Reebok surprises the kids and brings out Kendrick Lamar
Reebok Classic partnered with Brighter Sounds and the Wonder Inn to host a Hip Hop Workshop for 40 young musicians in Manchester, UK. The day quickly took an unexpected turn when Kendrick Lamar surprised the session. Kendrick Lamar and the musicians gathered and an impromptu cypher broke out.
The National curate 59-track 5-hour Grateful Dead tribute album for Red Hot charity
Red Hot is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS through pop culture. It’s mission is to raise awareness and money around the AIDS crisis and related health issues. It was started in 1990 by Leigh Blake and John Carlin with the Cole Porter tribute album Red Hot + Blue, which raised millions of dollars, helped reduce the stigma around AIDS at the time and supported organizations and efforts such as ACT UP and T.A.G., which took a stand and made the world pay attention and develop medication that let people with AIDS survive.
Over the past 25 years, over 500 artists, producers and directors have contributed to 20 compilation albums of original music, videos, events and media to keep people thinking about the implications of the AIDS epidemic as well as donate millions to organizations around the world.
After the success of Dark Was The Night, The National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner and their friends wanted to do a follow up project. They came up with the idea of doing a Grateful Dead tribute, which was the music their parents listened to; the records they played along with when they started their first band with Bryan Devendorf as teenagers in Ohio. The Dead’s publishing company, Ice Nine, initially agreed to donate their songs to the project; but the success of The National delayed the project for several years. Finally in 2015 the Dessners assembled sessions near where they live in Hudson, New York and began recording an epic number of tracks as well as inviting some of their talented friends to join in.
Titled ‘Day Of The Dead’, the 59 track compilation features songs originally by The Grateful Dead re-recorded by over 60 different artists. Mumford & Sons, Wilco, The Flaming Lips, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Grizzly Bear, Phosphorescent, The Rileys and The Walkmen, among others have been confirmed for the project. Bryce Dessner has also recorded a solo version of “Garcia Counterpoint” for the album. Check out the entire track list on the “Day Of The Dead” website.
Due for release through 4AD on May 20, the six hour long album took over four years to record and will be released digitally, as a five CD set and as a limited edition vinyl boxset. It’s hoped that the release will have similar success to ‘Dark Was The Night’, which has to date raised over $1.5 million for the charity.
Henry Cavill proved that Clark Kent’s glasses actually works
Superman actor, Henry Cavill decided to confront the idea that people couldn’t be fooled by Clark Kent wearing just his glasses as a disguise. He took to the streets of New York, and was dutifully ignored.
Check out this music instrument using 2000 marbles
Swedish musician Martin Molin’s Marble Machine looks like something you’d find in a glamorous toy store. It’s a giant hunk of machinery, but add 2000 marbles, and you’ve got yourself a stunning, rare treat for your eyes, and ears.
Watch how it was made here:
Watch A Janitor Stun Audiences With Incredible Voice At High School Concert
A High School janitor stunned audiences with his rendition of Sam Cooke’s, “A Change is Gonna Come” during his school’s Spring orchestra concert. After a student, Alex, posted a video of Roy Smith singing on Twitter, his talents began getting praise by thousands. Roy tells Inside Edition that he’s been singing since he was 13-years-old, he used to imitate James Brown and now he sings gospel. Smith, who is also a pastor sings at his church and helps people in the community.
David Bowie’s producer on the music industry’s ‘downward spiral’
Legendary music producer Tony Visconti described a vision of the music industry’s dystopian future at his SXSW keynote speech this morning, calling himself “the ghost of Christmas future” and reading an earnest, self-penned short story to make his point. After walking a roomful of attendees through his musical education and early work as a producer, Visconti made it clear that he believes the industry’s in jeopardy.
“I think we’re living in a time when formulas are being repeated more than they ever were in the past… I didn’t want to come out here saying this stuff, swinging two fists in the air,” said Visconti. “If this was really working, record sales would be going through the roof.” It was an impassioned, frustrated plea for change from someone who’s spent half a century navigating the business of music.
Digital advertising revenue is expected to increase by 18% annually over the next five years
Jack Myers is a media expert and he has a new report highlighting advertising revenue projections for radio and other media from 2015 to 2020 (you can download your own copy here).
To summarize:
Terrestrial radio (non-digital advertising only) is expected to be essentially flat with 0.6% growth annually.
Digital advertising revenue is expected to increase by 18% annually over the next five years.
That means digital will rise from 9% of overall ad revenue in 2015 to 19% in 2020. In other words,all the growth in radio ad revenue is likely to come from digital based on these metrics.
Another point: The non-digital estimates have terrestrial radio beating newspaper revenue by this year. Not because radio is rising, of course, but because, well, you know.
What’s also interesting is Jack’s statistic for what he calls “Internet originated audio,” which I assume means streaming and perhaps podcasting revenue. That rises at 22.9% annually, even more bullish than terrestrial radio digital advertising. In fact, Jack estimates that “Internet originated audio” advertising will top terrestrial radio digital advertising by THIS year and keep on rising.
The Rolling Stones Are Bringing Literally Everything To Stage Their Show In Cuba
Cuba is a long way from becoming the next red-hot touring market, but when The Rolling Stones bring their massive production into Havana on March 25, it will mark a major milestone in the cultural emergence of this Caribbean — and Communist — frontier. Billed as the “first open air concert in the country by a British rock band,” the show has a chance to be something much more: A symbolic opening of a new era, ushered in by a group that for decades was considered the epitome of Western decadence.
The political and physical logistics of staging a show on such a scale in such relatively virgin territory cannot be underestimated. On March 6, Diplo’s group Major Lazer played a free outdoor show in Havana that drew an estimated 450,000 people. “You can’t just fill up a shipping crate and ship from Miami because of the embargo,” says the group’s agent, Sam Hunt of The Windish Agency. “Relations have warmed, but there are still a tremendous number of restrictions in place.”
While the Stones show’s free status simplified some matters — neither the band, which has grossed around $400 million in touring since 2012, nor AEG is taking a profit — the issue remained of how to pay for it. The group will be bringing 61 sea containers and a 747 freighter full of gear, as well as a 350-strong crew. “We have to bring in literally everything,” says Concerts West co-president John Meglen.
Drummer does a backflip between 2 drum sets, while soloing
Night Verses drummer Aric Improta shows off an impressive bit of showmanship in which he performs a backflip between two drum kits, and manages to keep the drum solo alive. Very handy to be able to do this, I know.