DRUMS is a documentary film from Lauten Audio that provides a uniquely intimate and uncensored look at the relationships and processes behind making a great record, starting with the drums. Among friends finishing each other’s sentences, you’ll experience stories, thoughts, and origins of how these industry titans learn and work to create the sounds of hit records. DRUMS is not a ‘how-to’ video; it is an intimate look at what it’s like to work side-by-side with music legends in one of the world’s most revered recording studios, Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters’ Studio 606.
Rina Sawayama Announces ‘Hold The Girl: Reloaded’ Tour Across North America
Rina Sawayama, who made her film debut as the lead female role in John Wick: Chapter 4 over the weekend, is back to announce a new string of tour dates in North America. The Hold The Girl: Reloaded tour includes festival stops at Governor’s Ball, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza and follows the John Wick: Chapter 4 LA, NY and UK premieres as well as her appearance on Good Morning America and her couch conversation with Jimmy Fallon leading up to the release of the film. The film broke box office records for the franchise and hit #1 at domestic box office. The Wrap praised that Rina’s character Akira, “gets some of the best choreography of the film, letting arrows fly as she launches herself from villain to villain in her Katniss Everdeen-meets-dominatrix best.” Mashable noted, “Rina Sawayama exudes ruthless amounts of cool,” with The Hollywood Reporter adding that Rina, “will undoubtedly be seen in future editions.” Rina’s vocals are also featured in the end credits of the film on the track “Eye For An Eye.”
The tour follows the release of her latest album, Hold The Girl, a sold-out UK and Ireland run, which included a performance at O2 Brixton, and a 13-show run in the United States at the end of last year, playing two nights at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner in New York City and two nights at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. The artist’s pre-sale will commence at 10am local time this Wednesday, March 29th and general on-sale will begin at 10am local time this Friday, March 31st at rina.online.com.
Her new album Hold The Girl see’s Rina once again juxtapose intimate storytelling with arena-sized songs creating another ambitious and original album to excite fans and critics alike. Written and recorded over the last year and a half, Rina teamed up with long-term collaborators Clarence Clarity and Lauren Aquilina as well as enlisting help from the likes of the legendary Paul Epworth (Adele, Florence & the Machine), Stuart Price (Dua Lipa, The Killers, Madonna) and Marcus Andersson (Demi Lovato, Ashnikko) for their magic touch. The product of Rina and these collective minds coming together is an album that melds influences from across the pop spectrum and is a bold and honest statement of Rina’s personal evolution; coming to terms with her own past and the jubilation of turning to the future.
Upcoming Live Dates
6/9 – North Adams, MA @ MASS MoCA
6/10 – Queens, NY @ Governors Ball Music Festival
6/16 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
8/4 – Montréal, QC @ Osheaga Festival
8/6 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
8/9 – Toronto, ON @ HISTORY*+
9/22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Twilight Concert Series≠+
9/24 – Las Vegas, NV @ Life Is Beautiful Festival
9/26 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium≠+
9/28 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre≠+
10/6 – Bentonville, AR @ The Momentary≠+
10/9 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues New Orleans≠+
Kelly Clarkson Announces Exclusive Las Vegas Engagement At Bakkt Theater At Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
GRAMMY Award-winning global superstar Kelly Clarkson has announced that she will headline 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 (formerly Zappos Theater) stage, Kelly and her longtime band will immerse fans in an intimate music experience that spans her two-decade long catalog of award-winning hits.
“I am so excited for these shows and couldn’t think of a better place to get back on stage than Las Vegas! The crowds in Vegas are such an amazing collection of people that simply want to have a great time and that’s what we’re going to do!” said Kelly Clarkson. “So many of my musical idols have had, and still have, incredible residencies on The Strip, and I’m so excited to create my own!”
Tickets go on sale starting Friday, March 31 at 10 a.m. PT at ticketmaster.com/KellyVegas. Artist fans will have access to a presale beginning Tuesday, March 28 at 12 p.m. PT. Citi is the official presale card of Kelly’s exclusive Las Vegas engagement at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, March 28 at 10 a.m. PT until Thursday, March 30 at 10 p.m. PT through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.
Caesars Rewards members, Caesars Entertainment’s loyalty program, and Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers will have access to a presale from Wednesday, March 29 at 10 a.m. PT until Thursday, March 30 at 10 p.m. PT.
The 10 performances going on sale are:
July 2023: 28, 29
August 2023: 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 18, 19
Odesza Announce 2023 Tour Dates
ODESZA have just announced the much-anticipated follow-up to 2022’s The Last Goodbye Tour. The second leg will follow headlining performances at Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands and Electric Forest, taking the GRAMMY-nominated duo to stops in San Diego, Columbus, Indianapolis, New Orleans, and more, featuring support from Bob Moses, Bonobo (DJ set), Big Boi, TOKiMONSTA, Drama, Neil Frances, and QRTR & Olan on select dates (outlined below).
Tickets will be available starting with an Artist presale via Laylo beginning Wednesday, March 29 at 10 AM local time. Additional presales will run throughout the week, with all presales ending Thursday, March 30 at 10 PM local time. The general on sale will begin Friday, March 31 at 10 AM local time at odesza.com.
ODESZA and the nonprofit REVERB are continuing their partnership to reduce the environmental footprint of their tour and take action on the climate crisis. In addition to a comprehensive tour sustainability program, the band will be supporting REVERB’s climate portfolio which funds projects that measurably reduce greenhouse gas pollution, address climate justice, and directly decarbonize the music industry. Fans will have the ability to join the effort by visiting ODESZA’s Action Village at every show.
ODESZA’s live performances have become a modern legendary wonder, mixing stunning visuals, expert musicianship, pyrotechnics and an immersive environment to transform whatever venue they are at into an otherworldly experience. Last year’s tour sold over 450k tickets throughout its amphitheater run with numerous sold-out, multi-night runs including in their hometown of Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena, LA’s Kia Forum, and New York’s Forest Hills Stadium and more (making them the first electronic artists to attempt such a tour). The recent tour also earned high praise with a Pollstar cover feature proclaiming that “ODESZA makes history,” while Billboard added “ODESZA is meant to be seen, and heard, live,” and the Seattle Times called them “a ticket selling, dance music force that raised the live performance bar for electronic artists.”
ODESZA also recently attended the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards in support of their nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album for ‘The Last Goodbye’ (released via Foreign Family Collective/Ninja Tune) and released their new single “To Be Yours (feat. Claud)” which Billboard said “perfectly tows the line between each of the artists’ respective worlds, employing the crystal clear production work of the sought-after dance pair as well as the confessional songwriting of the fast-rising bedroom pop singer into one gloriously fun single.”
FULL ODESZA 2023 TOUR DATES
June 14 – Montreal, QC – Place Bell + #
June 30 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheatre @ = #
Aug 30 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center * ^ #
Sept 1 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater * ^ #
Sept 2 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake * ^ #
Sept 3 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center * ^ #
Sept 8 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre * ^ #
Sept 9 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre * ^ #
Sept 12 – Bristol, VA – Jiffy Lube Live * ^ #
Sept 14 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion * ^ #
Sept 16 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center @ ^ #
Sept 20 – Palms Springs, CA – Acrisure Arena * ^ #
Sept 29 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre * ^ #
Sept 30 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl * ^ #
Oct 4 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center * ^ #
Oct 6 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP ^ #
Oct 12 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center * ^ #
Oct 13 – Kansas City, MO – T Mobile Center % ^ #
Oct 19 – Mexico City, MX – Sports Palace * ^ #
* Bob Moses
@ Bonobo (DJ set)
% Big Boi
^ TOKiMONSTA
= Drama
+ Neil Frances
# QRTR & Olan
ODESZA 2023 FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES
June 10 – Governors Ball – New York, NY
June 17 – Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN
June 22 – Electric Forest – Rothbury, MI
Aug 3-6 – Lollapalooza – Chicago, IL
August 11-13 – Outside Lands – San Francisco, CA
Elvis Costello & The Imposters Say “We’re All Going On A Summer Holiday” Tour Starts On June 7, 2023
Elvis Costello & The Imposters – with their special guest Charlie Sexton – are proud to announce: “We’re All Going On A Summer Holiday” – a 23-date tour produced by Live Nation. Commencing on June 7th in Vancouver, B.C. Canada, the tour includes stops at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and the Beacon Theatre in NYC. Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets will open all of the coast-to-coast dates.
TICKETS: The general on sale for We’re All Going On A Summer Holiday will begin Friday March 31, 2023 at 10am Local on ElvisCostello.com.
Since returning to the road in the summer of 2021, in the guise of “Elvis Costello & The Layabouts”, E.C. and The Imposters – Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas, Davey Faragher and augmented by Texas guitarist Charlie Sexton – have undertaken three tours in the United States and one in the U.K. and northern Europe. Most recently Costello played the highly-acclaimed “100 Songs and More”, a ten-night engagement at the Gramercy Theater, NYC at which he played more than 230 original songs, repeating only three titles. The shows that began in solo performance went on to spring nightly surprises, involving everything from an ensemble including musical saw, fiddle and Uillean pipes to an eight-person Broadway vocal chorus led by M.D. Rob Mathes, duets with jazz bassist, Endea Owens and, from the halfway point, performing with Steve Nieve at the piano before adding two different horn sections, led by trumpet player and arranger, Michael Leonhart. The stand included guest vocal appearances by Rebecca Lovell, La Marisol and JSWISS and concluded with a more than three hour finale performance with the full band line-up.
The “We’re All Going On A Summer Holiday ” dates will follow two headlining appearances at the Byron Bay Bluesfest in Australia, three nights at the Sydney Opera House and a show at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne. In May, Costello and Steve Nieve will return to the concert hall stage together for the first time in twenty years, in Reykjavik, Iceland. Further dates are planned for later in the year and will be announced shortly.
Since 2018, Costello has issued ten record releases; the most recent being, “The Songs of Bacharach & Costello,” a 4-CD, 2-LP box-set celebrating his nearly 30-year songwriting collaboration with Burt Bacharach. It was named Best New Reissue by Pitchfork. The Grammy Award-winning Elvis Costello and The Imposters album “Look Now” of 2018 was followed by the companion E.P., “Purse” while a French language E.P., “La Face Du Pendule à Coucou” followed the album, “Hey Clockface” – recorded in Helsinki and, Paris. Together with co-producer, Sebastian Krys, Costello also completed work on “Spanish Model” – an adaptation of 1978’s album “This Year’s Model” with new vocals recorded in lyrical adaptation and translation with a cast of Latin music performers. In 2022, the latest Elvis Costello and The Imposters release, “The Boy Named If,” was followed into the stores by “The Resurrection of Rust,” – the recording debut after fifty years of Rusty – the duo of Liverpool-based singer-songwriters, D.P. MacManus and Allan Mayes, accompanied by The Imposters for new recordings of their 1972 repertoire including two Nick Lowe compositions from his days in the band Brinsley Schwarz.
Preparations for a return to the stage in 2021 (and again in the summer of 2022) led to the release of “The Boy Named If (Alive at Memphis Magnetic)’”, which found the band running down live arrangements of their new songs along with the Jagger/Richards song, “Out Of Time” and Nick Lowe’s 1976 Dutch release, “Truth Drug”. The collection was completed by a brand new version of “Magnificent Hurt” by the Japanese duo, chelmico.
D.P. MacManus and Lowe first met in a public house, opposite The Cavern in Liverpool in 1972. Lowe went on to produce “Elvis Costello’s” largely ignored Stiff Records debut 45rpm, “Less Than Zero” and the subsequent failed singles releases, “Alison” and “Red Shoes”, although the same songs received more attention upon the release of his debut album, “My Aim Is True” in July ’77 in the U.K. and in a Columbia Records release late in the same year.
Between late 1977 and 1980, Nick Lowe produced the Elvis Costello and the Attractions albums, “This Year’s Model”, “Armed Forces”, “Get Happy” and ‘”Trust,”. In the Spring of 1979, Elvis Costello and the Attractions and Mink Deville were joined by Rockpile – featuring both Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds – and undertook a three-month package tour of the United States. At this time, Costello’s version of a song from the last Brinsley Schwarz album, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love & Understanding” saw its first release as the B-Side of the Radar Records single, “American Squirm”, credited to “Nick Lowe And His Sound” with the producer seen on the picture sleeve seated at the mixing board of Eden Studios in tinted horn-rims, cradling a Jazzmaster guitar with a newly inlaid fretboard reading, “Costello”. The track was subsequently added to the U.S. edition of Elvis Costello and the Attractions, third album, “Armed Forces”.
In 1984, Costello took the producer’s chair for the first and only time at a Nick Lowe session for the Hi Records-informed single, “L.A.F.S.” which was also included on the F-Beat Records album, “Nick Lowe & His Cowboy Outfit”. In the same year, the duo recorded the Burt Bacharach/Mack David/Barney Williams song, “Baby It’s You” at Lowe’s Am-Pro Studios in Shepherd’s Bush, London, also the location for a Boxing Day (1979) recording session with Lowe’s then father-in-law, Johnny Cash which yielded the hit release, “Without Love” and the Cash/Costello duet, “We Ought To Be Ashamed”. In 1986, Nick Lowe produced the Attractions’ last complete album, “Blood & Chocolate” at Olympic Studios, before returning for a bass-playing cameo on “Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)” for the 1990 Warner Brothers album, “Mighty Like A Rose”. In 1993 Nick Lowe (or Costello himself) played bass on nine of the songs on the album, “Brutal Youth”, which some mistook for a full Attractions reunion. They most recently performed together last summer on The Boy Named If & Other Favourites tour.l
GET TICKETS HERE – ELVISCOSTELLO.COM
“We’re All Going On A Summer Holiday” Tour Dates
Wed Jun 07 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Fri Jun 09 – Woodinville, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
Sat Jun 10 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Sun Jun 11 – Reno, NV – Silver Legacy Casino Reno
Tue Jun 13 – San Francisco, CA – Golden Gate Theatre
Wed Jun 14 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Theatre
Fri Jun 16 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
Sat Jun 17 – Las Vegas, NV – Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort
Sun Jun 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
Tue Jun 20 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
Wed Jun 21 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha
Fri Jun 23 – Hammond, IN – The Venue at Horseshoe Casino
Sat Jun 24 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest
Sun Jun 25 – Nashville, IN – Brown County Music Center
Wed Jun 28 – Rochester Hills, MI – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
Sat Jul 01 – Lenox, MA – Tanglewood
Sun Jul 02 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Wed Jul 05 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
Thu Jul 06 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Sat Jul 08 – Syracuse, NY – Landmark Theatre
Sun Jul 09 – Baltimore, MD – The Lyric
Wed Jul 12 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
Fri Jul 14 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia
The Smashing Pumpkins Announce 2023 North American ‘The World Is A Vampire’ Tour
The Smashing Pumpkins, today announced their 26-date North American THE WORLD IS A VAMPIRE TOUR. Produced by Live Nation, the tour is set to start on Friday, July 28 at The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. The tour will feature special guests Interpol, Stone Temple Pilots and Rival Sons as support on various dates, as well as some of the world’s biggest champions from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), who will be competing in most cities. THE WORLD IS A VAMPIRE TOUR has already sold-out 30k plus capacity shows in Mexico City this year, as well in cities across Australia this spring, and is set to expand to more countries in the future. Artist pre-sale begins Tuesday, March 28 at 12pm local until Thursday, March 30 at 10pm local. General on-sale starts Friday, March 31 at 10am local. For more details go to: https://smashingpumpkins.com/tour/
“I grew up in a world where I needed to know bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure existed, it meant there was a place for people like me to hang out and belong. That’s what The World Is A Vampire is about. Bringing back that sense of community. If you don’t fit in, you belong here. It’s about having a shared experience and respecting others, but ultimately having fun. A true alternative festival, where all the self-proclaimed weirdos and outsiders of the world can get together and have a party” – Billy Corgan
Along with news of their upcoming tour, the band released their brand-new single Spellbinding which received its radio debut this morning during a very special live appearance on The Howard Stern Show, revealing details of their upcoming tour and the release date for their highly anticipated third and final act of ATUM, which is set for release on May 5. Act 3 will come with a special edition boxset featuring all 33 album tracks plus 10 additional unreleased songs, and is available for pre-order HERE.
The band performed ‘1979’ and ‘EMPIRES’ live in the studio. Watch or listen to their interview on The Howard Stern Show HERE
ATUM features 33-tracks in 3 acts and is the sequel to 1995’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and 2000’s Machina/Machine of God. ATUM was written and produced by Corgan over the past 4 years. 22 tracks have been released to date, with Beguiled continuing to climb at both Active Rock (peaked at #6) and Alternative Radio Charts (#12).
In other news, Corgan’s popular podcast series Thirty-Three with William Patrick Corgan continues to quench the thirst of dedicated Pumpkins fans all over the world, offering listeners the chance to hear never-before-released ATUM tracks, as-well as diving into various aspects of the band’s illustrious history. Thirty-Three with William Patrick Corgan is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard. To learn more, click HERE.
When The Smashing Pumpkins first emerged out of Chicago in 1988, the world had never heard a band quite like them. They spun together rock, pop, shoe-gaze, metal, goth, psychedelia, and electronic into a kaleidoscope of saccharine melodies, fuzzy distortion, bombastic orchestration, incendiary fretwork, eloquent songcraft, and unshakable hooks. Upon their formation, their sound was different, iconoclastic, and wholly new—and it still is today. As a result, they’ve sold over 30 million albums worldwide and collected two GRAMMY® Awards, two MTV VMAs, and an American Music Award. Their catalog is highlighted by the platinum Gish [1991], the quadruple-platinum Siamese Dream [1993], diamond-certified Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness [1995], platinum Adore [1998], and gold Machina/The Machines of God [2000]. In 2018, they embarked on one of their most successful tours ever, the Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour, followed by SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT, VOL. 1 / LP: NO PAST. NO FUTURE. NO SUN. Meanwhile, 2020 saw the release of the band’s eleventh full-length and latest double album, CYR. As prolific as ever, The Smashing Pumpkins are currently working on new music. More details to come.
THE WORLD IS A VAMPIRE – NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
07/28 – The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan – Las Vegas, NV
07/30 – The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan – Las Vegas, NV
08/01 – USANA Amphitheatre – Salt Lake City, UT*
08/03 – Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA*
08/05 – White River Amphitheatre – Auburn, WA*
08/06 – Hayden Homes Amphitheater – Bend, OR*
08/07 – Toyota Amphitheatre – Wheatland, CA*
08/09 – FivePoint Amphitheatre – Irvine, CA*
08/10 – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre – Chula Vista, CA*
08/11 – Yaamava’ Resort & Casino - Highland, CA**
08/13 – Isleta Amphitheater – Albuquerque, NM^
08/15 – Dos Equis Pavillion – Dallas, TX^
08/16 – Walmart AMP – Rogers, AR^
08/17 – The Orion Amphitheater – Huntsville, AL^
08/19 – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, FL^
08/20 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre – Tampa, FL^
08/22 – PNC Music Pavilion – Charlotte, NC^
08/24 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ^
08/25 – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH^
08/30 – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY^
08/31 – Jiffy Lube Live – Bristow, VA^
09/02 – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON^
09/03 – Canadian Tire Centre – Ottawa, ON^
09/06 – Pine Knob Music Theatre – Clarkston, MI^^
09/08 – FirstBank Amphitheater – Franklin, TN^
09/09 – Ruoff Music Center – Noblesville, IN^
^ w/ Interpol & Rival Sons
* w/ Stone Temple Pilots & Rival Sons
**w/ Stone Temple Pilots
^^ w/ Interpol
SOCAN Foundation Announces Logan Staats as Recipient of TD Indigenous Songwriter Award
The SOCAN Foundation is delighted to announce Logan Staats as the recipient of this year’s TD Indigenous Songwriter Award. The acclaimed Mohawk artist from Six Nations of the Grand River (in Ontario) is being recognized for his song, “Deadman”.
The SOCAN Foundation’s TD Indigenous Songwriter Award was created to recognize and celebrate the artistic merit demonstrated by Indigenous songwriters of any genre, and this marks the fifth anniversary of the Awards. Staats will receive a cash prize of $10,000 in addition to career development opportunities and a performance opportunity in front of music industry professionals.
“My nation and my community are in every chord I play and every note I sing. They’ve saved me,” says Staats. “As I spend more and more time on Indigenous frontlines, it’s really affecting my songwriting. Most of my inspiration has come from my time at Land back lane and Wet’suwet’en. I used to keep my activism and music separate, but now they’re totally intermingled.”
Honourable Mention awards of $1,000 are also being made to Aysanabee, Ila Barker, Kaeley Jade, Uncle Joe, and Twin Flames. The winners will be using the funds to support their career development in various areas including recording new music, videography, and business management.
“Empowering Indigenous voices is essential, and we’re thankful for ongoing support from TD to celebrate Indigenous songwriters in Canada,” said Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of SOCAN Foundation. “The award is designed to celebrate merit in the craft of songwriting.”
Today at 6:00 pm ET all SOCAN Foundation TD Indigenous Songwriter Award recipients will be honoured on a special edition of “The Kim Wheeler Show” on SiriusXM’s The Indigiverse, Channel 165. Listeners will learn more about all the recipients from across Canada and hear their music.
“It’s exciting to see how many Indigenous songwriters there are. Congratulations to Logan Staats and all of the special distinction winners,” says Kim Wheeler, host of SiriusXM Indigiverse and Award jury chair. “The industry is growing, and this Award helps celebrate and create opportunities for Indigenous creators and make space for musicians who are making amazing music.”
Hundreds of applications from artists across Canada covering a wide variety of musical genres were submitted for consideration, and the TD Indigenous Songwriter Award winners were selected by a jury and advisory council of prominent Indigenous artists and industry leaders including those of First Nations, Métis and Inuit heritage. This special Award is made possible with the support of TD Bank Group. Previous recipients of the award include Leonard Sumner, Laura Niquay, Anachnid, and Jasmine Netnsa.
In 2018, Logan Staats won the musical competition The Launch, officiating the breakthrough that would lead him to Nashville and Los Angeles, and to his single “The Lucky Ones” reaching number one in Canada and winning the Indigenous Music Award for best radio single.
In the years between now and then, Staats has come home, making the intentional decision to re-root at Six Nations of the Grand River. To Staats, music is a healing salve, contemplatively composed and offered to listeners in need of comfort. Since returning home, Staats has been able to create music authentically again, reclaiming his sound through honest storytelling and unvarnished, sometimes painful reflection.
Staats has recently found a new label home with Red Music Rising and is excited to be working on his new upcoming album, which includes songs that are all written by Staats with the exception of one cover.
Counting musical icon Buffy Sainte-Marie (whom he frequently opens for) among his mentors, Staats wants to pay forward the guidance he’s received by connecting with Indigenous youth through music. He frequently leads workshops and visits local schools.
‘Me and Coolio Down by the Schoolyard’ Mashup With Paul Simon and Coolio
DJ Cummerbund wins the internet again with this brilliant mashup that combines Paul Simon’s song Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard with Fantastic Voyage by Coolio.
Ever Wonder How Vinyl Records Hold Stereo Sound? Here You Go!
Alec Watson of Technology Connections answers a question I bet more than a few people even in the music industry can’t answer – how vinyl records hold sound and how a stylus can create two separate channels for stereophonic sound.
USPS Releases Art of the Skateboard Stamps
The U.S. Postal Service unveiled its latest Forever stamps celebrating the Art of the Skateboard during a first-day-of-issue event held today at the Desert West Skate Park.
The dedication ceremony kicked off PHXAM 2023, an annual amateur skateboarding competition that attracts participants from around the globe. The event marked the official release of the stamps, which feature artistic skateboard decks with bold, vibrant designs that capture skateboarding’s excitement, diversity, and rebellious attitude.
“As an American institution older than our country itself, the Postal Service is always looking for ways to highlight and honor the stories and histories that are unique to the United States,” said William Zollars, a member of the USPS Board of Governors, who served as the dedicating official. “We are honored to do that again through these ‘Art of the Skateboard’ Forever stamps.”
Joining Zollars for the ceremony were stamp artists Crystal Worl, Di’Orr Greenwood, and Federico “MasPaz” Frum; Yassamin Ansari, Phoenix vice mayor; Cynthia Aguilar, director of Phoenix Parks and Recreation; and Trent Martin, CEO of Cowtown Skateboards.
Skateboarding now attracts a greater cross-section of people than ever before and recently debuted as a new Olympic sport at the 2020 Summer games in Tokyo.
The skateboarding community embodies youthful exuberance and independence; and its culture permeates everything from music and fashion to festivals and competitions. Its artwork reflects this reality, incorporating raw, creative designs which highlight the diversity of this culture and our country.
The Art of the Skateboard stamps feature four unique designs created by skateboarders-turned-artists Worl, Greenwood, MasPaz and William James Taylor Junior, also known as Core222.
Worl’s deck has a blue and indigo salmon design expressing her Tlingit/Athabascan heritage.
“The salmon formline represents abundance to the Indigenous people of the northern Northwest Coast and I’m proud that this uniquely Alaskan symbol will be immortalized on mailpieces across the country,” she said.
Greenwood’s design represents her Navajo culture, a turquoise-inlaid skateboard that displays eagle feathers and the colors of the rising or setting sun.
When creating her deck, Greenwood said she “wanted to capture the passion and perseverance of my people.”
“It is my sincere hope that through these amazing Forever stamps I can inspire youth worldwide to strive for and achieve greatness. Ahéhee’ (thank you) for this incredible opportunity, USPS,” she said.
Washington, DC based muralist MasPaz, Spanish for “more peace,” created a design featuring the mystical jaguar of the amazon in his unique bold lined style.
“Art helps me reconnect to the stories and land of my Colombian ancestors. The jaguar symbolizes the rainforest, guidance, and healing. Let her powerful call awaken all to live in peace and care for our home, Mother Earth.” he said. “I am incredibly grateful to the Postal Service for this opportunity to share the message of the jaguar across the country and worldwide.”
A striking red and orange graphic abstraction by self-taught Norfolk, VA artist Taylor energizes the final skateboard.
“These stamps are a celebration of the diverse and vibrant imagery, camaraderie, and athleticism of skateboarding,” said Core222, who was not able to be at the ceremony. “It was an immense honor and blessing to be a part of this project.”
Skateboard decoration has been particularly vibrant since the 1970s when inventive skaters rode in emptied backyard swimming pools.
Advanced skaters began experimenting with gravity-defying aerial maneuvers and eventually achieved the “vert” — shooting vertically up the pool’s side and cresting over the top edge. When skateboard magazines published photographs of these radical new moves, the skaters were catapulted to idol status and the in-your-face board graphics on the decks’ undersides became part of the allure.
Today, skaters and artists, one and the same, want boards that reflect their unique style and use a variety of techniques to achieve their desired look. Whether vulgar or highbrow, the artwork often employs ancient iconography and modern forms like graffiti art, absurd cartoons, and riffs on pop culture. Whatever the style, eye-catching deck art is ever evolving and an integral aspect of skateboarding cool.
“It’s satisfying to see the diversity of America represented by these artists,” said Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, who designed the stamps using photographs of skateboards held aloft by a young person, displaying the underside of the maple deck, where the artwork, wheels, and trucks all appear. The color saturation of each human model is muted to draw the eye to the skateboard itself. Stylish lines radiate from each skateboard in colors coordinated to the artwork.
The Art of the Skateboard stamps will be released in panes of 20, with 18 million copies in production. As Forever stamps, they will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #ArtoftheSkateboardStamps.
Customers may purchase these new stamps and other philatelic products at Post Office locations nationwide, through The Postal Store website at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, or by mail through USA Philatelic.