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Toronto Pop Songstress Sam Casey Releases “New Company” Alex Exists Remix

Eric Alper
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Toronto Pop Songstress Sam Casey Releases “New Company” Alex Exists Remix

Drunk dialing your ex — or, worse, that person with whom you were just in a situationship — is never ever a good idea. And while Toronto pop songstress Sam Casey knows that, first she’s going to wrestle with it for a while (like we all do) in her soulful and starkly honest new single, “New Company” – already available, but now has a new remix, courtesy of Alex Exists.

Directed by Agata Waclawska, Sam Casey and Alex Exists have collaborated on a new music video for the song, a widescreen epic version of the song from Sam’s current EP, New Company.

Slow, smooth, sassy, soul ballad-y, and fresh from her forthcoming New Company EP, the song eventually comes to the foregone conclusion that the embattled narrator needs to find a new man. But just for tonight, she sits with her phone in her lap and fights with herself and an absent paramour –

Well, the clock strikes one
And I’m pissed drunk
I want to call, but I know I’ll fall
Back into your arms
Where I feel most calm
But you’ll mess it up like you’ve always done

As the predictable predicament plays out in her head, she eventually decides ‘So, I want some new company/ I want some new company/ Yeah, I want some new company.’ There’s ambiguity blurring at the edges, however, and so we’re not entirely sure – and the narrator might not be either – whether this is what she truly wants.

Because of just how realistically Casey captures this internal monologue, it’s not surprising that it’s based on one of her actual experiences. “‘New Company’ was written in my university dorm room,” she says. “I was involved with someone at the time, and we mainly saw each other after 1:00 in the morning. I was hoping for something more and, after a few months, I realized that he was never going to give me what I needed in a relationship.”

One of her diary entries became the inspiration for the lyrics, and an interesting beat she had found on the Internet served as the catalyst. “I voice-recorded myself singing the page from my diary over the beat and showed my best girlfriends that night,” Casey recalls. “That diary entry became the chorus of ‘New Company’ and prompted me to pull from my journals for almost every song I’ve written since then.”

“New Company” comes with a freshly minted official music video — an experience that felt surreal to create, the Toronto-based artist reveals. “This being my first music video for an original song, I was extremely excited to place a visual to my lyrics for new and old listeners,” she shares. “In the video, we feature the more melodramatic aspects of my character as she leaves a fight with her ‘wheel’ and drives home through the city only to see an angel-like figure — untamed and floating through the street — near the end of her trip.”

In all, going through the process of turning her feelings into both a song and video allowed her to move on from the crappy situationship — as well as the low self-esteem the one-sided fling had engendered.

“Since I wrote ‘New Company,’ I’ve been in three somewhat healthy relationships,” she reveals. “I can confidently say that, as soon as I started really loving myself and looking in the mirror like, ‘Oh girl, you are so funky and fresh today’ or ‘Damn, Sam, your personality is super unique and that’s a GOOD thing,’ I was truly able to demand what I deserved and not be afraid to lose someone if they couldn’t give that to me.”

Indigenous Rocker Joey Nowyuk Looks Back To The Past With “Inuugama” Covers Album Out Sept 30

Eric Alper
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Indigenous Rocker Joey Nowyuk Looks Back To The Past With “Inuugama” Covers Album Out Sept 30

From the lush geographic tapestries of Pangnirtung, Nunavut comes chart-topping, award-winning rock singer/songwriter Joey Nowyuk with his interpretation of a legendary Rankin Inlet artist with the riveting new single “Tappaani.”

Performed in his native language Inuktitut, heartthrob Joey Nowyuk’s spell-binding rendition appears on his kinetic new covers album, Inuugama. The album title translates to “I am Inuk” and is a sonic celebration of Nowyuk’s Inuit culture and language.

“Tappaani” is a meditative musical experience that continues to establish the rest of the album as a homage to popular Inuit music. The single is a stylish take on Ishmael Naulalik’s classic song with rhythmic sophistication, Inuktitut lyrics, and compelling guitar work that breathes new life into the original recording.

Joey Nowyuk follows up his award-winning debut album, Tumitit (meaning “your footprints” in English), with the highly anticipated collection of culturally essential covers paying tribute to his Inuit and Indigenous musical inspirations, Inuugama.

The album was recorded at the Hitmakerz Compound in Ottawa, Ontario, under the astute guidance of producer Dale Penner (Nickelback, The Matthew Good Band) and executive producer Thor Simonsen (Kelly Fraser, Shauna Seeteenak, Angela Amarualik). All of the Inuit throat singing on the album was performed by Qattuu; emerging solo artist and member of the multi-JUNO Award nominated group, Silla and Rise.

Channelling his indie rock and alternative pop roots, Joey Nowyuk harnesses the sound Plain White T’s, Goo Goo Dolls, John Mayer, One Republic, and Snow Patrol and effortlessly interweaves them with his confident, rewarding songs. The first Canadian performance of songs on Inuugama will be at the Folk on the Rocks festival in Yellowknife this summer.

In the opening track, Joey puts a contemporary spin on Charlie Ningiuk’s 1997 classic, “Inuuqatigigakkit.” The song sets the tone for the album with its driving rhythm and twangy guitar alongside Inuktitut lyrics. Next is a playful cover of Qimujuit’s “Nunavut”; the perfect song for a summer day on the land. With plans to release the single on Nunavut Day, Joey Nowyuk will not only pay tribute to the artists that shaped him, but also Nunavut – which means “our land” – the place that was their home and inspiration. This energetic song also features Inuk throat singer, Qattuu.

Joey’s interpretation of Charlie Adam’s hit-song “Quviasupunga,” is sure to resonate with audiences around the world to a new generation of fans. Written in Inuktitut, with a translation meaning “I’m happy”, this chill, easy-listening song is sure to put a smile on faces.

In other songs, Joey sings about his hometown in “Panniqtuuq,” a song originally by Etulu and Susa, while “Quviagijara” combines rock and country sounds.

A catchy cover of Sikumiut’s song, “Utirumavunga”, will have audiences sing along to this classic track, performed by Charlie Adams’ first band, while friendship comes full circle with Joey’s version of the title album cut originally performed by Inuk music icon, Looee Arreak’s “Sapiliqtailigit”, meaning “Don’t Give Up”. Looee was one of the main inspirations when Joey began songwriting, and both are originally from the remote Northern community of Pangnirtung, Nunavut and are labelmates at the Iqaluit-based record label, Hitmakerz.

Joey Nowyuk began his songwriting career at a young age telling the stories of his Inuk upbringing and bringing attention to the harshness of living in the North and the mental health struggles that persist in those communities. His debut album, Tumitit, produced two songs, “Nalligigakku (Because I Love Her)” and “Pray (Tussiaq),” that rose to #1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown.

Notable achievements in Nowyuk’s blossoming music career include being a three-time winner of the Qilaut songwriting contest and an Indigenous Music Award winner. Nowyuk now celebrates his latest release as a love letter to the richness of Inuit culture with the intent of spreading his messages of positivity and resilience to audiences worldwide.

Montreal-Based Pianist Taurey Butler Follows Up His Justin Time Records Debut with ‘One Of The Others’ Album Out Oct 7

Eric Alper
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Montreal-Based Pianist Taurey Butler Follows Up His Justin Time Records Debut with ‘One Of The Others’ Album Out Oct 7

Pianist Taurey Butler is a native of East Orange, New Jersey and now makes his home in Montreal. During his last year of high school, a prescient teacher, who was also a distinguished percussionist, Barry Centanni handed Butler a CD of Oscar Peterson and advised him to listen. He did, and from then on, he knew where he was going. ”I didn’t know a piano could do that!” he recalls and began to focus more on jazz studies.

With his self-titled debut, released on Justin Time Records in 2011, Butler firmly established his signature artistry in his adopted home base – he is a well-known and favorite performer in Montreal’s preeminent jazz clubs, including Dièse Onze, the Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill and the illustrious Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. He has toured internationally with stops in Asia, the Middle East, and in the USA including New York City’s Blue Note Jazz Club and The Cotton Club in New Orleans as well as the Detroit and JVC Jazz Festivals.

The pianist teams up with Montreal-based Justin Time again for One Of The Others, set for release on October 7. The trio recording is a genuine, creative deepness of effort, and is selflessly shared. The album delivers the real Butler in a musical representation of who he is, and what he feels, a suite of truly personal and personalized tracks.

One Of The Others is also one of the tracks on the album and like a title or heading it is an expression of the thoughts and musings presented throughout about being an outsider in a new and strange, but immediately, not so strange land. With Wali Muhammad on drums and Morgan Moore on bass, Butler tells us his story through eleven songs some authored and some re-imagined and authored. Listen to this music and travel the Taurey Butler migration from his then to his now.

World-Renowned DURHAM GIRLS CHOIR Named Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame Award Recipient at Oshawa Music Awards

Eric Alper
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World-Renowned DURHAM GIRLS CHOIR Named Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame Award Recipient at Oshawa Music Awards

The world-renowned, all-female vocal group Durham Girls Choir is this year’s recipient of a Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame Award from Oshawa Music Awards – The OMAs.

The 2022 Oshawa Music Awards will take place Thursday, September 29th, and are proudly presented by Durham Region Economic Development and Tourism, 360insights, Spark Centre, Trent University Durham GTA, and Durham College. 

First convened in 1964, the organization was established when the Oshawa Folk Arts Council asked local musician Elsie Drygala to form an ensemble to perform for an annual celebration. They adopted the name Oshawa Festival Singers. In 1972 Drygala re-established the group, registering their formal charitable status as a community choir — and the rest, as they say, was history.

Approaching the choir’s 30th anniversary in 2002, the organization was rebranded as Durham Girls’ Choir.

Today, accomplished director Kristine Dandavino guides and challenges the singers, while collaborative pianist Alanna Kurt lends an artful sophistication to their sound. Throughout the many changes over the years, the choir itself remains constant — performing a variety of secular music that expands participants’ musical talents and entertains audience members.

Friendships are made, peers are found, and most importantly — beautiful music is always shared.

Tickets are available at www.TheOMAs5.eventbrite.com

My Next Read: “Photographs of Janis Joplin: On the Road & On Stage” By Elliott Landy

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “Photographs of Janis Joplin: On the Road & On Stage” By Elliott Landy

Celebrated photographer Elliott Landy presents an intimate look at the legendary female singer-songwriter, Janis Joplin.

Landy’s iconic images of Janis, both on the road and in concert, capture and preserve her pure essence as well as her onstage magnificence. Photographs of Janis Joplin: On the Road & On Stage features beautifully reproduced large format images, many never before published.

Janis’s own words, taken from recorded interviews by David Dalton, are used as extended captions and paired with photographs to provide insight into the woman behind the legend.

Susan Aglukark, Kashtin, Eekwol, Shingoose, and Andy DeJarlis Added to National Music Centre’s Speak Up! Exhibition

Eric Alper
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Susan Aglukark, Kashtin, Eekwol, Shingoose, and Andy DeJarlis Added to National Music Centre’s Speak Up! Exhibition

The National Music Centre (NMC) is adding five Indigenous trailblazers to its updated Speak Up! exhibition, opening on September 29.

The exhibition will now include Inuk artist, activist, and “O Siem” chart-topper Susan Aglukark; First Nations folk-rock duo Kashtin, known for blending Innu—an Indigenous language with as few as 13,000 speakers—into its music; néhiyaw rapper Eekwol, who uses her voice to express outrage about Canada’s residential school system and the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous woman and girls; the late Ojibway folk pioneer Curtis ‘Shingoose’ Jonnie; late Métis fiddler Andy DeJarlis; and 15 previously announced artists.

Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, will also be open with free admission on September 30, the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, allowing the public to visit the Speak Up! exhibition, explore different Indigenous perspectives, and learn about Indigenous culture and experiences through the lens of music.

Featuring storytelling, audio, and artifacts, visitors to the updated Speak Up! will gain an understanding of each artist’s personal inspiration and the power of music to spark dialogue about difficult topics and affect social change. An updated virtual version of the exhibition will also be accessible for free at studiobell.ca/speak-up.

“Since launching in 2019, Speak Up! has grown to now include 20 Inuit, First Nations, and Métis voices, who have all greatly contributed to creating a longstanding legacy of social change through their art,” said David McLeod (member of the Pine Creek First Nation), Curator of Speak Up! “All of the artists have unique insights and lessons that ultimately connect to their community and the Indigenous experience.”

Previously announced artists in the evolving exhibit include: Fiddler, composer, and luthier John Arcand, also referred to as the ‘Master of the Métis Fiddle’; singer-songwriter and First Nations activist Willie Dunn; operatic vocalist and composer Jeremy Dutcher; genre-melding singer-songwriter and activist iskwē; eight-time Grammy-nominated powwow, round dance, drumming and singing group Northern Cree; Igloolik psych-rockers Northern Haze; legendary Abenaki filmmaker and singer Alanis Obomsawin; Igloolik psych-rockers Northern Haze; the father of Inuktitut music, country-folk artist Charlie Panigoniak; Aboriginal poet, painter, broadcaster and filmmaker Dr. Duke Redbird; world-renowned Oscar-winning composer, musician, visual artist, activist, and educator Buffy Sainte-Marie; Anishinaabe singer-songwriter and emcee Leonard Sumner; Ottawa-based rock band Seventh Fire; singer-songwriter Kinnie Starr, known for straddling the lines between folk, rap, art-pop and poetry; Inuit throat singer and experimental artist Tanya Tagaq; and ground-breaking Cree hip-hop group War Party.

The Speak Up! exhibition is supported by TD who, in 2022, increased its support of NMC’s Indigenous programming through the OHSOTO’KINO initiative, so named after a Blackfoot phrase, which means ‘to recognize a voice of.’ OHSOTO’KINO focuses on three elements: creation of new music in NMC’s recording studios, artist development through a music incubator program, and exhibitions via the annually updated Speak Up! gallery. Thanks to support from TD, the exhibition will continue to evolve and expand over the years to come.

Two Versions Of The Rolling Stones’ “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?” 1966 Music Video Get First Official Online Release

Eric Alper
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Two Versions Of The Rolling Stones’ “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?” 1966 Music Video Get First Official Online Release

The Rolling Stones and ABKCO Music & Records Inc./Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company, have released today the official music videos for the hit single “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?” Both versions were filmed in 1966 by director Peter Whitehead but were rejected at the time by the few outlets that would play what were then referred to as “promos” or “promotional films” of rock and roll bands. The live performance video captures the mayhem during The Rolling Stones’ September 23, 1966, performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London; while the video of the band in Drag was created using film footage of the photoshoot for the single’s back cover in Manhattan, depicting all five original members (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts).

A Top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic (UK #5; US #9), “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?” was recorded in August and September of ’66 at RCA Studios in Hollywood as well as IBC Studios in London. Released simultaneously in the US and UK 56 years ago to this day, the instrumentation on the Jagger/Richards composition includes a horn section consisting of three trumpets, put together by arranger Mike Leander (The Beatles, Marianne Faithfull, Gary Glitter, Cliff Richard, Joe Cocker and The Drifters) with piano by both Richards and Jack Nitzsche. Regarding the lyrics, Jagger told Keith Altham at the NME in 1966, “This is simply about a boy and his bird. Some songs I write are just for a laugh. Others are extensions of ideas. This is a mixture of both. You must listen to it and place your own interpretation on the lyric. There is no attempt to present a controversial ‘Mother’ theme.”

Filmmaker Peter Whitehead, who directed The Rolling Stones’ tour documentary Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965 and went on to make many more music videos for the band (including “We Love You,” officially released on 4K by The Rolling Stones and ABKCO last month), captured the band at a strange moment in their tenure as a live band. The rock concert industry was still in its infancy, and security was ill-equipped at handling the throngs of screaming fans who rushed the stage at the Royal Albert Hall to grab band members mid-song, before getting pushed back into the crowd. Decades before the launch of MTV, there was no way for the general population to view this original version of the music video until it was incorporated into the documentary Heroes of Rock and Roll, narrated by Jeff Bridges and televised in early 1979.

A second version of the music video, consisting of entirely different footage shot on September 9, 1966, was also made by Whitehead. Footage of the photo shoot with photographer Jerry Schatzberg for the back cover of the single (US version only, as the UK version didn’t come in a picture sleeve) is captured in black and white. The band, entirely in drag, stands around a wheelchair-bound Bill Wyman at 124 East 24th Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues in Manhattan.

When asked about the concept behind the shoot, Keith Richards commented to the NME “The photograph was just a laugh. There’s no deeper interpretation to be placed on it than that . . . We adopted the names of ‘Molly’ and ‘Sarah’ for fun.” He went on to say, “I think Bill must get the ‘king of the queens’ award for his portrayal of the bird in the bathchair in the uniform. I mean just look at her . . . I mean that’s the one who pressed the button isn’t it?”

Brandi Carlile Confirms Exclusive IMAX Live Concert Experience On September 28

Eric Alper
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Brandi Carlile Confirms Exclusive IMAX Live Concert Experience On September 28

In celebration of her anticipated new deluxe album, In The Canyon Haze, Brandi Carlile will perform a special, one-night-only IMAX Live concert on the record’s release day, September 28, at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT. Directed by Sam Wrench (Billie Eilish, Mary J. Blige) and broadcast live overlooking L.A.’s storied Laurel Canyon neighborhood to over 100 IMAX theatres nationwide, “Brandi Carlile: In The Canyon Haze – Live from Laurel Canyon” will feature an intimate and exclusive concert experience with Carlile and her band performing the lushly reimagined songs featured on the deluxe album for the very first time. Tickets are on-sale now, full details can be found at imax.com/brandicarlile.

Of the performance, Carlile shares, “I’ve made a terrifying and beautiful commitment to livestream a complete performance of my new project In the Canyon Haze to IMAX theatres across the country. The music and harmonies are complex and lush…anything could happen. You will hear these songs like you’ve never heard them before and I expect that it’ll be one of the most potent and welcome challenges of my career to bring this to you in such stark detail. Live is live. Rock and roll is a risk and I’m HERE for it!

Together, with our incredibly talented director Sam Wrench, we hope to deliver an enhanced and intimate cinematic experience that hasn’t been attempted before. Along with my band and some very special guests, I’m going to be performing In The Canyon Haze in its entirety, set against the fertile ground of Laurel Canyon and the music scene that inspired this reimagined album.

The best part is that our audience will be there to join us in community for this one-night-only performance, live and in real time in state-of-the-art IMAX theatres. This is the one and only time I wish I was in the audience instead of on the stage!

We hope you enjoy this film as much as we’re going to enjoy bringing this music to life on the big screen. Get your tickets right away! I’ll see you all in the canyon.”

Produced by Carlile and the twins, Phil and Tim Hanseroth, and recorded at their home barn studio, In The Canyon Haze features reimagined Laurel Canyon-inspired versions of each song from Carlile’s acclaimed 2021 album, In These Silent Days, plus a special rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” Out September 28 on Low Country Sound/Elektra Records, the record is now available for pre-save and CD pre-order. A limited-edition deluxe vinyl will be available exclusively at indie retail starting Friday, November 25 and everywhere you buy music the following Friday, December 2. Full pre-order details available here.

In advance of the release, the new version of Carlile’s current single, “You and Me on the Rock (In the Canyon Haze)” featuring her wife, Catherine Carlile, debuted last week, of which Rolling Stone praises, “a lovely, stripped-down take on the song that puts Catherine’s low harmonies next to Brandi’s soaring leads. The sparse instrumental bed shimmers like city lights in the distance but it still retains the intimacy and warmth of a living-room performance.” Additionally, Carlile and her band made their debut on NBC’s “TODAY Show” “Citi Concert Series” this past Friday performing “Broken Horses” and “You And Me On The Rock” as well as fan favorites, “The Joke” and “The Story.”

Carlile is currently in the midst of her extensive “Beyond These Silent Days” headline tour with upcoming shows at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre (two nights), Boston’s TD Garden and New York’s Madison Square Garden among many others.

In These Silent Days, which was originally released last October, was inspired by the mining of Carlile’s own history while writing last year’s #1 New York Times Best Selling memoir, Broken Horses (Crown). Of the album, Variety praises, “Carlile effortlessly glides between octaves while, somehow, still sounding completely conversational—the everyday diva we didn’t know we needed until she showed up at our door…a vocal tour de force,” while Billboard asserts, “the emotion that Carlile projects is unbridled, unfettered joy in the face of hard times—and it’s the exact boost of positivity that will make you want to listen again and again” and Vulture declares, “one of the biggest voices in the genre.” The album also appeared on “Best of 2021” lists at NPR Music, Variety, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Entertainment Weekly, SPIN, USA Today, Stereogum and many more.

In the months since the release, the six-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, performer, producer and New York Times Best Selling author made her debut as the musical guest on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (performing “Broken Horses” and “Right On Time”), returned to “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” to guest host and debut “You And Me On The Rock,” and debuted “This Time Tomorrow” on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” She also performed “Right On Time” during the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards earlier this year, where the song was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Additionally, this past November, Carlile performed Mitchell’s legendary album Blue in its entirety at Carnegie Hall. Of the sold-out performance, Billboard proclaims, “an extraordinary concert…who better to take on this homage but Carlile, who has taken up Mitchell’s still brightly burning torch, as one of the finest songwriters and singers of this era.”

In These Silent Days follows Carlile’s 2018 breakthrough GRAMMY Award-winning album, By The Way, I Forgive You, which Rolling Stone declared, “…an Adele-meets Joni Mitchell tour de force.” In the years since—in addition tocollaborative projects with Elton John, The Highwomen, Tanya Tucker, Soundgarden, Alicia Keys, Dolly Parton, Barry Gibb, Leslie Jordan, Brandy Clark and more—she has earned six Grammy Awards recognizing her work as a performer, songwriter and producer, was awarded Billboard’s Women In Music “Trailblazer Award,” CMT’s Next Women of Country “Impact Award” and received multiple recognitions from the Americana Music Association Honors & Awards including 2021’s Artist of the Year, 2020’s Album of the Year (Highwomen), Group of the Year (The Highwomen) and Song of the Year (“Crowded Table”) and 2019’s Artist of the Year. Moreover, the audiobook version of Carlile’s memoir was recently highlighted as one of Libro.fm’s top 10 bestselling audiobooks of 2021.

In addition to their work as a band, Carlile and the Hanseroth twins remain committed to social activism and advocacy. Together they are founders of the Looking Out Foundation, which amplifies the impact of music by empowering those without a voice with varied initiatives including campaigns focused on Children in Conflict/War Child, The IF Project, Fund Racial Justice and more. To date, they have raised over $3 million for grassroots causes.

IN THESE SILENT DAYS (DELUXE EDITION)
IN THE CANYON HAZE TRACKLIST
1. Right On Time
2. You And Me On The Rock feat. Catherine Carlile
3. This Time Tomorrow
4. Broken Horses
5. Letter To The Past
6. Mama Werewolf
7. When You’re Wrong
8. Stay Gentle
9. Sinners Saints And Fools
10.Throwing Good After Bad
11. Space Oddity

BRANDI CARLILE CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
September 24—Franklin, TN—Pilgrimage Festival
September 25—Bridgeport, CT—Sound on Sound Festival
October 7—Durham, NC—Durham Performing Arts Center+
October 8—Greenville, SC—Peace Center Concert Hall+
October 21—Boston, MA—TD Garden#
October 22—New York, NY—Madison Square Garden#
January 9-13, 2023—Riviera Maya, Mexico—Girls Just Wanna Weekend 4 (SOLD OUT)
+a special solo performance
#with special guest Brittany Howard

Toronto’s PROPTER HAWK gets rowdy with first single “Theatre Of The Whole World”

Eric Alper
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Toronto’s PROPTER HAWK gets rowdy with first single “Theatre Of The Whole World”

Toronto rock and roll group Propter Hawk’s new single, “Theatre Of The Whole World,” buzzes with triumphant energy while telling a relatable story of yearning to escape from the mundane cycle of everyday life – even if you are not prepared to do so.

“People are fascinated by those who go out and explore the world, but they are a lot more fascinated when things go wrong and how they react to it,” songwriter and guitarist Andrew Blake says. “Seeing what people are capable of enduring, both physically and mentally – I wanted to write about someone who tries to have that experience but doesn’t quite have the spirit or knowledge that they need to endure it. Once I had that concept, the lyrics sort of wrote themselves. I had the entire world to take reference from.”

Established in 2020, Propter Hawk is a rock and roll outfit from the ambiguous corners of Toronto, Ontario. Commixing influences and sounds, Propter Hawk is Humble Pie, The Beatles, The Band and Otis Redding tossed in a burning barrel at the dark end of an unmarked street. Andrew Blake is joined by Malorie Blake (lead vocals), Alec McEachern (lead guitar), Brian Derro (bass, backup vocals), and Jimmy Ruddock (drums, backup vocals), forming Propter Hawk through the broken shards of former bands and shady, desperate classified ads.

Resurfacing from the pandemic with a deluge of material, the band laid down their finely tuned tracks at Pineship Sound in Toronto with Carlin Nicholson and Mike O’Brien of the staple Canadian rock band Zeus. Employing vintage gear and a live horn section, Propter Hawk established the foundation of their sound on their impending self-titled debut record.

To capture a combination of Memphis soul and London blues, lead guitarist Alec McEachern utilized an overdriven Les Paul and an old 15w practice amp to bring a grungy energy to the exciting track. Propter Hawk also uses boisterous horns to get your heart pumping during the chorus – and lead singer Malorie Blake’s vocals soar above it all.

Lifting themselves from tavern floors to the stage and now, with the release of their first single “Theatre Of The Whole World”, this fiercely dedicated and experienced group of musicians is ready to reveal their distorted vision of a new era of rock and roll.

Along with the release of “Theatre of the Whole World,” Propter Hawk has announced the following tour dates:
October 21st: The Cameron House – Toronto, ON
November 12th: Tail Of The Junction – Toronto, ON
November 19th: The Dakota Tavern – Toronto, ON

Canada’s First Lady of the Guitar Liona Boyd Celebrates Romance and Latin Music with L.O.V.E. Featuring New Single “Gracias”

Eric Alper
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Canada’s First Lady of the Guitar Liona Boyd Celebrates Romance and Latin Music with L.O.V.E. Featuring New Single “Gracias”

With a storied, 45-year-plus career filled with success and accolades to reflect on, Canada’s “First Lady of the Guitar” Liona Boyd has certainly earned that title and the international love she and her music have shown. There’s no resting on laurels going on here, just a lot of gratitude, love and new music to share with the world. Liona Boyd’s 29th album, L.O.V.E. has arrived, along with the new single “Gracias.”

When our global pandemic slowed the world down to an isolated crawl, the multi-honoured guitarist, composer, vocalist, and author was all about the forward momentum of creating new music.

“I was writing and recording extensively over the last three to four years,” the five-time JUNO winner recently told Canadian Musician.

The results of which are a mostly instrumental album called Once Upon a Time targeted for release next year and Boyd’s brand new album L.O.V.E. containing seven, exuberant, Latin dance-influenced tracks.

“The L.O.V.E. album songs are really about maintaining a sense of joy during this trying time,” explains Boyd, who once again partnered with longtime producer Peter Bond to record the album at Toronto’s Rose Room.

Certainly, the inherent joy, romance and irresistible grooves of Latin music go a long way to that end. It’s a genre that Boyd has long felt an affinity for. “Since living in Mexico as a teenager, and performing in South and Central America, I’ve always felt a strong attraction to the catchy, sensual rhythms of Latin music,” Boyd shares.

The past 12 months have really showcased Boyd’s Latin music influences and leanings as three singles and videos have advanced the release of the new L.O.V.E. album. The lead single, “Popcorn Remix”, a re-imagined and very dance-worthy version of the classic instrumental, arrived with a colourful and playful video filmed in both Toronto and Palm Beach, Florida peppered with visual call-backs to Boyd’s past. Following that, Boyd released the L.O.V.E.’s title track, with guest Latin vocalist, friend and fellow Torontonian Amanda Martinez, the video now has over 65,000 views on YouTube. The third single “Ayudame Papa”, which translates as ‘Help me, father’, is dedicated to the multi-platinum and gold selling artist’s late father John H. Boyd and features some of his original sculptures.

The latest single release “Gracias” is a smooth, smile-inducing Latin thank you letter graced by Boyd’s bright, signature guitar work and sweet, clear vocals repeating “Thank you. Thank you. Gracias.” No matter the language, the gratitude Boyd shares for a lifetime of living and creating the music she loves is palpable in this captivating track. The new music video for Gracias is available now on YouTube.

Recipient of both Officer of the Order of Canada and Order of Ontario, Liona Boyd is the winner of five JUNO Awards, five Guitar Player Magazine’s Classical Guitar Musician of the Year awards, Vanier Award, Women Who Make a Difference award, Prix ‘Esprit du Ciècle, and Artist of the Year and Honorary Mayor of San Antonio, Texas — plus four Honorary Doctorate of Law degrees and an Honorary Doctorate of Music degree. She has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the US National GUITAR Museum, joining the accolade’s ranks among fellow peers B.B. King, Glen Campbell, and Bonnie Raitt, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award from the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Competition, and inducted into Guitar Player Magazine’s Gallery of Greats.

Since the beginning of her career in 1974, Boyd has released 28 albums. She has upwards of 16 million streams across platforms, and her live concert holiday special, A Winter Fantasy, continues to be televised nationally via PBS and CBC.

Liona Boyd has appeared in countless venues around the world, and collaborated with the likes of Sir Andrew Davis, Yo Yo Ma, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Gordon Lightfoot, Tracy Chapman, Ronnie Hawkins, and Olivia Newton-John, to name a few. The author of two autobiographies, No Remedy for Love and In My Own Key, as well as a soon to be published rhyming children’s book, Boyd is also a dedicated philanthropist and activist for a lengthy selection of charities close to her heart.

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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