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Bastille, Gotye, Lindsey Stirling, Kimbra, The Band Perry To Judge 2015 International Songwriting Competition

Called “the songwriting competition to take note of” by the prestigious New York Times,” the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) announced its esteemed panel of judges for the 2015 competition. The panel includes many iconic, high-profile recording artists, as well as Presidents and CEOs from Atlantic, Epic, Elektra, Sony Music Latin, Warner Bros., Tommy Boy, Wind-Up, Alligator, Concord Music Group, and more.

ISC gives away more than $150,000 in cash and prizes (shared among 68 winners) including an overall Grand Prize consisting of $25,000 (US) cash and $30,000 in merchandise and services. In addition to prizes, winners gain recognition, press, kudos, and more career opportunities. Open to both amateur and professional songwriters, ISC offers 22 categories to enter, representing all genres of popular music. More information on entering ISC can be found athttp://www.songwritingcompetition.com.

Last year’s ISC Grand Prize winner, Australian singer/songwriter Vance Joy, was honoured for his memorable hit song, “Riptide.” The winning song “Riptide” turned out to be the song that launched Joy’s career worldwide and has since become a classic. He is currently on a six-month tour supporting Taylor Swift.

Joy is one of many winners who have included artists such as Bastille; Gotye; Lindsey Stirling; Kimbra; The Band Perry; Andrew Bird; Passenger; Gin Wigmore; Missy Higgins; King Charles; For King And Country; and more.

The complete list of 2015 judges includes:

Recording Artists

Kesha; Tom Waits; Bill Withers; American Authors; Lorde; Pat Metheny; Sara Evans; Bastille; Casting Crowns; Keb Mo; Avicii; Boyz II Men; Bill Withers; Keane; Hardwell; Robben Ford; Danilo Perez; Moby; Jon Secada; Daddy Yankee; Afro Celt Sound System; Anthony Hamilton; Gerald Casale (Devo); Sean Paul; Justin Townes Earle; Hawk Nelson; Jean-Luc Ponty; Shakey Graves; Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C.); Chayanne; Joy Williams; Matt Maher; Art Alexakis (Everclear); Far East Movement; Femi Kuti; and more to be announced.

Industry Executives:

Craig Kallman (Chairman/CEO, Atlantic Records); Sylvia Rhone (President, Epic Records); Dan McCarroll (President, Warner Bros. Records); Jeff Castelaz (President, Elektra Records); Nir Seroussi (President, Sony Music Latin); Daniel Glass (President, Glassnote Records); Ed Vetri (President, Wind-Up Records); Rosie Lopez (President, Tommy Boy Entertainment); Glen Barros (President, Concord Music Group); Bryan Stewart (VP of A&R, Curb Records); Jason McArthur (VP of A&R, Provident Label Group / Sony Music Entertainment); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Edward Chmelewski (President, Blind Pig Records); Sharon Tapper (Head of Publishing, Glassnote Records); Kevin Welk (Chief Creative, Vanguard/Sugar Hill Records); Angel Carrasco (President, Discos 605); Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Joseph Burney (VP of A&R, RCA Inspiration/Sony Music Entertainment); Richard Stumpf (CEO, Atlas Publishing); Steve Greenberg (CEO, S-Curve Records); Kim Buie (VP of A&R, New West Records); Albert Schilcher (VP of Music and Music Marketing, MTV International); Jamie Masada (Owner, Laugh Factory); Cyndi Nelson (General Mgr., Zanies Comedy Club); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Gary Briggs (A&R Executive); Claire S. Green (President, Parents’ Choice Foundation); Leib Ostrow (Founder/CEO, Music For Little People); Julie Kertes (General Manager, National Parenting Publications Awards, NAPPA); Nate Dern (News Editor, Funny Or Die News); Wende Curtis (Owner, Comedy Works); and more to be announced.

Watch The Video That Convinced ABC To Air ‘The Muppets’

You were never supposed to see this. Here’s the pitch that convinced ABC to make a show with The Muppets.

https://youtu.be/x2B5d-8H588

Forget Pink Floyd And Watch They Might Be Giants Mashed Up With The Wizard Of Oz

This is a fan-made mashup of the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, synced to songs by the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. All music used in this video was released by the band between 1986 and 2015, and isn’t authorized by the band, but I have a sneaky feeling the band might love this.

Anyone want to take on Genesis and The Wizard Of Oz next?

https://youtu.be/yya9gsFMYos

Radio DJ Discovers AC/DC’s Formula For The Perfect Song Ending, And The Results Are Awesome

Phoenix radio DJ Paul “Neanderpaul” Marshall has taken the time to complete the wholly unnecessary but altogether enlightening task of sequencing “almost every AC/DC song ever recorded” — he omitted the few of their tracks that utilise the classic fadeout — because he “thought it’d be ‘funny’ to see how many times AC/DC ends their songs in a similar fashion”.

The result? Well, let’s just say that you should probably prepare yourself for more power chords than you could shake the horns at over the next two-and-a-half minutes (plus a few hilarious vocal spasms for good measure). And, yes, these are all taken from different songs.

“It took a LONG time to go through,” Marshall wrote. “I promise you, no song was repeated.”

Via The Music

VMAs: Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Beyonce Lead Nominees

Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Beyonce lead this year’s nominees for the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. The award show announced its list of nominations Tuesday on the Beats 1 Chart show. Beginning immediately, fans can vote for their favorites in a handful of categories, including video of the year, best male video and best female video.

This year, voting for the artist to watch award will run through the celebration’s pre-show coverage, at which time the top two artists will be revealed and compete over a live hashtag vote. Voting is available here. Nominees for the socially voted category, best song of summer, will be announced at a later date.

The 2015 VMAs will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Aug. 30 at 9 p.m. It was revealed Monday that Miley Cyrus will host the show.

See below for a full list of nominees.

Video of the Year:
Beyoncé – “7/11”
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”

Best Male Video:
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
The Weeknd – “Earned It”
Nick Jonas – “Chains”

Best Female Video:
Beyoncé – “7/11”
Taylor Swift – “Blank Space”
Nicki Minaj – “Anaconda”
Sia – “Elastic Heart”
Ellie Goulding – “Love Me Like You Do”

Best Hip Hop Video:
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
Nicki Minaj – “Anaconda”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – “See You Again”
Big Sean ft. E-40 – “IDFWU”

Best Pop Video:
Beyoncé – “7/11”
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift – “Blank Space”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Maroon 5 – “Sugar”

Best Rock Video:
Hozier – “Take Me To Church”
Fall Out Boy – “Uma Thurman”
Florence + the Machine – “Ship To Wreck”
Walk the Moon – “Shut Up and Dance”
Arctic Monkeys – “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?”

Artist to Watch:
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
Vance Joy – “Riptide”
George Ezra – “Budapest”
James Bay – “Hold Back The River”
FKA Twigs – “Pendulum”
Best Collaboration:
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – “See You Again”
Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – “Love Me Harder”
Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj – “Bang Bang”

Video With a Social Message:
Jennifer Hudson – “I Still Love You”
Colbie Caillat – “Try”
Big Sean ft. Kanye West and John Legend – “One Man Can Change the World”
Rihanna – “American Oxygen”
Wale – “The White Shoes”

Best Art Direction:
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Charles Infante)
Snoop Dogg – “So Many Pros” (Jason Fijal)
Jack White – “Would You Fight For My Love” (Jeff Peterson)
The Chemical Brothers – “Go” (Michel Gondry)
Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)

Best Choreography:
Beyoncé – “7/11” (Beyoncé, Chris Grant, Additional choreography: Gabriel Valenciano)
OK Go – “I Won’t Let You Down” (OK Go, air:man and Mori Harano)
Chet Faker – “Gold” (Ryan Heffington)
Ed Sheeran – “Don’t” (Nappy Tabs)
Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Never Catch Me” (Keone and Mari Madrid)
Best Cinematography:
Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Never Catch Me” (Larkin Sieple)
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud” (Daniel Pearl)
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Christopher Probst)
FKA Twigs – “Two Weeks” (Justin Brown)
Alt-J – “Left Hand Free” (Mike Simpson)

Best Direction:
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Joseph Kahn)
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” (Bruno Mars and Cameron Duddy)
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” (Colin Tilley & The Little Homies)
Hozier – “Take Me To Church” (Brendan Canty, Conal Thomson)
Childish Gambino – “Sober” (Hiro Murai)

Best Editing:
Beyoncé – “7/11” (Beyoncé, Ed Burke, Jonathan Wing)
Ed Sheeran – “Don’t” (Jacquelyn London)
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Chancler Haynes at Cosmo Street)
A$AP Rocky – “L$D” (Dexter Navy)
Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)

Best Visual Effects:
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Ingenuity Studios)
FKA Twigs – “Two Weeks” (Gloria FX, Tomash Kuzmytskyi, and Max Chyzhevskyy)
Childish Gambino – “Telegraph Ave.” (Gloria FX)
Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)
Tyler, The Creator – “F****** Young/Death Camp” (Gloria FX)

Via The Hollywood Reporter

Willie Nelson On Why Nobody Tells Him What To Do

“A friend of mine once said, ‘It’s my mouth, I’ll haul coal in it if I want to,’ ” Nelson says. “I thought, ‘That’s pretty cool. I’ll use that.’ I don’t think anybody should tell me or you or anybody what to do. I think the Bible says it’s not what goes into your mouth that counts; it’s what comes out.” – Willie Nelson

R.E.M.’s Isolated Drums, Guitars And Bass For “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It”

R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” appeared on their 1987 album Document, the 1988 compilation Eponymous, and the 2006 compilation And I Feel Fine… The Best of the I.R.S Years 1982–1987. It was released as a single in November 1987, reaching No. 69 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and later reaching No. 39 in the UK singles chart on its re-release in December 1991.

Before the supposed Mayan apocalypse on December 21, 2012, sales for the song jumped from 3,000 to 19,000 copies for the week. A radio station in Calgary, Canada (CFEX x92.9 FM) on December 21, 2012 played the song 156 times in a row back to back to coincide with the Mayan apocalypse event.

https://youtu.be/Nlpp_ZYJt4M

https://youtu.be/3ZYr4qHObTg

https://youtu.be/FB0DLldGftg

https://youtu.be/Nvy5p3bKCEI

…and here’s the original.

City And Colour’s “If I Should Go Before You” To Be Released October 9

 If I Should Go Before You, the new album from world-renowned singer, songwriter and performer City and Colour (aka Dallas Green), will be released October 9 on Dine Alone Records. In advance of the release, Zane Lowe recently premiered the lead track, “Woman,” on Beats 1. The song can be heard/shared HERE and purchased at iTunes.
The new album will be available for pre-order starting this Friday, July 24. Those who pre-order via iTunes will receive an immediate download of “Woman.” A fan pre-order will also be available the same day as of 10:00 a.m. EDT on www.cityandcolour.com featuring limited edition colored vinyl along with other unique items. For those that prefer to shop at record stores, a vinyl pre-order will be available in September, including a bonus 12” that fans will receive instantly upon order. Additional details to be announced.
After performing countless sold-out shows worldwide, City and Colour will embark on an extensive U.S. tour this fall, including dates at L.A.’s Hollywood Palladium and NYC’s Terminal 5. Tickets will be available for presale at www.cityandcolour.com, beginning today, Monday, July 20 at 2:00 p.m. local time, followed by a general public on-sale Friday, July 24 at 12:00 p.m. local time. American Express Card Members can also purchase tickets before the general public beginning Monday, July 20 at 2:00 p.m. local time through Thursday, July 23 at 10:00 p.m. local time, in select markets. See below for complete details. Other upcoming dates, including a stop in St. John’s, NL are listed below.
Recorded at Nashville, Tennessee’s Blackbird Studios, If I Should Go Before You was produced by Green with additional production and engineering by Karl “Horse” Bareham. Unique to this project, the studio players on If I Should Go Before You are made up of Green’s trusted touring band: Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs, Dead Weather) on bass, Dante Schwebel (Spanish Gold, Dan Auerbach) on guitar, Doug MacGregor (Constantines) on drums and Matt Kelly on pedal steel guitar and keys.
Of the album and recording process, Dallas comments, “They inspired me to want to create new music, just to create it with them—I don’t think I wrote these songs for the band, per se, but I certainly wrote them because of the band.” He goes on to add, “Anybody who has seen us play will understand that this is the best representation of what we do live that we have ever recorded. I was so excited about being able to make and record an album with these guys that it just flowed. I felt so confident about their abilities to make all of my ideas come true.”
If I Should Go Before You is Green’s fifth release as City and Colour and follows 2013’s The Hurry and The Harm, which received widespread critical and commercial praise. The album debuted at #1 on Canada’s Top 200 Chart, #16 in the U.S., #4 in Australia, #32 in the U.K., and #83 in Germany—all career highs.
Most recently, in 2014, Green collaborated with international superstar Alecia Moore (aka P!nk) on a new project, entitled You+Me. The duo’s acclaimed debut, rose ave., debuted at #4 on the U.S. Top 200 Chart, #1 in Canada, #2 in Australia and #6 in Germany. Of the music, The Huffington Post praised, “While such prominent voices rarely mix too seamlessly, Green and Moore were destined to harmonize together,” while Entertainment Weekly declared, “The harmonies on the album are absolutely beautiful.”
IF I SHOULD GO BEFORE YOU TRACK LIST:
01. Woman
02. Northern Blues
03. Mizzy C
04. If I Should Go Before You
05. Killing Time
06. Wasted Love
07. Runaway
08. Lover Come Back
09. Map Of The World
10. Friends
11. Blood
CITY AND COLOUR TOUR DATES
August 3—St. John’s, NL—George Street Festival
November 5—Detroit, MI—The Fillmore*
November 6—Chicago, IL—Metro*
November 7—Minneapolis, MN—First Ave*
November 9—Denver, CO—The Ogden Theatre*
November 12—Portland, OR—Roseland Theater*
November 13—Seattle, WA—Paramount Theatre *
November 15—Oakland, CA—Fox Theatre
November 16—San Diego, CA—House of Blues*
November 18—Los Angeles, CA—Hollywood Palladium*
December 2—Pittsburgh, PA—Stage AE†
December 3—Ithaca, NY—State Theatre†
December 4—Northampton, MA—Calvin Theatre†
December 5—Boston, MA—House of Blues†
December 7— Sayreville, NJ—Starland Ballroom†
December 8—Philadelphia, PA—Tower Theatre†
December 10— New York, NY—Terminal 5†
December 11—Washington, DC—Echo Stage†
December 12—Richmond, VA—The National†
March 25, 2016—Byron Bay, Australia—Byron Bay Blues Festival
*with special guest Hurray for the Riff Raff
†with special guest Bahamas

Spotify Is Making You a Weekly Mixtape That You’re Going To Love

Spotify is upping its mixtape game by introducing a new automated playlist that will be tailored to each listeners’ taste and released every Monday morning. Discover Weekly, which begins rolling out today to all platforms, is essentially a two-hour mixtape inspired by your favorite music along with the tastes of people listening to similar songs.

The playlist will be located atop your regular playlist folder and refreshed every week. The more songs you listen to during the week, the better the Monday-morning mixtape will be, Spotify explains.

Via Billboard

Canadian Arts/Media Job Posts For July 20, 2015

570 News is seeking an Part Time News / Traffic Reader and Reporter for a very important drive home shift.

680 NEWS is seeking an Editor/Reporter to write, edit and report news content. Reporting to the News Director at 680 NEWS this individual will prepare news content for on-air use and also produce and voice reports.

CJDC-TV has a unique opportunity for someone looking to further their career in the television news field. The Television Anchor is literally the “face” of CJDC-TV and oversees daily organization of story coverage in the Dawson Creek area, liaises with Fort St. John office, as well as dubs the regional and national Television feeds from the CBC, collates stories, prepares and delivers the evening newscasts. The successful candidate will also work with the News Director to ensure smooth operation and strong communication between the Dawson Creek and Fort St. John newsrooms.

Grasslands News Group, publisher of The Melville (Sask.) Advance, is seeking a reporter/photographer eager to work in a newsroom of three people. There is lots of opportunity to grow with this new company with branches in Fort Qu’Appelle and Whitewood.

The Fort McMurray Today is hiring a multimedia reporter. They are the only daily newspaper operating in the heart of Canada’s oilsands. This is a full-time permanent position.

The Edmonton Journal has an immediate opening for an experienced reporter who will help drive coverage of issues and events in Edmonton and northern Alberta. Superior reporting and writing skills are required, as well as the ability to thrive under pressure in a fast-paced multimedia news environment.

The Prince Rupert Northern View, situated on the beautiful shores of the Pacific Ocean, is currently accepting applications for the position of sports reporter following an internal promotion.

CKNW News has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Reporter/Anchor/Web Reporter position at their Vancouver location. Reporting to the News Director, the successful candidate will be responsible for beat reporting, anchoring newscasts, and web and social media work.

Corus Entertainment Inc. has an exciting full time opportunity for an On-Air Promotion Coordinator at their Toronto location. Reporting to the Manager, On-Air Promotion this position maintains quality control over the brand of assigned Networks. Working in the On-Air Promotion department, you will support on-air promotion for programming, marketing and sales initiatives through audience management strategies on assigned network brands with available airtime.

Corus Interactive has an exciting opportunity for a Manager, Digital Video Rights at their Toronto location. Reporting to the Manager, Digital Video – Sales & Partnerships, the position is responsible for the overall day-to-day to management of the content rights for our growing Digital Video business.

CHEX TV is looking for a dynamic team player to anchor their Peterborough-based one-hour noon news program which will launch August 31st.

Corus Digital Operations has an exciting opportunity for a flexible, enthusiastic and hard-working Systems Administrator at their Toronto location. Reporting to the Technical Director, the successful candidate will build and maintain state of the art web, application and digital video delivery systems environments.

CKWS-TV is looking for a Television Operator to support their daily News broadcasts, and act as back-up Technical Director. This full-Time TV Operator will report to the Manager, News and Television Operations. The successful candidate will be responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of Graphics Operator, Studio Camera operator and Online editor, with regular fill-in technical directing opportunities. They will operate CKWS switching and production equipment, support technical directors during weekdays, and direct a 30 minute Newscast on Saturday and Sunday. This individual will be familiar with manual switching, but also Ross Overdrive. They will be comfortable using a variety of graphic software programs, as well as be able to manage content being uploaded to the web.

Farm Credit Canada in Regina has an opening for a Social Media Consultant.

St. Michael’s Hospital has an opening for a Communications and Public Affairs Officer.

Tangerine in Toronto is looking for a Senior Manager, Media Marketing accountable for developing brand awareness and driving prospects through the management of Tangerine’s mass media advertising (i.e. digital and traditional mediums).

Shaw Media proudly operates Global Television and 19 of the country’s most popular specialty channels, and their online companions, including Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, HISTORY, Slice, National Geographic Channel and Showcase. They have an have an exciting opportunity for a savvy, innovative, confident HR Advisor.

BCLC is looking for a Social Media Specialist for an enterprise role, responsible for developing, optimizing, and nurturing social media channels, to advance business goals.

Jungle is a dynamic and unique Canadian Media Agency, and they’re looking for a Performance Media Specialist.

Toronto Pearson is Canada’s leading global hub airport. Help to drive our vision to become the best airport in the world, and they’re looking for a Manager, Digital & Social Media.

Spafax is looking for an Editor-in-Chief for the Airline Passenger Experience Association (“APEX”) media platform.

adidas in Woodbridge has an opening for a Social Media Coordinator.

CBC is looking for an experienced and dynamic Reporter to work from their bureau in Edmonton.

CBC Vancouver has an opening for a Reporter/Editor to work under the responsibility of Managing Editor, your primary objective is to perform reporting and editorial assignments related to the gathering, writing and presentation of program material for all three of their media platforms: Radio, Television and the Web.

The leading radio news team in the Kootenay Boundary is looking for an up-and-coming talent for its two local stations.

CBC North is seeking a Reporter/Editor specializing in Meteorology for the Yellowknife location.

CTV Vancouver is looking for a Reporter.

The Omineca Express Vanderhoof, has an opening for a reporter.

The Caledonia Courier, Fort St. James, has an opening for a reporter.

The Gulf News, part of TC Media, is a reliable daily source of news and information for the Port aux Basques region currently have an opening for a Full-Time Reporter.