On February 4th 2016, Elton John surprised commuters at St Pancras International with a performance in celebration of his new album – Wonderful Crazy Night. Following the performance, he donated the new Yamaha piano to the station for everyone to enjoy.
What is Multichannel Ad Revenue & how can you calculate It?
Ad revenue is one of the most important metrics for your site, but it can be difficult to calculate. To calculate your total ad revenue, you need to add up the money you’ve made from all of the different channels: display ads, programmatic video and audio, mobile in-app ads, native advertising, and so on. If you’re not using an ad revenue calculator and have multiple revenue sources, read on to learn more about how they work and why they’re so useful.
What is multichannel ad revenue?
Multichannel ad revenue is the amount of money you earn from running advertisements across multiple channels like email, websites, and push notifications. It is a term used by publishers to describe how many sources they reach their audiences through. If you’re running a blog or website with multiple products (like an ecommerce site), it’s important that these different types of inventory are tracked separately so you can charge advertisers differently based on which one they’re buying space on.
This means that if one campaign only uses retargeting but another also includes search ads and retargeting through social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter then those should be added together when calculating overall channel performance for each channel type (or “multichannel”).
Multichannel advertising is crucial because it helps you gain a granular view of customer behaviors and interests, and deliver personalized ads that match those specifications.
Multichannel Ad Revenue = (Impressions x eCPM) + (Sessions x Session RPM)
eCPM stands for effective cost per thousand impression—how much your company earns for every 1,000 times an ad appears in front of a user or reader. It’s usually calculated as total revenue divided by total impressions on your website or app. Session RPM stands for session revenue per thousand visitors—the average amount of money earned each time someone interacts with your website or app during their visit.
How do you calculate ad revenue?
Now lets get deeper into calculating your ad revenue accurately.
To start, there’s never been a one-size-fits all calculation for ad revenue. It’s because publishers have the option of charging advertisers based on metrics like :
CPMs (Cost-per-thousand-impressions)
Cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) refers to how much an ad earns if 1,000 views are received.
This is what CPM calculations look like:
Total impressions / 1,000 X CPM = Revenue
For example, you are charging advertisers $10 CPM and you have 500,000 monthly website visitors. You might expect to earn $5,000 a month if each of them view your ad once.
Cost-per-click
A cost-per-click (CPC) is the amount you earn every time you get a click on one of your ads. That cost per click calculation looks like this:
Total clicks X CPC = Revenue
Cost-per-acquisition
The cost-per-acquisition (CPA) is the amount you earn when someone converts after viewing your ad. A conversion may take the form of an email sign-up, app download, or purchase.
CPA is calculated using the below formula:
Total acquisitions X CPA = Revenue
Session RPMs (eRPM)
One of the most popular ad revenue calculations is session RPMs (eRPM). Session RPMs is calculated by dividing the number of impressions by the number of sessions. In other words, it measures how many times someone saw an ad on their device during a single session.
This metric can be used to determine how valuable each impression or click was in relation to other clicks or impressions. For example, if someone clicked on your ad twice in one session, but then never clicked again within that day, it’s likely that they weren’t interested enough in what you were offering for them to come back later and buy something from you. But if several people saw your ad once in a single session without clicking on it again (or without ever coming back at all), that suggests that those users may have been intrigued by what they saw—and could be potential buyers down the line.
How do you calculate multichannel ad revenue?
It is important to combine the ad revenue earned from each channel when calculating multichannel ad revenue.
That’s possible with the help of a reliable ad revenue calculator.
How do you increase multichannel ad revenue?
You probably want to start driving up those numbers now that you know how to calculate multichannel ad revenue. This is how you can increase multichannel ad revenue:
- Focus on one channel at a time.
- Use an ad revenue calculator to find out how much you can earn with multichannel advertising.
- Use native ads: Deliver a smooth user experience by incorporating ads that blends into the surrounding content, increasing impressions and clicks.
- Tailor your messaging. Make sure each ad is customized to a target user-base, so you know you’re only reaching potential customers and leads.
- Choose the right partners. You don’t have to be a solopreneur. Find the right team to help you get work done, execute, and track your multichannel ad revenue campaigns.
Using an ad revenue calculator can help you determine the right amount of monetization for your site
You can use an ad revenue calculator to determine the right amount of monetization for your site.
It is important to note that these calculators are not always 100% accurate in determining the actual value of a website or app, but they are good starting points for understanding how much money you could make on your site or app.
Conclusion
The best way to increase your ad revenue is by diversifying your channels. This will allow your audience to engage with you in a variety of ways and keep them coming back for more. By calculating multichannel ad revenue, you can see how much money each channel would bring in and decide which ones are worth investing more time into. We hope our guide has helped answer any questions about what this type of revenue means—and how it relates to other forms of income generation!
This post is written by Aleesha Jacob.
Photo Gallery: Pitbull with Iggy Azalea at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com

















The Tragically Hip’s ‘Fully Completely’ Gets Deluxe Box Set Treatment For 30th Anniversary
To commemorate the 30th Anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s iconic album, Fully Completely, the band announce that the deluxe boxset, which was previously released in 2014 only on CD, to be reimagined as a vinyl package. This is the first time the box set will be available on vinyl and will be released on October 7, 2022. This 3 LP vinyl set includes all the elements from the 2014 boxset including, the Fully Completely original album, the Live at the Horseshoe September 13, 1992 recording, with bonus studio session tracks Radio Show & So Hard Done By. As well as a Blu-ray of brand-new Dolby Atmos and surround sound mixes of the record. Atmos mixes will also be available digitally on Apple Music and Amazon Music. As well as, newly remastered from the original tapes, ‘Heksenketel’1993 tour documentary, plus a 56-page book and five exclusive lithographs by cover artist Lieve Prins.
To commemorate the 30th Anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s iconic album, Fully Completely, the band announce that the deluxe boxset, which was previously released in 2014 only on CD, to be reimagined as a vinyl package. This is the first time the box set will be available on vinyl and will be released on October 7, 2022.
To commemorate the 30th Anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s iconic album, Fully Completely, the band announce that the deluxe boxset, which was previously released in 2014 only on CD, to be reimagined as a vinyl package. This is the first time the box set will be available on vinyl and will be released on October 7, 2022.
The Fully Completely deluxe vinyl edition, is the first in a series of vinyl album rereleases for The Tragically Hip, the band heeding the call to experience the music in this analogue quality format. Fans can watch out for reissues of Yer Favourites which had previously been available only on CD as well as a brand-new boxset for Phantom Power (CD, vinyl, Atmos), leading into the bands’ 40th anniversary celebration in 2024.
Fully Completely is where The Tragically Hip reach the apex of their talent. Originally released on October 6th, 1992, the album went on to sell more than a million copies in Canada and is quickly approaching double Diamond status. Spawning multiple hit singles “Locked in the Trunk of a Car”, “Courage” (For Hugh McLennan), “At the Hundredth Meridian” “Fifty Mission Cap” and “Wheat Kings.”
At the 2017 Polaris Music Prize the album won the public vote for the Heritage Prize in the 1986-1995 category. Originally released on October 6th, 1992, the album was produced by Chris Tsangarides (Depeche Mode, Killing Joke, Concrete Blonde) and recorded at Battery Studios in London the summer of 1992.
Earlier this week, The Tragically Hip were announced as the Inductee to 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 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 shine a spotlight on 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.
Critically acclaimed for more than three decades, The Tragically Hip has been at the heart of the Canadian musical zeitgeist, evoking a strong emotional connection between their music and their fans that remains unrivalled. A five-piece group of friends including Rob Baker (guitar), Gord Downie (vocals, guitar), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar) and Gord Sinclair (bass), who grew up in Kingston, Ontario, The Tragically Hip have achieved both mass popularity with more than 10 million albums in Canada and over 1.5 million sold in the U.S, as well as peer recognition through 15 Juno Awards – picking up the distinguished Humanitarian Award in 2021 which recognizes Canadian artists or industry leaders whose humanitarian contributions have positively enhanced the social fabric of Canada and beyond. Their studio catalogue includes their self-titled debut album The Tragically Hip (1987), Up To Here (1989), Road Apples (1991), Fully Completely (1992), Day For Night (1994), Trouble At The Henhouse (1996), Phantom Power (1998), Music @ Work (2000), In Violet Light (2002), In Between Evolution (2004), World Container (2006), We Are The Same (2009), Now For Plan A (2012), Man Machine Poem (2016) and Saskadelphia (2021). A National Celebration was the final show of The Tragically Hip’s Man Machine Poem Tour recorded on August 20th, 2016, at the K-Rock Centre in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, and is their last performance as a five-piece band. Through their career the band became a cultural touchstone in Canada, who despite their accolades and numerous recognitions, will always be proudest of the humanitarian work they have done over the years through numerous charitable organizations and causes.
Fully Completely Deluxe Vinyl Track Listing:
LP1- Side A
1. Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)
2. Looking for a Place to Happen
3. At the Hundredth Meridian
4. Pigeon Camera
5. Lionized
6. Eldorado
LP1 Side B
1. We’ll Go, Too
2. Fully Completely
3. Fifty Mission Cap
4. Wheat Kings
5. The Wherewithal
6. Locked in the Trunk of a Car
Live at the Horseshoe, September 13, 1992 Recording:
LP 2 Side C
1. At The Hundredth Meridian
2. Fifty Mission Cap
3. We’ll Go Too
4. Fully Completely
5. Pigeon Camera
LP2 Side D
1. Twist My Arm
2. Lionized
3. Wheat Kings
4. Eldorado
LP3 Side E
1. Looking For A Place To Happen
2. Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)
3. Locked In The Trunk Of A Car
4. The Wherewithal
LP 3 Side F
Bonus Studio Session Tracks
1. Radio Show
2. So Hard Done By
Fully Completely Atmos Mix on Blu-ray and available on digital platforms:
1. Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)
2. Looking for a Place to Happen
3. At the Hundredth Meridian
4. Pigeon Camera
5. Lionized
6. Eldorado
7. We’ll Go, Too
8. Fully Completely
9. Fifty Mission Cap
10. Wheat Kings
11. The Wherewithal
12. Locked in the Trunk of a Car
Heksenketel documentary:
Featuring concert footage and other clips of the band and crew as they travel across Canada from coast to coast during their 1993 ‘Another Roadside Attraction’ tour.
Royal Canadian Mint Honours Legendary Canadian Pianist And Jazz Giant Oscar Peterson On New $1 Circulation Coin
The Royal Canadian Mint is honouring one of the greatest musicians the world has ever seen by issuing a new $1 commemorative circulation celebrating the life and artistic legacy of Canada’s own Oscar Peterson. Called “the man with four hands” by jazz great and admirer Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson rose to the top of the music world through more than six decades of electrifying piano performances and unforgettable compositions such as Hymn to Freedom, Blues Etude and The Canadiana Suite. The coin was unveiled today before family and friends gathered in Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall, a stage well known to Mr. Peterson. It will begin circulating on August 15, to coincide with his birthday.
“The Mint is passionate about celebrating stories of exceptional Canadians on its coins and I am delighted that Oscar Peterson, the first Canadian musician to appear on a circulation coin, is being celebrated as one of the world’s most respected and influential jazz artists of all time,” said Marie Lemay, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. “Mr. Peterson’s music and legendary performances have brought joy to millions of music lovers in Canada and around the world and we are proud to honour him, through this coin, for his exceptional contributions to Canadian music and culture.”
The Oscar Peterson commemorative circulation coin was designed by artist Valentine De Landro, an accomplished comic book artist, illustrator, and designer from Ajax, Ontario. His design features Oscar Peterson at the piano, with his hands in full motion, from which emerges a flowing musical scale showing two closing bars of his famous Hymn to Freedom. Mr. Peterson’s name completes the design.
“Throughout Oscar’s career he received many awards and honours, each of which meant a great deal to him. During the nearly fifteen years since his passing, there have been more. All of them humbling. All of them a source of pride. The addition of this commemorative circulation coin bearing his likeness is something neither he nor I could ever have imagined,” said Kelly Peterson. “Knowing that Canadians now, and for generations to come, will hold this coin and be reminded of Oscar Peterson or be inspired to learn about him for the first time evokes emotions challenging to describe. I am deeply, profoundly honoured. Oscar was a great pianist and composer. He was a staunch advocate for human rights. Above all, he was always a proud Canadian. As his music is timeless, so too now will he be a part of the Canadian consciousness forever.”
Growing up in Little Burgundy, the neighbourhood that was the hub of Montreal’s black community, Oscar Peterson was taught, by his father and his older sister Daisy, the value of a music education from a very early age. Raised on the classics, he quickly mastered the piano and honed his craft through popular music to become one of the most acclaimed jazz musicians of all time. Over a more than 60-year career, he made over 400 recordings and his famous Oscar Peterson Trio performed around the world. He won eight Grammy Awards and was inducted in Canada’s Music Hall of Fame in 1978. A first-time Juno Awards nominee in 1977, he won Best Jazz Album, as The Oscar Peterson Four, in 1987. He was also made a Companion of the Order of Canada by the late Ramon Hnatyshyn, Governor General of Canada.
In 1962, he composed Hymn to Freedom, which became an anthem of the 1960s civil rights movement whose musical and social influence continues to resonate today. His Canadiana Suite was an epic and moving tribute to the country he loved and always called home.
The impact of Oscar Peterson’s work and life story transcends generations: inspiring countless artists who themselves became music icons, and still attracting new generations to his music and to his craft. Numerous music schools and scholarships have been founded in his honour. Mr. Peterson died in 2007 at the age of 82.
“When I was a child traveling the world with my dad, I remember being curious about the figures on each country’s currency. It was an opportunity to learn about the history of where I was visiting. One thing that has always been important to me is that as Canadians, we take the time to explore our history – all aspects of it,” said Céline Peterson. “Knowing that Canadians at home and anyone who visits from abroad will hold the opportunity to learn about a formidable figure in our nation’s history in the palm of their hand, brings me an immense amount of joy. My dad being given this recognition by the Royal Canadian Mint is something I never would have even thought to imagine because to me, he is and always will be, dad.”
The Oscar Peterson circulation coin is limited to a mintage of three million coins, of which two million feature a purple accent, Oscar Peterson’s favourite colour. It will reach Canadians through their change as bank branches and businesses replenish their inventories of $1 circulation coins.
The coloured and uncoloured circulation coin can be purchased together as part of a six-piece Collector Keepsake coin set. They are packaged in a richly illustrated collector card that contains one of each currently circulating coin, from five cents to two dollars. Other collector products adding to the celebration of Oscar Peterson’s legacy include special wrap rolls of 25 one-dollar circulation coins, in coloured and uncoloured versions, as well as 1 oz. fine silver and pure gold versions of the circulation coin design.
These collectibles can be ordered as of today by contacting the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca/oscarpeterson. They are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint’s Ottawa and Winnipeg boutiques, as well as through the Mint’s global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.
Eric Clapton: The Complete Reprise Studio Albums – Volume 1 12LP Boxed Set Available September 30
Eric Clapton, one of music’s most influential and successful recording artists, joined Reprise Records in 1983, launching a prolific period that spans 30 years and encompasses some of his most celebrated work. An upcoming limited edition, 12-LP boxed set revisits Clapton’s first six albums for Reprise along with an LP exclusive to this collection that features rarities from the era, including a previously unreleased remix of “Pilgrim” by co-writer and long-time Clapton producer Simon Climie.
THE COMPLETE REPRISE STUDIO ALBUMS – VOLUME I will be available on September 30 with pre-orders available now. It contains newly remastered versions of six studio albums pressed on 180-gram vinyl: Money and Cigarettes (1983) as a single LP, and Behind the Sun (1985), August (1986), Journeyman (1989), From the Cradle (1994), and Pilgrim (1998) as double-LPs. Behind The Sun and August were originally released as single LPs; both are now 3-sided double albums to avoid long LP sides and to maximize the audio quality.
The final LP in the collection, Rarities (1983-1998) brings together eight rare recordings from this era, including live versions of “White Room” and “Crossroads” that were both featured on the B-side on the 1987 single “Behind The Mask.” Another B-side, “Theme From A Movie That Never Happened” (Orchestral), appeared in 1998 on the GrammyÒ winning single, “My Father’s Eyes.” A cover of Albert King’s “Born Under A Bad Sign” (an outtake from GrammyÒ winning album From The Cradle) is available today on YouTube. Click HERE to listen now.
All the music included in this collection was mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering and the lacquers for the LPs were cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.
VOLUME I spans 15 years and touches on some of Clapton’s biggest studio albums. It begins with Money and Cigarettes, the guitarist’s eighth solo studio album, which he co-produced with Atlantic Records’ legend Tom Dowd. Released in 1983, it reached the Top 20 in the U.S. and the U.K. and introduced the hit single “I’ve Got A Rock ’n’ Roll Heart.”
Clapton worked with Phil Collins to produce his next album, Behind the Sun, which peaked at #8 in the U.K. The album would earn platinum-certification in the U.S. thanks to hits like “Forever Man” and “She’s Waiting.” Collins returned to co-produce the next album, August, as well. Certified gold in the U.S., it featured a trio of Top 10 singles – “Miss You,” “Tearing Us Apart,” (a duet with Tina Turner) and the #1 smash, “It’s In The Way That You Use It.” Clapton co-wrote the latter with Robbie Robertson and co-produced the track with Dowd. The song was also featured in The Color of Money, the 1986 blockbuster film starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise.
Journeyman, Clapton’s 1989 follow-up, reached #2 in the U.K. where it was certified platinum. An international sensation, the record was certified platinum in Canada and gold in Argentina, Australia, France, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The album was certified double platinum in the U.S., scoring #1 hits on the Mainstream Rock charts with “Pretending” and the Grammy winning single “Bad Love.” The album had two more Top 10 hits in America with “Before You Accuse Me” (#9) and “No Alibis” (#4).
Following the runaway success of his 1992 live album Unplugged, Clapton returned in 1994 with From The Cradle. A blues covers album, it featured his versions of song recorded by some of the bluesmen who influenced him, including Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters Freddie King and more. The album was certified triple-platinum in the U.S., where it topped the Billboard 00. It also reached #1 in the U.K., making it his only #1 album in the U.K. to date. In addition, From The Cradle won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.
The final release on VOLUME I is Pilgrim, Clapton’s 1998 Grammy Award winning 13th solo studio album. It reached the Top 10 in more than 20 countries, including the .S. (#4) and the U.K. (#3). A passion project for Clapton, the album was certified platinum in America thanks to hi singles like, “My Father’s Eyes,” “Circus,” “Born In Time” (penned by Bob Dylan) and the title track.
In the fall, Clapton will play a series of concerts n the U.S. with special guest Jimmie Vaughn. The tour begins on September 8 in Columbus, OH and ends on September 19 in New York City. Tickets are on sale now.
Early 2023 will see the release of The Complete Reprise Studio Albums – Volume 2, a companion vinyl boxed set that features Clapton’s Reprise studio albums spanning 201-2010, along with an exclusive LP of rarities from that era. More details on this release will be announced soon.
THE COMPLETE REPRISE STUDIO ALBUMS – VOLUME I
Track Listing
Money and Cigarettes (1983)
“Everybody Oughta Make A Change”
“The Shape You’re In”
“Ain’t Going Down”
“I’ve Got A Rock ’n’ Roll Heart”
“Man Overboard”
“Pretty Girl”
“Man In Love”
“Crosscut Saw”
“Slow Down Linda”
“Crazy Country Hop”
Behind the Sun (1985)
“She’s Waiting”
“See What Love Can Do”
“Same Old Blues”
“Knock On Wood”
“Something’s Happening”
“Forever Man”
“It All Depends”
“Tangled In Love”
“Never Make You Cry”
“Just Like A Prisoner”
“Behind The Sun”
August (1986)
“It’s In The Way That You Use It”
“Run”
“Tearing Us Apart”
“Bad Influence”
“Walk Away”
“Hung Up On Your Love”
“Take A Chance”
“Hold On”
“Miss You”
“Holy Mother”
“Behind the Mask”
Journeyman (1989)
“Pretending”
“Anything For Your Love”
“Bad Love”
“Running On Faith”
“Hard Times”
“Hound Dog”
“No Alibis”
“Run So Far”
“Old Love”
“Breaking Point”
“Lead Me On”
“Before You Accuse Me”
From the Cradle (1994)
“Blues Before Sunrise”
“Third Degree”
“Reconsider Baby”
“Hoochie Coochie Man”
“Five Long Years”
“I’m Tore Down”
“How Long Blues”
“Goin’ Away Baby”
“Blues Leave Me Alone”
“Sinner’s Prayer”
“Motherless Child”
“It Hurts Me Too”
“Someday After A While”
“Standin’ Round Crying”
“Driftin’”
“Groaning The Blues”
Pilgrim (1998)
“My Father’s Eyes”
“River Of Tears”
“Pilgrim”
“Broken Hearted”
“One Chance”
“Circus”
“Goin’ Down Slow”
“Fall Like Rain”
“Born In Time”
“Sick And Tired”
“Needs His Woman”
“She’s Gone”
“You Were There”
“Inside Of Me”
Rarities Vol. 1 (2022)
“Stone Free”
“Crossroads” – Live
“White Room” – Live
“Theme From A Movie That Never Happened” (Orchestral)
“Pilgrim” – Remix *
“32-20 Blues” – Live
“County Jail Blues” – Live
“Born Under A Bad Sign” *
* previously unreleased
Indigenous Pop Songstress VIOLET VOPNI Says You’re Now In The “Friendzone”
Meeting a friend’s other friends can sometimes be incredibly awkward, but when there’s a party, that takes it to a whole other level. Winnipeg-based Indigenous pop songstress Violet Vopni’s new single “Friendzone” addresses a sort of universal awkwardness between any two people where one might have feelings that the other doesn’t — and the story behind the song is rich in novel experience.
Featuring head-bopping beats, a bubbly groove, and a wailing guitar solo, “Friendzone” navigates the journey of walking into a party, detecting some strange and possibly flirty vibes, and setting some friendly but firm boundaries. “Your friends are hard to read/ Are they hitting on me?/ Let’s skip the pleasantries/ Just tell me,” Vopni sings.
The chorus asks, repeatedly, “Are you cool with the friendzone,” while inspiration for the song sprang from the time Vopni’s girlfriend took her to what she now refers to as a “Michelle Party.” Michelle being the host, and Michelle being a host known for intricately decorated themed “rooms” set up in her home.
“I’ve been to some crazy house parties, but I wasn’t expecting to see Michelle’s various themed rooms – from Nintendo, to Classic Horror, to a fully operational sex dungeon, to a stripper pole,” Vopni recalls. “Not only was the décor 1000% on point, but the rooms were being used as intended by people I had just met.”
Eventually, Vopni was able to relax and have fun at the party once she realized that all the other attendees were going to respect her boundaries. “These people became some of my closest friends, and eventually I loosened up about what was going on in the rooms,” Vopni explains. “I realized that nobody was going to make me go in any of those rooms and do anything unless I wanted to, and that was a comfort.
“But everyone did flirt with me in ostentatious and overt ways the first time I met them, and that was a new and scary experience for me.”
Years later, Vopni realized that the experience would be interesting fodder for a song, and she also realized that, though not everyone will have been to a party with a sex dungeon, they can at least relate to wanting to keep someone in the “friendzone.”
Violet Vopni is an Indigenous and Icelandic singer/songwriter from Manitoba. Her journey as a lyricist and composer began in 1995 when she wrote her song “Dreaming,” which was released in 2020 through alt-metal band Helfreya. Vopni’s songs range from upbeat pop to smooth jazz to heartbreaking ballads and everything in between. She draws inspiration from her relationships with lovers and friends, as well as her ancestral history as a Metis woman. Vopni advocates for those affected by mental health and addictions, and her single “Joseph,” which has amassed nearly 400k streams on Spotify, shares the story of her great-grandfather who was born in 1900, fought in WWI, and struggled with alcoholism throughout his life.
Her song “How Many Times” has been featured on CBC’s Up To Speed, the Indigenous Music Countdown, and Manitoba Music’s Song of the Week. Vopni has released three albums, Unacknowledged and Shieldmaiden in 2020, and The Things We Don’t Know in 2021. “Friendzone” is the first single from her album that is set for release in 2023.
Venezuelan Alt-Folk Artist SUNRAY MINOR Releases Sunny, Shimmery “Life of the Party”
Sometimes there’s nothing like a house party among close friends to crystallize one of your life’s chapters and put everything into sharp, prismatic relief. Montreal-based alt-folk artist Sunray Minor captures all the important characters and warm relational dynamics of his youth in his sunny, shimmering new single, “Life of the Party.”
With beautiful guitar fingerpicking, smooth crystalline vocals, and an easy-flowing narrative, “Life of the Party” combines a savoring of the here-and-now with a tinge of melancholy, the knowledge that all of this will eventually pass; “and to think everyone of us will die, someday/ I’m just glad we took this night to celebrate our lives, hooray!” goes the sincere, unironic chorus.
Through the song’s meandering telling, we learn that Kenny now has a baby son – “And he looks just like Charlie Brown.” And that Will has lost his job, “but I never saw him frown.” And that the twins – who remain unnamed – are still disagreeing about everything, from politics to cigarettes. Diane made her famous apple pie, which everyone is devouring. The party gets too loud, and the cops are called. And then, as he’s saying goodbye, the narrator drunkenly kicks the neighbor’s garden gnome. “Either way it’s getting late and I best be getting home,” he sings.
The song is filled with real-time little noises of ambiance, imparting an air of charming imperfection and immediacy to the recording. “’Life of the Party’ was recorded all on the first night I rented the studio, and is actually the only song on the album that remained mostly untouched from those sessions,” Sunray Minor says. “We recorded it off of a live take, and you can really hear the studio in that song, most of the background noise is just us walking around and touching the space. I also played an acoustic guitar from the 1940s called the Kay Craft.”
“Life of the Party” is one of 10 songs on an ambitious, four-part epic-narrative of an album, One Day, Maybe, slated for release on August 7th. Inspired by Pink Floyd, the Beach Boys, and the Beatles, the record took four years to make, and Sunray Minor has also written a corresponding novella that will be released alongside the album. Visual artist Elena Terife brought the stories to life for the cover art, and Sunray’s cousin Valentina Tross created the art for the back cover.
“It’s a story where I am the main character and I’m searching through life and the world for someone I think I love – her name is Loretta – and in my head she’s the person that is supposed to save me from all my problems,” Sunray relays. “After reaching every corner of the world, I realize that the solution isn’t with her but instead within myself. I experience so many things along the way however – death and rebirth underwater, a party full of spirits, and a graveyard bash.”
Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” But On BRASS HORNS
Accompanying himself on trumpets, a solo Horn, flugelhorn, and soprano trombone, Seb Skelly performs a cover of Tears for Fears song Everybody Wants to Rule the World, a tune that is currently in the Top 50 on the US Spotfy Charts, some 38 years after release.

