A weekly update on all things music, advertising, and technology coming straight to you from Anthony Vanger at MassiveMusic. #TWIM
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: OVERCOATS
I love a catchy pop song and the latest from duo Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell, aka Overcoats, hits the bullseye from the get-go. Their sound is neo-80s pop and all the usual hallmarks are there – drum machines, bass synths, and arpeggiated toplines – but Overcoats have a secret weapon: the sound of their voices when they sing together. It is a fantastic blend, harmonious in parts and rocking in others.
I was also captivated by the video for their latest single, “The Fool”. Watching these two musicians giving each other a hair cut, closer and closer to the scalp until finally the shavers are whipped out for the final skinhead look is strangely compelling. Somehow it made me trust them more and listen to their music all the more carefully. These artists have the courage to sing with nothing to hide and we will keep listening.
AD OF THE WEEK: DORITOS ANTI-AD
Scouring through the internet to find this week’s ad of the week, I bumped up against ad after ad that had the same linear storylines and the same traditional look and feel. And then I stumbled across the new Doritos ad and “Halleluja!” finally some original.
The storytelling, the script, the voiceover, the actors, the imagery, the editing – everything is fresh. It is like listening to a great new band: original and fearless. Congrats to Doritos on commissioning an amazing anti-ad and for having the ba**s to go with it.
VINYL SALES TO OVERTAKE CDS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1986
Vinyl revenue grew by 12.8% in the second half of 2018 and 12.9% in the first half of 2019.
Vinyl record sales have been steadily growing for more than a decade, despite constant predictions of a fad. Now, a mid-year report from the RIAA suggests that CD sales are likely to shrink below vinyl sales in the coming quarters. Earlier this year in February, the RIAA confirmed that vinyl sales account for one-third of the revenue from physical sales.
The RIAA’s 2019 mid-year report was released last Thursday. It revealed that vinyl record sales were responsible for generating $224.1 million in sales on 8.6 million units. That’s compared to $247.9 million on 18.6 million CD sales.
Meanwhile, revenues from CD sales have barely moved from their 2018 numbers. In total, CDs accounted for roughly 5% of U.S.-based totals, despite some signs of a flattening out. But the math looks pretty simple here. Pretty soon, vinyl record sales will surpass revenue from CDs.
APPLE MUSIC LAUNCHES A PUBLIC BETA ON THE WEB
There was some pent-up demand for a web version of the service.
Apple Music is coming to the web. Apple today is launching a public beta of its popular music streaming service on the web, which will be available to all Apple Music subscribers worldwide. This is the first time that Apple Music has been officially offered on the web, though an unofficial app over the past few months has gained attention after attracting hundreds of thousands of users.
At launch, the service includes many core features, like searching and playing songs from the Apple Music catalog, searching and playing songs from your library (if Sync Library is enabled), accessing your playlists and more.
All the main sections from the Apple Music app will also be available, including Library, Search, For You, Browse and Radio. Other features will roll out over time as the service is further developed.
At a later date, new users will be able to sign up for Apple Music through the website. But for the time being, you’ll need to be an existing subscriber who signed up elsewhere.
The web version is now one of several ways Apple is making its music service more accessible across platforms. To use the new Apple Music web version, subscribers can visit the link beta.music.apple.com and sign in with their Apple ID.
A BANKSY-PAINTED RÖYKSOPP RECORD HAS SOLD FOR MORE THAN $8,000
It marks the highest price ever paid for the record on Discogs
The highest price ever paid for a rare Röyksopp record painted by Banksy on Discogs Marketplace has been topped after a copy sold for $8,178 US dollars in July, equivalent to £6,634.16.
The Banksy spray painted run of the Norwegian duo’s 2002 album ‘Melody A.M.’ was limited to 100 copies. Another copy of the record previously sold for $6,962 in May.
Also featuring in the top 30 most expensive records sold on Discogs in July are rare box sets from Led Zeppelin and Pet Shop Boys, and a David Bowie 7 inch single.
Check the full list here.
AUDIO-TECHNICA’S $99 TRUE WIRELESS EARBUDS SOUND AMAZING
Despite the tiny earbuds and the low price, Audio-Technica offers six hours of battery life on a charge with 24 more hours in the case itself. That’s a lot of listening time for a manageable investment. And the best part of all of it is these things sound amazing. The ATH-CK3TW offered crisp and clear audio through a range of genres. There’s plenty of bass, but not too much, and instruments are able to all come through individually. Whats also impressive is how quickly the ATH-CK3TW can pair with your phone.
The $99 ATH-CK3TW may be one of the best options under $100 you can buy. The only downside is you’ll have to wait until November to get your hands on these.
Written by Anthony Vanger
Additional reporting by Adam “Badger” Woolf
Artwork by Gustav Balderdash
To join This Week In Music please send me an email: anthonyvanger@gmail.com