A weekly update on all things music, advertising, and technology coming straight to you from Anthony Vanger at MassiveMusic. #TWIM
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: ANDY SHAUF
It is wonderful to see an artist morph into his true self. Andy Shauf, a folk singer from Canada, has done just that. Back in 2017, Shauf played with a band and strings (and long hair), but this time around he has focussed on the acoustic guitar (and cut his hair). Good decision on both counts. Following a well-trodden path blazed by folk singers like Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman and Paul Simon – to name a few – Shauf has succeeded in stripping his music down to the bare essentials whilst gaining visceral power. His new songs are linear, often told from the next day’s perspective, when the head is throbbing and the mouth is dry.
I love his whole aesthetic – his vulnerability mixed with his confidence, the way he dresses like a college freshman, baseball cap casting a shadow over his youthful face, white socks peeping out from the gap between beaten up trainers and his ankle-rolled chinos – Shauf looks and sounds the part. He could have jumped straight out of Kerouac’s On the Road, only 60 years later.
Listen to the full album: http://bit.ly/38tkHvS
AD OF THE WEEK: STILL HERE DOMESTIC ABUSE CAMPAIGN
TBWA\Dublin Rolls Out Powerful Domestic Abuse Campaign
With domestic violence and abuse on the increase during the lockdown, TBWA\Dublin has created a powerful campaign for the Department of Justice and Equality that highlights how the problem is exacerbated during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. The Met Police, which covers London, said its officers are arresting an average of 100 people a day for domestic violence offenses during the Covid-19 lockdown, with charges and cautions up 24% from 9 March, when people with coronavirus symptoms were asked to self-isolate, compared with last year. This ad attempts to address this issue and does so in an absolutely terrifying manner, mainly because you cannot see anything. And the woman’s sobs after her tormentor slams the door shouting “Stop crying. No one cares” is one of the most terrifying things I have heard on TV because you know this will never stop.
The freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247
Call 999 if it’s an emergency or you’re in immediate danger.
INDEPENDENT UK FESTIVALS ON BRINK OF ‘COLLAPSE’ FROM CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Many UK independent festivals say they are in danger of ruin.
A new statement from the UK-based Association Of Independent Festivals (AIF) says 92% of its members report their events businesses are “at risk” without sufficient government support. With an estimated “90 percent of all UK festivals” not taking place in 2020, independent festival firms say the “effects of COVID-19 [will] likely result in businesses collapsing under refund requests.”
AIF also says that due to the shuttered 2020 festival season, its members have an average of £375,000 in un-recoupable “sunk costs,” with 98.5 percent of the independent festivals not covered for COVID-19-related cancellations by insurance.
SPOTIFY COMBINES ARTIST AND LABEL ANALYTICS DASHBOARDS — NEW INTERFACE LAUNCHES
Spotify is combining its separate artist and label dashboards into one offering. Welcome to the new Spotify for Artists.
The new revamped Spotify analytics dashboard allows labels and distributors to access and manage artist profiles. The feature comes with a log of actions to document edits or changes to augment a team working on a profile. Now both artists and managers will have access to the same real-time data. The new revamped Spotify for Artists gives labels and distributors access to its mobile apps. Spotify introduced the changes on Friday and says the update will be rolling out in the coming months.
DRUM & BASS: THE MOVEMENT DOCUMENTARY
Drum&Bass Arena is releasing a new feature-length documentary called Drum & Bass: The Movement. The 80-minute film explores the growth of drum ‘n’ bass across 1996 to 2016. It features unseen footage and interview segments from a cast of legends of the genre, including Goldie, Grooverider, Andy C, DJ Hype, Roni Size, MC GQ, Skibadee, Total Science, Digital & Spirit, and Ed Rush & Optical. Directed by Bailey Hyatt, produced by Craig Haynes and written by Dave Jenkins. It comes out on May 25 and will be available to watch here. Check out the trailer below.
FACEBOOK WILL SOON LET YOU CHARGE VIEWERS FOR ACCESS TO YOUR LIVESTREAM
Facebook will soon allow streamers to charge viewers to watch their live streams. The move comes as the landscape for streaming has changed dramatically in the past weeks and months, as the world locks down and clubs and venues remain closed. Users can soon set up ‘online-only’ events and users can ‘purchase access’ in advance, and non-profits can add a donate button to their stream.
No info is available yet on when the ability to charge for events and streams will be rolled out.
AKAI PRO ANNOUNCE NEW STANDALONE MPC
With built-in speakers
Akai Pro has announced an update to its MPC range; the MPC Live II. The Live II adds physical features like new built-in speakers, and builds on the first version of Live’s multi-touch seven-inch screen and dedicated OS for standalone music production. The Live II also has a Lithium ION battery for portable, re-chargeable music-making, meaning you can take the unit with you on the road, and have a standalone DAW-like production solution without a computer. The new hardware also adds five new buttons for workflow improvements.
The MPC Live II costs £1,309.99 and is available now.
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