Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” launches
The highly-anticipated album, following a reported leak earlier today, is now available for streaming via iTunes. Have a listen, and see if it lives up to the near-impossible levels of hype!
YouTube Trends map shows most popular videos by region
I don’t know about you, but when I go to YouTube, I check my subscriptions and then look at what videos are currently popular. Because you know, it’s important to stay up to date on the most current news about kittens, people getting caught doing weird things, and movie trailers. The YouTube Trends Map is another way to see what’s popular, but from a geographic and demographic point of view.
A look into Los Angeles’ Youtube tastes: Apparently there are a whole bunch of The Clood, Rich Kid Brand and Queens of the Stone Age fans out there!
test reblogged from npr
John Lennon’s artwork returns to Los Angeles
Lennon’s playful drawings will finally be returning to the West Coast this weekend, sitting on display Friday through Sunday at Westfield Century City Mall.
Some background on Lennon’s (non-musical) artistic history:
Early in 1970, he made his gallery debut with “Bag One,” a collection of 15 lithographs — a handwritten poem and 14 drawings, eight of them sexually explicit — that celebrated his love for Ono and were drawn around the time of their nuptials in 1969.
Find out more at Culture Monster.
Photos: John Lennon / Pacific Edge Gallery
The art of music from afar
For piano instructor Talc Tolchin, lessons don’t always require close proximity and immediate scrutiny of finger placements and precision - thanks to modern technology, Tolchin can instruct students from hundreds of miles away.
But Tolchin’s methods do have some detractors:
It’s not for everyone. The world of music instructors is filled with late technology adopters on such tight budgets that even basic equipment needed to conduct online lessons is a stretch, said Rachel Kramer, director of member development for the Cincinnati-based Music Teachers National Assn.
Then there’s tradition. “There will be always be teachers who feel it would never ever work,” she said.
Read more from reporter Lee Romney’s story here.
Photos: Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times
Coachella comes to an end
Last weekend marked the second go-around for this year’s Coachella festival, with many performers circling back for another series of performances. Above are some of Times photographers’ favorite shots from their time at the festival.
See more over at Framework, and for a look at the performances themselves, head over to Pop & Hiss’ full coverage
Photos: Jay L. Clendenin, Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times
http://www.buzzfeed.com/verymuchso/where-are-all-the-women-at-coachella?sub=2142269_1084250
Graphic by @chrisritter16
test reblogged from chrisritter
Previewing Coachella 2013
The first round of Coachella starts up this weekend, with this year’s entry in one of the nation’s premier music and arts festivals featuring performances ranging from Blur and the Stone Roses, to Grimes and El-P.
For those going this year, check out some of our resources:
- Music critic Randall Roberts’ guide to the must-see acts of this year’s lineup.
- The full lineup of performers
- A guide on what to do if you’re of a particular musical inclination, like if you’re still sad about the lack of a Smiths reunion, or if you prefer your songs in the two-minute range.
For the record, we’re still holding out for another holo-Tupac appearance.
Photos: Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times, Steven Dewall / Redferns, Christopher Polk, Michael Buckner / Getty Images,
It’s Elton John’s 66th birthday. Here’s former L.A. Times pop music critic Robert Hilburn’s review of John’s 1970 Los Angeles debut, at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. As you can see (and this seems like a good time to point out that you can click to enlarge it), it was a rave.
As it turns out, Frank Ocean spent some time hanging out at our building, being photographed as part of the Band of Outsiders’ Polaroid series.
Check out the rest of the shots on the Band of Outsiders’ Tumblr.
Photo: Band of Outsiders
From jamming to jingles
Wonder where those catchy little song snippets in commercials come from? With the high cost of licensing songs from famous artists scaring of advertisers, many companies are looking to create their own songs. And in a music industry grasping for new revenue streams, many artists are willing to play ball.
As musician Casey Gibson told Times reporter Colin Stutz:
“It used to be that you got called a sellout. But times have changed,” said Gibson, who has been paid to write jingles for Purina dog food and Columbia Sportswear commercials. “I’m actually proud of the fact that I’m able to make a living being a creative person.”
Read more on Gibson, and other commercially-inclined musicians, here.
Photos: Christina House / For The Times
The American Academy of Arts and Letters has voted in Bob Dylan as an honorary member. (He’ll be the first rock musician to be inducted by the group; most of its musical members are classical musicians.)
The academy also voted to induct writer Ward Just, artist Richard Tuttle and painter and printmaker Terry Winters as full members. Writer Damon Galgut, architect Rafael Moneo and artist Luc Tuymans were voted in as honorary members alongside Dylan.
Photo: Dylan in 1963. Credit: Associated Press
THE UNITED KINGDOM: Musically Gifted.
I’m all about maps lately. Here’s one of a selection of bands from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Solo artists: Where they were born/grew up.
Bands/Groups: Where they met/formed.If you missed the last one AMERICA: The Home of Television (113 tv show locations)
Both of these are for sale in my shop! High quality prints, super classy.
(If there are any inaccuracies, let me know! That way I can update them before I print and ship ‘em)
For those music lovers looking to start the day off with some visual pizzazz.
test reblogged from chapmangamo
A must-follow for literate music lovers
Take a look at artist Christophe Gowans’ awesome ongoing project: Re-imagining classic albums as book covers - we ended up clicking through the entire library.
Credit: Christophe Gowans
And Valentine’s Day playlists are to be shared with all of you:
Send over some songs that you think should be added in, and we’ll build out the playlist even further!
White House releases dubstep trailer for State of the Union
The White House is dropping more than the State of the Union on the American people tonight, it’s also dropping the bass. The official White House YouTube account on Tuesday afternoon published a short trailer for the President’s big speech and the soundtrack contains the unmistakable sounds of dubstep, the popular electronic dance music subgenre that includes Skrillex among its most famous practitioners.
So much for dubstep.
test reblogged from thisistheverge
