A weekly update on all things music, advertising, and technology coming straight to you from Anthony Vanger at MassiveMusic. #TWIM
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: THE SECRET SISTERS
Southern sisters create a masterpiece
Who doesn’t love a bit of Americana? These two ladies, known as The Secret Sisters, have got the most beautiful sound I have heard in a long time. But it is the lyrics that separate this duo from other harmony-filled pop acts. They paint the joy and bitterness of human existence with such generosity the listener cannot help but be drawn into their world. Siblings Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle have released four albums since they debuted over a decade ago and while one of the albums received a Grammy nod in 2017, it is really with this newly released album, “Saturn Return,” where the sisters find their true voice. Stand out tracks are “Hold You Dear” and “Healer in Sky”, but every track is a gem. This masterpiece may have been a long time coming, but as the sisters sing, “It doesn’t matter when you bloom/It matters that you do.”
The new album ‘Saturn Return’ is available now: https://geni.us/tsssr?track=yt
@secretsisters #secretsisters
AD OF THE WEEK: STATE OF NEW YORK MASK CAMPAIGN
Jason from Friday 13th Returns to Manhattan In PSA Encouraging New Yorkers to Wear Masks
While many parts of the world have started to come out of lockdown, the threat of coronavirus remains. Cities that have opened up have started to see a sharp rise in infection, so residents still have to take serious precautions when they leave their homes.
Local governments have continued to put out their safety messages and some have turned to humor and in this PSA, from Ogilvy Health, the State of New York turns to a supernatural serial killer to do the job. The comedic ad features a protagonist who bears a striking resemblance to Jason Voorhees, the slasher star of the “Friday the 13th” franchise. He walks around the streets of New York City wearing his iconic hockey mask, sending passersby sharply in the opposite direction.
BOB DYLAN BECOMES FIRST ARTIST TO HAVE A TOP 40 ALBUM IN EVERY DECADE SINCE THE 1960S
His latest album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, is his highest-charting release in over a decade
With the release of his 39th studio album, ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways’, Bob Dylan has made Billboard chart history. The album debuted at No. 2, with 53,000 equivalent album units in the United States, making it his highest-charting album since 2009’s ‘Together Through Life’. It also makes Dylan the first artist to have a Top 40 album in each decade since the 1960s through the 2020s. Check out the full stats over at Billboard.
Rough and Rowdy Ways was preceded by the release of “Murder Most Foul,” the 17-minute song that became Dylan’s first No. 1 single on any Billboard chart. It was recently revealed that Fiona Apple and Blake Mills contributed to the album.
300 RAVERS WHO ATTENDED A ZURICH NIGHTCLUB LAST WEEK HAVE BEEN TOLD TO QUARANTINE
One clubber who was at the venue tested positive for coronavirus
300 ravers who attended a Zurich nightclub last week have been told to quarantine for 10 days by the Swiss health authorities.
The Flamingo Club opened its doors to hundreds last week. One person who was at the club tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, while five others he was with also testing positive on Friday.
After the club provided health authorities with details of those – both revellers and staff – who were at the club, those people were contacted on Saturday and told to quarantine for 10 days.
69 new cases of Covid-19 in Switzerland were reported from Friday to Saturday, after cases had begun to declined in recent weeks.
ALEXANDRA PALACE IS OPENING A MASSIVE BEER GARDEN FOR THE SUMMER
Actual pints in an actual beer garden and a sweet view of the city? That’s what’s on offer at Alexandra Palace’s newly repurposed outdoor boozing area. The Terrace is 1,500 square metres and south facing, a conveniently roomy spot with panoramic views of the capital’s skyline.
In this brave new world, things will be a little different from the old days when you could just rock up for a pint any time you like. As with pubs all over the city, you’ll need to pre-book a slot and there will be a time limit of one and a half to two and a half hours.
KANYE WEST ANNOUNCES YEEZY GAP 10-YEAR PARTNERSHIP
Kanye West has made his long awaited return to Twitter to officially announce an upcoming partnership between YEEZY and Gap. The full collection is titled YEEZY Gap and is set to make its debut in early 2021. Kanye also tweeted a first look at what to expect from the new joint project complete with the caption “#WESTDAYEVER,” while Mowalola Ogunlesi announced her appointment as the project’s design director.
According to a statement issued to The New York Times, the YEEZY design studio under Kanye’s creative direction will produce “modern, elevated basics for men, women and kids at an accessible price point.” The direction from Kanye will also cover how YEEZY Gap is presented in physical locations and the Gap web store.
The partnership is believed to be a 10-year deal, and can be renewed half way through that period. Gap believes that, by then, YEEZY will bring in $1 billion USD in annual sales. The deal will see YEEZY receive royalties and potential equity based on sales performance over the next decade.
APPLE AIRPODS PRO WILL SOON COME WITH SPATIAL AUDIO AND AUTO-SWITCH FUNCTION
Apple recently hosted its online WWDC event in which it unveiled iOS 14, macOS, and new emojis, but it also announced that its AirPods Pro will be given a host of updates.
The AirPods Pro is Apple’s leading wireless earbuds and, as stated in the virtual WWDC event, it will be updated with a new spatial audio feature. This technology replicates the surround sound system of a movie theater, providing a 3D listening experience that consistently recalibrates based on the positioning of your head to deliver the optimum listening experience.
Apple also announced that second-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro and Beats Solo Pro earphones will be updated with an automatic switching feature. This update means that users will be able to switch their earphones to listen to audio on any Apple product without having to reconnect, doing so by linking with your iCloud account. For example, if you’re listening to music from your MacBook, you can quickly and easily take a call from your iPhone without having to reconnect your earphones.
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