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‘We Were a Disaster’: Jason Isbell Discusses the Making of Reunions
There will come a time, probably not too long from now, when someone will turn to Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s album Reunions, see that it was released in 2020 and come to the reasonable conclusion that it was a response to the breakdowns, devastation and (hopefully) eventual reawakening from a global pandemic. To that person, Isbell’s latest release, out on May 15 on his own Southeastern Records — after dropping exclusively at independent record stores a week earlier, an idea Isbell conceived to help keep those precious operations afloat — seems to be saying: “Where have you been?” Isbell (who, of course, wrote and recorded the album long before the world broke) acknowledges the prescience that comes through on so many songs from Reunions, but notes that he just pointed his pen at the ...
A Future Reimagined for Africa Post-Pandemic
Sourced from Redbubble and iStock. In a rare television broadcast Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, described the COVID-19 pandemic as “Germany’s biggest challenge since the Second World War”. It has indeed proved to be a crisis of global proportion with material implications for the economies and livelihoods of all. Governments across the globe have locked down cities, towns, villages and townships to curb the spread of the virus. Massive fiscal stimuli have been enacted to cushion the economic and humanitarian impact of the pandemic. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund have set aside a large quantum of emergency financial support for countries to tap into. African countries have implemented strong containment measures to avoid further spread of COVID-19. For countries in W...
Dance Music’s Top Livestream Events: May, 2020
Just because you’re stuck at home, that’s no reason to let those dance moves get dull. Our prescription? A deep feet-first dive into a dancefloor, of course! There’s no shortage of phenomenal livestreams to enjoy this month either. For a dance fan wading through the sea of options, it’s enough to feel like swimming in cement boots, but don’t fret—we can help. Put your feet up and peruse some of the best below. With this handy guide, we’ve hand-picked our favorites for your listening pleasure. It may be true that there’s less to do at home while we wait out the COVID-craze, but with heavy-hitters like Diplo, Dada Life, and VNSSA pumping out steady streams with new music, May is still absolutely packed with plenty to be hyped about. Credit: Courtesy of Wuki Global Dance Digi...
April’s New Releases Bring the Promise of Even More Music to Come [Playlist]
While we might still be stuck at home for a considerable amount of time because of COVID-19, DJs and producers haven’t let the pandemic stop them from bringing new music to fans. In fact, for some, it’s actually helped with freeing up more time to finish unreleased songs. In EDM.com‘s interview with Riot Ten about being in quarantine, he said that he has less on his mind, having not to think about traveling and touring. And although he wishes he could play his music live, he has a lot of unreleased songs that he can now focus on. Last month Riot Ten released “Save You,” a single from his upcoming EP that’s slated for June. He told us that fans are going to hear “some of the heaviest music” he’s ever produced. The same will mo...
WME Partner Richard Weitz’s Pandemic Parties Surpass $2 Million Raised With Star-Studded Nashville Edition
Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Michael McDonald and more performed before music execs and first responders. Six weeks ago with the coronavirus shutdown already in full effect, WME partner Richard Weitz celebrated his daughter Demi’s 17th birthday with a virtual party with guests including as LL Cool J. The event proved so popular, Weitz and his daughter knew they were on to something and turned their Zoom party, dubbed RWQuarantunes, into a nationwide invite-only weekly event with a charitable tie in for COVID-19 relief. Each subsequent edition has drawn more entertainment industry insiders and big name performers — including Josh Groban, John Mayer, Rick Springfield, Boy George, Michael Bolton and Fantasia — to what has become Friday night’s hottest ticket and the feel-good e...
Hex Cougar Drops Masterful Short Film “Under the Light of a Dying Moon”
Los Angeles-based Hex Cougar today announced the arrival of a cinematic counterpart to the Under the Light of a Dying Moon EP released back in January on Lowly. The album was debuted live at bicoastal sell-out shows in Los Angeles and New York City and has already amassed more than 3 million streams. To build on the momentum of the project and the sinister mystique of the Hex Cougar persona, the film assembles powerhouses of music event and film production, culminating in a nine and a half-minute short film complete with a gripping story. Credit: Tarun Raj Hex Cougar explained the thematic elements of the album and film in a press release issued for its release. “With the Under The Light Of A Dying Moon EP, I really wanted to create a unique and in-depth world for my music to li...
The 10 Most Essential Was (Not Was) Tracks
Since David Weiss and Don Fagenson christened themselves the Brothers Was and formed Was (Not Was) in 1979 Detroit, a ridiculous number of great musicians have gone through the band’s ranks: Wayne Kramer of the MC5, The Knack frontman Doug Fieger, legendary jazz trumpet player Marcus Belgrave, Ozzy Osbourne, Elvis Costello, and even Frank Sinatra, Jr.. You won’t find another funk band to enlist most of these guys, much less all of them. And their guests are just a hint of what gives Was (Not Was) its distinctive flavor. There wasn’t a more towering presence in the group’s fold than Hillard “Sweet Pea” Atkinson, whom, alongside fellow soul singer Sir Harry Bowens, made up the two-headed dragon of the band’s animated presence. But as sadly reported earlier this morning, Mr. Atkinson died on ...
Thoroughly Modern Millie
In 1964, in more or less about to be Swinging London, “My Boy Lollipop” made sense. It was a love song, it was a pop song, Shirley Bassey couldn’t have sung it, and that was pretty much the pop demarcation point then. It was bouncy, catchy, gloriously silly and earnest; everywhere you went you heard it because it was always on the radio and there was only one radio station that played pop music at the time, BBC radio, and one nascent, unlicensed pirate radio station, Radio Caroline, that started up the same year but wasn’t yet prevalent. For a nine-year-old boy totally uninterested in music in those days, on the grounds it wasn’t round and you couldn’t kick it, “My Boy Lollipop” was revelatory. First of all, it’s omnipresence can’t have been unique because all pop hits were as much a part ...
Underground Vibes | 048
Numerous artists, industry professionals and fans consider SoundCloud the best platform for unheralded music to reach its true potential. Its direct, artist-centric approach has enabled bedroom artists to reach fanbases all over the world, and it has equipped emerging talent to turn their SoundCloud game into longterm careers. In this series, our aim is to showcase the best new music we discover on the platform—music that oftentimes can’t be found anywhere else. In addition, we shine a light on talented artists who are either breaking through on the platform or have used it to attract an active following in the past. Underground Vibes 048 includes explosive gems from Taw and Late June, atmospheric soundscapes by Duke & Jones, club-ready tracks by Chace and Sparkee x LIINKS, and mo...
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Laidback Luke Launches New Mixmash Dating App to Connect Music Producers [Exclusive Interview]
With self-isolation and quarantine orders in effect across the globe, people are connecting through music online more than ever. With unity at its bedrock, the EDM scene has been leading the way, with new drive-in raves, virtual festivals, and artist livestream events every week. Iconic producer Laidback Luke has taken notice, vlogging himself listening to demos submitted to his website, interviewing dance music industry leaders affected by COVID-19, and even offering a DJ livestream tutorial. Laidback Luke’s team at Mixmash Records took things a step further while working on the remix contest for his new single “We Found Love,” a beautiful future house collaboration with Dutch dynamo Steff Da Campo. The bouncy summer banger dropped on April 17th, followed by a vi...
Check Out This Incredible 3D-Modeled and Printed REZZ Hand
Fans of REZZ can attest that her brand is one-of-a-kind. With her menacing, mind-bending midtempo sonic flair, Space Mom has carved out her own sound over the years, concocting a signature electronic cocktail all her own. Her live shows only reinforce that notion, as she pairs her thunderously spellbinding sound with her patented, mesmerizing LED goggles to offer up a truly unique live concert experience for any flabbergasted revelers lucky enough to catch a live performance. One of those fans, Brandon Lee Morris, took things to the next level by breathing life into one of REZZ’s visual brand components, a hand with an eyeball centered in its palm. Morris, who operates a visual concepts and 3D printing project called Replicant Lab, took it upon himself to create a 3D-modeled and...
