All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or Twitter
R.E.M. Publishes “Shiny Happy People: A Children’s Picture Book”
“Shiny happy people laughing
Everyone around, love them, love them
Put it in your hands, take it, take it
There’s no time to cry, happy, happy . . .”
Shiny Happy People is a heartwarming picture book whose story is told through the lyrics of R.E.M.’s joyful tune of the same name. “Shiny Happy People” appeared on the band’s 1991 album Out of Time, and the song reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
With lyrics by R.E.M. and illustrations by Paul Hoppe, this picture book follows the unlikely friendship between a rabbit and a fox as they teach others about the joy of inclusion and acceptance. It is the perfect vehicle for R.E.M. fans to share a loving and positive message with children of all ages. You can get it here.
Copenhagen’s Alt.Rockers The Lost Weekend Release Debut Album RADIANCE Featuring “What’s My Dream”
The Copenhagen, Denmark band The Lost Weekend debuts with a conceptual wall of noise and an alternative rock album that aims to cut through and join the year’s best rock releases in giving the listener something real. With sailing and crashing guitars, and a vocal frontman that burns bright, The Lost Weekend brings forth a sound that reminisces the most iconic bands of the 90s.
Several years in the making, “Radiance” has been both a solid anchor and a forward driver in an uncertain world – an organic constant that gropes and hunts, or as the band puts it:
“The record has been a quest to find continuity in a society hungering for meaning. It is a journey that goes back to beat music’s rise, past the 90’s grunge and shoegaze to 00s Indie Rock, and then spills over the borders in searching voodoo fables. Tales of anti-heroes and bumbling declarations of love. The Lost Weekend, and Radiance turns on being lost in the fog of the weekend, the noise of euphoria – to go forth, let go, give existence form, and then spit it out.”
And with that, grounding the band has appropriately created a crashing and at times meditative universe that is easy to become lost in. Here are strong roots in the grunge and shoe-gaze bands of the 90s. Names like My Bloody Valentine and Stone Roses are natural references as well as more current acts such as DIIV or War on Drugs. The Lost Weekend plays frantic, dreamy, and clashing rock and pop with soaring guitar and the signature vocals of the charismatic and half American lead singer Jefrrey Hessellund. With vocal inspirations from artists such as Nick Cave and John Lennon, Jefrrey is flanked by expressive guitarist and composer Jakob Birch Sorensen, and the brothers Adam and Tobias Winberg (Death Valley Sleepers, Dor nr. 13, Den Syvende Son, The Telescopes (UK) and more) on drums and bass guitar.
Throughout the lyrics of The Lost Weekend lies a fascination with mysticism. Jefrrey’s metaphysical conviction is that all things also have an inner side that shines and with that a Radiance. Jefrrey is inspired by Animism and a personal search for the spiritual in a life that sometimes moves toward a groping in darkness.
Both The Lost Weekends’ music and words are laced with contrast. A searching, a movement toward the edge, where melody, desperation, meaning, and sound meet. This is an album that turns on finding a way in to the near while moving forward to the mystical. It dares to break borders down, to move the spiritual character and even the dark character to the fore, and then go back to the center where all Radiance originates.
In “Radiance” you will hear the sonic emotional rays from a band that stylistically and musically rests well in itself and sends out its light to the darkest corners. The band’s music, sound and radiance has, along the road, already produced positive mention in Gaffa. The reporter gave the band’s debut concert at Loppen five stars under the title “Emotion’s Parallel Universe.
That Universe is open from the 30th of September when Radiance is released digitally and on vinyl featuring “What’s My Dream” as their debut single in North America.
Thunder Bay Singer / Songwriter / Producer Collin Clowes Releases Heartfelt “Go”
Death, breakups, moves, and more separate us from people who are important before we want, sometimes before we need. But in life, people come and go.
This is the theme of Thunder Bay singer, songwriter, and producer Collin Clowes’s latest single, “Go.”
A slow, soft track, “Go” evokes the emotion of sorrowful grief. This extremely human experience is encapsulated in the tone, lyrics, and melody of the song.
Collin is responsible for writing, recording, producing, mixing, and mastering the track, plus did the vocals, guitar, keys, synths, drums, samples, and bass. In short, “Go” is solely a Collin creation, and it comes from a place deep inside the artist.
“The past few years have been odd, and I’ve been losing people that are really important to me,” Collin explained. “It’s constantly on my mind, so I really needed to put that grief into something.”
In “Go,” Collin discusses the difficulty of releasing someone from his life who has clearly been crucial to him for some time. To process the pain, he remembers back to the good times they had together, well before he knew their parting would come like this. But still, it kills Collin to see someone he loves so much go from his life.
“And all that I wanted is haunted by
The Things that I don’t see
And when I’m older
Maybe I won’t wanna be alone
I die inside as you watch me go”
“Go” is one-fifth of Collin’s newest EP, “Lily,” which is centered around the musician’s experience with loss. The name comes from the flower’s reputation as the “saddest flower.”
“The white represents peace, which I think, in the process of creating this EP, I found some peace and acceptance,” Collin said. “The flower represents grief, endings, dedication, and change.”
Collin has lived a tumultuous life. When he was 17, he began to have peculiar health problems that confused doctors. Answers ran thin, but his mystery illness continued to attack his liver, forcing Collin to spend tons of time in the hospital at a time when most young people are starting their adult lives.
His years-long health battle instigated his musical career, giving him the kick he needed to take the leap while he felt he still could. Several years of working in the studio, going to school for music, and playing live in Thunder Bay and Toronto culminated in 2022, when Collin released his first two Eps, starting with “Sleepy” in October 2021. “Lily” a seven-track EP about what Collin considered to be the best time of his life so far.
In the musician’s two projects from 2022, he shows listeners the two sides of life. This roller coaster is full of peaks and valleys – it is at the core of our conditions as humans to experience this juxtaposition throughout our lives. They might not all look the same, but we all have our own best and worst times filled with their own uniquely fantastic, wonderful, horrific, and terrible traits.
“I love having these projects of mine existing somewhere others can stumble upon it and feel something, hopefully something good,” Collin said. “I am also very grateful to have made this and to have people give it a chance. ‘Lily’ is a project that captured an important time in my life, and I think that’s what matters most to me right now.”
Indigenous Rapper Plex Debuts Hard-Hitting Narrative Of Disruption In Newest LP, Who Am I To Judge
Truly a visionary in his craft, Plex consistently releases hard hitting hip-hop anthems reminiscent of old school rap that progress the civil rights agenda. Who Am I To Judge carries this banner proudly.
Following the release of “Great Ones (E’s Up)”, a track that topped the Indigenous Music Countdown this year, the critically acclaimed rapper debuts his newest project, Who Am I To Judge and has released the new song “Red Flags” featuring Aleah Belle. The 12-track LP is curt – corporate greed and manufactured hate are a toxin in the veins of society, condemning corrupt governments, cultural appropriation, uncanny wealth, and the toxic remnants of fake news and sinister intentions.
Plex’s tenure in the music industry is blatantly obvious. Finessed productions and clever wordplay serve as the cherry for this seasoned musician. Who Am I To Judge reflects everything that Plex believes in – and fights for.
As for the LP itself, Who Am I To Judge is a polished example of professionalism and musical integrity. Each song is built from the bottom up with a pure heart filled with discontent about worldly and civic issues. For every bone-rattling 808/kick drum combo, there is a borderline soul-crushing revelation delivered in a verse. Plex dissects his newest album, saying, “The album speaks directly about Plex’s struggles with drugs and alcohol, the evolution of hip hop, cultural appropriation, and the state of the planet – all while pondering what it may take to fix it.”
Who Am I To Judge features collaborations with artists from both the hip-hop and Indigenous communities, including Lady Luck, Kryple, Drezus, Touch, and Rellik. In addition, Plex worked with acclaimed artist and producer 2oolman and Cashmere Brown, known for his production on Kanye West’s Donda.
Born in Edmonton, AB and now based out of Barrie, Ontario, Plex is an award-winning hip-hop artist and producer. Plex has been a major player in the music industry for almost 30 years, Plex has raised the bar amongst his Indigenous peers. Through his influence, he has built a strong and relevant presence in Canadian Hip Hop.
Since releasing his debut solo album in 2009, Plex has toured across the US and Canada performing, teaching workshops to Indigenous youth and running his independent record label, New Leaf Entertainment. In addition, Plex’s music video “The Way It Should Be,” featured on his first album Brainstorm, has received critical acclaim from across the globe.
“The Way It Should Be” music video has screened across 30 film festivals worldwide, receiving 7 awards.
Plex is hailed has a master at his craft, titled a visionary who has dedicated his work to his community through artistic expression.
Bravo Niagara! Announces Grammy Award-Winning Yellowjackets April 29, 2023
“…A perfectly combustible electric-acoustic outfit whose smart, often challenging and unpredictable compositions draw from fusion, postbop and contemporary jazz” — Jazz Times
Throughout their storied 43-year history, the Yellowjackets have recorded 26 albums, received 18 Grammy nominations – won 2 – performed countless sold-out tours, and enjoyed worldwide critical acclaim and commercial success. Their latest album Parallel Motion was released in fall 2022 and is a true testament to the longevity and resilience of a band who debuted over 40 years ago. Consistently reinventing themselves through elevated instrumentation in their signature electro-acoustic soundscape, the current lineup showcases a collective at their prime.
Yellowjackets tickets available here.
Saturday, April 29, 2023 — 7:30pm
Partridge Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines
PRESALE: Wednesday, November 9, 2022
ON SALE: Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Bend Sinister’s Dan Moxon Embraces Being a Steady, Stay-At-Home Adult on New Single “Real Good Guy”
Being a good guy doesn’t necessarily entail grand gestures, but merely paying attention to the little things – doing the dishes, walking the dog, cooking dinner. Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Moxon catalogs all the ways he fits the bill on his new single “Real Good Guy.”
Taking its cues from easygoing ’70s soul, “Real Good Guy” features tinkling piano, joyful horns, subtle harmonies, and even some exuberant whistling as Dan basks in the reality of being a responsible member of a household. Throughout the song, there’s the sense that Dan isn’t actually trying hard to convince anyone that he’s a good guy, but that he’s instead marveling at a particular stage of life.
It’s an attitude that fits with the greater theme of Dan’s sophomore album, All My Friends. “As I started writing this album, right before the pandemic, I was struggling with the idea of leaving behind my youth and my 40s being just around the corner. I joked that every time I tried to get a friend to come to a show or meet up, they always had an excuse, or too much work, or couldn’t leave the kids at home and it became quite annoying,” Dan said. “Jump to recording the album three years later in 2022, and now I had a newborn baby girl at home, a labradoodle puppy, a new house, and all of a sudden I was the one who wasn’t going out anymore.”
In other words, Dan had become the “real good guy” he’s singing about. “We can all feel a bit of the struggle to get back to our social lives after more than two years of the pandemic,” Moxon said. “But sometimes it’s ok to just sit back on the couch and watch a movie instead.”. All My Friends is an album that captures this conundrum of drifting from young adulthood to real-deal adulthood, and the feeling of leaving friends behind, dealing with the requisite relationship struggles, as well as the challenges of making the time to be together.
Dan is a Vancouver-based singer/songwriter who is best known for fronting the band Bend Sinister, who have released eight albums and toured all over North America and Europe. He’s been performing, singing, and playing piano for more than 20 years, and he also loves cats. Between shows and musical endeavours, Dan restores and sells mid-century modern furniture.
THE MOTH PROJECT in Toronto and Ottawa – You’ve NEVER Seen A Concert Like This
It’s been about 15 years years since Ottawa-born and Brooklyn-based musician Peter Kiesewalter presented his own music in his hometown and also in Toronto. Fast forward to 2020 when NYC became ground zero for the Covid-19 pandemic. “A year’s worth of touring work vanished,” he continues. “Thank God for the Canada Council.”
He applied for and received a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to create a multimedia piece based on Moths. Why Moths? “They’re nocturnal, highly adaptive, and drawn to the flame – all things I can relate to as a freelance musician,” he half-jokes. The idea for the show evolved slowly over the course of many late-night conversations at the family cottage with his younger brother Tobi, an Ontario Parks Interpretive Naturalist. How to get people to, in the words of Robin Wall Kimmerer, “pay attention” – a radical act in these times when climate scientists are going hoarse and need help in relaying the message the Earth has been expressing for much longer? “In that regard, this show feels relevant and personal to me… something I can show my three children with pride.” The show is about and inspired by Moths and explores themes of migration, transformation, life, and death through stunning visuals, macro photography, diverse music, and interpersonal stories about his family’s journey from post-war Germany to Canada.
The Moth Project will begin touring in 2023 but already they have attracted attention in the Naturalist/Interpretation world. They have been invited to perform at and deliver a presentation about Art and Interpretation at the annual NAI Conference (National Association for Interpretation) in Cleveland which brings together 1200 state, provincial, and national park interpreters from across North America. The Moth Project show lives at the intersection of Art and Science, a place that interpreters the world over are looking at to foster a broader love and appreciation for biodiversity and the natural world.
THE MOTH PROJECT at the Paradise Theatre (1006 Bloor St W. Toronto)
Friday December 2 / 8pm / doors 7pm / tickets $32.50 General Admission
THE MOTH PROJECT at the Great Canadian Theatre Company (1233 Wellington St. W, Ottawa)
Saturday December 3 / 8pm / doors 7pm / tickets $32.50 General Admission
My Next Read: “Corporate Rock Sucks: The Rise and Fall of SST Records” by Jim Ruland
Greg Ginn started SST Records in the sleepy beach town of Hermosa Beach, CA, to supply ham radio enthusiasts with tuners and transmitters. But when Ginn wanted to launch his band, Black Flag, no one was willing to take them on. Determined to bring his music to the masses, Ginn turned SST into a record label. On the back of Black Flag’s relentless touring, guerilla marketing, and refusal to back down, SST became the sound of the underground.
In Corporate Rock Sucks, music journalist Jim Ruland relays the unvarnished story of SST Records, from its remarkable rise in notoriety to its infamous downfall. With records by Black Flag, Minutemen, Hüsker Dü, Bad Brains, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Screaming Trees, Soundgarden, and scores of obscure yet influential bands, SST was the most popular indie label by the mid-80s–until a tsunami of legal jeopardy, financial peril, and dysfunctional management brought the empire tumbling down. Throughout this investigative deep-dive, Ruland leads readers through SST’s tumultuous history and epic catalog.
Featuring never-before-seen interviews with the label’s former employees, as well as musicians, managers, producers, photographers, video directors, and label heads, Corporate Rock Sucks presents a definitive narrative history of the ’80s punk and alternative rock scenes, and shows how the music industry was changed forever.
Blink-182 Returns For Massive Global Tour For The First Time In Nearly 10 Years
Multi-platinum, award winning group blink-182 have announced their biggest tour ever, a colossal global outing with Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker reuniting for the first time in nearly 10 years. Produced by Live Nation, the worldwide trek includes their first ever performances in Latin America along with stops in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand starting March 2023 through February 2024.
Since their humble beginnings nearly thirty years ago, when they started playing in a San Diego garage, ‘blink-182’ have sold over fifty-million albums worldwide and rocked audiences from Adelaide to Zurich having become one of the defining rock bands of their generation. According to The New York Times, “No punk band of the 1990s has been more influential than ‘blink-182’.” While ‘blink-182’ have already racked up more than their fair share of platinum records and blockbuster singles, they are looking forward to their 10th studio album. With Delonge back after nearly a decade fans can expect that electric on stage magic that the trio has delivered over the years. With their new album due in 2023, ‘blink-182’ is stoked to be facing their future together.
The tour announcement also features multiple festival appearances in Latin America and the US, including Lollapalooza alongside co-headliners Billie Eilish & Drake and the 2023 edition of We Were Young with Green Day among others.
BLINK-182 2023 TOUR DATES:
LATIN AMERICA
+With Support from Wallows
March 11 – Tijuana, MX – Imperial GNP (Festival)
March 14 – Lima, Peru – Estadio San Marcos+
March 17-19 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Lollapalooza Argentina (Festival)
March 17-19 – Santiago, Chile – Lollapalooza Chile (Festival)
March 21-22 – Asuncion, Paraguay – Venue TBA
March 23-26 – Bogotá, Colombia – Estereo Picnic (Festival)
March 24-26 – São Paulo, Brazil – Lollapalooza Brasil (Festival)
March 28 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes+
April 1-2 – Monterrey, MX – Venue TBA
NORTH AMERICA
*With Support from Turnstile
May 4 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center*
May 6 – Chicago, IL – United Center*
May 9 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena*
May 11 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena*
May 12 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre*
May 16 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse*
May 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena*
May 19 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden*
May 20 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena*
May 21 – Boston, MA – TD Garden*
May 23 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena*
May 24 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center*
May 26 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Arena*
May 27 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium*
Jun 14 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center*
Jun 16 – Los Angeles, CA – Banc of California Stadium*
Jun 20 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena*
Jun 22 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center*
Jun 23 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center*
Jun 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena*
Jun 27 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena*
Jun 29 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place*
Jun 30 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome*
Jul 3 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena*
Jul 5 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center*
Jul 7 – Austin, TX – Moody Center*
Jul 8 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center*
Jul 10 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena*
Jul 11 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – FLA Live Arena*
Jul 13 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena*
Jul 14 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center*
Jul 16 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena*
EUROPE
^With Support from The Story So Far
Sep 2 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro^
Sep 4 – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena^
Sep 5 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena^
Sep 8 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis^
Sep 9 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena^
Sep 12 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena^
Sep 13 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena^
Sep 14 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum^
Sep 16 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena^
Sep 17 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclays Arena^
Sep 19 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena^
Sep 20 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle^
Oct 2– Lisbon, Portugal – Altice Arena^
Oct 3 – Madrid, Spain – Wizink Centre^
Oct 4 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi^
Oct 6 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena^
Oct 8 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome^
Oct 9 – Paris, France – Accor Arena^
Oct 11 – London, UK – The O2^
Oct 14 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena^
Oct 15 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena^
Oct 21 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival
BLINK-182 2024 TOUR DATES:
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND
!With Support from Rise Against
Feb 9 – Perth, Western Australia – RAC Arena!
Feb 11 – Adelaide, South Australia – Entertainment Centre!
Feb 13 – Melbourne, Victoria – Rod Laver Arena!
Feb 16 – Sydney, New South Wales – Qudos Bank Arena!
Feb 19 – Brisbane, Queensland – Entertainment Centre!
Feb 23 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena!
Feb 26 – Christchurch, NZ – Christchurch Arena!