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My Next Read: “Reach for the Stars: 1996–2006: Fame, Fallout and Pop’s Final Party” by Michael Cragg

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “Reach for the Stars: 1996–2006: Fame, Fallout and Pop’s Final Party” by Michael Cragg

Using the arrival of the Spice Girls as a jumping-off point, this fascinating new narrative will explore, celebrate and contextualise the thus-far-uncharted period of British pop that flourished between 1996 and 2006. A double-denim-loving time before the glare of social media and the accession of streaming.

The bastions of ’00s pop – armed with buoyant, immaculately crafted, carefree anthems – provided entertainment, escapism and fun for millions. It was a heady, chorus-heavy decade – populated by the likes of Steps, S Club 7, Blue, 5ive, Mis-Teeq, Hear’Say, Busted, Girls Aloud, McFly, Craig David and Atomic Kitten, among countless others – yet the music was often dismissed as inauthentic, juvenile, not ‘worthy’ enough: ultimately, a ‘guilty pleasure’.

Now, music writer Michael Cragg aims to redress that balance. Using the oral-history format, Cragg goes beneath the surface of the bubblegum exterior, speaking to hundred’s of the key players about the reality of their experiences.

Compiled from interviews with popstars, songwriters, producers, choreographers, magazine editors, record-company executives, TV moguls and more, this is a complete behind-the-scenes history of the last great movement in British pop – a technicolour turning-point ripe for re-evaluation, documented here in astonishing, honest and eye-opening detail.

Rogers together with Shaw presents Darius Rucker in Calgary

Eric Alper
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Rogers together with Shaw presents Darius Rucker in Calgary

Hey Calgary, Rogers and Shaw are coming together, and they’re hosting a free concert for their customers featuring country artist Darius Rucker, along with supporting performances from The Reklaws & Kyle McKearney. The host for the show will be Calgary native Lindsay Ell, and they want to see you there. For more information, go here.

Rogers is joining forces with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area to make a meaningful impact. Let’s work together to create deliberate, international mentoring relationships between young people and compassionate adults. And here’s the best part: for every ticket scanned at the Rogers together with Shaw presents Darius Rucker concert, they’ll donate $10 to this fantastic cause. Let’s make a difference!

The concert is FREE; tickets will not be sold to the general public. Select Rogers & Shaw customers will be invited via email.  Customers will receive a unique code redeemable for a pair of tickets on Ticketmaster. Note, tickets are first come, first serve.

From May 19th to 22nd, you can visit the below retail locations to see how you can get tickets to the concert while supplies last.

Rogers Retail Locations:

  • Chinook Centre – 6455 MacLeod Trail S, Unit 306, Calgary, AB T2H 0K8
  • Southcentre – 100 Anderson Rd. SE, Unit 37, Calgary AB T2J 3V1
  • Sunridge Mall – 2525 36 St NE, Unit 275, Calgary, AB T1Y 5T4
  • Cross Iron Mills – 261055 Crossiron Blvd, Unit 373, Rocky View, AB T4A 0G3
  • Market Mall – 3625 Shaganappi Trail NW, Unit D011A, Calgary, AB T3A 0E2

Shaw Retail Stores:

  • Chinook Centre – 6455 MacLeod Trail S, Unit 139, Calgary, AB T2H 0K8
  • Southcentre – 100 Anderson Rd. SE, Unit 25, Calgary AB T2J 3V1
  • Sunridge Mall – 2525 36 St NE, Unit 278, Calgary, AB T1Y 5T4
  • Cross Iron Mills – 261055 Crossiron Blvd, Unit 347, Rocky View, AB T4A 0G3
  • Market Mall – 3625 Shaganappi Trail NW, Unit P018-A, Calgary, AB T3A 0E2

Legendary Rock Manager HARVEY LISBERG Releases New Book “I’m Into Something Good: My Life Managing 10cc, Herman’s Hermits and Many More!”

Eric Alper
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Legendary Rock Manager HARVEY LISBERG Releases New Book “I’m Into Something Good: My Life Managing 10cc, Herman’s Hermits and Many More!”

When 22-year-old accountant Harvey Lisberg heard the Beatles’ ‘Please Please Me’, he had an epiphany: he could be Manchester’s answer to Brian Epstein. He had a musical ear, a knack for numbers and a gambler’s instinct for taking a punt. Within a year he had taken local group, Herman’s Hermits, to number one with ‘I’m Into Something Good’. You can get it here.

Soon, Hermania was a global phenomenon. Harvey had found his vocation. In this uproarious, frank and moving autobiography, “I’m Into Something Good: My Life Managing 10cc, Herman’s Hermits and Many More!”, he reveals the excesses of life on the road with Herman’s Hermits; the frustration of championing unknowns Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber; the highs and lows of managing the brilliant 10cc; the utter madness of looking after snooker bad boys Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins and Jimmy ‘Whirlwind’ White and much, much more. Many other artists benefitted from Harvey’s guidance during this time, including Tony Christie, Barclay James Harvest, Sad Café and the Chameleons.

“I’m Into Something Good “is his account of a life that started in Salford and ended up in Palm Springs; a life in which he travelled the world, met heroes and villains, fulfilled his dreams, spent a fortune on good living, family and friends, and never took himself or his achievements too seriously.

UK-Emerging Singer Songwriter Gideon Foster Releases “Affirmation” New Single From ‘Prophecy’ Album

Eric Alper
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UK-Emerging Singer Songwriter Gideon Foster Releases “Affirmation” New Single From ‘Prophecy’ Album

Gideon Foster is a noteworthy, emerging singer-songwriter based in Yorkshire, UK, blending his philosophical outlook on life with a unique sound of his own. His love of music has led him down many different roads and genres, and while Gideon has drawn inspiration from many of them, he is not to be constrained by them, preferring to go with the flow.

Gideon answered his calling a little later than most, not producing a song until his mid-40s but hasn’t stopped since, releasing many singles, an EP, and most recently his debut album Prophecy which is a musical documentation of his journey and the life-changing event that led to him writing songs.

The debut LP, Prophecy, showcases his personal evolution with its lead single, “Affirmation.” He explains: “The album is really an introspective journey; it was recorded with the great help and inspiration of my producer Si who has imparted so much of his musical knowledge to me whilst we’ve been working together and it’s really a journey from the past to the present. The opening track ‘Affirmation’ is the corporate world I left behind to write music, a world that will always be a part of my journey to here but a world that resonated with me less and less as life progressed.”

By refusing to stay in his safe comfort zone, Gideon believes that “Prophecy has been a work in progress for the 53 years I have been living, but for the first 45 years of that time I didn’t realize I wanted to write songs—I’ve always had a love of music and played guitar a bit, but until I had a spiritual awakening nine years ago, none of it made sense. My life changed as a result of this event, and I started to look for meaning in my life and songwriting became that meaning and almost a means of documenting the journey.”

I’m not casting seeds on stone, I’m not like you all alone
Tell me when you’re ready, tell me when you’re done

The album Prophecy and the single “Affirmation” are both out now.

Nominations Revealed for the 2023 SSIMAs: Aysanabee Leads With 6, Snotty Nose Rez Kids Get 5

Eric Alper
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Nominations Revealed for the 2023 SSIMAs: Aysanabee Leads With 6, Snotty Nose Rez Kids Get 5

The Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival today announced nominees for The SSIMAs, (Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards) presented by TD Bank Group. Winners will be celebrated and honoured in Ottawa during the awards ceremony at the National Arts Centre on Tuesday, June 6th, 2023.  Tickets will be available for purchase at the NAC box office, or by clicking here.

The SSIMAs span 16 categories, celebrating solo artists, duos and groups from across Canada and showcasing the diverse and growing music and culture of artistic expression and accomplishment within the Indigenous community. Nominees were selected from 250 Canada-wide submissions by an invited panel of jurors comprising Indigenous and music industry professionals. No public voting was involved in the selection process.

“Presenting and promoting Indigenous music is a cornerstone of our Festival,” says Trina Mather Simard, CEO and Producer of Ottawa’s Summer Solstice Festival which runs June 21 – 25. “We’re celebrating Indigenous voices” adds Advisory Committee Chair Elaine Bomberry. “These Awards, in Canada’s capital city, provide an excellent platform for artists to be recognized for their hard work”. She adds.

Hosted by Anishinaabe activist, broadcaster and content creator Sarain Fox, The SSIMAs presentation ceremony will feature six live performances.

Tickets will be on sale THIS Friday May 19th at 10AM, with a limited number of VIP tickets include a reception attended by artists, presenters and sponsors with an Indigenous-inspired menu by NAC Chef Chris Commandant.

Tickets for The SSIMAs start at $20.00 (including tax plus fees) and will be available at https://summersolsticefestivals.ca/2023-music-awards/, by phone and in-person at the NAC box office, starting Friday at 10 am.

This SSIMAs presentation kicks off Indigenous History Month and is a prelude to the Annual Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival (SSIF), June 21st-25th at Madahoki Farm in Ottawa. The free festival coincides with National Indigenous Peoples Day (NIPD) on June 21. Authentic, interactive programming showcases the culture, history, food, music, art, fashion, dance and entrepreneurship of Canada’s diverse Indigenous community fostering cultural understanding and creating opportunities for connection.

See the full list of nominees below:

Radio Song Single of the Year
Nomads, Aysanabee
Thick As Thieves, Blue Moon Marquee
Wannabe, Indian City
Deadman, Logan Staats
I’M GOOD, Snotty Nose Rez Kids

Country Album of the Year
That’s The Way It Goes, Jim Jacobs
Classic Country Couple, Jerry Sereda
A Place To Call Home, Trent Agecoutay
It’s Time, Jarrid Lee, Chief & Council

Pop/Alternative/Rock Album of the Year
Watin, Aysanabee
Zhawenim, Digging Roots
Code Red, Indian City
Kizmet, Melody McArthur
Star Nation, Nadjiwan

Live Musical Performance of the Year
Nomads, Aysanabee
Long Black Train, Blue Moon Marquee
War Club, DJ Shub
Codeine, Logan Staats
Grave Digger, Bully Mode, No Jesus
Piece, Sink or Swim Medley, Snotty Nose Rez Kids

Social Voice
Digging Roots
Plex
Genevieve Salamone
Logan Staats
Adrian Sutherland

Roots Album of the Year
Scream, Holler & Howl, Blue Moon Marquee
Zhawenim, Digging Roots
Inuugama, Joey Nowyuk
The Spaces In Between, Amanda Rheaume
When The Magic Hits, Adrian Sutherland

Rap/Hip Hop/Electronica Album of the Year
Passage, Cody Coyote
Going Through the Motions, Patrick
Moon Bird
Unidentified, MR. SAUGA
Who Am I To Judge, Plex
I’M GOOD, HBU?, Snotty Nose Rez Kids

Metis Artist/Group of the Year
G.R. Gritt
Kaeley Jade
Andrea Menard
Amanda Rheaume
Brandi Vezina

International Indigenous Artist/Group Recording of the Year
G Precious
Solju
Secret Tween

Music in the Arts
Lacey Hill, Love Wins
Kaeley Jade, A Broken Heart
(Remembers the Breaking)
Jessica McMann, Muskwa’s Mountain Home

Recording Artist(s) of the Year
Ayasanabee
Digging Roots
Lacey Hill
Laura Niquay
Snotty Nose Rez Kids

Rising Star
Aysanabee
Laura Niquay
MR. SAUGA
Stun
Joel Wood

Inuit Artist/Group of the Year
Angela Amarualik
Beatrice Deer
Brenda Montana
Joey Nowyuk
Shauna Seeteenak

Pow Wow/Hand Drum/ Fiddle/Instrumental Album of the Year
kâkîsimo ᑳᑮᓯᒧᐤ, Cikwes
Incandescent Tales, Jessica McMann
Ôskimacîtahowin: A New Beginning,
Northern Cree
Mikwanak Kamôsakinat, Joel Wood

Artistic Video
We Were Here (Jon B. Elliott) Aysanabee
Red Flags (Doug Bedard) Plex
The Unforgotten (Genevieve Salamone) Genevieve Salamone
DAMN RIGHT (Sterling Larose/ Ellie Cameron) Snotty Nose Rez Kids
Walk With Me (RoseAnna Schick) Adrian Sutherland

Photo Gallery: Indigo De Souza with Sluice at Toronto’s Opera House

Eric Alper
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Photo Gallery: Indigo De Souza with Sluice at Toronto’s Opera House

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

Indigo De Souza
Indigo De Souza
Indigo De Souza
Indigo De Souza
Indigo De Souza
Indigo De Souza
Indigo De Souza
Sluice
Sluice
Sluice
Sluice
Sluice
Indigo De Souza

 

My Next Read: “Jazz Uncovered: A Radical Guide to the Music That Changed the World” by Sammy Stein

Eric Alper
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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”

Eric Alper
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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”

Eric Alper
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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”

Eric Alper
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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.

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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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