The Late Show with David Letterman team has put together a retrospective that looks at 22 years of memorable guests during Letterman’s tenure.
So many great moments…
https://youtu.be/sKk7-rcYH6Q
An Amazing Look at the Inside of a Piano
Carrie Schneider plays an original compostion in a short, cool video by Andy Schneider and Jonathan Britnell for Burger Fiction.
if it were Jerry Lee Lewis’ piano, it might have a few dozen damaged parts in there.
U2 With Jimmy Fallon Have Something Funny In Store
U2 are going to be the only scheduled guest this Friday on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. So, are they going to do a bunch of songs? Interviews? A comedy routine? It looks like all three.
The 54-year-old singer was in New York City over the weekend with Jimmy riding around on bicycles to fake a serious accident.
Musician Creates A Music Video For The Deaf
Music David Porteous has created something pretty amazing – a music video for the deaf. Now, before you say, They’re deaf, not blind, how can this help them?, he explains:
This music video is my attempt at translating music into a visual form. My goal is to show the deaf community how recorded music is constructed.
Each instrument in this video was created from scratch by filming various light sources. The size, texture and position of each ‘visual instrument’ is reflective on how the instrument was mixed in the audio recording. The colour of the instrument is significant with regard to it’s pitch, while the physical shape of the instrument is a visual artistic creation.
Light Waves vs Sound Waves :
Vibration is a common characteristic of both light waves and sound waves. Each colour in this video represents a musical note as the colour and note share the same frequency (vibration).
Take the note A. It has a frequency of 440 Hz. If you double the frequency to 880 Hz, the note is still an A, but at an octave higher. Continue to double this and eventually you’ll reach the frequency range of visible light.
The musical note A shares the same frequency as the colour of a naval orange.
Butch Walker Launches the Autumn Leaves Project To Fight Pancreatic Cancer
GRAMMY-nominated producer & recording artist Butch Walker has teamed up with Nashville-based non-profit organization The Nikki Mitchell Foundation to launch the Autumn Leaves Project.
The Autumn Leaves Project is a nationwide effort dedicated to fighting pancreatic cancer, founded in honor of Walker’s late father, Butch Walker, Sr. The Autumn Leaves Project will work in conjunction with the Nikki Mitchell Foundation to help find a cure and offer support to individuals and their families affected by pancreatic cancer, in particular the overwhelming number of musicians and artists who are battling this disease and do not have access to proper healthcare. In addition to donations, those who want to support the Autumn Leaves Project will have the chance to purchase a special-edition t-shirt from Butch Walker on his current US tour for which part of the proceeds will benefit ALP.
“Pancreatic Cancer doesn’t give you a chance to reconcile with it, doesn’t let you make plans sometimes, or prepare for the ending it just usually sneaks up on you and gives you no warning until its too late. We need better programs for pre-screening, we need more affordable alternatives to the methods and drugs that are out there to cope once its diagnosed, and most importantly we’ve got to find a cure for it,” states Walker.
Nikki Mitchell was the longtime friend and manager of country music legend Waylon Jennings. Before her death of pancreatic cancer in 2013, she challenged the music community to shine a light on the need for research, by creating in the final weeks of her life, her vision for the foundation. Supporters of NMF include Jamey Johnson, Keith Urban, Shooter Jennings, and Jessie Colter, along with The Pen Fund, a project of NMF, founded by Suzi Cochran and Booth Calder (whose late husband/father Songwriter Hall Of Fame member, Hank Cochran also had Pancreatic Cancer).
“Nikki was larger than life and she lived everyday making those around her feel like nothing is impossible. We carry that legacy into our mission at NMF by fighting for the cure to the disease that has affected so many in and out of the music industry,” states Nikki Mitchell Foundation President, Rhonda Miles.
By partnering together, the Autumn Leaves Project and The Nikki Mitchell Foundation are putting the need for pancreatic cancer research on the map, and expanding their efforts to find a means for early detection and the ultimate cure for pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic Cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the United States and is expected to become the 2nd leading cause of cancer death by 2020. Research for the disease currently receives only 2% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget. 94% of those diagnosed do not live beyond 5 years.
As Walker states, “It’s time for us to deal with it.”
Walker is also headlining a full North American tour that started last week and runs through mid-June including tomorrow’s show at The New York Society for Ethical Culture (May 5), and three sold out dates in Los Angeles at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Walker is touring with Dallas die-hard Jonathan Tyler as well as the gorgeous harmonies of The Dove & The Wolf. A full list of dates is below.
Butch Walker released his highly anticipated seventh full-length album Afraid Of Ghosts via Dangerbird Records last month to a massive response. The album debuted at #1 on the Top New Artist chart as well as in the Billboard Top 200. Afraid of Ghosts was met with critical acclaim upon release: Esquire praised its “bright, acoustic driven tunes,” Relix called it “a deeply personal, affectingly lovely album,” and Billboard noted that it was “tender and lovingly constructed.”
To learn more about the Autumn Leaves Project visit www.autumnleavesproject.org
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame inducts ‘As The Years Go By’ and ‘Câline de blues’
The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) is pleased to announce the most recent songs to be inducted into the Hall of Fame: ‘As The Years Go By’ and ‘Câline de blues’. As part of their induction, these songs are celebrated and honoured through Covered Classics, a collaboration between the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and CBC/Radio-Canada that invites Canada’s brightest musical talent to perform their own rendition of newly inducted songs. In the latest instalment of Covered Classics, SOCAN member and Juno Award winner Antoine Gratton (a.k.a. A*STAR) pays tribute to the Hall of Fame’s newest song inductions with compelling performances of ‘As The Years Go By’ and ‘Câline de blues’ that can be viewed below:
The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (www.cshf.ca) honours and celebrates Canadian songwriters and those who have dedicated their lives to the legacy of music, and works to educate the public about these achievements. National and non-profit, the CSHF is guided by its own board of directors who comprise both Anglophone and Francophone music creators and publishers, as well as representation from the record industry. In December 2011, SOCAN (the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) acquired the CSHF. The Hall of Fame’s mandate aligns with SOCAN’s objectives as a songwriter and publisher membership-based organization.
“I’m honoured to perform these songs as part of the Hall of Fame’s Covered Classics series,” says Gratton. “‘As The Years Go By’ and ‘Câline de blues’ are an important part of Canada’s songwriting heritage, and I wanted to do justice to these incredible songs.” Antoine’s graceful acoustic renditions of these rock classics feature soulful vocals and piano, and a beautiful arrangement performed by the string quartet Quatuor Orphée. Gratton, an impressive singer-songwriter in his own right, is a multi-instrumentalist, and an esteemed producer and arranger.
In 1970, ‘As The Years Go By’ made Montreal’s Mashmakhan, a four-man progressive-rock band, an overnight sensation. With lyrics written by SOCAN member Pierre Sénécal, the song explores Sénécal’s insights into the many possible forms of love, from childhood to old age. It became a No. 1 hit in Canada with a platinum certification (more than 100,000 records sold), and charted in the U.S., where it spent 18 weeks on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart. The single sold half a million copies in the U.S., and in Japan it became the third-largest selling single in that nation’s history to that point. It also earned Pierre Sénécal a SOCAN Classics Award in 1999.
“To have ‘As The Years Go By’ inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame is truly a prestigious accolade,” says Sénécal. I’m happy to see a talented Canadian artist like Antoine revisit this classic and introduce it to new generation of music lovers.”
‘Câline de blues’ is a revered, classic blues-rock anthem that helped establish the international profile of the group Offenbach. The song, born from the bass of Michel (Willie) Lamothe, the melody of Gérald (Gerry) Boulet, and the pen of Pierre Harel, is a tongue-in-cheek lament about a bluesman’s girlfriend having left him because he spends too much time playing the blues. “It’s an honour to have ‘Câline de blues’ recognized by our songwriting peers. I’m pleased and excited that the song has inspired subsequent generations of songwriters and artists,” said Harel. ‘Câline de blues’ received a SOCAN Classics Award in 2004 for over 25,000 radio plays, was included in the Montreal Gazette’s list of Quebec anthems, and is one of the most performed songs at blues festivals across Quebec.
About the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
Canadian Duo Lost and Profound reunite to release their new album “Goodbye Mine”
JUNO nominated and critically acclaimed Canadian duo, Lost and Profound weave their melancholy sound once again to create their latest album, Goodbye Mine which will be released May 12, 2015. Lead singer Lisa Boudreau and songwriter Terry Tompkins co-produced the album at Revolution Recording in Toronto. The album was engineered by Dean Nelson, best known for his work with Beck and mixed at Prairie Sun Studios in California by Grammy award winning engineer, Oz Fritz. Fritz’s extensive resume includes The Ramones, Tom Waits, Bob Marley and John Cale. This is the band’s fifth album and their first album in a decade. They pressed vinyl on this release, reflecting its old school vibe and psychedelic rock sound.
“This record has a 70s vibe. We love the sound of early 70s albums like the early Bowie and ELO records and used those as our benchmark for how we wanted the album to sound,” says Terry Tompkins. “It was fun to have the string section in to play the George Martin inspired arrangements and for Lisa and Darrell O’Dea to create the beautiful backing vocals”
Often referred to as the Rock Carpenters due to Lisa’s vocals along with the melancholy vibe of the songs, Lost and Profound’s latest album, Goodbye Mine, blends sounds from different musical genres such as folk, rock and sunshine pop. Boudreau’s vocals are reminiscent of Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval, PJ Harvey and Beth Gibbons, and when matched with Tompkins’ visually evocative lyrics, the result takes listeners on a beautiful, emotional journey. Lost and Profound combine piano, organ, trumpet, harmonium and strings, along with the core band to create an edgy yet sparse ambience. Some of the band’s musical influences include: Pink Floyd, The Beach Boys, Leonard Cohen, My Bloody Valentine and Tame Impala.
“This record will make an amazing transition from album to stage,” says Lisa Boudreau. “It’s an exciting time for us musically and we can’t wait to play these songs live.”
Lost and Profound’s origins are in the underground music scene in Calgary, where Terry Tompkins and Lisa Boudreau first collaborated as the Psychedelic Folk Virgins. They relocated to Toronto in 1985, independently releasing their tequila-fueled premiere The Bottled Romance of Nowhere. Polygram Records discovered the band and released their major label debut Lost & Profound, resulting in a Top 10 single “Brand New Set of Lies” and a JUNO Award Nomination. They had two subsequent releases, and then recorded as Red Suede Red for their 2002 album. Their tours included a music video shoot and Much Music special in Varanasi, India along the Ganges. Lost and Profound fuses pop, folk and rock genres to create their sound. In their other lives, Lisa is an in-demand voice actor and singer, and Terry is a composer and producer for film and television. Collaborating with several Toronto based musicians including guitarist Joao Carvalho, a long-time collaborator who also mastered the album, drummer John Obercian, multi-instrumentalist Darrell O’Dea, fiddle player Chris Bartos, bassist Greg Roberts, backing singers Renee Rowe and Kesha Wint plus a string section, Lost and Profound will once again enchant listeners with their combination of evocative sounds and eloquent vocals on their upcoming album “Goodbye Mine”.
Goodbye Mine is the first vinyl for Lost and Profound after four previous albums, including their debut self titled album Lost and Profound, which launched with a Top 10 single “Brand New Set of Lies” and landed them a Juno nomination. The band will be touring Spring/Summer 2015. Show dates will be updated on their website.
Goodbye Mine Track List:
1.Superhuman
2. Until it Broke
3. Goodbye Mine
4. Love’s Hard Landing
5. Iodine
6. Jewel
7. Bad Sister
8. Alcohol
9. Rover
10. Spectre
Watch Stone Temple Pilots Eject A Guy Shouting “You’re Not Scott”
Stone Temple Pilots performed last week at Irving Plaza in NYC with new lead singer Chester Bennington in tow. Around the 1:40 of this video, you’ll hear a ‘fan’ screaming “You’re not Scott!” to Chester. Guitarist Dean DeLeo doesn’t care if you pay your money, you respect the stage and the band. Dean brings the show to a halt, telling security in an epic manner to throw the guy out.
Read Morrissey Letter To Al Gore Wanting Live Earth’s Food Options To Be Vegetarian
Morrissey is pushing Al Gore and Kevin Wall, the two Live Earth concert organizers to have an all-vegan menu. The series of concerts are to call attention to the need for climate change reform with the six shows on six continents on 6/18. Morrissey would like everyone to consider the role that animal agriculture plays in climate change. And he’s right, and writes a letter than only Moz can.
Dear Mr. Gore and Mr. Wall,
I am writing to ask you to do the one thing that will do the most good for the planet and the majority of its inhabitants: not serve meat or dairy products at Live Earth 2015. I don’t mean offering a vegan option-I mean not serving animal products at all. Otherwise, the event will make no sense-it’ll be “greenwashing.” Serving meat and dairy products at an event to combat climate change is like selling pistols at a gun-control rally. Your responsibility is to alert people to a crisis, not sell out to the vendors responsible for it.
Not only is it possible for venues to provide a 100 percent meat-free menu-as is done now at every concert venue in which I perform, including Madison Square Garden, where I have a show at the end of June-it’s also a moral duty.
We already know that raising animals for food is a leading cause of climate change and that moving toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat climate change’s worst effects. Animal agriculture severely affects the world’s freshwater supply and is a major contributor to global greenhouse-gas emissions, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and air and water pollution, among many other harmful effects.
Since you can’t miss the fact that meat consumption is killing the planet-your own sponsor organization, the United Nations, states this-and since venues can and will cater vegan food for events, if you choose to serve animal flesh at Live Earth, you’ll be making a mockery of the very concept of the event, in which case it should be renamed “Dead Earth: We Contributed!”
Don’t be a denier of the causes of climate change. You know the facts. Make the right choice.
Sincerely, Morrissey
Trailer: Netflix’s Nina Simone Doc ‘What Happened, Miss Simone?’ This Looks Amazing.
What Happened, Miss Simone? is the story of legendary singer and activist Nina Simone. Directed by Academy Award-nominated Liz Garbus (Killing In The Name), it’s an authorized documentary – made in cooperation with Simone’s family and close colleagues, so expect a lot of never-before-heard recordings, rare archival footage and her best-known songs. It has a release date set for June 26, so mark it down.
