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Dive into Summer Vibes: 5 Elements of a Great Summer Song

Eric Alper
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Dive into Summer Vibes: 5 Elements of a Great Summer Song

Summer is here, and with it comes the irresistible urge to blast those tunes that perfectly capture the essence of sunshine, adventure, and carefree vibes. What makes a song the ultimate anthem for the season? Let’s break down the essential elements that elevate a track to summer hit status, along with some fantastic examples to get you in the mood!

Upbeat and Infectious Rhythm: A great summer song needs to have a rhythm that makes you want to move and groove. Think of catchy beats that instantly lift your spirits and make you feel like dancing barefoot on the beach or by the poolside.

Positive and Carefree Lyrics: Lyrics play a crucial role in setting the summer mood. They should evoke feelings of joy, freedom, and relaxation—whether it’s about love, hanging out with friends, or enjoying the sunshine. Positive vibes are key!

Memorable Melodies and Hooks: Summer songs often have memorable melodies and catchy hooks that stick with you long after you’ve heard them. They should be easy to sing along to and create a sense of nostalgia or excitement about the season.

Energetic Instrumentation: Whether it’s the strumming of a guitar, the beat of drums, or the playful use of synthesizers, energetic instrumentation is essential. It should complement the lyrics and enhance the overall feel-good atmosphere of the song.

Evokes a Sense of Escapism and Adventure: A great summer song transports you to a carefree state of mind. It should make you feel like you’re on vacation, whether you’re driving with the windows down, lounging by the pool, or having a BBQ with friends. It captures the essence of summer escapism and adventure.

These elements combined create the perfect soundtrack for those sunny days and warm nights, making a great summer song not just something you hear, but something you feel and remember.

Photo Gallery: Sarah McLachlan with Allison Russell at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage

Eric Alper
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Photo Gallery: Sarah McLachlan with Allison Russell at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage

All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or X.

Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Allison Russell
Allison Russell
Allison Russell
Allison Russell
Allison Russell
Allison Russell
Allison Russell
Sarah McLachlan

My Next Read: “The Sonic Color Line: Race and the Cultural Politics of Listening” by Jennifer Lynn Stoever

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “The Sonic Color Line: Race and the Cultural Politics of Listening” by Jennifer Lynn Stoever

The unheard history of how race and racism are constructed from sound and maintained through the listening ear.

Race is a visual phenomenon, the ability to see “difference.” At least that is what conventional wisdom has lead us to believe. Yet, The Sonic Color Line argues that American ideologies of white supremacy are just as dependent on what we hear—voices, musical taste, volume—as they are on skin color or hair texture. Reinforcing compelling new ideas about the relationship between race and sound with meticulous historical research, Jennifer Lynn Stoever helps us to better understand how sound and listening not only register the racial politics of our world, but actively produce them. Through analysis of the historical traces of sounds of African American performers, Stoever reveals a host of racialized aural representations operating at the level of the unseen—the sonic color line—and exposes the racialized listening practices she figures as “the listening ear.”

Using an innovative multimedia archive spanning 100 years of American history (1845-1945) and several artistic genres—the slave narrative, opera, the novel, so-called “dialect stories,” folk and blues, early sound cinema, and radio drama—The Sonic Color Line explores how black thinkers conceived the cultural politics of listening at work during slavery, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow. By amplifying Harriet Jacobs, Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, Charles Chesnutt, The Fisk Jubilee Singers, Ann Petry, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Lena Horne as agents and theorists of sound, Stoever provides a new perspective on key canonical works in African American literary history. In the process, she radically revises the established historiography of sound studies. The Sonic Color Line sounds out how Americans have created, heard, and resisted “race,” so that we may hear our contemporary world differently.

Gnarls Barkley + Supertramp + The Who + Rockwell + Pink Floyd = One Incredible Mashup

Eric Alper
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Gnarls Barkley + Supertramp + The Who + Rockwell + Pink Floyd = One Incredible Mashup

“Crazy Logic” by PinkFloyd47 and Artie Fufkin is an electrifying mashup that seamlessly weaves together the infectious melodies of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” the nostalgic vibes of Supertramp’s “The Logical Song,” and the eerie allure of Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” and the anthemic “See Me Feel Me/Listening to You” by The Who and cleverly incorporates footage from Pink Floyd’s iconic album “The Wall.”

The Tragically Hip Announce Deluxe Boxset Of ‘Up To Here’ Available November 8

Eric Alper
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The Tragically Hip Announce Deluxe Boxset Of ‘Up To Here’ Available November 8

Today, The Tragically Hip announce a commemorative boxset of their Diamond-certified debut album Up To Here, the latest installment of special deluxe packages, set to release on November 8. Up To Here was originally released September 5, 1989, as The Tragically Hip’s first full-length studio album, an introduction that brought them breakthrough success, including two Canadian rock radio #1 singles, “Blow at High Dough” and “New Orleans is Sinking” as well earning the band a JUNO Award for “Most Promising Artist” in 1990. Fans can pre-order the boxset today here.

The expanded reissue of Up To Here is a must-have for collectors, presented as four LP set on 180g vinyl, alongside a book documenting the history of the debut album era. The reissue includes a 2024 remastering of the original album, there are four previously unreleased songs that didn’t make it on the original Up To Here album – “She’s Got What It Takes,” “Get Back Again,” “Rain, Hearts And Fire” and “Wait So Long” – that are also shared as part of this expanded package, remastered and mixed in Atmos. A recording of Live at Misty Moon, the special filmed for MuchMusic in 1990 from the Misty Moon Cabaret in Halifax, with an accompanying 1 hour concert film on Blu-ray. The package also includes demos from 1988 recorded prior to the Up To Here recording session. The package will be available as a three-disc CD format.

Today, as a sneak peak, The Tragically Hip officially release “Get Back Again,” considered by fans as the holy grail of unreleased tracks from the band. The track was recorded prior to signing to their first major record deal with MCA (now Universal Music Canada), produced by Chris Wardman in November 1988, before the Up To Here sessions, now recently remixed and mastered to today’s standards. The band performed “Get Back Again” as part of the Live At Misty Moon set, which has been the only recorded version of the track from the band until now, making this a meaningful release for the band and their fans. A brand-new official music video for “Get Back Again”- directed by Cleveland Henderson, son of Pete Henderson who had previously directed many videos of the band including the award winning “Locked In The Trunk Of A Car” and “Courage (For Hugh MacLennan),” will premiere tonight at 7:00PM on The Tragically Hip’s YouTube.

Established in 1984, this year marks 40 Years of The Tragically Hip – a milestone for the beloved band. 2024 sees The Tragically Hip break open the archives; reminiscing with fans on four decades of music, friendship and philanthropy. The band’s legacy will be honoured with a yearlong celebration, which started with the designation of the Record Store Day Canada Ambassadors, later the launch of a four-part Amazon Prime Documentary titled No Dress Rehearsal and on October 1 the release of a deluxe, hand-crafted book titled This Is Our Life, the band’s story as told in their own words and features more than 300 pages of unseen rarities pulled from the band’s personal collections. The Up To Here boxset celebrates the early days of The Tragically Hip and is the latest installment of a series of reissues released over the last few years honouring the band’s extensive catalogue – Road Apples 30th Anniversary Deluxe Boxset (2021), Fully Completely Vinyl Release (2022), Phantom Power 25th Anniversary Deluxe Boxset (2023).

Up To Here Commemorative Boxset (4LP _ Blu-ray Audio):

LP 1 – Up To Here (2024 remaster of the original album) 
Side One
1.    Blow At High Dough
2.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight)
3.    New Orleans Is Sinking
4.    38 Years Old
5.    She Didn’t Know

Side Two
6.    Boots Or Hearts
7.    Everytime You Go
8.    When The Weight Comes Down
9.    Trickle Down
10.    Another Midnight
11.    Opiated

LP 2+3 – Live At The Misty Moon + Previously Unreleased Studio Tracks

Side One
1.    Crack My Spine Like A Whip (Live At The Misty Moon)
2.    She Didn’t Know (Live At The Misty Moon)
3.    Highway Girl (Live At The Misty Moon)
4.    Just As Well (Live At The Misty Moon)
5.    Boots Or Hearts (Live At The Misty Moon)
6.    Trickle Down (Live At The Misty Moon)

Side Two
1.    Get Back Again (Live At The Misty Moon)
2.    Three Pistols (Live At The Misty Moon)
3.    Fight (Live At The Misty Moon)
4.    38 Years Old (Live At The Misty Moon)

Side Three
1.    Blow At High Dough (Live At The Misty Moon)
2.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight) (Live At The Misty Moon)
3.    New Orleans Is Sinking (Live At The Misty Moon)
4.    On The Verge (Live At The Misty Moon)

Side Four
1.    She’s Got What It Takes
2.    Get Back Again
3.    Rain, Hearts And Fire
4.    Wait So Long

LP 4 – How We Got Here – The 1988 Demos
Side One
1.    Hailstone Hands Of God (1988 Demo)
2.    When The Weight Comes Down (1988 Demo)
3.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight) (1988 Demo)
4.    New Orleans Is Sinking (1988 Demo)
5.    Rain, Hearts And Fire (1988 Demo)

Side Two
1.    She Didn’t Know (1988 Demo)
2.    Blow At High Dough (1988 Demo)
3.    Boots Or Hearts (1988 Demo)
4.    Everytime You Go (1988 Demo)
5.    Just Another Midnight (1988 Demo)

Disc 4 Atmos Blu-ray

1.    Blow At High Dough
2.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight)
3.    New Orleans Is Sinking
4.    38 Years Old
5.    She Didn’t Know
6.    Boots Or Hearts
7.    Everytime You Go
8.    When The Weight Comes Down
9.    Trickle Down
10.    Another Midnight
11.    Opiated
12.    She’s Got What It Takes
13.    Get Back Again
14.    Rain, Hearts And Fire
15.    Wait So Long

 *The Blu-ray also includes the full 1hr concert film of the Misty Moon show.  Tracklisting of the show on the video is:
1.    Crack My Spine Like A Whip (Live At The Misty Moon)
2.    She Didn’t Know (Live At The Misty Moon)
3.    Highway Girl (Live At The Misty Moon)
4.    Just As Well (Live At The Misty Moon)
5.    Boots Or Hearts (Live At The Misty Moon)
6.    Trickle Down (Live At The Misty Moon)
7.    Get Back Again (Live At The Misty Moon)
8.    Three Pistols (Live At The Misty Moon)
9.    Fight (Live At The Misty Moon)
10.    38 Years Old (Live At The Misty Moon)
11.    Blow At High Dough (Live At The Misty Moon)
12.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight) (Live At The Misty Moon)
13.    New Orleans Is Sinking (Live At The Misty Moon)
14.    On The Verge (Live At The Misty Moon)

3 CD + Blu-ray Audio

Disc 1 – Up To Here (2024 remaster of the original album) 
1.    Blow At High Dough
2.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight)
3.    New Orleans Is Sinking
4.    38 Years Old
5.    She Didn’t Know
6.    Boots Or Hearts
7.    Everytime You Go
8.    When The Weight Comes Down
9.    Trickle Down
10.    Another Midnight
11.    Opiated

Disc 2 – Live At The Misty Moon + Previously Unreleased Studio Tracks
1.    Crack My Spine Like A Whip (Live At The Misty Moon)
2.    She Didn’t Know (Live At The Misty Moon)
3.    Highway Girl (Live At The Misty Moon)
4.    Just As Well (Live At The Misty Moon)
5.    Boots Or Hearts (Live At The Misty Moon)
6.    Trickle Down (Live At The Misty Moon)
7.    Get Back Again (Live At The Misty Moon)
8.    Three Pistols (Live At The Misty Moon)
9.    Fight (Live At The Misty Moon)
10.    38 Years Old (Live At The Misty Moon)
11.    Blow At High Dough (Live At The Misty Moon)
12.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight) (Live At The Misty Moon)
13.    New Orleans Is Sinking (Live At The Misty Moon)
14.    On The Verge (Live At The Misty Moon)
15.    She’s Got What It Takes
16.    Get Back Again
17.    Rain, Hearts And Fire
18.    Wait So Long

Disc 3 – How We Got Here – The 1988 Demos
1.    Hailstone Hands Of God (1988 Demo)
2.    When The Weight Comes Down (1988 Demo)
3.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight) (1988 Demo)
4.    New Orleans Is Sinking (1988 Demo)
5.    Rain, Hearts And Fire (1988 Demo)
6.    She Didn’t Know (1988 Demo)
7.    Blow At High Dough (1988 Demo)
8.    Boots Or Hearts (1988 Demo)
9.    Everytime You Go (1988 Demo)
10.    Just Another Midnight (1988 Demo)

Disc 4 Atmos Blu-ray
1.    Blow At High Dough
2.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight)
3.    New Orleans Is Sinking
4.    38 Years Old
5.    She Didn’t Know
6.    Boots Or Hearts
7.    Everytime You Go
8.    When The Weight Comes Down
9.    Trickle Down
10.    Another Midnight
11.    Opiated
12.    She’s Got What It Takes
13.    Get Back Again
14.    Rain, Hearts And Fire
15.    Wait So Long

 *The Blu-ray also includes the full 1hr concert film of the Misty Moon show.  Tracklisting of the show on the video is:
1.    Crack My Spine Like A Whip (Live At The Misty Moon)
2.    She Didn’t Know (Live At The Misty Moon)
3.    Highway Girl (Live At The Misty Moon)
4.    Just As Well (Live At The Misty Moon)
5.    Boots Or Hearts (Live At The Misty Moon)
6.    Trickle Down (Live At The Misty Moon)
7.    Get Back Again (Live At The Misty Moon)
8.    Three Pistols (Live At The Misty Moon)
9.    Fight (Live At The Misty Moon)
10.    38 Years Old (Live At The Misty Moon)
11.    Blow At High Dough (Live At The Misty Moon)
12.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight) (Live At The Misty Moon)
13.    New Orleans Is Sinking (Live At The Misty Moon)
14.    On The Verge (Live At The Misty Moon)

Digital
Up To Here (2024 remaster of the original album) + Previously Unreleased Studio Tracks;
1.    Blow At High Dough
2.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight)
3.    New Orleans Is Sinking
4.    38 Years Old
5.    She Didn’t Know
6.    Boots Or Hearts
7.    Everytime You Go
8.    When The Weight Comes Down
9.    Trickle Down
10.    Another Midnight
11.    Opiated
12.    She’s Got What It Takes
13.    Get Back Again
14.    Rain, Hearts And Fire
15.    Wait So Long

Live At The Misty Moon;
1.    Crack My Spine Like A Whip (Live At The Misty Moon)
2.    She Didn’t Know (Live At The Misty Moon)
3.    Highway Girl (Live At The Misty Moon)
4.    Just As Well (Live At The Misty Moon)
5.    Boots Or Hearts (Live At The Misty Moon)
6.    Trickle Down (Live At The Misty Moon)
7.    Get Back Again (Live At The Misty Moon)
8.    Three Pistols (Live At The Misty Moon)
9.    Fight (Live At The Misty Moon)
10.    38 Years Old (Live At The Misty Moon)
11.    Blow At High Dough (Live At The Misty Moon)
12.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight) (Live At The Misty Moon)
13.    New Orleans Is Sinking (Live At The Misty Moon)
14.    On The Verge (Live At The Misty Moon)

How We Got Here – The 1988 Demos;
1.    Hailstone Hands Of God (1988 Demo)
2.    When The Weight Comes Down (1988 Demo)
3.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight) (1988 Demo)
4.    New Orleans Is Sinking (1988 Demo)
5.    Rain, Hearts And Fire (1988 Demo)
6.    She Didn’t Know (1988 Demo)
7.    Blow At High Dough (1988 Demo)
8.    Boots Or Hearts (1988 Demo)
9.    Everytime You Go (1988 Demo)
10.    Just Another Midnight (1988 Demo)

Atmos
1.    Blow At High Dough
2.    I’ll Believe In You (Or I’ll Be Leaving You Tonight)
3.    New Orleans Is Sinking
4.    38 Years Old
5.    She Didn’t Know
6.    Boots Or Hearts
7.    Everytime You Go
8.    When The Weight Comes Down
9.    Trickle Down
10.    Another Midnight
11.    Opiated
12.    She’s Got What It Takes
13.    Get Back Again
14.    Rain, Hearts And Fire
15.    Wait So Long

Canada Black Music Archives Celebrates Music Month with Special Showcase In June 2024

Eric Alper
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Canada Black Music Archives Celebrates Music Month with Special Showcase In June 2024

Join the Canada Black Music Archives (CBMA) on June 21st in celebration of Black Music Month. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has proclaimed June 2024 as Black Music Month, acknowledging the role it has played in shaping Toronto’s music identity. In partnership with the City of Toronto’s Music Office, SOCAN, TD Bank, the City of Toronto Archives, and Ontario Creates, the CBMA has curated a special showcase event in celebration of Black music and culture, with a focus on Toronto’s Little Jamaica community.

The Black Music Month Showcase will be held at the City of Toronto Archives on June 21st with doors opening at 5:30pm and the program running from 6:00pm-8:00pm. This free event offers performances from renowned Canadian artists including Reggae Queen Nana McLean with Eddie Bullen, Maurice Gordon, and Henry Gomez aka King Cosmos. McLean brings her Jamaican roots and smooth vocals while Gomez and Gordon provide a unique Caribbean folk music experience. Also featured are photographs, album covers and other artifacts from the Little Jamaica community on Eglinton Avenue West. The exhibition will include a behind-the-scenes peak of community greats like Leroy Sibbles, Everton Cooper aka King Culture, and more. These displays will be available for the remainder of June at the City of Toronto Archives.

The CBMA continues to celebrate Black music all summer-long with the end of June bringing the opening of The Little Jamaica Music History Walking Tour. Beginning on Thursday June 27th, the Little Jamaica Music History Walking Tour takes participants on an exploration of the Eglinton Ave. West community that has brought Caribbean music, culture, and history to the city for decades. The tours will continue for the rest of the summer twice a month until September.

Join the CBMA in continuing the celebration of Black music history.

For more details on the Little Jamaica Music History Walking Tour or to book your tour, please visit here.

You can register for the Black Music Month Showcase here. For news on upcoming events signup for their newsletter here.

Spinal Slap: Singer Songwriter Danny Lamb’s “Champion” Shows Real Backbone

Eric Alper
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Spinal Slap: Singer Songwriter Danny Lamb’s “Champion” Shows Real Backbone

We all have the power to reach into ourselves and find what it takes to be our own biggest hero. But every now and then, we need the encouragement of someone who’s had to do the same thing. Enter Canadian singer/songwriter, teacher and musical philanthropist Danny Lamb, whose “Champion” distills his own triumphs over highly specific challenges into a call to action that could steel anybody’s resolve:

With all your love
Be someone the world will call a champion
Don’t be afraid
You will overcome
And the world will call you a champion

Like much of Lamb’s work, the song was inspired by his experiences with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, both of which he lives with on a daily basis. He’s even been an ambassador of Hydrocephalus Canada since he was 18 years old. But the fortifying sentiments of the tune are broad enough, and its musical strokes bold enough, that it could have a million other applications—from personal affirmations to nonprofit initiatives to sporting events and even commercial ad campaigns. It’s a stirring, immensely commercial showstopper that’s made all the more compelling by a rapped bridge from Canadian spoken-word poet, motivational speaker and hip-hop artist Chris Tse, who offers moral support to all the “rebel kids” who wear their battle scars like a “badge of honor.”

And the kids are listening. “Champion” was adopted as the official theme of the recent “Take Action” summer camp, which was geared towards developing the leadership skills of young people, deepening their awareness of issues they care about locally and globally, and empowering them to create action plans for positive, equitable change.

“Champion” is typical of the six tracks on Lamb’s new Evolve EP, which emphasizes march-tempo earworms that are mostly uplifting and motivational—and sound so even on those occasions when the words dip into the more melancholy. A winning follow up to his previous EP, Change (yes, we’re detecting a pattern here), Evolve was produced by Andre Kaden Black and mixed and mastered by Tal Vaisman, both of whom also had a hand in the writing. The lyrical thrust, though, remains highly personal—a natural byproduct of Lamb’s move from his small hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake to a new life in the big city of Toronto. The songs, he says, were sparked by the stimulating input of new people, a new community and the resulting realization there was more he could do to make music a tool for social justice and cohesion. He even reflects on some of the privileges he himself enjoys, even as he leans into the themes of accessibility and disability rights. The record’s June release was timed to coincide with Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Awareness Month in Canada.

One passion project of Lamb’s is “A Song, A City,” a “small music movement” he co-founded as a vehicle to amplify the voices, stories and abilities of people who live with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Along with the rest of his life and work, the project has been featured by the BBC, Global TV, CTV, Canadian Musician Magazine and CHCH, as well as being spotlighted in a second edition “Business Communications” college textbook. The relevant passage explains the genesis of “A Song, A City” and the way in which the undertaking crowd-sourced its first-ever tour across the UK and Europe.

A polished live performer in his own right, Lamb has shared the stage with artists like Marianas Trench, Mother Mother, Fefe Dobson, Faber Drive, Honeymoon Suite and David Wilcox. Most recently, his busy schedule has included June shows in Niagara and his new home of Toronto; later in the month, he’ll be the keynote speaker at a gathering of the Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Association of Southern Alberta, being held June 19 to 22 in Calgary, Alberta. He’ll be putting on a special show for the spina bifida and hydrocephalus community while he’s there.

What a fabulous opportunity for his fellow music fans to welcome their new champion.

(SPOILER: It’s themselves.)

Feez Da Popstar Explores the “Friendzone” with New Hip-Hop Single “M T F (More Than Friends)”

Eric Alper
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0
Feez Da Popstar Explores the “Friendzone” with New Hip-Hop Single “M T F (More Than Friends)”

Navigating the complex space between friendship and romance, often referred to as the “friendzone,” is the focus of Feez Da Popstar’s new song, “M T F (More Than Friends).” This track delves into the emotions of being caught in a “situationship” where one person desires more than friendship. Hailing from New York, Feez Da Popstar has already garnered thousands of streams on digital platforms and returns with this Hip-Hop banger to resonate with anyone facing unreciprocated feelings.

The lyrics of the song cleverly reflect the concerns of a person who is emotionally engaged with someone else, but is not completely clear about the other’s feelings or intentions:

“MTF means more than friends,
Not how it begins but how it ends.
Am I the one it all depends,
Am I the one you’re gonna defend.”

Feez Da Popstar adds: “Have you ever had a good friend that you just click with vibe love to be around? And the more you are friends with them the more you realize you want to be more than just friends with them. I’m sure we all have.”

Without a doubt, the song portrays the most romantic version of Feez Da Popstar, opening completely and letting his true emotions and thoughts come out. All of this in the hope that the other person will be willing to take their relationship beyond friendship. The artist further explains, “This song is me saying that person what I’ve been holding in for a long time.”

Now based between the vibrant state of North Carolina and the incredible Honolulu in Hawaii, Feez Da Popstar emerges as the alter-ego of the renowned DJ Jay Faire. As a multi-faceted artist, Feez Da Popstar evolved from just mixing to singing, writing, and producing as well.

Up to date, the artist’s top streamed song is “Hard Candy” which sits at 450k streams on Spotify, and one of his most recent singles “All I need Is” is quickly growing as well with over 330k streams. In addition, Feez Da Popstar’s career is full of bright highlights related to the track “Down For You (Party Get Lit)”. This thrilling high energy party anthem has over one million streams on Spotify. In addition, the track gained Radio rotations in stations such as 98.7 WRVZ the Beat in Charleston WV, Power 101.7 WZEB Maryland, KPAT Santa Monica, WWKX Providence, Now FM Las Vegas and KPST 103.5 Palm Springs.

This great evolution will continue to manifest in his upcoming collaborations that feature relevant names in the Hip-Hop scene such as Casely or New Boyz.

Mixing vintage Hip-Hop music influences with fresh and actual sounds, Feez Da Popstar is sure to be one of US’s up-and-coming stars with an incredible power to captivate audiences.

He Sells Sanctuary: Roots Rocker James Leclaire Invites Us To “Come On In”

Eric Alper
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0
He Sells Sanctuary: Roots Rocker James Leclaire Invites Us To “Come On In”

As Bob Dylan figured out long ago, sooner or later we all need shelter from the storm. And that’s exactly what we get on “Come On In,” the highly comforting new single from Manotick, ON roots-rocker James Leclaire.

Singing in the grizzled, relatable voice of somebody who’s been there, Leclaire throws open a metaphorical door for us, reassuring us that what lies within is a sanctuary where we can recharge our batteries until we have the strength to make another run at life.

Warm yourself from the cold
Shield yourself from the wind
Dry yourself off from the rain, my friend
Oh, it’s time to come on in
Don’t feel shame
Don’t feel sorrow
When the sun sets, life will restart tomorrow
When you’re strong, you can try again
Come on in

Beginning with just Leclaire’s vocal over a stark establishing procession of eighth notes played on the guitar, the track gradually flourishes into a lightly swinging anthem that feels like being pulled around the dance floor by a partner who’s well and truly got you.

“‘Come On In’ depicts a person helping someone close to them who has hit rock bottom,” the singer-songwriter confirms. “They are inviting them into their home to heal, refresh and recharge. It’s uplifting, hopeful and encouraging, yet painful and relatable. We all need a person who can talk us off that ledge and breathe life into us when we feel as though we are on our last breath.

“The only thing here is that I wrote it in a time when everything was fine. Therefore, for it to help others but when I came to record it, I was in a difficult spot and in turn my own words helped me.” You don’t have to hold an advanced degree in armchair psychology to deduce that Leclaire is singing both about and to himself here. “Come On In” was recorded during a fraught period that saw the sudden end of his 23-year marriage—and affected an unexpected sea change in his approach to writing.

“My sorrowful songs were always written from a fictional place, or as a witness to others’ pain,” the Renfrew-born artist says. “Now it was my sorrow, my pain, my wound, and it caused my pen to bleed ink and my guitar to cry chords.”

It was a flurry of activity that resulted in a hefty backlog of songs: 68 in total. Leclaire has been releasing one per month over the past 10 months, with the release of “Come On In” supplying the final piece in the puzzle of his first album in nine years and his fourth overall.

The new material was produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Phillip Victor Bova at his Bova Sound in Ottawa, with a stellar supporting cast of guest musicians that included guitarist Kevin Breit (Norah Jones), harmonicist Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson/Bob Dylan/Neil Young/Chris Stapleton), JUNO-nominated guitarist/pianist John Fraser Findlay and his longtime friend drummer/guitarist/vocalist Michael Hunter.

The title track augments Leclaire’s vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica with electric guitar from Findlay, drums and harmonies by Hunter and bass laid down by Bova himself.

To say they’ve been a busy bunch is to put it mildly. Of that aforementioned 68 new songs, a full 38 were captured for posterity between January 2020 and the end of 2023. And the rest are fully written and ready to go. Now that we’ve all been invited to “Come On In,” we may never want to leave.

Albuquerque Rockers GREY STAR GHOST Capture Awkwardness In Shimmery New Single “The Party”

Eric Alper
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Albuquerque Rockers GREY STAR GHOST Capture Awkwardness In Shimmery New Single “The Party”

The quest to find “your people” can be a difficult one, and Albuquerque, NM-based Grey Star Ghost manages to capture the awkwardness and loneliness in that search with their new single “The Party” – available now.

The song’s sound, however, is bright, peppy, and shimmery – full of glorious harmonies, driving guitars, and head-bopping beats – and it fully reflects, well, a party.

“The music is fun, upbeat, and energetic while the lyrics speak to social anxiety, dread, and feeling out of place,” explains frontman Jacob Tucker. “This juxtaposition reflects me at The Party – appearing to be having fun on the outside while just looking for an escape on the inside.”

The inspiration behind the song came when Tucker attended a work event in hopes of getting to know his coworkers and maybe even making a few friends. It didn’t take him long to realize that these were just not his people.

I’m at the party
Talking about routes to work
Discussing all our grocery stores
Touching upon nothing at all

And I can’t stand it
I’m here because I think they’ll care
Here because for some reason
I think they’ll notice if I’m not

“The lyrics of the first verse speak to the topics of conversation that were happening around me and my motivation for being there,” Tucker recalls. “The second verse speaks to the façade I was putting on while just wanting to leave but feeling obligated to stay so that nobody thought there was something wrong with me.”

And then, there’s the chorus we’ve all been able to relate to at some point: Who will save me from this good time? Sometimes, an experience like this can tap into to a greater existential crisis beyond the party at hand. “It speaks to the deeper angst of asking questions like, ‘Who are my people?’ ‘Where is my community?’,” Tucker explains.

“Finding your people is not an easy task and along the way you sometimes have to experience those who are not going to be your people to realize your values, interests, and priorities,” he continues. “We all just want to find our people. Sometimes we do that through music. This song is about a key moment in that process for me.”

Grey Star Ghost is the musical project of singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Tucker. Tucker originally formed the emotive indie alt rock outfit in Denton, Texas in 2018 and is now based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Grey because very little in life is black and white, Star because stars are infinite, and Ghost because we all have things in our past that were once alive and haunt us today. At times atmospheric and contemplative, at times fierce and with an edge, their music has been described as haunting, having a vulnerability that makes it powerful, absolutely beautiful and completely heartbreaking.

The band’s lineup features Sean Umstead on drums, percussion, and backing vocals; Ken Easton on lead guitar and backing vocals; Angel Cruz on bass; and Jacob Tucker on lead vocals, rhythm guitar, music, and lyrics.

Grey Star Ghost are set to release a series of singles in the Summer of 2024 in advance of their third full-length album, Angels Leaving, to be released in September 2024.

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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