Tuesday, Oct 6th, 2020: Eddie Van Halen dies at 65
legendary guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen, one of the all-time great players in rock history, died today after a long battle with cancer. He was 65.
It's hard to quantify Eddie Van Halen's massive influence on the electric guitar and hard rock in general, and it's fair to say that the entire guitar world is in mourning.
R.I.P Eddie Van Halen (1955-2020)
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This tribute on Youtube from Rick Beato.
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AGN News
AGN NEWS: OCT 20th; Black American Music Association (BAM) and Voting Rights Are Civil Rights Initiative align to combat voter suppression
AGN NEWS: OCT 20th;The Black American Music Association (BAM), has announced a partnership with the Voting Rights Are Civil Rights Initiative. The effort is specifically focused on protecting the vote in 14 swing states and 54 counties with high African American and Latino populations.
BAM and the Voting Rights Are Civil Rights Initiative have aligned with several entertainment industry groups, community organizations, activists and former election commissioners. Together the coalition is focusing on three main initiatives – recruiting GenZ to help staff the polls; educating people on their legal rights so they can make sure their votes are counted and how to address voter suppression and intimidation. To accomplish this, they are recruiting and training poll workers; providing unique information from professional election administrators and providing information and tools to fight voter suppression tactics and intimidation.
The first initiative, which is already underway, includes partnerships with the Georgia Youth Poll Workers Project and Poll Heros. Both of these organizations were started and are run by college students interested in recruiting fellow members of GenZ to be paid poll workers.
BAM was created to Preserve, Protect, and Promote the Legacy and Future of authentic Black American Music as a global art form. In its mission to support and advocate for its membership and the music community as a whole, BAM understands the impact that government policies and elected officials have on these groups. BAM also understands the power of voting and embraces the importance of every American citizen being able to exercise their Constitutional right to vote, which is why they've partnered with Voting Rights Are Civil Rights Initiative. BAM co-founder Demmette Guidry says, "In the past four months we've seen the power of the youth when they stand up and make themselves heard. This is the next step in harnessing the power of the streets in conjunction with the industry and artist community to not only make change on the national level, but also on the state and local levels. Something we are committed to pursuing over the next several years. Through working in coalition with our artists, industry executives and election officials we can transform our cultural relevance into community relevance empowering future generations."
Ion Sancho of Voting Rights Are Civil Rights, who oversaw the 2000 Bush vs. Gore Recount for the Florida Supreme Court states, "The 2020 election provides America with her greatest opportunity to remedy the poisonous legacy of slavery and it's spawn, institutional racism, since the end of the Civil War. Today we are all video witnesses to the injustices we have kept hidden from ourselves, lest we question the myth of American Exceptionalism we use to cloak our history. Slavery flawed our Founders, but their wisdom gave us a government that we can change, at the ballot box, to make, in their words, "a more perfect union". Today, our efforts, allied with the greatest artists and talent we possess, act in concert to ensure all Americans can vote, fulfilling the real greatness of America - one nation, with liberty and justice for all.
In addition to BAM and Voting Rights Are Civil Rights Initiative, the coalition includes BMAC, The Kevin Lyman Group and The Publicists Forum.
A leading voice in the music industry, BAM is focused on several other key Social Justice and Community focused initiatives in addition to its anti-voter suppression work. The organization will break ground on the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in Atlanta, GA this fall, and has established partnerships with other non-profit organizations including, The Otis Redding Foundation, Hope For Harvest, NXG Leaders, and Power2Inspire Foundation.
To learn more about the BAM and Voting Rights Are Civil Rights anti-voter suppression campaign, visit www.votingrightsarecivilrights.com.
About Black American Music Association
Founded in 2017, the Black American Music Association (BAM) is a professional trade organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting the legacy and the future of authentic Black American Music as an indigenous art form. Black American Music is a major piece of the foundation of the African American experience. BAM provides music industry professionals, creators, scholars and music industry stakeholders with opportunities to transform global cultural relevance into community relevance that will empower future generations through professional training, education, preservation, financial literacy and advocacy.
About Voting Rights Are Civil Rights
VotingRightsAreCivilRights is an initiative to combat voter suppression in the 2020 election. Every national election millions of votes are not counted due to technicalities in registration, filling out ballots or vote counting mistakes. The initiative includes professionals from the entertainment and professional election administrators and activists. www.votingrightsarecivilrights.com
Also visit:
www.blackama.org
Instagram: @blackamaorg; Facebook: blackamaorg; Twitter: @blackamaorg
AGN News
Fender releases their highly anticipated recreation of George Harrison’s iconic “Rocky” Stratocaster
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. —Fender have just released their highly anticipated recreation of George Harrison’s iconic “Rocky” Stratocaster initially previewed at Winter NAMM 2020. With only 100 being made available worldwide, its debut sparked major conversation that only further emphasizes its ultimate, limited-edition status. The “Rocky” Stratocaster is considered to be one of music’s most celebrated guitars, known for several iconic appearances including the live performance of “All You Need Is Love” on Our World, the very first global satellite TV program. Harrison’s spontaneous psychedelic paint job continues to serve as a special homage to the late ‘60s and to Harrison’s artistry.
Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Paul Waller worked hand in hand with the Harrison estate to personally examine the original version himself in order to create this identical replica. Everything about the original was measured in exacting detail—body, neck (with a rare asymmetrical C-shaped profile), pickups, wiring and everything else—right down to Harrison’s famous DIY paint job. Even the “Grimwoods” decal remains in place on the back of the headstock. With these features and more, it’s a meticulously-crafted Fender Custom Shop tribute to a truly magical guitar, played and loved by one of rock’s greatest guitarists.The Fender Custom Shop Limited Artist series celebrates the storied guitars of legendary musicians by building recreations of their instruments in exacting detail. Based on close examination of the original guitars, every nuance is noted and incorporated into the build. Reverse-engineering the model, vintage, wood, hardware, electronics, finish and player customizations are all vital to the process. Most importantly, the player’s wear patterns are recorded: every nick, scratch, gouge and bump are vital to the authenticity of the recreation–they are mapped and documented with precision.The Fender Custom Shop is proud to include the Rocky Stratocaster in the Dream Factory Series, a collection of short documentaries that showcase the journey of custom-built guitars created at the Fender Custom Shop. Watch the “Dream Factory” episode on this model here.For technical specs, additional information on new Fender products and to find a retail partner near you, visit www.fender.com. Join the conversation on social media by following @Fender.
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News
Oct 16th, 2020: The Undefeated Music Companion Piece "I Can't Breathe:Music for the Movement" Set For Release Today
The "I Can't Breathe/Music for the Movement" EP is set for release today on Hollywood Records. In music form, the EP release highlights the social injustice protests taking place in America through the mediums of music and art. The project, a collaboration between The Undefeated and Hollywood Records, reimagines historically significant songs, as well as an original song, by and for Black America with contemporary artists and producers.Each song has exclusive artwork created by Black artists. The art gives deeper meaning to each song. In a year of racial disparity, as well as a global pandemic and economic downturn, the music reminds and evokes the importance of voting.
The track listing for "I Can't Breathe/Music for the Movement" is as follows:
Pray Momma Don't Cry, performed by Grammy-nominated Rapsody, featuring Bilal and produced by 9th Wonder. Original artwork by NUWARHOL.
People Get Ready, performed by Grammy-nominated Terrace Martin & Alex Isley, featuring Grammy and Emmy Award-winner Robert Glasper and produced by Terrace Martin and Robert Glasper. Original artwork by Al-Baseer.
Strange Fruit, performed by Jensen McRae and produced by Rahki. Original artwork by Blue the Great.
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology), performed by 13-year-old sensation Keedron Bryant and produced by Dem Joints. Original artwork by Laurence "Sketch" Cheatham.
The Undefeated is ESPN's multiplatform content initiative exploring the intersections of sports, race and culture. The digital hub, TheUndefeated.com, which launched in May 2016, combines innovative long-form and short-form storytelling, investigation, original reporting and provocative commentary to enlighten and entertain African Americans, as well as sports fans seeking a deeper understanding of black athletes, culture and related issues.
In addition to its cutting-edge content, The Undefeated seeks to be a thought-leader on race, sports and culture in the country – convening insightful forums to discuss and debate topical issues affecting sports and race in America.
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AGN News
Oct 15th, 2020: MasterClass Announces St. Vincent to Teach Creativity and Songwriting.
Oct 15th, 2020: MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world's best across a wide range of subjects, today announced that multiple Grammy Award–winning guitarist, singer, songwriter and director, Annie Clark, known professionally as St. Vincent, will teach a class on creativity and songwriting. Taking members behind the curtain of her public persona, Clark gives an intimate look into her artistic development, from how to effectively generate ideas to how to pursue a project to completion. Clark's class is now available exclusively on MasterClass, where subscribers get unlimited access to all 90+ instructors with an annual membership.
Annie Clark debuted her musical persona, St. Vincent, in 2007 with her debut album, Marry Me. Having previously performed with the symphonic pop band The Polyphonic Spree and Grammy and Academy Award – nominated artist Sufjan Stevens, Clark's first foray into solo songwriting would lay the foundation for what would become a series of modern music's most distinctive and exciting artistic identities. Fusing elements of indie, rock, electronic and jazz, subsequent St. Vincent albums Actor and Strange Mercy expanded on a sound that defied genre and convention, marrying esoteric guitar heroics with deeply personal and poetic songwriting. In 2014, the eponymous St. Vincent made her the first solo female artist in 20 years to win the Grammy for Best Alternative Album; three years later, she took home two more Grammys for Best Recording Package and Best Rock Song for the title track of her 2017 album, MASSEDUCTION.
"All you need are ears and ideas and you can make anything happen," said Annie Clark. "In my MasterClass, I will share with you performance tips, songwriting tips, studio tips and give an inside look into my creative process so you can use your own creativity to move the needle in a more empathetic direction for the world."
Clark's MasterClass will give members an intimate look into her artistic development, diving into her end-to-end creative process and detailing the evolution that led to finding her voice as St. Vincent. Beginners and non-musicians will enjoy the demystification of popular music as Clark takes members into the studio and gives an inside look at how the songs they love came to be. From breaking down the songwriting process from inception to execution and examining the personal journeys associated with being an artist, Clark highlights the importance of the individual in the creative process. For more advanced songwriters, producers and performers, she provides tips on how to turn creative ideas into finished products, from building a basic home studio to honing their guitar skills and tips for delivering a live performance. Clark gives a never-before-heard breakdown of the song "Savior" that she started creating at 16 years old and evolved over time. She also opens up about embracing fear and shame, sharing personal stories and insights. Members will come away feeling inspired to be more empathetic and curious artists and ready to create interesting work that is unique to themselves. for more, click the INFO button now.
