• Ferguson Protests Inspired D'Angelo to Push Up Release of 'Black Messiah'

    Earlier this week, neo-soul pioneer D'Angelo surprised the music world by suddenly releasing his new album "Black Messiah," his first new album since his 2000 classic "Voodoo," with almost no warning whatsoever. Despite its absurdly long gestation period, however, "The New York Times" reports that the album's release was somehow still rushed, as D'Angelo's label RCA had originally planned to drop it sometime in early 2015. But following the volatile situation in Ferguson, Missouri, and the grand-jury decision to not indict Officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown, D'Angelo decided to push up the album's release to Dec. 15.According to D'Angelo's manager Kevin Liles, D'Angelo had called him up in distress last month following the Ferguson grand-jury decision."He said, 'Do you believe this? Do you believe it?'" Liles recalls. "And then we just sat there in silence. That is when I knew he wanted to say something."With the famously delayed album put on the fast track for release, D'Angelo and RCA pulled "many all-nighters" to finish the album, which included everything from the artwork and tracklist to the music itself.

  • Porter Robinson Delivers Inspiring EMC 2014 Keynote Address [WATCH]

    Porter Robinson has had one of the biggest years of any artists in dance music. He completely transformed his image, his sound and, as a result, his career. The transition had started with his single "Language" and later the collaboration alongside Mat Zo "Easy," but it was made complete with the writing and release of his debut artist album "Worlds." "Worlds" ditched his heavy, glitchy electro sound that he professed, focusing more on technical prowess more than songwriting and creating "beautiful music" at 90 beats per minute that really satisfied the creative spirit of Porter Robinson. During his time at Stereosonic, he stopped at the Electronic Music Conference to deliver the keynote address with fellow DJ and friend Nick Thayer about the process of making the album, give some advice for upcoming producers and say what inspires him, via "In the Mix."Porter Robinson sits down with Nick Thayer, who prompts the 22-year-old producer/DJ to discuss how he got to where he is in his career and give advice on how to get the attention of someone like him. His advice is a bit different from how others might view the music industry or "the game," as it is referred to in the discussion. He admits that his experience was largely shielded from many of the struggles and typical experiences that many artists go through, but in the digital age, where almost everything happens online, he urges artists to focus on being true to one's self and create something that is unique.

  • AC/DC sells out Wembley Stadium Tour Stop in Less Than An Hour; European Fans Want 'Rock or Bust'

    Last week Music Times confirmed that AC/DC would be playing its first dates in the UK since 2009, including a headlining spot at the prestigious Wembley Stadium, perhaps the biggest gig available in England. Recent changes to the band's lineup haven't disrupted its popularity in the region apparently. The band's Wembley concert sold out all of its nearly 73,000 tickets in less than an hour

  • NYC Premiere of 'The Interview' Canceled After 9/11-Type Threats as Homeland Security Investigates

    The Sony hacking scandal just keeps getting more complicated each day, and what seemingly began as a plot to embarrass some of the studio's top brass is really beginning to cut into business. "The Interview," slated for an official Christmas Day release and starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, is about a plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and this one film seems to be at the center of the turmoil. The hackers, officially dubbed as the shady Guardians of Peace, are going out of their way to scare the studio into shelving this film, and their tactics seem to be working.Rogen and Franco have canceled various promotional interviews in connection with "The Interview" and the film's official New York City premiere, slated for Thursday night, Dec. 18, has been canceled. Why the fear? Well, the GOP issued an ominous statement yesterday, saying in part:"Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you'd better leave.)"The FBI has been pulled into the investigation, and it claims that there has been no chatter that leads them to believe that the direct threats against movie theaters are legitimate, but no one is taking any chances. So far, Carmike Cinemas and Los Angeles's ArcLight Cinemas have canceled screenings of the film. Homeland Security claims to be inching closer toward figuring out not only who is behind the threats, but also what part of the world they are coming from.

  • Toronto Rapper and Weeknd Affiliate Derek Wise Arrested on Human Trafficking Charges

    In a troubling news story, Toronto rapper Derek Bissue — better known as Derek Wise — was arrested and charged on 15 counts connected to a human trafficking investigation. The 22-year-old Mississuaga native is a member of the Toronto rap-crew Get Home Safe and has been loosely affiliated with The Weeknd's XO crew, appearing in The Weeknd's "King of Fall" music video, though any record of Wise on the XO website has since been erased. He made an appearance in court Friday, Dec. 12. The report cites a 21-year-old woman who alleges that Bissue forced her into the sex trade. He faces charges including trafficking in persons, robbery, weapons charges and three counts of theft.Bissue's manager has responded to the allegations with a statement, via "Vice Canada":

  • Spotify Done with Topspin for Musician Merch, Don't Expect It to Pop Up at Beats Music Either

    Roughly eleven months ago your correspondent was excitedly working on a short article detailing Spotify's announcement that it would be teaming up with Topspin to allow performers to peddle their merchandise on the streaming service via their official band pages. It was at least a mild relief knowing that musicians could make money some other way via Spotify since the royalty payments-per-stream are on the low side. Eleven months later, your correspondent is back to let you know that Spotify is done with Topspin.

  • Stephen Collins Publicly Apologizes for Molesting Three Underage Girls as His Career Sits in Ruins

    Stephen Collins has decided to do something that many would have considered unthinkable. He has actually decided to admit to molesting three underage girls several decades ago in an attempt at atoning for his sins in the public eye. A few months back, Collins's divorce from Faye Grant took a particularly messy turn when recording marriage counseling sessions between the embattled couple somehow hit the press. On those audio tapes, Collins is heard discussing molesting young girls between the ages of 11 and 13 in disturbing detail. Rather than trying to make excuses, Collins instead has penned an official apology that is published in the latest copy of "People" magazine.In the essay, Collins explains his reasons for coming forward now, explaining, "Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret. I have been working to atone for it ever since. I've decided to address these issues publicly because two months ago, various news organizations published a recording made by my then-wife, Faye Grant, during a confidential marriage therapy session in January, 2012. This session was recorded without the therapist's or my knowledge or consent. On the recording, I described events that took place 20, 32, and 40 years ago. The publication of the recording has resulted in assumptions and innuendos about what I did that go far beyond what actually occurred. As difficult as this is, I want people to know the truth."

  • 'The Voice' Season 7 Recap & Review: And the Winner is...

    And the winner is... Craig Wayne Boyd. After months of competition, The Voice season seven came to a conclusion on Tuesday night (Dec. 16) and Blake Shelton's classically rooted country singer beat out Damien, Matt McAndrew and Chris Jamison to become the seventh "Voice."

  • Dr. Dreidel: Dr. Dre & Hanukkah Collide in a Dreidel

    Dr. Dre hasn't been involved in making music for years, yet he has become one of the most successful members of the music industry. His headphone brand, Beats By Dre has become the largest brand of headphones in the world and in selling Beats to Apple he earned close to $500 million from the deal, as reported by Forbes. As a ubiquitous figure in the music industry it isn't surprising to see him become an icon for all. Now an enterprising artist has taken the likeness of the former NWA member and added his face to a dreidel for the holiday season, specifically Hanukkah, naming it the Dr. Dreidel.
View More
Festivals
Popular Now