s monthly “Synth Sisters” series illuminates new releases from brilliant female producers of all genres and sizes with the hope of celebrating their contributions. “Photograph” – ill-esha After 23 years, ill-esha bid adieu to the moniker and released her last solo release, the stirring and cinematic single “Photograph.” To celebrate the end of an era and the anticipated emergence of a new musical project, she created a lighthearted official video. “Lost Cause” – Vybrant Vibes & Lyda the Lady Vybrant Vibes recruited vocalist and songwriter Lyda the La...
