Singer and rapper Houston Kendrick. His new album, Small Infinity, tops our shortlist of the best albums out on April 23. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Also on the program: Newly signed Sub-Pop artist Hannah Jadagu has dropped her debut EP; The West African kora player Toumani Diabaté has a transcendent new album recorded with The London Symphony Orchestra; the veteran, idiosyncratic rock band Dinosaur Jr. is back with new work as vital as any in its 40-year career and more. Nate Chinen with WBGO and Jazz Night In America joins WNXP 's Jewly Hight, NPR Music's Tom Huizenga, Radio Milwaukee 's Tarik Moody and Stephen Thompson, along with host Robin Hilton, as they share their picks for the best albums out on April 23.
Other notable releases for April 23 : Alfa Mist — Bring Backs ; Ethel Cain — Inbred ; Jupiter & Okwess — Na Kozonga ; Yellow Ostrich — Soft .
NetEase Cloud Music Hosts Third Indie Music Artists Ceremony, Pledges Continued Support for
HANGZHOU, China , April 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NetEase Cloud Music, a leading interactive music streaming service provider in China , hosted the 3rd Indie Music Artists Ceremony in Hangzhou . The star-studded event, which was broadcast online on April 23 , was attended by renowned artists like Jackson Wang , FloruitShow, C-BLOCK, Omnipotent Youth Society, etc.
More than twenty awards, including Album of the Year, Male/Female Artists of the Year, and Band of the Year, were handed out at the ceremony to recognize, celebrate and encourage artists for their remarkable efforts and contributions to the music industry over the last year.
Reaffirming its unwavering commitment to independent music, NetEase Cloud Music also announced the "PLAY Video Project," a new initiative to underpin video creation endeavors by indie musicians. The initiative aims to harness contemporary and innovative techniques to boost exposure to quality music and expand the source of musicians' income.
With its long-standing support of independent music, NetEase Cloud Music is home and host to over 200,000 independent Chinese musicians as of December 2020 , up tenfold over a four-year period. Over the years, it has set several initiatives in motion to empower artists across the industry, such as the Project Stone and Project Ladder incubation programs for independent musicians, competitions for music composition and lyric writing, the NetEase Indie Music Chart, and more. These initiatives have been instrumental in helping independent musicians step into stardom and realize their dreams.
As the go-to-platform for China's independent artists, NetEase Cloud Music is honored to organize an event that has played a pivotal role in transforming China's independent music scene from a niche arena to one with mass-market appeal. NetEase Cloud Music's popularity as a platform with high-quality content provides musicians with professional support and an optimal user experience, with access to high internet traffic ultimately creating a large community of loyal users.
Launched in 2013 by NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES ; HKEX: 9999), NetEase Cloud Music is a leading interactive music streaming service provider in China . Dedicated to providing an elevated user experience, NetEase Cloud Music provides precise, personalized recommendations, promotes user interaction and creates a strong social community. Its focus on discovering and promoting emerging musicians has made NetEase Cloud Music a destination of choice for exploring new and independent music among music enthusiasts in China . The platform has been recognized as the most popular entertainment app among China's vibrant Generation Z community.
New Music: John Lennon, the Who, Lil Yachty, Tom Jones, more...
Gary Graff is a multimedia journalist covering music and entertainment for MediaNews Group in Michigan.
Finding healing in harmonies: Music therapy program continues to grow - FGCU 360
"There is a stigma that when it comes to Alzheimer's and dementia, people don't remember or they can't do this or that," explained Luizzi. "But the conversations that we have, the memories they bring up and the emotions that come about in our sessions, I learn so much from these people. I am so grateful to have a relationship and a connection in the way that I do."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Luizzi meets virtually with clients a few hours each week. The sessions are not about teaching people how to play an instrument, but using music to invoke communication or discrimination skills. According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy is a health profession where music is used to address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of individuals.
"I use their preferred music from their teen to early-adult years, and we do different cognitive activities," Luizzi said. "The happiness and joy they get from being in music therapy — the caregivers cannot tell me enough how much it helps them."
Luizzi's foundation in the field was laid at FGCU when she was one of the first students to enroll in the music therapy program . She developed a love for this profession in high school and took a leap of faith after learning that a bachelor's degree in music therapy would be offered at FGCU her sophomore year. She watched the program develop as a student.
"It was definitely a rollercoaster. When you are going into a program that is starting from the ground up, there are so many pros and cons," Luizzi said. "For me, I always want to be a part of something that is growing or getting bigger. I wanted to be a part of something that will make a difference and make a name for itself."
Program Director Michael Rohrbacher, Ph.D., came to FGCU in 2013 with the task of developing the new major. Support of donors and an endowment from Southwest Florida Children's Charities helped make the program and degree a reality. This past January, it was fully approved by the National Association of Schools of Music, the accrediting body for the Bower School of Music at FGCU.
In its short history, the music therapy program has grown to help fill a significant need in the region.
The program has an interdisciplinary approach. In addition to courses in music, students receive clinical training as a member of a treatment team, including physical and occupational therapists, as well as clinical psychologists. Students are also required to complete a six-month full-time internship.
These field experiences, along with the FGCU curriculum, are intended to prepare graduates to sit for the national examination in music therapy administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists, a nationally recognized credential.
Dr. Luke v. Kesha: Music Producer Isn't Public Figure | Hollywood Reporter
In a setback not only for pop star Kesha Rose Sebert but also for many news organizations that took her side in a huge libel battle, a New York appeals court has ruled that Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald is not a public figure.
That's a false smear, claims Dr. Luke, pursuing Kesha in a case that's been hotly litigated since 2014.
The ruling that someone as famous as Dr. Luke didn't qualify as a public figure was concerning to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press which, along with news organizations like The Daily Beast, Dow Jones, New York Public Radio, and others, filed an amicus brief in Kesha's favor. That's because public figures need to show actual malice (i.e., knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth) to prevail while a private figure only need demonstrate the speaker's negligence. (The libel standards in New York have recently shifted, but more on that in a moment.)
Why isn't Dr. Luke a public figure even if he is acknowledged to be an "acclaimed and influential" figure in the entertainment industry? According to three of the five judges on this appellate panel, it's because he hasn't injected himself into a public debate about the controversy that is the subject of his lawsuit.
"Gottwald, a successful music producer, has not attracted media attention for his relationship with his clients or his treatment of artists in the entertainment industry but for his work as a music producer on behalf of, and the fame of, the artists he represents," continues the decision.
In a sharp dissent, Justice Saliann Scarpulla takes issue with this formulation and points out that Dr. Luke has spent time as an American Idol judge, given many interviews in his career, and has 200,000 followers on Twitter.
"In sum, over many years Dr. Luke has received broad and extensive press coverage as a music producer and, in particular, as a discoverer and developer of female music talent," writes Scarpulla. "He has pervasively sought out this publicity. Dr. Luke's protestations that he was not well known at the time of the alleged defamatory statements is thoroughly belied by the record."
"The majority acknowledges that Dr. Luke is an acclaimed music producer but posits that he is not a general purpose public figure because he is not a 'household name,'" continues Scarpulla. "Dr. Luke, however, has achieved a level of fame and notoriety sufficient to be considered a general purpose public figure. He is a household name to those that matter."
The majority side and minority side disagree on how to read past cases, especially those involving plaintiffs who don't seek publicity for their controversies.
FUCHS: Taylor Swift leads music industry in authenticity | The Daily Targum
This entire semester, I have devoted my columns to French philosophers and some lessons I got from reading in my French literature class (not entirely intentional). For the very last column of this spring, I want to do something a little different.
Taylor Swift is one of my absolute favorite singers. Listening to her music has made me feel comforted and has been great background music for studying and doing homework. I have really begun to embrace my passion for her music and how it makes me feel.
In a lot of her songs, I hear philosophical meaning. Unfortunately, some of her earlier work has given her a reputation of being a serial dater who writes songs about her exes after she breaks up with them.
She has a way of creating lyrics with messages that people of all ages can connect with. For example, in the song "cardigan," she said , "When you are young, they assume you know nothing." Any college student can relate to this. People assume that the younger you are, the less you know. Wisdom does come with age, but a wise mind is not exclusively for the elderly.
Young or old, as Swift explains, you can know what you want or need, understand world problems and know an important person when you meet them. A lot of this knowledge, in fact, comes when you are younger and comes out in hindsight rather than when you are older. Everyone has experienced this feeling of being undermined and not taken seriously due to their age.
You can also hear a lot of her philosophical themes in her song " evermore ." Her younger work gives more meaning to the feeling of youth and the simplicity of happiness. "Red" is an example of one of her albums and work that gives way to younger themes.
A lot of pop music today is more focused on attracting listeners and getting high up on the Billboard music charts rather than telling a meaningful and personal story with a good message. Swift is one of the few popular artists today who sings about her significant experiences as an individual, but does it in a way that attracts listeners. The reason why a lot of her songs end up making it onto the charts is due to her amazing sound.
Each album tells a unique story and captivates a different age group. "Fearless" is perfect for younger teenagers, "Red" for people in their late teens and early 20s, "folklore" and "evermore" perfectly capture the essence of mid to late 20-year-olds and use music as a relaxing and meditative aid rather than something to just jam out to and blast.
Her lyrics and the meanings behind them are possibly some of the most philosophical writings of our generation. Music is the best platform to express these ideas with: her songs are thought-provoking and, a lot of the time, take a few listens to grasp the bigger meaning and underlying theme.
Tencent Music Entertainment Group Unveils Future Strategy For Long-Form Audio After Crossing 100
SHENZHEN, China , April 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Tencent Music Entertainment Group (" Tencent Music," "TME," or the "Company") (NYSE: TME ), the leading online music and audio entertainment platform in China , held a press conference in Beijing on April 23 , where it shared first-year highlights and new strategies for its long-form audio business, following the successful acquisition of Lazy Audio in March, 2021. At the conference, the Company announced the launch of Lazy Changting ("Lanren Changting"), a new brand formed by the integration of Lazy Audio and Kuwo Changting. This brand launch marks an important step for TME as it amalgamates key resources to unlock significant value from TME's content ecosystem.
Leveraging the Company's massive music user base, TME has built a unique, two-pronged long-form audio strategy from the ground up to tap into the fast growing but fragmented long-form audio market. It integrated long-form audio tabs and content sections on QQ Music, Kugou Music and Kuwo Music, and also launched a standalone platform Kuwo Changting, which now has been integrated with Lazy Audio and rebranded as Lanren Changting, to pioneer well-rounded visual and audio experience through comics, surround sound and bullet chats, and to ultimately result in the evolution of a purely listening experience to a more immersive and interactive one that offers multi-dimensional enjoyment for users.
"We are pleased to achieve the first milestone of 100 million long-form audio MAUs and are excited to expedite our evolution into a leading all-in-one music and audio entertainment platform in China . The launch of Lanren Changting as part of our two-pronged strategy, and our enriched PGC and UGC content perfectly illustrate our commitment to investment in long-form audio amid our growing ambition in this market," said Mr. Cussion Kar Shun Pang, TME's Executive Chairman. "In addition to membership and pay per title, our recent foray into ad-based monetization gives our users free access to a vast amount of premium audio content while also enabling content creators to swiftly build a fan base for their artistic expression and monetize their work. As we adopt an entrepreneurial approach to unlock the long-term value of our music and audio content, we believe we are well-positioned to grow our long-form audio user base, establish a thriving and engaging audio ecosystem, and emerge as a key player in China's fast-growing long-form audio market."
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
Music Declares Emergency: Artists sound the alarm on climate inaction - Encore!
Calling on governments to "tell the truth about the climate emergency", the Music Declares Emergency initiative has brought together artists including Billie Eilish, Massive Attack and Radiohead. Since its launch in France, it has attracted similar support. DJ and producer Fakear joins us to tell us why he signed up to the project, as well as how touring and festivals can become greener. As people around the world mark Earth Day, we talk about government responses to activism and the planet's capacity to regenerate with – or without – the human race.
Documentary Celebrates Women in Electronic Music - The New York Times
When you hear the phrase "electronic musician," what sort of person do you picture? A pallid, wildly coifed young man hunched over an imposing smorgasbord of gear?
Born in 1925, Oram was an accomplished pianist who had been offered admission to the Royal Academy of Music. But she turned it down, having recently read a book that predicted, as she puts it in the film with a palpable sense of wonder, that "composers of the future would compose directly into sound rather than using orchestral instruments."
Oram wanted to be a composer of the future. She found fulfilling work at the BBC, which in the late 1940s had become a clearinghouse for tape machines and other electronic equipment left over from World War II. Gender norms liquefied during wartime, when factories and cutting-edge companies were forced to hire women in jobs that had previously been reserved only for men. Suddenly, for a fleeting and freeing moment, the rules did not apply.
"Technology is a tremendous liberator," the composer Laurie Spiegel says in Rovner's film. "It blows up power structures. Women were naturally drawn to electronic music. You didn't have to be accepted by any of the male-dominated resources: the radio stations, the record companies, the concert-hall venues, the funding organizations."
But in the years since, pioneering women like Oram and Spiegel have largely been written out of the genre's popular history, leading people to assume, erroneously, that electronic music in its many iterations is and has always been a boys' club. In a time when significant gender imbalances persist behind studio consoles and in D.J. booths, Rovner's film prompts a still-worthwhile question: What happened?
Situating electronic music's origins in awe and affect may be a political act in and of itself. In her 2010 book "Pink Noises: Women on Electronic Music and Sound," the writer and musician Tara Rodgers called for a history of electronic music "that motivates wonder and a sense of possibility instead of rhetoric of combat and domination." Other scholars have suggested that electronic sound's early, formative connection to military technology — the vocoder, for example, was first developed as an espionage device — contributed to its steady and limiting masculinized stereotyping over time.
And then there's the commodifying force of capitalism. For a time in the 1970s — when much of the equipment used to make electronic music was prohibitively expensive — Spiegel worked on her compositions at Bell Labs, then a hotbed of scientific and creative experimentation. But as she recalls, the 1982 divestiture of AT&T had an unfortunate aftereffect: "Bell Labs became product-oriented instead of pure research. After I left there, I was absolutely desolate. I had lost my main creative medium."
Eventually, Spiegel took matters into her own hands, creating the early algorithmic music computing software Music Mouse in 1986. "What relates all of these women is this D.I.Y. thing," Ramona Gonzalez, who records as Nite Jewel, says in the film. "And D.I.Y. is interesting because it doesn't mean that you've explicitly, voluntarily chosen to do it yourself. It's that there are certain barriers in place that don't allow you to do anything."
Watching Rovner's documentary, I could see unfortunate parallels with the film industry. Women were employed more steadily and often in more powerful positions during the early silent era than they would be for many years afterward, as Margaret Talbot noted several years ago in a piece for The New Yorker: The early industry hadn't "yet locked in a strict division of labor by gender," but in time, Hollywood "became an increasingly modern, capitalist enterprise," and opportunities thinned for women.
Downtown Nashville Shines in Robby Johnson's New Music Video
NASHVILLE, Tenn. , April 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For his new song, " Night Like This ," Nashville -based country singer-songwriter Robby Johnson decided to shoot an uplifting music video in the streets and Honky Tonks of Downtown Nashville as a way to turn the page on a dark year and show that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
Longtime-supporter of Robby's career, CMT will premiere the new music video on their online platform starting April 30 . We invite all other outlets to release it on May 1 .
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