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National Music Centre Announces The Daniel Pelton Collective as Violins of Hope Artist in Residence

Eric Alper
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National Music Centre Announces The Daniel Pelton Collective as Violins of Hope Artist in Residence

The National Music Centre (NMC) is pleased to announce that Calgary classical act The Daniel Pelton Collective has been named for NMC’s Violins of Hope Artist in Residence.

The Daniel Pelton Collective was chosen by a jury of NMC staff and professionals for the Violins of Hope Artist Residence, which will allow the use of a portion of the historic Violins of Hope collection for the creation of new music. The collection includes restored string instruments that were once owned and used by victims and survivors of the Holocaust. Over 40 instruments are currently on display as part of the Violins of Hope exhibition, running at Studio Bell until June 16. The Daniel Pelton Collective will also have access to NMC’s renowned musical instrument collection and studio spaces that span over 450 years of innovation and technology.

Daniel Pelton is a Jewish composer and saxophonist from Calgary, who will use the residency to record an album with members of Calgary’s Kensington Sinfonia. The work is inspired by the novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, based on the true story of Lali Sokolov and Gita Furman, who met and fell in love while imprisoned there.

“Theirs is a harrowing and incredible story, and as a Jewish person I was particularly moved after finishing the book,” Pelton said. “The tattoos they were given in the camp are 34902 and 32407. As a way of processing my emotions, I turned those numbers into music, translating them into their 12-tone counterparts (Eb-E-A-C-D and Eb-D-E-C-G), and then composed a 10-minute piece for chamber orchestra exploring how these motives interact with each other. The music will be released in January of 2025 to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.”

“We were impressed by The Daniel Pelton Collective’s artistic concept and thoughtful submission that connects so deeply to Daniel’s heritage. NMC is proud to support this young composer and band leader in his artistic journey,” said Stephanie Hutchinson, NMC’s Director of Programs. “This residency offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create new music using instruments with such profound historical significance. This project is the perfect example of connecting the past with the present through the power of music.”

Pelton’s residency will take place at Studio Bell in June of 2024, and a behind-the-scenes look at his recording will be shared in the coming months via NMC Amplify at amplify.nmc.ca.

The Violins of Hope exhibition is presented in partnership with the Calgary Jewish Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation of Calgary. For more information about the exhibition and to buy tickets, please visit studiobell.ca/feature-exhibitions

Eric Alper Public Relations Clients Earn 2024 Western Canadian Music Award Nominations In Top Categories Including Blues Artist of the Year, Children’s Artist of the Year and Video Director of the Year

Eric Alper
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Eric Alper Public Relations Clients Earn 2024 Western Canadian Music Award Nominations In Top Categories Including Blues Artist of the Year, Children’s Artist of the Year and Video Director of the Year

The Western Canadian Music Alliance has announced the nominees for the 2024 Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMAs) on May 14. The winners in both the Artistic and Industry categories will be revealed during BreakOut West, scheduled to take place in Saskatoon, SK from September 25-29. Now in its 22nd year, BreakOut West continues to foster, champion, and celebrate the finest talents in Western Canadian music through its annual conference, festival, and the prestigious WCMAs.

Eric Alper Public Relations congratulates the artists I have represented in the past year who earned nominations: Blue Moon Marquee, Brandon Isaak and Al Simmons!

Blues Artist of the Year
Blue Moon Marquee – BC
Brandon Isaak – BC

Children’s Artist of the Year
Al Simmons – MB

Video Director of the Year
Sandy Rossignol – Blue Moon Marquee “Hound Dog On a Chain” – BC

Omar Apollo Announces Sophomore Album ‘God Said No Due June 28

Eric Alper
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Omar Apollo Announces Sophomore Album ‘God Said No Due June 28

Omar Apollo announces that his sophomore studio album,God Said No, will be released on June 28th via Warner Records. Along with the announcement, Apollo offers a preview of what is to come on the album with the new single “Dispose of Me,” which arrives with an accompanying live performance video of the song featuring a 14-piece ensemble. Apollo and the band put a new spin on “Dispose Of Me” as they’re surrounded byOmar’s closest friends and collaborators. God Said No was executive produced by Teo Halm and features musician Mustafa and actor Pedro Pascal. The album title is Omar’s interpretation of “lo que sera, sera” which translates to “whatever will be, will be” or “it is what it is.” The phrase embodies the album with Omar’s tongue-in-cheek humorous outlook on the suffering that comes from

surrendering and accepting whatever is thrown at you by life, a relationship or lover.

Arriving a little over two years after the release of his critically acclaimed debut albumIvory which earned Apollo a Best New Artist nomination at the 2023 Grammys,God Said No was born out of the whirlwind that followed his debut and nonstop touring, on his headline tour, in support of SZA’s SOS arena tour along with Billie Eilish’s Latin American stadium tour. Apollo booked a three month stay in London that fall, where he ruminated on walks down rain-soaked cobblestone streets and mined the poems of Mary Oliver, Victoria Chang, and Ocean Vuong for inspiration. Speaking on musical inspirations with Rolling Stone in the May issue, Omar cited artists like Kate Bush, Labi Siffre, Giorgio Moroder, Beyoncé, and Lana del Rey as being in heavy rotation during that time in London.

Camped out in London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios with his trusted collaborators, producers Halm, Carter Lang, and Blake Slatkin, Apollo built the bones of his melodrama. The 14-track album is a survey of the emotional wreckage that followed the end of a torrid love affair. Apollo borrowed the title from something his friend said while processing the relationship. “I gave it my everything,” Apollo says, “And God said ‘no.’” What began during that London trip resulted in his most soul-bearing and immediate body of work, fine-tuned across studios in Los Angeles, NY, and Miami towards the end of 2023.

“Dispose of Me” follows the album’s lead single, “Spite,” which was released last month to fanfare alongside an iconic David Heof-directed music video shot in Mexico City. Just last week, Omar made a splash during his Met Gala debut, wearing a custom suit by LOEWE that earned him Best Dressed nods from The Cut, Vogue, andWWD, among others.

2022 saw Omar Apollo release his debut album Ivory which was widely celebrated for its ability to blur genre lines and language barriers. This translated to the Grammy nomination in 2023 for Best New Artist and earned Apollo commercial success, including a 7-week run on the Billboard Hot 100 for his first RIAA-certified platinum record, “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All).” Omar also enjoyed critical acclaim, landing on year-end lists from esteemed media outlets such as NPR, The FADER, Billboard, Complex, Esquire, and Rolling Stone, among others. Following the release of his debut album, he performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and unveiled his single “Killing Me” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Additionally, Omar was named the first ambassador for skincare brand Youth to the People and is currently the face of LOEWE’s menswear campaign under the creative direction of Jonathan Anderson, which Apollo previewed on the cover of the latest issue of VMAN.

Stream “Dispose of Me” and watch the live performance video HERE and check out the album art, tracklist, and full album details below. Stay tuned for more news on Omar Apollo and God Said No, soon.

God Said No Tracklist:
1. Be Careful With Me
2. Spite
3. Less of You
4. Done With You
5. Plane Trees (feat. Mustafa)
6. Drifting
7. Empty
8. Life’s Unfair
9. Against Me
10. While U Can
11. Dispose of Me
12. How
13. Pedro
14. Glow

Unlock Your Music’s Potential: Eric Alper PR Revolutionizes Spotify Promotion For Sustainable Growth

Eric Alper
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Unlock Your Music’s Potential: Eric Alper PR Revolutionizes Spotify Promotion For Sustainable Growth

Eric Alper PR is excited to offer Spotify promotion and playlisting approach that keeps long-term streaming growth and algorithmic cohesion as its primary focus. This means that he only uses real human manual pitching to worldwide playlisters curated by people who want to hear your genre of music, and to playlisters that would be programming your song in lists with similar independent artists and marketing those lists to audiences who would be looking for music like it.

He works to use the digital streaming service algorithms to help put your music in spaces where listeners would expect to hear it, resulting in a lower skip rate, using his almost-decade experience third party playlists as a way to teach discovery algorithms that your song should be suggested to more listeners who like similar artists, and a longer period of growth on your track and a higher chance of it reaching people who will become real fans.

It is his mission to make the data that independent artists have access to on their streaming platforms as usable as possible, reflecting real growth from reaching actual people as opposed to inflated fake numbers. While the digital marketing landscape is constantly shifting and changing, he is adapting to chase the same goal of bringing your music to the people who will love it.

Ready to take your music to new heights? Email me Eric@ThatEricAlper.com today for personalized details on how we can elevate your Spotify presence and connect you with your audience authentically.

Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” Performed In A Minor Key Will Blow Your Mind

Eric Alper
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Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” Performed In A Minor Key Will Blow Your Mind

Musician Frank Tedesco presents a captivating reinterpretation of Journey’s iconic anthem. Through a masterful musical arrangement, the familiar melody of “Don’t Stop Believin'” is transformed into a haunting rendition in a minor key. The shift in tonality imbues the song with a sense of melancholy and introspection, offering listeners a fresh perspective on the timeless classic.

Tommy Wiseau’s The Room, But Done As Prince

Eric Alper
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Tommy Wiseau’s The Room, But Done As Prince

“The Room,” a cult classic infamous for its awkward dialogue and Tommy Wiseau’s melodramatic performance, has gained notoriety for its unintentional hilarity. However, musician Nick Lutsko took the film’s absurdity to a whole new level by transforming Wiseau’s memorable lines into a Prince-style musical rendition. In a stroke of comedic genius, Lutsko’s creation, showcased on Super Deluxe, seamlessly melds Wiseau’s idiosyncratic delivery with the funky beats reminiscent of the legendary musician, resulting in a side-splitting homage to both “The Room” and Prince’s musical legacy.

Top 10 Canadian Music Videos Shortlisted For The 2024 Prism Prize

Eric Alper
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Top 10 Canadian Music Videos Shortlisted For The 2024 Prism Prize

Today, the finalists for the Grand Prize at the 2024 Prism Prize were revealed, showcasing the top 10 Canadian music videos of the year. Chosen by a distinguished jury of over 120 leading figures in Canadian music, film, and media arts, the winning artist and director will receive an unprecedented $20,000.00 CAD cash prize, marking the largest award in the realm of music videos worldwide.

The 2024 Prism Prize Top 10 (in alphabetical order):
Blame Brett – Artist: The Beaches | Director: Ievy Stamatov
Borrow Trouble – Artist: Feist | Directors: Mary Rozzi, Colby Richardson, Heather Goodchild & Leslie Feist
Demons – Artist: Allison Russell | Director: Ethan Tobman
feral canadian scaredy cat – Artist: young friend | Director: Sterling Larose & Zachary Vague
I’m Good – Artist: Snotty Nose Rez Kids | Director: Sterling Larose
I Wanna Be Your Right Hand – Artist: Nemahsis | Directors: Norman Wong & Amy Gardner
My Mind At Ease – Artist: Dominique Fils-Aimé | Director: Adrian Villagomez
Name of God – Artist & Director: Mustafa
Of Woods And Seas – Artist: Alaskan Tapes | Director: Andrew De Zen
Revenge of the Orchestra (feat. Magugu) – Artist: Apashe | Director: Adrian Villagomez

Each of these Top 10 finalists are also eligible for the fan-voted Audience Award, which comes with a $2,500.00 CAD prize for the winner. Music lovers and fans alike can now view all of the Top 10 videos and cast their vote for their favourite through Thursday, June 6, 2024 at prismprize.com.

“As the Prism Prize continues to illuminate the dynamic landscape of Canadian music videos, it serves as a testament to the boundless creativity flourishing within our nation’s music community,” said Louis Calabro, Vice-President, Programming & Awards, at the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the Founder of Prism Prize. “As we unveil this year’s Top 10 videos, we invite you to embark on a journey of discovery, celebrating the diverse voices and groundbreaking visions that define the essence of Canadian musical artistry.”

This year, the Prism Prize jury evaluated over 300 eligible Canadian music videos, carefully considering elements such as originality, style, creativity, innovation, and execution to curate the final Top 10.

Along with the Grand Prize and Audience Awards, the Prism Prize annually recognizes a group of Special Award recipients who are honoured for their achievements and contributions to the music industry, both in Canada and abroad.

  • The Hi-Fidelity Award (supported by FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters) established to recognize recording artists who utilize music video in innovative ways;
  • The Lipsett Award,  established to celebrate a unique approach to music video art;
  • The Special Achievement Award (supported by The Slaight Family Foundation) established to recognize an exceptional contribution to music video art on the world stage;
  • The Willie Dunn Award (supported by Telefilm Canada) presented to a Canadian trailblazer who has demonstrated excellence within the music, music video and/or film production communities.

These Special Award recipients will be unveiled alongside the Grand Prize and Audience Award winners when the Prism Prize Class of 2024 is announced on Thursday, June 25. A celebration of the Class of 2024 will take place in July, featuring a screening of the Top 10 videos and the work of our Special Award Recipients.

View the Top 10 Canadian music videos of the year eligible for the 2024 Prism Prize and the Audience Award at prismprize.com.

Since its introduction in 2013, the Prism Prize has been celebrating outstanding work in Canadian music video production. Through the years, the Grand Prize has been awarded to an eclectic group of homegrown artists and directors who have created captivating and moving visual accompaniments to their music, including Rich Aucoin and director Noah Pink for Brian Wilson Is A.L.I.V.E., Charlotte Day Wilson and director Fantavious Fritz for Work, Jessie Reyez and director Peter Huang for Far Away and Snotty Nose Rez Kids and director Sterling Larose for Damn Right.

Previous winners of the Special Awards include July Talk (2017 Hi-Fidelity Award recipient), Grimes (2018 Hi-Fidelity Award recipient), Karena Evans (2018 Lipsett Award recipient), Mustafa (2022 Willie Dunn Award recipient), and Nemahsis (2023 Hi-Fidelity Award recipient), just to name a few.

Learn more about previous Prism Prize recipients here.

My Next Read: “Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts)” by Serj Tankian

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts)” by Serj Tankian

Serj Tankian will be the first to admit that his band, System Of A Down, was “unlikely a chart-topper as had ever existed in modern music history: a band of Armenian-Americans playing a practically unclassifiable clash of wildly aggressive metal riffs, unconventional tempo-twisting rhythms, and Armenian folk melodies, with me alternately growling, screaming, and crooning lyrics that could pivot from avant-garde silliness to raging socio-political rants in the space of a single line.” After all, as Serj concedes, “it’s not easy listening.”

Even so, there’s no doubt that System’s music had struck a chord with millions of listeners across the globe ever since they burst on the scene in the mid-1990s. With nearly 40 million album sales, three albums topping the Billboard charts, and a devoted legion of fans, the band dominated the alt-rock and metal scenes just as the world hurtled into a new millennium, redefining the very idea of what rockstars could and couldn’t talk about, could and couldn’t do, could and couldn’t represent.

In DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM, Serj presents readers with a memoir that is far more than just a rock ‘n’ roll fable. It’s an immigrant’s tale, it’s an activist’s awakening, and it’s a spiritual journey from darkness toward light. And all of this comes down to the fact that Serj himself has had the chance to live an extraordinary life—thanks to a combination of luck, circumstance, struggle, talent, and spiritual awakening. Born to Armenian parents in Beirut, Serj grows up hearing bombs drop outside his childhood home during the country’s civil war, before moving to Los Angeles at the age of seven. As a young man, he is immersed in the SoCal community of “Little Armenia,” learning more and more about the brutal genocide faced by his ancestors while helping his parents adapt to the constraints and contradictions of the American Dream. Then, during a pivotal drive home from an LSAT class, Serj decides to turn away from a promising future in business and law to make music instead—a decision that leads him to touring five continents as the lead singer of a hugely popular rock band, hitting number #1 on the Billboard album charts the morning of 9/11, and then having the hit single from the same album banned from radio two days later. In the years that follow, his uniquely singular story continues, as he evades glass bottles hurled at a cancelled show by angry Slayer fans, teams up with Tom Morello to push social justice causes on unsuspecting metalheads, argues with LAPD officers over the best way to quell rioting fans, and defines new sounds and singing tactics with Rick Rubin.

Braiding together Serj’s thought-provoking insight with heartfelt and poetic prose, DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM retraces Serj’s remarkable and unlikely journey, and explores what it’s taught him—about music, about art, about activism, and about himself. It’s an unforgettable ride that will leave you breathless—and an absolute delight for new fans and old ones alike.

The 2024/25 Off-Mirvish Season Features Two New Productions of Recent Local Hits

Eric Alper
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The 2024/25 Off-Mirvish Season Features Two New Productions of Recent Local Hits

The return of two local critical and popular hits from previous seasons in major new productions – Britta Johnson’s musical LIFE AFTER and Crow’s Theatre’s Fifteen Dogs; the Canadian premiere of Indigenous playwright Larissa FastHorse’s satirical comedy The Thanksgiving Play; and the homecoming of sorts of the hilarious new comedy featuring the songs of Canadian icon Céline Dion, Titanique, make up the 2024/25 Off-Mirvish Season.

Subscriptions to the Off-Mirvish season are now available for sale at mirvish.com.

“In each Off-Mirvish season we like to include both local and international shows,” said David Mirvish. “This coming season we are delighted to welcome back two past local successes and present two local productions of successes from both Broadway and Off-Broadway.

“LIFE AFTER dazzled several seasons ago at the Berkeley Street Theatre. After having productions in two prestigious regional theatres in the United States, Yonge Street Theatricals is mounting a major new production of Britta Johnson’s moving and unforgettable musical. It’s an honour to be hosting it at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre.

“We are equally excited about the Canadian premiere of The Thanksgiving Play, which has played Broadway and is one of the most produced plays across the continent.

“Fifteen Dogs will be our third presentation of a Crow’s Theatre production. Two seasons ago we presented Cliff Cardinal’s The Land Acknowledgement (or As You Like It) and this past season we staged a revival of Uncle Vanya. Both were major hits at the CAA Theatre. Fifteen Dogs is a different breed altogether, an adaptation of the Giller Prize-winning novel that is daring, playful and full of creative energy. Originally staged in the round, it will be adapted to a proscenium production at the CAA Theatre.

“Canada has given the world some truly brilliant artists. Céline Dion is perhaps this country’s most prolific and well-known export. When we heard about a spunky Off-Broadway musical that paid homage to Céline while having fun with one of the world’s most popular films, Titanic – which, by the way, was made by another Canadian artist, director and producer James Cameron – we knew we had to bring it home to Canada. “Our co-production of Titanique (with the Segal Centre for Performing Arts) will rightly begin in Céline’s hometown, Montreal, before making the journey down the 401 to the CAA Theatre.

Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ Gets Special 40th Anniversary Vinyl Release Coming June 14

Eric Alper
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Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ Gets Special 40th Anniversary Vinyl Release Coming June 14

Sony Music will commemorate the 40th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s history-making Born In The U.S.A. on June 14, with a special-edition release featuring new colored vinyl and expanded packaging. Arriving via translucent red LP, this anniversary edition of Born In The U.S.A. will feature a gatefold sleeve and exclusive booklet with archival material from the era, new liner notes penned by Erik Flannigan and a four-color lithograph. Released on June 4, 1984 – Born In The U.S.A. had an unprecedented seven Top Ten singles on its tracklist, has sold approximately 25 million copies to date and captured the pop culture zeitgeist with once-in-a-generation impact. Springsteen and The E Street Band’s accompanying Born In The U.S.A. tour included 156 sold-out performances across the globe, while tracks like “Dancing In The Dark,” “No Surrender” and “Glory Days” remain staples of their live show to this day.

Pre-order the 40th anniversary edition of Born In The U.S.A. here.

Forty years after the Born In The U.S.A. tour kicked off in Summer 1984, Springsteen and The E Street Band started the European leg of their 2024 run this past weekend; with an opening show that was praised for “reminding us…no one does it better” (The Times) and as “a spectacle of unadulterated joy and human connectedness” (The Telegraph). The 2024 European tour follows a triumphant run across the continent last year, which sold 1.6 million tickets and was praised as among the best of the band’s career. The 40th anniversary release for Born In The U.S.A. also follows Sony Music’s career-spanning Best Of Bruce Springsteen collection – which is out now in physical formats as an 18-track set across 2 LPs or 1 CD – and digitally as an expanded 31-song package.

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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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