[SXSW 2016] Tumblr to Host Feminism-Themed Night
Tumblr is returning to SXSW 2016 Music with an entirely new Feminism-themed event this year that's certainly catching a lot of buzz. In effort to highlight gender inequality in the US Wage Gap, their event, 79 Cents, will headline Jhené Aiko, Tacocat, Little Simz, and Empress Of, a full lineup of almost entirely female musicians, "feminist art installations", and even a guest appearance from former Texas state senator Wendy Davis. (Davis shot to national renown in 2013 when she staged an 11-hour filibuster to block a bill heavily restricting abortion in the state.) A SXSW event filled with nothing but strong female voices, for sure.
At the 2015 festival, Tumblr occupied four full days of performances and collaborative visuals at the Ironwood Hall, not only bringing together an array of great musicians but creating an overall art filled experience. When asked about such a change in focus in this year's event, Tumblr’s head of music, Nate Auerbach, stated "We’re celebrating the female voice in many contexts.", leaving much to anticipate.
The event is being held on March 16th, at 9pm, at the Historic Scoot Inn, and you can RSVP here.
[Video] Jhene Aiko Performs "The Worst" on Conan
Songstress Jhene Aiko continued her tour of late night TV sets, last night making her rounds at the Conan O'Brien Show on TBS to perform her song "The Worst." The beautifull, charming Aiko killed the track, as was expected with her having performed the song now on Jimmy Kimmel, Saturday Night Live with Drake and on Jimmy Fallon, maybe she'll also help Seth Myers settle in next week? Anyway, it's always a good day when you can wake up and hear Jhene sing, check out the full video streaming below.
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2014 MTV Woodie Award Nominees Announced
The MTV Woodies, the cable channel's reaction to indie music, announced the nominees for this year's award show, chosen by voters online yesterday. The nominees included a who's who of artists and acts that dominated the up and coming charts in 2013. In the hunt for the coveted "Woodie of the Year" are familiar names in Kanye West, Drake and Pharrell, as well as some more eclectic choices in Disclosure, Imagine Dragons, Lorde and Zedd. Chance The Rapper and director Austin Vesely are nominated for the "Best Video Woodie" for the "Everybody's Something" video. They will be up against some stiff competition from Disclosure ("Grab Her"), Passion Pit ("Carried Away"), Iggy Azalea ("Bounce") and Arcade Fire ("Afterlife"). Chance pops up again for his collaboration on "Life Round Here" with James Blake and Jhene Aiko and Mack Wilds round out a fairly solid list for "Breaking Woodie". Honestly, it's odd to find names like Beyonce and Jay Z on this list of nominees, which seem more tailored to Macklemore than the Grammys did a few weeks ago. Bob Dylan is nominated for a "Did It My Way Woodie". What's more 'My Way' than releasing an album (The Heist, Acid Rap) independently only to see it beat out the big guys? The line between independent and mainstream is being increasingly scrubbed away, and the 2014 edition of the Woodie Awards may be the best implication of that.
The MTV Woodies take place March 13 in Austin, TX, and will air March 16 on MTVU. Check out the full list of nominees below.
2014 mtvU Woodie Awards Nominees
Woodie of the Year:
Imagine Dragons
Lorde
Pharrell
Drake
Zedd
Disclosure
Breaking Woodie:
Bastille
Martin Garrix
The 1975
Jhene Aiko
Sam Smith
Mack Wilds
Best Video Woodie:
Disclosure, "Grab Her"
Passion Pit, "Carried Away"
Chance the Rapper, "Everybody's Something"
Iggy Azalea, "Bounce"
Arcade Fire, "Afterlife"
Did It My Way Woodie:
Beyoncé — Released her new, self-titled album without any prior promotion.
Kanye West — Created an interactive music video experience for Yeezus
Arcade Fire — Creatively utilized social media, street art and pop-up performances to launch the Reflektor album.
Childish Gambino — Hosted impromptu album listening sessions in public parks for Because the Internet.
Bob Dylan — Created a 16 channel interactive music video for "Like a Rolling Stone."
Performing Woodie:
Tyler the Creator
Ed Sheeran
Jay Z
Arcade Fire
The National
The XX
Best Collaboration Woodie:
A$AP Rocky and Skrillex — "Wild For the Night"
Avicii and Aloe Blacc — "Wake Me Up"
Just Blaze and Baauer featuring Jay Z — "Higher"
Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons — "Radioactive (remix)"
Daft Punk and Pharrell — "Get Lucky"
James Blake and Chance the Rapper — "Life Round Here"
College Radio Woodie (Best College Radio Station):
Ball State University (WCRD)
Boston University (WTBU)
East Stroudsburg University (WESS)
Eastern Illinois University (WEIU)
Indiana University (WIUX)
Texas State University - San Marcos (KTSW)
University of California - Berkeley (KALX)
University of Illinois - Champaign Urbana (WPGU)
University of South Carolina (WUSC)
William Paterson University (WPSC)
[Video] Jhene Aiko & Sampha Perform at Future Festival
BBC Radio 1 has been celebrating its Future Festival with a series of inspired performances from some of the tope rising acts across the music landscape and yesterday had Jhene Aiko & Sampha perform as part of the event. Aiko, whose performance followed appearances this week on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live, gave the audience a live rendition of her song, "The Worst". Playing on the ominous Drake theme in the room (both artists appear on Nothing Was The Same), Sampha took over to perform his sonically endearing song, "Too Much". Check out both performances, streaming live below.
[Video] Jhene Aiko: "The Worst"
Jhene Aiko has finally made her formal musical debut with her new EP, Sail Out, along with a slew of visual accompaniments. The newest, "The Worst," centers around a murder that she may or may not have committed in her home. The Danny Williams directed visual shows a more sinister side of the beautiful, stoner, R&B singer as she sips on red vino and preps for her arrest. Whether or not she commits the crime remains a mystery but the video manages to capture the struggle of love that the track embodies. Check out the video below and be sure to purchase Jhene Aiko's new EP, Sail Out, available on iTunes today.
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Childish Gambino: "Melrose" (Prod. Stefan Ponce)
The other night, Donald Glover caused a stir on Twitter by tweeting an ominous instrumental track at Jhene Aiko. As if the pair needed anymore rumors (Glover has denied they are romantically involved), the internet ran wild with rumors of what the track could be and why he sent it Aiko's way. On the song, Childish adds high-pitched, airy vocals to a similarly formed beat, before dropping into a funk line. The roadwork was crafted by Chicago's own Stefan Ponce, who has spent much of the last year in Los Angeles with Gambino working on new music. Where's the final landing place for the track? We may not find out for a minute, but so far they've got some hot stuff to work with.
[Video] Jhene Aiko: "Bed Peace" (feat. Childish Gambino)
Jhene Aiko's "Bed Peace" was received with overwhelming positive feed-back from critics and fans alike back when the song dropped a few weeks back. Now, Jhene is here alongside Childish Gambino once again for the official visual treatment to the latest single off the Sail Out EP. Influenced by John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Bed-Ins for Peace” protest in the late 60's, this video is certainly something different from your run-of-the-mill execution.
http://youtu.be/UoIpx1ZxFeM
Jhené Aiko: "Bed Peace" (feat. Childish Gambino)
Jhené Aiko serenades her significant other in "Bed Peace" with that soothing voice that has made the songstress one of the most promising upstart acts in R&B. She might lack a mainstream hit, but Jhene knows how to craft a timeless record and "Bed Peace" is a solid reminder. The track also features Childish Gambino and it will be included in her upcoming EP Sail Out.