Matt Ross-Spang

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Behind The Board: Matt Ross-Spang On Why Memphis Is The Reason He Produces

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The Memphis native, who has worked with Jason Isbell, Margo Price and others, shares what he feels is dying in the studio and more
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 22, 2019 - 10:10 am

GRAMMY-winning engineer, mixer and producer Matt Ross-Spang's first time in the studio was for his 14th birthday when he was given two hours of recording time at Sun Studio, known as the "birthplace of rock 'n' roll" in Memphis, Tenn. Engineer, musician and producer James Lott was on the board to help out. 

Mar 22, 2019 – 10:09 am

Behind The Board: Matt Ross-Spang

"I watched James working the faders and manning the controls and that's when I was like that's really cool." Ross-Spang says in the latest episode of Behind The Board. "'Cause I knew I wasn't going to be a great guitar player or anything I just enjoyed playing, but I saw that and I was like 'that's what I wanna do.'"

Ross-Spang, who has worked with Jason Isbell, John Prine, Margo Price and more, gets into how he produces depending on the artist, the kind of music-making he thinks is dying in the studio and some Memphis music history.

"If I had been born anywhere else I wouldn't be doing this," he said. "Memphis has kind of left a big mark on me."

Watch the video above.

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Wiz Khalifa

Photo: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Coachella

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Wiz Khalifa Announces Decent Exposure Tour With French Montana & More

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The tour announcement comes days after the rapper released the 'Fly Times, Vol.1: The Good Fly Young' mixtape
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 22, 2019 - 1:36 pm

Wiz Khalifa has announced plans to hit the road for his Decent Exposure Tour and will bring French Montana, Playboi Carti and more along with him.

The tour will kick off on July 9 in Atlanta, stop by in Cincinnati, Chicago, San Antonio, Texas, Denver and other cities before its last stop in Boise, Idaho on Aug. 15. Moneybagg Yo, DJ Drama and Chevy Woods will also tour with Khalifa. 

The tour announcement comes days after the rapper released the Fly Times, Vol.1: The Good Fly Young mixtape.

Tickets for the tour will be available to the general public Friday, April 26. For more information on tickets, visit the Ticketmaster website.  

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Imogen Heap of Frou Frou

Photo: Sergione Infuso/Corbis via Getty Images

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Frou Frou Release First Song In 15 Years, "Guitar Song (Live)"

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The duo, which comprises Imogen Heap and Guy Sigsworth, disbanded in 2004, but have reunited for Heap's Mycelia world tour
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 19, 2019 - 4:16 pm

GRAMMY-winning musician and singer Imogen Heap and GRAMMY-nominated producer/musician Guy Sigsworth have released their first song in 15 years as electronic-pop duo Frou Frou.

"Guitar Song (Live)"  was released Friday (April 19) and is an acoustic love song. "Take your time, we'll feel our rhythm/ And find our feet, just like lovers do/ Me and you," Heap sings. 

 "Guitar Song: It’s a song—with guitar! Easy, breezy and summery. Like João Gilberto playing shoegazer music. Or something :),” Sigsworth said in a statement. 

The duo released their debut and only album, Details, in 2002. The album featured "Breathe In" and "Let Go," which appears and helped bring to life Zach Braff's film Garden State. The duo disbanded in 2004 but reunited for Heap's Mycelia World tour. 

"So happy to be releasing dear ‘Guitar Song’ with Guy, as Frou Frou,” Imogen Heap said in the statement. “We never really got to tour as Frou Frou that much but we are making up for it and opening every show on this World Tour we are on with this song."

The two will launch the U.S. leg of the Mycelia world tour on April 28 in Miami. For more information on the tour, visit Imogen Heap's website. Listen to their latest above. 

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NU'EST

Photo:  VCG/VCG via Getty Images

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NU'EST And Tomorrow X Together To Perform At KCON In New York

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The convention, which brings panels, workshops and other events on K-pop, K-beauty, k-food, k-drama and all other things hallyu or Korean culture, will also come the Los Angeles Convention and Staples Center Oct. 15–18
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 19, 2019 - 11:31 am

KCON, the annual Korean entertainment and culture convention, has announced one veteran and one newcomer group of K-pop as the music artists for its 2019 New York event. 

Veterans NU'EST and rising stars Tomorrow X Together will perform at the convention, which is taking place July 6–7 at New York's Madison Square Garden and Javits Center. While no other details have been revealed, KCON says that more lineup information around its fifth annual NY convention will be coming soon.

The much-anticipated announcement was made live via Facebook and Instagram. Tomorrow X Together, known as TXT, released their debut EP The Dream Chapter: STAR in March and debuted at No. 1 On the Emerging Artists chart. They were announced first. 

NU'EST, who was a part of the first-ever KCON in Irvine, Calif. in 2012 and will release their latest album in late April, was announced second. 

The convention, which brings panels, workshops and other events on K-pop, K-beauty, k-food, k-drama and all other things hallyu or Korean culture, will also come the Los Angeles Convention and Staples Center Oct. 15–18. No lineup details on the L.A. event have been announced yet. KCON happens in other countries around the world, including Japan and Thailand. 

For more information on KCON in the U.S., visit their website. 

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Mary J. Blige

Photo: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Essence

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Mary J. Blige And Nas Announce Joint Tour

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The tour will launch in West Palm Beach, Fla., head to Virginia Beach, Va., Kansas City, Mo., Tuscaloosa, Ala., and more
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 16, 2019 - 2:56 pm

Iconic GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter Mary J. Blige and GRAMMY-nominated rapper Nas will tour together this summer, Live Nation has announced.

The tour will launch in West Palm Beach, Fla., head to Virginia Beach, Va., Kansas City, Mo., Tuscaloosa, Ala., and more before its last stop in Toronto, Ontario on Sept. 10.  

Blige and Nas have a history of collaborating. The two worked on Blige's "Love Is All We Need" from Share My World and Nas' "Reach Out" from Life Is Good. 

Presale tickets are available now. For more information, visit the Live Nation website. 

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