The loudest sound in history, and how loud something could get before it kills you.
The Craziest Edit Ever Done By The Beatles
Strawberry Fields Forever is one of the Beatles’ most well-known and beloved songs. But you might not have realized that the final version of the song is actually two completely different takes of the song, stitched together seamlessly by the talented team of engineers at Abbey Road Studios.
A paper-thin loudspeaker plays “We Are the Champions” by Queen
MIT engineers have developed a paper-thin loudspeaker that turn any surface into an audio source. This thin-film loudspeaker produces sound with minimal distortion while using a fraction of the energy required by a traditional loudspeaker.
Learn more here.
Country Artist Lynne Taylor Donovan Offers Special Holiday Wishes with “Dear Santa”
More toys? More tech? Not so fast, sings a voice of reason.
Lynne Taylor Donovan’s stirring old-school alto delivers a potent — and perennial —holiday message in “Dear Santa.” Adult contemporary- as well as country-friendly, the ultra-listenable track lends itself to multiple playlists and diverse formats. The timely lyrics by Tony Koenen offer both an appeal for peace to the universal Father Christmas and a plea for family spirit over excess spending to the Santas on the home front:
It’s not the gift, it’s the thought
And I’ve thought this one through
Giving of a gift is so easy
But giving of yourself makes wishes come true.
Recording this song was a no-brainer for Donovan: “I was conditioned by advertising as a child into believing that Christmas meant gifts and gifts meant love.” “Dear Santa” dispels that seasonal myth with a classic melody and the singer’s trademark warmth and style.
Born in Vancouver and based in Okanagan, British Columbia, Lynne Taylor Donovan hosted her own TV show as a teen. From “Talk to Me” to “Tennessee Whiskey,” her long string of country and crossover hits has made her a recognizable star in Europe, the U.K., and Australia as well as throughout Canada.
FOG Blues & Brass Band Put the Swing in ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’
Kitchener, Ontario band FOG Blues & Brass Band release a swinging arrangement of ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’ to enliven the 2022 holiday season. The latest single from the accomplished 7-piece rejuvenates the standard with keys, horns and a spirited vocal by lead singer Hilliard Walter.
Produced by Grammy and Juno Winner John ‘Beetle’ Bailey at Jancar Studios, Cambridge ON, and at The Drive Shed, New Hamburg, ON, the cheerful ode to St. Nick was a natural fit for the group of veteran musicians who are known for their rousing and joyful playing style. Having worked with the FOG Blues & Brass Band on its well-received In the Fog! Record, Bailey suggested the band reinterpret the classic song in their own style.
‘Here Comes Santa Claus’ was written and first performed by Gene Autry in 1947, quickly reaching #5 on the country charts and going on to become even more popular in subsequent years. In FOG Blues & Brass Band’s hands, the song is renewed yet again, buoyed by a swinging four-piece horn arrangement by writer/performer and Emmy-award winner Don Beithaupt (Monkey House, Breithaupt Brothers), guitarist Tim Palser’s melodic slide and the rest of the band’s accomplished playing.
“We had a blast cutting this one in the studio,” the band members recall. “The smiles on all our faces while tracking our first take said it all. All the pieces fit together easily.” The result is a jovial, freewheeling track, tailor-made for listeners in search of some Christmas cheer.
Formed in 2015 and based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Fog Blues & Brass Band is Hilliard Walter (Vocals), Al Hosjak (Bass), Domenic DiNino (Drums), Bobby Becker (Keys), Tim Palsar (Guitar), Dan Jancar (Saxophones), Joe Dublanski (Alto Saxophone), a group of seasoned musicians with a wealth of performing and recording experience. Semifinalists in the Band category at the 2020 International Blues Challenge, they released their debut record Into the Fog! In 2018, which quickly found widespread radio airplay and popular acclaim. With its firm command of classic blues, R&B and rock and roll and deep bench of soloists, the FOG Blues & Brass Band is a riveting live act, performing regularly at venues and festivals throughout Ontario.
Jazz Flutist Marie-Véronique Bourque Captures Endless Winter Snow with Holiday Song “The Shovel Shuffle”
There’s a satisfaction in shoveling snow, a certain athleticism, a nuanced choreography to it all. Who are we kidding – shoveling snow is the worst! But if you live in Canada, it’s a necessity, and jazz flutist Marie-Véronique Bourque and her band are here to add a little bit of levity to the situation with their new single “The Shovel Shuffle.”
With tinkling piano, passionate vocals, and fiery flute, “The Shovel Shuffle” is a lighthearted and completely jazzy holiday jingle to get you ready for snow, snow, and more snow. But first let’s be realistic …
Sometimes you wish you were born in Australia
Or in another warm place such as California
No fingers turning blue
No runny nose, no flu
No snow day stuck babysitting your sister
No winter coat to wear
No tuque flattening your hair
A bit of sunshine would be fair
The chorus then roars in with “Hustle, hustle, get your shovel/ Get your shovel it’s a snow day.” The accompanying music video pans back and forth between the band playing on a close, cozy stage and Marie-Véronique alone in a vast snowscape, shoveling away. The video is a fun way to watch the deft instrumentation of the band, and to get a few well-placed chuckles at the frustrations of shoveling winter’s never-ending white stuff.
Originally from Quebec, Marie-Véronique Bourque is a 2021 Trille Or and Saskatchewan Music Awards nominee, and a winner of the NFA 2021 Jazz Flute Big Band Competition. Her second album Entre Québec & Saskatchewan, released in 2021, and her debut album Une porte s’ouvre, released in 2018, were both voted the No. 5 Best Album of the Year (2018 and 2021) and landed on the !Earshot National Jazz Charts.
Born and raised in Québec, Marie-Véronique was awarded First Prizes in flute and chamber music from the Conservatoire de Musique de Québec. In 1992, she joined the RCMP band. After its disbanding, she served as a police officer for more than 25 years.
Singer-Songwriter Sharron Katz Releases “Santa Soulmate” Just In Time For The Holidays
Canadian through and through, Sharron Katz’s gentle soulful storytelling gives us an original special holiday song ‘Santa Soulmate.’ Arriving now, the single shows Katz’s ability to deliver truthful emotion straight from the heart without any frills.
Throughout the track, there is Alanis Morrisette style-storytelling present with a foundation of roots, blues, and folk. Plus, an added nod to the 90s with a Seattle-sounding production, delivering a welcoming nostalgia to Katz’s sound.
‘Santa Soulmate’ gives us a holiday track with a surprise beginning. Katz explains how the song was born out of sorrow and being alone at Christmas. She explains openly how the song had an emotional foundation.
“Well, it was going to be another Jewish Christmas — Chinese food and a movie. So, I sat in bed, crying, and suddenly I picked up my guitar and began writing a Christmas song.”
With a surprise twist and with a new lease on life, Katz brings us a fresh vision for the song. Reworking the track to bring a more untroubled holiday tune. ‘Santa Soulmate’ is about manifesting the perfect Santa that comes and brings joy to the life of the protagonist of the song.
“If I could dream up my perfect guy
He’d be just like Santa, funny kind and wise
He’s care about his fellow man, do the things he’d say
See the world with loving eyes each and every day”
The idea of the perfect Santa whether he’s a friend, companion, or lover comes across in this heartfelt track by Katz. She brings us Alanis Morrisette’s unburdened truth and storytelling alongside gentle pianos, acoustics, bass, and drums. And of course, jingle bells being added to the song gives this the instant Christmas sound that it deserves.
The original version started with Katz on vocals and acoustic with James Mallin and Myke Mazzei on guitars and bass duties. The revamped version brings in Don Baird on keys and Katz’s husband Mike McCullough adds Santa’s persona and those ever-important jingle bells, as well as fine-tuning the production and engineering.
Lemmon Entertainment Releases Holiday Mixtape To Benefit MusiCounts Band Aid Program
Lemmon Entertainment is releasing the Lemmon Holiday Mixtape – available now – featuring a wide variety of Canadian artists spreading Holiday cheer for an excellent cause. 100 percent of the mixtape’s proceeds will go to the MusiCounts Band Aid program.
Available from Dec. 9 through Dec. 30, the mixtape features Jess Moskaluke, Bif Naked, Josh Bogert, Olivia Penalva, Andrew Allen, Maggie Szabo, Jim Bryson, Pavlo, Zach Oliver, Ellen Doty, Chris Hadfield, Cassie Dasilva, The O’Pears, Helix, Chris McKhool (Sultans of String), Myles Goodwyn (April Wine) and more. The compilation will be available for purchase on S!NG for $9.99 CDN.
MusiCounts’ Band Aid Program provides up to $15,000 worth of musical instruments and equipment to school music programs to ensure their continued success and sustained growth. And it absolutely helps: In 2022, two thirds of the schools who asked for MusiCounts’ help reported having an annual budget of $500 or less for their music program.
For many of these schools, the budget is $0. An investment through the MusiCounts Band Aid Program transforms music education at these schools, and reaches many generations of students. It provides access for kids who couldn’t otherwise afford to take music lessons, and offers educators the resources to deliver culturally-relevant, modern music programming that celebrates identity, promotes collaboration and confidence, and helps kids find their voice.
Track Listing:
• Andrea England – Jolly Melancholy Christmas
• Andrew Allen – I Wanna Be Your Christmas
• Bif Naked – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause
• Carla Muller – Christmas At Home
• Cassie Dasilva – Season’s Greetings
• Chris Hadfield – Jewel In The Night
• Don Amero – Sometimes a Whisper
• Ellen Doty – Red & Green
• Emi Jeen – All Together For Christmas
• Helix – Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
• Ian Sherwood – Christmas Without You
• Jay Douglas – Merry Christmas
• Jess Moskaluke – Grown Up Christmas List
• Jim Bryson – Mary New Year’s Eve
• Josh Bogert – Christmas Village
• Maggie Szabo – Christmas With You
• Myles Goodwyn – On The Road To Bethlehem
• Olivia Penalva – Dream You Home
• Pavlo – Frostbite
• Sultans of String – Sing For Kwanzaa (feat. Richard Bona and Waleed Abdulhamid)
• The O’Pears – Carol of the Bells
• Zach Oliver – A Christmas Song
Carla Muller Crystallizes The Meditative Beauty Of A Snowstorm In “Snow Came Falling”
Woolwich, ON folk artist Carla Muller captures the peaceful beauty of gently falling snow with the soothing, hypnotic holiday single “Snow Came Falling” – available now. Inspired by a snowstorm the night of her daughter’s birth, it’s a meditative song of gratitude that reminds us to count our blessings this holiday season.
Featuring understated guitar, violin, mellow piano, and Muller’s heartfelt vocals, “Snow Came Falling” is evocative of gazing out the window and enjoying the sight of a winter wonderland.
On the night I first held you in my arms
A harvest moon rose in the sky
And the frost hung still with bated breath
To hear your first cry
Snow came falling to the ground
“You know, I wrote this on the way home from the hospital after Charlotte was born,” Muller recalls of that night now many years ago. “There was a great storm, which actually snowed us in for a few extra days at Guelph General Hospital. But, it was the most peaceful storm I’ve ever seen.”
Everything outside the slowly moving car was white, still, and perfect. “Of course, Tom had a white-knuckle hold on the steering wheel the whole time, but Charlotte and I were cozily tucked in together in the back seat, and the words just came so easily.” So that she wouldn’t lose the song forming in her head, Muller kept singing the song over and over, like a lullaby to her newborn child, so that she could remember it when she got home and be sure to record it for her baby girl.
The song has a universal message as well, especially in the difficult post-pandemic times we’re living through. “How lovely is it to savour that stillness,” Muller says. “It’s been a difficult few years, filled with sadness and uncertainty, but snow keeps falling. Life goes on, and beautiful moments are still ahead.”
Carla Muller is a singer-songwriter from Woolwich, ON. She’s written more than a hundred songs, which run the gamut from country to R&B and include a few standards like Christmas music and lullabies. She has been writing since she was a child and has a sharp insight into the emotions and experiences of those around her. She also owns a children’s boutique called Baby Charlotte in Kitchener, ON. The store will match the proceeds collected for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region up to $5,000.
Budweiser Anthem of FIFA World Cup 2022 Is Lil Baby and Tears For Fears
Watch the official music video for ‘The World Is Yours To Take’ [Budweiser Anthem Of The FIFA World Cup 2022] by Tears for Fears & Lil Baby.