A weekly update on all things music, advertising, and technology coming straight to you from Anthony Vanger at MassiveMusic. #TWIM
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: ALISON KRAUSS AND ROBERT PLANT
I could listen to these two all day. Sweet harmonies and a special chemistry plain to see each time Kraus pivots her head to look at Plant to make sure they are in sync. Huddled in the control room around the two singers are an all-star cast of musicians, plucking and grooving to the finest rockabilly and country music you could hear. It has been 14 years since their last, highly successful release, and this latest effort, Can’t Let Go from the album Raise The Roof, is a joy to listen to. Krauss’s voice is smooth like velvet, with a restrained power that lures you into every bluegrass lyric. And Plant? Well, what more can you say about the 73-year-old old rock dinosaur. He seems content, in the groove, and still spinning out great tunes. He does not force his voice or his fame on the music but wisely lets it blend with Krauss to form a unique sound.
@robertplant @alisonkraus @plantkraus
#robertplant #alisonkrauss #raisetheroof #raisingsand #ledzeppelin #stairwaytoheaven #seventiesrock #country #bluegrass #unionstation #thecoxfamily #obrotherwhereartthou #coldmountain #grammyawards
AD OF THE WEEK: TD EASY TRADE
There is nothing easy about investing, except maybe losing money. But TD has a least graced the airs with a funny ad about its need app TD Easy Trade. The spot was aired during the Super Bowl and features a young man and woman enjoying a coffee. When he notices she is using her phone to invest, he becomes interested but confesses he wouldn’t even know where to start and feels overwhelmed, triggering a fantastical montage of his fears riddled with major investor woes. None too subtle references to finance classics such as The Wolf of Wall Street, The Boiler Room, Wall Street, Margin Call, The Big Short make it a pop quiz treat. nice work from Leo Burnett Toronto, Canada for TD.
SBTV FOUNDER JAMAL EDWARDS HAS DIED AGED 31
SBTV founder Jamal Edwards has died aged 31.
The pioneering music entrepreneur helped launch the careers of the likes of Ed Sheeran, Skepta, and Dave with his YouTube channel.
Edward’s mother Brenda Edwards confirmed the news via the Loose Women Twitter account. In a statement, she wrote: “Jamal was an inspiration to myself and so many. Our love for him lives on, his legacy lives on. Long live Jamal Edwards MBE, MBA, PHD.”
Born in Luton, Edwards set up SBTV when he was just 18 years old. The channel is regarded as a “key” institution for Black British music, particularly UK grime and UK rap, with a huge following of over 1.2 million subscribers. Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Chipmunk, Big Zuu and Tinchy Stryder have all been featured on the channel. In 2014 Edwards was awarded an MBE for services to music.
Outside of SBTV Edwards has worked closely with the Prince’s Trust Youth Charity to help young people throughout the UK set up their own companies.
JOHN WILLIAMS REPORTEDLY RETURNS TO ‘STAR WARS’ TO COMPOSE ‘OBI-WAN KENOBI’ THEME
John Williams is reportedly back in the Star Wars universe for the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
According to sources, the esteemed composer scored the Lucasfilm and Disney series’ theme with a Los Angeles orchestra “under tight security” last week. This will mark Williams’ first piece of Star Wars work since scoring the theme of Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and his first theme for a series since 2009’s Great Performances.
The 90-year-old composer scored all nine Star Wars films as well as 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story. Back in 2018, Williams told KUSC radio that The Rise of Skywalker would be the last Star Wars title he will score.
Obi-Wan Kenobi will see Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse reprise their roles as Obi-Wan, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker’s uncle Owen Lars and Luke Skywalker’s aunt Beru Whitesun Lars from the prequel trilogy.
Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on May 22 on Disney+.
KANYE ANNOUNCES ‘DONDA 2’ WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE ON $200 USD STEM PLAYER
Kanye West has now announced that DONDA 2 will only be available on his Stem Player.
Taking to Instagram, the YEEZY head revealed that the sequel to DONDA won’t appear on streaming platforms. Sharing a teaser of the album which shows a Stem Player playing a one-minute snippet, Ye wrote, “Donda 2 will only be available on my own platform, the Stem Player. Not on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or YouTube.”
Ye claimed in a media release yesterday (last Saturday) that he had generated over $2 million in sales from his Stem Player device since Thursday (February 17) and had sold approximately 10,000 units
Priced at $200 USD, the DONDA 2 loaded Stem Player is available now exclusively on the Stem Player website.
SONY UNVEILS TWO NEW WALKMAN MUSIC PLAYERS
Sony has debuted two new premium Walkman music players, the NW-WM1ZM2 and the NW-WM1AM2 which will be available in select countries throughout the Asia Pacific beginning in April 2022. Inspired by the ground-breaking DMP-Z1, both models offer a strong power supply and music downloading and streaming capabilities via Wi-Fi compatibility.
Fine-tuned over the years, the NW-WM1ZM2 builds upon the history of Sony’s signature series, prioritizing nuanced sound for a premium listening experience. The device is made out of copper plated with a 99.99% purity gold.
Meanwhile, the NW-WM1AM2 features a smoother and more expansive sound field than its predecessor, allowing for exceptionally high-quality audio. This one uses an aluminum alloy frame to provide a rigid case that resists electrical noise and other interference
Written by Anthony Vanger
Additional research and reporting by Adam “Badger” Woolf