Page 3008 – That Eric Alper

Music videos pull in audiences more than ever with tech tricks

Music

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Mar 11, 2015

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Music videos pull in audiences more than ever with tech tricks

From Smashd:

For music videos, viewer and video are no longer forced to exist in different worlds.

A small group of innovators is embracing the versatility of the Internet. By using new technologies during production and dissemination, they’re bringing fans into the fold with interactive music videos. Done right, the work of this vanguard is the best there is.

“The things that excite me the most are the things where people are saying: We don’t need to be beholden to a 16 inch by 9 inch box because that’s the shape of TVs,” said Steven Gottlieb, a 20-year veteran of the music video business and editor of Videostatic.com, a website that covers music video news in great detail. “Music videos don’t need to be linear. They don’t need to fit inside one little box. If the goal is purely to introduce more people to a song, to an artist, and to let them understand it better, then [the video] can really be anything.”

The New York-based production company Interlude, for instance, makes it simple for anyone with an Internet connection to make interactive videos. Specializing in a “Choose Your Own Adventure”-style of interaction, Interlude made its biggest splash in late 2013 with a brilliant video for Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” Produced to coincide with Sony’s release of his massive, 47-discThe Complete Album Collection Volume 1, the video allows viewers to flip through 16 channels on an old analog T.V. and watch news anchors, Danny Brown and the “Property Brothers,” among others, seamlessly mouth Dylan’s words in time with the song. The virtual remote in your hands (or on screen) gives you the power to make the video different every time you watch it.

Spotify’s Pick Hit For SXSW? Years & Years

Music

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Mar 11, 2015

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Spotify’s Pick Hit For SXSW? Years & Years

South by Southwest began as a small music festival with only 700 registrants, where A&R reps from the labels scouted bands with the intent of discovering, and then signing, the cream of the crop. I was there for 16 straight years, until after having the greatest 4 days ever spent in that city – Jesus & Mary Chain, The Black Angels (performing 6 times), and Dave Grohl at the Keynote, that was it for me. I knew when it was time walk away for a few years, but I’ll be back.

Austin’s homegrown festival has since grown into a huge, multi-pronged event: Music, Film, and Interactive, plus offshoots like SXSWedu, SXSports, and SXSW Eco attract different groups of people from all over the place.

For many, it’s still all about the music — arguably more than ever, because in the early days, SXSW was attended by people who see music for a living. Artists can still make their mark in Austin by getting “discovered,” but only if they attract enough buzz from the fans who now comprise the majority of SXSW attendees.

Spotify is helping you discover some SXSW artists right now, before the event gets underway, by polling music fans to find out which artists playing SXSW are receiving a disproportionate amount of buzz from the global music community. Based on the artists people everywhere are reading about, sharing, and listening to, Spotify includes a discovery score for each artist. This reflects how much attention a particular artist is getting from music fans, relative to the artist’s familiarity among the general public. If lots of people around the world are discovering an artist (or are about to discover them), that artist gets a higher discovery score. So, it’s a measure of disproportionate attention — a sign that music fans are really starting to get behind a particular artist.

The following 100 SXSW showcase artists are receiving the most disproportionate attention from music fans around the world right now (playlist below). Italicized artists happen to be playing Spotify House:

Lou Reed’s compositional manuscript with chords and lyrics to “Heroin”

Music

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Mar 11, 2015

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“Heroin” is a song by The Velvet Underground, released on their 1967 debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico. Written by Lou Reed in 1964, the song, which overtly depicts heroin use and abuse, is one of the band’s most celebrated compositions. Critic Mark Deming writes, “While ‘Heroin’ hardly endorses drug use, it doesn’t clearly condemn it, either, which made it all the more troubling in the eyes of many listeners”.

In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it #455 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

And now you can sing along:

https://youtu.be/ffr0opfm6I4

Dysonics Releases RAPPR, a Revolutionary 3D Audio Environment for Mac OS X that Brings Headphones to Life

Music

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Mar 11, 2015

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Dysonics Releases RAPPR, a Revolutionary 3D Audio Environment for Mac OS X that Brings Headphones to Life

Headphone audio pioneer Dysonics today released RAPPR, an immersive 3D audio environment for headphones. How good? Dysonics’ RondoMotion is being used for the immersive audio section of Björk at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), March 8, 2015 – June 7, 2015.

RAPPR captures the experience of listening to premium speakers in the sweet spot of a room, and delivers that experience to your existing headphones. The result is the cleanest, richest, and most realistic headphone audio possible.

Available for Mac OS X, RAPPR works with all headphones to seamlessly produce exceptional audio for everything you listen to: Spotify, Netflix, iTunes, Hulu, etc.

“Headphones are now the most widely used form listening to media, and yet the core headphone listening experience has changed very little over the years. RAPPR represents a big shift by taking traditional 2-channel headphone audio and really opening it up, making for a much more lifelike and full listening experience,” said Dysonics CTO Robert Dalton.

RAPPR’s simple and intuitive interface lets you toggle between thoughtfully crafted and tested presets to create the best headphone listening experience for all types of content. The 3 main modes are: Music: Takes traditional, flat stereo and outputs spatialized stereo; Movie: Takes traditional, flat stereo and outputs spatialized 3-channel; Surround: Takes traditional stereo & native 5.1 and outputs spatialized 5.1 surround

You can also customize your sound environment. RAPPR’s adjustable sound ring lets you modify the distance between you and your virtual speaker setup, creating endless spatial audio configurations.

Music lovers will experience audiorealism like never before. RAPPR pairs with the RondoMotion sensor, the world’s first wireless motion sensor for headphones. Hearing sound change relative to your head movement (just like it does in a real space) results in a groundbreaking, fully immersive audio experience that ‘puts you there.’

The system also allows you to up-mix all songs, movies, and games to 5.1 surround in real-time. RAPPR also lets you listen to native 5.1 content over headphones with amazing clarity.

And that means you can listen longer. By recreating the natural effect of sound waves in a real room, RAPPR dramatically decreases listener fatigue caused by standard headphone audio.

More music? Count me in.

Choir! Choir! Choir! sings Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”

Music

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Mar 11, 2015

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Choir! Choir! Choir! sings Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”

Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman (AKA “DaBu”) started Choir! Choir! Choir! as a weekly drop in, no-commitment singing event in February 2011. Now happening twice weekly, and open to anyone who likes to sing new arrangements of pop songs, C!C!C! boasts a dedicated and passionate membership of inspired singers from in and around Toronto, Canada. They have performed live with Patti Smith at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Tegan and Sara on the Juno Awards, at TEDx Toronto 2014, and the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival Closing Gala at Roy Thompson Hall.

This week, Choir! Choir! Choir! got together to perform Simple Minds’ Don’t You (Forget About Me), and if you spot closely at around the 3:20 mark, you can clearly see my head.

Yes, I’m reinventing my life time and time again. Call me Choirboy.

Shawn Mendes to Perform Live on YTV’s The Zone

Music

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Mar 11, 2015

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Shawn Mendes to Perform Live on YTV’s The Zone

YTV is thrilled to announce that singer and songwriting sensation Shawn Mendes will be performing a concert that will air live on The Zone, to cap off the channel’s most amazing March Break ever. Shawn will be performing on stage at the Pickering Town Centre, in the singer’s hometown of Pickering, Ontario on Friday, March 20.

Beginning at 4 p.m., The Zone will broadcast live hits with Carlos and then from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., The Zone will give viewers VIP access to a live performance from Shawn with songs from his upcoming album, Handwritten (Universal Music Canada), before it’s official release in April. Included in the half-hour special, fans will be treated to a candid, on-stage interview with Shawn and Carlos, in which they will be able to tweet questions to #YTVMendesArmy.

Fans who go to HMV’s Pickering Town Centre location to pre-order Handwritten on the day of the live performance, March 20, 2015, will receive a free wristband to meet Shawn in person later that day. Wristbands will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis to 300 fans. For more details visit HMV Canada’s Facebook page.

Not going to SXSW? You can still watch it all online

Music

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Mar 11, 2015

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Not going to SXSW? You can still watch it all online

SXSW has launched SXSW On, a free, on-demand streaming network that features dynamic original programming along with live and archival performances, interviews and talks from the SXSW Music, Film and Interactive conference. SXSW On will be available on Roku players in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Republic of Ireland, as well as Roku TV models in the U.S. – the first streaming players and smart TVs to feature the SXSW On streaming channel.

The network’s custom-designed Roku channel, along with its platform on sxsw.com and YouTube, will give millions of viewers worldwide access to content that embraces the look, feel and spirit of SXSW.

“Roku is one of the leading streaming platforms and we’re incredibly excited to bring SXSW into living rooms of Roku customers around the world,” said SXSW Director of Technology Scott Wilcox. “Having a dedicated network of original programming through the lens of SXSW is a leap forward for our organization and promises a bright future as a provider in the media landscape.”

SXSW On programming will feature several new series highlighting the best in original music, independent films, emerging technologies, cuisine and gaming culture. In addition to the live stream of the 2015 event, viewers will be able to access content from previous keynote speakers, panels and musical performances.

“The SXSW On channel provides Roku customers with a unique entertainment experience they can’t find on any other streaming platform,” said Ed Lee, vice president of content at Roku. “For the first time, people from around the world will be able to view the excitement and entertainment of SXSW live without buying a plane ticket to Austin. We’re thrilled to be the first streaming platform to deliver SXSW On content to our customers and know that they’ll love watching the amazing live performances from the comfort of home.”

SXSW On will feature:

SXSW Live
SXSW Live brings the 2015 event straight to your living room with performances, interviews, and panel sessions from artists, filmmakers, digital creatives and other industry heavyweights.

The Road
Grab your guitar and bring gas money, we’re going on The Road.

Ever wonder what happens off stage? The Road presents viewers with a behind the scenes look at the day-to-day challenges and adventures of touring musicians.

The Nom Nom
Follow your appetite with The Nom Nom.

Our favorite artists share their top local eateries and explore delicious offerings from culinary masters. Follow up-and-coming restaurants curated by award-winning chefs across the country.

SXSW On is made possible through SXSW’s Technology Partner Brightcove and the Roku streaming channel developer Float Left Interactive.

To access SXSW On, install the SXSW channel on Roku players or Roku TV models from the Roku Channel Store, or go to sxsw.com/on.

Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!” + Ed Sheeran’s “Loud” Hold #1 and #2 down for 8th straight week

Music

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Mar 11, 2015

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Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!” + Ed Sheeran’s “Loud” Hold #1 and #2 down for 8th straight week

While Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!” holds down the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for the 10th week, Ed Sheeran’s “Loud” ranks at its #2 peak on the Hot 100 for an 8th time, all behind “Funk.” How rare is it for two songs to hold at #1 and #2 for at least eight straight weeks, specifically with the latter never reaching the top of the charts? Here’s an updated look at the longest placements:

10 weeks
No. 1: “Lose Yourself,” Eminem / No. 2: “Work It,” Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, 2002-03

9 weeks
No. 1: “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix),” Los Del Rio / No. 2: “I Love You Always Forever,” Donna Lewis, 1996
No. 1: “Physical,” Olivia Newton-John / No. 2: “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” Foreigner, 1981-82

8 weeks
No. 1: “Uptown Funk!” / No. 2: “Thinking Out Loud,” 2015
No. 1: “Smooth,” Santana feat. Rob Thomas / No. 2: “Back at One,” Brian McKnight, 1999-2000
No. 1: “The Boy Is Mine,” Brandy & Monica / No. 2: “You’re Still the One,” Shania Twain, 1998

7 weeks
No. 1: “Candle in the Wind 1997″/”Something About the Way You Look Tonight,” Elton John / No. 2: “You Make Me Wanna…,” Usher, 1997
No. 1: “All for You,” Janet Jackson / No. 2: “Survivor,” Destiny’s Child, 2001
No. 1: “Let Me Love You,” Mario / No. 2: “1, 2 Step,” Ciara, 2005
No. 1: “One More Night,” Maroon 5 / No. 2: “Gangnam Style,” PSY, 2012

Via Billboard

Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!” Hits Record-Making Status

Music

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Mar 11, 2015

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Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!” Hits Record-Making Status

From Billboard:

Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!,” featuring Bruno Mars, hits hallowed ground atop the Billboard Hot 100: It reigns for a 10th week, joining the exclusive club of leaders that have reigned for double-digit weeks.

“Funk!,” released on RCA Records, becomes just the 29th No. 1 in Hot 100 history to lead for at least 10 weeks. If 29 seems like a high number, that’s out of 1,041 leaders dating to the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958, debut. In other words, only 3 percent of all Hot 100 No. 1s, now including “Funk,” have logged rules of 10 weeks or more.

Some at-ten-tion-getting trivia: The first song to lead for at least 10 weeks? Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life,” for 10 frames in 1977. The last before “Funk”? Pharrell Williams’ “Happy,” which led for 10 weeks last year and went on to become the Hot 100’s No. 1 song of 2014. The song with the most weeks at the summit: Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day,” which ruled for 16 weeks in 1995-96.

Watch Kanye West and John Legend Perform Gold Digger in 2003

Music

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Mar 11, 2015

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Watch Kanye West and John Legend Perform Gold Digger in 2003

A few months before The College Dropout was released, and a full two years before Late Registration received universal acclaim, Kanye West performed an early version of “Gold Digger” for an audience at the 2nd Annual Dynamic Producer Conference. There’s no Ray Charles sample and Jamie Foxx, but there is John Legend doing the song with him.