The CCMA Announces Top Six Finalists for the 2015 CCMA Discovery Program

Apr 7, 2015

The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) is pleased to unveil the top six finalists for the 2015 CCMA Discovery Program. The finalists are: Meaghan Blanchard (P.E.I), Raquel Cole (B.C.), (Ray Gibson (B.C.), Maddison Krebs (Alberta), Sykamore (Alberta) and Katia Zuccarelli (Ontario). Now in its third year, this national initiative was created to educate and support Canadian country music artists in their pursuit of a career in the music industry.

“The CCMA Discovery Program has grown and evolved every year since its inception,” says Don Green, President of the Canadian Country Music Association. “We are so proud to have this program recognized and supported by the country music industry from coast to coast. Over 40 professionals in the business took part in the meticulous jury process that whittled down over 170 applicants to the six finalists that will start their journey with us in just a few short weeks. There is no shortage of musical talent in Canada; we’re thrilled to be the springboard for six emerging artists in their career development.”

The 2015 CCMA Discovery Program finalists will be flown to Toronto for their Music Industry Discovery Week, running April 26 through May 1. During this week, the finalists will learn, in-depth, about the music business and artist development through industry-led panels and seminars; live performance training from Tom Jackson Productions; vocal coaching from voice consultant, Tamara Beatty; an industry showcase opportunity and more. Each finalist will also be paired with an established Canadian country artist for a mentorship program which will take place during the summer months. Finally, during Country Music Week 2015 in Halifax, taking place from September 10 to 13, the finalists will perform at a public CCMA Discovery Showcase. An industry-led jury will select the winner of the 2015 CCMA Discovery Award as part of the event.

The winner of the 2015 CCMA Discovery Award will receive music video funding, subject to the standard terms in the VAP agreement (courtesy of CMT Canada); support from SOCAN; production and recording (courtesy of Barrytone Studios); cash prizing (courtesy of Galaxie); a guitar (courtesy of Gibson); other industry-related prizing (courtesy of Strut Entertainment), and a performance spot on the 2016 CMA Music Festival Global Artist Party showcase in Nashville.

More information on the top six finalists for the 2015 CCMA Discovery Program:

Meaghan Blanchard (Hometown: Hunter River, PEI)
Meaghan Blanchard is a singer-songwriter who grew up in the rolling hills of beautiful Prince Edward Island and is as vibrant as her red-headed curls. Blanchard recorded Changing Things, her first collection of songs, at the age of only 18. She has twice won the ECMA Country Recording of the Year: once in 2011 for her second recording, Chasin’ Lonely Again, and again in 2014 for her most recent album, She’s Gonna Fly.
Facebook: MeaghanBlanchard | Twitter: MeagBlanchard | Instagram: meaghanb22
Website: www.meaghanblanchard.com

Raquel Cole (Hometown: Vernon, British Columbia)
B.C.’s Raquel Cole ended 2014 on a high note by opening numerous fall shows for Grammy award-winning band, Diamond Rio, on their arena tour. Cole is quickly becoming recognized as a gifted guitarist and songwriter. Her song, “It’s For Real This Time” was recently featured on Sirius XM’s The Highway. She is currently opening shows for Josh Turner on his U.S. tour, with upcoming stops in the northeast, including the Best Buy Theatre in New York, NY. Cole is confirmed to perform at Canadian Music Week this spring.
Facebook: raquelcolemusic | Twitter: raquelcolemusic | Instagram: raquel_music
Website: www.raquelcole.com

Ray Gibson (Hometown: Maple Ridge, British Columbia)
If you haven’t heard of Ray Gibson, you’re one of a few. With nearly 40 thousand followers on Instagram and Twitter combined, and over 750,000 views on YouTube alone, it’s easy to say Gibson has a committed fan base and blossoming online presence. Gibson has performed over 60 shows throughout British Columbia over the last few years, including a recent after-party in Kamloops for international country stars Florida Georgia Line.
Facebook: raygibsonmusic | Twitter: raygibsonmusic | Instagram: raygibsonmusic
Website: www.raygibsonmusic.com

Maddison Krebs (Hometown: Okotoks, Alberta)
Young and effervescent Maddison Krebs displays an uncanny, nuanced and very real sensibility for writing and singing in a vintage style. With a sound often compared to the timeless classics created by legends of country music, Krebs continues to master the nostalgic style she has such an acute awareness of – a sound that hasn’t been mainstream for over 50 years. From deep, sorrowful heartache to unbridled optimism, her song delivery and vocals will surely make you remember the name Maddison Krebs for years to come.
Facebook: maddisonkrebsmusic | Twitter: maddisonkrebs | Instagram: maddisonkrebs
Website: www.youtube.com/maddisonkrebs

Sykamore (Hometown: Carseland, Alberta)
Noted for her superior writing skills and raw performance style, Alberta-based Sykamore released her debut album PETAL last summer. Having performed and shared bills with Canadian music heavyweights such as Lindi Ortega and Adam Cohen, Sykamore recently received first prize in the ATB Financial All-Albertan Song Contest, with her original song, “Heaven In The Pines.”
Facebook: sykamoreproject | Twitter: sykamorejordan | Instagram: sykamore
Website: www.sykamoreproject.com

Katia Zuccarelli (Hometown: Port Credit, Ontario)
Toronto-based Katia Zuccarelli is certainly an artist to watch for. With several of her songs being produced by Rob Wells, known for his work with Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande and the Backstreet Boys, Zuccarelli is positioning herself in good company. With an admirable online presence and strong followings on social media, Zuccarelli’s star is on the rise.
Facebook: katiazuccarelli | Twitter: katiazuccarelli | Instagram: katiazuccarelli
Website: www.peppersaltproductions.com

2015 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee Exhibit Opens April 11

Apr 7, 2015

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum today announced the opening of the 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Exhibit. Opening during Celebration Day at the Museum on Saturday, April 11, the 2015 Inductee Exhibit will shine a spotlight on the impact and influence of this year’s class: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The “5” Royales, Green Day, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Lou Reed, Ringo Starr, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble and Bill Withers.

“The Inductee Exhibit highlights iconic items that span the careers of these legends, and helps illustrate their impact on music history,” said Karen L. Herman, vice president of collections and curatorial affairs for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. “Many of these pieces are new to the museum and are being exhibited for the first time.”

Items in the 2015 Inductee Exhibit, which will be located in the Ahmet M. Ertegun Exhibition Hall on the lower level, include instruments, gear, stage clothing, and more. Highlights include:

Stevie Ray Vaughan’s butterscotch Fender Stratocaster, featuring a custom tiger stripe pickguard that is a homage to Buddy Guy, one of Vaughan’s biggest musical influences
Lou Reed’s Bolin guitar and Soldano amp, which were essential in creating his unmistakable guitar tone
Bill Withers’ Martin acoustic guitar, a stalwart with him on stage during much of his career
Ringo Starr’s drum kit, the backbeat of the British Invasion, which was used with the Beatles from 1964 to 1968
Paul Butterfield’s harmonicas and their custom case
Tré Cool of Green Day’s drum kit which he lit on fire at the 1998 HFStival at RFK Stadium
Instruments and clothing from Joan Jett and each member of the Blackhearts
Original recordings of The “5” Royales’ songs that were later covered by artists from James Brown to Mick Jagger and Derek and The Dominos

The exhibit will also include a multimedia highlight reel of speeches and special moments from the past 29 years of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Induction Ceremony including behind-the-scenes footage, rehearsals and performances. The exhibit features a video wall, with soundbars powered by Klipsch Audio, highlighting performance footage and exclusive interviews with the 2015 inductees.

Inside the Hall of Fame gallery, a new video in the entrance lobby to the Hall of Fame gallery will be added in the coming weeks and will feature the top 10 greatest induction performances as voted on by fans from around the world at www.rockhall.com. The signatures of the 2015 inductees will also be added to the signature wall and full song catalogs will be added to the interactive jukeboxes. The area that previously showcased each year’s inductees has been converted to an In Memoriam Exhibit honoring inductees who have recently passed away.

Kicking off Cleveland Rock Week, Celebration Day on April 11 will feature free admission to the Museum, live local entertainment, and more. The daylong celebration begins at 9 a.m. at the Museum and concludes with a Rock N’ Blast fireworks show at 8 p.m. at Voinovich Park. Celebration Day is presented by PNC and sponsored by the Cleveland Indians, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, The John P. Murphy Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, and The Cleveland Foundation. For more information about Celebration Day, Cleveland Rock Week, and current exhibits, visit www.rockhall.com.

Helen Mirren Accidentally Got Someone Kicked Off the NYC Subway

Apr 7, 2015

Helen Mirren talks to Jimmy Fallon about her adventures traveling on New York City trains while commuting to her Broadway play, The Audience.

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

Apr 7, 2015

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”

Apr 7, 2015

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.

Apr 7, 2015

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

Apr 7, 2015

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:

Jason Miller – Senior Manager of Content Marketing and Social Media, LinkedIn
Brian Solis – Principal Analyst Alimeter Group, Author of ‘What’s the Future of Business?’
Ken Rutowski – Founder/ CEO, Business Rockstars
Rob Begg – VP Enterprise Strategy, Hootsuite
Travis Wright – Chief Marketing Technologist, CCP Global
Kristina Libby – Microsoft Consumer Media Relations, Microsoft
Brittany Williams – Market Insights Manager, Etsy
John McCauley – Senior Director of Marketing, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Inc
Vince Bannon -VP of Strategic Partnerships and Evangelist, Getty Images

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

Apr 7, 2015

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”

Apr 7, 2015

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

Apr 7, 2015

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

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: