This morning at 12:30 am, March 13, 2014, two people were killed and 23 others were injured after a serious incident at the South By Southwest Festival involving a drunk driver. Austin, TX police later confirmed that a lone male driver heavily under the influence of alcohol drove his Toyota Civic through a temporary barricade and into the middle of a busy street filled with other cars and people there for the nearby SXSW events.  The Austin police have taken the suspect into custody, and he will be charged with two accounts of capital murder along with 23 counts of aggravated assault.  Rolling Stone has a full account of this tragedy. Read the full article by clicking on the link below:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/2-dead-21-injured-in-sxsw-hit-and-run-20140313

If you don’t already know, South By Southwest, more commonly abbreviated as SXSW, is a set of film, interactive, and music festivals and conferences that takes place every year in early March in Austin, Texas. And as of March 6, 2014, this year’s festival is in full swing, and off to a great start. Thus far, this inconceivably immense occurrence has had an impressive amount stars and guest speakers such as fugitive National Security Agency leaker, Edward Snowden, and specifically within the music scene, the festival is flaunting a lineup of some 2,000 bands and artists this year. What does this mean for music fans not within the Austin, TX area? Well luckily, thanks to company running the festival, SXSW Inc., we have the opportunity to experience some of activities going on at SXSW with live streaming of interviews, music, and conferences with artists including Neil Young, Lil Wayne, and Alex Ebert. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface. The website covering all of the events planned for SXSW has all of the information about performing artists, guests, and more to come in the following days. Check it out, Devils!

Check out showcasing artists:

http://schedule.sxsw.com/?conference=music&lsort=name&day=ALL&event_type=showcase

Check out the website as a whole:

http://sxsw.com/

It was fifty years ago this week that Sam Cooke recorded one of the most important songs in American history.  The political message in “A Change is Gonna Come,” touted by Rolling Stone as “one of the greatest songs of all time,” quickly became an anthem for civil rights activists after it was released on Cooke’s album Ain’t That Good News in March of 1964. Sam Cooke, one of the few artists able to crossover from gospel to pop, did so with love songs like “You Send Me,” which went to number one on the pop charts; thus, recording this socially conscious song intended to serve as a vehicle for political change was a risky career move. Although Cooke did not want to alienate his new and growing audience with a song that encapsulated the feelings and experiences of many black Americans of the time, and highlighted the social issue that is arguably the most divisive in American history, he felt that “he could not ignore the moral outrage right in front of him” (NPR Music). The song did cause controversy and Cooke felt the impact of its message on those who were not ready to hear it. He and his band were turned away from shows and hotels; he was arrested and jailed for disturbing the peace; his family feared for his life. Cooke didn’t often play the song publicly, partly because of its complex arrangement and partly because of the threat that it could incite violence. It was not initially favored by his fans, mainly because it was not scheduled to be released as a single until December of 1964, nine months after the album dropped. Sam Cooke was shot to death at a motel in Los Angeles just before that release.

Cooke biographer, Peter Guralnick, discusses the song as being one with a message not isolated to the civil rights movement, but rather as a song with “a universal message of hope…that does not age.” “A Change is Gonna Come” has a lasting impact on all who hear it. Guralnick states that “Generation after generation has heard the promise of it…We all feel in some way or another that a change is gonna come.” The message is “almost endlessly adaptable to whatever goal, whatever movement” that needs Cooke’s voice. It was, however, the civil rights movement that inspired it, and Cooke’s voice in this song will forever echo the struggle and the courage of those who fought (and continue to fight) for racial equality in America.

Pandora, Spotify, and iTunes Radio face another formidable opponent in the subscription music service scene, Beats Music, which was made available in the US today – January 21st. Under the management of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine – record producer and music executive extraordinaire – the service is looking to expand the duo’s hugely successful ‘Beats by Dr. Dre’ headphones into a larger brand. The company hopes to capitalize on that success in exposing their service to the public, while simultaneously working to revolutionize the music streaming industry by being able to answer the question, “Which song should come next?”

Without knowing more about it, Beats Music might seem strikingly similar to other music subscription services like Spotify, offering the ability to stream and listen to as much music as anyone could want for the flat price of $10 a month. But where Beats Music diverges is in its ability to create a product that is impressively sleek, easy-to-use, and enticing, much like the unprecedentedly popular Beats headphones. Iovine, Dre, and “Chief Creative Officer” Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) are hoping the unique app experience will lure users into trying the service, which boasts a relatively original feature; where other, bland, heavily algorithm-based music subscription services fail to create a continuous playlist with any sense of cohesiveness or soul, Beats Music is looking to dominate with its ability to create a perfect personal playlist, curated by music experts, for everyone. As additional incentive, Beats Music offers a family account, up to five accounts, for $15, something currently not offered by any of its competitors.

What do you think, Devils? Are you open to change? Or will you stay loyal to Spotify or Pandora?

Fall Out Boy and Paramore, two of the largest acts in the alternative music scene and each with their own new album, have just announced what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest rock tours of summer 2014 – The Monumentour. The two bands will be touring from coast to coast throughout the summer, and even better for us Devils, the bands will be making a stop on their tour in Massachusetts at the Xfinity Center on June 22nd! The rest of the dates for the Monumentour are below:

6/19 – Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theatre

6/21 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre
6/22 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
6/24 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga PAC
6/25 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
6/27 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
6/28 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
6/30 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of NH Pavilion
7/2 – Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake PAC
7/3 – Burgettstown, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion
7/6 – St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/8 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
7/9 – Indianapolis, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
7/11 – Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/12 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bunbury Fest
7/13 – White Creeks, TN @ The Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel **
7/18 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
7/19 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Pavilion
7/22 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
7/23 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
7/25 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre
7/26 – Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
7/27 – St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre **
7/29 – Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
7/30 – Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre @ Lakewood
8/1 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/2 – Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheater
8/4 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheater
8/5 – Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
8/7 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
8/8 – Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion
8/10 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Zoo Amphitheatre
8/12 – Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
8/13 – Orem, UT @ UCCU Center
8/15 – Las Vegas, NV @ Cosmopolitan **
8/16 – Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
8/17 – Concord, CA @ Sleep Train Pavilion

ABC recently covered the perplexing story of Robert Mawhinney, a 30 year-old self-proclaimed international “rock star” who was formerly singer of the Los Angeles band, Light Over Paris. By doctoring loan application documents, he was able to get four separate banks to believe that he had almost $8,000,000 in assets. With these deceptive techniques, he obtained $11 million and funded absurdly luxurious all night parties, several Los Angeles apartments, as well as a $750,000 custom touring van for the band.  According to friends, he truly believed he was the next “rock star,” hoping to rise up to the top of the charts and become the new Blink-182. Recently, Mawhinney was sentenced to seven years in prison for these fraudulent actions. Check out ABC’s coverage of the story by clicking on the link below:

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/aspiring-rock-star-scammed-banks-millions-21418861

The exclusive to iTunes release of her self-titled album, Beyonce, earlier today marks an unprecedented move for the pop icon. Her fifth LP contains 14 tracks and features an impressive group of contributors, including Justin Timberlake, Drake, Frank Ocean, and Pharrell. Beyonce has described this work as a “visual album,” and developed 17 videos to correspond with the songs on the LP. The singer’s intent in releasing the album unannounced and in this format was to make the message to her fans more direct, limiting all that comes between the artist and the music and the fans.

According to one of her representatives, Beyonce will be available for purchase in stores just in time for the holidays.

In a rather alienating announcement, the band Arcade Fire recently mandated a formal dress code for upcoming shows that has left some fans rather perplexed. Casual fans looking to buy a ticket for one of the band’s upcoming shows in support of their new album “Reflektor” were greeted on the TicketMaster page with the subtle message, “Please wear formal attire.” While some found this statement entertaining, many others felt as though the band was acting rather pretentious with their high expectations of their fans, disregarding the fact that much of the tour was taking place in large arenas where sloppy food and drinks are more than prevalent. From a band that has only just recently achieved mainstream success, Arcade Fire surely cannot already be taking their newfound popularity for granted. Fans do not have to worry about the suggestion being rigidly enforced, which was confirmed by the band with their Facebook post on November 21st addressing the issue which wrote:

“To everyone really upset about us asking people to dress up at our shows… please relax. It’s super not mandatory. It just makes for a more fun carnival when we are all in it together. So far these have been the best shows we have ever played.

See you soon.

Love,

Arcade Fire”

While some have condemned the band for a lame attempt at advertisement, others seemed equally excited and ready to break out their nicest suit or most elegant dress. From a growing, relatively feel-good band like Arcade Fire, offending a large group of people and fans is most certainly not on the top of their priorities list. On the bright side, accountants and any formally dressed workers can now go straight to any of their upcoming dates.

In this groovy and moody song from her latest album One True Vine, Mavis Staples, a legendary American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, embraces her individuality.  Described as vocally-warm by critics and fans, since her beginnings as singer, Staples’s purpose for performing came from her passion for civil rights.  At only fifteen years old, she vocally lead the gospel band, the Staple Singers, often being mistaken for either a man or a grown woman because of the aforementioned warmth and lowness of her voice.  While the majority of her songs contain a religious message, “I Like The Things About Me” applies to all people who have struggled with their self-image.  The song focuses on the positive influence of the singer’s age onto her perception of herself.  The subtle saxophone complements Staples’s low and slow voice to emphasize the maturity within the lyrics, while the electric guitar adds a modern twist onto the classic genre of rhythm and blues.  Mavis Staples’s “I Like The Things About Me” is an overall success through its simple and relatable lyrics as well as its strong potential in empowering the listener.  Dig it, Devils!

If beautifully trippy dreams had a soundtrack, what would it consist of? The answer to that question is anything written by Matthew Halverson, an electronic solo artist who goes by the name “Teen Daze.” Inspired by the gorgeous forests and nature present throughout his homeland in British Columbia, Canada, Halverson took to writing his ”insular, droning ambient music” at the end of 2012 and hasn’t stopped since. He describes how rather than using his music as an escape or refuge from reality,  ”he simply engages his work with his reality, his physical world.” Whether you’re inspired by the vast power of nature or not, his electronic instrumentals use music to paint a mental image of beauty, serenity, and pure energy that is best described as utterly ethereal. Being one of the best tracks on his most recent release Glacier, “Flora” expresses the impressive capability of Halverson to create an electronic symphony with chill synthesizers, fluid melodies, and bobbing grooves that could calm a bull in a china shop. So if you need a moment to just sit back, relax, dissolve, and absorb the energy of your surroundings, why not have Teen Daze’s “Flora” help make your meditative experience that much better? Dig it, Devils!