jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 03/31/2023 - World's Most Exciting Supergroup, Songwriting at the Dawn of AI, DreamDoll, Elliott Smith...

We want to be a big rock band and not the cool, obscure thing. Open in browser Friday March 31, 2023 Keeping baggage claim weird: boygenius' Julien Baker plays for arriving travelers at Austin-Bergstrom Airport during SXSW, March 14, 2023. (Renee Dominguez/Getty Images/Getty Images) quote of the day "We want to be a big rock band and not the cool, obscure thing." - Julien Baker, one-third of boygenius, whose debut full-length, "the record," is out today rantnrave:// It's Friday And it's taken five years for the three women of BOYGENIUS to get around to releasing their debut album, but it can take time when the three women in your band have their own careers to tend to, at least one of which is already veering toward serious rock stardom, and maybe a little additional time when you're carrying the burden of a Rolling Stone cover story calling you "the world's most exciting supergroup" 10 weeks before the album's scheduled to see the light of day, and when you're trying to create a safe space around you for voices like yours while at the same time making a point to "refuse the press-appointed responsibility of being the women rock band," which might sound difficult and contradictory but which should be really simple: "More than anything," ANGIE MARTOCCIO writes in that Rolling Stone story, "they just want to be treated like famous bands of dudes." Hear, hear. And maybe that can happen now that THE RECORD, an old-school, richly and quirkily detailed, literate, confessional, singer-songwriter rock album with three distinct but sympathetic voices, as often as not singing for and about each other, sometimes with drums and sometimes without, is here. LONDON BREW is the sprawling, improvised work of a stellar group of British musicians—including Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings, Theon Cross and DJ Benji B—who assembled during the pandemic to pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew," not by covering its music but by recreating its spirit. There's no trumpet on the album, executive producer Bruce Lampcov told the New York Times, "because how could you do that?"... SUNDOWN is the second album made by EDDIE CHACON, of '90s R&B stars Charles & Eddie, since he returned to music after a two-decade hiatus, and is part of a continuing attempt to address "this unanswered question: What happens to talent as it sits and is underutilized and not given a purpose? Does it mature like wine? Or does it fade with time?" TYLER, THE CREATOR has added eight songs to his acclaimed 2021 album, "Call Me If You Get Lost," with the help of Madlib, A$AP Rocky and YG, for what he's calling CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: THE ESTATE SALE. The original he tweeted earlier this week, "was the first album I made with alot of songs that didn't make the final cut. Some of these songs I really love"... B. COOL-AID is the duo of rapper/singer Pink Siifu and producer Ahwlee teaming up for a neo-soul album with help from L.ive, Quelle Chris, Fousheé, Ladybug Mecca and others, and "soundgood" is a perfect description of the results. Also this week: Albums from Davido, Nakhane, Baaba Maal, DJ Drama, Conway the Machine, Luh Tyler, Chlöe Bailey, Jisoo (of Blackpink), the Hold Steady, New Pornographers, Molina Talbot Lofgren & Young (Neil Young and friends, generally working independently of each other), Rob Mazurek/Exploding Star Orchestra, Wadada Leo Smith & Orange Wave Electric, Ingrid Laubrock, Phil Minton/Pat Thomas/Dave Tucker/Roger Turner, Yayennings (aka Jay Jennings of Snarky Puppy), Larry June & the Alchemist, Lucki, James Holden, Ric Wilson/Chromeo/A-Trak, Katie Gately, Alan Braxe/Fred Falke, A Certain Ratio, Tzusing, Deerhoof, William Tyler & the Impossible Truth, Kalia Vandever, Altin Gün, Mystic 100, Scott McMicken & the Ever-Expanding, Murray A. Lightburn, Elderbrook, Sondre Lerche, Piotr Korek, Steve Gunn & David Moore, Noia, Höhn, Spirit Possession, Ad Infinitum, Kommand, Rotten Sound, City and Colour, the Zombies, the No Ones, Andy White & Tim Finn, Lies (synth-pop album from Mike and Nate Kinsella of American Football), Barrie, Damien Jurado, Leggy, Packs, Gel, Samiam, Laurel Canyon, DMA's, Buzzy Lee, Melanie Martinez, Lauren Morrow, Ethan Setiawan, Mighty Poplar and David Kitt. Radio on the TV The six-episode docuseries RAPCAVIAR PRESENTS, inspired by the SPOTIFY playlist and looking at issues in hip-hop culture through the lens of TYLER THE CREATOR, COI LERAY, CITY GIRLS and others—one featured artist per episode—is now streaming on HULU. Shoutout showrunner STEVE RIVO... SPINNING GOLD, the decades-in-the-making biopic about NEIL BOGART, the flamboyant founder of CASABLANCA RECORDS, is in theaters today. His son TIM wrote, directed and produced, and his son EVAN co-wrote the score. "It's actually factually accurate," Tim tells Variety, except for a handful of scenes, including one that originally had the ISLEY BROTHERS' RUDY ISLEY peeing out a Times Square window, that were changed because "some people in the focus group said it wasn't believable, even though it was 100% true"... JONI MITCHELL: THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS GERSHWIN PRIZE FOR POPULAR SONG, premiering tonight on PBS, captures performances by Mitchell, BRANDI CARLILE, CYNDI LAUPER, HERBIE HANCOCK and others at Mitchell's Gershwin Prize tribute concert earlier this month in Washington, D.C.... LAINEY WILSON is the leading nominee at the CMT MUSIC AWARDS, which air live from Austin Sunday night, with KELSEA BALLERINI and KANE BROWN hosting. Rest in Peace RUSSELL WASHINGTON, founder of Houston rap label Bigtyme Recordz, who was instrumental in the careers of H-town giants UGK and DJ Screw. Washington "knew how to walk that line between being a businessman and somebody who wanted to do good for the culture," said Lance Scott Walker, author of "Houston Rap Tapes"... BRIAN "BRIZZ" GILLIS, a founding member of '90s boy band LFO... James Brown bassist and music director SWEET CHARLES SHERRELL... Piano-playing political satirist MARK RUSSELL. - Matty Karas, curator would i lie to you? Rolling Stone How boygenius Became the World's Most Exciting Supergroup By Angie Martoccio On their own, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus are three accomplished singer-songwriters. Together, they're a one-of-a-kind band powered by friendship, sick books, and sicker songs. Pitchfork Songwriting at the Dawn of AI: When Machines Can Write, Who Is the Artist? By Matthew Ismael Ruiz The U.S. Copyright Office recently issued new guidelines regarding works created with artificial intelligence tools. What does that mean for songwriters and artists? VAN Magazine 1,000 Symphonies In Your Pocket: A Review of Apple Music Classical By Hugh Morris The app's greatest strength is in making the most of classical music's existing idiosyncrasies. Billboard Why Acts Like Weezer and Blink-182 Are Becoming Touring's New Titans By Eric Renner Brown As classic rock's touring legends enter their golden years, alt-rock touchstones are establishing careers on the road built to last. Music Industry Blog Music fandom's problem is TV's opportunity By Mark Mulligan The power connection that music can deliver in a TV show is loud and clear. Imagine how much more impactful TV could be if there were more showcases where audiences could meaningfully engage in artists' stories, not just at the breakneck 15 seconds of fame pace of social media. NPR Beauty is in the eye of the male gaze: DreamDoll, Doechii and Baby Tate By Gabby Bulgarelli, Sam Leeds, Sidney Madden... The male gaze looms over everything, but hip-hop is its favorite entertainment. Those under its watchful eye feel objectified or shamed if they don't give it what it wants to see. In this episode, we share the stories of three artists who are pushing back on the male gaze in their personal relationships, social interactions and even industry-wide. The New Yorker The Lingering Beauty of Elliott Smith By Jamie Fisher Twenty years after his death, the singer-songwriter still isn't particularly well known, or well understood, but he is terribly loved. The Guardian Charity raises £2.1m to buy and save grassroots music venues in UK By Amelia Hill Music Venue Trust's campaign, backed by Ed Sheeran, initially plans to buy nine venues from landlords. Variety Sheryl Crow, Margo Price Sing at Candlelight Vigil for Nashville School Shooting Victims By Neil Pond A candlelight vigil in Nashville Wednesday night drew hundreds to grieve the victims of the mass school shooting which claimed six lives earlier this week, with local residents Sheryl Crow and Margo Price among those offering performances as part of the public grieving. The Daily Beast A Trump Jan. 6 Song Tops the Sales Charts But Is Anyone Actually Listening? By Roger Sollenberger The Trump song commemorating Jan. 6 is, in fact, topping the sales chart. But then why is it so far behind when it comes to listens? house is not a home Media Matters The No Jumper podcast is mainstreaming neo-Nazis and hate figures to its audience of millions By Justin Horowitz No Jumper, which built a following by covering hip-hop and Black culture, is now embracing racists and bigots. The Ringer The Elephant in the Arena: How 'Seven Nation Army' Became the Last Great Jock Jam By Jake Kring-Schreifels The White Stripes' classic has become an unlikely staple at football matches and Baltimore Ravens blowouts over the past two decades. How do these sports sing-alongs get made--and why don't there seem to be any new ones? The Verge Marshall, the iconic amp manufacturer, is being acquired by Marshall speaker maker Zound By Jon Porter The licensee becomes the acquirer. Billboard Music Cruises Have Caught Major Wind -- And This Company Is The Motor Behind Them By Steve Knopper From Broadway divas to metalheads to EDM DJs, all kinds of artists have a unique platform on ship stages -- and Sixthman has cornered the market. KEXP Women in the Touring Industry By Jasmine Albertson, Stephanie Escoto, Alicia Blake... As Women's History Month comes to a close, KEXP's Jasmine Albertson talks with three women in the touring industry (Stephanie Escoto, Alicia Blake, and Robin Taylor). The FADER Eddie Chacon aspires to nothingness By Alex Robert Ross Prolific songwriter Eddie Chacon maps out the bizarre path that led him to his new album "Sundown," on this week's episode of The Fader Interview. Rolling Stone Chlöe Has a Message for the 'People Who Told Me I Couldn't Do This' By Larisha Paul Making her solo debut, 'In Pieces,' meant fighting off a lot of doubts, but she's learning to trust herself. The Guardian 'Why am I crying over this?': how corecore TikTok videos caught the mood of Gen Z By Hannah Ewens Sad clips from films, TV shows and TikTok are being spliced together over melancholy music -- and they're raising a smile among hopeless young people. Passion of the Weiss The Rap Star Online By Abe Beame Abe Beame on how rappers like Kenzo B, RXK Nephew and TisaKorean have harnessed the power of different social media platforms to broadcast the best, most authentic version of themselves. what we're into Music of the day "Leonard Cohen" boygenius "Leonard Cohen once said / 'There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in' / And I am not an old man having an existential crisis / At a Buddhist monastery, writing horny poetry / But I agree." From "the record," out today on Interscope. Video of the day "Spinning Gold" Timothy Scott Bogart Neil Bogart biopic, in theaters today. Music | Media SUBSCRIBE Suggest a link "REDEF is dedicated to my mother, who nurtured and encouraged my interest in everything and slightly regrets the day she taught me to always ask 'why?'" Jason Hirschhorn CEO & Chief Curator HOME | ABOUT | SETS | PRESS Redef Group Inc. LA - NY - Everywhere Copyright ©2021 UNSUBSCRIBE or MANAGE MY SUBSCRIPTION