Grimes Sings an A.I. Lullaby
Artist-producer-engineer Grimes has partnered with the tech company Endel to launch a new app, “A.I. Lullaby.” The developers capture Grimes’ music and vocals to engineer the sounds, creating interactive, personalized sonic environments in real-time, designed to improve sleep and wellness in children and adults. The project was inspired by Grimes’ experience as a new mother.
She defines “A.I Lullaby” as “humane technology founded on a deep philosophy, A.I. safety, immense research and art.”
S.T.O.M.P. (Start Teaching Others More Positivity)
S.T.O.M.P., an acronym for Start Teaching Others More Positivity, was originally coined by Chicago DJ and producer, Elektrohorse, before the 2016 Presidential election. In collaborating with Chicago soul singer Floyd Holloway, Nashville country artist Greg Pratt and Southern emcee Terell Skreetzz, Elektrohorse created the “ultimate line-dancing country anthem,” as the genre-bending single, “S.T.O.M.P.,” is itself a product of hope and unity. A viral “Line ‘Em Up” dance choreography has helped spread the positivity.
Photo by David Klein
Eddie Van Halen Mural at Guitar Center
To commemorate the late Eddie Van Halen’s 66th birthday, artist Robert Vargas teamed up with Guitar Center’s flagship Hollywood store and has painted a 17-feet-tall x 105-feet-long mural of Eddie playing his trademark Frankenstrat guitar.
MC photographer David Klein attended the unveiling event and captured L.A.’s BulletBoys’ frontman, Marq Torien, also in attendance.
Eddie’s handprints are a centerpiece of Guitar Center’s iconic RockWalk on the Sunset Strip.
Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road Most Platinum Song in History
Grammy Award-winning rapper-singer-songwriter Lil Nas X had an astronomical rise to fame in 2019 with a genre-shattering hit, “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. The song became a phenomenon, becoming the longest-running No. 1 single in Billboard Hot 100 history.
Still proving it has momentum in 2021, “Old Town Road” has earned the accolade of the most RIAA certified song in history at 14x Platinum, amassing 14 million song unit sales and streams.
Johnny Marr Receives BOSS’ Lifetime Achievement Award
During NAMM’s Believe in Music Week, BOSS presented The Smiths’ guitarist-songwriter Johnny Marr with its Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes artists for their contributions to the music industry while using BOSS gear throughout their careers. As a solo musician, Marr has achieved multiple Top Ten albums, and celebrated collaborations with: The Talking Heads, Modest Mouse, The Avalanches, Hans Zimmer and Billie Eilish, recently recording the score for the forthcoming James Bond film, No Time to Die.
Olivia Rodrigo Driving the Charts
The actress who stars as Nini in Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Olivia Rodrigo, has entered the music world in a major way. A recent signee of Geffen Records, Rodrigo’s emotive piano-driven single, “drivers license,” has debuted at No. 1 on Billboard and is already certified Gold. In its first week, “drivers license” amassed over 107M global streams, 76M in the U.S. alone––the second largest U.S. audio streaming ever. Rodrigo set a Spotify record for most streams in a single day, then beat her own record one day later.
Stan Rogers’ Sea Shanties
The late Canadian folk artist, Stan Rogers, is experiencing a 2021 renaissance thanks to the niche internet corner we all needed: “Sea Shanty TikTok.” Milions of videos on the platform, in addition to worldwide media coverage, are resurging old-timey work songs, either remixed and reimagined or embracing the storytelling narratives. With Rogers’ “Barrett’s Privateers” as the leading model, the song has experienced a 250% increase in streams each week in the height of the craze. While most users are not aboard a mighty vessel, the spirit is to boost connectedness during COVID-19 restrictions.
