Korean Farmers' Music Added to UNESCO Heritage List

Nongak or traditional farmers' music has been added to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

Nongak is the 17th tradition in Korea to be listed. Others include royal ancestral rites, traditional narrative songs called pansori, a 5,000-year-old dance known as ganggangsullae, and "Arirang," a traditional folk song.

UNESCO said the music is characterized by "independence, openness and creativity and has served to provide a cultural identity to both performers and audiences."

Six North Korean versions of "Arirang" were also listed, the first time North Korean intangible cultural assets have been included.

The South Korean versions of the folk song were listed in 2012.

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Korean Farmers' Music Added to UNESCO Heritage List

Nongak or traditional farmers' music has been added to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

Nongak is the 17th tradition in Korea to be listed. Others include royal ancestral rites, traditional narrative songs called pansori, a 5,000-year-old dance known as ganggangsullae, and "Arirang," a traditional folk song.

UNESCO said the music is characterized by "independence, openness and creativity and has served to provide a cultural identity to both performers and audiences."

Six North Korean versions of "Arirang" were also listed, the first time North Korean intangible cultural assets have been included.

The South Korean versions of the folk song were listed in 2012.

View the original article here

AOA's New Music Video a Hit

K-pop girl group AOA's new music video has been enjoying increasing popularity since it was released last week.

The music video of "Like a Cat," the title song of the group's second mini album, has earned 2.44 million hits on YouTube as of 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

AOA /Courtesy of FNC

It received over a million views in just one day after the release last Tuesday, proving their reputation as a girl group to watch.

The video features Daniel Snoeks, an Australian tattooist who became famous as one of 11 foreign panelists on a popular TV talk show.

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REVIEW: Brandy, LL Cool J, Jill Scott, And Maxwell Shine At Essence Music Fest

(Clockwise) Maxwell, Brandy, LL Cool J, Jill Scott all performed live on the first night of Essence Music Festival

NEW ORLEANS -- As the concert portion of the 2013 Essence Music Festival kicked off on Friday night, The Huffington Post was live on hand to take in one of the country's most important -- and fun -- festivals.

Brandy, LL Cool J, Jill Scott, and Maxwell got the party at Essence Fest started right with four stunning performances.

Brandy, whose first album came out almost twenty years ago, kicked things off with awesome renditions of her classics. From some of her earlier hits like "I Wanna Be Down, and "Sittin Up In My Room" to the more recent "Two-Eleven" offerings, Brandy's show did more than just warm up the crowd.

While she clearly has plenty of hits of her own, the highlight of her show was without a doubt the three song medley she did covering her favorite Whitney Houston tunes. No one will ever be able to perform "How Will I Know," "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," and "I'm Your Baby Tonight" better than the legend who originated them, but based on the crowd's excited reaction, Brandy did a great job paying tribute.

Next up, LL Cool J brought a rare bit of Hip-Hop to the mostly R&B/Soul music festival with an hour long set of rap classics. Backed by super-dj, Z-Trip, LL's set kept the crowd on its feet the entire time. There aren't many DJ's that can keep up with the pure, unadulterated energy LL puts into his performance, but Z-Trip, the 2009 recipient of America's Best DJ award, matched LL's energy with masterful precision and technique on the ones and twos. Together, the legendary DJ and rapper brought new life to LL's "I Need Love," "My Radio," "Doin' It," and "Loungin'."

In an unexpected twist at his set's denouement, LL brought out Eric Sermon and Parrish Smith -- better known as EPMD -- for a bit of a reunion as they performed their 1990 collaboration, "Rampage." In one of the night's more fun moments, LL also brought 10 women from the crowd onto the stage to participate in a little dance off as the Commodores' classic "Brickhouse" blared through the Super Dome speakers. LL ever-graceful, hugged, kissed and thanked each individually as they exited the stage, demonstrating how he earned the "Ladies Love" portion of his name.

Only at Essence Fest could the kinetic enthusiasm LL brought to the stage be followed by the smooth, sultry stylings of Jill Scott without missing a single beat. Jill's performance, while decidedly less bombastic than LL's, provided a wonderful, and necessary, change of pace for the audience.

With her hometown Philadelphia's skyline as her set's backdrop, Jill weaved a loose narrative with the themes of songs like "A Long Walk," "Golden," and "He Loves Me," to create an immersive experience for the audience. She'd pull the crowd in with the story-telling and then blow their minds with her soaring vocals. And while Jill's aura kept the audience transfixed, nearly to the point of hypnosis, her set's highlight came when she and her back-up singers switched places to perform the H-Town classic "Knockin 'Da Boots".

But this night belonged to Maxwell. The crowd gasped a bit as the singer almost took a spill coming down the stairs at the show's start, but that slight misstep was but a minor imperfection in an otherwise perfect show. From the set's beginning until its end, the audience sang along to every note, every lyric, and every riff as the 40-year-old balladeer performed some of his biggest hits and crowd favorites. There aren't too many things in life similar to hearing a stadium full of people attempting their best falsetto as Maxwell leads the way singing "This Woman's Work," the Kate Bush classic he gave new life to.

Maxwell teased the audience a bit as he transitioned from the last few bars of "Sumthin' Sumthin'," into the first few classic bars of "Ascension" only to abruptly stop just as the crowd picked up the song. "Y'all want that?" he asked. "I got something better," he responded as he dove right into "Fortunate." Saved for the show's end, Maxwell turned the mic to the crowd, motioned for the band to stop playing, and let the crowd sing acapella the first verse of his biggest hit, the aforementioned "Ascension." The singer took a bow after that and exited the stage only to return for an encore performance of yet another crowd favorite "Pretty Wings."

As the crowd spilled out of the Superdome onto New Orlean's Poydras Ave. everyone seemed to be singing the tunes of one of the most legendary artists to take the stage. And to think - this was only the first night's performances at the 19th annual Essence Music Festival.

The Huffington Post's Jermaine Spradley (@MrSpradley), Julee Wilson (@MissJulee) and Jessica Anderson (@MrsJessCC) live tweeted last night's show. Check out some of their real-time thoughts below and check back for more updates on Essence Fest 2013:

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Andrew W.K. sets drumming record at MTV O Music Awards

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Musician Andrew W.K., the self-described "party king," set a new world record after playing drums nonstop for 24 hours during MTV's O Music Awards this week.

The O Music Awards, which give out accolades in a variety of fan-voted categories to musicians who make a significant impact online through social media, was streamed solely online as a 24-hour virtual concert.

The 34-year-old American, who was born Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier, drummed for 24 hours from Wednesday to Thursday, earning the world record for Longest Drum Session in a Retail Store, MTV said in a statement.

A message left seeking confirmation from Guinness World Records, which verifies official records, was not immediately returned.

Artists such as the Jonas Brothers, Hanson, Atlas Genius and Kate Nash performed from the MTV studios in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville during the 24-hour live music festival that MTV billed as the largest online-only event of its kind.

The network said that more than 100 million votes had been cast by fans online.

Winners included Joe Jonas for Best Artist Instagram, rocker Jack White for Analog Genius and German pop group Tokio Hotel for Fan Army FTW (For The Win).

Yoko Ono, 80, wife of late Beatle John Lennon, won the Digital Genius Award for her online art and music work, as well as her digital presence on social media.

Newcomer band Darling Parade was also selected from 50 new artists to play at the MTV Video Music Awards in August.

Now in its third year, the O Music Awards has attempted to set a new record each year.

At the first O Music awards in Las Vegas in 2011, rapper Chiddy of rap duo Chiddy Bang set a Guinness World Record for the "longest freestyle rap" and "longest marathon rap" after performing for more than nine consecutive hours.

In 2012, rockers Flaming Lips set a record for most concerts played in 24 hours, as they performed in eight cities, traveling by bus, breaking rapper Jay Z's previous record for seven cities in 24 hours via private jet.

MTV and its sister channels VH1 and CMT, which also participated in the O Music Awards, are part of Viacom Inc.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Kelsey and Eric Walsh)

View the original article here

Music Journalist Chet Flippo Dead at 69

By Sara Morrison

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Chet Flippo, a former Rolling Stone editor who had been serving as editorial director of CMT since 2001, died Wednesday morning in a Nashville hospital. He was 69.

CMT said Flippo had been suffering from a "lengthy illness." Billboard, where Flippo served as Nashville Bureau Chief from 1995 to 2000, reported that he had pneumonia.

Flippo, best known for his writing about country music, authored several books about musicians including Hank Williams and the Rolling Stones.

He started writing for Rolling Stone while a student at the U. of Texas at Austin, becoming New York bureau chief in 1974. The magazine said he left in 1980 to write "Your Cheatin' Heart: A Biography of Hank Williams."

He wrote his weekly Nashville Skyline column for CMT.com as recently as June 6.

Colleagues remembered him as a champion of country music. "Chet respected the importance of real country music - he had a genuine understanding of its history and a true appreciation for it," Alan Jackson told Billboard.

"He loved country music too much to let Music Row get away with fostering hypes and copycat artists on the public. Because his criticisms came from a respected insider and known country music-lover, his columns were taken very seriously by the Nashville community," said CMT president Brian Phillips.

Flippo's wife, journalist Martha Hume Flippo, died last December.

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Ex-Student Must Pay Huge Fine For Downloading Music

BOSTON, MA - July 29: Joel Tenenbaum and his mother Judie Tenenbaum speak to the press outside of the Federal Court in Boston, MA on Wednesday, July 29, 2009. Tenenbaum is facing a fine from the RIAA for sharing music. (Photo by Yoon S. Byun/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON ? A $675,000 verdict against a former Boston University student who illegally downloaded and shared songs on the Internet has been upheld.

A jury ordered Providence, R.I., resident Joel Tenenbaum to pay $22,500 for each of 30 songs after the Recording Industry Association of America sued him on behalf of four record labels.

Tenenbaum argued the $675,000 award violates his due process rights because it's not tied to the injury he caused. He estimates that to be no more than $450, or the cost of 30 albums.

A federal appeals court Tuesday found Tenenbaum's conduct was "egregious" because he illegally shared songs for years despite numerous warnings.

The U.S. Supreme Court last year declined to hear Tenenbaum's appeal.

Tenenbaum says he can't comment on the ruling.

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The 420 Times: Country Music Artists Could Help Legalize Marijuana, But Will They?

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Anytime someone mentions country music and marijuana, the artist that primarily comes to mind is the outspoken outlaw activist, marijuana tokin' Willie Nelson. So, what about some of Willie's country music colleagues that are willing to sing tribute to puffin' the stuff, but apparently aren't as willing to publicly support the legalization of the plant?

I think it's high time a few of this generation's marijuana consuming country music artists step up to the mike and use their celebrity to help bring an end to prohibition, but will they?

Just hearing the words "country music" may make some individuals cringe, but regardless of whether you enjoy that particular genre or find it absolutely dreadful it is still the most popular category of music in America. Really? Yes, really. I know, right? Its popularity is actually up one percentile from 2012 totaling out at 28 percent of all Americans that were surveyed for 2013.

With those numbers having been revealed, hopefully you can see how important of a role the country music artists that believe marijuana should be legal to consume for adults could actually play in the fight to bring change to our government's antiquated drug policy.

Today's generation of country artists that fit the "outlaw" label such as Jamey Johnson, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Randy Houser and the Zac Brown Band, just to name a few, seemingly aren't fearful of singing lyrics that pay reverence to tokin' the reefer, we just need them to come out from behind the woodshed and help spread the word that you can in fact consume marijuana and still be a successful contributing member of society.

I may be seriously mistaken in assuming that the artist's I've mentioned are paying homage to da kind bud in some of their songs. And maybe that's because not all of the country artist's that are singing about weed make it blatantly obvious, but I'm pretty sure the "stash" that Eric Church is digging "down deep" to find in his tune "Smoke A Little Smoke" isn't a tin of his Grandpa's favorite pipe tobacco. But I could be wrong.

Maybe Jamey Johnson's talking about a particularly productive harvest of tomatoes when he sings "just over the hill, you'll see all these plants that's been paying my bills" in his song "Can't Cash My Checks." Mm, I like tomatoes. Three bucks a pound at the farmer's market can add up quickly. When times get tough, sell tomatoes! Right, Jamey?

And I guess it's possible that Randy Houser is referring to cigarettes dipped in embalming fluid when he sings "I've been known to giggle on a joke, mostly when I'm smokin' on my smoke" in his tune "They Call Me Cadillac." Be careful okay, Randy, because that's a surefire way to kill brain cells, plus the whole risking your life thing, it's just not good son.

Not to mention that the Zac Brown Band could have easily meant a nice spicy burrito when they refer to rolling a "big fat one" in their song "Toes," but I think it's safe to assume that "the smoke" that Dierks Bentley and his cohorts want you to let "roll over your lips" from his song "Tip It On Back" isn't lofting from the spare ribs cooking up on the barbeque grill. Nope, these artists are singing about dope, and unless they are card holding residents from a state that permits medical marijuana usage, they themselves are truly "outlaws" that unconsciously support the black market.

I am personally not a fan of country music, so I can't attest as to whether the alleged marijuana consuming country artist's in question use their performances as an opportunity to preach to their fans about legalizing marijuana. But in my personal history as an activist, Willie Nelson is the only country artist that I can verifiably proclaim has publicly advocated for the reform of our nations marijuana laws.

Maybe Willie's age and the fact that he's been arrested so many times, which theoretically means he has a lot less to lose in comparison to his younger crooning-cronies, keeps others from coming out of hiding and accepting the proverbial torch from the apparent sole-supporter of marijuana legalization in country music.

Are the country artist's that are so eager to sing to their fans about using marijuana truly concerned about losing their fan base if they publicly support ending prohibition, or are they worried they will end up a with a huge pot leaf style target on their tour buses like the one that is apparently been stamped on Willie's bus?

Either way it seems as if ol' Willie may have to keep carrying the activism torch all by his lonesome unless a few of the marijuana consuming country artists of today can muster up the courage to join him in the fight to bring justice to such an unjust federal drug policy.

I understand the risk factor of publicly advocating for the legalization of marijuana, it's colossal! But just imagine if we were able to get all of the celebrity types that are evident enjoyers of this unwarrantedly illegal plant to publicly endorse efforts to end its prohibition we would be a hell of a lot further along the road to global victory.

So I'm calling out to all those celebrity lovers of the sweet leaf, bring the bong out from behind the guesthouse and help Willie out, he's getting' tired, damn it! Hang in there, Willie! You may have to keep touring for a few more decades at this rate.

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Music Journalist Chet Flippo Dead at 69

By Sara Morrison

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Chet Flippo, a former Rolling Stone editor who had been serving as editorial director of CMT since 2001, died Wednesday morning in a Nashville hospital. He was 69.

CMT said Flippo had been suffering from a "lengthy illness." Billboard, where Flippo served as Nashville Bureau Chief from 1995 to 2000, reported that he had pneumonia.

Flippo, best known for his writing about country music, authored several books about musicians including Hank Williams and the Rolling Stones.

He started writing for Rolling Stone while a student at the U. of Texas at Austin, becoming New York bureau chief in 1974. The magazine said he left in 1980 to write "Your Cheatin' Heart: A Biography of Hank Williams."

He wrote his weekly Nashville Skyline column for CMT.com as recently as June 6.

Colleagues remembered him as a champion of country music. "Chet respected the importance of real country music - he had a genuine understanding of its history and a true appreciation for it," Alan Jackson told Billboard.

"He loved country music too much to let Music Row get away with fostering hypes and copycat artists on the public. Because his criticisms came from a respected insider and known country music-lover, his columns were taken very seriously by the Nashville community," said CMT president Brian Phillips.

Flippo's wife, journalist Martha Hume Flippo, died last December.

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Andrew W.K. sets drumming record at MTV O Music Awards

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Musician Andrew W.K., the self-described "party king," set a new world record after playing drums nonstop for 24 hours during MTV's O Music Awards this week.

The O Music Awards, which give out accolades in a variety of fan-voted categories to musicians who make a significant impact online through social media, was streamed solely online as a 24-hour virtual concert.

The 34-year-old American, who was born Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier, drummed for 24 hours from Wednesday to Thursday, earning the world record for Longest Drum Session in a Retail Store, MTV said in a statement.

A message left seeking confirmation from Guinness World Records, which verifies official records, was not immediately returned.

Artists such as the Jonas Brothers, Hanson, Atlas Genius and Kate Nash performed from the MTV studios in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville during the 24-hour live music festival that MTV billed as the largest online-only event of its kind.

The network said that more than 100 million votes had been cast by fans online.

Winners included Joe Jonas for Best Artist Instagram, rocker Jack White for Analog Genius and German pop group Tokio Hotel for Fan Army FTW (For The Win).

Yoko Ono, 80, wife of late Beatle John Lennon, won the Digital Genius Award for her online art and music work, as well as her digital presence on social media.

Newcomer band Darling Parade was also selected from 50 new artists to play at the MTV Video Music Awards in August.

Now in its third year, the O Music Awards has attempted to set a new record each year.

At the first O Music awards in Las Vegas in 2011, rapper Chiddy of rap duo Chiddy Bang set a Guinness World Record for the "longest freestyle rap" and "longest marathon rap" after performing for more than nine consecutive hours.

In 2012, rockers Flaming Lips set a record for most concerts played in 24 hours, as they performed in eight cities, traveling by bus, breaking rapper Jay Z's previous record for seven cities in 24 hours via private jet.

MTV and its sister channels VH1 and CMT, which also participated in the O Music Awards, are part of Viacom Inc.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Kelsey and Eric Walsh)

View the original article here

Music Journalist Chet Flippo Dead at 69

By Sara Morrison

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Chet Flippo, a former Rolling Stone editor who had been serving as editorial director of CMT since 2001, died Wednesday morning in a Nashville hospital. He was 69.

CMT said Flippo had been suffering from a "lengthy illness." Billboard, where Flippo served as Nashville Bureau Chief from 1995 to 2000, reported that he had pneumonia.

Flippo, best known for his writing about country music, authored several books about musicians including Hank Williams and the Rolling Stones.

He started writing for Rolling Stone while a student at the U. of Texas at Austin, becoming New York bureau chief in 1974. The magazine said he left in 1980 to write "Your Cheatin' Heart: A Biography of Hank Williams."

He wrote his weekly Nashville Skyline column for CMT.com as recently as June 6.

Colleagues remembered him as a champion of country music. "Chet respected the importance of real country music - he had a genuine understanding of its history and a true appreciation for it," Alan Jackson told Billboard.

"He loved country music too much to let Music Row get away with fostering hypes and copycat artists on the public. Because his criticisms came from a respected insider and known country music-lover, his columns were taken very seriously by the Nashville community," said CMT president Brian Phillips.

Flippo's wife, journalist Martha Hume Flippo, died last December.

View the original article here

WATCH: Johnny Football Stars In Music Video

By Dave Miller, National Football Post

Texas A&M grad and rising country singer Granger Smith sure knows how to make a star-studded music video.

The Aggies alum, who has played at the White House, visited American soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait, and wrote a song about his alma mater titled "We Bleed Maroon," had reigning Heisman Trophy-winning A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel appear in his new video for the tune "Silverado Bench Seat." Manziel stars in the video with longtime girlfriend Sarah Savage as well as former Aggies receiver Ryan Swope, who was recently drafted by the Arizona Cardinals.

Smith's new album, "Dirt Road Driveway," debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard Country Album chart.

The charmed life of Johnny Football continues...

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