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Toronto Rock Trio FAKE MAGIC Explores The Ups and (Mostly) Downs Of Fatherhood In ‘Sad Dad’ Album

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Toronto reminiscent rock trio, Fake Magic released the album Sad Dad, which reflects on all the intricacies and responsibilities of being a man. Particularly a dad. A sad dad.

However, the group – Greg Markham, Bryan Paccagnella and Cory Williams – didn’t limit their inspiration to forlorn fathers. No. The album pays homage to men they’ve known, heard about, or encountered through media representation.

“Good dads. Flawed dads. Dork dads. Stepdads. Substitute dads. Sad dads. Randy Marsh. Homer Simpson. Hank Hill. On the surface, it’s a thumpin’ good time. Below the surface, it’s about ego and acceptance. It’s fun, dark, funny, sincere, and sometimes all of them at once,” the band said.

Sad Dad’s opening track, “Saturday,” recounts the power of getting out of bed to complete a simple task, even if melancholia overwhelms you. The driving guitar and keys inspire the lead vocalist to reclaim a bit of power he has lost.

“Today is the day
That I put on shoes to mow the lawn.
‘Cause its not gonna mow itself.
No, it’s not gonna go down easy.
There’s not gonna be anybody else.
That takes this maintenance seriously.”

With an established character, the narrative expands with each song, unraveling the life of a sad dad. Each of the 13 chapters expounds upon a different, surface-level, and metaphorical theme.

The first single “Begging to be Lonely” is about how slowly time moves when you feel stuck. It comes from Bryan and Greg’s experience growing up in the suburbs of Richmond Hill in the 1990s, dreaming of a life downtown in the big city. This endless wait can lead to depression, excuses, and self-sabotage,” the band said.

The fifth track, “Funkiest Spot,” dips its toes into a jammy funk fest paced with propulsive electric guitar beats and an inquisitive vocal riff, imploring, “Who are you?” This pleading tune encapsulates a feeling of losing yourself. Honing in that desire to return to what makes you happy. A cry for help from a friend.

Future radio hit “Old Days” compasses every high you’ve had with a massive guitar-lick ending, while Sad Dad comes full circle with the final track, “Sit Down.” “That one is a nod to Glen Campbell’s ‘You Better Sit Down Kids,’ following the story of a father sharing parting wisdom with a child following a divorce.”

Sad Dad captures the essence of being a man and what it means to grow older through music. Whether through subtle references or candid lyrics, Fake Magic utilized their experiences to create an honest album of boundless, magical promise. Just like parenting.

African Women Acting Celebrates Black History Month With Film and New Single at ADA Slaight Hall Feb 18

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On February 18 at Toronto’s ADA Slaight Hall, African Women Acting will be presenting TRACE, the documentary and celebratory project aiming to recognize the work and efforts of seven Black Canadians in diverse sectors including business, entrepreneur, academic, arts and culture, history and philanthropy, as well as front-line workers and more, who have impacted the community with their great accomplishments. Attendance is free and signup is here.

The documentary was Executive Produced by African Women Acting (AWA) & Saimy’s Art, and Produced and Directed by Sonia Aimy, and co-produced by Kennedy Seed Obioha following seven TRACE Honourees:

Rustum Southwell – Nova Scotia –  Impactor Of Black Business In Canada. Empowering Black Business Initiatives In Canada
Rosemary Sadlier – Toronto – Custodian Of Black History
Charlene-Rokhaya Jaye – Montreal – Advocate For Women Empowerment & Digital Technology.
Tunde Dawodu– Calgary – Visionary & Promoter Of African Culture & Heritage In Calgary Alberta
Adonis Huggins – Toronto – Community Leader & Advocate For The Development Of Younger Generation
Renee’ Rankine – London – Advocate To End Gun Violence & Visual Artist
Naila Keleta-Mae – University Of Waterloo- A Professor & Founder Of Black And Free/artist.

Schedule of event:
4pm DOORS
5pm VIP Photo Op
6pm Meet & Greet
7pm Entertainment
8pm TRACE Screening
9pm Q&A
10pm END of Program

In addition to the film screening, “TRACE (Tracing Rare African Canadian Extraordinaire)”, the new single from Sonia Aimy, was written and recorded as the theme song for the documentary and celebratory project of the same name.  The TRACE project aims to recognize the work and efforts of seven Black Canadians in diverse sectors i.e., business, entrepreneur, academic, arts and culture, history, and philanthropy. The seven TRACE honourees include Adonis Huggins, Charlene Rokhaya-Jaye, Naila Keleta-Mae, Renee Rankine, Rosemary Sadlier, Rustum Southwell, and Tunde Dawodu.

The inspiration for the song comes from the TRACE project itself–the desire to discover true role models who do a lot for their community but do not boast about their actions. The afrobeat genre at its core follows a similar principle; allow the instrumentals to speak to the narrative while the vocals are simply an added flourish. “It inspired me to focus on the musical arrangement that will balance the TRACE beautiful narratives”, says Sonia.

My Next Read: ‘My Name Is Barbra’ by Barbra Streisand

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Happy days are here again! EGOT, icon, and THE funny girl herself shares her story — from Brooklyn to Broadway, to Brolin, and everything in between.

Barbra Streisand is by any account a living legend, a woman who in a career spanning six decades has excelled in every area of entertainment. She is among the handful of EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) and has one of the greatest and most recognizable voices in popular music. She has been nominated for a Grammy 46 times, and with Yentl she became the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a major motion picture. In My Name Is Barbra, she tells her own story about her life and extraordinary career, from growing up in Brooklyn to her first star-making appearances in New York nightclubs to her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) to the long string of successes in every medium in the years that followed. The book is, like Barbra herself, frank, funny, opinionated, and charming. She recounts her early struggles to become an actress, eventually turning to singing to earn a living; the recording of some of her acclaimed albums; the years of effort involved in making Yentl; her direction of The Prince of Tides; her friendships with figures ranging from Marlon Brando to Madeleine Albright; her political advocacy; and the fulfillment she’s found in her marriage to James Brolin.

No entertainer’s memoir has been more anticipated than Barbra Streisand’s, and this engrossing and delightful book will be eagerly welcomed by her millions of fans.

Sting and Dominic Miller Talk Beatles and the Future of Music

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In this episode Sting and Dominic Miller talk about the magic of The Beatles and their optimism for the future of music.

Regina, SK’s Pop Maestro nasmore Greets You With “Welcome To The Hell”

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Hell has never sounded this good. “Welcome To The Hell,” the new single by the eclectic Regina, SK-based pop maestro known as nasmore, taps into his unique sonic formula: an amalgam of stadium rock, goth-industrial textures, modern R&B and cinematic scores.

Like most nasmore singles, it’s a collaboration. Returning to the nasmore fold is guitarist Neil Taylor, best known for his work with Tears for Fears in the mid-’80s and Robbie Williams in the early 2000s. New to nasmore is an operatic pop singer from Italy, La Strange. On this lively, edgy and stark single, Taylor lashes out with gritty vocals and fierce guitar licks that perfectly mingle with La Strange’s beautiful and yet powerful voice. This is a no-brainer for fans of artists like Paramore and Dua Lipa, to mention only a couple.

In nasmore’s own words, “Some songs make you cry, and some songs you skip forward, and then there are songs that immerse you into their world, putting a sarcastic smile on your face and dragging your mind to visit dark places—like Hell, for example. Just for a day? Stay in a hotel situated by the burning sea of lava with a nice view of torture and punishment. Most of us humans do not require a reservation. Just come pick your nightmare.”

nasmore aims to be a role model: an example for all the dreamers and everyone who is committed to living a life with creative fulfillment, everyone who follows their passion, no matter what. He is a true artist and catalyst who brings so many different talents together with his frequent collaborations. He grew up in Canada, with instruments surrounding him, fully immersed in music of all kinds while teaching himself the fundamentals and writing his own songs. With an adventurous spirit, a tremendous natural skillset, and the courage to experiment, nasmore developed an authentic taste for diversity that he infused into his own unique process.

In 2021-22 he released a series of stunning singles, recruiting guest stars along the way. The collaborative process soon became an essential and joyous part of his creative realm. nasmore seamlessly blends all the best elements of pop, hip-hop, indie rock, R&B, and classical music, in a sound that can be eccentric and moody, romantic, and lovely, or dark, intense, eerie, and poignant. His music is inspired by Imagine Dragons, Billie Eilish, Tommee Proffitt, League of Legends soundtrack, The Weeknd, Scorpions, Metallica, Aerosmith, Hans Zimmer.

Karma Isn’t Just A Young Person’s Game: Oshawa’s 66-Year-Old Mark Wihlidal Releases Scathing “You And Me”

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Fed up with lies from his partner, Oshawa, ON singer/songwriter Mark Wihlidal puts his faith in Karma on his new single “You and Me,” following his joyous debut single, “Life Can Be A Mystery” released in July 2022. Both songs were written and recorded collaboratively with his band, Mark Wihlidal and The Doctors of Music.

The band takes us on a “Bo Diddley bluesy” trip of a relationship that has gone wrong with the hope that Karma will balance everything out.

“You can run but, you can’t hide
Karma will get you every time
You can’t hide those little lies
It will catch you from behind”

What goes around comes around is the underlying theme throughout his new single, as Wihlidal points out: “I truly believe that Karma, like in the chorus, keeps things in balance. I believe that good things will happen to those who do good and will eventually catch up with those who do things that are not so good.”

“You and Me” came to be in the Summer of 2022 when Mark and his bandmates were trying to record a home studio song. After Mark left the studio and went back home, he found new guitar riffs perfect for the verse and chorus. The very next day, he took it to lead guitarist, Steve Bekessy, who added his own flavour with some electrifying guitar riffs of his own that can be heard throughout the track.

When Mark was writing the chorus for “You and Me, it was originally intended to be about his experience with a previous employer in the private sector. He witnessed employees being mistreated and wanted to see that company face reckoning, “You can run, but you can’t hide. Karma will get you every time.”

After the verses got worked out, it became clear to Mark that “You and Me” is about a relationship that has gone wrong as the lyrics on the track point out – “You left me standing here, leading my mind into nowhere.”

The soulful blues/rock singer recently seen in the major daily newspapers from Oshawa to Niagara Falls including top-ranked music sites like Tinnitist, Canadian Beats, Cashbox, Record World and more, drives this message home as he says: “I think a lot of people have been in this situation, a relationship is going great and suddenly, it’s over or they are gone. This situation leaves you confused and wondering what happened. Again, the chorus makes the whole song relevant as we all hope that Karma will fix these kinds of things.”

Vancouver’s Persian Powerhouse Tissa Rahim Debuts Soulful Acoustic Retelling of Heartbreak In “Done, Done, Done”

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Powerful vocals accompanied by heartfelt acoustic expressions are what make Vancouver’s Tissa Rahim’s newest single, “Done, Done, Done” such a gem.

Tissa’s emotional dumping about a one-way relationship comes off as an authentic and empowering anthem as a slew of seasoned musicians paint the canvas for a soulful retelling.

Featuring Berlin’s own Dominique Fricot, Tissa and Dominique approach the idea of processing heartbreak and manipulation, bringing each respective artist’s own experiences into the studio as they produced this smashing retro-soul single. Tissa’s vocals on “Done, Done, Done” can be affectionately compared to the love child of Amy Winehouse and Corrine Bailey Rae’s stylizations.

Tissa is known as the Persian Powerhouse, but more appropriately as the established West Coast musician with a 40-city North American tour under her belt. With a slew of venues under her belt, Tissa has seen stages such as House of Blues in New Orleans, The Gramercy Theater in New York, and Vancouver’s quintessential jazz and soul club, Guilt and Co.

Recently listed as 24 Magazine’s “24 under 24,” Tissa’s collaborators include producers such as 100 Monkey’s Jackson Rathbone. As a solo artist, Tissa has found a unique ability to express herself freely, exploring Tissa’s natural divination in Soul/R&B, infusing it with traditional Persian music – repeating a generations-long family tradition.

Since 2019, Rahim has built up an enticing catalog as a solo artist, consisting of digital releases, videos, and collaborations with artists in Vancouver and beyond. Fresh off of a West Coast tour, Tissa is back in the studio recording original music, funded by Creative BC, FACTOR, and SOCAN.

TORI AMOS Announces Ocean to Ocean US Tour This Summer

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Today, trailblazing musician, author and activist Tori Amos announced a US tour this summer to continue celebration of her highly acclaimed 2021 album, Ocean to Ocean. Following a sold-out World Tour throughout 2022, Tori will once again be performing with long-time collaborator bassist Jon Evans and renowned UK drummer Ash Soan, with special guest support to be announced. She will also be making stops at venues like The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, and a special stop at Wolf Trap in Virginia, where Amos grew up attending shows.

“I am truly excited to be coming back to the US on the Ocean to Ocean Tour this summer with my amazing bandmates Jon Evans and Ash Soan,” Tori says. “We are so looking forward to playing iconic venues once again such as The Greek in LA, Red Rocks and especially Wolf Trap, where I saw so many shows growing up in neighboring Maryland. As I write this, I’m training hard as we head to Europe in March before then heading back to the States in June.”

Ocean to Ocean received widespread acclaim by fans and media alike, earning support from Pitchfork, Entertainment Weekly, Stereogum, SPIN, NPR, PBS NewsHour Weekend, and many others. The record debuted at #2 on the Billboard Current Alternative Albums Chart and #6 on the Billboard Album Sales Chart, marking her tenth Top 10 appearance.

The album is Amos’ most personal work in years – bursting with warmth and connection, with deep roots in her earliest song writing. As communities around the world suffered the loss of life, live music, travel, and much at all to observe, Tori had a difficult time during the pandemic. She descended to an emotional state lower than she had been to for a long time – but the depths became creative, forcing a return to the kind of introspection she recognised from her debut album Little Earthquakes. The new collection is an expression of kinship and love, of emotional and geographical dislocation. It explores environmental concerns, the restraints of the pandemic for those on the cusp of adulthood, empowerment, loss & healing delivered with Tori’s trademark urgency and passion.

Amos recently released her new graphic novel Little Earthquakes: The Graphic Album, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her breakthrough album, Little Earthquakes. Released in partnership with Z2 Comics, the project is a sequel to her first graphic novel, Comic Book Tattoo. The book demonstrates the lasting influence of Amos’ debut album, which established her iconic thematic voice, as well as her live intensity behind the keys, with unflinching lyrics and songs that would inspire generations of artists and musicians. The graphic novel demonstrates her lasting influence with 24 stories inspired by the 12 songs on the album, as well as 12 ‘B-sides’ that accompanied the album.

North American Tour Dates:
June 17 West Palm Beach, FL @ Kravis Center
June 18 Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
June 20 New Orleans, LA @ Mahalia Jackson Theater
June 22 Birmingham, AL @ Alabama Theatre
June 23 Atlanta, GA @ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
June 24 Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
June 26 Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
June 28 New York City, NY @ Beacon Theatre
June 29 New York City, NY @ Beacon Theatre
July 1 Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion
July 2 Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Center for the Arts
July 5 Vienna, VA @ Filene Center at Wolf Trap
July 6 Hershey, PA @ Hershey Theatre
July 8 Lewiston, NY @ Artpark Mainstage Theater
July 9 Rochester Hills, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
July 11 Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
July 12 Louisville, KY @ The Louisville Palace
July 14 St. Louis, MO @ Stifel Theatre
July 15 Omaha, NE @ Orpheum Theater
July 17 Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
July 18 Albuquerque, NM @ Kiva Auditorium
July 19 Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Arts Center
July 21 Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
July 22 Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre
July 23 San Diego @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay
July 25 Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery
July 26 San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
July 28 Seattle, WA @ TBD

Spotify Launches ‘GLOW’ – New Equity Program Celebrating & Amplifying LGBTQIA+ Artists, Creators & Community

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Music and culture have long been shaped by the LGBTQIA+ community: on stage, behind the scenes, and in culture overall.

Committed to using the power of Spotify’s platform to elevate, uplift and spotlight voices that have been historically marginalized, we’re launching GLOW – a new global music program developed to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community.

Supported by the Creator Equity Fund – Spotify’s commitment to fostering equity in the audio space – GLOW will join sister programs like EQUAL and Frequency. Their commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community will amplify voices and stories through:

  • The GLOW Hub, a dedicated space on Spotify to highlight audio offerings of LGBTQIA+ voices for queer and ally users.
  • Global Flagship Playlist, GLOW, which will be refreshed monthly and highlight tracks by LGBTQIA+ artists.
  • A 360 program providing editorial and partnership capabilities, marketing support, and charitable components.

To launch GLOW, they’re spotlighting LGBTQIA+ artists including: Arlo Parks, Bruses, Jean Seizure, Joesef, Leland, Liniker, Natalia Lacunza, Pabllo Vittar, Sam Smith, Tove Lo  and Villano Antillano.

Nominations and New Performers Revealed for The 2023 JUNO Awards

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The nominees for The 52nd Annual JUNO Awards were announced today by The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) at a press conference attended by media and industry notables inside the CBC’s Canadian Broadcasting Centre, in downtown Toronto. This year’s winners will be unveiled in Edmonton, Alberta at The JUNO Opening Night Awards Presented by Music Canada on Saturday, March 11 and The JUNO Awards Broadcast on Monday, March 13, broadcasting live on CBC and produced by Insight Productions (a Boat Rocker company).

CARAS also revealed today that three more of this year’s nominees will join the lineup of performers taking the stage at The JUNO Awards Broadcast – award-winning rock band Alexisonfire (Rock Album of the Year), multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer songwriter Aysanabee (Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year) and multi-platinum R&B powerhouse Jessie Reyez (Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year and Music Video of the Year).

Canada’s biggest night in music, hosted for the second year by global superstar Simu Liu, will broadcast and stream live across the country from Rogers Place in Edmonton at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos and CBC Music’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages.

Canada’s Starboy The Weeknd sweeps this year’s nominations with a total of six including: TikTok JUNO Fan Choice, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Pop Album of The Year. Pop punk legend Avril Lavigne and Albertan singer-songwriter Tate McRae followed with five nominations each, showcasing the enormous talent that reinforces Canada’s global reach. Avril is nominated for TikTok JUNO Fan Choice, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Artist of the Year and Pop Album of The Year; while Tate is up for TikTok JUNO Fan Choice, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Pop Album of The Year.

First-time nominees honoured with three nominations include acclaimed singer/songwriter Preston Pablo for TikTok JUNO Fan Choice, Single of the Year and Breakthrough Artist Of The Year; and dance-pop icon Rêve for TikTok JUNO Fan Choice, Breakthrough Artist Of The Year and Dance Recording Of The Year. Canadian rapper NAV also takes home three nominations for Album of the Year, Rap Album/EP of The Year and Rap Single of the Year; alongside internationally celebrated singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes for TikTok JUNO Fan Choice, Single of the Year and Artist of the Year; and country music duo The Reklaws for TikTok JUNO Fan Choice, Group of the Year and Country Album of the Year.

The host province of Alberta is also well represented with first time nominations going to Altameda for Adult Alternative Album of the Year; Anthony Tan for Classical Composition of the Year; The Bearhead Sisters and Cikwes for Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year; Devon Cole for Breakthrough Artist of the Year; The Ostara Project for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year, Tehillah Worship for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year; Rare Americans for Breakthrough Group of the Year and WAKE for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year.

MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with CARAS and The JUNO Awards, will recognize one Canadian music educator’s impact not only on students, but also their community and the music education field, through the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, presented by CST Foundation. The 2023 nominees are Jewel Casselman (Winnipeg, MB, Lakewood School), Susan Evoy (St. John’s, NL, St. Teresa’s Elementary & Waterford Valley High School), Stephen Richardson (Yellowknife, NWT, École St. Joseph School), Kelly Stronach (Guelph, ON, Mitchell Woods Public School) and Heidi Wood (Calgary, AB, Joane Cardinal-Schubert High School).

Lighting up the stage is Alexisonfire, who will stun crowds with their amped up show for the second time since their inaugural JUNO performance in 2007. The band recently released their long-anticipated and first full-length album in over 13 years, Otherness, described as their most cohesive and self-actualized record to date. Otherness debuted at #2 on the Top 20 Music Canada album chart and the band’s single “Sans Soleil” hit #2 on Rock Radio in Canada. The post-hardcore luminaries have sold over one million records and released five hugely successful studio albums, with four achieving Platinum-certification.

Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class alumni, Aysanabee, will make his JUNO Awards debut with a performance showcasing his striking sound and powerful voice. Since releasing his deeply moving debut album Watin in 2022, Aysanabee has been named a CBC Music Breakthrough Artist of the Year. His acclaimed single “Nomads” hit #1 on CBC Music’s Top 20 and continues to climb, entering the Top 10 on Mediabase Canada’s Alternative radio chart. His soulful track “We Were Here,” charted on the Indigenous Music Countdown and was featured on the hit ABC series Station 19.

The four-time JUNO Award winning superstar, Jessie Reyez will help celebrate this year’s nominees as she returns to share a soulful live performance with audiences in Edmonton. This past September, Reyez released her sophomore album, YESSIE, which chronicles the journey and range of emotions from love and loss to healing, closure and happiness. The GRAMMY Award-nominated artist’s recent success includes her debut album reaching Top 5 on Billboard’s R&B Album Chart and amassing over 1.2 billion global streams. Reyez also earned the title of Top Female Debut Album and Top R&B Album of 2020 for Before Love Came To Kill Us, and made a cameo in Beyonce’s Black is King visual album.

These artists join previously announced acts AP Dhillon, Banx & Ranx, Preston Pablo and Rêve together in a collaborative performance, Nickelback, Tate McRae and Tenille Townes.

The 52nd Annual JUNO Awards and JUNO Week 2023 will take place in Edmonton, AB from Thursday, March 9 through Monday, March 13, 2023, culminating with The JUNO Awards Broadcast. Media accreditation for the 2023 JUNO Awards is now open at junoawards.ca/media-accreditation. Media have until February 7, 2023 at 5 p.m. ET to apply.