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JR JR Predict the Upcoming NBA Restart
It should go without saying that this year has been sorely lacking in joy, but the end of July is here and the NBA has flown an entire league down to Disney World to finish out the season. In what feels like a two-month-long Battle-of-the-Bands-version of sports the excitement is certainly there…but the weirdness is palpable. All players, coaches, and staff are sealed within what has been termed ’The Bubble,’ which we had assumed meant Epcot Center. Instead, it seems to be a series of makeshift courts built within hotel ballrooms (imagine that!). The games are played without fans. The tech side seems to be getting all the attention. The Lakers are letting JR Smith crash on their floor. Sound familiar? Perhaps they found a way to make SXSW happen after all! This is certainly the most precar...
Watch Shaquira McGrath Perform Jaw-Dropping Cover of Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” on America’s Got Talent
The best songs tend to be the ones that inspire in situations outside of the artist’s original intent. That notion proved to be the case with “Wake Me Up,” one of Avicii‘s most beloved tracks, which hits a little different during the COVID-19 lockdown. A rising star on America’s Got Talent has taken on the iconic track, originally sung by Aloe Blacc, giving it new life during a time when many want to be woken up when the pandemic is over. Shaquira McGrath stunned the judges during a socially distanced version of the famed competition show after singing her heart out before a picturesque forest backdrop for Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara. Her performance is more of an acoustic version of Avicii’s original, st...
10 Glorious Pre-Pandemic EDM Concert Moments for the Nostalgic
COVID-19 is like a disposable camera—it has no place in modern society, but it conjures nostalgic memories of old. iPhones are to disposable cameras what COVID-19 is to live music. The only difference, however, is that live music will eventually return. Until that happens, though, we can only look at the past through rose colored glasses and hope the hues don’t fade. To that end, a number of electronic music artists and labels have taken to social media in recent weeks to share old videos of intoxicating concert moments that are crystallized in time as mementos of a once-vibrant EDM zeitgest. However, these little vignettes should be emblematic not of a culture lost, but a culture with a stormproof foundation ready to be reborn. Here are 10 glorious pre-pandemic EDM concert moments f...
A Dubstep Artist Battling a Brain Tumor is Releasing an Electronic Music Album for Cancer Awareness
Matt Toole is one resilient bastard. Toole, 39, is a music teacher and dubstep producer who was recently diagnosed with a Stage 4 glioblastoma, a form of malignant brain tumor. Following his diagnosis, he was told that the average life expectancy for people in his situation was 15 months. In his valiant fight against the vicious cancer, Toole reached out to his friends in the bass music community to see if they were willing to produce tracks for a charity compilation, the release of which would raise both funds and awareness. After receiving an overwhelming amount of interest, a record label called Fight or Flight Recordings was developed months later to act as a vessel for Toole’s aptly-titled compilation, Survival is Instinct, as well as future projects to augment re...
The Masked Bands’ Survival Guide to Your New Masked Life
Today, there are two types of people walking around: Those willing to wear a mask to help prevent the spread of a deadly virus in COVID-19, and the unconscionable, who, either citing their natural-born freedoms or their political fealties, refuse to don any sort of a face covering, even during a pandemic that — let’s face it — was preventable. Yet, there’s still widespread mask resistance all across America — something that boggles the minds of masked musicians everywhere. When you consider there are several bands whose members spend hours on sun-drenched stages, performing in stifling latex, suppressing silicone, repressive nylon, and restricting mesh masks that typically envelop their entire faces, sporting a soft surgical mask for a few lousy minutes while pumping gas or getting groceri...
This Music Video Immortalizes a True 1940’s Love Story with Unearthed Footage from Brooklyn Jewish Community
Electronic music vocalist Mima Good is living vicariously through her grandparents to celebrate their love and Jewish ancestry. Good’s new music video for her scintillating lo-fi single “Granddaddy” is a compilation of late 1940s footage that was serendipitously unearthed by her family. It features retro footage of her grandparents, who filmed one another over the years as they fell more and more in love with each other. In an ode to their deeply rooted Jewish heritage, all of the archival footage was recorded in the Brooklyn Jewish community of the era and moonlights as a powerful celebration of love after The Holocaust. Good rhapsodized about the video and its inspiration in a press release. “At 17, my grandfather enlisted with the US Coastguard and fought in...
Underground Vibes | 052
“Avenue” – Zes Signed to San Holo’s bitbird imprint, Zes has been delivering quality music for some time now. An immensely talented producer, vocalist and instrumentalist, Zes is a one-man show who proves his abilities once again with his latest EP Somewhere in the Middle and “Avenue,” one of its standout tracks. “Unswept Thunder” feat. Miyoki – Midranger Versatile producer Midranger recently released his first single this year, enlisting Miyoki for the deep cut “Unswept Thunder.” Out via Nightblue Music, the track is a massive step forward for the artist, marking one of his most stunning releases to date. “Better Without Me” – Simbai & Brenton Mattheus Simbai and Brenton Mattheus manage to combine R&B and electronic ...
5 Times Avicii Told Brilliant Stories Through His Music Videos
It’s been about two years since legendary EDM artist Avicii tragically left us. During his illustrious career, the Swedish DJ and producer fused EDM with other genres to create memorable records. Fans who got to see him perform live will remember his magical tours and entertaining live sets. One of Avicii’s goals was to bring unique entertainment to his audience, whether onstage, offstage, or through his timeless music. Another way he touched his millions of fans around the world was through his music videos. Avicii intentionally created mesmerizing visuals for his songs. “All the songs have a story I wanted to tell,” he said after the release of Stories, his celebrated sophomore album. Like his songs, his videos make viewers think about life...
Not a Bronco: 2020 Suzuki Jimny 4×4 Tested in a Tiny Way
We’ve been pining for a new Suzuki Jimny to be sent to America for years, and our lust only intensified when the newest model arrived this year. Here is a small, lightweight, four-cylinder 4×4 that’s basic and cheap, exactly what Jeep’s Wrangler used to be before it swelled to fit ever-swelling American bodies and the comfort and convenience items they demand. What makes the Jimny’s absence from our market hurt all the more is that its ancestor was long ago sold here. Remember the Samurai? Anyway, we managed to get our hands on a Kinetic Suzuki Jimny for a little test—and we do mean “little.” Okay, if you’ve been looking at the photos here, you may have caught onto our gambit: The Jimny we tested isn’t exactly full-scale. It’s...
28 Musicians Predict the 2020 Baseball Season
Against all odds and the advice of many virologists, the 2020 MLB season is finally underway. Whether that’s a good idea in the midst of a pandemic is beside the point because it’s happening. Baseball is back, albeit in a much stranger fashion than anyone could have imagined when spring training began in February (which may as well have been 1923). With a 60-game season looming and a bunch of bizarre rule changes in effect (universal DH, runner starting on second base in extra innings, expanded rosters, and more playoff teams), the season is set to be the most unpredictable in years. You know who else is stoked about the season finally starting? Musicians. There’s always been a romanticism between artists and baseball that makes perfect sense. Thus, we’ve summoned a panel of baseball...
![Atari CEO and “Beat Legend: Avicii” Developer Discuss New Rhythm Game, Share Unearthed Photos of EDM Legend [EXCLUSIVE]](https://www.wazupnaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/atari-ceo-and-beat-legend-avicii-developer-discuss-new-rhythm-game-share-unearthed-photos-of-edm-legend-exclusive-1050x600.jpg)
![Atari CEO and “Beat Legend: Avicii” Developer Discuss New Rhythm Game, Share Unearthed Photos of EDM Legend [EXCLUSIVE]](https://www.wazupnaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/atari-ceo-and-beat-legend-avicii-developer-discuss-new-rhythm-game-share-unearthed-photos-of-edm-legend-exclusive-80x80.jpg)
Atari CEO and “Beat Legend: Avicii” Developer Discuss New Rhythm Game, Share Unearthed Photos of EDM Legend [EXCLUSIVE]
Earlier in the month, we went hands-on with Hello There Games‘ upcoming rhythm game Avicii Invector Encore Edition for Nintendo Switch. While many fans of the late EDM icon are anxiously awaiting the release of the console-based musical adventure, its developers teamed up with legendary game publisher Atari for a newly-released mobile game celebrating the life and work of Avicii. Appropriately titled Beat Legend: Avicii, the game allows players to explore the beautiful soundscapes created by his timeless melodies anywhere in the world on their mobile devices. Before the release of the game, EDM.com had the pleasure of speaking with the game’s lead developer, Oskar Eklund, and the CEO of Atari, Frederic Chesnais, for an in-depth conversati...
This Book Tells Astonishing True Stories from the Inside of Music Festival Medical Tents
Jim Bollenbacher‘s water cooler talk is better than yours. After years of service as a first responder medic at large music festivals, the attorney turned paramedic has released a new book detailing his experiences. Molly, Mushrooms and Mayhem: Stories from Inside the Music Festival Medical Tent explores Bollenbacher’s work tending to ravers and revelers at major music events over the years. The medical tent at a music festival is not something you want to be familiar with first-hand, and from a medic’s vantage point, it can be an extremely chaotic and stressful environment. On the flip-side, the inside of a medical tent can also be quite entertaining considering the title of the book, which will make readers “laugh, cringe, and maybe even gasp as they learn of...
