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Tears For Fears Release First New Album In 17 Years ‘The Tipping Point’

Eric Alper
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Tears For Fears Release First New Album In 17 Years ‘The Tipping Point’

Today, iconic British duo Tears For Fears released their highly anticipated first studio album in seventeen years, THE TIPPING POINT, via Concord Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. According to Pitchfork, Vulture, Stereogum and many more it’s one of 2022’s most anticipated albums. The Tipping Point is the bold, beautiful and powerful sound of Tears For Fears finding themselves together, once again.

In October of 2021 the pair released the first single & title track, “The Tipping Point,” capturing the grief of watching someone you love lose their long-standing battle with disease. Their second single “No Small Thing” was a meeting of the minds as the pair went back to the drawing board and found the heart and soul that would complete the album. The accompanying video was made using solely found footage showing the conflict between individual freedoms and collective responsibility. Their latest single “Break The Man” is an empowering yet groovy track that calls for a better balance between men and women. Inspired by the song’s lyrics, the music video encompasses a world that illustrates the constructed reality of the patriarchy – a place of endless hierarchies built on blind devotion to unstable and unsustainable structures. From the inside, the world appears infinite, but from the outside it’s a mere plaything in the hand of Mother Universe.

In November of 2021, the band also announced THE TIPPING POINT WORLD TOUR, with support from Garbage on the U.S. leg. Kicking off in Cincinnati, OH on May 20th, 2022, these dates will see the band performing in over twenty cities across North America before capping off with their last show in Wantagh, NY on June 25th, 2022. These dates will mark the band’s first U.S. tour since 2017.

Tears For Fears – Roland Orzabal (vocals, guitar, keyboards) and Curt Smith (vocals, bass, keyboards) formed in Bath, England 1981. With 30 million albums sold worldwide, performing to countless sold-out audiences, and winning various awards, the band represent an inimitable intersection of pop palatability, clever and cognisant lyricism, guitar bombast, and new wave innovation. Their 1983 debut The Hurting yielded anthems such as “Mad World,” “Change,” and “Pale Shelter,” reaching RIAA Gold status in the United States. 1985’s Songs from the Big Chair became a watershed moment for the group and music at large. Boasting the signature BRIT Award-winning “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Shout,” “Head over Heels,” “Mothers Talk” and “I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording),” it went quintuple-platinum and captured #1 on the Billboard Top 200. Slant dubbed it one of, “The Best Albums of the 1980s,” it was featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, and Consequence of Sound awarded it a rare A+ rating in a 20-year retrospective.1989’s Seeds of Love proved to be Orzabal and Smith’s last collaboration together until Everybody Loves A Happy Ending in 2004, which rekindled the creative fire between them. The band engaged in a three-year touring whirlwind across North America, Japan, South Korea, Manila, and South America beginning in 2010. 2013 saw them return with their first recorded music in a decade: a cover of Arcade Fire’s “Ready to Start.” The band returned once more in 2017 with the Rule The World best of collection which once more catapulted the band back to the upper echelon of the UK album charts. The duo’s DNA remains embedded within three generations of artists on both subtle and overt levels. Quietly casting a shadow over rock, hip-hop, electronic dance music, indie, and beyond, Kanye West interpolated “Memories Fade” on “The Coldest Winter” from the seminal 808s & Heartbreak, The Weeknd infused “Pale Shelter” into Starboy’s “Secrets,” David Guetta sampled “Change” for “Always,” and Drake utilized “Ideas as Opiates” as the foundation for “Lust For Life,” while Ally Brooke Hernandez, Adam Lambert, and Gary Jules recorded popular covers of “Mad World” and Disturbed took on “Shout,” and that’s only to name a few. Lorde cut a haunting cover of “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” for the Soundtrack of the blockbuster The Hunger Games – Catching Fire, which Tears For Fears gleefully would use as intro music live and thus bring everything full circle. In 2021 the band was honored with the Outstanding Song Collection Award at the Ivor Novello Awards.

TEARS FOR FEARS – 2022 US TOUR DATES
Friday, May 20, 2022 – Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH
Saturday, May 21, 2022 – Blossom Music Center – Cleveland, OH
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory – Dallas, TX
Friday, May 27, 2022 – Ak-Chin Pavilion – Phoenix, AZ
Sunday, May 29, 2022 – Levitt Pavilion – Denver, CO
Wednesday, June 01, 2022 – Concord Pavilion – Concord, CA
Thursday, June 02, 2022 – Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA
Saturday, June 04, 2022 – The Forum – Los Angeles, CA
Sunday, June 05, 2022 – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre – San Diego, CA
Thursday, June 09, 2022 – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, FL
Friday, June 10, 2022 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater – Tampa, FL
Sunday, June 12, 2022 – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA
Monday, June 13, 2022 – PNC Music Pavilion – Charlotte, NC
Wednesday, June 15, 2022 – DTE Energy Music Theatre – Detroit, MI
Thursday, June 16, 2022 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago, IL
Friday, June 17, 2022 – Ruoff Music Center – Indianapolis, IN
Sunday, June 19, 2022 – Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD
Tuesday, June 21, 2022 – TD Pavilion at The Mann – Philadelphia, PA
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 – Leader Bank Pavilion – Boston, MA
Friday, June 24, 2022 – P.N.C. Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ
Saturday, June 25, 2022 – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY

George Thorogood’s Songcraft Shines On ‘The Original George Thorogood’ Album Out April 15

Eric Alper
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George Thorogood’s Songcraft Shines On ‘The Original George Thorogood’ Album Out April 15

As George Thorogood himself once put it, “I guess a good song is a good song is a good song, you know?” And what we have here is a collection of hard-stompin,’ party-down, good songs—all penned by Mr. Thorogood himself. Scheduled for release on April 15, 2022, the aptly named album The Original George Thorogood brings together the best from the rock and roll heart and fevered brain of George Thorogood and his unstoppable, longtime band, The Destroyers. The Original George Thorogood will be released on CD, digitally, and in two vinyl LP configurations, including black vinyl and, for the ultimate collector, a limited-edition Translucent Orange LP.

“It’s easy to write a song, difficult to write a good song, and even harder to write a great song,” Thorogood says. “It strikes home that I have the ability to write some pretty great songs, and there’s a real sense of achievement to that.”

In the late ’70s, Thorogood’s badass vocal delivery and grindhouse slide guitar rocketed the Destroyers onto the charts, with two platinum and six gold albums to their credit. Over the course of his 20-album career, Thorogood has won acclaim as an inspired interpreter of timeless classics by masters like Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, and Hank Williams. But all along the way, he kept honing his own songcraft.

The Original George Thorogood is a celebration of Thorogood as a tunesmith. The album features rock radio blockbusters like “I Drink Alone” and “Rock and Roll Christmas,” as well as Thorogood’s mega-hit, “Bad to the Bone,” which celebrates its 40th Anniversary this Fall. The latter song has been featured in numerous hit movies, from Terminator 2: Judgment Day to The Muppets, and TV shows including “Married… With Children,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and “Miami Vice.”

For Thorogood – currently touring with The Destroyers on their acclaimed Good To Be Bad: 45 Years Of Rock Tour – as well as for his millions of fans, The Original George Thorogood is a welcome reminder that the pen can be as mighty as the guitar. “You try to spread yourself out as a songwriter,” says George, “and I’ve always tried to do my best. We’ve been playing a lot of these songs for a long time, and some haven’t been performed live at all. I hope fans are surprised by the ones they’ve never heard before.”

The Original George Thorogood also showcases the range of Thorogood’s output, with tracks like the tour de force truck drivin’ anthem “Gear Jammer,” the heartfelt country ballad “Oklahoma Sweetheart,” and the previously unreleased “Back In The U.S.A.” Additionally, hard-hitting barnburners like “I Really Like Girls,” “If You Don’t Start Drinkin’ (I’m Gonna Leave),” and “You Talk Too Much” are served up with classic Thorogood swagger and tongue-in-cheek panache.

It’s all here. And it’s all mighty good Thorogood. Or as the man himself once put it, “There is no doubt in my mind who is Number One. I have always been Number One.”

Since 1976, George Thorogood & The Destroyers have sold over 15 million albums, built a catalog of classic hits, and played more than 8,000 ferocious live shows. They broke records with their 50 Dates/50 States Tour, delivered landmark performances at Live Aid and on SNL, and became mainstays of radio, MTV, and stages worldwide for more than two generations. Through it all, they’ve remained one of the most consistent – and consistently passionate – progenitors of blues-based rock in pop culture history. Thorogood & The Destroyers indeed remain unstoppable. With more than 20 studio and live albums to their credit, the band has achieved Platinum and Gold success with eight. In the past few years alone, the band released a top-selling limited edition 7″ single for Record Store Day and saw the re-issues of their legendary Bad To The Bone, Born To Be Bad, and Greatest Hits: 30 Years Of Rock albums on 180-gram colored vinyl. Thorogood himself received the 2018 B.B. King Award from The Montreal International Jazz Festival, and his solo debut Party Of One – which critics called “brilliant” (Spin), “electrifying” (Guitar Player), and “chock full of classics” (Music Connection) – became George’s fastest-selling disc in over 20 years. In 2020, Epiphone created the George Thorogood’ White Fang’ ES-125TDC premier signature model guitar, and George Thorogood & The Destroyers Live In Boston 1982: The Complete Concert was also released. An album that Classic Rock said, “may well be one of the great live albums, entirely superb and a master class in live performance.”

The Original George Thorogood CD Tracklist
Bad To The Bone
I Drink Alone
Gear Jammer
Born To Be Bad
If You Don’t Start Drinkin’ (I’m Gonna Leave)
Back In The U.S.A.**
Rock And Roll Man
You Talk Too Much
Miss Luann
Back To Wentzville
Rock And Roll Christmas
Oklahoma Sweetheart
Woman With The Blues
I Really Like Girls
** New Song

EARTHGANG’s Sophomore Album ‘Ghetto Gods’ Out Now

Eric Alper
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EARTHGANG’s Sophomore Album ‘Ghetto Gods’ Out Now

Grammy nominated duo, EARTHGANG, have released their much anticipated sophomore album, Ghetto Gods. Clocking in at 17 songs (including interludes), the album comes packed with special guest features including Dreamville head honcho, J. Cole and a slew of hip hop legends like Future, 2 Chainz, Cee Lo Green, Musiq Soulchild, Nick Canon as well as exciting voices like J.I.D, Ari Lennox and Baby Tate. Executive produced by Kawan “KP” Prather (Dungeon Family, Usher, TLC, Outkast) and SinceThe80s, Ghetto Gods is a sonic reminder of the godhood present in all of us and a study in how our environments create our reality, which, through dedication, faith and belief can be transmuted into whatever we desire.

The album release comes after a historic run of pop up shows at small venues and early listenings at record stores in select cities across the U.S. and London, U.K. The shows and playbacks were organized by EARTHGANG to connect the album with fans first and help support venues and record stores affected by the pandemic. Catch a snippet of what it was like on the adventure here. The live shows are a sneak peek of what fans can expect when EARTHGANG go on their “Biodeghettable Tour” this May.

If the sound of Atlanta, in all its riotous and metamorphosing glory, could be synthesized into one body of work, EARTHGANG would be both the architect and evangelist of such a seminal project. Comprised of Olu and WowGr8, the Grammy nominated, Platinum selling duo debuted on the scene with a string of EPs and quickly garnered a reputation for their eclectic style and infectious live energy. Marrying lean, sharp-eyed lyricism with Southern-fried soul, every song arrives fully formed, hitting hard and landing jokes while also delving deep into political issues. Meeting J.Cole at one of their live shows led the pair to sign with his Interscope Records joint venture, Dreamville Records. Since the signing, EARTHGANG have become a force in the music space releasing bodies of critically acclaimed work like debut album, Mirrorland; Spilligion, the collaborative album with their Spillage Village supergroup as well as the Dreamville compilation, Revenge of the Dreamers III, which earned the pair two Grammy nominations as well as their first #1 album status. Simultaneously, they have been cementing the broadness with genre-fluid collaborations alongside artists such as Gorillaz, TokiMonsta, Brittany Howard, Louis The Child and more. Revered live performers, EARTHGANG have toured stadiums with J.Cole, European venues with Billie Eillish while also selling out their own headlining shows and gracing festival stages both stateside and internationally. Throughout it all, they remain true to their mission of “thinking global and act local” — finding time to invest in community led initiatives in their hometown of Southwest Atlanta and in 2020 mobilizing thousands of voters, ultimately helping to flip the state of Georgia through direct collaboration with former First Lady Michelle Obama, Governor Stacey Abrams and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Earlier this year, the duo announced the name of their upcoming sophomore release, Ghetto Gods, the follow up to their critically acclaimed debut, Mirrorland (2019). The album is a reminder of the godhood present in all of us, and a study in how our environments create our reality, which, through dedication, faith and belief can be transmuted into whatever we desire. There isn’t much that EARTHGANG haven’t touched with their influence and music, and it isn’t stopping anytime soon. The Atlanta natives are on an ascent to become one of hip hop’s most impactful duos.

Ashley Kutcher Is Back With New Single “love You More”

Eric Alper
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0
Ashley Kutcher Is Back With New Single “love You More”

Maintaining incredible momentum with tens of millions of streams, rising pop singer-songwriter today Ashley Kutcher unveils a new single entitled “Love You More” via Darkroom/Interscope Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. The vulnerable song layers her dynamic vocals over delicate guitar, hazy production, and warm echoes. It builds towards a relatable and real confession, “If I’m being honest, I don’t know if I feel love as I did when I was young.” At the end, she does promise, “I love you more,” as if speaking directly to the object of her affection.

Of the song, Kutcher said, “‘Love You More’ encompasses the thoughts and emotions of being stuck in the past. This song is about feeling as if you’ll never love as innocently as you did when you were young. Even when you find someone really great, you feel like you’re incapable of loving them as strongly as you loved before.”

Ashley incited a wave of anticipation for the track’s arrival with a pre-save campaign on TikTok. In advance of the song, she dropped a series of videos, generating over 100K-plus cumulative views and counting.

Fans can expect to hear it live at her first ever shows in Los Angeles and New York City this March. Gracing stages on both coasts, she performs at Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles, CA on March 8 and at Mercury Lounge on March 10 in New York, NY.

On her debut EP One Eighty, the 23-year-old phenomenon continued to connect. Released last winter, it includes “Love You From a Distance”, the first song of hers to go viral (now at over 100M total audio streams), and ultimately leading to her current deal with Darkroom / Interscope Records. One Eighty is the culmination of a productive year for Kutcher that’s seen her rack up millions of streams and widespread acclaim. On the project, Ashley says ‘“One Eighty’ is a collection of songs I wrote as my life took a complete turn. It’s a project of discovering who I am as an artist. Together these songs tell my story and I could not be more excited to share it”.

Baltimore singer-songwriter Ashley Kutcher distinguishes herself as the kind of raw talent who infuses a unique sense of vulnerability and honesty to her songs that her fans have grown to love so much. The rising pop artist got her start performing in high school before she started releasing her own music during her time at Towson University. In only the past year, what started out as a hobby has grown into a full time career with a larger fanbase than she had ever thought possible. Her breakout single “Love You From a Distance” set TikTok on fire with just her D.I.Y. performance from the bathroom, and quickly lead to her eventual signing with Darkroom / Interscope Records.

Prior to her signing, Ashley was pursuing a nursing degree when a local bar came across a video of her singing online and invited her to perform onstage. While still enrolled in college, Ashley began to sing in local venues more regularly and produce songs on the side. While her nascent fan base continued to grow, Ashley came across a tweet from blackbear that read “hit me up if you don’t like me.” As her creative neurons began to fire, she used the tweet as inspiration and responded with her own song similarly named “HMU if U Don’t Like Me,” which went on to quickly rack up another million streams. At this point, she realized the power of transforming a post into a song and did the same thing with “Love You From a Distance,” Produced by Eric Taft, the song quickly eclipsed 9.5 million Spotify streams and only continues to grow.

Amassing well over 20 million streams independently and 20 million TikTok views, Ashley’s heartfelt honesty captivates on a series of singles for Darkroom/Interscope and her debut EP, One Eighty. The project is the culmination of a productive year for Ashley as her fan base steadily grew and she continued to hone her craft. Now, with her breakout year behind her and an even more exciting year ahead, the 23-year old will hit the road for the first time to perform her shows live in New York and Los Angeles. After she finishes her live performances, she will be back in the studio ready to put the finishing touches on her debut album set to release later this year.

Download press photos HERE. Credit Erica Snyder.

About Ashley Kutcher:

OneRepublic Announce “Never Ending Summer Tour”

Eric Alper
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OneRepublic Announce “Never Ending Summer Tour”

Today, GRAMMY nominated OneRepublic has announced their “Never Ending Summer Tour” tour with special guest NEEDTOBREATHE. Produced by Live Nation, the 40-city tour begins on July 8th at PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, NC making stops across North America in Boston, Detroit, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, and more before wrapping up in Jacksonville, FL at Daily’s Place on September 4th.

In addition to the tour announcement, OneRepublic released their new single “West Coast” today. Listen here. Alongside the new track, OneRepublic also premiered the video for the song. The video was directed by Tomás Whitmore, who also directed the video for last year’s “Run”.

Grammy nominated OneRepublic, is comprised of singer/songwriter and lead vocalist Ryan Tedder, guitarists Zach Filkins and Drew Brown, keys Brian Willett, bassist and cellist Brent Kutzle, and drummer Eddie Fisher. The band released their debut set Dreaming Out Loud in 2007. The release included the 20mm selling smash single “Apologize,” which shattered digital sales and airplay records worldwide and received a Grammy nomination. The band’s sophomore album, 2009’s Waking Up, produced the hit singles “All the Right Moves,” “Secrets” and “Good Life.” The certified-platinum album Native followed in 2013, featuring the No.1 hit and 41 million selling single “Counting Stars.” OneRepublic released Oh My My, their fourth full-length album in 2016. OneRepublic has amassed 5B streams on Spotify to date. OneRepublic’s latest album, Human, dropped on August 27, 2021. It features singles, which combined have over 2.5 billion global streams: “Somebody”, “Run”, “Somebody To Love”, “Wanted”, “Didn’t I”, “Better Days” and “Rescue Me”, which has been certified RIAA Gold. They most recently released their new single, “West Coast” and announced their upcoming tour to kick off in July of this year.

TOUR DATES:
Fri Jul 08 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Sat Jul 09 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park
Sun Jul 10 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium
Tue Jul 12 – Simpsonville, SC – CCNB Amphitheater at Heritage Park
Wed Jul 13 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Fri Jul 15 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Sat Jul 16 – Washington, DC – Jiffy Lube Live
Sun Jul 17 – Holmdel, NJ – P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
Tue Jul 19 – Boston, MA – Xfinity Center
Wed Jul 20 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Fri Jul 22 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
Sat Jul 23 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
Sun Jul 24 – Philadelphia, PA – BB&T Pavilion
Wed Jul 27 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Thu Jul 28 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
Sat Jul 30 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Sun Jul 31 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Tue Aug 02 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Wed Aug 03 – Chicago, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Fri Aug 05 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre
Sat Aug 06 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Sun Aug 07 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Tue Aug 09 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Wed Aug 10 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
Fri Aug 12 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Sat Aug 13 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
Tue Aug 16 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
Wed Aug 17 – San Francisco, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Fri Aug 19 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
Sat Aug 20 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sun Aug 21 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
Tue Aug 23 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Thu Aug 25 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Fri Aug 26 – Dallas, TX – The Dos Equis Pavilion
Sun Aug 28 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Tue Aug 30 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Wed Aug 31 – Birmingham, AL – Oak Mountain Amp
Fri Sep 02 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sat Sep 03 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Sun Sep 04 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place

Boslen Releases Official Music Video For “Levels”

Eric Alper
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Boslen Releases Official Music Video For “Levels”

Boslen unveils the official video for “LEVELS” — the unrelenting first single from his forthcoming project, GONZO, due later this year. The cinematic music video directed by Talha Pervaiz and executive produced by Natasha Dion combines surreal scenes with a defiant performance.

The “LEVELS” video opens with eerie footage of a dining table and includes cutscenes of a mad surgeon and a herd of sheep—referenced in the song to represent “people that pretend to be something that they will never be.” The soul-shaking beat drop plummets listeners into Boslen’s blunt stream of chaotic consciousness. Through a metallic grill, he wonders aloud why anyone would doubt him and issues a stern warning: “I can never be controlled.”

“When I wrote ‘LEVELS,’ I wanted to challenge myself by breaking the fourth wall and showcasing how the highs and lows of moving in this industry can affect an artist,” says Boslen. “I wanted listeners to hear a new side of my tonality. I feel like I poured in more emotion than I ever have before. ‘LEVELS’ really sets the tone for GONZO, and I can’t wait for my fans to hear the full project.”

“LEVELS” wastes no time building the momentum Boslen created with the immersive 12-track DUSK to DAWN, which eclipsed over 17 million streams globally and earned acclaim from various tastemakers. Atwood Magazine, hailed the concept album as “the kind of record that needs to be felt in full in order to be understood at its core.” EUPHORIA., said “Despite its easy listening, (DUSK to DAWN) is full of emotion and artistry.” HotNewHipHop praised Boslen’s lyricism stating that he places “his unique storytelling abilities on display with introspective and imaginative tracks.” With “LEVELS,” Boslen has only begun to unload what he has stored in his multifaceted artistic arsenal.

Boslen is a born trailblazer. The 23-year-old hip-hop experimenter lives in Vancouver, and the city’s people have become key to the way he understands himself and his art. A land of contrasts — snowy peaks and warm water, beautiful nature, and busy streets — it’s the perfect home for an artist who reconciles disparate energies, weaving together styles and sounds that don’t intuitively connect. DUSK to DAWN, his Capitol Records debut, furthers this adventurous approach, mixing trap, pop, punk, and rock melodies, and it’s also directly inspired by his city — a place that drives him to be different, to achieve greatness when no one expects him to. Boslen first emerged as an artist in 2018, when he dropped out of school, moved to North Vancouver, and released the Motionless and Motionless II mixtapes. He found his footing in 2019 with the energetic, confrontational songs “Eye for an Eye” and “Hidden Nights,” which garnered millions of streams. In 2019, he released the Black Lotus EP, but even with so many songs out in the world, DUSK to DAWN feels like a step forward, full of boundary-pushing vocal experiments, heavier production, and shapeshifting transitions. The music finally matches the tumultuous emotions he’s captured in his lyrics all along. He may not be able to pull every listener into Vancouver, but he’s using the city’s contrasts as a backdrop to challenge everyone to think beyond themselves — to dream big.

My Next Read: “A Ballet of Lepers” by Leonard Cohen

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “A Ballet of Lepers” by Leonard Cohen

Before Leonard Cohen’s worldwide fame expanded to fourteen studio albums, Grammy awards, and late-career global tours, he yearned for literary stardom. The Canadian songwriter of iconic hits like “Hallelujah,” “Suzanne,” and “Famous Blue Raincoat” first ventured into writing in his early twenties, and in A Ballet of Lepers: A Novel and Other Stories, out October 11, readers will discover that the magic that animated Cohen’s unforgettable body of work was present from the very beginning of his career.

The pieces in this collection, written between 1956 and 1961 and including short fiction, a radio play, and a stunning early novel, offer startling insights into Cohen’s imagination and creative process. Cohen explores themes that would permeate his later work, from shame and unworthiness to sexual desire in all its sacred and profane dimensions to longing, whether for love, family, freedom, or transcendence. The titular novel, A Ballet of Lepers —one he later remarked was “probably a better novel” than his celebrated book The Favourite Game— is a haunting examination of these elements in tandem, focusing on toxic relationships and the lengths one will go to maintain them, while the fifteen stories, as well as the playscript, probe the inner demons of his characters, many of whom could function as stand-ins for the author himself. Cohen’s work is meditative and surprising, offering playful, provocative, and penetrating glimpses into the world-weary lives of his characters, and a window into the early art of a storytelling master.

A Ballet of Lepers, vivid in its detail, unsparing in its gaze, reveals the great artist and visceral genius as never seen before.

Sonic Reducers: New Music Friday (A Day Early)

Eric Alper
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Sonic Reducers: New Music Friday (A Day Early)

Sonic Reducers. One topic. Two music nerds. Five minutes. Everything you need to know.

Want to get a head start on Friday’s album releases? Punch play to watch us zoom through new titles by Tears For Fears, Johnny Marr, Dashboard Confessional, Robert Glasper, Superchunk, Nobro and more.

Steve Perry’s Isolated Vocals For Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”

Eric Alper
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Steve Perry’s Isolated Vocals For Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”

Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ was released in 1981 as the second single from the group’s seventh studio album, Escape, and is unusual in that its chorus does not arrive until the song is nearly finished; its structure consists of two pre-choruses and three verses before it arrives at its central hook.

Alan Doyle Announces Live Album, ‘Here, Tonight,’ Out March 11

Eric Alper
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Alan Doyle Announces Live Album, ‘Here, Tonight,’ Out March 11

One of Canada’s most treasured musicians, Alan Doyle, will release his first live album on March 11 titled Here, Tonight, a collection of songs recorded at shows over the past few years with his longtime tour support The Beautiful Beautiful Band (Cory Tetford, Kendel Carson, Kris MacFarlane, Shehab Illyas and Todd Lumley).

Here, Tonight includes songs from Doyle’s solo albums: Boy on Bridge (2012), So Let’s Go (2014), A Week at the Warehouse (2017), and his 2020 chart-topping release Rough Side Out; as well as classic Great Big Sea favourites including “Ordinary Day” and “When I’m Up.”

Says Doyle: “I replaced one of the guitarists in my Uncle Ronnie’s Band in 1985 for a matinee gig at the Squid Jigger Lounge in Calvert, Newfoundland, and I fell in love with playing for a live audience. Since then, I have been lucky enough to record in the best studios in the world, sing and play on soundtracks for film and television, and produce a few dozen albums, but none of these incredible experiences has ever replaced playing live as my one favourite. Touring with the Beautiful Beautiful Band is a dream come true for me and I wanted to capture a few of the performances we have been fortunate enough to play over the last few years. This album is just that. A recording of what we do when we get to do what we all love. This is the Beautiful Beautiful Band. And Me. Here. Tonight.”

After a few postponements, Doyle toured Canada last fall in support of Rough Side Out, which debuted at No. 1 on the Canadian country chart upon its release in February 2020. One dollar from each ticket sold for the shows supported the A Dollar A Day Foundation. Every dollar collected goes directly into the hands of proven Mental Health and Addictions programs across the country, to help with such issues as the opioid crisis in Vancouver and homelessness in St. John’s.

Doyle – the songwriter, producer, actor and author – is a 12-time JUNO Award nominee for his solo material and work with his iconic band Great Big Sea. In 2018, he was awarded the Order of Canada for his contributions to the musical traditions of Newfoundland and for his commitment to numerous charitable initiatives.

HERE, TONIGHT TRACK LIST:
1. COME OUT WITH ME
2. WE’RE GONNA LOVE TONIGHT
3. CAPTIAN KIDD
4. NOW OR NEVER
5. WHEN I’M UP
6. SOMEWHERE IN A SONG
7. SEA OF NO CARES
8. BEAUTIFUL TO ME
9. LUKEY
10. LAYING DOWN TO PERISH
11. OLD BLACK RUM
12. TAKE US HOME
13. TESTIFY
14. 1,2,3,4
15. WAVE OVER WAVE
16. SHINE ON
17. I’VE SEEN A LITTLE
18. ORDINARY DAY

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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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