Mexican-American singer Trini Lopez, who had a hit in 1963 with his version of 'If I Had A Hammer', and was a successful guitar-maker, has died at 83 of coronavirus, The New York Times reports. Lopez, an accomplished guitarist, was mentored by Buddy Holly and Frank Sinatra and designed two instruments for the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters said Lopez left "a beautiful music legacy", he called his own Trini Lopez guitar his "most prized possession" and said it had been "the sound of the Foo Fighters from day one". Lopez recorded more than 60 albums and was a popular headliner in Las Vegas.

34-years-old Nikki Paterson from Scotland has 47 tattoos, 23 of which are of Eminem, The Sun reports. She hopes this will get her into the Guinness World Book of Records. Paterson said she has been listening to Eminem since she was 14, and that she fell in love with him after hearing 'Stan', a song about a crazy fan.

"The fan believes the artist and their work helped them come into their own. The artist’s work becomes a comfort—almost like a friend on their journey—as they figure out who they want to be" author Hannah Ewens says in Bitch Media interview about her new book 'Fangirls: Scenes from Modern Music Culture'. The book traces the history of fandom from the Beatles onward to contextualize what fandom means, how it functions, and how it both reflects and drives cultural conversations about everything from teenage girls to mental health. Ewens also differentiates between fans and stans, the latter of whom go to extreme lengths to prove their devotion.

Critic Briana Younger and NPR Music have launched The South Got Something To Say, a project about Southern hip-hop. It goes into the idea of it, the history, the dirty side (twerking), etc.

British producer and PC Music label boss A.G. Cook released his first proper album '7G', comprised of seven discs, totaling in over 2 and a half hours of music. Every disc includes seven tracks, each dedicated to a different instrument: drums, guitar, supersaw, piano, Nord, spoken word, and extreme vocals. On the guitar one, he’s reimagined as a sad-sack Bandcamp god; in another, he’s a maniacally demented pop musician. There’s a lot to admire in here, a lot that helps illuminate why Cook has become a creative sounding board for his fellow weirdo pop musicians. His ear for melody is masterful, and his take on pop music can range from hyper-glossy to hyper-abrasive - Stereogum argues. The full album is here.

English music producer and engineer Martin Birch, who worked on iconic albums by Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Whitesnake, and Black Sabbath has died aged 71, Ultimate Classic Rock reports. Birch began his industry career as an engineer, earning early credits on albums by Jeff Beck and Fleetwood Mac. He worked also with Wishbone Ash, and Rainbow, while he finished his career with the epic 'Fear of the Dark' by Iron Maiden.

NME's columnist put it clear and simple: "Give us escapism; take us out of our misery just like your music does. Transform your front room into a scale facsimile of the bridge of the Nostromo, mash every loose food item into a ceiling high sculpture of Apollo, put psychedelic stardust filters on your next colonoscopy. Just take us anywhere that isn’t here".

Tim and Fred Williams are twenty-one-year-old twins from Gary, Indiana, who make videos of themselves listening to famous songs for the first time, and release those on their YouTube channel TwinsthenewTrend. They've uploaded dozens of songs, mostly rock - Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Johnny Cash - and their most popular one is Phil Collins’s 'In the Air Tonight', with over 4 million views. The New Yorker likes the naivety of the two...

American funk band Vulfpeck has offered track 10 from the band's upcoming album 'The Joy of Music, The Job of Real Estate' to the highest bidder, The Line of Best Fit reports. Track 10 from Vulfpeck's new LP is currently listed on eBay, and the highest bidder will get naming rights to the track and two-and-a-half-minutes on the LP. The buyer won't get the right to earn any of money back, since the winner has to assign all royalties to the band and "will receive no financial remuneration, like ever".

Silicon Valley firm xMEMs is working on robust headphones, that would revolutionise the headphone market, BBC reports. The basis of their tech is "piezoelectric effect" - if you bend some materials, they produce an electric current, and if you pass an electric current through them they bend. They're using that bendiness to make small speakers that can match the very best sound produced the traditional way, while also being robust and waterproof. The first headphones with this technology are expected on the market next April.

Acclaimed rapper CeeLo Green has spoken out against music created by Nicki Minaj and Cardi B who he suggested are crying out for attention at any cost. “We are adults. There should be a time and a place for adult content. As adults and artists, we should at least attempt to be each other’s accountability partners in some regard. The stereotypes that are celebrated and perpetuated, ultimately make the perception a reality. It is disenfranchising and it has caused a great deal of problems” - he told Far Out Magazine. “Attention is also a drug and competition is around” he adds - “Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, they are all more or less doing similar salacious gesturing to kinda get into position. I get it, the independent woman and being in control, the divine femininity and sexual expression. I get it all but it comes at what cost?”.

"Bandcamp’s artist-first mentality trickles down to the zealousness of their userbase. Their comments and music collections are just as important as the money coming in, establishing a connection, and encouraging digital diggers to explore and expand their palettes "- DJ Booth argues in favor of the lovely music service / social network (rap has been a more of a Soundcloud kind of genre). There's good music there, and - "in a world kept separate by the still-raging coronavirus... Engaging with musicians breeds a different kind of intimacy".

Good old Alanis Morissette got it real good on 'Reasons I Drink', accompanied by a great video; Conway the Machine goes haunting on psychedelic on 'Lemon', with Method Man as his right hand; Jamila Woods continues her hommage series - 'Sula' honors the late novelist Toni Morrison; Max Richter's 'Mercy' is minimalist and beautiful, performed on violin and piano.

Alt TikTok is a TikTok sub-scene that is exerting growing influence on the music that becomes popular on the app. Generally, it's weird, excessively creative stuff, more artsy and punk than the Straight TikTok. The music preferred by members of Alt TikTok can be bizarre, abrasive, unruly, headlong, and it's also more open and accessible to different groups of people. And what everyone’s seeing now is that bigger things can come from Alt TikTok than Straight TikTok

"If we are looking at the charts as a barometer for nationwide popularity, non-English-language music rarely features... Yes, Despacito reached No 1 here, but it was only after Justin Bieber appeared on it" - the Guardian analyzes UK music taste. First of all, the British are the third least likely nation in Europe to speak a foreign language. That's not all, people of color like Samm Henshaw, and women that don't fit the norm (white complexion) like Rina Sawayama, won't have the same success as their white counterparts. Guardian argues it's due to "so much systemic hostility, xenophobia and outright racism in this sector".

The world's most valuable 7in single, 'Do I Love You', by Frank Wilson, has been bought by 38-year-old Lee Jeffries for an undisclosed sum, but it went for more than it did when it was last sold, 11 years ago. In 2009 the disc with "the most famous northern soul record" fetched a record-breaking £25,742. It was, and remains, the most expensive seven inch 45rpm labeled record ever sold.

Microphones released their first new album in 17 years, 'Microphones in 2020', today, comprised of one, 44-minute song, that comes with a beautiful one-shot still video. It is a slide-show of 800 printed photos of band's leader Phil Elverum's childhood and touring years, accompanied by the lyrics to the songs (watch/listen to it here). Critics like the album a lot: Stereogum branded it their Album of the Week because "he weaves together vast metaphysical explorations and minute personal memories"; Pitchfork branded it Best new music (grade 8.5) for exploration of "artmaking, self-mythologizing, and what it means to bear witness to one’s own existence and transformations"; Exclaim goes philosophical and poetical on us: "This is Elverum's indelible stamp of style, distilled into a single track that flows like waves in the ocean or hills on the mountainside".

Addis Ababa-based electronic musician Endeguena Mulu records music as Ethiopian Records, mixing Ethiopia's jazz scene of the 1960s and ’70s and modern sampling techniques. He is the latest guest of Fact's Against the Clock - in 10 minutes he delved into his own self-recorded sample library nad built a track using Ableton Live and MIDI controllers.

It is widely believed that Kanye West's American presidential candidacy serves one purpose - to take potential Joe Biden's votes, black and young ones, and make it easier for Donald Trump to win. Billboard argues it just might not happen like that. African Americans tend not to vote for candidates solely because they are Black, while West’s status with Americans age 18 to 29 is actually more unfavorable than favorable - said David Jackson, a political science professor at Bowling Green State University whose research focuses on the links between young people’s entertainment and political preferences. It’s also possible West could actually draw support away from Trump, since he’s been an outspoken supporter of the president in the past.

Grammy award-winning music producer Detail was arrested on 15 counts of sexual assault and five counts of felony assault, Entertainment Weekly reports. Detail is being investigating for alleged assaults that occurred between 2010 and 2018. This is not a first legal move against him. Last year, a model and aspiring singer was awarded $15m in a Los Angeles lawsuit that accused the producer of abusing and raping her. Singer Jesse Reyez accused the producer in 2018 of inappropriate advances. Pop singers Tinashe and Bebe Rexha alluded to having their own uncomfortable recording sessions with Fisher. Detail is being held on nearly $6.3m bail. The 41-year-old producer, real name Noel Christopher Fisher, is known for producing hits for R&B and hip-hop acts such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, the Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, T-Pain, Jennifer Lopez and Wiz Khalifa.

Virtual music events have to offer things that other types of entertainment can’t - Music x Tech x Future says, suggesting 8 ways to make live-streams different and better (The Streets went in that directions, NME says it was great):

Lying around a (virtual) venue or invisibly teleporting on to the stage to see what the artists are doing

Make events interactive among fans

Make 'em in a virtual environment

Real direct interaction between the artist and the fan

Create social meaning by bringing scenes and communities together online

Watching a show online with faraway friends will make them feel closer while being unable to travel

Artists should find a role to play for the viewer

Fear Of Missing Out is powerful - artists should think of something different each time

Instagram has launched Reels in over 50 countries, and it allows users to record, edit, share and discover videos of up to 15 seconds, backed with audio and music including millions of songs licensed from music companies, TechCrunch reports. Instagram Reels will complement the app’s other video features, which comprise Stories (copied from Snapchat), Live and IGTV for longer-form content. Today, TikTok threatened legal action against an executive order issued by American President Donald Trump that would ban the Chinese social media app from doing business with U.S. firms, TechCrunch reports.

The long-running Eurovision Song Contest is now getting its own U.S. version called American Song Contest, starting in 2021, with musical acts coming from all 50 states trying to win. It is being spearheaded by the Eurovision rights owners who say the American version "will be different than anything seen before on U.S. television, marrying the fanfare and excitement of March Madness and the NFL playoffs with the artistry and beauty of world-class performances", Exclaim reports. In Eurovision nothing is too much, it is safe to say that in "Ameri-vision" there will probably be even more of "too much".

Variety reports on interesting statistics published by Live Nation about fans and rescheduled concerts. Live Nation says that 86% of fans have chosen to hold onto their tickets for rescheduled shows instead of asking for refunds, “indicating a strong desire to attend concerts in the future”. The number of fans throwing their tickets for festivals into the following year is also big, at about two-thirds. There's more - tickets for next summer festivals in Europe have already gone on sale, and 19 million tickets have been sold.

Vern Rumsey, who played bass in the very influential '90s/early 2000s post-hardcore noise-rock band Unwound, has died aged 47, Consequence of Sound reports. Unwound made eight albums over 10 years, including their classic 2001 swan song 'Leaves Turn Inside You'. Rumsey also played in Fitz of Depression, Witchypoo, Long Hind Legs, and other groups over the years, and he played bass on Blonde Redhead's album 'Fake Can Be Just as Good'. Rumsey also ran his label, Punk In My Vitamins? Records. Thursday, Speedy Ortiz, Cave In, and other artists pay tribute to Rumsey.

Nick Cave has launched a Cave Things webshop where he is selling - porn wallpaper. It's naked ladies, quite simple drawings, with strategic parts - fully exposed. Next to that one, he is selling plenty of other "Cave things" - “an over-priced plectrum” i.e. a guitar pick with Warren Ellis’ face on it, a red right hand necklace charm, pencils, “motivational T-shirt No. 1″ which has a quote from Nick Cave’s mom, apparently, stating “Head High And Fuck ‘Em All”.

Blondie Hit songwriting duo Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, as well as pop singer and author Barry Manilow have sold their future royalties to a fast-growing investment fund Hipgnosis, Rolling Stone reports. That means their income from 197 Blondie songs, including 'Heart of Glass' and 'Rapture', as well from 917 Manilow's songs, including 'Mandy', 'I Write the Songs' and 'Copacabana (At the Copa)', now goes to the Hipgnosis Songs Fund. Founded by music industry veteran Merck Mercuriadis, the fund allows investors to see an income from music royalties. Hipgnosis has spent over $1 billion in song acquisitions since 2018, picking up catalogs from artists, songwriters and producers and amassing a collection of hits from the likes of Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, star producer Mark Ronson and Blink-182 co-founder Tom Delonge.

"The seven tracks that comprise 'Alphaville' are at once harrowing and transcendent, terrifying and cathartic, filled with jazzlike grooves" - PopMatters says about Imperial Triumphant's new album. What makes the New York trio stand out is their avant-garde approach to metal, with jazz and psychedelic elements added to their black metal. Separate songs differ a lot among themselves and each song incorporates plenty of elements because, as vocalist and guitarist Zachary Ilya Ezrin tells PM- "we have a strong idea of what the song's about, why it needs to exist, what it stands for".

"Gone are the days when a musician could afford to take all the time they need to carve and craft the next ‘Loveless’ or ‘OK Computer’" - NME's Mark Beaumont writes, looking back in anger to Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek words that “you can’t record music once every three to four years and think that’s going to be enough". But, there is a solution - streaming platforms like Spotify should "work with the labels to reconfigure their increasing profits to ensure that all artists get the fair share they deserve from their streams and can continue making and releasing music as and when they want".

"I like [going on buses]. I find it very grounding... I also like a nice car and I like driving too. But there’s something about that, being ordinary... I mean, I know I can’t be ordinary, at all – I’m way too famous to be ordinary – but, for me, that feeling inside, of feeling like myself still, is very important" - Paul McCartney says in a great interview for the GQ. He also talks about building and then breaking up the Beatles, suing the band for their own sake, being in lockdown, working with Rihanna and Kanye West... A great read.