Spotify and Shazam both released their song of summer picks, and in a show of seasonal solidarity, there is some crossover: Selena Gomez, Sean Mendes, Luis Fonsi and DJ Khaled and Lil Uzi Vert are the five double-entries. Spotify’s list tilts toward rap while Shazam gives pop equal time. “Summertime is the season of sunny weather, good vibes and […]
Digital business strategist Tony Dunaif has been named executive vice president and head of international affairs for preforming rights giant ASCAP, reporting to CEO Elizabeth Matthews. In this capacity Dunaif will oversee international business and society relations outside of the United States for ASCAP, the American Society of Composer, Authors and Publishers. Dunaif’s appointment is […]
The industry’s most musical attorney, jazzman Jay L. Cooper, will receive the SESAC Visionary Award at the music rights organization’s annual dinner gala this evening in Santa Monica. For more than five decades, Jay Cooper has been recognized as one of the best entertainment lawyers in America, and it is simply an honor to present […]
Five weeks on the charts and counting, Guardians of the Galaxy 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 soundtrack is proving almost as appealing to fans as the original, which went platinum in 2014. To date, it has sold 216,215 copies, according to SoundScan. Based on the success of the Guardians sequel, which opened in theaters May 5, Guardians of the […]
The composer behind films as diverse as The Magnificent Seven and Animal House will be feted on the 95th anniversary of his birth with landmark concerts, in London and Dublin. “Elmer Bernstein: 50 Years of Film Music” will be narrated and conducted by his son Peter Bernstein and narrated and hosted by film director John Landis. The retrospective will celebrate works spanning […]
Bacardí has tapped Major Lazer as brand advisers, appointing its DJ Jillionaire the “Minister of Rum,” tapping the group’s new song, “Front of the Line,” written with Jamaica dancehall artist Konshens, for promotional use. The canny cross-promotion has a lot going for it, leveraging the electronic dance trio’s Caribbean musical influences, the party atmosphere of its […]
The Billboard Music Awards won the night for ABC on May 21, topping the broadcast ratings, with a 2.6 rating among adults 18-49 and 9.6 million viewers overall. That was actually good enough to place the Dick Clark Productions effort in first place for the week, but it was the show’s lowest score in five years. But some of the critics […]
Jem Aswad took us back to the day when music journalism was art with his lively, insightful Variety review of the self-titled debut album from One Direction frontman Harry Styles. Written in the “forward-thinking retro” fashion of the album itself, Aswad’s writing is packed with enough information for a pop history lesson, but way more fun to read […]
Hipster Brooklyn hotspot Freehold has teamed with Twitter on a series of intimate concerts, that are being billed as secret summer sessions. The first of eight unfolds tonight with St. Lucia. Freehold is a mixed-use destination, serving food, offering workspace and operating a bar. Though open to the public, it is also a club that […]
Icelandic artist Björk makes her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut on May 30, performing with a 32-piece string orchestra in a sold-out concert conducted by Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason. The event is part of the LA Phil’s Reykjavík Festival, highlighting what the organization calls the “profound musical creativity” from Björk’s native land. It also coincides with […]
