A new large-format 400-page collectible art book curated by the band’s three surviving founding members. When the Byrds released “Mr. Tambourine Man” in 1965, they introduced Bob Dylan’s songs to a new audience and launched a career that would make them among the most influential rock bands of all time. With their unmistakable harmonies and Roger McGuinn’s innovative 12-string Rickenbacker guitar, the Byrds never stopped experimenting. They incorporated folk, country, and jazz, influences into a fresh blend that helped define an era. “And not to be too shallow,” Tom Petty once wrote, “but they also were just the best-dressed band around. They had those great clothes and hairdos.” Now the band’s three surviving founding members – Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, and David Crosby – have come together to present The Byrds: 1964-1967, a large format tabletop book that offers a unique visual history of the group. Featuring more than 500 images from legendary photographers such as Henry Diltz, Barry Feinstein, Curt Gunther, Jim Marshall, Linda McCartney, Tom Gundelfinger O’Neal, and Guy Webster, the book also includes a detailed oral history from McGuinn, Hillman, and Crosby.
Iman Takes You Inside Her And David Bowie’s Scenic Home Filled With Wonderful Objects
In this edition of Objects of Affection, supermodel Iman takes us inside her Catskills home that is full of beautiful, artistic odes to David Bowie. From a self-portrait he painted in 1980 to a Lynn Chadwick sculpture she gave Bowie for their first wedding anniversary, watch as Iman shares some of the items most important to herself.
Paul McCartney Announces ‘McCartney I II III’ Box Set
Written, performed, and produced entirely by Paul McCartney, his three eponymous career-spanning solo albums (1970’s McCartney, 1980’s McCartney II, and 2020’s McCartney III) will now be packaged together and available in one special boxset for the first time.
McCartney I II III box set will be available in three different formats – Limited Edition Color Vinyl, Black Vinyl Edition, and CD – each including three special photo prints with notes from Paul about each album. The newly created boxset cover art and typography for the slipcase are by Ed Ruscha.
Bookending 50 years of unparalleled work, each album demonstrates Paul McCartney’s restless creativity and adventurous artistic spirit. McCartney, the Number One Album was Paul’s first solo album released in 1970 and features timeless tracks “Every Night” and “Junk,” along with the immortal classic “Maybe I’m Amazed.” This album saw a global music superstar pioneer a novel homespun approach to recording that would, in time, become a sought-after sound and the highly influential precursor to the “lo-fi” alternative genre.
Just as McCartney marked the end of an era with Paul’s first release after leaving the biggest band in history, Paul did it again in 1980, this time signaling the end of 70s rock giants Wings. Taking a fresh approach to things, Paul wrote, performed, and produced the avant-garde masterpiece McCartney II, which reached Number One in the UK, and Number 3 in the US, producing such classics as “Coming Up,” “Waterfalls,” and “Temporary Secretary.”
With McCartney III, Paul went back to basics again to create some of his most revealing work to date. Released in December 2020, just two years after Paul’s Billboard-topping Egypt Station album, “Rockdown,” saw Paul turn unexpected time on his hands into an opportunity to get into the studio on his own. An intimate and loose record featuring “Find My Way” and the now live favorite “Women and Wives,” McCartney III features Paul’s melodic gift at its forefront throughout. Upon release, McCartney III charted at Number One on the UK’s Official Album Charts and Number One on Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart.
In an unrivaled career, Paul has always been willing to take risks and have fun along the way – his musical projects have included classical albums, electronic albums, ballet scores, writing for video games, and left-field collaborations — along the way, breaking chart records, box office records, winning countless awards and remaining one of the world’s most influential and revered artists of all time. McCartney, McCartney II, and McCartney III captured and documented landmark moments of his singular career, each offering a personal snapshot of a unique artist at a particular moment in time.
Paul will headline the Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, June 25th.
FORMAT INFO:
Slipcase cover art and typography by Ed Ruscha (all formats)
1) Limited Edition Colour Vinyl
Three-disc 180g audiophile vinyl set (McCartney – clear, McCartney II -white, and McCartney III -creamy white vinyl)
Three x 8 x 10” photo prints with introductions from Paul
2) Limited Edition Black Vinyl Edition
180g audiophile vinyl set
Three x 8 x 10” photo prints with introductions from Paul
3) CD
Limited Edition three-disc set
Three photo prints with introductions from Paul
Pop-Funk Group Numb Tongues Savour Some Seriously Delicious Grooves with New Single, “Dance”
Hard-edged and funkadelic, Canadian group Numb Tongues deliver the ultimate mix of energy and groove in their newest single, “Dance.”
Numb Tongues is fronted by lead singer, lyricist, and co-founding member Jonah Grinberg who crafts his melodic hooks with a colorful character that only so few stages can contain. Giving the lineup its creative flair is a team that together is greater than the sum of its parts: Tristan Lipton with charming technical prowess on the guitar, bassist Max Wilson who has mastered the art of monster-truck-sized slaps, and the chaotic, beastly styles of drummer and co-founder Corey Ryan.
Arriving ahead of the Toronto-based four-piece’s new release, Low Hanging Fruit, the song is the product of the COVID-19 pandemic. Planning a show on Grinberg’s birthday, the band was forced to cancel and begin isolation. Without any idea what the future would hold, they got to work creating a few new beats that could serve as the foundation for a future project.
Eventually, they settled on the beat you hear in “Dance,” and got to work conceptualizing the project. They reached out to their friend, Montreal-based singer/songwriter Alexandra Willett, to sing the hook while adding some go-go style ad-libs — inspired by one of Numb Tongues’ favorite bands, Talking Heads.
From there the group secured Patrick Smith and Kyle Windjack to feature on the horns and Matt Snell for mixing; Snell has worked on projects for Dua Lipa and you can feel that liveliness here as well. Kristian Montano completed the master, adding the final touches to the finessed version of “Dance” we hear today.
To be fair, a party is the best way to describe “Dance.” Listeners are initially greeted with disco-esque drumbeats interlaced with record scrubbing and rhythmic deadened guitar whacking in an intoxicating composition that calls back to the days of live big band music. The electronic beats tied with Corey Ryan’s unique percussive loops give the song its positively infectious heart, and the marriage of horn swells and synth layers complement the overall composition — creating an effortless immersion in the intricacies of Numb Tongues.
“We want to make music that has a hard-edge funk sound and gets people to break out of their shells to have a good time — because that’s what life is all about,” the band shares. “That is what ‘Dance’ represents to us, and this is the kind of music we see ourselves expanding on going forward.”
“Dance” is a celebration of dance and partying, something there has been a dramatic lack of since COVID-19 shook the world. The spirit that flows through Lipton’s guitar when paired with Max Wilson’s powerful bass cadences creates an air of movement that is hard to ignore. The Justin Timberlake-inspired vocals that Grinberg can harness deliver the perfect amount of youthful spunk into the overall production. Tie in the trumpets and absolutely mad background rhythm section and you’re left with that will have you smiling, celebrating life, and dancing like no one’s watching you.
Numb Tongues harnesses a distinctly quirky and zestful brand of gritty funk-rock. Taking influence from artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cory Wong, and Primus, the band is well known for their creative and dynamic songwriting abilities, advanced musicianship, and thoughtful lyrics. Catchy lead melodies intertwined with rhythmic grooves, Numb Tongues will melt your face and get you grooving.
“We wrote ‘Dance’ with the intention that we’d be able to create an ultimate version – something filling and bone-shaking….
“Something that we would be able to play live as a full band when shows began happening again.”
And with that, it’s time to get up and groove…
Country Crooner Laurie LeBlanc Counts His Blessings with the Release of New Single, “Lucky In Love (LIL)”
Recounting a tale about finding that special someone, and counting blessings when that perfect person seemingly strolls into our lives and hearts, rising Canadian country music singer/songwriter Laurie LeBlanc brings his distinct harmonic style to his latest single, “Lucky In Love (LIL).”
Recorded at Miramichi, New Brunswick’s Barrytone Studios with multi-award-winner Jason Barry, stellar production value underlines tight songwriting and expert guitar playing that hits the heart with an upbeat swing and an irresistibly catchy hook.
The track features some of Canada’s most talented musicians, to boot — including five-time CCMA winner Ed Ringwald (Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray, Conway Twitty, Van Morrison), Steve O’Connor (Blue Rodeo), and Jason Barry (Dean Brody).
Coming off the heels of his East Coast Music Awards (ECMA)-nominated album, When It’s Right It’s Right, LeBlanc has been on fire since his musical introduction to English-speaking audiences after over a decade of performing Francophone music. “Everything began to fall into place,” he shares, “and I’m proud to now be able to show my versatility in both languages.”
New Brunswick-based artist Laurie LeBlanc has been dazzling audiences across the Maritimes and into Quebec for over a decade as an award-winning Francophone artist. Jumping from one official language to the other was no easy feat. It was a challenge that has paid dividends and drives LeBlanc to push further into uncharted waters. “I’ll always love singing in French and cherish the support I get from a francophone audience but hearing one of my songs on the radio alongside the Canadian and American country artists I admire gives me so much joy.”
With all of the momentum following his English-language releases, Laurie LeBlanc is shaping up to be a sonic force of rhythmic nature in the country music community and an exciting artist that should be on everyone’s radar.
Grunge-Punk Band BAD SKIN Capture the Crazy-Making Sorrow of a Bad Breakup on “Completely Insane”
The end of a relationship, especially if one party hasn’t exactly been ethical, can be incredibly destabilizing and crazy-making. With that, Montreal-grunge punkers Bad Skin find the sweet spot between sad and pissed off in their angry-melancholy new breakup single, “Completely Insane.”
Laden with wailing guitars, melodious pop harmonies, and sludgy, driving bass, “Completely Insane” starts out with a woman reminding her ex (yeah, she’s gotta remind him) ‘Hey, it’s me/ The girl you say you’ll always love/ And, yeah, I know that love can hurt.’ Soon, we learn that he’s with someone else – ‘It’s so hard/ To know that you feel for her and not me.’
The song manages to perfectly replicate that all-women ’90s grunge-band sound, particularly in the chorus — and the corresponding music video uses a creative stop-motion technique of stills to show the band suspended briefly in time while performing. It’s particularly striking and effective as the band wears an array of colorful outfits against a white backdrop and, at times, is shown sitting sullenly on a bright yellow sofa, reflecting the somber mood.
Bad Skin consists of Dope (lead vox, rhythm guitarist), Caro (lead guitar), Aurély (bass), and Christine (drums). As the group continues to lay down the singles one after the other off their sophomore release Live Fast Die Punk, they’ve recently announced a slew of 2022 dates, as well, presented by IndigoBravo Promotions. Bad Skin will take the stage overseas on a UK blitz this coming July to coincide with their upcoming Breakup Tour EP.
A band raising their voice for the voiceless, talented and brazen, refusing to back down, bow down, or explain themselves, Bad Skin isn’t afraid to call it like it is or say it like it is – refusing to comply or conform.
CBC And Massey Hall Announce Innovative Five-Year Partnership To Showcase Canadian Musicians For A National Audience
Upon the City of Toronto’s proclamation of June 14 as Massey Hall Day, The Corporation of Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall and CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster, today announced a new five-year partnership that includes the naming of CBC as the official media partner of Massey Hall and Allied Music Centre. Building on their extensive shared history, the two established Canadian cultural institutions will develop new programming initiatives to amplify emerging and established homegrown musical talent. The partnership includes a new dynamic live concert series for national audiences that will be available across CBC platforms, beginning this fall.
The concert series will feature performances by Canadian artists available on CBC platforms including CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Listen, CBC Radio and CBC Music, recorded from all of the venues within the Allied Music Centre including the 100-capacity community theatre, the 500-capacity club, and the mainstage at Massey Hall. The spotlighted artists and CBC schedule will be announced closer to the concert series launch this fall.
“The relationship between Massey Hall and CBC is built on a remarkable history of bringing once-in-a-lifetime performances from our stage to Canadians across the country,” said Jesse Kumagai President & CEO, Massey Hall. “As we look to the future, we will build on this legacy by connecting artists and audiences in new and innovative ways, and we can’t imagine a better partner to highlight and share the next generation of incredible music we will host at Massey Hall and Allied Music Centre.”
“In bringing together these two iconic Canadian cultural brands, this groundbreaking new partnership will further elevate CBC and Massey Hall’s shared commitment to nurture, support and showcase the very best of this country’s musical talent across all genres,” said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice-President, CBC. “We are so proud and excited to work closely with the teams at Massey Hall and Allied Music Centre to shine an even brighter spotlight on Canadian music by offering audiences across the country a front row seat to performances from this historic and revitalized venue.”
Today’s announcement is preceded by a long-standing history between Massey Hall and CBC dating back to the 1940s, including a time when performances were recorded live from a CBC broadcast booth overlooking Massey Hall’s historic Allan Slaight Stage.
This collaboration also introduces new studio spaces for CBC at Allied Music Centre, located on the fifth floor of the new building adjacent to Massey Hall. On-site performance content will be produced at these state-of-the-art audio & visual production studios, which will also offer an alternate location for CBC Radio and TV hosts to conduct artist interviews, and for producers and editors to create other original CBC content.
Massey Hall fans can expect additional exciting Massey Hall content and livestreaming news very soon.
Visit www.masseyhall.com or follow us on Instagram and Facebook for the latest Massey Hall news and concert announcements.
Simple Minds Announce The Release Of Their New Album ‘Direction Of The Heart’
Simple Minds release “Vision Thing”, the first track to be taken from the band’s eighteenth studio album Direction Of The Heart.
Currently playing acclaimed shows throughout Europe (“Back in fashion and back on thrilling form.” The Times), Direction Of The Heart is Simple Minds’ first album of new material since 2018’s outstanding UK Top 5 album Walk Between Worlds.
Throughout its nine tracks Direction of The Heart, which is scheduled for release October 21 via BMG, finds the band at their most confident, anthemic best on an inspired celebration of life, none more so than on lead track ‘Vision Thing’.
‘Vision Thing’ is a euphoric song – all pounding drums, synth washes and the unmistakable guitar-playing of Simple Minds’ lifelong six-string wonder, Charlie Burchill. With music written by Burchill and lyrics by frontman Jim Kerr the song is a tribute to Kerr’s “best pal”, his late father who passed away in 2019.
Direction Of The Heart’s opening track, ‘Vision Thing’ sets the pace for a concise nine-track album. One which manages to perfectly encapsulate the essence of past and present Simple Minds, a band whose reascent over the past 10 years has seen them, once again, capture the magic and critical praise of their early days.
Most of Direction Of The Heart’s tracks were created and demoed in Sicily, where both Kerr and Burchill live. Unable to come to the UK because of quarantine rules, the album was recorded at Hamburg’s Chameleon Studios. Here they produced the album – later enlisting Andy Wright (Massive Attack, Echo & The Bunnymen) and Gavin Goldberg (Simply Red, KT Tunstall) for additional production. Band members, bassist Ged Grimes (who co-wrote two of the new songs, ‘First You Jump’ and ‘Solstice Kiss’), drummer Cherisse Osei and vocalist Sarah Brown joined them on some of the tracks, recording their parts separately in London. Album guests include, Sparks’ frontman Russell Mael (‘Human Traffic’) and songwriter and former Grimes music partner from Danny Wilson, Gary Clark (‘Vision Thing’, ‘First You Jump’ and ‘Natural’), recorded their respective parts in home studios.
All of this disparate work is belied by an album which sounds like a cohesive record – one of the most exciting and invigorating of Simple Minds career to date.
Over the past 10 years Simple Minds have rekindled the magic that made them a vital artistic force in their early days, found themselves referenced by younger artists and playing to tens of thousands of people every year, all over the world. They have been the recipient of the Q Awards Lifetime Achievement and received universal critical acclaim for their recent albums. 2015’s Big Music was described by MOJO magazine as “their best album in 30 years”, and 2018’s Walk Between Worlds was acclaimed across the board and became their most successful album in over two decades, culminating in their largest US tour to date.
Simple Minds are: Jim Kerr (vocals), Charlie Burchill (guitars, keyboards), Gordy Goudie (acoustic guitar), Ged Grimes (bass), Cherisse Osei (drums), Berenice Scott (keyboards) and Sarah Brown (vocals).
2022 SOCAN Songwriting Prize Winner
The votes are in! Music fans declare “Welcome to the Garden,” written and performed by Emily Steinwall of Toronto, the winner of the 17th annual SOCAN Songwriting Prize.
In addition to the prestige of winning, Emily Steinwall receives a $5,000 cash prize, a Yamaha Workstation, and a $500 gift card from Long & McQuade to support her creative process and songwriting journey.
This is Steinwall’s first foray into songwriting, and fans and critics alike are thrilled she made the leap. First recognized and celebrated as an emerging composer, saxophone player, flautist, and bandleader, Steinwall is no stranger to the spotlight. Before releasing her debut concept album “Welcome to the Garden,” Steinwall graced the stage as a back-up singer for Alessia Cara.
“Just as a flower and the Earth are one, synergistically connected and inseparable, an artist cannot exist without the community of people from which they grow. We cannot be separated from our history or environment. This is the message I hope comes across with ‘Welcome to the Garden’,” Steinwall said. “Thank you to everyone that took the time to vote, without whom I would not have received this award. I think this is a clear indication that music grows from the ground up – its roots in community, its meaning and value in how it resonates with others. Thank you so much to SOCAN and all of the sponsors for creating this award to encourage and celebrate young songwriters.”
SOCAN is pleased to also present cash prizes of $500 to the writers of each of the remaining nine nominated songs along with a $50 gift card from Long & McQuade.
“Congratulations to Emily Steinwall,” said Jennifer Brown, CEO of SOCAN. “Her talent as a songwriter is clear in ‘Welcome to the Garden.’ It has an emotional depth rarely seen this early in a career. Canada is fortunate to have such strong songwriting talent and the ten songs nominated for the 2022 Songwriting Prize are representative of a very bright future for Canadian music.”
Matt Bobkin, eminent music and arts journalist and a SOCAN Songwriting Prize panelist, said this about the song: “There’s so much to love about ‘Welcome to the Garden,’ and not just because it’s 10 minutes long: the daring blend of jazz, psych and progressive rock; the lush arrangements mirroring lyrics that praise the power of womanhood, community and nature; and the many stellar performances, from the vocals to the climactic sax solo. It pushes forward plenty of ideas, narratives and sounds that are too often ignored or pigeonholed in popular music, and it’s amazing to think that this is only the beginning for a visionary like Emily.”
The SOCAN Songwriting Prize is the only major songwriting award in Canada where fans vote to determine the winner. Ten outstanding songs created by Canadian songwriters over the past year are nominated by a panel of 15 esteemed music industry experts. The public is then invited to vote once a day for their favourite song for one week to determine the winner.
SOCAN plays no role in determining the nominees or winners, apart from ensuring that they meet eligibility criteria.
The winner of the Prix de la chanson SOCAN, the competition conducted separately for songs in French, was “Secret,” written by Hubert Chiasson, Félix Petit and Julien Chiasson; performed by Hubert Lenoir; and published by Leclerc Lenoir Inc
Also featured in the English category were the following extraordinary songs:
- “24hrs” – written by Johann Deterville, Adam Pondang, Savannah Ré Simpson; performed by Savannah Ré; Savannah Ré and Johann Deterville published by Sony Music Publishing, Adam Pondang published by Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd.
- “By Myself” – written by Kahdijah Payne; performed by DijahSB and Harrison.
- “Can’t Let Go” – written by Jeanne Gariépy, Gabrielle Godon; performed by Laroie; published by Arts & Crafts Music Publishing.
- “Container” – written by Liam Cole, Thomas Gill, Dorothea Paas, Paul Saulnier; performed by Dorothea Paas.
- “Find A Home” – written by Andrew Lennox, Eric Lourenco, Kirsten Kurvink Palm, Adam Sturgeon, Joe Thorner; performed by Status/Non-Status.
- “Paper Thin” – written by Brendan Grieve, Nemah Hasan, Stevie Solomon; performed by Nemahsis.
- “Stacy” – written by Kevin Ekofo, Jordon Manswell, Jonathan Martin, Evan Miles, Jon Vinyl, Corey Wong; Kevin Ekofo published by ST Music Circle, Jon Vinyl published by Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd; performed by Jon Vinyl.
- “Trust Issues” – written by Erik Fintelman, Robyn Ottolini, Mark Schroor; performed by Robyn Ottolini; published by Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd.
- “want you more” – written by Amaka Queenette, Joshua Stanberry; performed by Amaka Queenette.
The 2021 winner of the SOCAN Songwriting Prize was “Western Skies” written and performed by Billy Raffoul. Previous winners are available to view at SOCAN Songwriting Prize.
Harriet Chung Takes a Musical Journey of the Heart to “Vancouver”
Canadians are incredibly fortunate to call a breathtakingly beautiful, culturally and naturally diverse, awe-inspiring country home. From coast to coast to coast, there’s A LOT to love about this great land. Canada is where International singer, actress, and award-winning performer Harriet Chung makes her home, and she offers a musical love letter to one of the shiniest jewels in this country’s crown with this, her new single “Vancouver.”
An uplifting and exuberant journey propelled by piano, guitar, and strings and Chung’s bright, earnest vocal, “Vancouver” is a personal and sentimental destination for the multi-honoured artist.
“The song is about a road trip across Canada that ends in Vancouver,” Chung explains. “Having lived there in the past, the song is about my love for the city.
“Warren Robert’s arrangement and guitars with a fabulous solo give the song the energy to take you across Canada and the beautiful city of Vancouver,” adds Chung.
The song also features Robert on guitars and bass, Christopher Siu on piano, Randy Cooke on drums, and Rique Franks on background vocals.
“Vancouver” details a bucolic cross-country trip we may not have all taken but have certainly imagined with our own perceptions of this country’s wildly varied landscapes. Chung’s “quest” takes her from Ontario’s “jaggy shield” through the prairies, up and down the Alberta foothills and over the Rocky Mountains “kingdom come,” leading her through the “peaceful” Okanagan with “every kind of plum” and down the Fraser River “where all the salmon run” to finally end up where “we can all be free.” Sounds ideal and so very Canadian, doesn’t it?
I headed to the west to run away from home
And escape the pain and rest
Now, I’m never going home
Advancing Chung’s upcoming debut album, “Vancouver” is the follow-up single to Chung’s 2021-released “A World Away (Remix).” Chung’s debut single was adapted from Taiwanese-Canadian singer-songwriter George Chiang’s score for the award-winning musical The Golden Lotus, in which she played the title character.
Chung’s work in the musical earned her a Best Actress nomination from the Hong Kong English Drama Awards while the production itself won Best Original Work. Her performance in the glamorous music video for “A World Away (Remix)” won Chung a Best Actress award from the Europe Film Festival.
Chung has also released a lyric video for “Vancouver,” which features footage from a return visit to her former west coast home last summer.
As an accomplished triple-threat performer — singer, actress, and dancer/choreographer — Chung has the innate ability to connect with audiences on many levels. She was Canada’s first Asian actress to be cast in The Phantom of the Opera and has also appeared in Cats (in Germany), The King and I, Iron Road, Fiddler on Fire, and more. She shares her expertise, experience, and love for her crafts with students from all over the world through her school – Harriet Chung Performing Arts (HCPA).
Even with a world full of experience and accolades in her career passport, it’s easy to understand why Harriet Chung is putting her newest musical focus on Canada’s wondrous west coast.