• 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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • St. Vincent Shares Quirky "Birth In Reverse" Music Video [WATCH]

    2014 has been quite an incredible year for Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent, and today (Dec. 16), she caps off the year with a great music video for her single "Birth in Reverse," which you can check out here. As can be expected from a St. Vincent music video, the whole thing is pretty bizarre, with images of Clark singing and dancing (or something close to dancing) in sterile, dream-like sets, though the highlights of the video are the shots of Clark playing guitar in outer space.

  • A$AP Rocky, Passion Pit, Porter Robinson & More Featured in Buku Music & Art Project [WATCH]

    New Orleans has always been one of the best party towns in the United States. Whether you want to stumble down Bourbon Street or check out any of the incredible music venues around the city, there is always something going on. In March, the city will play host to its first major festival of the year, Buku Music and Art Festival, as the temperatures begin to warm up and the summer humidity descends upon the delta. The festival has announced the first wave of artists and the festival kept with tradition by bringing together a diverse cast of acts from all over the musical spectrum. Some of the headliners include Bassnectar, A$AP Rocky, Passion Pit, Empire Of The Sun, Porter Robinson (Live) and many more.

  • Tink Shares "Around The Clock" Music Video, Featuring Timbaland, Charlamagne Tha God [WATCH]

    Up and coming Chicago rapper, Tink, has shared the music video for her recent single, "Around The Clock" featuring The Breakfast Club host, Charlamagne Tha God, which you can check out here. The DGainz-directed clip is as dark and mysterious as the Timbaland-produced track, with Tink hanging around an inner city alley at night (with Timbaland by her side, wearing sunglasses) and rapping with a confidence far beyond her 19 years.
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