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      Laurence Gartel © 2014 The Recording Academy. All rights reserved

      News
      laurence-gartel-creates-official-57th-grammy-awards-artwork

      Laurence Gartel Creates The Official 57th GRAMMY Awards Artwork

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      Striking art for Music's Biggest Night features a life-sized version of the iconic GRAMMY statuette wrapped in distinctive psychedelic imagery using vinyl, glitter and prismatic materials
      GRAMMYs
      Dec 19, 2014 - 5:00 am

      The Recording Academy has announced the selection of artist Laurence Gartel to create the official artwork for the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards. The striking work features a life-sized version of the iconic GRAMMY statuette wrapped in the distinctive psychedelic imagery of the artist using vinyl, glitter and prismatic materials. The piece will be used to create the official artwork for Music's Biggest Night and will grace the cover of the GRAMMY Awards program book, telecast tickets, poster, and other promotional materials.

      "We are thrilled to have Laurence Gartel create our official GRAMMY Awards artwork as he brought a truly visual element to the iconic GRAMMY statuette," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "His work provides a fitting nod to the vibrancy of the artists, musicians, and creative professionals who we’ll honor at the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards."

      Gartel has been known around the world as a pioneer of digital art. His innovative and colorful imagery has championed many notable advertising campaigns over the past 35 years. He grew up in New York City, where he was greatly influenced by the punk rock scene, working alongside musicians Stiv Bators, Sid Vicious, Wendy O. Williams and the Ramones. His groundbreaking work has been exhibited in the United States at the Museum of Modern Art, Princeton University Art Museum, and Long Beach Museum of Art, as well as internationally in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Gartel has spent the last several years creating art cars and was the feature of the 113th Annual New York International Auto Show with his own Pavilion. View more of Gartel's work at www.gartelart.com.

      Gartel joins a growing list of talented artists, including Shepard Fairey, Charles Fazzino, Frank Gehry, Marcus Glenn, Phil Hansen and David LaChapelle, who have all created the annual official GRAMMY artwork.

      The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held Feb. 8, 2015, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). For updates and breaking news, visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. 

      Avicii

      Avicii

      Photo: Gabriel Olsen /Getty Images

      News
      Avicii Remembered By His Peers, Fans avicii-remembered-stockholm-coachella-and-fellow-artists

      Avicii Remembered In Stockholm, At Coachella, And By Fellow Artists

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      In the wake of his untimely death at age 28, Avicii's fans and fellow artists everywhere honor "one of the most important figures for EDM"
      Nate Hertweck
      GRAMMYs
      Apr 23, 2018 - 7:43 am

      The tragic news of Avicii's death at age 28 sent shockwaves through the music community all over the world. As fans and peers of the GRAMMY-nominated Swiss DJ/producer born Tim Bergling try to process this immense loss, his impact on music and culture was honored over the weekend everywhere from Coachella to Stockholm to a special program on SiriusXM Radio featuring fellow EDM artists Tiësto, Kaskade, Armin Van Buuren and Steve Aoki to social media, where superstars like Madonna and Diplo paid tribute.

      https://twitter.com/coachella/status/987511237784186885

      Thank you, Tim pic.twitter.com/sMBIjA8Uqb

      — Coachella (@coachella) April 21, 2018

      Coachella weekend two had just begun when the unexpected news of Avicii's death arrived in Indio, Calif. Norwegian DJ/producer Kygo honored the late EDM master by playing the song "Without You" while an image of Avicii showed on the giant video screens behind him, which then revealed the words "Rest in piece. We will miss you."

      Nile Rodgers, who collaborated with Avicii, also paid his respects from the Coachella stage during his set with Chic, saying, "Just yesterday, one of my best friends in the world, Avicii, passed away.” 

      Thousands of miles away in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 21, thousands of fans gathered at a dance music memorial to celebrate Avicii. Fans filled the city's Sergels Torg plaza, and clapped along, danced, and held up their hands to honor their fellow countryman.

      On the digital airwaves, Sirius XM's BPM Channel welcomed a host of EDM superstars to remember their comrade.

      "He was amazing. He just always thought out of the box. He came up with different melodies," said Tiësto. "He inspired so many other DJs as well. He's Kygo's biggest inspiration."

      Kaskade also offered a remembrance of Bergling, saying, "The thing I like to think about with Tim is when he came out with the album that was so infused with country music and he went up there at Ultra and invited all those people onstage to perform. … People were hating on that moment and really thinking to themselves, 'What is this guy doing?' I think a lot of the audience, it was lost on them because it was quite different. … And then when the music came out, he seemed like the smartest guy on the planet because it did connect."

      "When I really go back what Avicii did to electronic music," said Aoki, "I literally can hear him in all these songs even if they aren't his songs. He is one of the most important figures for EDM, that term, to even exist. That term is maybe 10 years old, and Avicii broke that term into existence. You know there's a few artists who can do that, and he is one of them."

      Artists also took to social media to honor their friend and collaborator. Madonna posted a photo of her and Avicii, saying, "So Sad....... So Tragic. Good Bye Dear Sweet Tim. Gone too Soon."

      https://www.instagram.com/p/BhzbSCuhFEd/?utm_source=ig_embed

      So Sad....... So Tragic. Good Bye Dear Sweet Tim. 💙 Gone too Soon. #avicii

      A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) on Apr 20, 2018 at 12:11pm PDT

      Diplo also crafted a post on his Instagram account, saying "You were the gold standard. You made me want try and make dance music when I first heard 'Seek Bromance.' And then u kept making feel like shit cause you kept getting better and I couldn't even mix a snare right... you were the best of this generation. A real superstar."

      https://www.instagram.com/p/BhzZlW4Awce/?utm_source=ig_embed

      You set the precedent for the rest of us producers/ opened doors and set the trends . A real groundbreaker and influencer to all your peers . You should have lived to be 150.. but your music is gonna live forever . I'm not just saying that.. but you are the only one to always make timeless songs. You were the gold standard . You made me want try and make dance music when i first heard "seek bromance" . And then u kept making feel like shit cause you kept gettin better and i couldn't even mix a snare right .. you were the best of this generation . A real superstar 🌟 I know you had your demons and maybe this wasn't the right place for you sometimes , but we need to protect true artists like you at all costs because there are not enough left and we are losing too many .. be good Tim

      A post shared by diplo (@diplo) on Apr 20, 2018 at 11:57am PDT

      Swedish DJ/Producer Avicii Dies At 28

      NCT 127

      NCT 127

      Photo: VCG/Getty Images

      News
      NCT 127 & Stray Kids Coming To KCON 2018 NY kcon-2018-ny-hails-return-nct-127-debut-stray-kids

      KCON 2018 NY Hails Return Of NCT 127, Debut Of Stray Kids

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      Acts join already announced artists EXID, Heize and Wanna One for a June concert that will be K-hot
      Philip Merrill
      GRAMMYs
      Apr 20, 2018 - 5:49 pm

      On June 23–24 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, KCON USA returns to the East Coast, bolstering the growing demand for K-pop artistry in the U.S. Dubbed "KCON 2018 NY," teasers built suspense for the April 19 artist reveal, building to a satisfying peak as NCT 127 and Stray Kids have been added to the lineup.

      Last year the nine members of NCT 127 were newcomers at both KCON 2017 NY and the West Coast KCON 2017 LA, with their hits "Cherry Bomb" and Fire Truck" in tow. The crowd's enthusiasm led Billboard to compare their reception with the 2014 reaction to BTS' debut.

      NCT 127's members originate from Canada, China and Japan as well as Korea. The editors at Apple Music honored them as the first K-pop artists on their "New Artist of the Week" list, in addition to hosting them at a "Today at Apple" in-store appearance in Brooklyn.

      JYP Entertainment's Stray Kids, who will be making their U.S. debut, also comprise nine members. They have been heating up the Korean market as emerging artists and Billboard described them last month as the new "power player" that has everyone talking about them. Several members have also been impressive at developing their songwriting talents and contributing to the group's repertoire. Their "District 9" hit was notable for its rap/rock blend and impressive dancing, and is expected to cause raptures at the Prudential Center. In less than a month it has gained more than 20 million YouTube views.

      https://twitter.com/kconusa/status/974373225089007617

      Are you ready? Let's KCON! #KCON18NY #KCON18LA pic.twitter.com/Rrs0Ozf9o7

      — KCON USA (@kconusa) March 15, 2018

      NCT 127 and Stray Kids are joining already announced artists EXID, Heize and Wanna One for KCON 2018 NY. Tickets go on sale on May 11 for the concert and registration for the convention-event begins May 14.

      KCON 2018 LA is coming to Staples Center and the LA Convention Center in August. So how hot do we think this summer is going to be? K-hot.

      Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

      Record Store Day

      Photo: Adam Berry/Getty Images

      Feature
      Drop The Needle On Record Store Day In NYC record-store-day-2018-needle-drops-nyc

      Record Store Day 2018: The Needle Drops In NYC

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      With the biggest day of the year for independent record stores upon us, go behind the scenes at three of New York City's best vinyl shops
      Nate Hertweck
      GRAMMYs
      Apr 20, 2018 - 4:40 pm

      Record store culture and the physical music product experience it revolves around are alive and well in 2018. The proof is everywhere: vinyl sales are still surging, cassettes are cool again, HD vinyl is on the near horizon, and record stores continue to matter — just ask Record Store Day 2018 ambassadors Run The Jewels.

      No day of the year celebrates the vinyl-loving lifestyle more than Record Store Day (on April 21 this year) and nowhere is the real-time churn of this phenomenon more vibrant or visible than in New York City.

      New York's energy, density and diversity are conducive to vinyl culture. And Record Store Day's mixture of exclusive releases speaks to the city's storied musical history, and local events make it a fulcrum for the crossfade between hardcore enthusiasts and transient super-fans. All involved are looking for that vinyl vibe.

      "People get a tactile experience and an auditory experience with records that they would never get with digital files," says Daniel Givens, store clerk at Good Records NYC in the East Village. "Even if they made virtual records, you wouldn't be able to touch the record and smell the cover and look at the big picture on the cover, that sort of thing."

      Since 2008, Record Store Day has gathered independent record store owners and employees for a celebration of the unique culture surrounding the nearly 1,400 independently-owned record stores in the U. S. The resulting holiday accounts for a huge spike in business for most shops.

      "It is definitely our biggest day of the year," says Dennis Manzanedo, head buyer at Rough Trade NYC in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which boasts an attached music venue. "We go full in and try to carry every title that we can. We have events all day long. People start lining up the night before. The whole staff is really into it … we build up to the day, and get the store ready."

      Record Store Day Line

      Rough Trade is making the most of Record Store Day this year, hosting live bands in the attached music venue, a book signing, a listening party, beer tasting, and more. 

      "It's like a party atmosphere, you know, people are in a really good mood. We've got megaphones to announce to people outside and let them know when things are selling out." — Dennis Manzanedo, Rough Trade NYC

      Each year, as the holiday's main event, there are dozens of Record Store Day special releases that get distributed throughout the country, creating a buzz among collectors and fans, and many record stores see the holiday as an opportunity to give their clientele a little something extra.

      "It's our hands-down busiest day of the year," says Jeff Conklin, new music uyer at Academy Records, which has multiple locations in town. "We try to have a lot of fun with it. We arrange with Stumptown Coffee to give out free coffee. We get doughnuts from a local doughnut shop and give them out … we try to make it fun for anybody who comes in the store."

      Many music lovers who come out on Record Store Day are in search of exclusives. At Rough Trade, for instance, the line stretches down the block and some customers wait over four hours to search through the special release section. But ultimately record store culture is about so much more. It's about a like-minded gathering. It's about music.

      "You'll see all of our regulars will be here, too, amongst a lot of people we've never seen before of course," says Manzanedo. "It's just become more than a sales day, it's more like a celebration, and that's why we like having the bands all day. You don't have to buy anything, you can just walk in, walk through the door and go right into the venue and watch bands for free all day. But if you want to look at the exclusive stuff that’s where the long line might take a couple hours to get in and a lot of people wait all day long."

      https://twitter.com/AcademyRecords/status/987428592199102464

      Both stores opening at 10am tomorrow. Closing at 8 or later depending on the scene.... pic.twitter.com/2kWntfZi3S

      — Academy Records NYC (@AcademyRecords) April 20, 2018

      "We open two hours earlier, about 10 a.m.," adds Conklin. "I usually get to the shop about 9 o'clock and generally there's already a line of about 20 people. By the time we open there's usually 50–60 people waiting to get in. I'd say during the day we see probably around 1,200–1,500 people come through the store."

      But not every person or store in the record store community share the exuberance for the holiday. For better or worse, Record Store Day can feel like an Irish Pub on St. Patrick's Day — full of transient partiers, so to speak — and sometimes the costs of doing business can put smaller stores at risk.

      "Record stores spend a lot of money pouring into the inventory that's offered for Record Store Day, and none of that merchandise is returnable, so whatever that store doesn't sell, they're stuck with," explains Givens, noting that his personal opinion on the matter comes from working at several different record stores throughout New York since Record Store Day launched. "I've seen it put a pinch in record stores' wallets because they want to support Record Store Day and they want to offer these exclusive titles to the customers, but it's always such a crapshoot of what people are actually looking for and what the stores actually are allotted based on their orders."

      "Record Store Day should be every day, generally. It should be something that is celebrated not necessarily once a year where it's like a Black Friday thing where there's masses of people looking for the same thing like an Easter egg hunt." — Daniel Givens, Good Records NYC

      Givens admits the special releases are not only a good selling point, but they have also gotten qualitatively better over the years. He also points out that many of the special titles are geared toward an older audience, or offer up repackagings of records that are already available.

      "[A record] that you would generally be able to find in the record store for $10 or less," says Givens, "is reissued for Record Store Day on colored vinyl, or it has one bonus track, or it has a little bit of incentive for someone to buy it. But generally, it's the same record that people grew up listening to. For us, we deal mostly in second-hand records. …We will have some [special releases] but we're not carrying every title that's released by any means. That's not what our clientele is about."

      https://twitter.com/GoodRecordsNYC/status/987404857521795072

      🚨 late addition 🚨

      we’ll have a couple copies of Frank Ocean “Endless” on vinyl for #RSD18. Priced at market rate. Will not last!

      — Good Records NYC (@GoodRecordsNYC) April 20, 2018

      Still, the spirit of Record Store Day goes beyond the economics to celebrate the special role record stores play as the de facto headquarters for local music fans who crave something physical.

      "Record stores still operate, not only obviously as a place to support music and musicians, but as a community space, where bands are still able to hang their fliers and people hang out and talk to each other and learn about music," "says Conklin.

      "It's a real tactile, non-algorithm way to learn about new music and discover things that you might not find anywhere else." — Jeff Conklin, Academy Records

      "I think it's important, just like a bookstore, that these sort of analog spaces exist so people don't lose touch with reality as they might in a digital world or with a digital experience," adds Givens.

      With so many changes over the past few decades in the way fans consume music, the future of record stores has been uncertain for some time. But the oral tradition of word-of-mouth remains a big part of the discovery process for devoted music fans.

      "I wasn't really sure when we opened up if people were still going to want to come in and treat it like a traditional store and talk to the employees and physically interact with the product and have conversations," says Manzanedo. "But it's become a place where people hang out. We have free wi-fi so you can hang out, sit on a couch, and read a magazine. But people also come in with lists and they're looking for recommendations."

      Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

      Adele and Rihanna at the 55th GRAMMY Awards

      Adele and Rihanna

      Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com

      Poll
      Adele, Bey, RiRi, T-Swizzle: Favorite Debut Album? adele-beyonc%C3%A9-rihanna-taylor-swift-favorite-debut-album-poll

      Adele, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Taylor Swift: Favorite Debut Album | Poll

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      The soul of '19,' the craziness of 'Dangerously In Love,' the hot factor of 'Music Of The Sun,' or the teen innocence of 'Taylor Swift' — which is your favorite?
      Tim McPhate
      GRAMMYs
      Apr 20, 2018 - 2:56 pm

      Collectively, they've hauled in more than 50 GRAMMY Awards between them. Individually, each made a huge splash with their first musical impression — their debut studio album.

      Polls

      Adele, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Taylor Swift: Which debut album from these GRAMMY winners is your favorite?

      Beyoncé, 'Dangerously In Love' (2003)
      24%
      Rihanna, 'Music Of The Sun' (2005)
      6%
      Taylor Swift, 'Taylor Swift' (2006)
      32%
      Adele, '19' (2008)
      38%

      After her reign in Destiny's Child, Beyoncé set out on her own with 2003's Dangerously In Love. Her solo debut featured a "good balance of ... ballads and ... mid-tempos with just ridin'-in-your-car feels, to a lot of ... up-tempo club songs, to really sexy songs," as Bey put it. It spawned two No. 1 jams — "Crazy In Love" and "Baby Boy" — and earned the Texas native five GRAMMYs, including Best Contemporary R&B Album.

      Spanning dancehall songs and R&B ballads, Rihanna struck gold, literally, with her debut, 2005's Music Of The Sun. The LP no doubt lit the fire for the Barbadian beauty's career, yielding the hits "Pon De Replay" and "If It's Lovin' That You Want" on its way to a No. 10 position on the Billboard 200. Music Of The Sun was certified gold by the RIAA, marking the first hint of RiRi's future sales dominance.

      Released in 2006, Taylor Swift offered an impressive glimpse into the promising songcraft of one Taylor Alison Swift — and she was only 16 when she released it. The countryfied debut featured five big singles — each attaining RIAA platinum status by the RIAA — including "Tim McGraw," "Teardrops On My Guitar" and "Our Song." AllMusic labeled her a "talent to be reckoned [with]" — indeed, Swift earned her first GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist at the 50th GRAMMY Awards.

      Adele's career hit the ground running with the release of 19 in 2008. Blue-eyed soul hits such as "Chasing Pavements," "Hometown Glory" and "Make You Feel My Love" provided compelling testimony to Adele's powerful voice, which BBC Music described as "stunning." It all yielded an equally stunning first act for the English singer, who earned a No. 4 Billboard 200 debut, sales of more than 3 million, and her first career GRAMMYs for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Chasing Pavements."

      It goes without saying, each of these albums made a huge dent on pop culture. But we want to know: Which of these debut albums is your favorite? Cast your vote!

      Getting The Latest Music News Just Got Easier. Introducing: GRAMMY Bot. Find it On KIK and Facebook Messenger

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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.