Stephen Sondheim does a talk at the Guildhall School of Music, London with a focus on the classic tune.
Billie Eilish’s Isolated Vocals for “Happier Than Ever”
“Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish was her the sixth single off the album of the same name, and was nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBAei1lNezU&feature=share
The Sheepdogs Bring Their Rock and Roll Show To You In “Live At Lee’s”
Sweaty rock and roll club shows are where The Sheepdogs cut their teeth, and their masterful and larger-than-life live shows are what they are best known for. Their unique ability to breath new life into their celebrated catalogue in raucous rooms around the globe is what has fueled their popularity over the last 10 years. That’s why it seemed fitting that in November 2021, Canada’s good-time rockers would return to one of the venues that helped get them started to do four sold out nights at the famous Lee’s Place in Toronto.
The energy was thick with anticipation each night, with both the crowd and the band releasing nearly two years of pent-up rock and roll desire into the room. Knowing that these would be special nights, the band set out to capture the energy, and the result is their new album, LIVE AT LEE’S – 11 live tracks re-explored and captured in the moment over this incredible run of performances.
LIVE AT LEE’S features a cavalcade of the band’s gold and platinum-selling hits, fan favourites, as well as new songs like the latest single “Rock and Roll (Ain’t No Simple Thing)” which has spent over 20 weeks in the top 10 at Canadian Rock Radio. Each song of the set builds off the other, aiming to be the antithesis of the live-stream concerts that became the norm over the pandemic. “This is a lot better than watching a show on Zoom,” exclaimed frontman Ewan Currie exuberantly mid-concert after a lengthy jam mid-set to a thunderous reception.
The album sets out to brings the powerful energy of their live show home and transport the listener to Lee’s Palace on those magical nights. To make the experience even more special than a traditional live record the band has taken advantage of new technology and has had the album specifically mastered in Dolby Atmos 3D spatial audio, so fans using supported hardware will hear the show as if they’re in the room. “Listening back was a pretty wild experience. I was able to attend my first Sheepdogs show as an audience member and relive those nights in a whole different way” says bassist Ryan Gullen.
Not stopping at that, the Sheepdogs have more exciting news to announce in the coming weeks, and are set to embark on a tour of the UK and Europe this spring.
Charmaine Affirms Her Love For Sisterhood In New Single & Music Video
Warner Music Canada recording artist Charmaine is back and better than ever with her new single “FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS.” The infectious release is accompanied by an official music video that sees Charmaine and her best friends enjoying a self-care sleepover, with a classic sitcom feel directed by Spencer Edwards.
Charmaine says of the release: “’FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS’ encompasses the importance of having friends you can count on for anything. I was inspired by my two sisters from other misters, Kayla and Chanelle. My goal with this release is to depict how beautiful it is when you surround yourself with people who support and love you wholeheartedly.”
“FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS” marks a fantastic follow-up to a groundbreaking 2021. Charmaine boasts 6.5 million global streams across her catalogue with singles “WOO!” and “BOLD” being a fan favourite with two million streams each. Charmaine was the only Canadian artist selected for SoundCloud’s 2021 First On SoundCloud program that lead to amplified creative campaigns and global support – click here to watch Charmaine perform in SoundCloud’s Original film The Day Ones and here to watch her interview with Rico Nasty. With co-signs from media executive and radio personality Ebro Darden and famed rapper, promoter and radio personality Fatman Scoop, Charmaine’s making moves to be another sensation hailed from the North.
Born in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare, Charmaine relocated to the United States at the age of five, bouncing around the Midwest with her family at first before eventually settling in Nashville for a large chunk of her childhood. Living in the states was an eye-opening experience but by the time high school rolled around, Charmaine was already on the way to her next culture shock, this time heading north of the border to Toronto. Throughout her family’s frequent moves and financial struggles, Charmaine had always turned to music as a source of comfort and stability, something she could rely on for emotional support no matter how difficult things got. Collaborating with acclaimed producers/engineers Michael Lantz and David Ariza, Charmaine began work on debut EP Hood Avant Garde in late 2019, pushing her sound in an adventurous new direction that mixed the ’90s hip-hop she grew up listening to with the southern rap she fell in love with while living in Tennessee. The resulting tracks were playful, experimenting with unexpected cadences and cheeky sound effects, and the lyrics brimmed with poise and bravado. “I’d been a singer for most of my life, but the more I rapped, the more I felt like myself,” Charmaine explains. “It was almost like therapy, because it taught me to embrace all these parts of my personality that, as a woman, and particularly as a black woman, society had told me I needed to hide.” Charmaine may have started with nothing but it’s clear that she’s coming for everything.
Sonic Reducers: New Music Friday! Big Thief, Eddie Vedder, Alt-j, Spoon and more!
Sonic Reducers. One topic. Two music nerds. Five minutes.
Punch play to watch us critique all this week’s top new albums, including offerings from Spoon, Urge Overkill, Eddie Vedder, Alt-J, Andy Bell, Big Thief and plenty more.
Powerhouse Singer/Songwriter Matt Andersen Announces US Tour Dates, Album HOUSE TO HOUSE out March 4
Acclaimed Canadian musician Matt Andersen is gearing up to tour the US in support of his upcoming release House to House, out March 4th on Sonic Records. The first track off the album is the thunderous “Other Side of Goodbye” which is earning raves across the board. The Boot recently featured the track and shared, “Belting in the style of R&B’s most beloved legends, Andersen stuns with his timeless breakup anthem ‘Other Side of Goodbye.’”
Andersen’s tour will bring together current fans and introduce new audiences to his commanding voice and quiet, confident power. On the album, the inspired singer/songwriter incorporates a stripped-down approach, with only a voice and guitar. His live shows will reflect that magic as well, starting May 4th in Burlington, VT.
House to House displays a new direction for Andersen, who has earned many accolades and a dedicated fanbase in Canada. He has received numerous European Blues Awards, Maple Blues Awards and various other honors. Here he seamlessly takes his distinctive, mighty blues chops and moves into gospel, folk and softer ballads, offering a more intimate side of the performer and writer.
Matt Andersen has earned every fan through decades of touring across the globe, from small dim lit clubs to majestic theaters and major festivals. He has amassed over 18 million streams on Spotify and 18 million views on YouTube. House to House is Andersen’s 9th studio album and follows Halfway Home By Morning from 2019.
MATT ANDERSEN 2022 TOUR DATES
May 4 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
May 5 – Keene, NH – Colonial Theatre
May 6 – Rockland, ME – Strand Theatre
May 7 – Brownfield, ME – Stone Mountain Arts Center
May 8 – Boston, MA – City Winery
May 11 – Fall River, MA – Narrows Center for the Arts
May 12 – Philadelphia, PA – City Winery
May 13 – Vienna, VA – Jammin’ Java
May 15 – New York, NY – City Winery Loft
May 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Hard Rock Cafe
May 18 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
May 20 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Listening Room
May 21 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
May 22 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School – Szold Hall
May 24 – Milwaukee, WI – Shank Hall
May 25 – Mineral Point, WI – Mineral Point Opera House
May 26 – Minneapolis, MN – The Dakota
Wet Leg Share Video For “Oh No” In Advance Of Self-Titled Album Out April 8
Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers each wear a small gold necklace made by Hester: one that says Wet, and one that says Leg. Before last summer, those necklaces would have been cryptic to almost everyone else. However, a lot has changed since then. Wet Leg only released their debut single, “Chaise Longue”, in June 2021, but have quickly gone from strength to strength. Collectively the four songs they have shared with the world (“Wet Dream”, “Too Late Now” and “Oh No” followed “Chaise Longue”) have clocked up over 20 million streams and 4.5 million views on YouTube. Their most recent accolade: being ranked #2 in BBC’s Sound Of 2022 list.
Today, the duo are pleased to share the video for their song “Oh No”. Like their videos for “Chaise Longue” and “Wet Dream”, the video for “Oh No” was self-directed. Teasdale says of making it: “It’s been a pretty wild ride for us these past few months, we never really thought much past actually making music and playing gigs. It’s quite an odd thing to suddenly open yourself to so much criticism and praise alike. The comments that complete strangers will leave on our videos are so funny and range wildly in sentiment. Although we know it is bad for us to read them and we try to avoid it, sometimes it’s irresistible when you’re on your own; the 3am doom scroll really gets you. For this video, we have obsessively selected our favourite bits from the comments sections across our socials, the good, the bad, the ugly and have repurposed them to make something new – it has been quite cathartic actually.”
Continuing, Rhian adds: “The video was shot on the Isle of Wight at the bottom of a chairlift that you can take from the top of the cliff. The rope costume – made by costume designer Kate Tabor – weighed an absolute tonne and it took three of us to carry it down the cliff to shoot. We’d each grab onto a limb, and after 20 minutes of heavy lifting managed to get it down the steep steps leading to the beach. We’re thinking of starting it up as a work-out class for alternative types.”
Willie Nelson Set To Release “A Beautiful Time” Album On His Birthday
Willie Nelson will release A Beautiful Time on Friday, April 29, arriving on the artist’s 89th birthday and will be available in on vinyl (black vinyl as well as an exclusive orange vinyl edition for Barnes & Noble), CD and digital formats (including in spatial hi-res audio in Atmos and 360RA formats).
“I’ll Love You Till the Day I Die,” the first single and video from A Beautiful Time, premieres Thursday, February 10. The track, Willie’s studio performance of a new Rodney Crowell/Chris Stapleton composition, exemplifies the album’s focus on finely-crafted pop-country songwriting.
Among its many musical delights, A Beautiful Time introduces a variety of newly-written future pop-country classics including five new Willie Nelson/Buddy Cannon compositions and contributions from some of Nashville’s finest contemporary songwriters. The collection also premieres Willie’s heartfelt and insightful covers of Leonard Cohen’s “Tower of Song” and The Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends.”
Produced by Willie’s longtime musical collaborator Buddy Cannon (who’s cowritten six of the album’s new songs, including five with Willie), A Beautiful Time is a fully-realized new studio album showcasing Willie and Trigger (his signature guitar) playing with musicians including Jim “Moose” Brown (B-3 organ, Wurlitzer), Fred Elringham (drums), Barry Bales (upright bass), Bob Terry (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, steel guitar), James Mitchell (electric guitar) and the patented harmonic stylings of Mickey Raphael. Melonie Cannon sings backup on five of the album’s tracks.
The album’s core musical ensemble drives eight of the essential tracks on A Beautiful Time: “My Heart was a Dancer,” “Energy Follows Thought,” “Dreamin’ Again,” “Dusty Bottles,” “Me and My Partner,””Don’t Touch Me There” and two of the album’s most emotional performances: “I’ll Love You Till the Day I Die” and “I Don’t Go to Funerals.”
The album’s studio performances of two Shawn Camp songs–“A Beautiful Time” and “We’re Not Happy (Till You’re Not Happy)”–and Willie’s interpretation of the Lennon-McCartney classic (“With a Little Help from My Friends) feature Bobby Terry (acoustic guitar, electric guitar), Catherine Marx (Wurlitzer, piano, B-3 organ), Mike Johnson (steel guitar), Chad Cromwell (drums), Lonnie Wilson (drums, percussion) and Kevin “Swine” Grantt (upright bass).
In 2021, Legacy Recordings released two new Willie Nelson albums–That’s Life and The Willie Nelson Family. That’s Life, Willie’s musical homage to the artistry of Frank Sinatra debuted at #1 on both Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart and the Traditional Jazz Albums chart and is currently in the running for the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Grammy.
Willie Nelson is slated to play at Chris Stapleton’s Concert For Kentucky on Saturday, April 23.
Willie Nelson – A Beautiful Time track listing
1. I’ll Love You Till The Day I Die (Rodney Crowell and Chris Stapleton)
2. My Heart Was A Dancer (Willie Nelson and Buddy Cannon)
3. Energy Follows Thought (Willie Nelson and Buddy Cannon)
4. Dreamin’ Again (Jack Wesley Routh and Douglas Graham)
5. I Don’t Go To Funerals (Willie Nelson and Buddy Cannon)
6. A Beautiful Time (Shawn Camp)
7. We’re Not Happy (Till You’re Not Happy (Shawn Camp and Charles R. Humphrey III)
8. Dusty Bottles (Jim “Moose” Brown, Scotty Emerick and Don Sampson)
9. Me And My Partner (Ken Lambert)
10. Tower Of Song (Leonard Cohen)
11. Live Every Day (Willie Nelson and Buddy Cannon)
12. Don’t Touch Me There (Willie Nelson and Buddy Cannon)
13. With A Little Help From My Friends (John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
14. Leave You With A Smile (Buddy Cannon, Bobby Terry and Matt Rossi)
OPETH Announce North American Spring Tour With Mastodon
OPETH will return to the stage this Spring on the second leg of their North American co-headlining tour with Mastodon. The journey will commence April 21st in Montreal, Quebec and make its way through sixteen US and Canadian cities, coming to a close on May 11th in Riverside, California. See all confirmed dates below.
Comments OPETH mainman Mikael Åkerfeldt, ”We’re excited to come back to North America for the second leg of shows together with our ‘brothers from other mothers’ in Mastodon. And… hello, Canada! It’s been too long, we know! We’ll soon dust off the ole guitars etc. and get in shape for this run. The last tour was quite splendid; the only downside being the restrictions. We don’t know for sure how it’s going to pan out this time around, but we’re hoping for a bit more freedom to move around. Crossing fingers here. See you semi-soon! Signing off from a rainy, gloomy Stockholm, Mikael (on behalf of OPETH).”
OPETH w/ Mastodon:
4/21/2022 Place Bell – Montreal, QC
4/22/2022 Queen Elizabeth Theatre – Toronto, ON
4/23/2022 The Agora – Cleveland, OH
4/24/2022 Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA
4/26/2022 The Met – Philadelphia, PA
4/28/2022 Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL
4/29/2022 The Masonic – Detroit, MI
4/30/2022 Eagles Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
5/01/2022 The Myth – St Paul, MN
5/03/2022 TCU Place – Saskatoon, SK
5/04/2022 Grey Eagle Events Centre – Calgary, AB
5/05/2022 EDM Expo Centre – Edmonton, AB
5/07/2022 Thunderbird Sports Centre – Vancouver, BC
5/08/2022 Paramount Theater – Seattle, WA
5/09/2022 Keller Auditorium – Portland, OR
5/11/2022 Municipal Auditorium – Riverside, CA
Halestorm Announces Back From The Dead; New Album Set For May 6 Release
Grammy-winning hard rock band Halestorm today announced Back From The Dead, their fifth studio album due out May 6, 2022, and follow-up to 2018’s Vicious.
Produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Mastodon, Alice in Chains) with co-production by Scott Stevens (Shinedown, Daughtry, New Years Day), Back From The Dead quickly evolved from songwriting exercises into a matter of survival for the band. Lead singer Lzzy Hale says, “We started writing this album about three months B.C. (Before COVID). Once we went into lockdown and were unable to perform and tour, I fell into a dark place and something of an identity crisis. This album is the story of me carving myself out of that abyss. It is a journey of navigating mental health, debauchery, survival, redemption, rediscovery, and still maintaining faith in humanity.”
Today Halestorm revealed “The Steeple,” the second single from Back From The Dead. “The Steeple” follows the album’s title track, “Back From The Dead,” released last fall. That track marked Halestorm’s sixth #1 at rock radio, and met rave reviews: Rolling Stone called it “a biting, cathartic howler about overcoming obstacles — even death,” and Consequence praised frontwoman Lzzy Hale’s “powerhouse pipes” and lead guitarist Joe Hottinger’s “blistering solo.” Revolver declared it a “raucous, hard-rock rager about staying strong in the face of crushing adversity.”
Halestorm has grown from a childhood dream of siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale into one of the most celebrated rock bands of the last two decades. Halestorm’s music has surpassed a billion streams worldwide. Called a “muscular, adventurous, and especially relevant rock record” by Rolling Stone, Vicious earned the band their second Grammy nomination, for Best Hard Rock Performance for the song “Uncomfortable,” the band’s fourth #1 at rock radio, and led Loudwire to name Halestorm “Rock Artist of the Decade” in 2019. Fronted by the incomparable Lzzy Hale with drummer Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger, and bass player Josh Smith, Halestorm has earned a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including Heaven & Hell, Alice Cooper, and Joan Jett.
HALESTORM – BACK FROM THE DEAD Tracklisting:
Back From The Dead
Wicked Ways
Strange Girl
Brightside
The Steeple
Terrible Things
My Redemption
Bombshell
I Come First
Psycho Crazy
Raise Your Horns