Page 1413 – That Eric Alper

Avril Lavigne Announces Partnership with Ready-to-Drink Cocktail Brand BeatBox

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 10, 2023

Today, eight-time GRAMMY Award-nominated, multi-platinum singer, songwriter, designer, and philanthropist Avril Lavigne has announced her first ever alcohol partnership with ready-to-drink cocktail brand BeatBox, The World’s Tastiest Party Punch. Avril’s 11.1% ABV Pink Lemonade special edition package will be available at tens of thousands of locations nationwide, including 7-Eleven, Kroger, Circle K, Casey’s, QuikTrip, and many other valued chain and independent retailers.

BeatBox’s partnership with Avril is the latest in their wider “Creator Series.” The BeatBox Creator Series partners the rapidly growing ready-to-drink cocktail brand with globally recognized tastemakers to create exclusive, uniquely designed flavors and packaging that are distributed through the brand’s large retail network.

“From the moment Avril told our team how she drinks a BeatBox before every studio session we knew this was a perfect fit for our growing Creator Series. The BeatBox Creator Series is where we partner with world renowned musicians like Avril Lavigne, as well as other large influencers and brands, to bring exciting new flavors and collectible packaging to our 45,000+ retail locations,” says Zech Francis, VP of Global Marketing for BeatBox. “Partnering with Avril is going to unlock even more exciting opportunities for BeatBox as one of the fastest growing ready-to-drink cocktail brands in the US.”

Consumers across the country will have access to enter to win exclusive signed Avril Lavigne merchandise from their favorite retailers. Retail activations will also include custom Avril displays, lifesize Avril Lavigne cutouts, and a national sweepstakes to meet Avril in person.

“We are excited to bring this unique partnership to life in retail stores across the nation. Introducing Avril’s special edition packaging with our already popular Pink Lemonade flavor is an amazing opportunity to introduce BeatBox to Avril’s 100+ million fans!” says Zech Francis, VP of Global Marketing for BeatBox.

Avril’s continued fame and success show no signs of slowing down, with over 100 million social media followers to-date, 8 Grammy nods, and 6 World Music Awards.

“The partnership with BeatBox felt right from the start – I have never come across a brand that was as committed to providing their fans with a truly memorable experience, specifically pegged to music, than the BeatBox Team,” said Avril Lavigne. Lavigne continues, “Every facet of the collaboration, down to my involvement with the design of the package itself, felt authentic and true to me. I am excited for people to see the new packaging, and let us know what you think!”

BeatBox Beverages, one of the fastest growing RTD brands of 2022, is currently available in more than 45,000 retail locations. The brand is the fastest growing alcoholic beverage brand on social media and reached over 6 million customers at festivals and events to date in 2022, with 100+ music festivals and events planned in 2023.

Music Entrepreneur Adrian L. Miller On Music Supervising Season Three Of Hulu Series Wu-Tang: An American Saga

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 10, 2023

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Music Entrepreneur Adrian L. Miller On Music Supervising Season Three Of Hulu Series Wu-Tang: An American Saga

cclaimed music entrepreneur Adrian L. Miller is serving as the Music Supervisor for season three of the Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga. Created by Wu-Tang Clan member RZA and screenwriter Alex Tse, it’s a biographical drama about the formation of the Wu-Tang Clan that’s currently streaming its third and final season on Hulu.

Miller curated the soundtrack to be representative of real-world events going on at the time. “I purposely sourced music that was part of our daily living soundtrack during this era,” says Miller, “This music is our legacy – and an additional character in each episode.”

Alex Tse adds, “We’ve always felt Adrian was part of the family. It was nice to make that official this season.” Method Man says of Miller, “A one since day one.”

For Adrian, this was a trip down memory lane and a thrilling opportunity “to actually see the RZA’s vision for each track. It’s not often we get a chance to use songs that artists have created, while showing the inspiration and engineering that accompanies each song’s production. It’s exciting to see that come full circle. There will never be another Wu-Tang Clan, and the music is just reestablished all over again…”

Among Miller’s other music supervision duties include Friday, Waist Deep, Cut Throat City, and Judgment Night.

Miller is one of the most influential music executives and business strategists in entertainment. He is the founder of his management company Xyion Inc., and co-owner of record labels including OBE, Delicious Vinyl Island, and A Tiny Universe (with Grammy-winning producer Om’Mas Keith). During his career he’s helped develop several artists’ careers including Flo Rida, Cypress Hill, Ice Cube, Outkast, and has managed and produced Grammy award-winner Anderson .Paak.

Adrian Miller’s mantra of “always looking for the perfect beat” follows him through all of his endeavors, both now and into the future.

Global Citizen Now Returns With A New Agenda For Urgent Action

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 10, 2023

0

he world’s leading international advocacy organization Global Citizen today announced details of the second annual Global Citizen NOW summit, setting a global agenda for action on the most urgent issues facing humanity and the planet. Taking place in New York City on April 27 and 28, Global Citizen NOW will convene government leaders, private sector executives, grassroots activists, cultural innovators, philanthropic experts, and leading journalists for a dynamic two-day event.

Every Global Citizen NOW session will feature definitive next steps for participants, attendees, and global citizens to take immediate action on urgent issues including climate change, the global food crisis, gender inequality, protecting activists, and more. The program will feature major announcements on policy initiatives, intimate conversations with renowned artists, as well as corporate and world leaders. Various sessions will be livestreamed on Instagram and LinkedIn.

For the first time this year, global citizens around the world can contribute perspectives and questions for potential inclusion in Global Citizen NOW programming by downloading the Global Citizen app, visiting globalcitizen.org/message, or texting via WhatsApp on +27 63 534 5148.

Taking place at The Glasshouse in New York City, Global Citizen NOW is supported by Global Partners Accenture, Cisco, Citi, Delta Air Lines, Harith General Partners, P&G and Verizon, and Associate Partners Authentic Brands Group and Impossible Foods.

“The last few years have had a disproportionately harsh impact on the world’s poor. To redirect that trajectory we need to convene political, business, and cultural leaders and take action together,” said Hugh Evans, Co-Founder and CEO, Global Citizen. “Every session at Global Citizen NOW will drive impact with practical actions everyone can take. World leaders will hear from young climate activists, corporations will make new policy commitments, we’ll announce new ways everyone can take action in their daily lives, and we’ll launch our new campaign to mobilize billions to address the interconnected issues holding people in extreme poverty.”

“Multilateral action needs a reboot and we need to make sure the global financial system is fit for purpose: the fight against extreme poverty and against climate change. Global Citizen NOW is an important opportunity to advance the debate and will help pave the way to a New Global Financing Pact to be agreed in Paris in June,” said Emmanuel Macron, President of France.

“To fight climate change, end hunger and empower girls and women, the world needs our leadership; we all have the duty to act NOW,” said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

“The world is at a critical crossroads, and it is imperative that we act NOW to save our planet, address the climate crisis, ease the burdens crushing economies, and alleviate the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people,” said Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. “I am thrilled to be part of Global Citizen NOW, which is assembling global change-makers, listening to young people and grassroots activists, and driving an agenda of urgent action the world desperately needs.”

“Global Citizen NOW is an important opportunity for the voices of young people and global citizens everywhere to be heard by those in power, and for all of us, together, to find solutions that will shape our world for future generations,” said Hugh Jackman, Global Citizen Ambassador.

Showcasing the power of cross-sector participation to make progress on the systemic challenges our world is facing, Global Citizen NOW is convening the brightest minds, global decision makers, and the biggest names in pop culture with a diverse program of sessions and speakers, including:

Power Our Planet
Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; Vanessa Nakate, Ugandan Climate Justice Activist, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and Author of ‘A Bigger Picture’; Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Dr. Rajiv Shah, President, Rockefeller Foundation
How Ideas Become Impact
Sabrina Elba, United Nations IFAD Goodwill Ambassador; Hugh Jackman, Global Citizen Ambassador; Hugh Evans, Co-Founder & CEO, Global Citizen
New York Attorney General Letitia James in conversation with two time Emmy Award-winning Journalist and Author Tamron Hall
The “Good Life”
Portia Blunt, Vice President, Global Apparel, Reebok; Ebro Darden, Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B, Apple Music, and Host, HOT 97; Nicole LaPointe Jameson, CEO, Evil Geniuses; Jordan Fisher, Producer, Actor, Gamer; Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman, VaynerX, and CEO, VaynerMedia

Further programming details to be announced over the coming weeks.

Other participants include: Anjula Acharia, Founder & CEO, A-Series Management; Nat Kwabena Adisi (Bola Ray), CEO, EIB Network Ltd. and Chairman, Empire Group; Maggie Baird, Founder and President, Support + Feed; Nir Bar Dea, CEO, Bridgewater Associates; Helder Barbalho, Governor of the Amazonic State of Pará, Brazil; David Droga, CEO, Accenture Song; Pamela Fletcher, Chief Sustainability Officer, Delta Air Lines; Dorothy Fortenberry, Executive Producer, “Extrapolations”; Michael Gandolfini; Phoebe Gates, Women’s Health & Reproductive Rights Activist; C.D. Glin, President, PepsiCo Foundation; Dr. Patrick Gruber, CEO, Gevo; Prabal Gurung, Creative Director and Fashion Designer; Katie Holmes; Daniel Humm, Chef and Owner, Eleven Madison Park and Eleven Madison Home; Fran Katsoudas, EVP and Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer, Cisco; Alvaro Lario, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development; Stefan Löfven, Former Prime Minister of Sweden; Emmanuel Macron, President of France; Tshepo Mahloele, Founder & Chairman, Harith General Partners; Mark Malloch-Brown, President, Open Society Foundations; Chris Martin, International Global Citizen Festival Curator; Peter McGuinness, President & CEO, Impossible Foods; Catherine McKenna, Chair of the UN High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero; Bridget Moynahan, Global Citizen Ambassador; Antonio Nuño, CEO, Someone Somewhere; Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, P&G; Diego Scotti, Chief Marketing Officer, Verizon; Amanda Seales, Comedian and Social Justice Advocate; Dr. Rajiv Shah, President, The Rockefeller Foundation; Alok Sharma, COP26 President and Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom; Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director, Education Cannot Wait; Edward Skyler, Executive Vice President, Citi; Erna Solberg, Former Prime Minister of Norway; Abena Soreno, Founder, GOALSFORFLOW; Darren Walker, President, Ford Foundation; Caroline Wanga, President & CEO, Essence Ventures; and Elizabeth Wathuti, Kenyan Climate Activist and Founder, Green Generation Initiative.

The pinnacle of the summit will be the annual Global Citizen Prize 2023 award ceremony on Thursday evening, honoring four trailblazing activists profoundly impacting their local communities in the areas of climate change, civic space, sexual health and reproductive health, and food security, as well as the recipient of the Cisco Youth Leadership Award, a young person positively impacting the world using technology innovation. Winners will be announced in the coming weeks. Proud partners of the Global Citizen Prize 2023 include Cisco, Citi and P&G.

Global Citizen NOW is co-chaired by International Global Citizen Festival Curator Chris Martin and Global Citizen Ambassador Hugh Jackman; political leaders Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana; Erna Solberg, former Prime Minister of Norway; and Stefan Löfven, former Prime Minister of Sweden; corporate sector leaders Hans Vestberg, Chairman & CEO, Verizon; Nir Bar Dea, CEO, Bridgewater Associates; Fran Katsoudas, EVP and Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer, Cisco; Chris Stadler, Managing Partner, CVC Capital Partners; Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, P&G; Diego Scotti, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer, Verizon; Tshepo Mahloele, Founder & Chairman of Harith General Partners; and Edward Skyler, Executive Vice President, Citi; and philanthropic sector leaders Dr. Rajiv Shah, President, Rockefeller Foundation; Mark Malloch-Brown, President, Open Society Foundations; and Darren Walker, President, Ford Foundation.

Global Citizen NOW is grateful for the support of leading media companies across the world including: ABC, AIM Group, Arena Holdings, Bella Naija, Bloomberg, EIB Network, Vanguard Media, Wall Street Journal and Zikoko.

To learn more about Global Citizen NOW visit www.globalcitizen.org/now23.

You Can Now Build Your Own Fender Stratocaster With Lego

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 9, 2023

0

You Can Now Build Your Own Fender Stratocaster With Lego

Create your own brick-built 1970s Fender Stratocaster guitar and 65 Princeton Reverb amplifier with this LEGO Ideas DIY guitar set for adults (21329). Recall the legendary musicians who have played a Stratocaster as you recreate its iconic curves and add authentic details such as the posable whammy bar, pickup switch and tuning pegs. The buildable amp has removable panels for easy viewing of the motherboard, reverb tank, speaker and other interior details, plus rubber cables to connect it to the guitar and footswitch. This collectible set includes bricks to build the guitar in either red or black and guitar accessories: picks in 4 colors plus an elegant, foldable stand for the guitar model to complete a delightful display piece. There is also a sticker with the Fender logo made from LEGO bricks to attach to your real guitar or amp. This collectible DIY guitar kit is a top birthday present or gift idea for teenagers and adult guitar players, Fender fans, music lovers and keen LEGO builders. A fan designer entered this cool building set in the LEGO Ideas ‘Music to our Ears’ contest and was chosen from the top 9 entries to become the next LEGO Ideas set by the LEGO Ideas review board. It sure will make a striking centerpiece at home or in the office. The guitar measures over 14 in. (36 cm) long, 4 in. (11 cm) wide, and 1 in. (3 cm) deep. Contains 1074 pieces.

You can get it here.

My Neat Read: “George Michael: A Life” by James Gavin

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 9, 2023

2

My Neat Read: “George Michael: A Life” by James Gavin

The definitive biography of George Michael, offering an expansive look at the troubled life of the legendary singer, songwriter, and pop superstar.

George Michael was an extravagantly gifted, openhearted soul singer whose work was both pained and smolderingly erotic. He was a songwriter of true craft and substance, and his music swept the world, starting in the mid-1980s. His fabricated image—that of a hypermacho sex god—loomed large in the pop culture of his day. It also hid—for a time—the secret he fought against revealing: Michael was gay. Soon his obsession with fame would start to backfire. As one of the industry’s most privileged yet tortured men began to self-destruct, the press showed little sympathy. George Michael: A Life explores the compelling story of a superstar whose struggles, as well as his songs, continue to touch fans all over the world.

Acclaimed music biographer James Gavin traces Michael’s metamorphosis from the shy and awkward Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou into the swaggering, dominant half of the leading British pop duo of the 1980s Wham!; he then details Michael’s sensational solo career and its subsequent unraveling. With deep analysis of the creative process behind Michael’s albums, tours, and music videos, as well as interviews with hundreds of his friends and colleagues, George Michael: A Life is a probing, definitive portrait of a pop legend.

Folk Rocker Aaron Wylder Releases “Don’t Let Me Down”

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 8, 2023

0

Folk Rocker Aaron Wylder Releases “Don’t Let Me Down”

You’ve got to love what you do and draw inspiration from whatever drives you to be the best you can be. The love and passion for music and the art of songwriting is clearly defined by the brilliant indie-folk rock star, Aaron Wylder on his newly released single, “Don’t Let Me Down.”

The Cayman Island-born, Victoria, BC-based indie-folk sensation has once again blessed our ears with this new soulful and raw introspective track that can be heard on the just-released Adventure Songs EP.

The song kicks off with a poetic and acoustic melody that instantly puts you in an upbeat mood as the soothing sound of Wyler’s voice guides you on a musical journey. “I’m looking for the sun to shine. I’m looking for words to rhyme. Oh don’t let me down. Some days I feel like. Only way that I’ll survive. Is with a guitar in hand.”

Wylder can be heard in the first verse referencing his desire for the sun to shine and for words to rhyme, searching for positivity and creativity. The title phrase, “don’t let me down” emphasizes the importance of achieving these goals and not losing hope.

“This song describes my animalistic passion and competitive drive to be a truly successful singer-songwriter,” says Wylder. “It is me saying, hey world, I may not be this or that, but this is who I am.”

With the steady strumming beat of acoustic guitar setting the tone throughout the track, Wylder sings about his love for rock ‘n roll and creating meaningful music. “Cause I’m just a boy. From a sandy island. But I love rock ‘n roll. And I sing from my soul”, paying homage to his proud Cayman Island roots and his passion for his music.

The authentic and nostalgic singer and songwriter go on to add, “This song is me presenting myself to the world and making a statement that I have arrived.”

Wylder shares his struggles, facing all kinds of different challenges but he uses music as a coping mechanism, putting him in his comfort zone with a guitar and pen in hand. Making music is how he expresses his emotions, and he uses those words as a way of encouragement to continue writing and making soulful and honest music.

“I learnt to sing along.
To the beat of my lonely heart.
I don’t mess around.
I learnt to read and write.
To the beat of my lonely fight.
I won’t hit the ground.”

The 25-year-old Canadian singer/songwriter’s new EP, Adventure Songs, builds on his blend of indie folk and Americana. “I try to write what I hear in my head and what I feel in my chest,” says Wylder. “It’s a damn cool thing to write a song that you love and speaks to others as well. If I’m able to make music that I enjoy and people enjoy it too then I’ll die a happy man.”

Dany Horovitz Rocks Out On “Don’t Look To Me”

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 8, 2023

0

Dany Horovitz Rocks Out On “Don’t Look To Me”

Some breakups are mutual, some crush you, and some have you wishing the other would just go away as fast as possible. The last kind was the inspiration behind Dany Horovitz’s latest single, “Don’t Look To Me.”

The first single on the Canadian singer-songwriter’s upcoming album, Phanerorhyme, “Don’t Look To Me” combines a catchy chorus and up-tempo melody with lyrics that describe someone very ready to move on from their significant other.

“Here we are stuck in old routine
I’ve had enough, do you know what I mean
You call me lover, you call me friend
I tell you I’m broken, you ask me to bend”

The singer performs these lines over a 90s-esque pop rock background that evokes the high-energy songs of Barenaked Ladies, coincidentally Horovitz’s favorite Canadian band. This is a bit of a departure from his earlier releases, which had strong folk vibes, but with this track, Horovitz loudly declares his versatility and flexes his rock muscles.

The pace and energy of this song is why Horovitz decided to make it the single off of this album and the starter on the project’s tracklist.

“I wanted to front-load the higher energy songs, so the first three songs especially have a lot of drive,” he explained. “Of those three songs, I think that ‘Don’t Look To Me’ is catchiest because of its earworm of a chorus. It also has my trademark ‘sweet-melody-paired-with-dark-lyrics’ thing. In short, people who know me are going to like it a lot and hear something new and interesting, and it’s a great entry point for anyone who has never heard my music before, too.”

Phanerorhyme will be Horovitz’s second album and third project. In 2021, he released his first single, “Moving On,” which dove into post-breakup recovery. It serves as an apt juxtaposition to “Don’t Look To Me.”

“‘Moving On’ was about feeling joy again after going through heartbreak,” Horovitz said. “‘Don’t Look To Me’ makes for an interesting counterpoint, because it is an upbeat song about saying, ‘good riddance,’ to someone.”

Horovitz must have had someone particular in mind when he recorded this song in Toronto, because he immediately matches the heat of the instrumentals, only gaining energy as the track goes on. It culminates in a very memorable close.

“One interesting thing happens at the end where I hold the final note basically forever,” Horovitz said. “The last 30 seconds of the song is all one breath.”

Horovitz is an exciting, rising star in the North American music scene. He has had several singles get radio play across Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia, and his single “Free Tonight” earned him Top 20 honors on Cashbox Radio. The next song up is “Don’t Look To Me” – keep your ears peeled for this catchy tune on a radio station near you.

Ottawa Folk Artist Christine Graves Releases “Keep In This Mind’ Single

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 8, 2023

1

Ottawa Folk Artist Christine Graves Releases “Keep In This Mind’ Single

Everyday life is a wonder. Ottawa-based Canadian folk singer-songwriter Christine Graves knows this well. In her new single “Keep this in Mind” an ironic perspective emerges about life and a reality that we don’t get everything we dream of experiencing “before we’re done”.

The results are both simple and sublime, throughout the album “Everyday Life” and “Keep this in Mind” is here to serve as a musical blessing upon all those who look back on a life and ask ‘did I do enough good?’

“During the pandemic, working in a mental health hospital catapulted me into intensely writing again,” she says. “Believing that my gift of making music is an important healing tool is a lesson learned from the hardships we all faced in COVID times.”

The album is not, however, a “COVID album,” she is quick to add, though “that might come next.” The album represents works from before, during, and “after” COVID, and the message of “Keep This In Mind” about finding the beauty in the mundane is about as timeless as you can get.

“The song relates to how we define reality,” she says. “We can live something each day and it seems normal. Live it different, and reality is redefined. Do we have this capability? I think we do.”

Christine Graves is a Canadian singer-songwriter who has released music independently since 1995. She served as the artistic director of the Blue Skies Music Festival from 2006 to 2008. While raising her family and working as a healthcare professional have kept her from recording for a considerable time, Everyday Life will be her fifth studio album release. With her remarkable voice and poetic heart, Christine is a performer who knows something about everyday life and can draw an audience into discover together how we are all the same.

The Wicked Witch of the West Visits ‘Sesame Street’ In A Segment Rarely Seen Before

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 8, 2023

1

The Wicked Witch of the West Visits ‘Sesame Street’ In A Segment Rarely Seen Before

Margaret Hamilton went back to her role as the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz on a 1976 episode of Sesame Street that was removed from future broadcasts for being too scary for kids.

Only aired once, the SHOW was released in 2019 at a Jim Henson exhibit, but the full footage has finally been found.

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Shares The Coverage Take For The ‘Eat It’ Video

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 8, 2023

1

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Shares The Coverage Take For The ‘Eat It’ Video

Back in 1984, “Weird Al” Yankovic released Eat It, his parody of Michael Jackson’s single Beat It, with the contents changed to be about an exasperated parent attempting to get their picky child to eat anything at all, much less to eat properly. Yankovic recently found footage from the video not seen before and shared it on YouTube.

Yankovic says, “Recently a friend of mine was digitizing all the original film footage that we shot for the “Eat It” video, and he came across this “coverage” take. Basically this is a take where the director just points the camera at the star of the video, who just does anything they feel like doing for the duration of the song. It’s insurance, in case for some reason the production runs out of time and doesn’t get all the shots they were hoping to get. I’m pretty sure NOTHING from this take got used in the final video, but I still thought it was stupid/amusing enough to share.”