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ASIA Issues 2 LP Vinyl Re-Release Edition Of 2008’s ‘Phoenix’ Reunion Album

Eric Alper
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ASIA Issues 2 LP Vinyl Re-Release Edition Of 2008’s ‘Phoenix’ Reunion Album

BMG Music has released the legendary ASIA studio album Phoenix with a highly collectible double vinyl edition, available today, May 26th. Asia are the multi-platinum selling English rock band who formed in 1981 and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021. Their 1982 self-titled debut album reached number one in several countries, including nine weeks topping the US charts, with lead single ‘Heat Of The Moment’ making the top 40 in over a dozen, including US #4.

Pooling the talents of John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes and Steve Howe, ASIA immediately became the epitome of a supergroup of rock aristocracy and the natural heir to its members’ legendary bands of the 70s – King Crimson, Emerson Lake & Palmer, The Buggles and Yes.

Leaving behind their progressive roots, ASIA embraced the commercial FM rock sound and took the new MTV video channel, by storm. Heat Of The Moment was a world-wide monster smash and their 1982 debut album spent 9 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. Asia became the biggest selling album of the year and world tour dates sold out.  A second album, Alpha, was released in 1983, when the band began a period of personnel changes before eventually breaking up.

Twenty three years later, the four original members reconvened in 2006 for a sold out world tour. In 2008, the album Phoenix followed to critical acclaim and the delight of its still very loyal fan base. Phoenix album (previously unreleased on LP) was the band’s first studio album with its original line-up. In terms of sound, this emotionally compelling comeback album saw Asia continue the very high standards from where they left off in 1985. As in the past, it displays suppleness stretching out into multi-part suites while retaining a knack for big, arena pop hooks.

The members came together again to record Omega in 2010 and XXX in 2012. Steve Howe stepped back from ASIA to concentrate on his work with YES and was absent for 2014’s Gravitas. Following this tour came the news of John Wetton’s treatment for cancer, a fight he sadly lost in 2017.

The new PHOENIX vinyl version is available here: https://Asia.lnk.to/PhoenixPR

Sir Rod Stewart Unveils Wolfie’s Whisky

Eric Alper
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Sir Rod Stewart Unveils Wolfie’s Whisky

Music industry icon Sir Rod Stewart has announced his next release: Wolfie’s Whisky, a blended Scotch whisky that embodies his reputation as ‘the Cockney Scotsman’ and pays tribute to his Scottish heritage and cheeky chappie image.

Designed to reflect Rod’s rock ‘n’ roll heritage with subtle nods to Americana, Wolfie’s was inspired by the legendary musician’s early hell raising days with the Faces.

“Wolfie’s is a rascal of a thing and with just a sip the whisky takes you back to the good old days. Fine-tuned and perfectly balanced, Wolfie’s is a delight both over ice and mixed into a favourite cocktail,” says Rod.

“It’s a fine tipple, whether you’re partying with friends, celebrating a Celtic win or reminiscing with family. For me, Wolfie’s depicts the carefree behaviour of my more mischievous days and the excitement of what life still has to offer – let the good times roll!”

Wolfie’s Blended Scotch Whisky (40% ABV) is wonderfully balanced with flavours of warming cinnamon, fresh vanilla and baked apple. The whisky has a delicate taste of sweet peat and pears in syrup before finishing with candied citrus peels and a gentle oak spice.

With its unique blend of rock ‘n’ roll roots, Americana and Scottish heritage, Wolfie’s is bringing something new to the Scotch whisky market. Distilled on the banks of Loch Lomond by an expert team with decades of whisky-making know-how and an all-Scottish team behind the brand, Wolfie’s truly has Scotland at its heart.

Referencing the opening track from Rod’s 1991 album Vagabond Heart, the lyrics ‘Rhythm of My Heart’ are emblazoned on the base of the bottle. Rod’s recording of the song was a nod to his own Scottish heritage having adapted the melody from the traditional folk song, Loch Lomond.

Wolfie’s will be available to buy online for £35 from Monday 19 June and in the meantime fans are encouraged to sign up at www.wolfiesiscoming.com to gain access to an exclusive presale from Friday 16 June. They’ll also be in with the chance of finding one of 1,000 bottles of Wolfie’s that have been signed by Rod.

With the initial limited run of bottles marked as first releases, Wolfie’s will initially be available to buy online across the UK and in Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. It will also launch in America in July as Rod embarks on his North American tour.

Follow Wolfie’s Whisky on social media for exclusive updates by searching @WolfiesWhisky on Instagram and Twitter and @WolfiesOfficial on Facebook.

The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” Now Mixed In Dolby Atmos From Original Tapes By Grammy-Winning Producer Giles Martin

Eric Alper
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The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” Now Mixed In Dolby Atmos From Original Tapes By Grammy-Winning Producer Giles Martin

Widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, The Beach Boys’ magnum opus, Pet Sounds, changed the notion of what an album could be when released in May 1966, forever altering the course of popular music. Breaking away from the surf rock that made them global stars, The Beach Boys’ 11th album in just four years couldn’t have been more different than what came before, especially the acoustic rave-up, Beach Boys’ Party!, featuring their smash hit “Barbara Ann,” that preceded it by only a few months. Influenced by The Beatles’ Rubber Soul and Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound production, creative visionary Brian Wilson took a left turn from their standard formula of upbeat songs about girls, surfing and the Southern California lifestyle and sought to create what he called “a complete statement.” In turn he produced an album like nothing before, one that revolutionized modern music by venturing into uncharted musical territory, both in composition and production, employing innovative recording techniques and pioneering the use of the studio as an instrument. Across 13 exquisite tracks, Pet Sounds pushed the boundaries of sonic experimentation, introducing a rich tapestry of complex, orchestral arrangements, unconventional instrumentation like Theremin and Coca-Cola bottles for percussion, flawless, trademark harmonies by Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and new addition Bruce Johnston, and deep, introspective lyrics that went beyond anything the group had ever sung about. The record influenced The Beatles and their longtime producer George Martin to push the creative envelope when making their groundbreaking album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts, and paved the path for countless generations of musicians and producers. Today it remains one of the most pivotal and beloved albums ever made.

Now, for the very first time, fans can experience this iconic album like never before as Pet Sounds has received a revelatory new mix in Dolby Atmos®, an immersive sound experience, by renowned, multiple GRAMMY®-winning producer Giles Martin. Martin, the son of famed Beatles producer George Martin, has led the way in this pioneering audio technology, having helmed critically acclaimed Dolby Atmos mixes for the recent spate of Beatles special edition and anniversary releases, including 2022’s universally hailed Revolver. In order to create this new listening experience, Martin, who was personally asked by The Beach Boys to mix Pet Sounds, was given access to the original analog tapes and built the enveloping and enthralling new mix from the ground up using Brian Wilson’s original 1966 mono mix and Mark Linett’s subsequent 1997 stereo mix as guides. The new Dolby Atmos mix retains the feel of the classic album but offers a fresh perspective, putting  listeners  in the center of the music while revealing details with unparalleled clarity and depth. Pet Sounds is available to stream on Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Tidal via Capitol/UMe as of today, June 2.

Stream Pet Sounds In Dolby Atmos:
https://TheBeachBoys.lnk.to/PetSoundsinAtmosPR

“Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys is a game changing, iconic album that changed the face of popular music,” said Giles Martin. “It influenced The Beatles to go and make Sgt. Pepper’s, Sgt. Pepper’s then influenced Pink Floyd to go and make The Dark Side of the Moon. It’s a fascinating record because it’s really the workings of a genius, Brian Wilson, that sort of had boundless enthusiasm for ideas and textures. Moving Pet Sounds to Dolby Atmos means those worlds can be fully immersive, you can be surrounded by them, you can hear instruments that you never heard before, that are on the record, but they are now in a space where you can identify them. I kind of like the idea of imagine getting an old vinyl record, like Alice In Wonderland, and slowly start falling through the hole. That’s what immersive audio should do, you are literally surrounded by the records you love, and Pet Sounds is perfect for this. It’s an album of so much color and texture and imagination and the imagination becomes realized much more in the spatial realm. For me to be asked by The Beach Boys to work on this album was a huge honor, I was surprised and excited to get a chance to work on one of the most iconic albums of all time.”

Nearly six decades since its original May 16, 1966 release, Pet Sounds remains a masterpiece of modern music that has reigned at the top of countless critic and fan polls, maintaining its timeless rank as one of popular music’s most-cited influences. More than 100 domestic and international publications and journalists have lauded Pet Sounds as one of the greatest albums ever recorded. In 1995, Pet Sounds topped MOJO magazine’s list of “The Greatest Albums of All Time” at No. 1, and in 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it at No. 2 on the magazine’s oft-cited list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” exclaiming, “With its vivid orchestration, lyrical ambition, elegant pacing, and thematic coherence, Pet Sounds invented — and in several senses, perfected — the notion that an album could be more than the sum of its parts.

With the new Dolby Atmos mix, longtime fans, as well as those just discovering the genius of The Beach Boys, are invited to revisit Pet Sounds and experience this sonic masterwork with a new level of immersion, clarity and detail, connecting listeners more deeply to the music they love.

THE BEACH BOYS – PET SOUNDS IN DOLBY ATMOS

1. Wouldn’t It Be Nice
2. You Still Believe In Me
3. That’s Not Me
4. Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
5. I’m Waiting For The Day
6. Let’s Go Away For Awhile
7. Sloop John B
8. God Only Knows
9. I Know There’s An Answer
10. Here Today
11. I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times
12. Pet Sounds
13. Caroline, No

Over Half A Billion Streams Propels The Tragically Hip’s Best-Selling Compilation ‘Yer Favourites’ To Diamond Certification Status

Eric Alper
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Over Half A Billion Streams Propels The Tragically Hip’s Best-Selling Compilation ‘Yer Favourites’ To Diamond Certification Status

Today, The Tragically Hip’s best-selling greatest hits compilation, Yer Favourites, is now available on vinyl for the first time ever. Originally released digitally and as a two CD set on November 8, 2005, Yer Favourites, for which tracks were selected by the band’s fans directly via their website, has soared past Diamond status at 14X Platinum (Diamond is 10X Platinum) and has over half a billion streams globally. The Tragically Hip is now the first Canadian band to achieve four Diamond-certified albums. Yer Favourites is the second best-selling compilation album ever in Canada only behind The Beatles’ 1. Buy Yer Favourites on vinyl here.

As a nod to fans for their continued support and in the lead up to the band’s fast-approaching 40th anniversary in 2024, the Yer Favourites vinyl release is split into two double LP sets on 180g vinyl, Volume #1 and Volume #2, each packaged in a single sleeve in an effort to reduce packaging and make the release more affordable for fans. Yer Favourites has been entirely remastered for 2023 and now includes the original versions from Fully Completely that were not found on the CD version of Yer Favourites released in 2005. This special vinyl release is a must-have for any new or long-time listener of The Tragically Hip. Each volume also includes a 24 x 36 fold-out poster.

The Tragically Hip celebrate the vinyl release with their Hear The Hip contest which plays a clip of one of the band’s beloved songs and invites fans to guess the track being previewed. The game refreshes daily, so users can return to play again and guess a new song. The higher the score, the more entries you will get. There will be one weekly prize winner (randomly selected from all entries) for five weeks, with one grand prize winner at the end of the five-week period. Fans can start playing today, here.

The Yer Favourites vinyl release is set to be followed by a deluxe edition of Phantom Power later this year. In 2024, to celebrate four decades of The Tragically Hip, the band will release a deluxe set of their breakthrough album Up to Here, a previously announced four-part Amazon documentary, and much more.

In 2021, The Tragically Hip received the Humanitarian Award Presented by Music Canada at the 50th annual JUNO Awards; and in 2022, they were inducted into Canada’s Walk Of Fame for Humanitarianism in pursuit of social and environmental justice. They had previously received a star on the Walk Of Fame in 2002 for Arts & Entertainment. For more than three decades, The Tragically Hip’s tireless activism and philanthropic pursuits have raised millions of dollars for multiple social and environmental causes, such as Camp Trillium, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Sunnybrook Foundation, WAR Child, the Special Olympics, and the Unison Benevolent Fund. A quintessential band whose music captures the essence of being Canadian, they used their enormous megaphone in 2016 to spotlight the country’s systemic mistreatment of indigenous peoples. The legacy of the band’s frontman, the late Gord Downie, continues with The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund, which aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Critically acclaimed for over three decades, The Tragically Hip has been at the heart of the Canadian musical zeitgeist, evoking a strong emotional connection between their music and their fans that remains unrivaled. A five-piece group of friends, including Rob Baker (guitar), Gord Downie (vocals, guitar), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar), and Gord Sinclair (bass), who grew up in Kingston, Ontario, The Tragically Hip have achieved both mass popularity with more than 10 million albums in Canada and over 1.5 million sold in the U.S, as well as peer recognition through 15 Juno Awards – picking up the distinguished Humanitarian Award in 2021 which recognizes Canadian artists or industry leaders whose humanitarian contributions have positively enhanced the social fabric of Canada and beyond. Their studio catalog includes their self-titled debut album The Tragically Hip (1987), Up To Here (1989), Road Apples (1991), Fully Completely (1992), Day For Night (1994), Trouble At The Henhouse (1996), Phantom Power (1998), Music @ Work (2000), In Violet Light (2002), In Between Evolution (2004), World Container (2006), We Are The Same (2009), Now For Plan A (2012), Man Machine Poem (2016) and Saskadelphia (2021).  A National Celebration was the final show of The Tragically Hip’s Man Machine Poem Tour, recorded on August 20th, 2016, at the K-Rock Centre in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, and is their last performance as a five-piece band. Through their career, the band became a cultural touchstone in Canada. Despite their accolades and numerous recognitions, they will always be proudest of the humanitarian work they have done over the years through numerous charitable organizations and causes.

Yer Favourites Vinyl 2LP Volume #1 Track Listing:

LP1 – Side A

  1. No Threat
  2. Grace Too
  3. Music At Work
  4. 38 Years Old
  5. Gift Shop

LP1 – Side B

  1. Ahead By Century
  2. Vaccination Scar
  3. Three Pistols
  4. So Hard Done By
  5. Fiddler’s Green

LP2 – Side A

  1. Looking For A Place To Happen
  2. Cordelia
  3. It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken
  4. Blow at High Dough
  5. Wheat Kings

LP2 – Side B

  1. Fully Completely
  2. New Orleans Is Sinking
  3. Escape Is At Hand For the Travellin’ Man
  4. Fifty Mission Cap

Yer Favourites Vinyl 2LP Volume #2 Track Listing:

LP1 – Side A

  1. Courage (For Hugh MacLennan)
  2. Lake Fever
  3. Poets
  4. Fireworks
  5. Twist My Arm

LP1 – Side B

  1. Bobcaygeon
  2. Nautical Disaster
  3. Highway Girl
  4. Gus: The Polar Bear From Central Park

LP2 – Side A

  1. At The Hundredth Meridian
  2. Long Time Running
  3. The Darkest One
  4. Locked In The Trunk of A Car

LP2 – Side B

  1. Little Bones
  2. Boots Or Hearts
  3. Scared
  4. Something On
  5. The New Maybe

 

Photo Gallery: The Backseat Lovers with Field Medic at Toronto’s History

Eric Alper
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Photo Gallery: The Backseat Lovers with Field Medic at Toronto’s History

All photos by Sophie Bouquillon. You can contact her through Instagram or Twitter

The Backseat Lovers
The Backseat Lovers
The Backseat Lovers
The Backseat Lovers
The Backseat Lovers
The Backseat Lovers
The Backseat Lovers
The Backseat Lovers
Field Medic
Field Medic
Field Medic
Field Medic
Field Medic
The Backseat Lovers

Saxophonist, Composer and Conductor CHRISTINE JENSEN Releases “Like In Love” From Upcoming Releases Day Moon Album

Eric Alper
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Saxophonist, Composer and Conductor CHRISTINE JENSEN Releases “Like In Love” From Upcoming Releases Day Moon Album

We’ve witnessed and heard testimonies from countless musicians who were forced to struggle—financially and artistically—through the lockdowns of the pandemic. For some who have survived, there’s been the silver lining of a shift in perspective. Many artists dug deep in isolation and discovered the solution to long-elusive mysteries. Some let go of the tried-and-true and instead explored new means of expression.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZkEVXiQ3gfBmewaKVaWqtA

While we’re hopefully emerging from the final COVID surge, it’s a welcome that an artist like Christine Jensen is opening ears to the magic of reflection on her long, turbulent days and months locked down.

The exceptional alto and soprano saxophonist from Canada releases the compelling Day Moon with her impressive quartet on Justin Time Records. The music is at turns, melancholic and ebullient, sober and playful. It’s a date where she creates an improvisational community of close friends in quartet and duo settings. “I got hit hard by the pandemic because I felt alone and was not doing what I’m supposed to do,” Jensen says. “So, I focused on my saxophones, teaching myself to present my sound, my solo voice. It’s almost like becoming the vocalist.”

At home leading her own renowned jazz orchestra, Jensen was forced to pull back by necessity into a more intimate space. “I had to shed the extra instrumentation that was always in my head,” she says. “So, I started to once a week play music with my longtime piano friend Steve Amirault. We worked together—he collaborated with me and pushed the boundaries. It created a stable place for me.”

Jensen invited her regular rhythm team of bassist Adrian Vedady and drummer Jim Doxas to mask workshop in small spaces to bring new colors into the ebb and flow of her compositions. The quartet members became, as she writes in her liner notes “my refuge and sanctuary.” She continues, “I feel like we met on thin ice through two cycles of seasons, meeting, greeting, and expanding on this repertoire, so that we could find a place that allowed us to trust and support each other at the highest level—not just in the music, but also in friendship, empathy and love, all words that the lockdown was attempting to repress.”

The album opens with the title tune that was written pre-pandemic for her chordless collective CODE Quartet that included trumpeter Lex French. The ‘60s Ornette Coleman-inspired band issued its Genealogy album for Justin Time in 2021. “It started out as a demo that ended up being the recording,” Jensen says. “At that point, the tune was just starting to jell, but I never glued to it. So, I thought let’s explore it wider harmonically with the piano instead of trumpet. The changes led to a surprising end.”

It’s the perfect lead tune inspired by a vision Jensen experienced. She was on her street in the middle of the day and saw a perfect moon in front of her with the sun glowing behind. “It was so strange,” she says. “It’s how the pandemic felt—living in another world. Other worldly and so sci-fi. It makes for a perfect prelude to the rest of the album where the world is shifting.”

The four-song suite Quiescence was written for a commission from New York’s Jazz Coalition that had raised funds for composers. Jensen sketched compositions including the Brazilian clave-feel “Tolos d’Abril,” her April Fool’s birthday song. “I wrote it because I was alone and I didn’t want to be in the Montreal snow and would just love to be anywhere from here,” Jensen says. “So, I thought of any opposite place, like a beach in Brazil.”

Highlights of the album feature the duo spots with Amirault, including the short-and-sweet torrent of the playful “Balcony Rules” based on “What Is This Called Love?” and the gem of the album, the gorgeous rendering of Jimmy Van Heusen’s “Here’s That Rainy Day.”

“That’s one of my favorite cuts,” Jensen says. “Steve and I hit on the emotion in ballad playing that’s not often captured in this day and age. We just looked at each other, slowed the tune down and played our feelings. I take the melody line and Steve is focused on time. It’s a deep conversation and an elaboration of who we are as musicians. We stole the slowness of this tune from the style of Shirley Horn and her delivery of a ballad.”

Finally, Jensen is happy to play some gigs to support Day Moon. In the future she continues to be on the tenure track at Eastman School of Music and has more music ready to go, including another CODE Quartet album, more recording and performing with her sister Ingrid Jensen and a big band recording to be released by the end of 2023. “It’s all in motion,” she says. “And who knows, maybe even an album of duos in the setting I discovered on Day Moon.”

Canada’s Rock Power Couple ALTERED BY MOM Releases ”Waiting On A Sign That’s Already There” From Upcoming AHEM Album

Eric Alper
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Canada’s Rock Power Couple ALTERED BY MOM Releases ”Waiting On A Sign That’s Already There” From Upcoming AHEM Album

ALTERED BY MOM is an alt-rock/indie duo from Toronto that combine a knack for infectious melodies and classic songwriting with a quirky sense of humour and a tongue-in-cheek post-grunge aesthetic. They sound like Alanis Morissette, Oliva Rodrigo, and Sloan chowing down on a party sub in the security line at YYZ.

On the heels of 2021’s monolithic collection 52 SONGS, one of Canada’s best-known musical power couple Gina Kennedy and Devon Lougheed are releasing AHEM upon the world on June 30, 2023. Until then, you can enjoy the newest single “Waiting On A Sign That’s Already There”, debuting May 12. The song was inspired by “the utilitarian urge to joke about our own struggles with depression and anxiety as a survival technique”, according to Lougheed. The anxious joke was almost on them during filming for the music video, as one shot was interrupted by a road-rage-inspired shouting match between a driver and a pedestrian. “Maybe the sign they were waiting on was the ‘walk’ sign…” joked Kennedy.

The upcoming release AHEM is a metaphorical throat clearing, a demand for attention, and a command of the floor. While 52 SONGS was a 52-course meal, the four tracks on AHEM are a power snack, like a banana with a Red Bull chaser, an amuse-bouche for the ears. Lead singles “Dive In”, “Everygirl” and now “Waiting on a Sign That’s Already There” are compelling fun and introspective songs about self-belief, pursuing love, and embracing the weird and wonderful in life.

The EP AHEM is out on June 30, 2023; the single “Waiting on a Sign That’s Already There” precedes it on May 12.

Charlie Weber And The Glorious Failures Strengthen Their Resolve In “I Will Be Better Than This”

Eric Alper
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Charlie Weber And The Glorious Failures Strengthen Their Resolve In “I Will Be Better Than This”

If you’re trying to start over, it can be easier said than done. Sometimes, it feels like you’ve had to pick up the pieces and start again many times before things improve. London, ON’s Emo-Americana Charlie Weber and The Glorious Failures capture this discouragement in their new single, “I Will Be Better Than This”. In May 2023, the band will release their newest album “Gold Never Stays”.

A light acoustic guitar opens the song before tranquil vocals from lead singer Charlie Weber comes in. From there, the song’s honest lyrics grip the listener using a sailing ship as a metaphor for going on a brand-new journey.

“Where it is that we’re going
Cos the seas I’ve weathered seem rather rough
But not as rough as those who anchor to the shores
Hoping that the tide wont pick them up”

Of course, it takes a lot of courage in order to make yourself start over. Weber states, “The song came from a conversation I had with myself in the dark in the basement bathroom of a casual acquaintance’s parents’ house during a snowstorm on New Years Eve. It’s a song about the ego death that comes when you confront the parts of yourself that you hate the most but are too scared to talk about openly.”

By the song’s chorus, the vocals soar like the wind as Weber decides to keep trying to improve himself even when things are hard. Even though the chorus mentions a New Year’s resolution, the song is relatable to any kind of change that may occur in life.

All in all, the entire song shows that as tempting as it is to keep running from change, it is best to learn to face it. Weber confirms this as he explains, “I Will Be Better Than This hopes to explore how running from our fears can do more damage than actually confronting what scares us the most head on. Sometimes you have to take the path of most resistance to get to where you need to be.”

Charlie Weber and The Glorious Failures got their start via a DIY approach in 2013, funding three EPs before releasing their first full length album “Old Habits” in 2018. In 2019 Charlie Weber was included on an official Weakerthans Tribute compilation “One Great Tribute” with the likes of Frank Turner, Bry Webb, Skye Wallace, Del Barber to name a few.

Through grassroots community building Weber has been able to garner a respectable 12,000+ followers across his social platforms allowing him to book and promote over 230 shows himself. In 2021, Charlie Weber & The Glorious Failures booked and played 3 back-to-back-to-back sold out shows in London and Toronto.

Billy Joel’s Historic Sold-out Monthly Residency At Madison Square Garden Will Conclude In July 2024 With 150th Performance

Eric Alper
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Billy Joel’s Historic Sold-out Monthly Residency At Madison Square Garden Will Conclude In July 2024 With 150th Performance

Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (“MSG Entertainment”) and legendary musician and MSG franchise Billy Joel announced today that after ten extraordinary years, Joel’s historic franchise run at The Garden will conclude with his 150th lifetime show at the venue in July 2024. With this also comes the announcement that the first of the final ten shows in his record-breaking residency at The World’s Most Famous Arena will take place on October 20, 2023.

“I’m kind of flabbergasted that it lasted as long as it did. My team tells me that we could continue to sell tickets, but ten years, 150 shows – all right already!” said Billy Joel. “I do remember the first time we played Madison Square Garden, it was the pinnacle of my career. I thought, ‘My God, I’m headlining Madison Square Garden.’ Everybody in the world knows when you play The Garden, it’s not just New York. To our audience, I want to thank them for coming to our shows for this long. It’s hard to end, even at 150 lifetime shows. I just want to thank everyone for the wonderful thing that’s happened here.”

“Billy Joel’s franchise run has made history – not only for Madison Square Garden, but also for the music industry overall,” said James L. Dolan, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, MSG Entertainment. “150 sold out lifetime shows is a remarkable achievement, and speaks to Billy’s extraordinary talent, beloved catalog, and dedicated fanbase. Billy always has a home here at MSG even though the residency is coming to an end with his 150th lifetime performance.”

“There’s only one thing that’s more New York than Billy Joel – and that’s a Billy Joel concert at MSG,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “For more than 50 years, Billy’s music has defined our city and brought us together. On behalf of 8.5 million New Yorkers, congratulations, Billy, on a historic run of sold-out shows at MSG, and thank you for a lifetime of bringing joy to us all.”

Joel’s history with Madison Square Garden began with his first performance at The World’s Most Famous Arena on December 14, 1978. In 2006, with 12 consecutive performances, Joel set the record for “most consecutive performances by any artist.” To commemorate the historic moment, a banner stating “Joel – 12” was raised to The Garden rafters, making him the first entertainer in the venue’s history to accomplish this feat.

In December 2013, Billy Joel was named Madison Square Garden’s first-ever music franchise, joining the ranks of the storied venue’s other original franchises – the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. The record-breaking residency began in January 2014 with Joel playing one show every month at The Garden for, as Joel said at the time, “as long as the demand continues.” In January 2015, Joel broke his own record of the “most consecutive performances by any artist” with the 13th show of the residency and a new banner was raised to The Garden’s rafters. In July 2015, with his 65th lifetime show, Joel broke another record for the “most lifetime performances by any artist,” for which another banner was raised. Both of Joel’s banners continue to hang at The Garden and are replaced each month with each performance.

In July 2018, to commemorate his 100th lifetime performance at the venue, then Governor Andrew M. Cuomo officially proclaimed July 18, 2018 “Billy Joel Day” in the State of New York in honor of Joel’s extraordinary history of leadership and contributions to the music industry and New York State. As part of the celebration, Joel’s piano was put on display outside of Chase Square at the Seventh Avenue entrance to The Garden. The 100th lifetime performance was one for the ages – with Bruce Springsteen joining Joel on stage to celebrate the milestone. A multitude of other incredible surprise guests have joined him on stage throughout the course of the ten-year run including Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon, John Fogerty, Billy Gibbons, Brian Johnson, John Mayer, John Mellencamp, Olivia Rodrigo, Paul Simon, and more. And, throughout the course of his legendary run, more than 1.6 million tickets have been sold to fans from all 50 states and more than 120 countries – further establishing Joel’s status as a global icon.

In addition to his ongoing residency run, Joel has also performed alongside other music greats at two of Madison Square Garden’s most extraordinary benefit concerts – “12-12-12, The Concert For Sandy Relief,” which raised awareness and money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy, and “The Concert for New York City,” which was held to help aid 9/11 victims and heroes.

Billy Joel is one of the world’s most iconic musicians, having received The Kennedy Center Honors, one of the United States’ top cultural awards, in December 2013. He is also the recipient of six GRAMMY® Awards, including the prestigious Grammy Legend Award. Joel has been inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has received numerous industry awards including a TONY AWARD for “Movin’ Out,” a Broadway musical based on Joel’s music. For his accomplishments as a musician and as a humanitarian, Joel was honored as the 2002 MusiCares Person Of The Year by the MusiCares Foundation and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.

In November 2014, Billy Joel received both The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song which honors living musical artists’ lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of cultural understanding; entertaining and informing audiences; and inspiring new generations, and the once-in-a-century ASCAP Centennial Award, which is presented to American music icons in recognition of their incomparable accomplishments in their respective music genres and beyond. In 2016, the Library of Congress selected “Piano Man” for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historic, and artistic significance.”

The first of the final ten shows in Joel’s MSG franchise run will take place on October 20, 2023. Citi cardmembers will have first access to presale tickets for the October 20 show from Monday, June 5 at 10:00AM (ET) through Thursday, June 8 at 10:00PM (ET) via www.citientertainment.com. Verizon will also offer an exclusive presale for the October show through the customer loyalty program Verizon Up. Members will have exclusive access to purchase presale tickets from Tuesday, June 6 at 10:00AM (ET) through Thursday, June 8 at 10:00PM (ET). For more details and to sign up for Verizon Up, visit www.verizon.com. Tickets will be available for purchase by the general public beginning at 10:00AM (ET) on Friday, June 9 via www.ticketmaster.com. Due to congestion during the on-sale, it can be difficult to purchase tickets right away. Please continue to check Ticketmaster as tickets will be available throughout the day. Tickets will also be available at the Madison Square Garden box office on Saturday, June 10.

Sprite Summer Campaign Honors Hip-Hop 50th Anniversary by Teaming Up with Some of the Genre’s Biggest Stars

Eric Alper
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Sprite Summer Campaign Honors Hip-Hop 50th Anniversary by Teaming Up with Some of the Genre’s Biggest Stars

Sprite – a brand that has championed hip-hop culture for more than 35 years – will celebrate the groundbreaking genre’s 50th anniversary this summer with a buzzworthy TV spot starring a crew of living legends and rising stars, a new limited-edition flavor, sponsorship of one of the year’s most anticipated concert tours and a series of exclusive merch and experience drops.

Nas, Rakim, Latto and GloRilla will star in fresh Sprite creative paying tribute to the past, present and future of hip-hop. A remix of The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” – the first-ever hip-hop song to hit the Billboard Top 40 – is infused with memorable bars from the cast of old-schoolers and contemporary artists and anchors the campaign with a rapping, time-traveling love letter to the music that has shaped popular culture over the last five decades.

A.P. Chaney, Creative Director for Sprite North America, said the brand’s longstanding hip-hop credentials are unmatched.

“Our resume speaks for itself,” Chaney said. “Sprite took a chance on hip-hop before it was cool, and has always been of the culture, not only for the culture. We’ve shown up for both moments big and small, amplifying the endless possibilities of the now-omnipresent hip-hop lifestyle and its profound impact on music, sports and fashion. So, it’s only fitting that we pay homage to all hip-hop has been, is and will be.”

Just as the campaign will honor hip-hop history, the new limited-time-only (LTO) Sprite Lymonade Legacy is a remixed nod to the OG crisp, lemon-lime refresher. Sprite’s take on strawberry lemonade, which was inspired by fan requests on social media, offers a delicious combination of tried-and-true and something new. The LTO flavor will be available in a range of packages at retailers nationwide, and exclusively in fountain and frozen formats at 7-Eleven stores.

Original Sprite and Sprite Lymonade Legacy packaging will feature a fresh design celebrating 50 years of hip-hop. The look takes cues from summer and the crisp, refreshing taste of Sprite, as well as boomboxes, studio mixers and other tech tools synonymous with hip-hop’s journey.

Fans can scan on-pack QR codes on both products throughout the summer to access digital “drop shops” with hundreds of giveaways. Prizes include exclusive content featuring Latto and Rakim and covetable merch including autographed Nas hats, GloRilla tour tees, a Latto gold mic, and Rakim directorial slates from the TVC shoot.

“Our ‘Summer of Drops’ focuses on our fans’ passion points – music, fashion, art and entertainment – and draws inspiration from sneakerhead drop culture,” said Aaliyah Shafiq Ely, VP, Sparkling Flavors Category. “The diverse array of prizes offers something for everyone to get excited about, and our overall campaign is the latest example of Sprite responding to what fans want with both experiences and products.”

Premier experiential giveaways include Rolling Loud Lifetime Passes and meet-and-greet tickets for Drake’s “It’s All A Blur” summer tour, which will feature Sprite as the lead beverage sponsor. Drake has partnered with Sprite for more than a decade, starting with the “Spark” multinational campaign in 2012 – his first worldwide deal – and continuing with 2015’s “Obey Your Verse.” The 57-date arena tour marks the hip-hop megastar’s first series of concerts in five years.

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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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