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XL Records owner Richard Russell’s latest project, a Lee “Scratch” Perry collaboration “I Am Paint,” is available only via trade

From Paper Magazine:

Months before the world was introduced to the first ever “artist owned” streaming service, TIDAL, XL Records owner Richard Russell was pondering many of the same questions about the value of music that Jay Z and friends have attempted to answer with their $9.99/$19.99 monthly subscription fee. Following his critically acclaimed production collaborations with Gil Scott Heron, Damon Albarn and Bobby Womack, Russell’s latest project, the track “I AM PAINT” (released under the artist name ‘RLR’ ), samples reggae legend Lee “Scratch” Perry and is being made available on vinyl only, in a limited edition of 250.

Each one-of-a-kind vinyl was individually hand-painted by Russell and Perry and is only available via a barter system. According to the simple terms on their website, anyone wishing to snag a copy must make something to swap and send it to a west London P.O. Box. What that ‘something’ might be is totally up for interpretation, and opens up an interesting dialogue about the value of music beyond the usual monetary terms, a concept long debated by the likes of The KLF (who burned £1 million at the height of their career in the ’90s) Radiohead (who released their pay-what-you-want” album In Rainbowsin 2007) the Wu Tang Clan (who plan to auction their one-of-a-kind new album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin to one lucky fan for an estimated $5 million, according to RZA) and most recently, Jay Z and friends with TIDAL.

Chilly Gonzales: “The golden age of harmony is over”

From The Telegraph:

“The golden age of harmony is over,” says Chilly Gonzales, over tea in a London café. A classically trained pianist from Canada, Gonzales has a reputation as the go-to guy when dance producers and hip-hop stars have harmonic problems to solve. “Harmony isn’t instinctive. You can be a natural melodist, and just have a gift for writing top lines. And you have people who have natural rhythm and can dance and play beats and be great DJs – that can all be instinctive. Harmony is different. It is not a mathematical thrill, you really feel it. And yet to create it, you need cold, hard knowledge.”

Gonzales’s collaborations have included rapper Drake, electro-singer Peaches and dance DJ Tiga. He won a Grammy as one of 21 featured players, producers and contributors to Daft Punk’s 2013 masterpiece Random Access Memories. “That’s a perfect example of what I do,” he says. “They had a song in B flat minor and another in A minor, and there’s something a little bit deflating about that transition. It’s how the ear perceives music, it’s one semitone off, you have the feeling that something just shrivelled up and the shoulders dropped. They said, ‘can you think of something that will make it work?’ I got a Grammy for 44 seconds of solo piano between two songs.”

Sonic Youth musician and singer Kim Gordon gets animated. Really.

Sonic Youth musician and singer Kim Gordon discusses creating stories out of her record covers, the spirit of punk rock, and how art was woven into her youth growing up in Los Angeles in the California Inspires Me series, a Google Play and California Sunday Magazine collaboration.

Digital Media Summit To Take Place During Canadian Music Week Featuring Speakers From Linkedin, Hootsuite, and More

The Digital Media Summit, Canada’s premier social media and interactive marketing conference will once again take place during Canadian Music Week on May 7, 2015. The one day digital conference located at the Sheraton Centre will highlight the worlds of social media and interactive marketing along with digital branding, examining successful engagement strategies for brands, business, and media. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear industry experts discuss key trends that are transforming and driving digital media. This year, DMS has recruited an impressive list of keynote speakers, panelists and interactive workshops to provide insight, results and key takeaways.

Speakers at this year’s summit include:

Registration for the Digital Media Summit is now open with a special Early Bird Promo Code available for $200 off until April 12.  Passes include access to the Digital Media Summit seminars, workshops, networking lunch and Music Festival Showcases, Film Festival and Comedy Festival.

BARENAKED LADIES NEW ALBUM SILVERBALL AVAILABLE ON JUNE 2ND

After 27 years together, over 14 million albums sold and multiple Juno Awards and Grammy nominations, SILVERBALL, Barenaked Ladies fourteenth studio album, finds the long-standing partnership of Ed Robertson (guitar, vocals), Jim Creeggan (bass, vocals), Kevin Hearn (keyboard, guitar, vocals) and Tyler Stewart (drums, vocals) firing on all cylinders.

“I think it would be fair to say if the band was collectively known as Stella, then this record would indicate the reality that Stella had indeed got her groove back,” states Ed Robertson. “This is the first record since our debut, Gordon that was written with no hand-wringing, second-guessing, insecurity or self-doubt,” Robertson asserts.

Available on June 2nd, SILVERBALL was produced by the band’s longtime friend Gavin Brown (The Tragically Hip, Metric) who helmed their previous project, 2013 Grinning Streak. The album’s thirteen tracks showcase the band’s growth, while still delivering a flurry of counterpunches and a wisecrack or two, in true BNL fashion.
“We’re pushing in new directions—as always, I think—but it’s still unmistakably these four guys playing together, and that’s what I’m most proud of,” Robertson adds. “I put the record on and it doesn’t sound like anything we’ve ever done before, and yet it is unmistakably the new Barenaked Ladies record.”

Watch behind the scenes footage on the making of SILVERBALL here:

Following the release of SILVERBALL, Barenaked Ladies will be heading back out on the road for their 2015 Last Summer on Earth Tour. Joined by special guests Violent Femmes and Colin Hay of Men At Work, the Ladies are once again recreating their winning formula with performances in 30+ amphitheaters across the United States. The tour kicks off on June 5th in Columbus, OH. See a full list of dates below and for more information visit barenakedladies.com. The band will embark on a cross-Canada tour this Fall with details to be released in the coming weeks.

SILVERBALL Track listing:

Get Back Up
Here Before
Matter of Time
Duct Tape Heart
Say What You Want
Passcode
Hold My Hand
Narrow Streets
Toe to Toe
Piece Of Cake
Globetrot
Silverball
Tired Of Fighting With You

2015 Last Summer On Earth US Tour Dates

5-Jun-15 – Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion
6-Jun-15 – Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
7-Jun-15 – Toledo, OH @ Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre
8-Jun-15 – Cedar Rapids, IA @ McGrath Amphitheatre
10-Jun-15 – Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
12-Jun-15 – Red Wing, MN @ Treasure Island Resort & Casino
13-Jun-15 – Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Harris Pavilion
14-Jun-15 – Council Bluffs, IA @ StirCove at Harrah’s Casino
16-Jun-15 – Chicago, IL @ FirstMerit Bank Pavilion
17-Jun-15 – Indianapolis, IN @ Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn
19-Jun-15 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center
20-Jun-15 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
21-Jun-15 – Salamanca, NY @ Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino
23-Jun-15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
26-Jun-15 – Portland, ME @ Maine State Pier
27-Jun-15 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
28-Jun-15 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center for the Performing Arts
29-Jun-15 – Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
1-Jul-15 – New York, NY @ JBL Live at Pier 97
2-Jul-15 – West Windsor, NJ @ Mercer County Park Festival Grounds
3-Jul-15 – Solomons, MD @ PNC Waterside Pavilion
4-Jul-15 – Raleigh, NC @ The Red Hat Amphitheatre
8-Jul-15 – Charlotte, NC @ Uptown Amphitheatre at the Music Factory
10-Jul-15 – Boca Raton, FL @ Sunset Cove Amphitheatre
11-Jul-15 – St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre
12-Jul-15 – Atlanta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park
13-Jul-15 – Nashville, TN @ Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheatre
15-Jul-15 – Dallas, TX @ Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
17-Jul-15 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sandia Amphitheater
18-Jul-15 – Las Vegas, NV @ Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
19-Jul-15 – San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theater
21-Jul-15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
22-Jul-15 – Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery
24-Jul-15 – Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Garden
25-Jul-15 – Portland, OR @ Edgefield
26-Jul-15 – Seattle, WA @ Marymoor Amphitheatre

A Supercut Of Your Fave Artists Singing “Whoa-oo-oh”

Forget love, baby, or you. The most-overused word in music today seems to be Whoa-oo-oh. Don’t believe me? Check out this supercut below using this popular interjection.

Whoa. That’s a lot of artists.

Fun – Some Nights
The Wanted – Chasing The Sun
Fall Out Boy – My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark
Britney Spears – Till The World Ends
Youngblood Hawke – Stars (Hold On)
Bonnie McKee – American Girl
Kesha – Tik Tok
Fountains of Wayne – Someone’s Gonna Break Your Heart
Hollywood Undead – Another Way Out
Imagine Dragons – Radioactive
Japandroids – The House That Heaven Built
Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen – Good Time
Pitbill – Timber ft. Kesha
Real Estate – Its Real
Shawn Mendes – Something Big
Philip Philips – Home
Coldplay – Princess Of China ft. Rihanna
Beyonce – Single Ladies
Shakira – Can’t Remember to Forget You ft. Rihanna
Outasight – Tonight Is The Night
Coldplay – Viva La Vida
Sleeping With Sirens – Alone ft. MGK
The Neighbourhood – Sweater Weather
Ed Sheeran – Sing
JT Hodges – Sleepy Little Town
Of Monsters and Men – Mountain Sound
Blue October – The Chills
Kris Allen – The Vision Of Love
5 Seconds of Summer – Never Be Lyrics
Big Time Rush – Just Getting Started
We The Kings – Just Keep Breathing
Andy Grammer – Forever
Hanna Montana – I Wanna Know You
Matisyahu – Fire of Freedom
Chris Brown – Turn Up The Music
Matthew West – Hello, My Name Is
David Archuleta – Look Around
We Are Scientists – Let’s See It
Natalie Grant – In The End
The Head and the Heart – Down in the Valley
Darren Hayes – Bloodstained Heart
Kings of Leon – Use Somebody
Plain White T’s – Our Time Now
Fall Out Boy – The Carpal Tunnel Of Love
K’NAAN – Wavin’ Flag
Smashmouth – Justin Bieber
The Killers – Spaceman
Thirty Seconds To Mars – Up In The Air
Rascal Flatts – Life’s A Song
Alex Winston – Choice Notes
Selena Gomez – Slow Down
Maroon 5 – Daylight
Armin van Buuren ft. Trevor Guthrie – This Is What It Feels Like
Nicole Scherzinger – Boomerang
Fifth Harmony – Barbie Melody
Lady Gaga – Bad Romance
Shake Shake Go – England Skies
American Authors – Best Day of My Life
Miranda Lambert – Smokin’ and Drinkin’
The Neighbourhood – Sweater Weather

Spotify Maps Out Which Music Genres Have the Loyalest Fans

futuremusic

Music fans all have their favorite genres — the ones that most resonate with our personal taste, and that they always return to. Hip hop fans, metalheads, EDM enthusiasts, country fans, rockers, reggae lovers, etc. might dabble with other genres, because there’s just too much amazing music out there. Still, we come back to our favorites.

Do fans of some genres return to their favorites more than fans of other genres? And which genres inspire the most loyalty in the listener?

To find out, Spotify first identified the “core” artists that, according to The Echo Nest (a part of Spotify), are most central to each genre, starting with the big ones, on a global level. Then they did  the same thing with local genres in various countries around the world. To create a measure of genre loyalty, they divided the number of streams each core artist had by their number of listeners. All of the charts are normalized against the genre with the loyalest fans.

The first thing they noticed: Metal fans are the world’s loyalest listeners (they’ll get to the individual countries soon):

Global

global

After Metal and Pop, the rest of the genres cluster into two groups. Folk, Country, and Rock fans have a higher loyalty score, and Hip Hop does fairly well too, while Jazz, EDM, Classical, and Blues scores are not as high, suggesting that those listeners don’t adhere as closely to the core of their favored genre. (Reggae sits between the two groups.)

Aside from the obvious conclusions that Metal fans are the most loyal of all and Pop fans are also fairly loyal globally, one could also conclude that the more guitar-oriented genres inspire more loyalty in the listener. It’s worth remembering our methodology here: They looked for repeated listens to the core artists from each genre — the ones sitting right at the “center” of the genres, as it were. So one could also reasonably conclude that Jazz, EDM, Classical, and Blues listeners play more fringe artists from those genres.

This doesn’t necessarily mean Metal is “better” than Jazz (metalheads would disagree), but it does tell us that Metal fans are in fact the most hardcore, according to this new measure of genre loyalty.

Now, let’s see how some additional genres stack up in various countries, loyalty-wise.

One thing Spotify noticed overall about the charts below: Homegrown genres tend to inspire lots of listener loyalty. There are plenty of other interesting details to pore over, and they’ve included listening links below each chart so you can find out what each genre sounds like:

Australia

australia

Listen:

  1. Australian Country
  2. Metal
  3. Australian Indie
  4. Australian Alternative Rock
  5. Australian Pop
  6. Perth Indie
  7. Folk
  8. Pop
  9. Didgeridoo
  10. Australian Hip Hop
  11. Australian Dance
  12. Hip Hop
  13. Country
  14. Rock
  15. Classical
  16. Funky Breaks
  17. Aussietronica
  18. Blues
  19. Reggae
  20. EDM
  21. Jazz
  22. Deep Psytrance
  23. Melbourne Bounce

Brazil

brasil

Listen:

  1. Brazilian Punk
  2. Rock Gaucho
  3. Brazilian Pop
  4. Metal
  5. MPB (Música popular brasileira)
  6. Brazilian Indie
  7. Brazilian Hip Hop
  8. Samba
  9. Pop
  10. Brazilian Composition
  11. Velha Guarda
  12. Rock
  13. Reggae
  14. Hip Hop
  15. Blues
  16. EDM
  17. Jazz
  18. Country
  19. Classical
  20. Folk

France

france Listen:

  1. French Reggae
  2. Neo Metal
  3. Breton Folk
  4. French Rock
  5. French Punk
  6. Metal
  7. Variétés française
  8. French Pop
  9. French Hip Hop
  10. French Indie Pop
  11. Zouk
  12. Pop
  13. Folk
  14. Reggae
  15. Rock
  16. Hip Hop
  17. Jazz
  18. Blues
  19. Classical
  20. Yé-yé
  21. EDM
  22. Country
  23. Filter House

Germany

germany Listen:

  1. Kabarett
  2. Neue Deutsche Harte
  3. Liedermacher
  4. German Pop
  5. German Indie
  6. Metal
  7. Schlager
  8. Pop
  9. Folk
  10. Hip Hop
  11. Kraut Rock
  12. Rock
  13. Reggae
  14. Country
  15. Neue Deutsche Welle
  16. German Techno
  17. Jazz
  18. Discofox
  19. EDM
  20. Blues
  21. GDR Rock
  22. Deep Euro House
  23. Techno
  24. Classical
  25. Trance

Great Britain

great_britain

Listen:

  1. British Alternative Rock
  2. Metal
  3. Scottish Rock
  4. Punk
  5. Pop
  6. Welsh Rock
  7. UK Hip Hop
  8. British Folk
  9. Leeds Indie
  10. British Indie Rock
  11. Folk
  12. Shoegaze
  13. Rock
  14. Hip Hop
  15. New Rave
  16. Grime
  17. Country
  18. Reggae
  19. British Blues
  20. Mod Revival
  21. Jazz
  22. Classical
  23. EDM
  24. Blues
  25. New Romantic
  26. Drum And Bass
  27. Dubstep
  28. Jungle
  29. Merseybeat

Greece

greece Listen:

  1. Entehno
  2. Rebetiko
  3. Metal
  4. Laiko
  5. Greek Indie
  6. Folk
  7. Pop
  8. Country
  9. Rock
  10. Hip Hop
  11. Classical
  12. Reggae
  13. Blues
  14. Jazz
  15. EDM
  16. Greek House

Italy

italy Listen:

  1. Italian Indie Pop
  2. Italian Pop
  3. Italian Folk
  4. Italian Jazz
  5. Italian Hip Hop
  6. Italian Punk
  7. Metal
  8. Canzone Napoletana
  9. Opera
  10. Folk
  11. Rock
  12. Pop
  13. Reggae
  14. Classic Italian Pop
  15. Jazz
  16. Blues
  17. Hip Hop
  18. Classical
  19. Country
  20. Italo Dance
  21. EDM
  22. Italian Disco
  23. Eurobeat

Mexico

mexico Listen:

  1. Regional Mexican
  2. Latin Pop
  3. Mexican Indie
  4. Metal
  5. Latin Metal
  6. Pop
  7. Latin Electronica
  8. Rock
  9. Country
  10. Reggaeton
  11. EDM
  12. Reggae
  13. Classical
  14. Hip Hop
  15. Jazz
  16. Blues
  17. Folk

Norway

norway Listen:

  1. Norwegian Hip Hop
  2. Norwegian Jazz
  3. Norwegian Metal
  4. Danseband
  5. Barnemusikk
  6. Black Metal
  7. Classic Norwegian Pop
  8. Metal
  9. Norwegian Rock
  10. Nordic House
  11. Folkmusik
  12. Norwegian Pop
  13. Country
  14. Folk
  15. Pop
  16. Yoik
  17. Rock
  18. Hip Hop
  19. Norwegian Punk
  20. Reggae
  21. EDM
  22. Blues
  23. Jazz
  24. Classical

Philippines

phillippines Listen:

  1. OPM (Original Pilipino Music)
  2. Pop
  3. Metal
  4. Rock
  5. Classical
  6. EDM
  7. Hip Hop
  8. New Wave
  9. Rap
  10. Jazz
  11. Reggae
  12. Blues

Portugal

portugal Listen:

  1. Metal
  2. Portuguese Rock
  3. Fado
  4. Morna
  5. Pop
  6. Rock
  7. Hip Hop Tuga
  8. Hip Hop
  9. Country
  10. Folk
  11. Jazz
  12. Reggae
  13. Blues
  14. EDM
  15. Classical
  16. Portuguese Pop

Spain

spain

Listen:

  1. Spanish Punk
  2. Cantautor
  3. Flamenco
  4. Spanish Classical
  5. Spanish Pop
  6. Spanish Folk
  7. Spanish Hip Hop
  8. Rock Catala
  9. Galego
  10. Metal
  11. Spanish Indie Rock
  12. Spanish Indie Pop
  13. Spanish Reggae
  14. Pop
  15. Folk
  16. Spanish New Wave
  17. Rock
  18. Jazz
  19. Blues
  20. Reggae
  21. Country
  22. Hip Hop
  23. Classical
  24. Reggaeton
  25. EDM

Sweden

sweden

Listen:

  1. Swedish Metal
  2. Swedish Punk
  3. Metal
  4. Classic Swedish Pop
  5. Swedish Jazz
  6. Swedish Soft Pop
  7. Dansband
  8. Swedish Alternative Rock
  9. Swedish Reggae
  10. Swedish Hip Hop
  11. Swedish Indie Rock
  12. Swedish Prog
  13. Swedish Pop
  14. Pop
  15. Swedish Indie Pop
  16. Folk
  17. Country
  18. Rock
  19. Hip Hop
  20. Reggae
  21. EDM
  22. Blues
  23. Jazz
  24. Classical
  25. Vintage Swedish Pop

Switzerland

switzerland

Listen:

  1. Swiss Folk
  2. Swiss Rock
  3. Swiss Hip Hop
  4. Metal
  5. Pop
  6. Folk
  7. Rock
  8. Hip Hop
  9. Reggae
  10. Country
  11. Blues
  12. Classical
  13. Jazz
  14. EDM

United States

US Listen: 

  1. Regional Mexican
  2. Latin Pop
  3. Native American
  4. Emo
  5. Metal
  6. Punk
  7. OPM (Original Pilipino Music)
  8. Italian Pop
  9. Gothic Americana
  10. Juggalo
  11. Spanish Pop
  12. Folk
  13. German Pop
  14. Brazilian Pop
  15. Broadway
  16. Greek Entehno
  17. Pop
  18. Country
  19. French Pop
  20. British Alternative Rock
  21. Pop Rap
  22. Hip Hop
  23. Portuguese Rock
  24. Rock
  25. Reggae
  26. Rap
  27. Jazz
  28. Norwegian Pop
  29. Swiss Rock
  30. EDM
  31. Blues
  32. Classical
  33. College a Capella
  34. Funk
  35. Soul
  36. Australian Pop
  37. Motown
  38. Swedish Pop

Ontario Music Fund Success Stories

This year, 123 recipients will receive more than $14 million in grants from the Ontario Music Fund.

Premier Kathleen Wynne announced the grants today at Coalition Music in Toronto, one of the companies that received support through the Ontario Music Fund last year. The fund provides grants to music businesses — large and small — that produce, distribute and promote Ontario-based music and artists. This support is helping create a business environment where Ontario’s talented artists from diverse musical genres and backgrounds can grow and thrive, while helping the industry become even more competitive internationally.

Support from the first year of the Ontario Music Fund has already helped create or retain 2,000 jobs and produced $24 million in additional revenue for music-related businesses.

Investing in Ontario’s music industry supports the government’s economic plan for Ontario. The four-part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, building new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, supportive environment where business thrives and building a secure savings plan so everyone can afford to retire.

The Ontario Music Fund (OMF) is helping the music industry by promoting jobs and economic growth, increasing tax revenue, enhancing tourism throughout the province and strengthening Ontario’s position as a global music leader.

Year One Successes

Six Shooter Records increased capacity, resulting in the release of almost double the number of albums typically released in a year. The funding also allowed the label to bring on and retain new permanent positions and provide work and jobs for freelancers and contractors. Six Shooter’s successful year was capped off by a Polaris Music Prize win for Aboriginal artist Tanya Tagaq’s new album ‘Animism’, a JUNO Award for The Strumbellas, and critical acclaim and an increased international market presence for WhiteHorse.

Arts and Crafts received funding for a range of artist signing and business development activities. The 12 recording/artist projects range from retrospective collections that support international brand development to international licenses that support global relationships to domestic and provincially-based artist development initiatives that help to secure the future of the company. Moving from nine releases in 2013 to double that in 2014 was a direct result of OMF support and the infrastructure and investment it allowed for.

The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall introduced four new signature concerts, featuring Canadian and Ontario-based artists who might not otherwise perform at Massey Hall. The 2014 events were: Timber Timbre with special guest Cold Specks on May 23, Coeur de pirate with special guest Bry Webb on May 31, Rural Alberta Advantage and Great Lake Swimmers on July 8, and Basia Bulat and Destroyer on July 10 (2014). All eight of these artists are Canadian, six of them being full-time Ontario residents.

Eggplant Entertainment actively sought out new clients to add to its roster by direct signings, promoting from within its organization, and pursuing partnerships with developing junior artist managers. Direct signings included Evening Hymns. Additions to Eggplant’s human resources and roster resulted in improved office collaboration, allowing staff to provide stronger support to new and existing clients. The company is finalizing terms for its senior staff to take over worldwide management for the UK artist Duffy. Other signings include Toronto artist Jane’s Party and Vancouver artist The River and The Road.

Cameron House Records received funding to expand its roster and promote new releases by indie artists, including Devin Cuddy’s sophomore release, Whitney Rose’s sophomore album, and Sam Cash’s tour support/marketing. Revenues for Toronto artist and 2014 JUNO nominee Devin Cuddy have increased substantially as his sales continue to grow, and management fee earnings continue to increase. In addition, numerous festival appearances and opening slots have contributed to the growth of the company.

Steven Tyler has signed with Taylor Swift’s label, Big Machine Records

Big Machine Label Group President and CEO Scott Borchetta and Steven Tyler sign the record deal for Tyler’s project on Dot Records.

After a flurry of speculation in recent weeks, Big Machine Label Group officially signed iconic songwriter and prolific singer STEVEN TYLER to its superstar artist roster. The Aerosmith frontman previously confirmed the release of a solo album during a surprise appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. Tyler’s first project is expected to be released later this year on Dot Records.

“There was an immediate connection with Scott and Big Machine, and Nashville seems like the perfect segue for a solo project…and Dot Records is the right fit. My earliest influences put me somewhere between the Everly Brothers and the Carter Family and this project is all about me paying homage to my Country roots. I’ve been working with some fucking epic Nashville songwriters, getting my feet wet with their style and groove,” Tyler shared after the signing.

Tyler joins global entertainers Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Reba, Rascal Flatts, Florida Georgia Line, The Band Perry, The Mavericks, Martina McBride and Ronnie Dunn as well as chart-toppers Eli Young Band, Brantley Gilbert, Justin Moore, Thomas Rhett; breakout duo Maddie & Tae in addition to rising entertainers The Cadillac Three, RaeLynn, A Thousand Horses, Cassadee Pope, Drake White, Danielle Bradbery, Levi Hummon, Seth Alley and Waterloo Revival.

“I have never met a more passionate human being than Steven. When he goes in, he goes all in, which is the culture of Dot Records and the Big Machine Label Group,” said BMLG President and CEO Scott Borchetta. “I truly cannot wait for the world to hear the phenomenal music that he is creating and I really feel that this chapter of his career will be among his best. He bleeds love and he bleeds music. Pinch me – it’s Steven Fkg Tyler!”

Tyler and Aerosmith have sold more than 150 million records worldwide, garnering numerous Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and an Emmy Award. Inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2013, Tyler has earned nine #1 hits, 25 Gold, 18 Platinum and 12 Multi-Platinum album certifications, in addition to earning the Founder’s Award at the ASCAP Pop Awards.

Video Flashback: Richard Simmons’s testimony on Capitol Hill is amazing

Richard Simmons, Fitness Expert and Advocate, testified before the Committee on Education and Labor at a hearing concerning childhood obesity and physical health and education on July 24, 2008.