In the week ending March 19, overall album sales in the U.S. fell 29% to 1.52 million copies - the lowest such number since albums became a format in the mid-1960s, Billboard reports. The purchase of physical media (CDs, vinyl LPs and cassettes) also hit a low, as last week marked the first time ever that physical album sales fell below 1 million (just 979,000 copies sold, a dip of 36% to the week prior), the first time weekly physical album sales fell below 1 million in the Nielsen Music/MRC Data era. The lackluster sales numbers can be attributed to the shuttering of physical record stores across the country in addition to Amazon’s decision to cease stocking vinyl in favor of more “essential” items. Still, vinyl is the bright star of album sales - so far in 2020, total vinyl album sales stand at 4.88 million (up 42.2% year-to-date). Further, vinyl album sales comprise 22.6% of all albums sold in 2020, and 33% of all physical albums sold.

“I have adopted the mindset that this is some kind of reset button that needed to happen, not just for me, but for everyone" Born Electric maestro James Zabiela told DJ Tech Tools about spending time in big lockdown. Berlin-based tastemaker Eluize says she jogs to release tension, and rising techno talent BEC meditates to achieve "relaxation and inner-peace". Canada’s BLOND:ISH believes we should try and see the positives to take from the situation - “Behind every closed door is an opportunity. This pause is a time for reflection, to step back and get creative with our freedom of time... Resources are endless to get ahead and learn a new skill, use this time wisely”.

Billboard has compiled a rundown of music companies who have pledged their support during this time of the big shutdown, which resulted in lay-offs and cuts. The independent concert promotion and production company has launched the I.M.P. Family Fund to assist the company’s hourly employees. Streaming service Mixcloud is waiving its revenue share for the recently-launched Mixcloud SELECT platform. British collecting society PRS For Music has launched the PRS Emergency Relief Fund to support members affected by the pandemic. Music service Qobuz is waiving its revenue share on all download sales. The music-centric finance firm Sound Royalties has dedicated $20 million to offer a no-cost royalty advance funding option on every new application. Music Business Worldwide asks whether the music industry can do more to help artists and songwriters whose income has been hit by coronavirus?

Guardian calls it "the best album of the year so far" with songs "genuinely good enough to be compared with peak Dylan" (gave it 5 of 5 stars. Pitchfork tagged it Best new music because "'Saint Cloud' is all lilacs and creek beds, Memphis skylines and Manhattan subways, love and sobriety, the sound of a cherished songwriter thawing out under the sun" (grade 8,7). Consequence of Sound calls it "incredibly authentic" (gives it A-).

The world-famous Abbey Road zebra crossing has been repainted while the streets of London are empty because of the quarantine set forth due to coronavirus pandemic, Insider reports. The zebra made famous by the Beatles was quietly repainted on 24 March by a highways maintenance crew, the day after the UK prime minister ordered Britain to go on lockdown. The government designated the crossing a site of national importance in 2010, which means the crossing can be altered only with the approval of local authorities. Abbey Road Studios, just down the road from the iconic zebra, closed their doors for the first time in their 89-year history earlier this week to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Amazon Music is celebrating 25th anniversary of Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s landmark debut solo album 'Return to the 36 Chambers' with the 'Unique: 'Return to The 36 Chambers' 25 Years Later' documentary. ODB's family, RZA, Raekwon, and others provided commentary for the 17-minute short film that traces ODB’s rise from unsigned hype to household name, exploring key moments in the rapper’s life and the music that defined his debut solo record – from ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya’ to ‘Brooklyn Zoo'.

Complex did a great job listing the very best music podcast, featuring various 'casts: Dissect explores albums that have been heralded as “genius”; Rick Rubin's Broken Record; Disgraceland - one of the most unique and entertaining shows on this list; The Roots' Questlove has a podcast Questlove Supreme with entertaining behind-the-scenes stories you've never heard from the guests, plus gems of wisdom from Questlove himself; A Waste Of Time produce some of the most interesting, unheard stories in hip-hop; And The Writer Is... explores the relationship between songwriters and singers.

"This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting. Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you" - Bob Dylan said on his YouTube channel presenting 'Murder Most Foul', a song about J.F. Kennedy's murder. Watch below.

John Legend, Rita Ora, Monsta X, Die Antwoord, Diplo, Marcus Mumford are among dozens of musicians scheduled to perform at TWITCH's 12-hour-long Stream Aid 2020 benefit show, which starts at 5 p.m. (GM+1) Saturday. Fans will be able to donate through Tiltify donation page during the stream.

XL Recordings is one of the most successful independent record labels in the world - home to the Prodigy, Adele, Dizzee Rascal, Radiohead, White Stripes, etc. - and its founder Richard Russell, now 49, has written an autobiography, 'Liberation Through Hearing', that details how it happened. Alexis Petridis talked to Russell, who shared interesting insights and stories. About Prodigy's frontman Keith Flint: "Keith was untethered, so if you saw him onstage at a rave, you were seeing yourself, but a completely free version of it, no self-consciousness". He signed Dizzee Rascal after hearing his single 'I Luv U', then told him to hurry up making his debut album because he wanted to win the Mercury Prize. He signed the White Stripes,  M.I.A. and Radiohead, decided to track down Gil Scott-Herron, undeterred by the fact that the singer-songwriter was in prison. Adele in a different story - Russell insists her success is down to the label leaving her alone to do what she wanted: “Does anyone achieve that kind of thing because of anybody else?".

TIDAL is streaming 12 hours of filmed concerts by JAY-Z, Rihanna, Meek Mill, Beyoncé, and others - on Saturday (March 28) Tidal will air hip hop concerts, and on Sunday (March 29) it will broadcast R&B. Montreux Jazz Festival has made over 50 festival concerts available to stream for free, including performances by Ray Charles, Wu-Tang Clan, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Deep Purple, Carlos Santana, James Brown. Austin City Limits is streaming the last three years of performances. LA’s The Grammy Museum has started sharing previously unreleased Q&As and performances with musicians online for the first time. Today (March 27) Elvis Costello will stream specially pre-recorded message and performance at 7:30 p.m. New rock hopefuls Porridge Radio perform at 2 p.m ET. Peter Bjorn and John co-host a 36-hour marathon livestream on Twitch called “36h Ingrid,” running from 9 a.m. ET Friday through Saturday at 10 p.m. ET.

tify is rolling out a suite of new features and projects intended to help artists who are struggling financially due to the coronavirus crisis, Billboard reports. First up is Spotify's new COVID-19 Music Relief project, which helps connect musicians and other music professionals in need of funding to grant-giving organizations, in addition to helping fundraise. Spotify will match donations made via the project's webpage dollar-for-dollar for up to a total Spotify contribution of $10 million. Next, Spotify is working to add a new feature to its Spotify For Artists platform that will enable artists to fundraise directly from fans, and Spotify will not take any cut of the contributions. Spotify's music talent marketplace SoundBetter is waiving its revenue share, it's audio recording platform Soundtrap is offering extended free trials for educators, and podcast firm Anchor is waiving fees on its Listener Support feature.

"'3.15.20' is visionary, funny, confounding, complex and simple, super easy on the ears, full of bangers, without once seeming brattish or self-obsessed or, ever, stupid. It weaves a hyper-potent magic spell, as Glover lazes around like a goon, then casually unwraps proverbial, sensual and social truth-bombs for the ages" - the Quietus says in a review of Childish Gambino's new album.

Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders has said that the band are often reluctant to play their older material because"it feels like we’re doing karaoke of our own songs”, NME reports. Helders says their older material feels "like a caricature. It doesn’t feel as genuine playing it anymore. I'd rather they [the fans] just have the memory of a version where we really meant it, rather than we’ll do this for you”.

In the time of self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, the internet usage is going through the roof, so YouTube is already taking the preemptive measure of cutting its video quality worldwide due to some massive traffic surges. At first it was limited to Europe, now the streaming service has decided to limit video resolution across the globe, Bloomberg reports. The YouTube initiative started Tuesday (March 24) and will last for at least a month. However, users will still have the option to stream in high definition if they want; it just will no longer be automatic.

Billboard sees grim future for the indie live music business when concerts start happening again: After the big shutdown, billions of dollars in ticket revenue and artist payments were frozen in accounts controlled by, respectively, Live Nation and AEG, and the four major talent agencies: WME, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Paradigm and UTA. Everyone else in the business — indie promoters, staging companies and food/merchandise vendors — continued to receive bills but not the money they were counting on to pay them. When concerts do start happening again, the industry behind them will have changed significantly. Venue contracts will be renegotiated to account for months of inactivity, and the brands that sponsor tours and festivals will almost certainly slash their budgets. Most importantly, at least some indie promoters (and promoters that lack the resources of their larger competitors) may shutter, unable to weather the storm or get the credit they need to endure it — leaving their giant rivals with even more power.

English singer-songwriter Ralph McTell wrote a new verse of his legendary 1969 hit 'Streets of London', something he'd always previously refused to do. He changed his mind, as he's explained to the BBC, because of the "huge" threat posed by the coronavirus epidemic. With its focus on the homeless, the new verse calls for help for thousands of rough sleepers across Britain.

The German federal government has allowed aid package for the country’s creative and cultural sectors with €50 billion in grants and loans, Artnet reports. Culture minister Monika Grütter said “the creative courage of creative people can help to overcome the crisis... Artists are not only indispensable, but also vital, especially now”. In the US, songwriters, along with other “gig economy” workers in the music industry ranging from producers to roadies, will be eligible for grants and loans under the $2 trillion (that's a 1 with 12 zeros following) stimulus bill passed by the US Senate in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Variety reports. The coronavirus stimulus bill gives the music industry a fighting chance, Rolling Stone comments.

Warner's Songkick started out as a platform to track bands, get concert alerts, and buy tickets, but in the time of the big shutdown it has turned into a livestream concert calendar. The shows are listed by date, the most attractive ones featured at the top of the page. Brooklyn Vegan still keeps up a good daily list of online shows.

'Persona Non Grata' is a first new Bright Eyes song in 9 years, a bagpipes waltz; Nadine Shah rejects the traditions of marriage and family and yet still longing for them on 'Trad'; Scottibrains released 'Aristorats', an energo-ambiental song devoid of genre; Highly Suspect's new song and video 'These Days' have a family dinner turned nightmare; UK post punk band Squid released a tense new song 'Sludge'; Anglo-Ugandan electro-percussion outfit Nihiloxica are back with another outstanding new track 'Tewali Sukali'; Deerhoof “wanted to express what it feels like knowing that the rebels are our only hope" on their new song 'Future Teenage Cave Artists'.

"After a weekend of watching a number of impressive online performances, I am beginning to feel a little better about things" - the Quietus wrote about online concerts in a time of general shutdown. Why? - "It's actually pretty good, this live-streaming lark. You don't have to squeeze through a sea of bloated hoodies to nip to the toilet and back. No one is standing in front of you filming the entire set for their YouTube channel because it basically already is one. The drinks are cheaper. Before you attend, you don't have to worry about what you're going to wear to the gig anymore. Be as uncool as you like, people, nobody's judging you anymore".

Dr. Dre’s 'The Chronic', 'Cheap Trick at Budokan', Tina Turner’s 'Private Dancer', Dusty Springfield’s 'Dusty in Memphis', the Whitney Houston song 'I Will Always Love You', and Village People’s 'Y.M.C.A.' are among the new batch of records to be archived in the U.S. Library of Congress, the LA Times reports. Other records deemed “worthy of preservation because of their cultural, historical and aesthetic importance” include 'Fiddler on the Roof' Original Broadway cast from 1964, WGBH broadcast of the Boston Symphony on the day of the John F. Kennedy assassination etc.

London band Sorry took several years to define their sound and made it - quite undefinable. "Their official debut, '925', bears all the characteristics of hungry, wandering minds not tied to pre-established structures" - Stereogum writes in a review, and adds - "in approach and nature, '925' could only come from kids raised on the internet: run-on sentences, half-thoughts, a tendency to take a bit of everything and throw it together in unexpected and idiosyncratic ways". Generally, Sorry are "still a rock band, it’s just that they make a rock music that doesn’t follow contemporary context or logic. Theirs is an artier strain that is broken down and rebuilt over and over, constantly bristling against the confines of the form... This is the sound of rifling through debris, and the strange new things you can build with what’s worth saving".

Britney Spears shared a graphic by the writer Mimi Zhu on her Instagram, which included the line: “We will feed each other, re-destribute wealth, strike”. Spears captioned the graphic: “Communion moves beyond walls” and added three red rose emojis, a symbol associated with the socialist cause online, Complex reports. Zhu said on Twitter that she was “really grateful” that "comrade Britney" had shared the post, because "she moved me a lot while I was growing up". Spears has been under her father’s conservatorship since February 2008 and does not control her own fortune or business decisions, including her lucrative Vegas residency.

Lyra Praum is a classically trained musician who recorded her debut album 'Fountain' using only her voice - the rhythms, the melodies, the textures, it’s all her, heavily processed. Pitchfork is deeply impressed by the concept calling it a "technological excavation of her own body’s resonant possibilities inside a tender vision of a post-human future", and "an oh-so-timely reminder that the body is a site of infinite possibility".

Last week, in the shadow of the coronavirus outbreak, R.E.M.’s 1987 classic 'It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)' unexpectedly re-entered the American singles charts. 'End of the World' was the 22nd most purchased song in all-genres last week, which pushed it, combined with 1.7 million streams, to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart. Some other songs saw unexpected sales as well - Disturbed’s 'Down With the Sickness' and Gloria Gaynor’s 'I Will Survive' are both popular at the moment, as is The Knack’s 'My Sharona', just because it rhymes with “corona”. Similarly, riding the COVID-19 wave are songs with especially thematic titles, like Shwayze’s 'Corona and Lime', The Minutemen’s 'Corona', 'Isolation' by Joy Division, and 'Quarantined' by At the Drive-In.

Nashom Wooden, also known as drag performer Mona Foot, has died at age 50 after a short illness, that was reportedly COVID-19, the New York Times reports. A legendary downtown NYC personality, Mona Foot was a popular drag performer whose Wonder Woman act was iconic, and he was also one third of The Ones, who scored a club/UK hit with 'Flawless', the 2001 song later covered by George Michael.

Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbot, formerly of the Beautiful South, have announced they will play a free show for NHS staff (UK's National Health Service) working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the BBC, the duo are giving away 9,000 tickets to "doctors, nurses, support workers, porters and cleaners" for the show in Nottingham in October. "We are just musicians, so there is little we can do but sing for you", Heaton and Abbot said.

Bill Rieflin, a Seattle-based drummer with an impressive list of associations, has died of cancer aged 59, Ultimate Classic Rock reports. His first big gig was with the industrial band Ministry, without ever becoming an official member of the group. After playing with the Revolting Cocks, an industrial project involving Ministry founder Al Jourgensen, he worked also with Swans (he’s listed as an “honorary Swan”), KMFDM, Pigface, Chris Connelly, Lard, and he also played on one song on Nine Inch Nails’ 'The Fragile'. Via his gig drumming for the Minus 5, Rieflin met R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, who invited him to join R.E.M. as a touring member and studio contributor from 2003 until the band’s breakup in 2011. Rieflin also spent many years performing with the legendary prog band King Crimson, doing stints as both a drummer and a keyboardist for the group. It seems he liked super-groups as well - he drummed for Filthy Friends, band led by Peter Buck and Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker, for Krist Novoselic’s post-Nirvana band Sweet 75 and even drummed on a Robbie Williams album.

The National have announced a merch-sale campaign to help out their road crew while everyone’s grounded due to coronavirus. "We will direct all profits from merch sales through our webstore, new Cherry Tree fan club enrollments, and sales from the Cherry Tree members-only store to support our crew members throughout this crisis to the best of our ability" - the National announced. Soccer Mommy did a similarly generous thing - Sophie Allison took to Twitter to announce that she would be selling T-shirts and posters and giving all the proceeds to her band and crew while they aren’t able to work.