A weekly update on all things music, advertising, and technology coming straight to you from Anthony Vanger at MassiveMusic. #TWIM

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: NEON INDIAN

Is this the American Dream or the American Nightmare? Alan Palomo, aka Neon Indian, gives us a few answers in this politically charged yet often hilarious song “Toyota Man“. Straightaway you hear the biography in the lyrics and the scenes, with Palomo doing his best impersonation of Bob Dylan in Subterranean Homesick Blues, legs apart leafing through cue-cards in front of the US/Mexico border.

The song essentially tells the story of how his family arrived from Mexico and crossed the river into Austin, Texas. With images of his parents sitting around the back yard during a BBQ and a man (Palomo’s father?) cleaning cars in a garage, we see the life his family experienced in the US. You are smiling because the video and the lyrics are so funny, but this bilingual song is no joke. Despite the fierce social commentary, especially in the chorus, you get the sense that Palomo still loves America. He (and his family) landed on the right side of the American Dream, but you can feel his gaze, peering nervously on its darker side.

Check out the video of another one of Neon Indian’s tracks, “Annie”. I love it!

AD OF THE WEEK: BBC’s ELECTION CAMPAIGN “THE POWER IS YOURS”

Ad from BBC Creative promoting the network’s reach and impartiality

This election feels different. More is at stake, especially given the risk of misinformation and fake news tilting the results away from a general consensus. Enter the venerable old Auntie BBC to give us some old-fashioned objectivity. This campaign promoting its general election coverage shows houses across the UK that are numbered 10, just like the prime minister’s Downing Street residence. The idea is that we, the people hold the real power, but can only wield that power if we have the facts.

The ad showcases the diverse people who look to the BBC for impartial news surrounding the election, ending with the tagline “The power is yours”. It was created by Sarah Fox and Adam Reincke, and directed by 32 through Pulse Films.

UNIVERSAL MUSIC RELEASES APP FOR ARTISTS AND MANAGERS TO TRACK STREAMS, SOCIALS AND MORE

Universal Music Group has developed an analytics app for its artists and their managers to monitor everything from streaming activity to social performance.

The Universal Music Artists (UMA) app can be used to view personalised, global data insights from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and YouTube (data from Deezer will be included in 2020).

The app can be downloaded from Apple’s AppStore and the Google Play Store.

MARIAH CAREY WINS THIRD GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR ‘ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU’

The Guinness World Records have just awarded pop superstar Mariah Carey her third record relating to her Christmas classic, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

In the 2020 edition of its book, the organisation awarded Carey the record for the Highest-Charting Holiday (Christmas/New Year) Song on the US Hot 100 by a Solo Artist. They also personally presented the singer with both a record title certificate and a copy of the book during an event at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.

TIDAL TRIALS ALGORITHMIC MUSIC VIDEO PLAYLISTS ⁠— ‘MY VIDEO MIX’

Tidal is trying its hand at an algorithmic-based music video playlist. The new ‘My Video Mix’ creates a personalised video playlist based on listening history.

Tidal says its editorial team influences the playlist’s recommendations. The mix is divided up into eight different video playlists in a dedicated video tab. Each playlist will feature a mix of artists and genres. Those who frequently listen on Tidal will see a rapidly changing playlist.

The Tidal ‘My Video Mix’ playlists can be saved for offline viewing, too. A new video tab is now available in the Tidal app to accommodate these new playlists.

ORBA IS A TINY INSTRUMENT THAT YOU SHAKE, TAP AND TWIST

It’s a synth, a looper and a MIDI controller all in one. The Orba is currently available on Kickstarter for $89 and is expected to ship in April of 2020.

Check the video below

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