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GRAMMYs

Andrew Bird

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Andrew Bird Plays "Olympians" For Press Play andrew-bird-turns-it-around-his-olympians-performance-press-play

Andrew Bird Turns It Around With His "Olympians" Performance For Press Play

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The multi-talented musician/composer shares his "darkest before the dawn" original song on the latest episode of the Recording Academy's original performance series
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Aug 15, 2019 - 10:00 am

In the latest episode of Press Play, the incomparable Andrew Bird performs "Olympians" with help from Madison Cunningham. Have a look and listen:

From his new album, My Finest Work Yet, "Olympians" can be taken as a "socio-political allegory," according to Bird. Showing the contrast of despair and hope, the "darkest before the dawn" scenario song expresses how we as people can, "Spiral in our thoughts," said Bird, "get competitive about suffering" and ultimately, "Will ourselves out of these dark places." 

Growing up in Chicago with a mother who loved classical music and a father who loved Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, Bird started playing violin at age 4. His influences grew to include jazz, gospel, Lester Young, Staples Singers, and much more. Early in his career, Bird became known as a virtuoso violinist, songwriter, composer, vocalist and whistler, pushing the boundaries of style and technique with each new album since his 1666 debut, Music of Hair.

Enjoy Bird and Cunningham's live rendition of "Olympians," and stay tuned for more exclusive original performances on Press Play. 

La Santa Cecilia Scroll Down The Feed With "Winning" For Press Play

GRAMMYs

COASTCITY

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ReImagined Returns With More Exclusive Covers reimagined-returns-more-exclusive-unexpected-cover-performances-all-summer-long

ReImagined Returns With More Exclusive & Unexpected Cover Performances All Summer Long

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A wide-ranging array of artist dig deep into the GRAMMY vault to cover classic songs with their own special twist, starting with Caribbean soul duo COASTCITY's take on a Childish Gambino's "Redbone"
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jul 9, 2019 - 10:00 am

Summer is upon us, and now here's another musical wonder to look forward to: every two weeks, the Recording Academy will debut a new installment of ReImagined, a video series where artists bring a fresh take on classic GRAMMY-winning/nominated songs by their favorite artists—from the Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Rock Song, Best R&B Song and Best Rap Song categories.

To kick things off, Puerto Rican Caribbean soul duo COASTCITY tackle a modern classic, Childish Gambino's GRAMMY-winning hit "Redbone," which took home an award for Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 60th GRAMMY Awards.

Other upcoming ReImagined performances offer interpretations of songs by Lorde, Neil Young, Oasis, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga and Brandley Cooper and more, from artists such as Andrew Bird, Angela Aguilar, VINCINT, Asiahn, Shea Diamond, La Santa Cecilia and others.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and visit our video page to watch each ReImagined episode, along with other exclusive content, as it's released.

ReImagined 2019 Schedule:

July 9: COASTCITY, "Redbone" by Childish Gambino

July 23: Angela Aguilar, "Shallow" by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

Aug. 6: Shaun Ross, "Believe" by Cher

Aug. 20: Brandon Stansell, "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Sept. 3: Madison Beer, "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae

Sept. 17: Andrew Bird, "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young

Oct. 1: La Santa Cecilia, "House Of Cards" by Radiohead

Oct. 15: Jessenia + Jaimie, "Wonderwall" by Oasis

Oct. 29: VINCINT, "Issues" by Julia Michaels

Nov. 12: Shea Diamond, "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran

Nov. 26: Asiahn, "Royals" by Lorde

Meet First-Time GRAMMY Nominee Angela Aguilar

Aaron Lee Tasjan

Aaron Lee Tasjan

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Aaron Lee Tasjan Performs "Computer Of Love" press-play-home-aaron-lee-tasjans-playful-performance-computer-love

Press Play At Home: Aaron Lee Tasjan's Playful Performance Of "Computer Of Love"

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"Some advanced technology is eating through my brain," Tasjan laments at the start of the lively folk-rock song
GRAMMYs
Dec 17, 2020 - 11:02 am

In the latest episode of Press Play At Home, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan offers a playful yet piercing take on technological dependency in his performance of "Computer of Love."

"Some advanced technology is eating through my brain," Tasjan laments at the start of the lively folk-rock song. Watch his full performance below.

Aaron Lee Tasjan Performs "Computer Of Love"

Featured on his forthcoming, genre-bending album, Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!, out Feb. 5, 2021, the song references the disconnection caused by technology and social media and the emotional barriers they create within and between people.

Press Play At Home: Bliss Out To Jazzmeia Horn's "Where We Are"

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Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves

Photo: Manny Carabel/WireImage/Getty Images

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New Holiday Music: Kacey Musgraves, Jacquees, More 13-new-songs-add-your-holiday-playlist-kacey-musgraves-jacquees-flaming-lips-more

13 New Songs To Add To Your Holiday Playlist From Kacey Musgraves, Jacquees, The Flaming Lips & More

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Based on the sheer amount of new holiday music released this year, apparently we all really need a big dose of festive cheer—Los Lobos, Macklemore, blink-182 and more are also here to help
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Dec 24, 2019 - 8:30 am

Before we enter into the next decade, we have to get through the holidays. Whether you're one of the many people responsible for streaming Mariah Carey's 1994 classic "All I Want For Christmas Is You" to the top of the charts this month or you've trying your best to avoid the sound of jingle bells at all costs, the holiday season can create a whirlwind of emotions.

But one thing's clear: we can all use a big dose of festive cheer. Thanks to a rich, diverse selection of new holiday songs and albums from Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift, Jacquees, The Flaming Lips, Los Lobos, Macklemore and many others, it's the perfect time to get cozy and pump up the sounds of peace and joy.

2018 Holiday Jams: Don't Sleep On These Brand-New Holiday Songs From RuPaul, Lil Jon & More

"Glittery," Kacey Musgraves ft. Troye Sivan

If Mariah Carey is the reigning queen of Christmas music, Kacey Musgraves is definitely the princess. Back in 2016, the GRAMMY-winning alt-country star released A Very Kacey Christmas, featuring both original and classic tracks and toured with it. This year, she added brand-new shimmer to the album with an Amazon Prime special, "The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show."

The show was filled with special guests, including Aussie pop star Troye Sivan, who joined her to sing "Glittery," a new, original holiday song about a lover that makes you feel like a beautiful snow globe. The special also spawned a live album, meaning you can tune into this track and the rest of the fun moments anytime. Musgraves is truly a better-dressed, modern Santa.

"Christmas Tree Farm," Taylor Swift

The Swifties had a great year, as GRAMMY winner Taylor Swift released her currently GRAMMY-nominated seventh studio album, Lover. As if the LP and the singles and videos that led up to it weren't enough, the pop star gave her fans another gift just in time for the holidays, a new song called "Christmas Tree Farm."

Her lyrics are filled with nostalgia for the farm she grew up on and the simpler times of childhood, as they dance over the classic, bright holiday song melodies. The music video even features cute footage from the Swift family's home videos.

"It's Christmas Time," Macklemore Ft. Dan Caplen 

Like Swift, GRAMMY-winning rapper Macklemore is also feeling a similar childhood nostalgia on his new track, "It's Christmas Time," featuring rising U.K. soul singer Dan Caplen. The cheerful song is paired with a cute, festive music video, in which the kids drink eggnog out of one of the Seattle artist's golden gramophones (which he won three of with Ryan Lewis back at the 56th GRAMMY Awards).

"Every year around Christmas time I think to myself 'Just do it Ben. Make the song. You can be the new Mariah Carey.' Well, this year I finally am," Macklemore joked on Twitter.

Watch: Mariah Carey Releases A New Video For "All I Want For Christmas Is You"

"7 O'Clock News / Silent Night," Phoebe Bridgers Ft. Fiona Apple and Matt Berninger

Tuning into the news in 2019 can be surreal and overwhelming. Apparently this was not so different in 1966, when GRAMMY-winning folk heroes Simon And Garfunkel released "7 O'Clock News / Silent Night," featuring a recording of the current news over their singing of the Christmas classic.

While technically not an original song like the rest on this list, Phoebe Bridgers, Fiona Apple and The National's Matt Beringer update the heart-wrenching song for our current reality, offering 100 percent of its proceeds to Planned Parenthood. Berninger plays the newscaster in this version, reading headlines about gun violence and anti-abortion legislation. The important, haunting song is part on the compilation album co-created by Berninger, 7-Inches for Planned Parenthood, which, of course, benefits the nonprofit organization.

"Miss You This Christmas," Letters to Cleo

"The days get short, the nights are really cold. / This year Christmas ain't the same / I'm not used to stringing lights alone, I miss you this Christmas," Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo sings on "Miss You This Christmas," from their new EP, OK Christmas. It is one of the two original songs on the Boston alt-rockers guitar-slicked holiday album, which also features two fun covers.

"Hanukkah in '96," Alex Frankel

In addition to all the new Christmas-themed music that dropped this season, Hanukkah+, a fun, star-studded compilation album, brought—finally!—a whole new batch of Hanukkah-themed bops. Frankel, a "Hebrew school dropout" and half of New York electro duo Holy Ghost!, contributes the synth-y, nostalgic "Hanukkah in '96." He says the fun new song is "the greatest Jewish song ever written (in a major key)."

Read: Holy Ghost! On What "Do This" Is Really About & Why They Feel So Good About 'Work'

"Sing It Now, Sing It Somehow," The Flaming Lips

Also a new track featured on Hanukkah+, The Flaming Lips' "Sing It Now, Sing It Somehow," is gorgeous, haunting and ecstatic, all at once. The producer of the album, GRAMMY-winning music supervisor Randall Poster said, "Seeing the Flaming Lips is like going to temple—if they had unicorns and body glitter as sacraments. So, I thought their spiritual connection would be relevant to celebration, contemplation and the spirit of the holiday." Amen.

"Christmas and You," Los Lobos

Read: Los Lobos' Louie Perez & David Hidalgo Working On A Ritchie Valens Musical

GRAMMY-winning Los Angeles rock greats Los Lobos recently released their first holiday album, Llegó Navidad, four decades into their illustrious musical career. Along with reimaginings of under-sung holiday classics "Feliz Navidad," "Dónde Está Santa Claus," "It's Christmas Time In Texas" and more, the album also offers a heartfelt original song, "Christmas and You."

As NPR's Michael Martin explained, "It is a classic Los Lobos operation—a lovingly curated collection of songs from across North, Central and South America with, of course, an original song that makes you want to cry."  

"Alabaster," Andrew Bird

Like Los Lobos, current GRAMMY nominee Andrew Bird has dropped his first holiday album several decades into his career (his first album came out in 1996). The indie folk-rock violinist's new EP, Hark!, follows his aptly-titled, GRAMMY nominated LP, My Finest Work Yet. The six-track surprise project is very much an Andrew Bird Christmas album, filled with his trademark whistling, melancholic lyrics and a mellow, lo-fi "White Christmas" cover. One of the original tracks, "Alabaster," feels both like a church hymn and a local pub's winter closing song, in the best way possible.

Of the project, the "Olympians" singer said, "A lot of folks have a hard time with the holidays but they serve a purpose to us as a people—to create comfort, warmth and atmosphere within the darkness and the cold that can crush one's spirit. There are a couple originals in here that address this idea of light and warmth in the darkness as well as some classics that have some nostalgic resonance with me. Hark! What sounds come flowing alabaster?"

Watch: Andrew Bird Covers Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" For ReImagined

"Christmas Party," Jacquees

The self-appointed "King Of R&B" Jacquees serves up a sexy dose of holiday spirit with his latest project and sophomore studio album, Christmas In Decatur. The nine-track LP of original holiday music, labeled as "HOTTTTT" by Hot New Hip Hop, arrived just one month after King Of R&B. The new album, whose title is a nod to his Georgia hometown, opens with the bubbling "Christmas Party," and also includes the amazingly NSFW "Like Santa Claus," ending on a celebratory high note with "Happy Holidays."

"Tell your people Happy Holidays (Happy Holidays). / We're so blessed to see these better days. / Oh, what a year it's been / All the up's and down's … / It's a New Year, baby, so glad that we made it out / all drinks on me, uh (all drinks on me)," Jacquees soulfully sings on the last track.

"Jolly Liver," Beach Slang

"I want beer!" James Alex of Philly rock outfit Beach Slang repeatedly growls over the chorus of their new rock 'n roll bah-humbug track, "Jolly Liver." Alex, who penned the song, closes it out with the amazing lines: "A-well-a-well-a, ho, ho, ho / and a-all that junk. / There ain't no halo hangin' 'round this dump. / I meant to be a saint. I ended up a drunk."

The new, rocking holiday-inspired song, released earlier this month, came along with the news that the band's next album, The Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City, is due out Jan. 10.

"Not Another Christmas Song," blink-182

Apparently not one to follow their own advice, pop-punk group blink-182 follows 2001's "Won't Be Home For Christmas" with 2019's "Not Another Christmas Song." The new Christmas song has Mark Hoppus singing, "I'm burned out like lights on a tree. / Old songs, can't listen to these. / Fake a smile but all I can see is empty boxes and trees. / Another year not a coffin / Growing up or whatever you call it."

"Christmas Techno Dance," Klaus Blatter

This year, Santa was generous, as there are actually more new holiday songs than we can include on this list. We'll go out with the bizarre, hilarious holiday club track, "Christmas Techno Dance" by German comedic dance outfit act Klaus Blatter. It's paired with an equally wacky music video, for which the YouTube description explains, "The Christmas Techno Dance video is basically a summarized updating of the Bible with all the boring elements of the story removed… If you wish to enter the kingdom of god all you are for needing is this video and single of Klaus Blatter. The story is told!"

From the Recording Academy family to you and yours, please have a safe, joyful, music-filled holiday!

Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" Hits No. 1 25 Years After Its Initial Releas

GRAMMYs

SoundCloud

Photo Illustration: Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

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SoundCloud Unveils New Artist Tool Called Promote soundcloud-unveils-new-artist-marketing-tool-called-promote

SoundCloud Unveils New Artist Marketing Tool Called Promote

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Premier-tier users of the digital service can now self-manage their own promotional efforts to boost plays and grow audience
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Nov 12, 2019 - 3:35 pm

SoundCloud artists who have upgrated to Premier, the platform's premium-tier membership, now have a new promotional tool in their tool belt. Today the digital service launced Promote, a self-service feature empowering creators to boost plays and lift their songs to the top of listeners' feeds and mobile pages.

 Now you can promote your own track on SoundCloud. Check it out.  https://t.co/shrWr1R4DX pic.twitter.com/Kl1FCxXeIs

— SoundCloud (@SoundCloud) November 12, 2019

With Promote, Premier users can set their own budget and adjust advanced targeting options to, as SoundCloud's website puts it, "Get your music in front of our global tastemaker community." The promotional tool also allows artists to interact with fans and build real-time connections on the platform.

This new feature comes as part of the existing Premier plan, where artists get free distribution to every major music service with fast, direct payouts as well as, "Earn industry-leading revenue share on SoundCloud and keep 100 percent of your payouts from other services."

In order for artists to qualify for Premier and access the new Promote tool, they must be age 18 or older, be posting original music and have no copyright strikes against them and a minimum of 1,000 monetizable track plays on SoundCloud.

For more information, visit SoundCloud's Premier page.

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How New Artists Can Build A Following In 2019, According To SoundCloud

 

 

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.