Music

The latest news and reviews of music.

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McCormick's concept grill plays music based on what you're cooking
As someone who won't turn down an invite to a barbecue, the one thing missing in my life is a grill. That's the part about living in New York City that saddens me. So, when McCormick invited me to check out its new concept grill, the SUMR HITS 5000, you know I couldn't say no. Much to my disappointment, because the event was indoors, there wasn't any actual grilling involved. Still, it was a good opportunity to see the SUMR HITS 5000 in person, which features a built-in DJ station that can play music based on what you're cooking. The grill uses a mix of capacitive touch sensors, computer vision and machine learning to do this, and McCormick says it custom developed the hardware and software to show how to "combine the fun of music and act of grilling together."
Google search results will show where song lyrics come from
Google isn't sitting idly by while Genius accuses it of copying lyrics. As part of a larger defense of its lyrics search practices, the company has mentioned that it will "soon" attribute the third parties providing song lyrics. This should "make it clearer" as to where the lyrics come from, the company said. In theory, this would direct any complaints to the third parties instead of making Google shoulder all the blame.
The best multi-effects pedal for new guitarists
When I first started playing guitar way back in 1995 (or maybe it was 1994?) the idea of a digital multi-effects pedal was still pretty new. The Zoom 505 was the biggest game in town, if you wanted a pile of effects in a compact package for a reasonable price. It was also the first pedal I ever bought. But, if I'm being honest, a lot of the sounds you got out of it were not great. And it could be a little confusing to operate at times. Thankfully things have come a long way since the mid '90s.
Roli's light-up Lumi keyboard teaches you how to play
Roli has been making unconventional electronic music instruments for about a decade now. Its Seaboard series take the traditional keyboard design and infuse it with some notable tricks, like pressure-sensitive keys that allow for far more modulation effects than you can do on a piano. Its series of modular Blocks gadgets take that pressure-sensitive surface in another direction, combining the features of a synth and drum pad into a much more affordable device than the company had released before. However, Roli has never made a traditional keyboard before, until now. At first glance, the 24-key Lumi looks very much like any other MIDI keyboard out there, albeit one without any bezel to speak of. But, as this is a Roli product, the Lumi isn't meant to just be another small keyboard. The Lumi's keys all light up via internal LEDs, and those lights match up with a Lumi app for iOS and Android that's meant to teach users how to play. The app, meanwhile, more than a hundred songs players can learn, including songs from big-name artists like Beyoncé and Pharrell.
Genius accuses Google of copying its lyrics data (updated)
Have you found yourself using Google's lyrics results more than visiting individual lyrics sites? You're not alone -- and Genius thinks underhanded tactics are involved. The company has accused Google of not only hurting its traffic with its lyrics cards, but of sometimes grabbing Genius' lyrics verbatim. The evidence is in the apostrophes, Genius said. It purposefully alternated between straight and curved apostrophes as a form of watermarking (they typically spell out "red handed" in Morse code), and there were reportedly over 100 instances where Google's lyrics included those exact apostrophes.
Recommended Reading: Fighting deepfakes
Top AI researchers race to detect 'deepfake' videos: 'We are outgunned' Drew Harwell, The Washington Post The 2016 US presidential election was plagued by fake news and election meddling across the internet. With the rise of so-called deepfake technology, fact-checkers and arbiters of truth face a new challenge. And as The Washington Post reports, researchers aren't ready to separate the real from the fabricated in 2020.
Apple's new Logic Pro X is built for the Mac Pro
Apple boasted that the redesigned Mac Pro could easily handle the most demanding audio editing tasks, and now the software is ready for it. The tech firm has updated its Logic Pro X music editing app to support the new workstation's many cores, handling up to a whopping 56 processing threads. That lets the Mac Pro juggle up to 1,000 audio and software instrument tracks, or four times as many as the old computer. You won't be hurting for power if you're composing an elaborate orchestral piece for the latest Hollywood blockbuster.
Drone motors make wonderfully grungy synth music
There's no shortage of ways for synthesizers to generate sounds. Generally they rely on one of two tried and true technologies -- analog or digital oscillators. Gamechanger Audio, however, went a completely different route and turned to... motors (hence Motor Synth). These aren't the chaotic, gas-burning engines you'd find in a truck though. These are eight high-precision, brushless motors (like those used in drones).
Spotify redesigns Your Library to highlight podcasts
Spotify is rolling out a redesign of Your Library for Premium users, giving music and podcasts their own sections. Each has three distinct tabs you can tap or swipe between. In Podcasts, you'll have the option to view new episodes for shows you follow and those you haven't listened to (Episodes) as well as an overview of all the shows to which you're subscribed (Shows). The Downloads tab, unsurprisingly, includes all the episodes you've downloaded for offline listening.
Spotify's latest playlist combines music and news for your commute
It's no secret Spotify wants to know more about what you do in your car, and today the company is officially debuting a new playlist for your commute. "Your Daily Drive" is the first playlist on the service to combine podcasts and music, with the goal of pairing "the very best of news talk shows, including the relevancy and personality of the hosts, with the best of audio streaming." If it sounds familiar, news of the feature broke in early May, but it was clear the tool was still in its early stages at the time.
Now you can ‘Beat Saber’ to Imagine Dragons
The artist-specific add-on for various music and rhythm games is a time-honored tradition that we don't see enough of these days. That's why it's so comforting to see Imagine Dragons teaming up with the developers of Beat Saber to launch a 10-track companion pack. With it, users will be able to slash at blocks in time to some of the band's hits, including It's Time, Radioactive and Bad Liar.
Recommended Reading: The music streaming payday won't go to artists
The record industry expects a windfall. Where will the money go? Marc Hogan, Pitchfork It's no secret the music industry is booming on the back of streaming services. However, it seems like not much will change in terms of where all the money goes. Pitchfork explains that much of the revenue will stay in the "upper echelon" of the industry rather than going to most of the people actually making music. "And yet, just as it's been throughout the history of recorded music, most of the money will not go to artists," Marc Hogan writes.
Spotify Stations is the Pandora alternative we need
Spotify is testing a lot of things right now. In the last month alone, the company has revealed its long-rumored in-car device, curated podcast playlists and a standalone Stations app. Heck, those last two were announced in the same week. "We're always testing new products and features to create better listening experiences for our users," a Spotify spokesperson told me multiple times this week, and the company's busy spring certainly supports that. Unfortunately, most users will never get to participate, except in the case of Spotify's experimental Stations app.
Siri will play third-party audio apps in iOS 13
In the future, you might be able to ask Siri to play your Spotify music and podcasts. According to MacRumors, iOS 13 and iPadOS will open the SiriKit framework to third-party music, podcast, audiobook and radio apps. So, when it comes to playing DJ, Siri will be able to control more than your Apple Music, Podcast and TV apps -- formerly known as iTunes, RIP.
YouTube and AXS sell concert tickets through music videos
YouTube might make it decidedly easier to see your favorite band. The internet giant has forged a deal that offers fast access to concert tickets from AXS, expanding on earlier deals with Ticketmaster and Eventbrite. Watch official music videos from the right artists and you'll see both listings for their US tour dates as well as an option to snap up tickets (both fresh and resales) in short order.
iTunes isn't dead
I'll admit it. I had an emotional response to the idea that iTunes, the app that shaped my digital music habit, could be on the way out. With every iPod I owned, iTunes was the lifeline, the sole method for adding to and organizing the precious collection. The only problem was, somewhere along the way, iTunes became the catch-all for everything Apple sold. It wasn't just for music, or even audio content -- apps, movies and TV shows crept into the app as well. And in the end, Apple had a chaotic mess that was confusing and poorly organized.
Apple announces separate Music, Podcast and TV apps for Mac
Apple has announced it's releasing separate apps for Music, TV and Podcasts in macOS Catalina later this year, breaking up the iTunes hegemony that's been in place for 16 years, and hammering a nail in the coffin of that messy, neglected software. Rumors emerged in April about the separate apps, while screenshots of Music and TV leaked last week.
Moog museum tells the history of popular synthesized music
There's no doubt that Bob Moog had a massive influence on music by making synthesizers popular and accessible, and now there's a dedicated place to pay homage to his legacy. The Bob Moog Foundation has opened the Moogseum, a museum in Asheville, North Carolina that includes static and interactive exhibits devoted to its namesake's synths as well as other electronic instruments.
Recommended Reading: Undercover moms battle autism 'cure' on Facebook
Parents are poisoning their children with bleach to 'cure' autism. These moms are trying to stop it. Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News Don't believe everything you read on the internet, especially in 2019. An autism "cure" is currently making the rounds in Facebook groups that advises parents to give children bleach to remedy the condition. This is completely untrue -- there is no cure for autism -- and some moms are going undercover to fight back.
Teenage Engineering started a record label for songs made with its synths
Teenage Engineering is well-known for doing things its own way. The Stockholm-based synth company's latest project isn't another compact instrument, it's a record label. Teenage Engineering Records will release songs that adhere to only two rules: "It needs to be a good song (easy)" and it has to feature at least one of the company's instruments.

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