All photos by Sophie Bouquillon. You can contact her through Instagram or Twitter
My Next Read: “Jazz Uncovered: A Radical Guide to the Music That Changed the World” by Sammy Stein
Jazz isn’t what you think it is. The accepted history is that it originated in New Orleans and was created by poor, oppressed people who had been brought in from all over the world. Different cultures mixed, and the music evolved. People made their own instruments or purchased ones from the Civil War at pawnshops. With its different influences, this music became “jass,” and then “jazz,” and moved north across America with the riverboats. This simplistic view satisfies many. But the story of jazz is much more complex.
In Jazz Uncovered, Sammy Stein tells the real story of jazz, and addresses questions such as who was the first jazz musician? What makes a jazz musician great? She also demystifies jazz terms and discusses the fascinating connection between hip-hop and jazz―from the ways each art form first developed, to how hip-hop and genres like classical and rock ’n’ roll have influenced and been influenced by jazz. She also looks at the powerful social and cultural influences of jazz as well as its bright future. Above all, Stein makes it clear that jazz is a music for all and is as relevant as ever.
Ultimately, this book is at once a people’s history and an engaging guide that will educate and delight both hard-core jazz fans and new fans alike. And one thing is certain―after reading it, you will never see jazz the same way again.
UK-Based Rock Group The Goodstock Project Sings The Blues In New Single “This Rain”
As the saying goes, “When it rains, it pours.” When something goes wrong, it seems more things go wrong and things will never be right again. The frustration and despair of this experience is captured in UK-based rock group The Goodstock Project and their newest single, “This Rain”.
The song opens with vocalist June singing how tired she is of the endless rain she’s enduring backed by acoustic guitar and piano (both played by Ol). The bass (Jon) and drums (Ben) come crashing in by the second verse.
‘I’ve black-lidded eyes,
And there are cold stormy skies,
The easy escape is the one we can’t take
Another reason we all must apologise”
Of the song’s inspirations, the band states the song is about second chances. It’s written from the perspective of a positive minded person constantly being faced with a negative response from another. The ‘rain’ is a metaphor for an incessant downpour of ‘reasons why not’.
In fact, the song is reminiscent of many blues inspired classic rock songs. One in particular that comes to mind in terms of the guitar licks and lyrical content is David Bowie’s “Rock n’ Roll Suicide”.
Although Bowie’s song is edgier in tone, his song and The Goodstock Project’s “The Rain” evoke a similar feeling of talking someone down from the ledge. A key difference is that “The Rain” brings to mind one person gradually calming themselves down and reframing things in a better light. By the time the guitar solo comes in later in the song, hope has sprung anew.
Accompanying the single is a music video that shows the group’s individual roles becoming whole. Using their phones, each of them initially filmed themselves playing their instruments or singing. These raw takes were then given to their production editor Speaks, who cleaned up the takes and added the final touches. The band jokingly refers to this as “the 2020 lockdown method.”
Originally conceived in the Spring of 2020, The Goodstock Project is a collaborative effort initially designed to see if it was possible to make music together without being in the same room.
By 2022, The Goodstock Project had created more singles that included songs such as “The Drop” and “We Mean Well”. These singles would become the group’s first EP, “Remote”, which would be released in October 2022. “The Rain” is the newest single from the EP, following their January 2023 single “Be The One.”
Mistissini, QC-Based Indigenous Rock Artist Sinematic Battles Inner Turmoil In “War With Myself”
Everyone has moments of self-doubt, but for those who must manage mental health issues, it can become a full-blown war. Indigenous hard rock artist Sinematic expresses this struggle in their new single, “War With Myself”, which also features guitar, bass, and drums from artist Loris Castiglia.
The song opens with solemn vocals from Sinematic’s lead singer Ayden Gray, whose voice is a little reminiscent of Danny Elfman as the character Jack Skellington from the film Nightmare Before Christmas. For the first couple of verses, Gray sings of a suspended state of disbelief and darkness before the chorus comes in.
“I can’t go on
fighting like this
always feeling
alone and worthless
at war with the world”
An interesting aspect of the chorus is how the singer goes from a state of despair to clarity. The second half of the chorus has them realizing that they are upset with themselves rather than the world around them.
In fact, part of the song’s inspiration comes from the internal struggle that can cause you to blame others for your own problems. The artist states, “It’s about that self-doubt, that voice in your head that makes you think you are not good enough. Making you feel like it’s always someone else’s fault for the way that you feel, sometimes the bitter truth is that it’s you who are hurting you.”
The song’s first three verses are accompanied by guitar that takes on a heavier metal riff once the growls come into the background at the fourth verse. The growls enhance the song’s dark tone expressed by the lead vocals and lyrics.
Near the song’s end, the singer’s vocals become a passionate cry for help as they try to push the listener away while also asking them to truly see them. Lyrically and vocally, this pre-chorus is the most poignant display of the inner struggle discussed throughout the song. To hate yourself and believe you aren’t worthy of getting help while trying to ask for it is a familiar experience for those who struggle with mental health.
Sinematic confirms this as they dedicate the song to those with mental health issues. “I would like to base this song on Mental Health Awareness Month in May to help spread awareness because I know I’m not the only one and would love to connect with people through this song, to let them know that it isn’t our fault the way we feel.”
Sinematic’s first album Relentless was released in 2020, spawning singles that included, “Take You Away”, “Won’t Go Back”, “Rat In A Cage”, and “Wait Forever.” Their second album, The Dark Circus was released in 2022 and featured the single “Indigenous”. Their newest single “War With Myself” is their first release for 2023.
Guitarist/Singer/Composer Don Ross Captures The Sunny, Breezy Joy of Being Alive on “Seabright”
Water can be a source of calm and healing for many people, and singer-songwriter Don Ross is no exception. In fact, looking out his window at St. Margaret’s Bay, and rowing across it on a skiff with his dog, were the things that kept him most balanced and centered during the pandemic. In celebration, he composed his aptly-titled new album Water along with its optimistic single “Seabright” – available now.
An instrumental acoustic guitar piece, “Seabright” wraps the listener in warm sunny tones along with finger-picking that evokes shimmering waters and the cascading of oars. You can almost feel the wind whipping your hair, too, with its joyous whimsy and playful rhythm.
The song’s name derives from the name of the small settlement where Ross and his wife lived for those three pandemic years. “The ironic sense of optimism that came out of the time of sanctuary is reflected in the tune,” Ross says. “The whole piece feels like a celebration – perhaps I was just feeling lucky/fortunate to be alive and healthy despite the surrounding chaos.”
In 2020, Covid forced Ross off the road, and he began studying for his Master’s degree in Orchestration online, with St. Margaret’s Bay shimmering right outside his window. At that point, with his last solo album having come out six years prior, he began to wonder how he was going to release another full-length album.
“I was wondering if the almost 35-year cycle of recording a new album and touring and playing live was more or less done for me,” he divulges. “But, I finally decided that I would do a new, sweeping-gesture of a record that would better reflect what I’ve been up to musically lately.” He decided he’d release it 100-percent independently, then embarked on a Kickstarter fundraising project and raised his goal within 28 hours.
“This afforded me the opportunity to be a bit more ambitious on this album, hiring an orchestra, and having wonderful guest musicians,” he says, naming Bruce Cockburn, Michael Manring, Brooke Miller and Sean Hall and The Atlantic String Machine. And hence, Water was born.
“I have lived surrounded by water for large chunks of my life,” Ross says. “Also, I spent countless hours during my Orchestration degree working in my studio that looked out onto the waters of St Margaret’s Bay, and the presence of this huge body of water literally metres from where I was working was imposing, but also a source of security during Covid. Meanwhile, it often felt like the whole world was figuratively living underwater during the pandemic. Now, it feels like I am able to resurface, along with the rest of the world.”
Don Ross was born and raised in Montreal and has lived in various parts of Canada over the course of his life. The son of a Mi’kmaw Indigenous mother and a Scottish immigrant father, he graduated with a BA in music from York University and started working as a full-time musician in 1988. That year, he won the US National Fingerpick Guitar Championship for the first time (he’d win again in ’96), and also played with his quartet Eye Music at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
Signing a solo recording contract with Duke Street Records that same year, he went on to release two CDs of solo guitar music for the label in 1989 and 1990, as well as a third CD featuring vocal music, full band arrangements, and solo guitar tunes in 1993. Then came a deal with Sony Music/Columbia Records, and three more albums, as well as a licensing deal with US-based Narada Records. Signing directly with Narada in 1998, Don went on to release three CDs for the label. Passion Session, released in 1999, has gone on to be considered one of the high water marks in the world of modern solo guitar, with several of the tunes now considered more or less standard repertoire in the genre.
Don released Huron Street in 2001, an album of reinterpretations of earlier work never previously released internationally. It went on to spend two weeks in the Billboard Top Ten’s “New Age” chart. He then toured the world extensively, before signing to internet-based label startup CandyRat Records, and became the company’s first signed artist. Since then, Don has released multiple CDs for the label, as well as three other albums independently. In 2021, Don won the prestigious Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts, administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Jeff Beck Tribute EP Is Now Available
The music world is still reeling from Jeff Beck’s death earlier this year. The legendary guitarist, renowned by both fans and many of his peers as the greatest of all-time, passed away on January 10 at the age of 78.
ATCO/Rhino honors the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s immeasurable legacy with a three-song EP of unreleased music. Two of the songs were played at Beck’s memorial service, which was held on February 3 at St. Mary’s Church in Beddington, England. JEFF BECK TRIBUTE is available today digitally. Click HERE to listen now.
The EP opens with “Midnight Walker Lament,” which combines the instrumental “Midnight Walker” from 18 (Beck’s 2022 album with Johnny Depp) with a spoken word poem by Imelda May written at Jeff’s suggestion and approval, which he loved. Sadly, it was first performed live to track at his funeral. An Irish singer and poet, May first appeared with Beck on Rock ’n’ Roll Party (Honoring Les Paul), a live album he released in 2011 as a tribute to pioneering guitarist Les Paul.
Opera singer Olivia Safe, another Beck collaborator, appears on the EP’s live version of “Elegy For Dunkirk.” Beck released a studio version featuring Safe in 2010 on his GrammyÒ-winning album, Emotion & Commotion. At Beck’s memorial in February, Safe sang composer Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem: In Paradisum.”
JEFF BECK TRIBUTE ends with a blistering live version of “Going Down” recorded in Paris. Beck performed this Freddie King rocker live throughout most of his career. On this version, he’s backed by bassist Rhonda Smith, drummer Jonathan Joseph, vocalist Jimmy Hall, and guitarist Carmen Vandenberg.
“Imelda’s poem on ‘Midnight Walker Lament’ on top of Jeff’s beautiful guitar work brings tears to my eyes. ‘Elegy for Dunkirk’ featuring Olivia Safe is a reminder of how Jeff’s playing, and Opera interact. ‘Going down,’ an up-tempo tune, was played live at Jeff’s funeral with a powerful vocal from Jimmy Hall.” – Sandra Beck.
Beck’s widow, Sandra, and his friend and fellow guitarist Eric Clapton will honor the late guitarist’s memory and artistry with all-star concerts at the Royal Albert Hall on May 22 and 23. “A Tribute to Jeff Beck” will feature Doyle Bramhall, Eric Clapton, Gary Clark Jr., Johnny Depp, Billy Gibbons, Kirk Hammett, Imelda May, John McLaughlin, Robert Randolph, Olivia Safe, Rod Stewart, Joss Stone, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, and Ronnie Wood. The shows also include Rhonda Smith, Anika Nilles, and Robert Stevenson from the Jeff Beck Band.
Profits from the concerts will be donated to the Southern Wildlife Care and Advisory Service (aka Folly Wildlife Rescue Trust), a charity dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating injured, orphaned, and distressed wild animals and birds throughout West Kent, East Sussex, and the surrounding region. The Becks have been patrons of the charity for years. ATCO/Rhino will also make a donation to the charity in honor of Beck.
JEFF BECK TRIBUTE
EP Track Listing
- “Midnight Walker Lament” – Jeff Beck featuring Imelda May *
- “Elegy For Dunkirk” (Live) – Jeff Beck featuring Olivia Safe *
- “Goings Down” (Live) – The Jeff Beck Band *
* previously unreleased
# # #
‘MIDNIGHT WALKER LAMENT’
Performed by Jeff Beck with poem by Imelda May
Is it really you?
like a ghost, calling my name
Each time I lean closer
and from the shadows, I hear your voice
like a stone I’m frozen
But my embered heart glows
for a melted moment
as I remember the time our roots entwined
when you were mine
and I belonged to you
until the day I saw you go…
My blood ran cold and to my feet
into a stream and out to sea
A brutal parting of ways
and waves of sorrow to drown in
Your spell and I were broken
but you awoke me in a new tomorrow
How I long to return to then
when it’s not now and now is all but forgotten
So I circle the sun but it burns
I search the earth but it turns away
So I walk alone in this midnight moon
Thxsomch Releases Debut Ep Sleez
Rising Toronto-based artist ThxSoMch has released his anxiously awaited debut EP Sleez today via Elektra. The eight-track collection is available to stream and download now. The release is joined by an official music video for his new single “Swap Places,” directed by frequent collaborator Tommy Killjoy.
About the EP, ThxSoMch shares, “Whether people want to admit or not, they’re all fed in the head to some degree, -and that version of yourself is Sleez.”
Offering a rare glimpse into his creative process, ThxSoMch recently sat down for his first official interview. The enigmatic artist spoke to Genius as part of the platform’s coveted Verified series to discuss the EP’s breakout hit single “SPIT IN MY FACE!”. Watch the interview HERE. Released in the fall of 2022, the propulsive track has already amassed over 330 million streams, charted on the Billboard Hot 100, and appeared on countless marquee playlists across streaming platforms.
Across Sleez, ThxSoMch effortlessly blurs the angst of 90s alternative with the raw energy of 2000s SoundCloud rap. On “Swap Places,” a guitar melody practically chokes the electronic percussion as his voice flutters from stomach-churning chants towards delicate swooning. “Vile” picks up the pace with its head-nodding riff and hypnotic hook, while “Screws” pins his breathy high register to creaky acoustic guitar.
ThxSoMch set the stage for Sleez with the April release of “Crumbled”. OnesToWatch raved, “The single is a dark, dreamy blend of post-punk and hyperpop elements that transports listeners into a world full of suspense, persistent percussion and bass, catchy, nostalgic guitar riffs, and biting lyrics.” Sleez also includes ThxSoMch’s previously released tracks “Hate.”, “Keep It Tucked”, and “Caroline”.
The EP’s early releases arrived to widespread praise from Complex, Lyrical Lemonade, Sheesh, Early Rising, Our Generation Music, and more.
Kelly Clarkson Unveils New Singles “mine” / “me” And New Album Out June 23
GRAMMY-winning global superstar Kelly Clarkson has unveiled double singles “mine” / “me” – the first taste of her highly anticipated tenth studio album chemistry, arriving June 23rd.
The pair of songs perfectly compliment and contrast, showcasing the lyrical complexity featured on the project three years in the making. Soaring vocals and a mounting instrumental find Clarkson lyrically honest-as-ever on “mine,” chanting “go ahead and break my heart, that’s fine” before craving karmic retribution. Meanwhile the focus shifts inward on “me,” a triumphant anthem of self-empowerment co-written with GRAMMY-nominated rising star GAYLE. Culminating with the lyric “don’t need to need somebody when I’ve got me,” the song’s message proves equally intimate and universal.
chemistry was first announced last month alongside an exclusive Las Vegas engagement, chemistry…an intimate night with Kelly Clarkson, opening Friday, July 28, 2023 at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Designed exclusively for the Bakkt Theater stage, Clarkson and her longtime band will immerse fans in an intimate music experience that spans her two-decade long catalog of award-winning hits.
One of the most popular artists of this era, Kelly Clarkson has sold more than 25 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide. The Texas-born singer-songwriter first came to fame in 2002 as the winner of the inaugural season of American Idol and quickly became one of pop’s top singles artists, in addition to the first artist to top each of Billboard’s pop, adult contemporary, country and dance charts. chemistry marks her tenth studio album and third full-length release with Atlantic Records, following 2017’s Meaning of Life and 2021’s When Christmas Comes Around…. Meanwhile on the small screen, her multi-Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, is currently filming its 4th season (while already picked up through 2025), and her tenure as multi-season champion coach on The Voice resumes for the show’s current 23rd season.
chemistry track list:
1. skip this part
2. mine
3. high road
4. me
5. down to you
6. chemistry
7. favorite kind of high
8. magic
9. lighthouse
10. rock hudson
11. my mistake
12. red flag collector
13. i hate love (feat. Steve Martin)
14. that’s right (feat. Sheila E.)
My Next Read: “Let’s Do It: The Birth of Pop” By Bob Stanley
The must-read music book of the year–and the first such history bringing together all musical genres to tell the definitive narrative of the birth of Pop from 1900 to the mid-1950s.
Pop music didn’t begin with the Beatles in 1963, or with Elvis in 1956, or even with the first seven-inch singles in 1949. There was a pre-history that went back to the first recorded music, right back to the turn of the century. Who were these earliest record stars–and were they in any meaningful way “pop stars”? Who was George Gershwin writing songs for? Why did swing, the hit sound for a decade or more, become almost invisible after World War II? The prequel to Bob Stanley’s celebrated Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!, this new volume is the first book to tell the definitive story of the birth of pop, from the invention of the 78 rpm record at the end of the nineteenth century to the beginnings of rock and the modern pop age. Covering superstars such as Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra, alongside the unheralded songwriters and arrangers behind some of our most enduring songs, Stanley paints an aural portrait of pop music’s formative years in stunning clarity, uncovering the silver threads and golden needles that bind the form together. Bringing the eclectic, evolving world of early pop to life–from ragtime, blues and jazz to Broadway, country, crooning, and beyond–Let’s Do It is essential reading for all music lovers.
My Next Read: “Great God A’Mighty! The Dixie Hummingbirds: Celebrating the Rise of Soul Gospel Music” by Jerry Zolten
The Dixie Hummingbirds, along with the Swan Silvertones and the Soul Stirrers, were the foremost popularizers of the a cappella style of gospel music that brought the spiritual music of traditional African-American communities to a wide-and primarily white-audience in the 1950s. In this excellent history, Zolten, an assistant professor of American Studies at Penn. State, Altoona, carefully and lovingly details the almost 75-year history of the Hummingbirds, from their start in the Depression to their induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2000. He deftly explores how the group’s history itself embodies numerous American ironies: that an “unintended result” of segregation “was the flowering of a distinctly African American homegrown culture” that included gospel music; that the Depression and the mass migration of African Americans from the South “created a nationwide market for black entertainers of all kinds” that allowed the Hummingbirds their initial financial success. Zolten interestingly points out that the group, known for its hard-driving vocal sound, won its only Grammy award for their own version of “Loves Me Like a Rock” by Paul Simon, whose original version had featured the Hummingbirds and brought them to a new rock-oriented audience. Adding to the book’s success are Zolten’s numerous interviews with founding members James Davis and Ira Tucker, as well as their many collaborators, which add personal depth to the book’s amazing wealth of detail and dates. This is a fine exploration of an important style and era in the history of American popular music and culture.