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Sza Expands Highly Successful ‘the S.O.S. Tour’ Into Europe And Extends North America Run

Music

Eric Alper

-

Apr 12, 2023

Sza Expands Highly Successful ‘the S.O.S. Tour’ Into Europe And Extends North America Run

Following her incredibly successful 17-city sold out run, Grammy-award-winning music trendsetter and icon SZA will continue her touring trek with ten new dates in Europe and twenty-one additional dates across North America due to incredible fan demand.

Produced by Live Nation, the European leg of the tour kicks off June 1 in Amsterdam at Ziggo Dome, making stops in Paris, Berlin, London, and more before wrapping up in Dublin at 3Arena on June 21. The S.O.S. Tour will then circle back to North America, kicking off on September 20 in Miami at Kaseya Center, and making stops in Brooklyn, Houston, Los Angeles and more before wrapping up in Phoenix at Footprint Center on October 29. See full routing below.

Tickets will be available starting with Live Nation presale on Thursday, April 13 at 10am local time.

THE S.O.S. EUROPE TOUR DATES:
Thu Jun 1 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome*
Mon Jun 5 – Paris, France – Accor Arena*
Wed Jun 7 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion*
Fri Jun 9 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena*
Sun Jun 11 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena
Tue Jun 13 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena*
Thu Jun 15 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro*
Sat Jun 17 – London, UK – The O2*
Sun Jun 18 – London, UK – The O2*
Wed Jun 21 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena*
*With Support from RAYE

THE S.O.S. NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:
Wed Sep 20 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
Fri Sep 22 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Sun Sep 24 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Tue Sep 26 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center^
Thu Sep 28 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
Sat Sep 30 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Sun Oct 01 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Wed Oct 04 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Fri Oct 06 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Sat Oct 07 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Tue Oct 10 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Wed Oct 11 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
Sat Oct 14 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Sun Oct 15 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
Wed Oct 18 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Thu Oct 19 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena
Sun Oct 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Mon Oct 23 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Thu Oct 26 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Sat Oct 28 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
Sun Oct 29 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
^Rescheduled Date from Leg 1 without Omar Apollo

The 2023 tour follows SZA’s hugely successful sophomore album, SOS, which was released in December and earned the superstar the record for the largest streaming week for an R&B album in the United States. The album also claimed ten non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart – the most among albums by women in seven years.

During the first run of the S.O.S. Tour earlier this year, SZA gave unforgettable performances night after night. The platinum recording artist performed classics like “Love Galore” and “The Weekend” in addition to newer mega-hits such as “Kill Bill,” and “Shirt.” Fans also got to experience special performances from a number of surprise guests including Phoebe Bridgers, Cardi B, Summer Walker, Lizzo and more.

The S.O.S. Tour marked SZA’s first-ever arena tour and earned the superstar endless praise, with Rolling Stone noting that “SZA lives up to all the anticipation” on opening night. The New York Times called her Madison Square Garden headlining debut “vigorous, confident, theatrical and intimate — the sort of show that manages the rare trick of feeling both vibrantly communicative and also protectively insular,” while Billboard proclaimed that the performance “delivered a message that she’s truly made a next-level step in her career.”

Born in St. Louis and raised in Maplewood, NJ, genre-defying, and GRAMMY Award winning recording artist SZA released her major label debut album Ctrl (TDE/RCA) in 2017. Revered for its raw and honest lyrics, it landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart, No. 2 on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, according to Nielsen Music. The now RIAA-certified 3xPlatinum album received five Grammy nominations in 2018 and more than half the songs on Ctrl are currently certified multi-Platinum and Gold. Ctrl remains on the Billboard 200 chart since its release in 2017 and holds the record for the longest run for any Black female artist’s debut album. In 2022 alone it sold over 600,000 units and is the 10th best-selling female album this year in the country and 50th best-selling album in 2022 overall.

To close out the trying year of 2020, SZA gifted fans on Christmas Day with the hopeful track “Good Days.” Grammy-nominated for Best R&B Song, the single quickly became SZA’s greatest gaining solo single release, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and marking her first time in the chart’s top ten as the main artist. December 2021, SZA scored her second lead artist top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with the official release of “I Hate U,” which debuted at #7. The song also entered at #1 on both Spotify and Apple Music US charts and broke the record for the most streamed R&B song by a female artist on Apple Music in its first week. Fan favorite “Shirt” has garnered over 60 million streams globally since its release in October.

On December 9, 2022, SZA released her long-awaited sophomore album SOS. Instantly and universally met with acclaim, SOS debuted and claimed ten non-consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200, the longest run for an album by a woman in seven years. Standout track “Kill Bill” is RIAA-certified 3x Platinum and earned the #1 spot on the Billboard Global 200 chart and several Apple Music and Spotify charts globally. Currently RIAA-certified 2x Platinum, SOS includes features by Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers and Ol’ Dirty Bastard; with production by Ctrl hitmaking collaborators ThankGod4Cody and Carter Lang, alongside Jeff Bhasker, Rob Bisel, Benny Blanco, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Emile Haynie, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, Jay Versace, and more.

To this day, SZA continues to set the standard on creativity and songwriting, while shattering records with over 10 billion streams worldwide across all platforms. SZA has won various awards since the release of Ctrl including a 2022 GRAMMY Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Kiss Me More” with Doja Cat, Billboard Music Awards’ Top R&B Female Artist, BET Awards’ Best New Artist, BET Soul Train Awards’ Best R&B/Soul Female Artist and Best New Artist, MTV Video Music Awards’ Best Visual Effects for the “All The Stars” with Kendrick Lamar, and NAACP Image Awards’ Outstanding New Artist. In 2019, she won NAACP Image Awards’ Outstanding Duo or Group for “All The Stars” with Kendrick Lamar and Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation for the Black Panther Soundtrack. SZA also received Billboard’s 2019 Women in Music Rule Breaker award. More recently, SZA was crowned the 2023 Woman of the Year at the Billboard’s Women in Music Awards and won iHeart Radio Music Awards for R&B Artist of the Year and R&B Song of the Year for “I Hate U.”

Paul Simon Returns With Highly Anticipated Musical Work, ‘Seven Psalms’

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 12, 2023

1

Paul Simon Returns With Highly Anticipated Musical Work, ‘Seven Psalms’

Paul Simon, who has consistently crafted some of the most influential and enduring work in the history of music, has announced the release of his highly anticipated musical work, Seven Psalms. Intended to be listened to as one continuous piece, the 33-minute, seven-movement composition transcends the concept of the “album” and will be released in its entirety on vinyl, CD and across digital platforms on May 19.

Recorded entirely on acoustic instruments, and predominantly performed by Paul, Seven Psalms showcases Simon’s craft at its finest and most captivating, simply with his voice and guitar.
A stunning, intricately layered work, it’s a record which establishes an engaging and meditative, almost hymnal soundscape, with Paul’s lyrics providing the gravitational center for constellations of sound woven from guitar strings and other acoustic instrumentation – including choral elements from the highly-regarded British vocal ensemble VOCES8, and a beautiful vocal appearance by Edie Brickell.

Watch below for a glimpse into Paul’s inspiration and process in finding Seven Psalms.

True to the origin of psalms as hymns meant to be sung rather than spoken, Seven Psalms reaches back to the very genesis of folk music: King David’s Psalms. The result is a quietly moving musical experience which uncovers a wealth of subtle details with every repeated listen. A step apart from anything Paul Simon has released before, Seven Psalms defies categorization.
The record’s tone is complemented by its artwork, which features a close-up extract of “Two Owls” by the celebrated landscape artist Thomas Moran.

Produced by Paul Simon and Kyle Crusham, Seven Psalms is a single suite of music comprised of the following seven interlinked movements:

1. The Lord
2. Love Is Like A Braid
3. My Professional Opinion
4. Your Forgiveness
5. Trail of Volcanoes
6. The Sacred Harp
7. Wait

My Next Read: “My Effin’ Life” by Geddy Lee

Music

Eric Alper

-

Apr 12, 2023

1

My Next Read: “My Effin’ Life” by Geddy Lee

My Effin’ Life by Geedy Lee is the long-awaited memoir, out November 14, 2023, generously illustrated with never-before-seen photos, from the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Rush bassist, and bestselling author of Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass.

Geddy Lee is one of rock and roll’s most respected bassists. For nearly five decades, his playing and work as co-writer, vocalist and keyboardist has been an essential part of the success story of Canadian progressive rock trio Rush. Here for the first time is his account of life inside and outside the band.

Long before Rush accumulated more consecutive gold and platinum records than any rock band after the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, before the seven Grammy nominations or the countless electrifying live performances across the globe, Geddy Lee was Gershon Eliezer Weinrib, after his grandfather murdered in the Holocaust.

As he recounts the transformation, Lee looks back on his family, in particular his loving parents and their horrific experiences as teenagers during World War II.

He talks candidly about his childhood and the pursuit of music that led him to drop out of high school.

He tracks the history of Rush which, after early struggles, exploded into one of the most beloved bands of all time.

He shares intimate stories of his lifelong friendships with bandmates Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart—deeply mourning Peart’s recent passing—and reveals his obsessions in music and beyond.

This rich brew of honesty, humor, and loss makes for a uniquely poignant memoir.

Eric Clapton ‘The Definitive 24 Nights’ Gets A Limited-Edition Boxed Set

Music

Eric Alper

-

Apr 12, 2023

0

Eric Clapton ‘The Definitive 24 Nights’ Gets A Limited-Edition Boxed Set

The Royal Albert Hall is Eric Clapton’s home away from home in London. Since his debut at the historic venue with the Yardbirds in 1964, Clapton has performed there over 200 times (and counting), more than any other artist.

He also holds the record for the longest run of concerts at the venue. He set it in 1990 with 18 shows, then broke it the following year with 24 concerts. They were some of the most ambitious shows of Clapton’s career. Each night featured him performing a career-spanning set with one of three lineups – a rock band, a blues band, or an orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen. Kamen previously worked with Clapton on the Lethal Weapon soundtracks, plus the TV show Edge of Darkness. Before his untimely passing in 2003, Kamen had become a leading film & TV composer, with X-Men, Die Hard & Band of Brothers among his many credits.

To commemorate that record-setting run, Clapton released 24 Nights in October 1991. The double live album and home video delivered great performances but only covered a fraction of what was filmed and recorded. That’s about to change.

Warner Records is giving the concerts the release they deserve this summer with THE DEFINITIVE 24 NIGHTS. This limited-edition boxed set includes nearly six hours of live music, and 35 unreleased performances. The collection distills Clapton’s 1990-91 Albert Hall residencies using the best performances from the rock, blues, and orchestral nights to create full concerts for each genre.

All the audio and video included in THE DEFINITIVE 24 NIGHTS was painstakingly restored and upgraded by Clapton’s team of Simon Climie (audio production and mixing), producer Peter Worsley (Slowhand at 70 and The Lady In The Balcony), and director David Barnard (The Lady In The Balcony).

THE DEFINITIVE 24 NIGHTS will be available on limited edition boxed sets as either 6-CDs or 8-LPs on June 23. Both versions come with three Blu-ray discs for the video content, a hardbound book, and an individually numbered lithograph featuring a photograph of Clapton by Carl Studna. Each are limited edition versions and available now to pre-order HERE.

Standalone versions of the individual concerts – 24 Nights: Rock, 24 Nights: Blues, and 24 Nights: Orchestral – will be released the same day in 2-CD/DVD and 3-LP (Rock and Orchestral) and 2-LP (Blues) configurations.

Clapton’s previously unreleased 1991 orchestral performance of “Layla” is available today digitally. Click HERE to listen now.

Clapton surrounded himself with superlative musicians for the performances on THE DEFINITIVE 24 NIGHTS. The roster includes greats like Johnnie Johnson, Jimmie Vaughan, Chuck Leavell, Phil Collins, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Nathan East, Greg Phillinganes, Steve Ferrone, Ray Cooper, and Jerry Portnoy.

For the rock concert, Clapton played many of his classic songs including “Sunshine Of Your Love,” “Can’t Find My Way Home,” “Layla,” and “Wonderful Tonight.” Covers of “Crossroads”, and a reggae version of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” with Phil Collins on drums are highlights. Clapton also featured several tracks from his most recent studio album (1989’s Journeyman), including the hits “Pretending,” “Running On Faith,” and “Bad Love.”

With Clapton aided by special guests Buddy Guy, Albert Colins and Robert Cray, the blues concert delivered a master class in the genre with ripping versions of standards like “Key To The Highway,” “Sweet Home Chicago,” “Black Cat Bone,” and “Reconsider Baby.”

The orchestral concert is the most unique of the collection. For those performances, Clapton’s nine-piece band was joined by the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by legendary composer Michael Kamen. The collaboration resulted in stunning arrangements for “Layla,” “White Room,” “Bell Bottom Blues,” “I Shot The Sheriff,” “Lay Down Sally,” and more.

The biggest highlight from the orchestral concert – and possibly the entire boxed set – is the previously unreleased 30-minute epic, “Concerto For Guitar.” Kamen composed the piece especially for Clapton, which made its livedebut at Albert Hall. In the set’s liner notes, music journalist David Fricke writes about the version included in the collection: “Near the halfway mark in this 1991 reading, [Clapton] taks off on guitar as if he has the rest of Cream at his heels – at once precisely melodic and jubilantly unhinged – as Kamen echoes that ferment in the strings and brass.”

Eric Clapton fans will also now ave the opportunity to experience the excitement of the legendary Royal Albert Hall concerts on the big screen as Unique X and Iconic Events present the Across 24 Nights cinema event globally n May 17th, with encore screenings from May 21st. Edited from the original footage and remastered in Dolby ATMOS and 5.1 Surround Sound, Across 24 Nights will bring fans together to celebrate the ultimate musical event cinema experience.

THE DEFINITIVE 24 NIGHTS
Track Listing

24 Nights: Rock
1. “Pretending”
2. “Running On Faith”
3. “Breaking Point” *
4. “I Shot The Sheriff” *
5. “White Room”
6. “Can’t Find My Way Home” *(Feat. Nathan East on lead vocals)
7. “Bad Love”
8. “Before You Accuse Me” *
9. “Lay Down Sally” *
10. “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” *
11. “Old Love” *
12. “No Alibis” *
13. “Tearing Us Apart” *
14. “Cocaine” *
15. “Wonderful Tonight”
16. “Layla” *
17. “Crossroads” *
18. “Sunshine Of Your Love” *

24 Nights: Blues
1. “Key To The Highway” *
2. “Worried Life Blues”
3. “Watch Yourself”
4. “Have You Ever Loved A Woman”
5. “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” *
6. “Something On Your Mind” *
7. “All Your Love (I Miss Loving)” *
8. “It’s My Life Baby” *
9. “Johnnie’s Boogie” *
10. “Black Cat Bone” *
11. “Reconsider Baby” *
12. “My Time After A While” *
13. “Sweet Home Chicago” *
14. “Watch Yourself” (Reprise) *

24 Nights: Orchestral
1. “Crossroads” *
2. “Bell Bottom Blues”
3. “Lay Down Sally” *
4. “Holy Mother” *
5. “I Shot The Sheriff” *
6. “Hard Times”
7. “Can’t Find My Way Home” * (Feat. Nathan East on lead vocals)
8. “Edge Of Darkness”
9. “Old Love” *
10. “Wonderful Tonight” *
11. “White Room” *
12. “Concerto For Electric Guitar” *(composed by Michael Kamen)
13. “A Remark You Made” *(A tribute to Jaco Pastorius)
14. “Layla” *
15. “Sunshine Of Your Love” *
*Previously Unreleased

Toronto Rock Trio Berner Trail Release “Sleep Till The Afternoon”

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 10, 2023

0

Toronto Rock Trio Berner Trail Release “Sleep Till The Afternoon”

Life changes without your permission, and the world doesn’t ask for your input when it behaves as it does. Berner Trail’s response? “Sleep Till The Afternoon.”

In the latest single from the Scarborough-born, Toronto-raised rock trio, Berner Trail unleashes about the unending transformations the song, the band, and everything around them are always experiencing.

In 2015, Spencer Desilva and Aaron Lusch launched Berner Trail. The duo eventually grew to three, then expanded to four, was five for a short period, and later retracted back to three in 2020 with a new bass player: Nate Murray. Desilva, Lusch, and Murray have stood together since.

It’s been a chaotic history for the band, and this song’s skeleton was around for most of it.

“‘Sleep Till The Afternoon’ was a song going through constant change, alongside the changes happening in the Berner Trail band,” the band said. “From changing members, to styles, to ideals, ‘Sleep Till The Afternoon’ is Berner Trail and saw most of these changes happen while it remained in writing.”

For Berner Trail, real-life stimuli has always been the impetus for its imagination. The members’ feelings formed from interpersonal relationships and their dissatisfaction with the society that surrounds them often inspire the music they create.

With a yearning voice reaching for something it cannot grab, Desilva serenades over solemn yet punchy instrumentals with a tasty alt-rock sound.

”He said I got some friends at least I think I do
I’d sure like some if you really want to
Alone is all I’ve ever been
I’d lay in bed till 2 or 3
I just don’t feel so satisfied.”

Before settling on its three modern members in 2020, Berner Trail utilized a different style. Originally, most of the group’s sound revolved around an experimental approach to blues-rock, incorporating percussion and stringed acoustic instruments into the fold. But the band has since evolved to make ballads like this that are more akin to Nirvana than The Rolling Stones.

“‘Sleep Till The Afternoon’ went through different variations musically as our sound changed,” the band explained. “We think lyrically it resulted from feelings of isolation and disillusionment as to what was next to come in our lives as individuals.”

We can all relate to the feeling of time passing us by, of life pushing us in certain directions, and to the fear of uncertainty. Berner Trail’s “Sleep Till The Afternoon” taps into these universal feelings and gives us a shoulder to lean on when it all becomes too much.

Rising Folk/Roots Group Aruna & the Sirens Release “Have You Seen My Sister?”

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 10, 2023

0

Rising Folk/Roots Group Aruna & the Sirens Release “Have You Seen My Sister?”

Responding to what the UN dubbed the “Shadow Pandemic,” Bath, Ontario-based band Aruna & the Sirens have released an anthem calling attention to the global surge in gender-based violence.

“Have You Seen My Sister?” starts strong with powerhouse vocals from songwriter Aruna Antonella Handa with harmonies by band members Alejandra Ballon, Caitlin Holland, and Lindsay McDonald. The song’s first line is a call to action: Won’t you remind me to wonder who’s missing from the corridors of privilege?”

Aruna & The Sirens is an acoustic band with original songs spanning genres including folk, classical and jazz. The band has performed at clubs such as the Monarch and the Burdock in Toronto and has made appearances at festivals including Nuit Blanche, Canadian Music Week and Open Tuning. They plan to release their first LP in the coming months.

Handa’s vocals are reminiscent of Tracy Chapman and Janis Joplin, while the Sirens’ voices lift the sound with soaring harmonies. The band asks the listener to consider the relationship between a lack of power and disproportionate representation in incidents of violence.

The track transitions as the vocals and other instruments drop out, allowing the cello played by Grammy nominated Dave Eggar to take the spotlight, creating a sense of wind and motion. This shift in tone suits the lyrics of the final part of the track, as the song reminds listeners of the various roles women play in our lives and how profound that loss can be.

Accompanying the vocals is the band’s rhythm section with Raphael Roter on drums and Chris Adriaanse on upright bass. In addition to Tennessee based Eggar on cello, among the many guest artists are Ontario-based Doug Tielli on acoustic guitar and Boston-based Antje Duvekot providing further vocals.

The track is a collaborative effort with contributions of artists from the US, Mexico, and Canada. In 2020, when Handa read about the Shadow Pandemic, fueled by increased alcohol consumption and people trapped in lockdown with their aggressors, she reached out to New York-based friend and producer David Seitz, whose credits include work with Moby, Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen.

At that time, Handa and Seitz were working on the band’s debut full length record, and they discussed the possibility of creating a socially distanced, collaborative recording of selections from Handa’s song cycle “Have You Seen My Sister.” The project was partially funded by a grant from FACTOR Canada.

Keisha Christian To Launch New Album 360 Love Live at El Mocambo

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 10, 2023

0

Keisha Christian To Launch New Album 360 Love Live at El Mocambo

Love is simultaneously simple and highly complex, and Barbadian soul/R&B artist Keisha Christian takes us on a journey through its highs, lows, and intricacies on her new album 360 Love. The album gets a Canafian launch on Friday, April 14 at Toronto’s El Mocambo with the show starting at 7:30pm.

Available for purchase and streaming on all major platforms on April 14th, 360 Love showcases Christian’s smooth and soulful vocals over a perfect blend of R&B and jazz that shapeshifts into breezy grooves, stormy ballads, and bouncy anthems. It’s at varying points romantic, solemn, and funky – and sometimes even chill and lounge-y. In short, 360 Love’s 12 tracks are guaranteed to take the listener on a winding adventure of love, intimacy, heartbreak and, ultimately, self-discovery.

With soaring vocals and introspective guitar fingerpicking, the pensive “Before I Go” begins 360 Love’s journey with heartbreak. Christian’s voice swells with emotion, as the guitar guides us through the sadness, the grief, and the tragic loss of passion. The lyrics are imagined as a letter to a lost lover, a final goodbye.

The next track, “Love Is,” gives us an easy groove and a meditation on just what exactly love is – concluding that, actually, it’s never easy. Then, “Bésame Mucho” provides a stormy, dramatic, gray-sky cover of the timeless classic. “Tunnel” furthers the themes of darkness and rain, only to let the light break through with its uplifting harmonies and billowing instrumentation.

“You Got To Go” shifts the tone again, and Christian’s playful rap-sing infuses the album with sass and attitude – “I ain’t gonna play no more/ Boy I gotta let you go.” Then, she takes a soulful turn on “Only So Much,” where she lays down a line in the sand: “There’s only so much that a girl can take.” On the piano ballad “Having My Heart Broken By You,” she adopts a vocal pluckiness that assures us she’ll get through this, only because she’s able to see the breakup maturely and philosophically.

The next track, “Who Was I Tonight,” looks back on an evening of love in its in early bloom, capturing the electricity and giddy uncertainty. Meanwhile, “Never A Failure” is a bouncy anthem of self-love and self-assurance.

“Here We Go Again” is groovy and gliding, capturing a ’70s sunniness and a complete lack of burden. In contrast, “It’s Okay” starts with the admission “Today I cried” as the narrator proceeds to talk herself out of gloom amid wailing electric guitar and subtle harmonies. The album ends on the sensual groove of “I Love You,” a celebration of two lovers enjoying each other, every sense heightened by the intoxication of love.

“I’ve poured my heart and soul into this album, and I can’t wait for my fans to hear it,” Christian says. “I hope it inspires them, makes them feel something special, and ultimately, brings them a sense of joy and fulfillment.”

Over Half A Billion Streams Propels The Tragically Hip’s ‘Yer Favourites’ To Diamond Certification Status

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 10, 2023

0

Over Half A Billion Streams Propels The Tragically Hip’s ‘Yer Favourites’ To Diamond Certification Status

The Tragically Hip’s best-selling greatest hits compilation, Yer Favourites, will be available on vinyl for the first time ever on June 2. Originally released digitally and as a two-CD set on November 8, 2005, Yer Favourites, for which tracks were selected by the band’s fans directly via their website, has soared past Diamond status at 14X Platinum (Diamond is 10X Platinum) and has over half a billion streams globally. The Tragically Hip is now the first Canadian band to achieve four Diamond-certified albums. Yer Favourites is the second best-selling compilation album ever in Canada only behind The Beatles’ 1.

As a nod to fans for their continued support and in the lead-up to the band’s fast-approaching 40^th anniversary in 2024, the Yer Favourites vinyl release will be split into two double LP sets on 180g vinyl, Volume #1 and Volume #2, each packaged in a single sleeve in an effort to reduce packaging and make the release more affordable for fans. Yer Favourites has been entirely remastered for 2023 and now includes the original versions from Fully Completely that were not found on the CD version of Yer Favourites released in 2005. This special vinyl release is a must-have for any new or long-time listener of The Tragically Hip. Each volume also includes a 24 x 36 fold-out poster.

The Yer Favourites vinyl release is set to be followed by a deluxe edition of Phantom Power later this year. In 2024, to celebrate four decades of The Tragically Hip, the band will release a deluxe set of their breakthrough album Up to Here, a previously announced four-part Amazon documentary, and much more.

In 2021, The Tragically Hip received the Humanitarian Award Presented by Music Canada at the 50th annual JUNO Awards; and in 2022, they were inducted into Canada’s Walk Of Fame for Humanitarianism in pursuit of social and environmental justice. They had previously received a star on the Walk Of Fame in 2002 for Arts & Entertainment. For more than three decades, The Tragically Hip’s tireless activism and philanthropic pursuits have raised millions of dollars for multiple social and environmental causes, such as Camp Trillium, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Sunnybrook Foundation, WAR Child, the Special Olympics, and the Unison Benevolent Fund. A quintessential band whose music captures the essence of being Canadian, they used their enormous megaphone in 2016 to spotlight the country’s systemic mistreatment of indigenous peoples. The legacy of the band’s frontman, the late Gord Downie, continues with The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund, which aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Yer Favourites Vinyl 2LP Volume #1 Track Listing:

LP1 – Side A

No Threat
Grace Too
Music At Work
38 Years Old
Gift Shop

LP1 – Side B

Ahead By Century
Vaccination Scar
Three Pistols
So Hard Done By
Fiddler’s Green

LP2 – Side A

Looking For A Place To Happen
Cordelia
It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken
Blow at High Dough
Wheat Kings

LP2 – Side B

Fully Completely
New Orleans Is Sinking
Escape Is At Hand For the Travellin’ Man
Fifty Mission Cap

Yer Favourites Vinyl 2LP Volume #2 Track Listing:

LP1 – Side A

Courage (For Hugh MacLennan)
Lake Fever
Poets
Fireworks
Twist My Arm

LP1 – Side B

Bobcaygeon
Nautical Disaster
Highway Girl
Gus: The Polar Bear From Central Park

LP2 – Side A

At The Hundredth Meridian
Long Time Running
The Darkest One
Locked In The Trunk of A Car

LP2 – Side B

Little Bones
Boots Or Hearts
Scared
Something On
The New Maybe

Make Music Day Returns June 21 in Worldwide Celebration of Music

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 10, 2023

0

Make Music Day Returns June 21 in Worldwide Celebration of Music

Make Music Day, the worldwide festival of making music held annually on the summer solstice, today announced the return of its vast program with over 4,000 live, free music-making events across the United States on Wednesday, June 21.

Launched in France in 1982 as the Fête de la Musique, Make Music Day has become a global phenomenon, celebrated by hundreds of millions of people in more than 1,000 cities around the world, including 120 cities in the U.S., where it has spread quickly after debuting in New York in 2007. Held on the longest day of the year, the world’s largest annual music event celebrates and promotes the natural music maker in everyone, regardless of age or skill level.

Last year, 104 U.S. cities organized 3,819 free Make Music events on June 21, with more than 100 concerts each in Cincinnati, Kansas City, Madison, New York, and Salem (OR). This year, Albany, Ann Arbor, Fresno, Indianapolis, Raleigh, and Tulsa are celebrating their inaugural Make Music Days, while Boston, Detroit, Huntsville, and San Diego return for the first time since the pandemic. Over 120 cities are active, and well over 4,000 events are planned around the country, including statewide celebrations across Alabama, Connecticut, Hawaii, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Completely different from a traditional music festival, Make Music Day activities are free and open to anyone wanting to participate. Reimagining their cities and towns as stages, every kind of musician – young and old, amateur, and professional, of every musical persuasion – fills streets, parks, plazas, porches, rooftops, gardens, and other public spaces to celebrate, create and share their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers.

Showing just how participatory Make Music Day can be, Stridulations by composer and percussionist Billy Martin (Medeski Martin & Wood), a suite of interlocking rhythmic compositions that anyone can join, will be a new June 21 highlight this year in dozens of cities, including New York City, where Martin will conduct a performance for percussionists and vocalists at Little Island on the West Side of Manhattan. (The name “Stridulations” refers to the sound of crickets, a species that makes music collectively.)

Uniting the piano community, another new project called Roomful of Pianos will bring together hundreds of pianists of different levels to perform music by W.A. Mozart, William Bolcom, and others arranged for ten pianos or more. Piano showrooms and music schools in Austin, Duluth (GA), Fresno, Houston, and New York City have signed on to host these colossal piano events, which grow out of an annual project organized since 2018 at The NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA.

And in a new global highlight, Make Music, Make Friends will connect school children aged 7-13 from Australia, China, Italy, Thailand, the U.K., and the U.S. on Make Music Day. Ten classes from each country will create a musical greeting video, share it with schools from different countries, and have their students watch the musical messages on June 21 to expose them to different regions and cultures.

Other national highlights of Make Music Day 2023 will include:

Flowerpot Music – For the fourth year, participants around the country will be invited to perform a composition by celebrated composer Elliot Cole and directed by percussionist Peter Ferry using an unlikely but beautiful percussion instrument: the flowerpot. Appropriate for musicians and non-musicians alike, participants can join a group and create outdoor soundscapes through easy-to-learn games.

Mass Appeal – People of all ages and skill levels will band together to make music in large, single-instrument groups. This year, leading music brands such as Alfred Music, Hohner, Rhythm Band Instruments, and Vic Firth are donating thousands of free instruments so that any member of the public can stop by these events and join the band.

#MySongIsYourSong – Songwriters and composers of all styles and walks of life will join in a global song swap where they’ll learn a song by another artist and hear theirs covered in return.

Sousapalooza – In multiple cities, including Chicago, Lansing (MI), and New York, large groups of brass and wind musicians will assemble in parks and plazas to play the music of “March King” John Philip Sousa. Anyone is invited to download the music, bring their horn, and join the band.

City-specific highlights around the U.S. will include:

Boston (MA) – an “Ultimate Jam Session” on the Rose Kennedy Greenway will feature a live funk band and opportunities for audience members to drum along with the band on buckets and percussion instruments.
Federal Way (WA) – Federal Way City Councilmember Jack Walsh will sing a solo outside his shop, Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream, at 10:00 a.m.
Frisco (TX) – the Frisco Athletic Center hosts a kazoo parade for anyone who wants to join, led by 85 of their Camp Lay Frisco campers and counselors.
Kansas City (MO) – a host of musicians will welcome travelers who are coming and going at the recently opened 40-gate terminal at Kansas City International Airport.
Marshfield (WI) – an old-time music sing-along for senior community members will follow lunch at the 2^nd St Community Center.
Raleigh (NC) – the City of Raleigh Museum will host an Instrument Zoo with the NC Symphony, a harmonica workshop, and a strum-along with the Raleigh Uke Jam.
San Jose (CA) – musical performances will take place at sunset under the pool of moving lights and sounds of Sonic Runway, a light-art installation in front of San Jose City Hall.
York County (PA) – an experimental performance by Nodding Onion features musicians improvising along with the natural sounds of plants.

All Make Music Day events are free and open to the public. Participants who wish to perform, or host musical events, may register at www.makemusicday.org. A full schedule of events will be posted on the website in early June.

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

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 10, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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