Home Blog Page 101

SiriusXM and National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Team Up for New Podcast

SiriusXM and the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced today a multi-year collaboration to produce a new podcast dedicated to telling the stories of the all-time great players who are enshrined in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

“The Road to Cooperstown” will debut June 8th and air every Saturday at 9 am ET on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio channel and on the SiriusXM app. Season 1 will run from June through October and each week’s episode will feature a long form conversation between SiriusXM host Jon Paul Morosi and a different Hall of Famer.

Election into the Baseball Hall of Fame is the ultimate recognition of baseball greatness, and listeners will hear directly from these greats first-hand as they reflect on their life in the game, remembering the highlights as well as the challenges they faced on their way to earning a place in baseball’s most exclusive club.

The series premieres on June 8th with a conversation with Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench. Ensuing episodes will feature fellow Cooperstown inductees Ozzie Smith, Cal Ripken Jr., George Brett, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Craig Biggio, Joe Torre and many more.

“Induction into the Hall of Fame is the greatest honor in all of sport, and each one of our 346 Hall of Famers faced and overcame challenges en route to a plaque in Cooperstown,” said Josh Rawitch, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “‘The Road to Cooperstown’ brings these stories to listeners through the voices of the legends themselves, sharing with fans the amazing character and skill that made them the greatest players in the game’s history. We are proud to work with SiriusXM to bring this engaging and inspiring series to listeners around the world.”

Each episode of “The Road to Cooperstown” will be available as a podcast on all major podcast platforms the Tuesday after its Saturday SiriusXM premiere. Episode 1 of the series becomes available as a podcast on June 11th, the day before the Museum’s 85th birthday. On June 12, 1939, the Hall of Fame opened its doors for the first time in Cooperstown.

“A visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame creates a very special connection between the fan and the game’s all-time great players,” said Eric Spitz, VP of Sports Programming for SiriusXM. “We’re producing ‘The Road to Cooperstown’ to create that same kind of connection for fans around the country through SiriusXM. And we’re the perfect medium to do it. After all, fans have connected with their favorite teams and players through radio broadcasts for more than a century. On this series fans will not only learn more about the living legends of the game, but hear them in their own words talk about the ups and downs of their careers, and what drove them to be great.”

 

Highlights from future conversations on “The Road to Cooperstown:”

John Smoltz: “My road to Cooperstown was an incredible ride. It was a roller coaster at times but it was an incredible ride. At the end of the day, I got a chance to compete in a ton of playoffs and win a World Series, but the journey was worth every single surgery and every single bump in the road because it was a unique one. It wasn’t one that was a cookie-cutter and that’s not who I am. I’m one that will do whatever it takes to try to win.”

Ozzie Smith: “People ask me, ‘Would I change anything?’ I wouldn’t change a thing. There were rocks in the road, there were boulders in the road, but making it to Cooperstown was one of the greatest achievements of my life. It’s not something that I set out to do. I think it became a byproduct of working hard to be the very best that I could be every day.”

SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio channel is available to listeners nationwide in their cars on channel 89 and on the SiriusXM app.

Eligible customers can get their first three months of SiriusXM for free. Go to siriusxm.com/GetSiriusXM3mos to sign up and experience all that SiriusXM has to offer. See Offer Details.

LA LOM Signs To Verve Records, Announces Debut Album Out August 9

LA LOM has announced their debut album, to be released August 9 on Verve Records. The self-titled, 13-song collection of all original music seamlessly weaves together the diverse genres and cultures of Los Angeles, their hometown and a major source of inspiration. Short for The Los Angeles League of Musicians, LA LOM is composed of native Angelenos Zac Sokolow (Guitar), Jake Faulkner (Bass), and Nicholas Baker (Drums/Percussion). With just a handful of singles released so far, LA LOM’s rise has been meteoric: millions of views for their rich-hued and self-made videos, hundreds of thousands of followers on socials, and fans that include Beck, Zane Lowe and more. For a group that has just started touring nationally, they are selling out major rooms across the U.S., will make their festival debuts at Newport Folk and Pitchfork London among many others this year, and a run with Vampire Weekend begins tomorrow in Houston.

Listening to LA LOM is like turning the radio dial to discover a series of stations that music obsessives could only dream of. They find inspiration in the classic Mexican Boleros and the Cumbia Sonidera woven into the very fabric of LA’s soundscape, resonating through the streets from car stereos, backyard parties, and lively dance halls. Added to this is the guitar-driven twang of Peruvian Chicha, Bakersfield Country, traditional folk music from Sicily, Turkey and beyond, plus soulful ballads from the 1950s and ’60s that they grew up listening to on LA’s oldies station, K-EARTH 101, evoking the laid-back aesthetic that defines the region.

Says Sokolow, about “Danza de LA LOM”: “The song in a lot of ways is our homage to the Cumbia and Chicha from Peru. Bands like Los Mirlos, Los Shapis, Los Destellos, Los Wembler’s de Iquitos, and others have been a huge influence on us and the music we make. Particularly in the way they use the biting twangy guitar to lead the melody of the song. When we started out playing in bars full of dancers around Los Angeles, covers from the great Chicha and Cumbia bands of Peru were a big part of our repertoire. We knew we wanted to have our own ‘Danza de LA LOM,’ and this song gets people dancing as well as any song we have ever covered.”

While LA LOM has broken out over the past year, it didn’t happen overnight. Similar to The Beatles in Hamburg, LA LOM coalesced as they cut their teeth playing extensive sets, five nights a week, at the historic Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. With buzz building around Los Angeles, they headed to the studio and began cutting singles – their first EP was released in 2022.

LA LOM was produced by Elliot Bergman (Cage the Elephant, Major Lazer, Wild Belle) and recorded mostly at his studio Figueroa. The 13 songs, recently written and recorded for this album, swirl together LA LOM’s aforementioned and widely varied influences. Laid back and lo-fi, they bottle up the energy of a crowded dance floor, a hot, sweaty night – songs that were designed to make you want to sway your hips. The album begins with the cumbia swagger of “Angels Point,” a nod to LA’s Elysian Park. With the rhythm section in lock step and dancing melodies from Sokolow’s fuzz-kissed guitar, it’s followed by one intoxicating groove after another. “San Fernando Rose” is an homage to groups like The Ronnettes, The Marvelletes, The Chantelles. “A lot of these melodies

in those kind of songs have a way of making you feel nostalgic and both uplifted and sad at the same time,” says Sokolow. “‘72 Monte Carlo” imagines an old spy film with a classic hot rod driving fast through the hills of Los Angeles.

The roots of LA LOM run deep. Zac Sokolow’s musical lineage spans generations, starting his creative journey performing alongside his father, a respected figure in LA’s bluegrass community, whose family relocated from Buenos Aires to LA in the 1930s. Jake Faulkner comes from a family of Venice artists and met Zac at age 16. Zac and Jake honed their craft through years of collaboration in various bands within Southern California’s vibrant Rockabilly scene before eventually joining to form LA LOM. Nicholas Baker was steeped in Latin music from childhood by his grandmother, who hailed from a musical family in Durango, Mexico, and gained fame as a DJ on a Spanish-language radio station in Tucson, Arizona. He studied Latin percussion with renowned Nuyorican bassist and percussionist Roberto Miranda.

LA LOM Tracklist
1. Angels Point
2. Figueroa
3. Maravilla
4. ’72 Monte Carlo
5. El Sereno
6. Lorena
7. Lucia
8. Danza de LA LOM
9. Espejismo
10. Ghosts of Gardena
11. Moonlight Over Montebello 12. Rebecca
13. San Fernando Rose

LA LOM Tour Dates
06/06/24 – 713 Music Hall – Houston, TX – WITH VAMPIRE WEEKEND
06/07/24 – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory – Irving, TX – WITH VAMPIRE WEEKEND
06/09/24 – Arizona Financial Theatre – Phoenix, AZ – WITH VAMPIRE WEEKEND
06/10/24 – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre – San Diego, CA – WITH VAMPIRE WEEKEND
06/25/24 – TD Victoria International JazzFest – Victoria, BC
06/27/24 – Le Festival International de Jazz de Montréal – Montréal, QC
06/28/24 – Longboat Hall – Toronto, ON
06/29/24 – Ottawa Jazz Festival – Ottawa, ON
07/01/24 – SummerStage in Central Park – New York, NY
07/26/24 – Nelsonville Music Festival – Nelsonville, OH
07/28/24 – Newport Folk Festival – Newport, RI
08/03/24 – Pickathon Festival – Happy Valley, OR
08/04/24 – Pickathon Festival – Happy Valley, OR
08/06/24 – Whiskey Creek Zócalo – Arenas Valley, NM
08/08/24 – Globe Hall – Denver, CO
08/09/24 – Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO
08/11/24 – Telluride Jazz Festival – Telluride, CO
08/12/24 – Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
08/31/24 – Fool in Love – Inglewood, CA
09/14/24 – Lowbrow Palace – El Paso, TX
09/15/24 – Ballroom Marfa – Marfa, TX
09/18/24 – The Kessler Theater – Dallas, TX
09/19/24 – Scoot Inn – Austin, TX
09/20/24 – Stable Hall – San Antonio, TX
09/21/24 – The Heights Theater – Houston, TX
09/24/24 – Hotel Congress Plaza – Tucson, AZ
09/25/24 – The Orpheum Theater – Flagstaff, AZ
09/28/24 – Pappy & Harriet’s Outdoors – Pioneertown, CA
09/29/24 – Ohana Music and Arts Festival – Dana Point, CA
10/03/24 – The Observatory North Park – San Diego, CA
10/10/24 – Felton Music Hall – Felton, CA
10/12/24 – Bimbo’s 365 Club – San Francisco, CA
10/18/24 – The Mayan – Los Angeles, CA
10/19/24 – Ventura Music Hall – Ventura, CA
11/01/24 – Crossing Border Festival – The Hague, NL
11/02/24 – Take Root Festival – Groningen, NL
11/09/24 – Pitchfork Music Festival – London, UK

Ice Spice’s Debut Album ‘Y2K!’ Set For Release July 26 And Announces First-Ever Headline World Tour

Today, multi-platinum selling and GRAMMY-nominated rapper Ice Spice announced her highly anticipated debut album is confirmed to release on July 26.

With its title nodding to her birthday (January 1, 2000), Ice Spice’s full-length debut will also include her latest single “Gimmie A Light” – Listen HERE. Produced by Ice Spice’s longtime collaborator RIOTUSA — who also handled production on career-defining hits like her gold-certified breakout single “Munch (Feelin U)” — “Gimmie A Light” centres on a sample from dancehall legend Sean Paul’s 2002 single “Gimme the Light.” Watch the official music video self-directed by Ice Spice and produced by fellow New York City natives George and Frederick Buford, aka The Evil Twins HERE.

Today, Ice Spice also announced the Y2K! WORLD TOUR, her first-ever global headline outing with festival dates across Europe, the UK and North America this summer. The 24-date tour kicks off in Europe with several festival performances including Roskilde Festival in Denmark, Rolling Loud Europe in Austria, Wireless Festival in London and more.

The Y2K! WORLD TOUR, produced by Live Nation, will then head to North America, starting in Washington, DC on Tuesday, July 30 at The Anthem, with additional stops in Philadelphia, New York, Toronto, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Oakland, Atlanta and more before wrapping up on Saturday, August 31 in Miami, FL at The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater. Special guests RIOTUSA and Cash Cobain will join as support on all North America dates.

Fans can expect to hear songs from her forthcoming debut album Y2K!, including hit single “Think U The Shit (Fart).” The album arrives on the heels of her widely acclaimed debut EP Like..? — a 2023 release that landed on best-of-the-year lists from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and more and featured hits like “Munch (Feelin U)” and the platinum-selling “In Ha Mood” and “Princess Diana.”

With a sugar rush of playful sensuality and unbothered cool, Ice Spice has established herself as the music world’s latest shapeshifting superstar. Since emerging with “Munch (Feelin’ U),” in the fall of 2022, she has reconfigured the raucous energy of the Bronx to make anthems for baddies and their baddie friends—sexy theme songs that ring off in the club or an NY deli, places Ice Spice has no problem turning into her own personal dancefloor. Powered by singles like “In Ha Mood” and “Princess Diana,” as well as the deluxe edition of her Like..? EP, she’s collected more than 2.5 billion streams, multiple top 5 Hot 100 singles, and four Grammy nominations, including nods for Best New Artist, Best Rap Song, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Best Song Written for Visual Media. More symbolically, she’s become an emblem of the new Big Apple, a fact that isn’t lost on the media.

Writing for The New York Times, Maya Salam listed Ice Spice as the breakout pop artist of 2023, citing her “cool, confident, raw” signature sound. Meanwhile, Variety listed Like..? as their fourth favourite project of last year, praising her “sharpshooter flow” and her all-around versatility on the project. For their part, Billboard named Ice Spice 2023’s Rookie of the Year. It’s all part of a calculated level up at the intersection of planning, distinctive style and unfailing belief. As Rolling Stone put it, “it’s already tough to imagine we ever lived in a world without her.”

Ice Spice’s breakout really began with “Munch (Feelin’ U),” a track that quickly became a playgirl’s dancefloor bat signal. The song earned Ice Spice her first RIAA-certified Gold plaque before amassing nearly 120 million Spotify streams. After initially releasing the song and its follow-up, “Bikini Bottom,” she signed a deal with Capitol Records and 10k Projects. From there, she fortified her buzz with “In Ha Mood” and the Lil Tjay-assisted “Gangsta Boo.” Both tracks landed on her debut EP, Like..?, a critically acclaimed project that crystallized her star status.

The hits have only continued to pile up. In February 2023, Ice Spice appeared on “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2,” a PinkPantheress single that’s equal parts infectious and emotionally vulnerable. That March, it peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then came the “Princess Diana” remix with her idol Nicki Minaj. All of that was before she guested on Taylor Swift’s 2023 single, “Karma,” which hit No. 2 on the Hot 100. Ice Spice parlayed that popularity surge into 12 performances as Doja Cat’s opening act for The Scarlet Tour. It was her first time performing in arenas, which has set her up for even bigger stages, like Coachella, which she’ll hit in April 2024.

Her musical impact has only made her a ubiquitous cultural force. Last year, she appeared as the star of Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS campaign, with her fly everygirl persona making her a perfect fit for an emerging fashion powerhouse. That summer, she teamed up with Nicki Minaj again for “Barbie World,” a single that belonged to the Barbie soundtrack. A flurry of effervescent pop, the track peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 chart. She also appeared alongside Ben Affleck for a Dunkin’ commercial introducing her MUNCHKIN Drink, a frozen treat named after her dedicated fan base. Malleable enough to oscillate among brands, genres, and fans, it’s no surprise that Google announced Ice Spice as the second-most searched musician of 2023. Her level-up isn’t stopping anytime soon. With her debut album on the way, Ice Spice plans to continue to make varied soundscapes her playground.

ICE SPICE: Y2K! WORLD TOUR 2024 DATES:

Thu Jul 04 – Roskilde, Denmark – Roskilde Festival^*
Fri Jul 05 – Gdynia, Poland – Open’er Festival^*
Sun Jul 07 – Vienna, Austria – Rolling Loud Europe^
Thu Jul 11 – Costinesti, Romania – Beach, Please! Festival^*
Fri Jul 12 – London, UK – Wireless Festival^
Sat Jul 13 – Frauenfeld, Switzerland – Openair Frauenfeld^*
Thu Jul 18 – Dour, Belgium – Dour Festival^*
Tue Jul 30 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
Thu Aug 01 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
Fri Aug 02 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia
Sun Aug 04 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Tue Aug 06 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17
Fri Aug 09 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
Sun Aug 11 – Toronto, ON – HISTORY
Tue Aug 13 – Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Wed Aug 14 – Minneapolis, MN – Armory
Sat Aug 17 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
Mon Aug 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
Wed Aug 21 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater *
Fri Aug 23 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre
Sun Aug 25 – Dallas, TX –The Factory Deep Ellum
Mon Aug 26 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
Wed Aug 28 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
Sat Aug 31 – Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater

Talking Heads Announce “Stop Making Sense” Deluxe Edition On 2LP Black Vinyl, 2LP Crystal Clear Vinyl, and 2CD/Blu-ray

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the celebrated Talking Heads and Jonathan Demme’s concert film Stop Making Sense, the set will be re-released as a 2LP and 2CD/Blu-ray set this summer.

Released last year, the sold-out Deluxe Edition of the soundtrack will return as a 2-LP black vinyl on Rhino.com and retail and 2-LP crystal clear vinyl at indie retail stores. Both variants feature a 12-page booklet with liner notes from all four band members –Tina Weymouth, David Byrne, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison—and band photos. The 2CD/Blu-ray version includes the entire 28-page booklet from last year’s Deluxe Edition and a Dolby Atmos mix of the complete concert, mixed by Jerry Harrison and E.T. Thorngren, who also mixed the original release. Both will be available on July 26. Pre-order now.

The band appeared together for a sold-out screening and Q&A hosted by Andy Richter last night at the Pantages Theater, the same theater at which Stop Making Sense was recorded. They were joined by Blondshell, who performed “Thank You For Sending Me an Angel.” Another special screening with the band will occur in Brooklyn at the King’s Theater on June 13, with the Q&A hosted by Questlove and The Linda Linda’s performing “Found a Job.” The two events cap off a banner year of celebrations for what many consider to be the best concert film of all time.

The inspiration for Stop Making Sense came when director Jonathan Demme saw Talking Heads perform during the band’s 1983 tour for Speaking in Tongues. Afterward, he approached them with the idea of making the show into a concert film. They agreed and worked together over the next few months to finalize the details. Ultimately, Demme filmed three shows at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December 1983 to create Stop Making Sense.

The concert film presents a retrospective of the band up to that point, with a performance that weaves together songs from all six of its studio albums. The show progresses methodically, opening with Byrne onstage performing “Psycho Killer” alone with a drum machine. After each song, he’s joined by a new band member until Weymouth, Frantz, and Harrison are all on stage with him. The group continues to grow throughout the concert as members of the stellar touring band are added: keyboardist Bernie Worrell, percussionist Steve Scales, guitarist Alex Weir, and backup singers Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt.

The band performs 18 songs in Stop Making Sense, including its recent single at the time, “Burning Down The House.” That summer, the song was in heavy rotation on radio and MTV, helping the song become the band’s first top 10 hit in America. It was, however, a different song from Speaking in Tongues that was destined to deliver one of the film’s signature moments. Talking Heads would perform “Girlfriend Is Better” wearing the now iconic, oversized suit inspired by costumes worn in traditional Japanese theater. For good measure, a picture of David Byrne in the suit also graces the album cover.

Stop Making Sense focuses mainly on music by Talking Heads but does include a few songs recorded outside the band: “Genius Of Love” by Tom Tom Club, “What A Day That Was” and “Big Business” from Byrne’s 1981 album, The Catherine Wheel. Limited edition vinyl versions of both of these albums, along with Harrison’s The Red And The Black, were released for this year’s Record Store Day.

When it arrived in September 1984, Stop Making Sense was an artistic and commercial triumph. The film had people dancing in theatre aisles, and the soundtrack sold over two million copies. Just last year, the Library of Congress added Stop Making Sense to the National Film Registry in recognition of its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.

Weymouth praises Demme as a collaborator: “…Jonathan was a very enthusiastic, highly adaptive, and imaginative guy who was just as good a listener as he was a talker and collaborator. From the get-go you just got the impression he was as flexible as he was disciplined. Being team players, that boded well for a great relationship and a great film!”

Harrison says the film still holds up today: “To me, Stop Making Sense has remained relevant because the staging and lighting techniques could have been created in a much earlier time period. For example, Vari-Lights, lights with motors to re-aim them, had just come into vogue. Had we used them, there would have been a timestamp on the film, and it eventually would have felt dated…The absence of interviews, combined with the elegant and timeless lighting, created a film that can be watched over and over.”

Byrne says it’s interesting that this album was – for many people – an introduction to Talking Heads. “We had done a live album before this, but coupled with the film, and with the improved mixes and sound quality, this record reached a whole new audience. As often happens, the songs got an added energy when we performed them live and were inspired by having an audience. In many ways, these versions are more exciting than the studio recordings, so maybe that’s why a lot of folks discovered us via this record.”

Frantz recalls the sheer joy surrounding the entire Stop Making Sense experience. “I’m talking about real, conscious, transcendent joy… I’m talking about what the Southern gospel people call ‘getting happy,’ which means ‘to be filled with the Spirit.’ That is what happened to us onstage every night, and from my seat behind the drums, I recognized that this was happening to the audience too. Joy was visible in front of me and all around me every night.”

STOP MAKING SENSE (DELUXE EDITION)

Limited Edition 2-LP Track Listing
Side One
1. Psycho Killer
2. Heaven
3. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel
4. Found A Job
5. Slippery People
6. Cities
Side Two
7.Burning Down The House
8. Life During Wartime
9. Making Flippy Floppy
10. Swamp
Side Three
11. What a Day That Was
12. This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
13. Once In A Lifetime
14. Big Business / I Zimbra
Side Four
15. Side Four
16. Genius Of Love
17. Girlfriend Is Better
18. Take Me To The River
19. Crosseyed And Painless

2CD/Blu-ray Tracklist

CD1
1. Psycho Killer (Live) [2023 Remaster]
2. Heaven (Live) [2023 Remaster]
3. Thank You for Sending Me an Angel (Live) [2023 Remaster]
4. Found a Job (Live) [2023 Remaster]
5. Slippery People (Live) [2023 Remaster]
6. Cities (Live) [2023 Remaster]
7. Burning Down the House (Live) [2023 Remaster]
8. Life During Wartime (Live) [2023 Remaster]
9. Making Flippy Floppy (Live) [2023 Remaster]
10. Swamp (Live) [2023 Remaster]
CD2
1. What a Day That Was (Live) [2023 Remaster]
2. This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody) [Live] [2023 Remaster]
3. Once In a Lifetime (Live) [2023 Remaster]
4. Big Business / I Zimbra (Live) [2023 Remaster]
5. Genius of Love (Live) [2023 Remaster]
6. Girlfriend is Better (Live) [2023 Remaster]
7. Take Me to the River (Live) [2023 Remaster]
8. Crosseyed and Painless (Live) [2023 Remaster]
9. Psycho Killer (Live)

Blu-ray Disc

1. Heaven (Live) [2023 Remaster]
2. Thank You for Sending Me an Angel (Live)
3. Found a Job (Live)
4. Slippery People (Live)
5. Cities (Live)
6. Burning Down the House (Live)
7. Life During Wartime (Live)
8. Making Flippy Floppy (Live)
9. Swamp (Live)
10. What a Day That Was (Live)
11. This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody) [Live]
12. Once In a Lifetime (Live)
13. Big Business / I Zimbra (Live)
14. Genius of Love (Live)
15. Girlfriend is Better (Live)
16. Take Me to the River (Live)
17. Crosseyed and Painless (Live)
18. Psycho Killer (Live) [2023 Remaster]
19. Heaven (Live) [2023 Remaster]
20. Thank You for Sending Me an Angel (Live) [2023 Remaster]
21. Found a Job (Live) [2023 Remaster]
22. Slippery People (Live) [2023 Remaster]
23. Cities (Live) [2023 Remaster]
24. Burning Down the House (Live) [2023 Remaster]
25. Life During Wartime (Live) [2023 Remaster]
26. Making Flippy Floppy (Live) [2023 Remaster]
27. Swamp (Live) [2023 Remaster]
28. What a Day That Was (Live) [2023 Remaster]
29. This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody) [Live] [2023 Remaster]
30. Once In a Lifetime (Live) [2023 Remaster]
31. Big Business / I Zimbra (Live) [2023 Remaster]
32. Genius of Love (Live) [2023 Remaster]
33. Girlfriend is Better (Live) [2023 Remaster]
34. Take Me to the River (Live) [2023 Remaster]
35. Crosseyed and Painless (Live) [2023 Remaster]

Morrissey Announces ‘Beethoven Was Deaf Live In Paris’ (2024 Remaster) Out July 26

Today, Morrissey announces Beethoven Was Deaf (2024 Remaster) will be reissued for the first time since its original release in 1993. The album was recorded during the Your Arsenal tour in Paris at the Zenith in 1992 and has now been remastered at Abbey Road Studios.  The album will be available digitally for the first time in the US as well as on orange biovinyl as a retailer exclusive, black biovinyl, and CD. Morrissey has created new artwork for this release.

Pre-Order Beethoven Was Deaf (2024 Remaster) HERE. 

To celebrate the release, today, Morrissey announces two shows in Las Vegas on July 26th and 27th at House of Blues. Tickets will go on sale Friday, June 7th. 

Morrissey says, “Despite recent fiascoes, I will indeed be fully present in blood-soaked flesh at the House of Blues in Las Vegas on July 26 (Friday) and 27 (Saturday). Having hung upside down for several months, I am now in good health – like an arrow fully drawn and waiting to be fired: please fling me. The 26th has ordained the first U.S. release of Beethoven Was Deaf, a live recording in Paris for your private use. Signed copies of the vinyl will be available at the House of Blues for those of you who still run upstairs whenever the doorbell rings (I certainly do.)  Life begins again with full accompaniment from Jesse Tobias (guitar), Carmen Vandenberg (guitar), Camila Grey (keyboards), Solomon Walker (bass), and Matthew Walker (drums.) Expect a night of thrust and parry – no-show tunes. If you can find a decent pair of shoes, by all means come along. There is nothing quite like physical proximity, I am assured. If you would rather not come, then you are obviously one-half of a twin pair of parakeets. Some people sing, some poison the air. But if life is meaningless then why was there not always nothing? For those of you 85 and over who are still waiting for Bonfire Of Teenagers to be released, good news is finally within our grasp. Hopefully, I will smell you in Vegas – where the audiences always stay the same age … are you in the mood?” at large.”

My Next Read: “The Harder I Fight The More I Love You: A Memoir” By Neko Case

An unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary life—one forged through a poverty-stricken childhood in “slummy, one-horse towns”; obsessive desire; bursts of comedy; and indispensable friendships, reflecting on the way art, music, and a deep connection to nature helped her on a singular journey to become a beloved, Grammy-nominated artist.

Neko Case has long been revered as one of music’s most influential artists, whose authenticity, lyrical storytelling, and sly wit have endeared her to a legion of critics, musicians, and lifelong fans. In The Harder I Fight, the More I Love You, Case brings her trademark candor and precision to a memoir that traces her evolution from an invisible girl “raised by two dogs and a space heater” in rural Washington state to her improbable emergence as an internationally-acclaimed talent.

In luminous, sharp-edged prose, Case shows readers what it’s like to be left alone for hours and hours as a child, to take refuge in the woods around her home, and to channel the monotony and loneliness and joy that comes from music, camaraderie, and shared experience into art.

The Harder I Fight, the More I Love You is a rebellious meditation on identity and corruption, and a manifesto on how to make space for ourselves in this world, despite the obstacles we face.

10 Great Film Score Composers and Examples of Their Work

Credit: Felix Mooneeram/Unsplash

From the exhilarating adventures of Indiana Jones to the haunting depths of The Dark Knight, film scores have an unparalleled ability to enhance the cinematic experience, drawing audiences deeper into the story. These compositions do more than just accompany the visuals; they create an emotional resonance that lingers long after the credits roll.

  1. John Williams
    • Notable Works: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter series.
    • Why It Works: Williams’ scores are iconic and instantly recognizable, often characterized by memorable leitmotifs that enhance the narrative and evoke strong emotions.
  2. Hans Zimmer
    • Notable Works: Inception, The Dark Knight, Gladiator, Interstellar.
    • Why It Works: Zimmer’s use of powerful, atmospheric soundscapes and innovative electronic elements creates an intense and immersive experience that complements the visuals.
  3. Ennio Morricone
    • Notable Works: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Mission.
    • Why It Works: Morricone’s ability to blend unconventional instruments and haunting melodies creates a unique and evocative sound that enhances the storytelling.
  4. Howard Shore
    • Notable Works: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit trilogy, The Silence of the Lambs.
    • Why It Works: Shore’s epic and richly orchestrated scores provide a deep sense of place and atmosphere, perfectly matching the grandeur and depth of the stories.
  5. Danny Elfman
    • Notable Works: Batman, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas.
    • Why It Works: Elfman’s quirky and gothic style, characterized by his use of choir and whimsical orchestration, brings a unique and memorable quality to his films.
  6. James Horner
    • Notable Works: Titanic, Braveheart, Avatar.
    • Why It Works: Horner’s scores are emotionally charged and often incorporate ethnic and traditional elements, adding depth and resonance to the narrative.
  7. Alexandre Desplat
    • Notable Works: The Grand Budapest Hotel, The King’s Speech, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
    • Why It Works: Desplat’s elegant and intricate compositions add a sophisticated layer to the films, enhancing the emotional and dramatic impact.
  8. Jerry Goldsmith
    • Notable Works: Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Alien, The Omen.
    • Why It Works: Goldsmith’s innovative use of electronic music alongside traditional orchestration creates a unique and compelling sound that heightens the tension and excitement of his films.
  9. Thomas Newman
    • Notable Works: American Beauty, Finding Nemo, The Shawshank Redemption.
    • Why It Works: Newman’s scores are known for their lyrical quality and use of unusual instrumentation, which adds a distinct and memorable flavor to the films.
  10. John Barry
    • Notable Works: James Bond series, Out of Africa, Dances with Wolves.
    • Why It Works: Barry’s lush and romantic orchestrations, often featuring sweeping strings and brass, create a grand and timeless feel that enhances the cinematic experience.

These composers have crafted scores that not only complement the films they accompany but also stand alone as powerful pieces of music, capable of evoking emotions and memories. Their work is often characterized by strong thematic material, innovative use of instruments and technology, and an uncanny ability to enhance the narrative and emotional impact of the films.

Grand River Black Music Festival and Conference Announces Leadership Change

The Grand River Black Music Festival and Conference (GRBMFC), produced by Black Exposed Entertainment, has announced a change in its leadership team, and continues its mission of empowering Black artists and industry professionals.

Carlos Morgan, the co-founder, co-producer, and co-curator of GRBMFC, is no longer associated with the festival. The festival will proceed under the capable and inspiring leadership of Sandra Tyler Henein, who has been an integral part of the organizing team since its inception.

Henein and her team bring a wealth of experience and a deep passion for the arts to her new role as the festival’s sole executive director. She is committed to ensuring that the festival remains a vibrant and vital platform for Black musicians, artists, and creators in Ontario and beyond.

“It’s hard enough to make a go of it in the entertainment business, and the complications are only compounded if you happen to be Black. Getting over those hurdles is the focus of the Grand River Black Music Festival and Conference,” says Henein. “We are dedicated to providing aspiring players with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed, straight from the mouths of their peers and heroes.”

Canada’s first not-for-profit Black music festival and conference, the GRBMFC, will present a stellar lineup of artists and industry professionals when it takes over the central location of the Kitchener Public Library downtown Kitchener, the weekend of June 14 to 16. Featuring powerful live performances, exchanges of industry wisdom, unique vendors, film screenings, emerging artist programming, and more, the event will impart valuable, real-life tools and knowledge—all of it pitched to empower emerging Black artists, producers, digital creators, and future filmmakers living in Ontario.

Fifteen major acts will present inspiring concert sets. Topping the roster are legendary R&B singer, songwriter, and actor Jully Black, rap icon Solitair, gospel collective the Toronto Mass Choir, Juno-Award-winning R&B vocalist Erroll Starr, Canadian Afrobeats pioneer Zochi, and jazz synthesist outfit Reharm.

On Sunday afternoon, June 16, Solitair will headline a free, 2,500-capacity outdoor festival at Civic Centre Park. This family-friendly program will also feature a Black Emerging Artist Spotlight, spoken-word performances, DJ music, and a Black Artisan and Food Village. Pop-up concerts will be held throughout the region throughout the weekend, adding to the pervasive sense of fun and surprise.

On the conference front, more than 20 panelists will share their intimate experience of the music business through workshops, lectures, and other highly informative sit-downs. Executives and artists who have truly been there and done that will lay out proven strategies for getting signed, promoting your work, navigating the digital realm and just being Black in the music industry.

Headline performer Jully Black will deliver one of the event’s three keynote speeches when she appears as part of its Black Women in Music panel. Solitair and Zochi will take part in seminars too. Other speakers and conference participants scheduled for the weekend include marketer/manager Will Strickland; radio host/VJ Michael Williams; TV and radio personality/promoter Master T; entertainment reporter Rudy Blair; multi-instrumentalist/producer Joel Joseph; DJ/promoter Ron Nelson; publicist/blogger/SiriusXM radio host Eric Alper; producer/songwriter Roy Hamilton III; and label exec Tony Winger who helped launch Prince’s career.

The film schedule will feature screenings of the short Temple of Love: The Erroll Star Story; Making Music: The Making of “Why I Sing the Blues,” which shows how the LA Big Daddy’s came to cover the B.B. King classic; and Hip-Hop Hope, the documentary focusing on the legacy of Hip-hop in The Waterloo Region.

A total attendance of 4,500 is expected at this truly momentous event.

Sandra Henein invites all to join in this celebration of Black music and culture. “We look forward to seeing you and your family at the 2024 Grand River Black Music Festival,” she says.

Country Music Star And Now Chef Laurie LeBlanc Has A Taste For Every Tongue With “The BBQ Dance”

Summer’s here, and the time is right for dancing with some meat! Acadian country superstar Laurie LeBlanc is throwing on his apron and welcoming us all to the backyard to join him in “The BBQ Dance,” the all-English version of his paean to the immortal pleasures of a warm-weather pig-out.

As compelling a jingle for carnivorous consumption as you’ll ever hear, the song is like any great outdoor repast: tangy, expertly seasoned and giving off plenty of smoke. One listen, and it’ll be stuck in your head until fall comes, pulling you to your feet over and over again to dance with a rib in your hands and a big, greasy grin on your face.

Bring out the Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba BBQ
It’s so good when it’s cooked on the grill
Steak & ribs, get a burger or two
Let’s do the Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba BBQ Dance

Just like the verses promise, the song will make you swing like a bottle of sauce and shake like salt and pepper. That’s part of the reason it’s received the promotional support of BBQing.com, Canada’s premier destination for all things barbecues who hold the philosophy as Laurie: “We Create Backyard Heroes – This summer BE A BBQ Dance Hero.” Not just a top seller of high-quality barbecue and outdoor living products, but a genuine cultural hub for grilling aficionados of all stripes, the company has partnered with LeBlanc to make the song the anthem of summer 2024. The synergy between artist and retailer started with a head-turning concert the singer-songwriter performed last April at the company’s Ottawa store, and now their teaming is going to ensure the tune is heard in Canadian households from coast to coast.

“Our collaboration with Laurie LeBlanc began serendipitously and has blossomed into a partnership that reflects our shared values,” the company said in a statement. “The English version of ‘The BBQ Dance’ not only promotes a fun, family-friendly activity but also marks a celebration of Canadian cultural fusion—music and grilling.”

Cultural fusion is just what LeBlanc has been aiming for since he started singing in two tongues. “The BBQ Dance” is the English-language version of his “La BBQ Dance,” found on his eighth studio recording, Long Weekend—a double EP made up of six songs rendered in his native French and six in English. It’s the latest milestone for the New Brunswick-based country maverick, who’s gradually been working bilingualism into his act since bursting onto the scene in 2010 with his debut album, La Pitoune. He swiftly became one of the most successful Francophone country music artists in eastern Canada, and his profile rose even higher with the 2020 release of his first all-English album, When It’s Right It’s Right, which was nominated for two East Coast Music Awards.

All along, he’s been racking up the honors, with multiple nominations in the Canadian Francophone Country Gala awards, in categories ranging from Male Singer-Songwriter (2022) to Male Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year (2018) to People’s Choice (2017). In 2023, he received the 10th Annual Clément-Cormier Excellence Alumni Award from his alma mater, Bouctouche High School in Bouctouche, NB.

In total, LeBlanc has been nominated for 38 Canadian Francophone Country Gala Awards, 24 Music NB Awards, 22 Josie Music Awards, four East Coast Music Awards, three ADISQ awards and one Gala Trille Or. And he’s scored four Number 1 hits on the Canadian Indie Country Countdown.

Now he’s aiming for a new title: King of the Cookout. And even better, he’s willing to share it with all of us. Just raise your stainless-steel spatula like a scepter and get ready to boogie, because “The BBQ Dance” is going to go on until the last burger is off the grill. Don’t spare the onions—but watch those bunions!

Like She’s Never Been Gone: Ruth Moody Makes A Triumphant Return On Wanderer

At last, the Wanderer has come home.

Today marks the official release of Ruth Moody’s long-awaited Wanderer, her first solo album in over 10 years. And with just one listen, it’s clear that every step the JUNO-Award-winning folkster’s path has taken since then has brought her to a place that feels reassuringly familiar yet bristles with the thrill of discovery.

Recorded with co-producer Dan Knobler at the legendary Sound Emporium in Nashville, where Moody spends more of her time, the album features 10 new songs that revel in a fresh and hard-earned maturity even when they’re casting an unsparing eye toward the past. Once again wielding that gorgeous soprano The Huffington Post says could be “the prettiest voice in all of North Americana these days,” Moody leverages her mighty accomplishments as both a solo artist and a member of the celebrated trio the Wailin’ Jennys, into a career-high statement of creative and personal vitality.

The artistic growth is in abundance on tracks that range from the nostalgic to the forward-facing. “Seventeen” is a wistful reflection on adolescent mistakes, while “The Spell of the Lilac Bloom,” a duet with Joey Landreth of Winnipeg roots-rock luminaries The Bros. Landreth, is brimming with optimism for a relationship that’s blossoming in the here and now. On a markedly different tack, “Already Free” chronicles the yearning for emancipation Moody felt during the COVID lockdowns of a few years ago.

Throughout the album, the open-tuned guitars and soaring pedal steel mesh perfectly with the singer-songwriter’s delicate but assured vocal delivery. All the while, the infectious melodies and accessible messages carry enough commercial appeal to vault the record into the upper echelons of the pop marketplace.

The critics are already raving. Folk Alley calls the record “exquisite,” lauding the way it combines “spellbinding layers of vocals, instruments, and lyrics as it evokes the newness and the hope of love.” PopMatters says Wanderer is “a sweeping, swirling mix of nostalgia surrounding young love gone awry and what could have been, with striking vocals that conjure wistful images of 1960s-era Joni Mitchell.” Americana UK’s 9/10 review declares “It’s not every day that an album sweeps you off your feet and hits the spot on first listening. Nor does every album have a complete set of songs that take your breath away. Yet, here we have both in this new album, Wanderer, from award-winning multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Ruth Moody.” And Americana Highways lauds how “Moody acknowledges the points when we seem to slip and fall apart completely, just as part of the human condition.”

It’s all a fitting coda to the extended hiatus Moody has been on since her last album, These Wilder Things, dropped in 2013. Having put her creative pursuits on pause to start a family and raise a child, she’s emerged with her musical instincts fine-tuned and her support structure firmly in place. As co-produced by Knobler (Allison Russell, Lake Street Dive) and mixed by Tucker Martine (Madison Cunningham, First Aid Kit), the record represents a harmonic convergence of some of Moody’s favorite musicians—including her partner, Sam Howard, who plays upright bass and provides backing vocals, and her older brother, Richard Moody, who contributes violin, viola and mandolin. Other stalwarts appearing on the album include Jennys touring member Anthony da Costa (guitars), Jason Burger (drums), Kai Welch (keyboards), Russ Pahl (pedal steel) and Adrian Dolan (string arrangements).

Having family around her while she works her melodic magic is second nature to a woman who spent her childhood on a goat farm in Manitoba, receiving a dual education in music and English from her highly cultured parents. Singing with her siblings led her to take up the guitar, and by her 20s, she had co-founded The Wailin’ Jennys, who swiftly became a Billboard-charting and JUNO-winning success. They remain not only active but wildly popular to this day, even with Moody pursuing the fruitful parallel solo career she set out on in 2010. Over the years, she’s also found time to engage in some high-profile collaborations with the legendary Mark Knopfler, performing as a member of his touring band and making guest appearances on his records. He’s returned the favor by cameo-ing on hers.

With Wanderer now out on Moody’s Blue Muse Records distributed via True North Records, she’s reintroducing herself to audiences on a tour of top listening rooms in the U.S.

On stage as on record, the 2024 renaissance of Ruth Moody proves that all who wander are not lost—sometimes, they’re just looking for a better way to get back home.

1...100101102...2,064Page 101 of 2,064
That Eric Alper
6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week, a 16-time JUNO Award winner overseeing PR campaigns, and have also been truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

© Copyright That Eric Alper