Record Royalties Sourced for Canada’s Music Creators

Feb 11, 2015

Canada’s songwriters, composers and music publishers will collectively see a record amount of royalties from the public performance of their copyright works in 2014, according to early analysis by nonprofit SOCAN.

A snapshot of the preliminary¹ 2014 financial results for SOCAN – the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada :

Another record year for total revenue, $299-million was collected from domestic, international and private copying proceeds – a year-over-year increase of eight per cent from $276-million brought in during 2013, already a record setting year for SOCAN..
International revenue from Canadian-created music of $55-million , an increase of nearly eight per cent from 2013. This was another record for Canadian-made music performed outside of the country, following surpassing $50-million in 2013 for the first time.
Revenue of $20-million from Internet streaming properties, up from $3.2-million in 2013.²
SOCAN’s corporate net expense ratio was less than 10 per cent for the first time in the history of the organization, positioning it as one of the most cost-effective major music rights organizations worldwide.

“SOCAN is bringing in more while spending less to do it, resulting in record overall royalties for our more than 125,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members,” said CEO Eric Baptiste . “Creating music is difficult, complex and rewarding work, and so too is the job of finding where our members’ music is used in business domestically and around the world. While 2014 was another record year, the economic challenges faced by the large majority of our members and professional musicians in general are real, and it’s imperative that we find every penny that our members have rightfully earned for their work.”

In the recent past SOCAN has invested wisely in technology and talent, making intelligent business decisions, all designed to produce more value for its members.

Canada’s music creators are enjoying a surge in popularity around the world, resulting in a consistent rise in export music from international royalties – an area that SOCAN has identified as a growth priority and also in which it has sharpened its focus with the addition of Catharine Saxberg as Vice President, International Relations. The increase in international revenue is a gain of 41 per cent since the $39-million identified and distributed to members in 2007.

“Canadian music creators are beloved worldwide,” Baptiste added. “Ask anyone in the world to name a famous Canadian and they are very likely to mention a songwriter or composer.”

While collective revenues are up, so too are the challenges for Canada’s songwriters, composers and music publishers. More music is used in more public places for the benefit of more businesses than ever before. To license these uses efficiently, SOCAN has created eSOCAN for music users to license their establishment or activities easily and quickly. During 2014 eSOCAN use was up over 400 per cent and the company is planning further growth in 2015.

“Presto” is one of Pixar’s best short films

Feb 11, 2015

Presto is a 2008 American Pixar computer-animated short film shown in theaters before their feature length film WALL-E. The short is about a magician trying to perform a show with his uncooperative rabbit and is a gag-filled homage to classic cartoons such as Tom and Jerry and Looney Tunes. Directed by veteran Pixar animator Doug Sweetland, in his directorial debut, this is one hilarious film.

http://youtu.be/a0DqCxYfeT0

Zakk Wylde Announces The Unblackened Tour

Feb 11, 2015

(New York, NY) – Hard rock legends BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, fronted by guitar icon ZAKK WYLDE, have announced the Unblackened tour. Originally performed as a one night only concert at Club Nokia in Los Angeles for a live CD/DVD release two years ago, the show will now make its way across the U.S. The show will feature intimate versions of some of the band’s most popular songs, as well as songs from Wylde’s best-selling solo album Book of Shadows & his Southern rock band Pride & Glory. “I always wanted to take Unblackened on the road, we just didn’t have the time until now,” said Wylde. “You can take a song that you’ve played thousands of times and rearrange it, and all of a sudden it’s something totally fresh. The attitude of the songs doesn’t change when we play them acoustically–the tunes are gritty regardless.”

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY has been on the road constantly in support of their latest release Catacombs of the Black Vatican. The band recently wrapped up a block of successful tour dates with HATEBREED and BUTCHER BABIES which took them across the States and Canada, followed by an electric performance at the 2015 annual SHIPROCKED CRUISE. Rocking on the high seas is nothing new for BLS as they have also participated in the inaugural MOTORBOAT CRUISE just last year.

Catacombs of the Black Vatican was released on April 8th, 2014 and debuted at #5 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart and #1 on the Rock and Independent Charts. The chart topping LP was also hailed as one of the “Best Albums of 2014” by REVOLVER MAGAZINE. The new effort has accumulated critical praise with outlets like LOUDWIRE declaring “Wylde’s guitar playing has always been at an extremely high level, but the instrument that’s improved steadily over the years is his voice.” New Jersey’s AQUARIAN WEEKLY states, “This is Black Label Society at its finest!”

With cover appearances on the likes of both Guitar Player and Guitar World magazines and a first ever TV performance on Late Night with Seth Meyers following the release of Catacombs Of The Black Vatican, the presence of the band has dug itself deeper into the history of modern day rock music.

Date Venue Location
Feb 11 O2 ABC Glasgow, United Kingdom
Feb 12 The Institute Birmingham, United Kingdom
Feb 13 Roundhouse London, United Kingdom
Feb 14 O2 Academy Bristol Bristol, United Kingdom
Feb 15 O2 Academy Leeds Leeds, United Kingdom
Feb 17 UEA Norwich, United Kingdom
Feb 18 Rock City Nottingham, United Kingdom
Feb 19 Manchester Academy Manchester, United Kingdom
Feb 21 Melkweg The Max Amsterdam, Netherlands
Feb 22 Ancienne Belgique Brussels, Belgium
Feb 24 Batschkapp Frankfurt, Germany
Feb 25 FZW Freizeitzentrum West Dortmund, Germany
Feb 26 Le Bataclan Paris, France
Feb 27 La Laiterie Strasbourg, France
Mar 01 Train Århus C, Denmark
Mar 03 Rockefeller Music Hall Oslo, Norway
Mar 05 Close-Up Båten Stockholm, Sweden
Mar 06 Nosturi Helsinki, Finland
Mar 08 Rock Cafe Sodom Tallinn, Estonia
Mar 09 Forum Palace Vilnius, Lithuania
Mar 11 B90 Gdansk, Poland
Mar 12 Club Studio Krakow, Poland
Mar 14 Z7 Pratteln, Switzerland
Mar 15 Les Docks Lausanne, Switzerland
Jul 18 Pistoia Blues Pistoia, Italy
Jul 19 Metaldays 2015 Tolmin, Slovenia
Jul 26 Universiada Hall Sofia, Bulgaria
Jul 27 Arenele Romane Bucharest, Romania
Jul 28 GARE SBB-CFF Bale, Switzerland
Jul 29 Fezen Festival Székesfehérvár, Hungary
Jul 30 Wacken 2015 Wacken, Germany

Sam Smith, Kendrick Lamar, Alt-J, Modest Mouse and Hozier to Headline WayHome Music and Arts This Summer

Feb 11, 2015

Republic Live announced at a press conference earlier today that Sam Smith, Kendrick Lamar, Alt-J, Modest Mouse and Hozier will be headlining at their inaugural music and arts festival, WayHome Music and Arts, which will take place July 24th – 26th, 2015 at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds, ten minutes north of Barrie. Additional artists announced for the line-up include: Bassnectar, The Decemberists, Passion Pit, St. Vincent, Girl Talk, Vance Joy, Future Islands, The Sheepdogs, Odesza, The Gaslight Anthem, Walk The Moon, Run The Jewels, Kaytranada, Hey Rosetta!, G-Eazy, Sylvan Esso, Danny Brown, Cold War Kids, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Big K.R.I.T, July Talk, Fucked Up, Timber Timbre, Thousand Foot Krutch, METZ, Alvvays, Yukon Blonde, Courtney Barnett, Sloan, Delta Spirit, Broods, How to Dress Well, SZA, Viet Cong, Com Truise, Bear Mountain, Evening Hymns, Lowell, The Highest Order, Dear Rouge, Chris Stapleton, For Esme, and Saxsyndrum with many more still to come. WayHome Music and Arts is a collaboration between Canadian entertainment company Republic Live and US promoter, AC Entertainment, co-founders and producers of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, the Forecastle Festival, the Big Ears Festival and many other events. All ticket offerings include a choice of tent camping or parking and will go on-sale to the general public on Monday, February 16, 2015 at 12 pm EST exclusively at www.wayhome.com with GA tickets starting at $209.99. A one-day only walk-in pre-sale for tastemaker fans is available on February 12th with GA tickets for $189.99 at the 12 key retail partners listed below.

“We couldn’t be more excited to finally launch the name of our new festival as the WayHome Music and Arts and announce this inspiring line-up,” said Shannon McNevan, Executive Director, Republic Live. “Sam Smith is one of the hottest and most exciting new artists in the world right now, so it’s awesome to see acts like him join Kendrick Lamar and Alt-J on our inaugural bill as Canada’s international destination music festival. It’s a testament to how great of an entertainment market southern Ontario is. A huge differentiator for any festival we do is the on-site experience and amazingly deep sense of community that people feel there. To that end, we’re including tent camping or parking with our ticket offerings to encourage people to camp out with their pals and really immerse themselves in the experience..”

“We’ve been talking with and getting to know the team at Republic Live for several years now and we’re excited that WayHome Music and Arts is at long last becoming a reality,” said Ashley Capps, CEO of AC Entertainment. “Our initial line-up clearly establishes WayHome as one of North America’s premiere music and arts festivals and provides a strong foundation to build upon for the future. The Burl’s Creek site is amazing – one of the best I’ve ever seen – and with four stages, over 90 acts performing across 3 days and a kaleidoscope of ongoing activities for festival goers, we’re focused on creating an unforgettable weekend for everyone.”

Tickets for WayHome Music and Arts will be sold in allotments, meaning that once the number of tickets allocated at the $209.99 price point sell out, the following allotment of tickets will be released at the next price point of $229.99. Fans are encouraged to purchase early to get the best possible price and organizers are anticipating a sold out event. Exclusive walk-in ticket pre-sales will take place tomorrow, February 12th, for one day only at the following retailers with full event GA tickets, including camping or parking, available for $189.99 prior to the public on-sale.

Retail Outlet Address Store Hours
Casbah Bar 18 Huron Street, Collingwood, ON 5pm – 2am
Doogies 37 Wyndham Street North, Guelph, ON 7 pm – 2 am
Blueprint Clothing 246 Princess Street, Kingston, ON 10am – 6pm
Howey Bros 57A Whitewood Avenue, New Liskeard, ON 10 am – 6 pm
Kahuna Surf Shop 175 Missisaga Street East, Orillia, ON 10 am – 6 pm
Top of the World Clothing 158 Rideau, Ottawa, ON 10am – 9pm
Flavour Fashion 383 George Street North, Peterborough, ON 10am – 6pm
Got Style 62 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON 11am – 8pm
Heel Boy 773 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON 10 am -9 pm
Northern Standard Trading Post 1662 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON 12pm – 7pm
Tiger of Sweden 56 Ossington Avenue, Toronto, ON 11am – 8pm
Loop 13 King Street North, Waterloo, ON 11am – 8pm

One GA ticket includes GA tent camping and full admission to all three festival days. One campsite is provided per group upon arrival and each campsite can hold up to 8 people, although 4-6 per site are recommended to optimize comfort. A GA ticket will also allow anyone traveling back and forth daily to park in the day parking area at no additional cost. VIP tickets, VIP Glamping, RV and Hotel Packages are also available exclusively at www.wayhome.com

Republic Live, in collaboration with Ashley Capps, AC Entertainment, co-founder of the Bonnaroo Music Festival, will be hosting WayHome Music and Arts at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds, just ten minutes north of Barrie, July 24th – 26th 2015. The festival will include headliners Sam Smith, Kendrick Lamar, Alt-J, Modest Mouse and Hozier with an additional 80 plus artists performing over the 3 days. Republic Live is excited to be working with several key brand partners, who will be collaborating on the development of the festival experience. This includes Molson Canadian Live, a brand that has been a leader in defining and creating ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ fan moments at music festivals and events across Canada for over 25 years. Fans will also have the opportunity to connect directly with select Etsy artists and makers at an Etsy.com-inspired in-person marketplace. As one of Canada’s primary supporters of Canadian-talent, SiriusXM Canada, the country’s leading audio entertainment company, will be providing an on-site platform for elevating some of Canada’s favourite artists through performance broadcasts and special subscriber and fan experiences. The festival offers 4 stages, a variety of late-night spectacles and experiences, original art installations, fine international and local cuisine, an on-site farmers market, and more to inspire fans to explore their own creativity while giving them a powerful, unforgettable, and eye opening experience using music and art as a catalyst. All ticket offerings include tent camping or parking and will go on-sale to the general public on Monday, February 16, 2015 at 12 pm EST exclusively at www.wayhome.com with GA tickets starting at $209.99.

Morris Day and the HAIM Perform “Jungle Love”

Feb 10, 2015

Morris Day and the HAIM Perform “Jungle Love” on Jimmy Kimmel Live as part of their week-long adventure to pair up musicians together not seen onstage before.

http://youtu.be/p7rGrcdnwh0

St. Vincent’s Heartfelt Note About Being A Musician Is Brilliant

Feb 10, 2015

St. Vincent’s self-titled effort won Best Alternative Music Album at this year’s Grammy Awards, and while Annie Clark was not present to accept the award, but she sent out a thank you letter to her email subscribers. You can read it in full below:

in 2007, i signed to beggars banquet records. i was living in dallas, texas in my childhood bedroom at the time, which i had fashioned into a makeshift studio in order to record some of what would end up being my debut album “marry me.”

the first days of touring my own songs and as “st. vincent” are very vivid. in early 2007, in anticipation of the release of my record, my (much beloved) agent put me on the road as solo support for jolie holland and midlake. he saw potential in me, but rightfully, thought i needed to get my live act together. get comfortable playing for people. get road-tested. like most of the rest of my career, it was a trial by earth, wind, and fire.

i was performing solo; just my voice, a guitar through an array of effects pedals, a “stomp board” — a homemade device i made out of a piece of plywood and a contact microphone that i ran through a bass EQ pedal, and a keyboard. i thought the keyboard looked unmysterious on it’s own, so i designed a lighted wooden enclosure to go around it. my brother-in-law helped me build it in his garage. it weighed a gazillion pounds and gave me splinters to carry, and i don’t think anyone was under any illusion that there was anything but a keyboard inside it. neither the first nor the last in a series of hilariously ill-fated ideas.

january 2007, i borrowed my father’s station wagon and drove 12 hours from dallas to frozen lincoln, nebraska to open for jolie holland (what a voice) at a half-full 150 capacity carpeted club. i believe the compensation was $250/gig but it could have been as much as $500 — more $ than i’d ever seen for a gig for sure and guaranteed, no less! in my memory, this midwestern jolie tour dovetailed right into opening the midlake tour. they were out in support of their excellent record, “the trials of van occupanther” and were the sweetest good texas boys you could ever hope to meet. the drummer of midlake, mackenzie smith, would later prove to be a great collaborator, playing on actor, strange mercy, and st. vincent.

on this tour, i’d enlisted my dear friend, jamil, to come and sell merch and help do the long drives. we’d just played a show in detroit and while we’d been inside, a blizzard had swept through and covered the stationwagon in snow and ice. it was treacherous. jamil, who always had some incredible hustle going, hired a homeless man named larry to dig the stationwagon out of the snow. (in college, he had a gold lexus, stripped it of the good parts, and resold it. when i asked if he was sad to see it go, he said, “girl, they think they bought a lexus but they bought a corolla.”) i’ll never forget driving out of bombed out-detroit, apocalyptic at 1 AM. interstate 94 tense and quiet, jamil trying to make sure we didn’t crash or stall on the icy road.

i have eaten years of veggie subway sandwiches on highways 10-90, stayed at a super 8 motel behind a kansas federal prison, peed in cups in dressing rooms when there was no bathroom, gotten eaten alive by bedbugs at a cincinnati days inn. i would not trade a single highway or city or moment or person i met for anything. i have loved it all.

i’m very grateful to have received this grammy. thank you to my producer john congleton, thank you family, thank you friends, thank you to all the incredible musicians involved, thank you managers and agents and publishers and labels and publicists and everyone who works hard at their jobs. and thank you guys. thanks for everything.

Barack Obama Sings Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off”

Feb 10, 2015

Who knew that Obama said “mhmm” so much in speeches and even used “Shake It Off” before?

Haters gonna hate. Watch Obama shake em off.

The best video résumé you’ll see all week

Feb 10, 2015

Video résumés aren’t so popular anymore, but this one will get them going again, I’m sure of it. This is a self promotion video of a copywriter who just moved to London and is looking for work. You’ll have to watch it until the end to get it…

JUNO-Nominated Singer-Songwriter Peter Katz Announces March 31st Release Date For “We Are The Reckoning” Album

Feb 10, 2015

“If you want to make something that’s like nothing you’ve made before, then you have to shake yourself up, go beyond what’s comfortable and known and let yourself feel disoriented, overwhelmed, even intimidated. Those moments, where you lose your bearings, where you’re forced to sink or swim, are the moments where you have an opportunity to rise to the occasion, to surprise yourself, to do the things you didn’t know you could do. That’s what making this album was for me, I’m so proud of the process, and I’m so proud of the result.” – Peter Katz

=JUNO nominated singer-songwriter Peter Katz, who recently signed a label deal with Maple Music Recordings/Fontana North, announced today the March 31st release of his brand new album “We Are The Reckoning”. Katz announced the release in addition to the premiere of the albums lead single and video “Brother”. Featuring long-time friend and multi-talented Canadian artist Royal Wood, the track is a heartfelt, uplifting tribute to relationships built and bonds forged. “We Are The Reckoning” is available now to pre-order on iTunes with an instant download of the single “Brother” (ft. Royal Wood).

Three years in the making “We Are The Reckoning” follows 2012’s “Still Mind Still” which paved the way for three successful national and international tours. The new album, documents the evolution of Katz’s artistic vision and the realization that he needed to make a change and progress creatively in order to be heard with fresh ears, for the ‘first time’ – again.

“With this record, I took my time; I shook myself up, threw myself into unfamiliar territory and took some big risks,” says Katz. I had to make better art and I had to stop being so good at answering emails and updating my website and get better at writing songs and push myself creatively. I kind of abandoned my email for months on end, slowed down my touring, and worked on music. I wrote songs like a maniac, I put myself in rooms to write with all kinds of people that intimidated me, I studied the masters, and I put the music first, with no deadline.”

Katz spent more than two years writing well over 50 new songs – some with an impressive list of co-writers – all the more remarkable since Katz typically writes alone. His profound determination paid off, attracting the attention of co-producers Royal Wood (Meesha Brueggergosman) and Bill Lefler (Ingrid Michaelson, Cary Brothers), who signed on to help Katz create his most sonically-rich album to date – unlike anything he’s produced before.

“I’m in a different place than I was when I started ten years ago,” says Katz. “Now I know what this thing is, I know the relentlessness that’s required, I know it’s not a race, and I know that the music has to come first. Now that I’m on the other side of it, I can see why it was the right thing to do and I’m more excited than ever to share what we made.”

“We Are The Reckoning is a striking 11-song collection that boasts an impressive guest list of collaborators including rising Scottish star Rachel Sermanni, legendary lap steel player Ben Peeler (Fleet Foxes, Jimmy Cliff, Wallflowers) and Felicity Williams (Bahamas) to name a few.

Katz is no stranger to the music business, a business he’s called home for the last decade. He’s celebrated #1 album debuts on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter Charts, toured all over the world, often playing to capacity crowds and has shared the stage and studio with notable artists including Academy Award winner Glen Hansard (Once, The Swell Season), The Good Lovelies, Melissa McCelland (Whitehorse), Joel Plaskett, Dan Mangan, Royal Wood and the legendary Garth Hudson (The Band).

Named “Best Male Vocalist” in the popular NOW Magazine “Best Of Toronto” 2014 reader’s poll, nominated for a 2012 JUNO Award for Music DVD of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, and the recipient of the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award, Katz has built an impressive fan-base of loyal listeners and industry tastemakers alike. With the release of “We Are The Reckoning” and the promise of a full band national Canadian and international tour, 2015 is shaping up to be a big year for the artist whose work Chart Attack called “lyric and vocal virtuosity”.

For more information on Peter Katz visit:

@peterkatzmusic
www.facebook.com/peterkatzmusic

WE ARE THE RECKONING Track Listing:
1. We Are The Reckoning (Katz/Glasco)
2. Lay It On Me (Katz/Kosowski/Delila)
3. Brother (ft. Royal Wood) (Katz/Wood)
4. When The Day Is Done (Katz/Orso)
5. Dark (ft. Rachel Sermanni) (Katz)
6. Follow The Way (Katz/Wood/Lefler)
7. Driving A Dream (Katz/Wood/Lefler)
8. We Won’t Mind (Katz/Ray)
9. No Natural (Katz/Rollo)
10. Beacon (Katz)
11. Story You Forgot (Katz/Bursk)

Patoranking Is First African Dancehall Artist To Sign Distribution Deal with VP Records/VPAL

Feb 10, 2015

Nigerian dancehall star Patoranking signs a deal with VP Records’ distribution arm VPAL Music to release his debut album. He is the first African dancehall artist to partner with the world’s largest reggae company. VP Records has been home to Jamaican dancehall superstars like Sean Paul, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Lady Saw, Mavado, Busy Signal and many more.

Jay Jules, the territory manager at VP Records Music Group Africa, expressed his enthusiasm. “VP Records’ team and I are proud and excited about Patoranking joining our renowned home of internationally recognizable reggae and dancehall superstars. African dancehall is at an exciting place. This deal is simply the next step to break our first African dancehall artist in the global music arena. VP records is undoubtedly in the best position to facilitate this,” he states.

As of one of the younger, bolder new voices of this generation, Patoranking rose to prominence in Africa with his unique blend of dancehall and reggae music. In 2014 alone, the singer-songwriter received a total of 18 major nominations and 9 wins – including Nigeria’s most sought after title for Next Rated Act at the Headies Awards and Best New Act Of The Year at the City People Entertainment Awards.

His popular releases include “Alubarika” (which means God’s blessings) featuring Timaya, “Girlie O” and “Girlie O Remix” featuring Tiwa Savage. He has also collaborated with popular Nigerian artists, including MI Abaga on “Enemies” and Seyi Shay on “Murda.”

Patoranking’s music is a conscious version of dancehall that references social and political issues. His influences include Buju Banton, Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, Lucky Dube, Chaka Demus, Majek Fashek, Blackky, Blackface, Tuface and Marvelous Benjy.

More details about his upcoming debut album will be released at a later date.