Oh, Harrison, we feel your pain…
Harrison – How Can It Be (feat. Maddee) from Last Gang Records on Vimeo.
You can pick up Harrison’s EP, ‘Colors’ on Last Gang / Jet Jam.
MusicOntario joins forces with Bell Media’s Canadian Songwriter Challenge for the 2015 Ontario Installment
MusicOntario is launching its chapter of the Canadian Songwriter Challenge, in partnership with the Bell Media National Songwriting Initiative and Canadian Council of Music Industry Associations (CCMIA). This event will be hosted by Canada’s Music Incubator at Coalition Music (Studios), and will take place from August 6-10, 2015.
From just under 200 applicants, five Ontario-based emerging songwriters have been selected to participate in the challenge, where they will have the opportunity to receive songwriting and music business mentorship, co-writing and demo time with an established industry heavy-hitter. The Challenge will facilitate collaboration sessions between the five emerging songwriters and five established songwriting professionals, challenging the pair to co-write and lay down a demo for a song in one day. Each participant will receive one-on-one business and creative mentorship in relation to their own current projects from mentors at Canada’s Music Incubator and ole publishing.
They five emerging songwriters are Maddy Rodruigez, Julian Taylor, Graydon James, Kat Burns (KASHKA), and Myles Castello, each of whom will be paired with one of their five mentors: Gavin Brown, Mike Wise, Liz Rodrigues, Donovan Woods, and Nathan Ferraro.
The Canadian Songwriter Challenge is MusicOntario’s first songwriting development initiative in a multi-year partnership with the CCMIA and Bell Media, and with the help of SOCAN and ole publishing. The CCMIA has held similar events in partnership with other Music Industry Associations across Canada this year.
The Two Greatest Segments Of The Daily Show Are Not What You Think
…or maybe they are. Jon Stewart is signing off as host of “The Daily Show” tonight, and I’m going to miss him terribly. While I’ve spent many a nights taughing at him “sitting in the back of the country and making jokes,” he was spot-on more times in a week than most hosts are in a year. You can always, always have time for Jon Stewart.
“They said get back to work, but there were no jobs available for a man in a fetal position under his desk crying.”
“I have one job and it’s a pretty simple job. I come in the morning and I look at the news and I make jokes about it — but I didn’t do my job today. I got nothing for you.”
DJ Jazzy Jeff just had a hangout with some of the biggest hip hop producers in the world. Here’s the video.
jazzy jeff held the tightest hangout/salon this past weekend at his house for some of the biggest hip hop producers in the world. The Playlist Retreat is an intimate gathering of progressive artists for the purpose of inspiration, motivation and collaboration. It is an organic exchange between people who believe in the greater purpose of expression through music, says Jazzy.
eOne Music adds 4EY The Future to its Urban Roster
Entertainment One (eOne) has entered into a deal with label 4EYMG to release groundbreaking new music by R&B pop group 4EY The Future.
4EY The Future, featuring members Kenny Iko, Leo Amari and Mechie So Crazy, has already developed a rabid fan base, with a major appearance at the 2015 BET Experience and the successful Fandemonium tour.
The dynamic group has now been added to the illustrious Scream Nation Back to School tour, where it will perform alongside mainstream Hip-Hop and R&B artists such as Rich Homie Quan, Justine Sky, K Camp, Diggy Simmons and more.
In addition to working with the trio on its flourishing musical career, 4EYMG is also developing film and television projects for the group.
Alan Grunblatt, President, Rock & Urban, eOne Music, says, “4EY is the premiere urban teen group in America. The group will announce a new single this month, with their debut album to follow in the fall.”
Stay up to date with 4EY by logging on here for tour dates, pictures, videos and new music.
Greg Graffin to Release New Book ‘Population Wars’
With the Sept. 15th release of his new book “Population Wars”, Greg Graffin further solidifies his standing as a preeminent thinker on the volatile intersection of biological science, religion, morality and popular culture. Few contemporary figures possess as extraordinary a skill set to address these increasingly crucial issues. A renowned singer and songwriter for the influential punk band Bad Religion, Graffin also comes equipped with formidable intellectual standing by way of a PHD from Cornell (Zoology), where he currently serves as a lecturer in evolution.
A prolific musician and author, Graffin wrote “Population Wars” as the follow up to 2010’s critically heralded book “Anarchy Evolution” (Harper Perennial), a provocative examination of the collision between religion and evolution which Kirkus Reviews heralded as “Humble, challenging and inspiring.” With Population Wars, Graffin distills issues of ecology, population management, natural history, and human nature, all the while challenging certain aspects of evolutionary theory that converge on ideology and promote conventional human warfare. Many of these concepts have been touched on in his songwriting over the last 30 years, but with “Population Wars”, they are given an entirely captivating academic treatment.
To mark the release of “Population Wars”, Graffin will embark on a series of special live appearances. These unique events will offer an unprecedented perspective into the longstanding relationship between Graffin’s academic and musical spheres, examining the correlation between song lyrics and topics expressed in his new book. The events will feature some live acoustic performances of songs related to the book interspersed with spoken word and followed with a question and answer segment.
A special pre order of “Population Wars” is available through Bad Religion’s online store (http://kingsroadmerch.com/bad-religion/) and includes a limited edition 7” EP of specially re-recorded Graffin songs that helped inspire the book.
Greg Graffin Population Wars: an event to celebrate the release of his new book:
Fri 9/18/15 Washington, DC – Rock N Roll Hotel
Sat 9/19/15 Philadelphia, PA – Coda
Sun 9/20/15 New York, NY – Gramercy Theater
Wed 9/23/15 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater
Fri 9/25/15 Los Angeles – Bootleg
Sun 9/27/15 Santa Ana CA – Constellation
Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg Parody Red Carpet Questions
Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg took a jab at sexism in Hollywood during the press tour for American Ultra.
While promoting their upcoming film, the co-stars took part in a Funny or Die video parodying the questions actresses are commonly asked on the red carpet and during press junkets.
In the sketch, Stewart and Eisenberg flip the script and interview each other — Stewart answers questions intended for Eisenberg and Eisenberg answers questions intended for Stewart.
Fox Orders Lee Daniels (“Empire”) Music Drama Pilot ‘Star’
Fox opened its day at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour with a big announcement: The network is teaming with Empire co-creator Lee Daniels for a new music drama pilot.
Fox chairman and CEO Dana Walden announced that the network has ordered Star, a drama pilot set in the music business.
“Like Empire, it’s set against the backdrop of the music business but from a different perspective,” Walden said.
The drama is set in Atlanta and revolves around three girls who come together to form a band and Star details their rise to the top in a challenging business. And while Empire is told from the point of view of music executives, Star will be told from the perspective of the artist.
Paul Weller On The Rebellion And The Rolling Stones
“Young people have always been the face of rock and roll, especially in the Fifties and Sixties when it was about rebellion. That music defined people and defined a generation. If you’re a classical, or a jazz, or a blues musician – the older you are, the more respect you have; kind of like the Village Elder, you know? So this is just in rock and pop. We’ve got all that history to look back on, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with The Rolling Stones, whether they are 70 years old or not.
“I went to see them last year, first time ever, and I was really knocked out by their audience. They were the same age as them – people in their late 60’s and 70’s – and they’d obviously been going since they were kids. I found that really beautiful, to have stuck with them all that time and grown up with them; they’re still mad for it! And it’s the same thing for my generation, people who grew up with the Clash, or the Pistols, or disco; your mind is altered through that, you know? You don’t stop loving rock’n’roll just because you’ve hit 41 or something.”
Via Drowned In Sound
David Letterman and his writers share the greatest jokes he never told
For every comedy bit produced, there were roughly a hundred pitches that didn’t make it. So I asked fellow Late Night and Late Show vets to recall their most memorable rejections. Then I ran some of those by Dave, who was happy to reminisce about former writers.
“I can’t thank these men and women enough,” he said, “because I was doing their show more than they were doing mine.”
GERARD MULLIGAN (1980–2004)
One rejected joke that I really wish had made it to air: “So, the Congress is debating whether to spend billions on a so-called stealth bomber that would be invisible to Soviet radar. Why don’t we just say we built it?” But I look back on some other rejections with relief: Halloween costume: “That thing on Aaron Neville’s forehead.” Typing that, I wince now, as I should have winced then.
Some things were written to be rejected. Occasionally I would hand in an opening remark so vulgar it would have sent NBC’s Margaret Dumont–like standards-and-practices lady out of Studio 6A on a stretcher. I was safe in the knowledge that Dave would never do the joke on air. (“The American Medical Association issued this warning today: Be wary of a doctor who tries to take your temperature with his dick.”) Imagine my surprise when, during that night’s taping, Dave began, “This warning today from the American Medical Association …” but then concluded, “with his finger.”
ANDY BRECKMAN (1982–1983; creator–executive producer, Monk)
I remember trying to convince Dave and (head writer) Merrill Markoe to do an entire show where Dave and his guests are hooked up to lie detectors. I remember being very excited about this. We’d be making talk-show history! Merrill had to talk me down and explain how potentially embarrassing it could be for everybody.
To be fair, it was a long time ago and this could be what therapists call a “false memory.” I’ve had them before. For example, I also distinctly remember leading the Seal Team that killed bin Laden.
Letterman: Well, I don’t remember this idea. It sounds fantastic. And I’ll tell you, I know where he got the idea. There used to be a show called Lie Detector and there was a polygraph machine and this guy was an expert … his name was Ed Gelb. He would put the guy in the chair and grill him. And I think this would be tremendous. I would love to see somebody do this. So in this case I think Merrill was taking a bullet for me. Because if anyone had anything to hide, of course, it would’ve been me.
GEORGE MEYER (1982–1984; The Simpsons)
One idea I wish Dave had rejected was when we invited audience members to create fishing lures out of pipe cleaners, sequins, etc. The plan was to test them out on live trout and see which one got the most “action.”
Shortly before we taped the show, the trout perished. (Apparently they need cold, aerated water.) I didn’t know what to do, so the prop lady and I got some of those pointy things you stick memos on and jammed the poor fish on them in a preposterous simulation of life. Later, the contestants tried to entice these expired creatures in a macabre piece of absurdist art.
How I longed for the soothing arms of Sweet Lady H!
Letterman: I think George was responsible for maybe the single most brilliant idea on the show ever. It was a contest between a humidifier and a dehumidifier. And at the start of the show they would be switched on simultaneously, and at the end of the show we would see which of the machines had done its designed task more productively. As I recall, the problem was that the noise made by these machines just ruined the audio for the rest of the show.
Read more stories at Vulture
