Berklee pianist Tony Ann plays a medley of familiar ringtones.
“Louder Than Words: Rock, Power and Politics” exhibit opens May 20 at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
From the moment rock and roll hit the airwaves, it has played a crucial role in politics and social movements around the world. Now, two iconic museums – the Newseum and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio – are partnering on a one-of-a-kind exhibit that explores the power of rock to change attitudes about patriotism, peace, equality and freedom.
“Louder Than Words: Rock, Power and Politics” will be on display in the cities hosting two major political events in the upcoming presidential election cycle: the Republican National Convention in Cleveland and the 2017 presidential inauguration celebrations in the nation’s capital.
Using video, multimedia, photographs, periodicals and artifacts, such as the guitar John Lennon debuted at the bed-in where he and Yoko Ono introduced the anti-war song “Give Peace a Chance,” “Louder Than Words” will showcase the intersection between rock and politics and examine how artists exercise their First Amendment rights, challenge assumptions and beliefs, stimulate thought and effect change. The exhibit will explore music’s influence on civil rights, the Vietnam War and gender equality, and will include such artists as Bob Dylan, U2 and Rage Against the Machine.
“Louder Than Words,” presented by the Hilton, Sound Exchange, AT&T and Altria Group, premieres on May 20, 2016, at the Rock Hall in Cleveland, and moves to the Newseum on Jan. 13, 2017, where it will be on display through July 31, 2017.
15% Of Country Music Listeners Are Top-Tier Spenders
The Country Music Association’s latest consumer research took a deep look at top-tier music listener purchases with data revealing that spending for this audience is at $800* or more in the past 12 months – a level which applies to nearly 15 percent of overall Country Music listeners on which the study was based. These figures were released Tuesday during the final of three webinars presenting CMA’s extensive consumer research initiative.
“Across the board we saw higher levels of engagement and spending. There were very few areas where these fans were not over-indexing in terms of music consumption against the general Country Music listening audience, not just spending,” said Karen Stump, CMA Senior Director of Market Research.
This top tier of spenders, deemed the “Fan Economy,” was comprised of all ages; however, Millennials age 25-34 were significantly higher (32 percent) as a high spending group, compared to other age groups. Gen X made up the next largest segment with a share of 25 percent among the tier. Adult Millennials had the highest average music spending levels at slightly more than $1,100*.
Overall, these high spenders are not only purchasing more, they are consuming more across the board and all channels, both paid and free music. Seventy-eight percent of this “Fan Economy” listen to Country Music on a daily basis, while among the general Country Music audience, about 50 percent listen on a daily basis.
The study uncovered a few notable differences, meaning significantly higher engagement among the super “Fan Economy” tier. This group reported twice the rate of daily listening across purchased digital music, satellite radio, and Spotify. Eighty-four percent spent money on concert tickets, compared to 50 percent among other Country Music listeners.
This group also yields another benefit to the format as social influencers of music. The “Fan Economy” listeners are super-users of social media and reported twice the level of everyday/constant use of Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram compared to the total audience. They use social media to influence and learn about music and artists, with 86 percent agreeing that social media is a good way to engage with music and artists.
In webinars presented exclusively to CMA members May 3 and May 11, research has shown the Country Music audience continues to gain popularity across the board with the fastest growth in listeners occurring among non-whites, Hispanics, and Millennials. Additionally, research also indicates that Country Music fans, on average, spend more on music than fans of any other genre.
The data reported in this summary is from CMA’s proprietary consumer study, which was conducted among 3,330 adult consumers across the U.S. during October 2015. The study was conducted by a third-party research partner, The Futures Company. CMA Research is conducted on behalf of and provided exclusively to CMA members.
For more information about CMA’s initiatives and events, visit CMAworld.com.
Google patents sticky tape attaching pedestrians to cars that hit them
The patent, which was granted on 17 May, is for a sticky adhesive layer on the front end of a vehicle, which would aim to reduce the damage caused when a pedestrian hit by a car is flung into other vehicles or scenery.
“Ideally, the adhesive coating on the front portion of the vehicle may be activated on contact and will be able to adhere to the pedestrian nearly instantaneously,” according to the patent description.
Music, Dance and Fashion Entwine with The Backstage Studio Pop-Up Tour
Family Channel brings the ultimate fan experience to shopping malls across Canada with The Backstage Studio Pop-Up Tour. Centered around the network’s hit original series Backstage, the weekend-long event kicks off in Pickering on Saturday, May 28 and gives fans an all-access pass to Keaton School of the Arts, with interactive stations built around the school’s programs including dance, music and fashion. Plus, fans will get a sneak peek at what’s in store for this year’s Big Ticket Summer Concert with live musical performances by the series’ stars at every stop. The tour continues throughout the month of June with stops in Vancouver, Edmonton, Fredericton and Mississauga. For full tour information, please visit Family.ca.
Backstage follows the lives of a group of talented teenagers who attend the prestigious Keaton School of the Arts. Cast members that will be appearing at various stops on The Backstage Studio Pop-Up Tour include: Josh Bogert (“Miles”), Aviva Mongillo (“Alya”), Mckenzie Small (“Scarlett”), Devyn Nekoda (“Vanessa”), Alyssa Trask (“Carly”), Julia Tomasone (“Bianca”), Matthew Isen (“Jax”) and Colin Petierre (“Sasha”). New episodes of Backstage air regularly Fridays at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Family.
A full weekend of singing, dancing, fashion and fun, The Backstage Pop-Up Studio Tour brings the popular tween drama to life. Mall-goers will be transported to Keaton School of the Arts where they can learn Vanessa, Carly and Sasha’s favourite dance moves; listen to Miles, Ayla and Scarlett’s hottest tracks; and step up their fashion game with tips and styles inspired by the show.
In addition to the interactive stations, each stop will feature morning and afternoon musical performances by some of this year’s Big Ticket Summer Concert performers, followed by autograph signings with various cast members. The first 250 fans in line for each performance, will receive a wristband to take part in the autograph signing.
The Backstage Studio Pop-Up Tour stops are as follows:
| Date | Location | City |
| Saturday, May 28 | Pickering Town Centre | Pickering, ON |
| Sunday, May 29 | Pickering Town Centre | Pickering, ON |
| Saturday, June 4 | Coquitlam Centre | Vancouver, BC |
| Sunday, June 5 | Coquitlam Centre | Vancouver, BC |
| Saturday, June 10 | West Edmonton Mall | Edmonton, AB |
| Sunday, June 11 | West Edmonton Mall | Edmonton, AB |
| Saturday, June 18 | Regent Mall | Fredericton, NB |
| Sunday, June 19 | Regent Mall | Fredericton, NB |
| Saturday, June 25 | Erin Mills Town Centre | Mississauga, ON |
| Sunday, June 26 | Erin Mills Town Centre | Mississauga, ON |
For tour details including mall hours, performance and autograph times, and wristband distribution locations, visit Family.ca.
Watch Willem Dafoe give the commencement address at the Cleveland Institute of Art
Willem Dafoe — star of “Spider-Man,” “Platoon” and other notable films — goes back a long way with Cleveland Institute of Art President Grafton Nunes. Nunes produced the movie, “The Loveless,” which was the Oscar-nominated actor’s first starring role back in 1981. Dafoe came to Cleveland to help out his old friend Saturday, giving the commencement address at the Cleveland Institute of Art. He also took time to do a Q&A at a screening of a “Pasolini,” at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. The 2014 film, directed by Abel Ferrara, stars Dafoe as the Italian filmmaker, poet and journalist Pier Paolo Pasolini.
It was a time where dancers were making films, actors were painting, visual artists were performing, and everybody was making music. There was an amateur do-it-yourself aesthetic that wasn’t pursuing recognition or acceptance outside of a certain social circle. Often, the works were sloppy, incomprehensible, lazy, obtuse, and truly just bad. These people weren’t careerists—there was no career to be had in these forms. The most they could hope for to parlay their success into was to sleep with more attractive people in the downtown scene. But, there was something there in some of the work that exhibited extraordinary personal commitment, emotion, and abandon I had not seen elsewhere. For me, these qualities trumped all training and technique.
Walt Disney Records Celebrates 60 Years With Newly-Branded Titles
Walt Disney Records is proud to celebrate its 60th anniversary with the music that has been enchanting and entertaining audiences for generations. To kick off the celebration, Alan Menken will participate in a special event at the Grammy Museum on June 1, “An Evening with Alan Menken,” which includes a Q&A and culminates with a special performance. One of the most admired and prolific musical talents of our time, this Academy Award, Grammy Award, and Golden Globe Award winner is responsible for unforgettable Disney classics including “Part of Your World” (“Little Mermaid”), “Under the Sea” (“Little Mermaid”), “Be Our Guest” (“Beauty and the Beast”), “Beauty and the Beast” (“Beauty and the Beast”), “A Whole New World” (“Aladdin”), “Colors of the Wind” (“Pocahontas”), “The Bells of Notre Dame” (“Hunchback of Notre Dame”), “I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)” (“Hercules”) and “I See the Light” (“Tangled”).
The selected albums and tracks represent numerous key releases that have been important to the label and The Walt Disney Company such as “Some Day My Prince Will Come” from Snow White (first soundtrack), “When You Wish Upon a Star” from Pinocchio (theme song for TWDC), “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” (first single from a television show), “Monkey’s Uncle” by Annette Funicello (the label’s first teen sensation), tracks from Mary Poppins (album held the #1 position on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart for 14 weeks) and “Hakuna Matata” from The Lion King (soundtrack earned WDR its first Diamond Award from the R.I.A.A., certifying sales of 10 million units). Also highlighted is the chart-topping multi-platinum Frozen soundtrack, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Disney-Pixar classics (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Inside Out and more), plus albums and songs from Disney Channel Original Movies and series including and High School Musical and Hannah Montana.
The special 60th Anniversary commemorative artwork was designed by UK-based graphic artist Steven Wilson.
Celebrating 60 years, Walt Disney Records has set the standard as the leader in family audio entertainment. The label has earned more than 300 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards from the R.I.A.A, and several of its releases rank among the top-selling singles and soundtracks of all time. Over the last decade, the label has helped preserve Disney’s rich musical history by the restoration of its earliest recordings and re-mastering of classic soundtracks in an effort to keep the legacy and musical spirit of Disney alive for future generations.
Lou Reed – The RCA and Arista Album Collection Coming In October
Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is proud to announce the much-anticipated release of Lou Reed – The RCA & Arista Album Collection on Friday, October 7.
The definitive box set library of music recorded by the iconic American rock musician from 1972 to 1986, one of the richest and most protean periods of the artist’s career.
Lou Reed – The RCA & Arista Album Collection brings together–for the first time in one comprehensive anthology—the 16 groundbreaking studio and live album titles written, recorded (and often produced) by Reed as a solo artist following the 1970 dissolution of the Velvet Underground, the profoundly influential avant-rock ensemble he’d founded in 1965.
“Our first date was a trip to the AES (Audio Engineering Society) convention. As wireheads Lou and I loved beautiful recordings and spent years making our studios, instruments and gear the best they could possibly be,” said Laurie Anderson, American musician/composer/performance artist and Lou Reed’s wife and partner for twenty-one years. “Lou put his heart into remastering these records. They are not smoothed out. Sometimes remastering revealed their details and roughness in the most exciting ways. They leap out at you with their original energy.
“I also love the rare images and the great selection of Lou’s words about his music in this collection. Lou was a superb analyst and sharp critic and the interview excerpts bring back his crazy sense of humor, his generosity and his big view of the world and the meaning of music. Anyone who has loved Lou’s music will be so happy to have this. I’m really grateful to Sony for putting this one out.”
Each of the 16 albums (Lou Reed Live Take No Prisoners, from November 1978, fills 2CDs) in the 17CD library was newly remastered under Lou’s direct personal supervision, a long-term project completed shortly before the artist’s passing, at 71, on October 27, 2013.
“This box set was Lou’s last project. He oversaw the remastering of all of his solo recordings made for RCA and Arista Records….This work was done at New York’s Masterdisk in June and July 2013, with engineer Vlado Meller and Rob Santos of Sony/Legacy,” Hal Willner wrote in his liner notes for Lou Reed – The RCA & Arista Album Collection. “Everyone who was in that room or around Lou during this period witnessed a beautiful thing as he enthusiastically relived that whole period of his work with the joy of rediscovery, excitedly pointing out subtleties in sounds he hadn’t heard in years. In retrospect, reminiscing about these sessions done less than four months before he died, the moments seem even more magnified.”
Lou Reed – The RCA & Arista Album Collection–produced by Lou Reed, Rob Santos, and Hal Willner—offers fans access to several titles which have been out-of-print, hard-to-find or unavailable in the CD and digital music eras.
A limited edition 12″x12″ deluxe box set library, Lou Reed – The RCA & Arista Album Collection is the ultimate tribute to an essential epoch in Lou’s career as a transformative figure in American music. This definitive anthology contains 16 full-length albums on 17 compact discs in addition to an 80-page hard-bound book featuring memorabilia from Lou’s personal archives, rarely seen photos and artwork, interviews with Lou conducted during his years as a recording artist for RCA and Arista and evocative in-depth liner notes—written by Lou’s longtime friend and the collection’s co-producer Hal Willner—chronicling Lou’s involvement with the making of Lou Reed – The RCA & Arista Album Collection.
The collectible deluxe box set also contains—suitable for framing—five 8″x10″ prints and a facsimile reproduction of a rare RCA promotional poster (598mm x 572mm, folds to 299mm x 286mm).
Lou Reed – The RCA & Arista Album Collection celebrates the studio and live albums created by Lou Reed in the 1970s and 1980s while demonstrating the crucial contributions he made to the popular and rock music of that era and the decades that followed.
An American master and true rock & roller, Lou Reed transformed popular art, music and culture through a body of work that continues to affect the way fans hear and see the world.
Reed, who cut his first single as a teenager in the late 1950s, began his professional career working as a New York in-house assembly line songwriter in the early 1960s while developing his pure artistic vision as frontman for the Velvet Underground.
After leaving the VU in 1970, Lou launched his unparalleled solo career, beginning with an extended run (1972-1986) at RCA Records and Arista Records that’s included a string of signature songs—”Perfect Day,” “Walk On The Wild Side,” “Satellite of Love,” “I Love You, Suzanne”—as well as albums iconic (Transformer, Berlin, Coney Island Baby, New Sensations) and iconoclastic (Metal Machine Music, Lou Reed Live Take No Prisoners).
Lou Reed brought the insight of literature and the honesty of journalism into some of the most elegant pop songs ever written while recording some of the most artful records ever made. No one has ever understood the primordial essence or the visionary potential of rock & roll better than Lou Reed, the quintessential New York rocker.
Lou Reed was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in a ceremony at Cleveland’s Public Hall held on April 18, 2015. Lou—along with John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker—was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Velvet Underground in 1996.
“The Bells: A Day Long Celebration of Lou Reed,” a full day of free events curated by Laurie Anderson and Hal Willner, has been scheduled for Saturday, July 30, 2016 as part of the Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival in New York City (LCOutofDoors.org).
LOU REED – THE RCA & ARISTA ALBUM COLLECTION
Lou Reed (April 1972)
Transformer (November 1972)
Berlin (July 1973)
Rock n Roll Animal (live – February 1974)
Sally Can’t Dance (August 1974)
Metal Machine Music (July 1975)
Coney Island Baby (December 1975)
Rock and Roll Heart (October 1976)
Street Hassle (February 1978)
Lou Reed Live Take No Prisoners (2 CDs – November 1978)
The Bells (April 1979)
Growing Up in Public (April 1980)
The Blue Mask (February 1982)
Legendary Hearts (March 1983)
New Sensations (April 1984)
Mistrial (June 1986)
Peter Gabriel Reissues Announced
Following the successful 2LP vinyl re-issues of Peter Gabriel’s first four solo albums in 2015, the next series of re-issues are now ready to pre-order, and will be released on July 15, 2016.
So, Us and Up have all been half-speed remastered and cut to lacquers at 45RPM in order to deliver the maximum dynamic sound range.
“It has been heart warming to see the return of vinyl. Even though I loved being free of its limitations in the digital world, there is still a warmth and presence to vinyl that somehow makes it a more natural human companion. It is great to see a new generation learning the secrets of the grooves,” says Gabriel.
The So album is released across two heavyweight 180g LPs, whilst the Us and Up albums are released across three heavyweight 180g LPs, with music on fives sides and an etching on the sixth.
The vinyl was cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering, mastered by Tony Cousins at Metropolis and overseen by Peter’s main sound engineer Richard Chappell.
The vinyl editions will have gatefold sleeves utilising imagery from the initial first LP pressings, sourced and re-scanned from original artwork.
These limited edition releases are all individually numbered and will include download cards with a choice of digital download (Hi-Res 24-bit or 16-bit).
Def Leppard Meet ‘Deaf Leopards’
Def Leppard took a few minutes out of their tour schedule for a memorable photo op yesterday, posing for pictures with students from the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
Little Rock’s KFSM reports that the meeting was the result of an online petition that originally sought to secure a school visit from the band prior to their concert at the city’s Verizon Arena. “The mascot of the Arkansas School for the Deaf is the Leopards,” wrote organizer Cary Tyson. “What better place for a band photo?”