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Music News: Artists get creative with Zoom music videos

Still from Thao and the Get Down Stay Down's 'Phenom' video.
Still from Thao and the Get Down Stay Down's 'Phenom' video.YouTube

by Jay Gabler

April 10, 2020

It's one thing to release an album during this period of social distancing...what do you do about music videos? Thao Nguyen and Phoebe Bridgers have turned to creative online collaborations with bandmates and dancers.

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down's "Phenom" video was shot entirely on Zoom — and as KQED notes, they really used Zoom, noting that the Hamilton reunion was pre-recorded and spliced together.

Bridgers, who's just announced her sophomore album Punisher, was supposed to shoot the music video for the song "Kyoto" on location in Japan. Instead, she and her bandmates got creative with virtual backgrounds. (Stereogum)

Is there a viable business model for "coronaraving"?

Billboard dives into the world of "coronaraving": DJs turning to platforms like Twitch to stream sets into fans' homes. Could this be a viable business model? Not yet.

First off, writer Zel McCarthy notes, livestreaming DJ sets is not something that was just invented during the pandemic: artists like Brooklyn's Soul Clap have been doing it for years. So the technology was in place when it was needed...but there's a reason it hasn't taken off before now. For one thing, it's hard to make money at: you pretty much have to ask people to Venmo you. Often, the artists who made the music being spun aren't getting paid either, and DJs always face the threat of takedown notices.

Despite all the hurdles, if you appreciate DJs, they could use your support. As Billboard concludes, the best place to DJ is in a club — and a lot of clubs aren't going to make it through this crisis.

Rogue Wave and Aesop Rock trade namechecks for charity

Earlier this year, hip-hop artist Aesop Rock released a single called "Rogue Wave." It didn't actually have anything to do with the indie rock band Rogue Wave, but they decided to return the favor anyway: they've just released a song called "Aesop Rock," and using the attention to ask fans to donate to an organization helping support Bay Area families in need. Citing one of their best-known songs, 2007's "Lake Michigan," Rogue Wave said, "Who knows, maybe Aesop Rock'll bust a jam called 'Out of the Descended Shadow of Lake Michigan' next?" (Brooklyn Vegan)

Marília Mendonça blows up YouTube with 3.5-hour livestream

50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong, declared the title of a 1959 greatest-hits album from the King. Well, that's just about how many fans have watched a three-and-a-half-hour performance streamed live on Wednesday by Brazilian singer Marília Mendonça. I don't speak Portuguese, but Google tells me the video description translates as "Calling all the horns! The Queen of Suffering will give your quarantine strength to be more cool." I've got to give it to her: it's hard to look as cool as Marília Mendonça sitting there in her green living room, absolutely belting it from a black chair for the length of Ben-Hur.

Dr. Dre picks very apt date for The Chronic to hit streaming services

It's 4/20. "Fans now have another reason to celebrate on what has become a national holiday," says a representative of the distributor. "Working with the Death Row catalog is like working with the legendary recordings of Elvis, Chuck Berry and the Beatles. These historic artifacts should be heard by all music lovers and we are so happy Dr. Dre has opened this door so everyone can experience the brilliance of this seminal work." (Rolling Stone)