SXSW Panel: Are Brands the New Music Tastemakers?

By Laura Ferreiro

While most of Austin was still asleep or nursing their hangovers, a few dozen of us gathered in the Austin Convention Center on the last day of the South by Southwest music festival to discuss how brands and musical artists can effectively work together to create mutually beneficial campaigns, and the role brands can play in being musical trailblazers.

In a panel titled “Are Brands the New Music Tastemakers?,” representatives from major consumer brands including Kerry Doyle of Ford Motor Company, Brenden Miller of Under Armour, and Raul Ruiz of Corona, explained the value that their brands see in partnering with musicians, including those from several genres that run the gamut from hugely popular to up-and-coming.

“I like to work with bands that are just bubbling up,” said Miller about his work with sports apparel brand Under Armour. A former artist manager, Miller is relatively new to his role with the company, which involves strategically integrating music into the brand’s advertising and marketing campaigns.

Meanwhile, Ford has worked with everyone from country superstar Toby Keith to burgeoning indie bands including Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and The Lumineers, and proudly pointed to the success of its “Rider Challenge” series.

The web series aired on Live Nation’s website and featured teams driving around different cities in Ford Fiestas to fill the bands’ tour rider requests, which ranged from blue M&M’s to Turkish towels. The winning team drove home two Ford Fiestas, and received unlimited passes to attend Live Nation concerts for a year.

Doyle said that the campaign was a great way to attract the attention of Millennials, and received a huge amount of media coverage in outlets ranging from Variety to Billboard. “It got a lot of great PR,” she said of the series, which aired during the fourth quarter of 2013. “The brands pushed it and so did the bands,” she added, pointing out that Ford has such a big reach that the artists get great exposure from these partnerships as well as the brand.

Doyle also said that Ford recently teamed up with indie record label IAMSOUND and Pitchfork TV to present a series of invitation-only concerts in Los Angeles with up-and-coming artists on IAMSOUND’s label, including Guards and MS MR. “It needs to be something more than pasting your logo all over the place,” she said of the partnerships. “Brands need to move at the speed of culture or ahead of it.”

Meanwhile, Corona teamed up with the hugely popular Latin rock band Mana to tap into the Latin market. The beer purveyors launched “Mana Como Nunca” (Mana Like Never Before), which featured rising Latin artists “refreshing” classic Mana songs and putting their own spin on the band’s hits. Corona customers received exclusive, free access to the tracks online and were entered into a sweepstakes for a VIP concert experience with Mana in Las Vegas.

While each brand has its own distinctive ways of reaching customers through music, there’s one thing they all agreed upon – each of the brands uses music to connect to people’s emotions. The one thing that’s undeniable, Miller said, is that “music connects with everyone.”

SXSW Establishes Fund to Aid Victims of Fatal Music Festival Crash

The South by Southwest Festival, with the support of the Austin Police Department, and City of Austin officials, has vowed to continue with the regularly scheduled SXSW programs and concerts following a drunken driving incident on March 13, 2014 that killed two festival goers and injured 23 others.

“If we were to turn away potentially thousands of people who will arrive to see the shows, it would create a serious safety issue,” said SXSW founder Roland Swenson.

In response to the tragic incident, a SXSW Cares Fund has been established to assist the people affected by the accident through a community-based process created by representatives of SXSW, the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Austin Community Foundation.

“We have spent today working with SXSW and the City to create a relief fund for the victims,” said James Moody, the owner of Mohawk, the venue where the accident took place. “This is our number one priority — their care and support. We are a community here that exists far beyond the 10 days of SXSW. Our intent is to come together to help the families of each and every one of the victims.”

Those in need of grief counseling can contact the American Red Cross at 800-928-4271 ext 1132.

Anyone interested in donating to the victims and their families should visit sxswcares.com.

Broken Bells Team Up with Space Foundation to Save the Earth from Asteroids

Broken Bells

By Sarah Weiss

Renowned indie rockers Broken Bells have announced that they are partnering with the B612 Foundation starting with their April West Coast tour. For the duration of their tour, $1 from every concert ticket sold will be donated to help fund B612’s Sentinel Mission of protecting the Earth from impending asteroids and to map future space explorations.

The B612 Foundation is in the process of creating the first comprehensive map of the inner solar system that will warn of potential asteroid-earth collisions, and clear the way for future space exploration.

Broken Bells, which is a collaboration between The Shins’ James Mercer and renowned producer Danger Mouse, a.k.a Brian Burton — who is currently working with U2 on their upcoming studio album — are set to perform at the two Coachella Festival weekends in April. In between the two weekends, they’re set to play at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on April 15.

After the Fonda Theatre concert, Broken Bells and the B612 Foundation will host a star-gazing after party on the rooftop of the venue. Danger Mouse and Mercer will be in attendance, as well as Dr. Marc Buie, the mission specialist on the B612 project, Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9 astronaut and co-founder of the B612 Foundation.

Buie and Schweickart will also give a presentation highlighting the Sentinel Project and the current dangers surrounding asteroids. After party guests can enjoy a complementary space-themed drink while gazing into the sky with telescopes manned by astronomers at JPL. To purchase tickets for the after party, click here.

In the meantime, check out Broken Bells’ outerspace-themed video starring actress Kate Mara below:

Lady Gaga to Donate Proceeds from Her Debut SXSW Performance to the Born This Way Foundation

By Laura Ferreiro

Lady Gaga has announced that she will make her South by Southwest debut on March 13. The pop star is set to headline a Doritos-sponsored event at Stubb’s barbeque, and she intends to donate the proceeds she’ll be paid for the performance to the Born This Way Foundation, her non-profit organization that combats bullying and works toward creating a “kinder, braver world.”

In keeping with the Foundation’s mission of encouraging bravery, Gaga announced a competition whereby people who “share a picture or video that expresses their individuality through a bold action,” using the hashtags #BoldBravery and #BoldStage and uploading it to Twitter, Instagram or Vine, will have the chance to win tickets to the show at the renowned Austin music festival.

“There are personal brave moments when you face one person, and brave moments that help change the world, when you face many,” Lady Gaga told Rolling Stone. “Whether I’m fighting for equal rights with Born This Way or fighting for creativity and art with ARTPOP, I’m always aware of the many I will face in opposition. With ARTPOP, I hope to inspire the audience at SXSW to cherish their individual talents.”

The “Applause” singer added that performing at Stubb’s will be a real “blast from the past” because she used to play at the renowned Texas barbeque joint “with a Bud Light and a bikini” before she became famous.

Charli XCX, EMA, Future Islands, Gruff Rhys, The Mary Onettes and More to Headline Orange-Sponsored SXSW Day Parties Benefiting Little Kids Rock

Charli XCX

By Laura Ferreiro 

Charli XCX, EMA, Future Islands, The Mary Onettes, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals and Neon Neon, Connan Mockasin and Lost in the Trees are among the bands that will headline the Orange Amplification-sponsored Under the Radar day parties at SXSW benefiting music education charity Little Kids Rock.

The parties will take place March 12-14 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Flamingo Cantina, 515 E. 6th Street, Austin, and are free and open to the public.

Every time someone uses the hashtag #OrangeGives on Twitter or Instagram at the SXSW parties or from the comfort of their own home, Orange will donate $1 to Little Kids Rock. You don’t need to be at SXSW to participate, but bonus points if you post a photo or video of a band getting loud with Orange gear along with the hashtag #OrangeGives.

The #OrangeGives campaign will kick off Wednesday, March 12 at 11am CST and ends Sunday, March 16 at 11:59pm CST.

SXSW party set times:

Wednesday, March 12

5:00 PM: EMA
4:05 PM: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
3:15 PM: Casual Sex
2:25 PM: Future Islands
1:35 PM: Connan Mockasin
12:45 PM: Lost in the Trees
12:00 PM: Saintseneca

Thursday, March 13

5:00 PM: We Were Promised Jetpacks
4:05 PM: The Mary Onettes
3:15 PM: Small Black
2:25 PM: Avi Buffalo
1:35 PM: Thumpers
12:45 PM: Painted Palms
12:00 PM: GEMS

Friday, March 14

5:05 PM: Yamantaka//Sonic Titan
4:10 PM: Arthur Beatrice
3:20 PM: Weekend
2:25 PM: Charli XCX
1:35 PM: Gruff Rhys
12:45 PM: Woman’s Hour
12:00 PM: Glass Animals

SXSW-goers will also have the opportunity to demo Orange gear at the Orange-sponsored Under the Radar day parties, so come on by if you’ll be in Austin!

M4G Media – the consulting arm of Music for Good – worked with Orange to create a campaign that would enable the historic brand to help one of their favorite causes while also giving people the chance to experience Orange’s distinctive amps.

Whether or not you make it to SXSW, use the #OrangeGives hashtag on Twitter and Instagram from March 12-16 and Orange Amps will donate $1 to Little Kids Rock!

Orange Amplification Gets Loud at SXSW to Support Music Education in Schools

By Laura Ferreiro

Renowned guitar amplifier manufacturer Orange Amplification is turning up the volume on free music education in schools to help offset nationwide budget cuts that are eliminating music programs in low-income communities across the U.S.

To help rectify this problem, the distinctive British amplifier brand has teamed up with national nonprofit Little Kids Rock and M4G Media to create the Orange Gives Campaign. Orange will donate $1 to Little Kids Rock every time someone posts to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #OrangeGives from March 12-16, 2014.

What’s more, anyone who includes the #OrangeGives hashtag along with a photo or video showing Orange gear – whether on stage at SXSW, in their home studio or with bands rocking out at a local club – will be entered into a drawing to win a premium Orange OR15 Amp Head.

In addition to the #OrangeGives campaign, Orange will give SXSW-goers the opportunity to demo gear at the Orange-sponsored Under the Radar day parties, March 12-14 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Flamingo Cantina, 515 E. 6th Street, Austin. The parties are free and open to the public—no RSVPs or badges required.

Little Kids Rock is a national nonprofit that transforms children’s lives by restoring and revitalizing music education in under-served public schools. The organization partners with school districts to train public school teachers in their innovative curriculum while donating all of the instruments and resources necessary to run rockin’ music programs.

“The future of music is Little Kids Rock,” says Alex Auxier, Artist Relations Manager for Orange Amplifiers. “Across the country music programs are losing financial support. Every lost dollar could mean another child never learns to play an instrument – a skill that can be vital to their well being. Orange Amps supports Little Kids Rock because we believe it is our obligation. Tag #OrangeGives and let’s create another generation of talented musicians together!”

Little Kids Rock counts several notable musicians among its supporters, including Metallica’s James Hetfield, Steven Van Zandt, Elvis Costello, Josh Groban, Carlos Santana and Bonnie Raitt.

“Little Kids Rock is thrilled to be partnering with Orange Amplifiers,” says Little Kids Rock Founder and Executive Director, David Wish. “Their support will help us turn up the volume in public schools across the country by bringing our free, rockin’ music education program into their kids’ lives!”

M4G Media — the consulting arm of Music for Good — worked with Orange to create a campaign that would enable the historic brand to help one of their favorite causes while also giving people the chance to experience Orange’s distinctive amps.

Whether or not you make it to SXSW, be sure to use the #OrangeGives hashtag on Twitter and Instagram from March 12-16 and Orange Amps will donate $1 to Little Kids Rock!

U2 and Bank of America Team Up to Fight AIDS with New Single “Invisible”

By Sarah Weiss

Joining in the fight to stop AIDS can be as simple as pressing a button. Irish rock band U2 has teamed up with Bank of America to raise money to benefit RED’s campaign to fight AIDS and other deadly diseases while promoting their new single, “Invisible.”

For every download of the single via iTunes, RED’s Global Fund will be given a $1 donation from Bank of America.

Donations made to the Global Fund before December 31, 2015 will also be matched by Bank of America until they reach their pledge of $10 million dollars.

So far, more than $3 million dollars have been raised from the “Invisible” campaign that began on Feb. 2 with the premiere of U2’s single during the Super Bowl. An hour after the commercial aired, the single was downloaded by more than one million fans.

“Invisible” is the first song U2 has finished from their forthcoming album, which was produced by Danger Mouse (The Black Keys, Gorillaz) and is expected to be released in the late spring or early summer. However, Bono says it won’t be the album’s first single, but it’s more of a teaser for the album. “We have another song we’re excited about to kick off the album,” Bono told USA Today. “This is just sort of a sneak preview – to remind people we exist.”

RED was initiated in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver to provide funding for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Since its inception, RED has provided more than $240 million to the Global Fund which finances AIDS treatment, testing and prevention services in eight African countries.

“U2 provides the talent, RED brings a wealth of experience in the fight against AIDS, and we offer an immense platform to help get the message out,” said Anne Finucane, global strategy and marketing officer for Bank of America. “Together, we can produce significant results, as evidenced by the awareness we’ve been able to build and money we’ve been able to raise over the past few days.”

To download “Invisible,” click here. To make a donation to RED, click here.

Musicians, Brands and Charities Descend on NAMM 2014

By Laura Ferreiro

A cacophony of sounds emanated from every corner of the Anaheim Convention Center, which could only mean that NAMM was in town. From pounding drums to strummed ukuleles and singers hitting high notes to demo sound equipment, this maddeningly delightful sensory overload takes place each year at none other than the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) four-day conference and trade show.

Thousands of musicians, instrument makers and gear-heads mixed, mingled and performed music while thousands of brands showed off their latest wares. Technology-driven music products, such as the Garritan Abbey Road CFX Concert Grand, featuring the Yamaha CFX Concert Grand piano recorded in London’s Abbey Road Studios’ historic Studio One, illustrated what the future of music will look like.

Several music-related charities were also on hand, spreading the word about their important work, ranging from offering kids the chance to record their own music for free in state-of the-art facilities to teaching them about the science of sound.

Michelle Moog-Koussa gets comfy on a Minimoog sofa

The Bob Moog Foundation, which honors the legacy of electronic music pioneer Bob Moog, promoted its flagship program, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, which teaches second grade students the physics of sound using acoustic and electronic musical instruments such as the theremin and oscilloscopes. “We’re really proud because we’re serving 55 classrooms and over thousand kids,” Foundation director Michelle Moog-Koussa told Music for Good. “The program teaches kids about the basic physics of sound. We also train second grade teachers so we’re educating two generations at a time.”

Meanwhile, staff from Little Kids Rock, a renowned non-profit that provides free music education and instruments to kids in schools in underserved areas throughout the country, met with members of the music industry to further their cause.

The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, which has become a regular fixture at NAMM, was parked outside the convention center offering tours to kids, musicians, and anyone interested in getting a glimpse of its state-of-the-art recording facilities. This non-profit mobile recording studio offers students the chance to write and record music with top-notch equipment and music professionals at no charge.

“We’re at NAMM to promote our idea and get musicians involved in supporting the bus,” engineer/producer said Hans Ages. “It’s a free space where kids can be completely creative. It’s a ripe environment for inspiration!”

NAMM also hosted several educational sessions for attendees, and Smokey Robinson was honored as with the Music for Life award for his five decades of enduring influence in popular music and for shaping the Motown legacy.

Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Ziggy Marley and More Rally to Save the Oceans

By Sarah Weiss

The Tortuga Music Festival is focused on saving the world—or at least the 71 percent of it that is covered by oceans.

The second annual Rock the Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival will take place on April 12 and 13 on Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida. Luke Brian and Eric Church will headline the concert as well as Train, Sheryl Crow, Billy Currington, Slightly Stoopid, Ziggy Marley, among many others.

Three concert stages will be set up on the beach, along with a Conservation Village offering educational and interactive healthy-ocean activities for festival attendees.

The goal of the festival is to promote public awareness of issues that are plaguing the oceans such as reef degradation, overfishing and sharkfinning.

Last year’s festival was attended by more than 25,000 people and more than $70,000 was donated to ocean conservation. This year’s early bird tickets have been sold out, but tickets can still be purchased online here.

Ysanne Teams Up With Sea Shepherd to Protect Dolphins & Other Marine Life

Ysanne

By Hilary Gridley

This past April, composer and Smashing Pumpkins violinist Ysanne announced a musical partnership to support healthy oceans. Now, as the world watches while Japanese fishermen threaten the lives and well being of hundreds of dolphins, Ysanne has returned to the front lines of ocean activism with a new song, “Waltzing Matilda-ish.”

Ysanne kicked off her 13-song audio-visual experience, The Coldwater Project, with “The Mermaid Song,” featuring the 44-piece City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. The song’s digital package included two short films and inspired an exclusive mermaid-shaped bath bomb from LUSH Cosmetics. Sales from these and related products have already raised an impressive $24,000 for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an international non-profit that works to protect the world’s oceans and marine life.

The announcement comes at an important time for Sea Shepherd and all ocean activists. This past weekend, the organization shone a frightening light on the annual hunting of dolphins at Taiji Cove in Japan. The hunt, which sparked international outrage after the release of the 2009 documentary, The Cove, involves fishermen rounding up hundreds of dolphins to sell into captivity or simply slaughter.

To support Sea Shepherd’s work in fighting this and other attacks on sea life, Ysanne has joined forces with them once again to release another song. “Waltzing Matilda-ish” tells the story of a sailor and a mermaid and is available for download on AmazingTunes.com. Amazing Tunes has waived the download fee for the song, which means that 100 percent of the sales proceeds will be donated to Sea Shepherd.

“I’m so grateful for the tireless work Sea Shepherd does to protect marine wildlife, and particularly at this time their work protecting dolphins and whales off the coast of Japan,” Ysanne tells Music for Good. “As the world’s eyes turn to watch the annual dolphin hunt in this region, Sea Shepherd are there to protect these highly social, gentle and intelligent mammals, and to direct our gaze to the immoral and cruel practices of these hunters.”

She adds, “I love Japan… I lived in Tokyo for a while. I’m currently working with a Japanese Butoh dance company, and I adore all Japanese traditions and culture. But the annual dolphin hunt in Taiji was only established in 1969, so any defense of it as ‘Japanese tradition’ is simply nonsense.”

Ysanne is joined by many other musicians, actors, and activists in her condemnation of the Taiji hunt, including William Shatner, Yoko Ono, Richard Branson, Ricky Gervais, and US Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy.

In addition to purchasing the song, ocean lovers should visit The Dodo‘s roundup of ways to take action and put an end to Taiji’s dolphin hunts.