North Carolina Amazon workers vote against unionizingWorkers at an Amazon warehouse in Garner, North Carolina voted against unionizing in election results announced today. According to Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), the worker group seeking to form the union, 3,276 ballots were cast in the election, with 25.3% of votes in favor of unionizing and 74.7% against. The results […]
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Octet of ESP32s Lets You See WiFi Like Never BeforeMost of us see the world in a very narrow band of the EM spectrum. Sure, there are people with a genetic quirk that extends the range a bit into the UV, but it’s a ROYGBIV world for most of us. Unless, of course, you have something like this ESP32 antenna array, which gives you an augmented reality view of the WiFi world.
According to [Jeija], “ESPARGOS” consists of an antenna array board and a controller board. The antenna array has eight ESP32-S2FH4 microcontrollers and eight 2.4 GHz WiFi patch antennas spaced a half-wavelength apart in two dimensions. The ESP32s extract channel state information (CSI) from each packet they receive, sending it on to the controller board where another ESP32 streams them over Ethernet while providing the clock and phase reference signals needed to make the phased array work. This gives you all the information you need to calculate where a signal is coming from and how strong it is, which is used to plot a sort of heat map to overlay on a webcam image of the same scene.
The results are pretty cool. Walking through the field of view of the array, [Jeija]’s smartphone shines like a lantern, with very little perceptible lag between the WiFi and the visible light images. He’s also able to demonstrate reflection off metallic surfaces, penetration through the wall from the next room, and even outdoor scenes where the array shows how different surfaces reflect the signal. There’s also a demonstration of using multiple arrays to determine angle and time delay of arrival of a signal to precisely locate a moving WiFi source. It’s a little like a reverse LORAN system, albeit indoors and at a much shorter wavelength.
There’s a lot in this video and the accompanying documentation to unpack. We haven’t even gotten to the really cool stuff like using machine learning to see around corners by measuring reflected WiFi signals. ESPARGOS looks like it could be a really valuable tool across a lot of domains, and a heck of a lot of fun to play with too.

Thanks to [Buckaroo] for the tip.

DIY and Independent Musician News Last WeekLast week, our tips, advice and independent musician news covered how get superfans via email, identify fake streams, use AI, wisdom from Jack White and Taylor Swift, and more...
The post DIY and Independent Musician News Last Week appeared first on Hypebot.

Last Week’s Top Music Industry NewsA busy week by any definition, and music industry news was no exception TikTok regained traction, Hangout becoming more popular for music marketing, Copyright office investigates PROs, and more...
The post Last Week’s Top Music Industry News appeared first on Hypebot.

Midi-2-the-Max MXL2 Automation PackAutomate the Unreachable in Ableton Live MXL2 Automation Pack is a collection of five Max-for-Live devices that let you automate, control, and manipulate parameters that cannot normally... Read More

Sampleson launch rePEDAL plug-in Available as a free download, Sampleson's latest plug-in is an experimental project that allows users to generate random overdrive pedal emulations with a single click.

Waves Audio offers TrueVerb for FREE in Limited Time Offer
Free Kontaktina and Waves Audio are offering the TrueVerb plugin for free in a limited-time offer.  The reverb plugin (currently $35, list price $99) is a macOS and Windows release for VST, VST3, AU, and AAX.  TrueVerb is an OG plugin, as Waves dropped it back in 1997 as part of the Waves Native Power Pack. [...]
View post: Waves Audio offers TrueVerb for FREE in Limited Time Offer

Kubernik: High Moon Records George Baer Wallace and the late JD Martignon founded High Moon Records in 2010, with the purpose of a record label as an exclusive outlet for the music they loved most. George and JD had a long and expanding wish list of titles that needed to be properly illuminated. Always at the top of that list was Arthur Lee and Love’s unreleased masterpiece from 1973, Black Beauty. Although it had existed as poorly sourced bootlegs for years, High Moon Records’ mission was to finally give the lost record the proper distribution in December 2012 it deserved. Black Beauty, the never-before-released outing by Arthur Lee's band Love is available as a TrueSound Audiophile CD packaged in a hardbound eco-book and as a 180 gram LP packaged in a tip-on sleeve. The deluxe CD comes with a 64-page photo-filled booklet. Both formats come with bonus tracks featuring live performances, two unreleased Lee studio cuts and an unearthed Arthur Lee interview from 1974. Recorded in 1973 for the ambitious new label Buffalo Records, the album remained unreleased when the company folded. Finally, after 39 years, High Moon delivered Arthur’s wish that Black Beauty be heard by music fans worldwide. Black Beauty made it's first-ever official release in any configuration, anywhere!With its potent eclectic collection of songs, the album gives Love fans a rare glimpse into a previously-undocumented phase of Lee's career, while new ears get to discover the unique genius that is the music of Arthur Lee and Love. The marvelous liner notes are written by esteemed journalist and author Ben Edmonds. Photo Credit: Herbert W. Worthington III“Black Beauty is as eclectic and eccentric as any of Love’s best.” – Mojo magazine. “There are a handful of musicians I actively collect and want to support their work,” George Wallace explained to me in a 2024 High Moon-centric interview. “Skip Spence, Alex Chilton, Townes Van Zandt, Moby Grape, Ace of Cups, Gram Parsons, Love, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Byrds and their various permutations. No one sounds like any of those bands. “I also sort of realized there is no other country like America, where guys who liked bluegrass, jug band, jazz and pop music could bring us the Grateful Dead and The Sons of Adam. I think the bohemian elements of both San Francisco and Los Angeles informed these rock bands.” After spending considerable time exploring the High Moon catalogue, it was now really important to do a deep dive of their terrific retail endeavors and learn about the passion and efforts behind these albums that should be additions to your record collection. George Wallace and his High Moon team have done a wonderful job giving us sonic gems often forgotten, neglected and underserved when initially issued on LP.Out in late January 2025 is the Jeannie Piersol anthology The Nest, available on CD, LP and Digital formats. For fans of Jefferson Airplane, The Great!! Society!!, and Rotary Connection, The Nest is more than a curiosity—it’s a revelation. Piersol’s voice and vision finally step out of the shadows, offering a fresh perspective on the golden age of psychedelic rock.The Nest is the first-ever anthology from the long-lost 1960’s San Francisco psychedelic siren Piersol.The 12-track collection is accompanied by an extensively illustrated 20-page booklet with a 7500-word essay from compilation producer Alec Palao (featuring exclusive interviews with Piersol and many of her musical collaborators), plus lavish artwork, never-before-seen photos, memorabilia, and more.The Nest gathers her Chess Cadet Concept label singles alongside outtakes, demos, and live recordings from San Francisco’s Matrix nightclub, capturing the raw energy of Piersol’s bands in their prime.In 2025, Shindig! magazine hailed Piersol’s artifact as “sizzling soul-rock and exotic psychedelia…beautifully packaged and exhaustively annotated.”High Moon in 2023 and 2024 also reminded us about singer/songwriter Laurie Styvers.Let Me Comfort You: The Hush Rarities follows High Moon’s 2023 release of Gemini Girl: The Complete Hush Recordings, the first-ever comprehensive anthology of Styvers’ body of work, including her two deeply moving solo albums, Spilt Milk (1971) and The Colorado Kid (1973).Akin to a lost third album, the new collection gathers 11 alternate takes, demos, and previously unissued songs from the original album sessions, further displaying the enigmatic Texas singer-songwriter’s honey-voiced intimacy and intangible magic, its lovelorn presents like 'Let Me Comfort You' and 'Crazy Rainy Spring' equal of anything on either now-rightfully acclaimed albums with Hush Productions, founded by noted producers Shel Talmy (The Kinks, The Who, Small Faces) and Hugh Murphy (Gerry Rafferty).Styvers recorded a small number of tracks in addition to Spilt Milk and The Colorado Kid. Drawn from the original session reels, Let Me Comfort You: The Hush Rarities compiles those completed masters that remained in the can, along with a smattering of alternate versions and early demos, all appearing on vinyl for the first time. Pitchfork applauded Styvers’ heretofore obscure music as “a piano-driven wonderland that invoked the buoyant pop side of Laurel Canyon vogue to frame a complicated internal portrait.” Gene Clark served as The Byrds chief songwriter in the mid-sixties, penning some of their most essential songs, including “Feel a Whole Lot Better,” “Eight Miles High” and “You Showed Me.” Two Sides To Every Story, the criminally long out-of-print solo album from founding Byrds member, Clark, finally returns to vinyl. 35 years after its initial 1977 release on RSO. High Moon Records re-mastered, 180-gram audiophile vinyl LP is presented in rich and crisp audio fidelity on this beautifully-crafted Gene Clark classic. The album was produced by Thomas Jefferson Kaye. Singer Emmylou Harris, banjo-virtuoso Douglas Dillard (The Byrds, Dillard & Clark), Country violin legend Byron Berline, guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell), and pedal-steel ace Al Perkins (Flying Burrito Brothers, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones) contribute to Clark’s album. In 2023, record collectors, author Jan Henderson and myself were thrilled by the High Moon edition of The Sons of Adam’s Saturday’s Sons: The Complete Recordings 1964-1966, the first-ever comprehensive anthology of the fabled 1960s L.A. band. All formats – including a gatefold 2 LP set, CD, or digital download –feature remastered recordings, along with deluxe packaging, extensive liner notes, lavish artwork, never-before-seen photos, and more. Steve Stanley is the founder of Now Sounds, a reissue label distributed by Cherry Red Records. In addition to his work with Now Sounds, and High Moon Records, Steve is a graphic designer who has art directed and/or designed releases for Rhino Records, Sony, Warner Bros., ABKCO, and many other labels.In 2019 he assembled High Moon’s absorbing compilation, Curt Boettcher & Friends: Looking For The Sun. It houses a remarkable liner note essay from Dawn Eden Goldstein, who last century first chronicled and spearheaded the awareness of Boettcher’s legacy.Shindig! magazine hailed the various artist collection as “the best of 2019.”Best known for his groundbreaking hit productions for The Association (“Cherish,” “Along Comes Mary”), Boettcher formed the pioneering rock bands The Ballroom and The Millennium, and add heavily to classic pop-psych album Sagittarius created and crafted by producer Gary Usher (Beach Boys, Byrds). Boettcher was innovative in utilizing the studio as an instrument—an approach that made a lasting impression on a young Brian Wilson.Looking For The Sun is the first release to focus on Boettcher as a producer and arranger rather than a performer, highlighting cuts that were released only as singles. Most of the tracks have remained out of print since their initial release. Collected here are 21 tracks (18 on LP)—all sourced from the original master tapes—which Boettcher wrote, produced, arranged, or sang on. Artists include: Cindy Malone, Sandy Salisbury, Gordon Alexander, Keith Colley, Summer’s Children, Jonathan Moore, Ray Whitley, Eddie Hodges, The Bootiques, Action Unlimited, and Sagittarius. The musical contributions of Glen Campbell, David Gates, Gary Usher and Keith Olsen are also showcased.The 36-page booklet that accompanies the release, beautifully designed by Stanley, features fascinating and deeply researched notes on each of the songs, rarely-seen archival photos, that match the words penned by Boettcher scholar Dawn Eden Goldstein.“I am very attached to Curt’s legacy,” enthused Goldstein in a 2025 interview. “There is a need to educate people and teach the present generation beyond what they read on the internet. Steve had actually tracked down the artists himself. And so, it was the most pleasant collaboration.“The whole design of the booklet was done in such a way that the designers knew how to let the visuals compliment the text, and everything is beautifully integrated. It’s the closest thing that I’ve come to my original dream of writing Curt’s biography.”In her extensive and inspiring scripture, Goldstein illustrated the excursions producer Boettcher forged, and underscored his participation in his profound work with the Association, The Millennium, The Ballroom, and Sagittarius.High Moon in 2018 released the self-titled debut studio album by The Ace of Cups, the pioneering all-female rock band from the 1960s San Francisco scene.A High Moon press announcement mentions, “The Ace of Cups may not have been the first all-women rock and roll band, but they were the one that mattered within that bizarre wrinkle in time that constituted late 1960s San Francisco. Yet despite the avowed interest of the industry and obvious hometown support, the original Ace of Cups never got to make a record. Until now…“High Moon Records is honored to present the first studio record by the mesmerizing Ace of Cups. Produced by Dan Shea (Santana, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey), and recorded at Marin’s Laughing Tiger Studios, the record’s twenty-one tracks span fifty years of masterful songwriting, that sound as timeless as they do cathartic.“Special guests include legendary players (and longtime Ace of Cups friends) Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, and Charlie Musselwhite as well as lead vocal turns by Bob Weir on ‘The Well,’ Taj Mahal on ‘Life In Your Hands,’ Peter Coyote on ‘As The Rain,’ and Buffy Sainte-Marie on ‘Pepper In The Pot.’”“I have a serious soft spot for the small, independent re-issue label,” writer and author Daniel Weizmann emphasized in a 2025 phone conversation.“These are the heroes and heroines I tried to immortalize in Cinnamon Girl, my second mystery…often working with old acetates and faded tapes, with aging Letraset cover art on art boards with printer's instructions and mucilage smears. These people are more than historians, more than nostalgia nuts. They connect the dots for us and bond us to the legacy. They're keepers of the flame.”“We’re all constantly searching for new sounds or sounds from the past that truly deserve to be heard,” underlined George Wallace.“Almost an elusive journey that can yield results we never planned on. Especially when you are running a label and searching for recordings that need to be discovered and heard.“It’s a real pleasure to receive wonderful comments from fans and collectors. Some fans in England raved about Arthur Lee’s Black Beauty, others tout the Ace of Cups album, while some are just happy to hear more music from Gene Clark.”In 2025, we can look forward to High Moon titles, including the deluxe reissue of the Bob Crewe-produced Lotti Golden Motor-Cycle 1969 debut album on Atlantic Records.High Moon Records has also scheduled for 2025 an unprecedented upcoming collection of Arthur Lee and Love recordings called Just To Remind You. Recorded during the last fifteen years of his life, and sourced from Arthur’s trove of tapes, most of these songs are being heard here for the first time ever.The album will be comprised of the songs Arthur asked his wife Diane Lee to release after his death. Having been hospitalized for several months, Arthur realized he was losing his fight with Leukemia, and asked Diane to oversee the release of a final record of his unreleased songs. Although many of the tracks were in various stages of completion, Arthur left some specific musical notes to execute his sonic vision.I’ll have additional news and details in 2025 about High Moon audio delights.Harvey Kubernik is the author of 20 books, including 2009’s Canyon Of Dreams: The Magic And The Music Of Laurel Canyon, 2014’s Turn Up The Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll In Los Angeles 1956-1972, 2015's Every Body Knows: Leonard Cohen, 2016's Heart of Gold Neil Young and 2017's 1967: A Complete Rock Music History of the Summer of Love. Sterling/Barnes and Noble in 2018 published Harvey and Kenneth Kubernik’s The Story Of The Band: From Big Pink To The Last Waltz. In 2021 the duo wrote Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child for Sterling/Barnes and Noble. Otherworld Cottage Industries in 2020 published Harvey’s Docs That Rock, Music That Matters. His book Screen Gems: (Pop Music Documentaries and Rock ‘n’ Roll Television Moments) is scheduled for 2025 publication. Harvey wrote the liner notes to CD re-releases of Carole King’s Tapestry, The Essential Carole King, Allen Ginsberg’s Kaddish, Elvis Presley The ’68 Comeback Special, The Ramones’ End of the Century and Big Brother & the Holding Company Captured Live at The Monterey International Pop Festival. During 2006 Harvey spoke at the special hearings by The Library of Congress held in Hollywood, California, discussing archiving practices and audiotape preservation. In 2017 Kubernik appeared at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, in their Distinguished Speakers Series.The post Kubernik: High Moon Records first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Figure AI is in talks to raise $1.5B at 15x its last valuationRobotics startup Figure AI is raising $1.5 billion at a $39.5 billion valuation, a whopping 15 times higher than before.
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Botanica music: What it is and how to make it
Learn about the world of botanica music alongside expert producer and songwriter Michael Bruner, who overviews music theory concepts, production techniques, and more.

3DBenchy Sets Sail into the Public DomainGood news for everyone who cannot get enough from improbably shaped boats that get referred to as a bench: the current owner (NTI Group) of the copyright has announced that 3DBenchy has been released into the public domain. This comes not too long after Prusa’s Printables website had begun to purge all derived models to adhere to the ‘no derivatives’ license. According to NTI, the removal of these derived models was not requested by NTI, but by a third-party report, unbeknownst to NTI or the original creator of the model. Recognizing its importance to the community, 3DBenchy can now be downloaded & modified freely.
NTI worked together with the original creator [Daniel Norée] and former Creative Tools CEO [Paulo Kiefe] to transition 3DBenchy and the associated website to the public domain, with the latter two having control over the website and associated social media accounts. Hopefully this means that the purged models on Printables can be restored soon, even if some may prefer to print alternate (literal) benches.
The unfortunate part is that much of this mess began courtesy of the original 3DBenchy license being ignored. If that point had been addressed many years ago instead of being swept under the rug by all parties involved, there would have been no need for any of this kerfuffle.

Steven Tyler's Grammy Party at Hollywood PalladiumIconic Aerosmith frontman and former American Idol judge Steven Tyler hosted his 6th annual Grammy viewing party once again at the Hollywood Palladium benefiting his Janie’s Fund foundation. Previous locations have included Red and Raleigh studios and performances from Tyler, Aerosmith, the Black Crowes and more.  From the press release “The star-studded event will unite music A-listers, entertainment icons, and welcome more than 150 firefighters who have been at the forefront of combating the California wildfires to celebrate the biggest night in music. The evening will benefit Janie’s Fund, as well as support both the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the Widows, Orphans, and Disabled Firefighters Fund by raising critical funds to help meet the immediate needs for lifesaving equipment and resources.”

The event took place on Grammy Sunday (2/2) and before the viewing party kicked off a red carpet of musicians, celebrities and Janie’s Fund girls and board members walked down leading into the Palladium entrance. Appearing on the carpet was none other than Tyler himself and members of his all-star band that evening including former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum, Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, Megadeth bassist James LoMenzo, current John Waite guitarist Brent Wood, Aerosmith keyboardist Buck Johnson as well as special guests Fleetwood Mac’s co-founder and drummer Mick Fleetwood, Joan Jett and Blackhearts’ guitarist Dougie Needles and co-founder/keyboardist Kenny Laguna, Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson. Also on the carpet was the evening’s host, comedian Tiffany Haddish, song-writer Desmond Child, actor/musician Corey Feldman, artists Jaden Hossler, Sully Erna (Godsmack), David Archuletta, Gavin DeGraw, and actresses Bo Derek and Paris Jackson, radio host Eddie Trunk, Kill Devil Hill frontman Dewey Bragg and Mia Tyler and Counting Cars star Danny 'Count' Koker. Members of the L.A. Fire Department were on the carpet as well and the event's annual pre-show performers The London Essentials. From the Youth Villages team CEO Patrick Lawler, Chief Development Officer Richard Shaw (also Janie’s Fund), and Chairman Mike Bruns were there, and Janie’s Fund Executive Council member Edie Allen. Following the Grammy Awards telecast, Tyler performed for the first time since Aerosmith announced their retirement and a reunion with Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton. Other performances and guests included Jett, Billy Idol, Marcus King, Lainey Wilson, and Linda Perry. Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, Korn’s Munky were also in attendance. About Janie’s Fund“Janie’s Fund is a philanthropic initiative created by Steven Tyler in partnership with one of America’s most effective nonprofits, Youth Villages. Named after Aerosmith’s 1989 hit, “Janie’s Got a Gun,” which tells the story of a young girl who was abused by her father, Janie’s Fund provides hope and healing for many of our country’s most vulnerable girls who have survived the trauma of abuse and neglect. Through Janie’s Fund, Tyler is using his big voice to give a voice to thousands of victims who haven’t had one. For more information, visit JaniesFund.org. For more about Steven Tyler, including his bio, visit StevenTyler.com.”Setlist:Walk This Way (Aerosmith)- Tyler, Hamilton, and Robinson.Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin)- Linda PerryWhat's Up? (4 Non Blondes)- Perry Proud Mary (CCR)- Marcus KingDancing with Myself- Billy Idol & Steve StevensRebel Yell (Billy Idol)- Idol & StevensI Hate Myself (For Loving You)- Joan Jett, Dougie Needles, Kenny LagunaCherry Bomb (Runaways)- Jett, Needles, LagunaBad Reputation- Jett, Needles, LagunaMore Than Words (Extreme)- Steven Tyler, Mick Fleetwood (percussion), and Nuno BettencourtToys in the Attic (Aerosmith)- Steven TylerDream On (Aerosmith)- Lainey Wilson and TylerSweet Emotion (Aerosmith), Tyler, Tom Hamilton, and Chris RobinsonThe post Steven Tyler's Grammy Party at Hollywood Palladium first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

From the ‘fair use’ win for Reuters to ByteDance building an AI music beast… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe biggest stories from the past week – all in one place…
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Dreamwave releases FREE Tarantula classic chorus plugin
Dreamwave has released Tarantula, a free chorus plugin inspired by classic chorus effect boxes. The plugin offers four chorus modes, plus a standard triangle wave LFO and hyper triangle LFO. The hyper triangle LFO produces a more prominent chorus effect and is ideal for synth leads that sound slightly thin. Each chorus mode is inspired [...]
View post: Dreamwave releases FREE Tarantula classic chorus plugin