George Harrison’s 1968 song While My Guitar Gently Weeps is often cited as one of the finest songs written during his tenure with The Beatles. But there’s a mystery buried in the track that recently has become the subject of renewed debate among Beatles scholars and fans alike: who is playing the bass part?
Fred Armisen Impersonates Each Decade of Punk Music
Fred Armisen shows off his musical impersonations of alternative music from bands like The Velvet Underground and Sleater-Kinney.
The Trailer For ABBA’s Voyage Is Here
A further look at ABBA Voyage, the revolutionary concert 40 years in the making. New tickets, including weekends, are on sale now here.
elbow Release Title Track Off New Album ‘Flying Dream 1’
elbow have released the title track from their forthcoming studio album, “Flying Dream 1” on Friday November 5th.
“Flying Dream 1” opens the band’s ninth studio album in the hushed tones that epitomise the full record, delivering a delicate, magical melody to showcase singer Guy Garvey’s perfectly pitched reminisces of an 80’s childhood in the warmth of his family home in Bury, Greater Manchester:
“I seem to remember my first flying dream. Who knows if it’s a memory or a memory of a memory but it was in the house that my mother still lives in. I suppose in a way it’s a gently encouraging sentiment in the same vein as ‘Lippy Kids’ and it’s all set in the same place.
Flying dreams are supposed to be incredibly positive things and I used the flying dream as a jump off point, if you’ll forgive the pun, for describing the house I grew up in and what my family were like and the feelings of childhood that have been revitalised recently through seeing the world through the eyes of my son.
The piece of music that Craig put together is just astonishing. I lived in it for weeks and weeks before settling on a lyric. It was Craig’s idea to make it the title track of the album, which is apt as it opens the album and perfectly sets the tone for what we were wanting to do across the whole record.”
As with previous releases from the album, “The Seldom Seen Kid” and “Six Words”, ‘”Flying Dream 1″ is accompanied by a film of the band recording the song, captured during the recording sessions for “Flying Dream 1” at Brighton’s Theatre Royal. You can watch the film below.
Flying Dream 1 track list:
Flying dream 1
Dead of the night when the prayer group was gone
Mum and my sisters all blissful at feather
Candlewick swaddled my golden wee brother
Dad’s across town tonight fixing The Mirror
Shaking his head at a richer man’s grammar
Elbow’s ninth studio album, ‘Flying Dream 1’, will be released on November 19th 2021.
London, ON Popster Nano Talrose is “falling deeper” with Release of New Single & Video
It might be Nano Talrose “falling deeper,” but it’s you, the listener, drowning in the delicate beauty of the emotive indie artist’s latest single and video — available now.
“falling deeper” channels leaning into love; finding it, holding it and allowing oneself to lose the ability to swim in an ocean of passion, fire, and desire. The song breaks out over a pulsing electric riff, before branching off into an electronica, low-fi vibe, and dreamily mashed with the intricacy of Talrose’s exquisite vox.
“The song is very different from all the other songs I’ve made so far, which are usually slower with more heartfelt lyrics and emotion,” Talrose recalls. “‘falling deeper’ has more of a grunge-pop or alt-pop vibe, and I am looking forward to showing people a different side of me as an artist.”
Having dropped his debut single, “Stay Quiet” in August of 2019, Talrose is on a quest to penning emotion-filled experiences that line the everyday walls of his songwriting. “I started writing it when I first met someone,” he shares. “I was falling for them, and didn’t want to move too quickly. I tried playing it cool, but still told them how I felt.
“I ended up showing them the song and they loved it, and said I really should take it to the studio. So I did.”
There, it was sound engineer/producer Damian Birdsey (Birdcage Studios) where things came together. “Everything fell into place perfectly as we were creating,” Talrose says, adding, “It was honestly such a smooth process working on the production.”
Shot by videographer and editor Hamza Qureshi, the adjoining video for “falling deeper” landed on the first birthday of Talrose’s nephew. “The ‘1’ candle on the birthday cake in the video is actually a tribute to my nephew. He always puts his hands in the air and bounces when I play ‘falling deeper’ at home.”
He adds, “I’m excited for the world to hear (‘falling deeper’) and bounce along, too! In terms of the video, I wanted to show a different side of me regarding attitude, clothing style and the overall vibe.”
Previous videos by Talrose are ethereal in nature, featuring all-white clothing ensembles and light tones. “Instead of wearing all white like I did in my previous music video, I switched to an all-black outfit with ripped jeans, chains, leather jacket and black Doc Martens,” Talrose says. “We took a very laid-back approach when planning the video and had originally planned on winging it and working with what we had the location when we got there. But we went to a store before the shoot and bought some items that inspired me to buy a bunch of black props.”
Styled by Sebastian Baquero, those props would become the backdrop for a depressing birthday party-type vibe, including black party hats and a black cake. The video works like a mash-up of “Mad World” meets “Mad Hatter”, and all things together become a unique visual representation of Talrose’s artistic vision and ability to make the listener not only hear, but also think.
For this whimsical, intriguing, and genre-bending artist, “falling deeper” becomes an invitation to dive into the deep end of your emotive self. While you get lost in the rhythm, Nano Talrose captivates you with his lyrics that call out to the inside of your soul. And that is when you’ll be hoping there’s still deeper to fall.
“falling deeper” is available now.
Ryan Shane Owen Settles into A Dream-Like Enchanted Forest for Fresh Remix of “Summer Night Dream (Oberon Remix)”
Drawing inspiration from Shakespeare’s heady classic, Canadian dance-pop producer Ryan Shane Owen is centre-stage among magical trees and electric energy in this euphorically catchy remix of his latest track, “Summer Night Dream (Oberon Remix)” — available now.
The British Columbia-based artist’s new video picks up where the original release leaves off, continuing to usher audiences away on an atmospheric journey through sonic colours, visuals, and sounds of an enchanted forest.
A singer/songwriter with a plethora of talents, Ryan debuted his first full-length solo album, Rhapsody for the Disco, in the beginning of 2020. From there, he developed and released his sophomore 12-track follow-up album, Symphony for the Stereo, or “Rhapsody part two,” before this new single, “Summer Night Dream.”
While Ryan may draw inspiration from genres like classical music, classic rock, pop, and EDM music, his style can be described as a mix of deep house, disco, synth wave, and glam rock — all cleverly fused into a clever, yet classic twist on electronic pop music. He revisits his decision to take the walk down the dance music path, recalling that “I’ve always loved dance music, but was always frustrated by the banality of much of the dance music out there.
“I wanted to create dance music with good melodies, lyrics, and instrumentation…”
Owen’s passion for dance music stems from a long exposure to not only the genre music-wise, but a tenure in the culture as well. Any EDM fan will have worked up the means to attend at least one music festival, and Ryan was no exception. When it comes to “Summer Night Dream,” Ryan fondly recalls his attendance at outdoor raves. “I also used to attend outdoor raves in Vancouver called ‘full moon parties,’” he shares. “Smaller gatherings in a clearing among the trees and mountains, with people dancing until dawn…”
These warm memories seemed like the perfect setting for this, his new double-single: “Summer Night Dream (Oberon Remix)” and “Summer Night Dream” — the latter of which landed earlier this year. The inspiration came to him recently enough, he shares, during a heat wave that “dried out the usually lush rainforest,” subduing the familiar chatter of birds and animals to an uncomfortable extent.
As it would turn out, this silence would act as a harbinger of bad news; in fact, wildfires would continue to develop around both Ryan, as well as other residents of British Columbia. While Owen was successfully able to capture all of the sounds and video for “Summer Night Dream” prior to preparing to evacuate his home, he reveals “an additional sense of urgency and melancholy at the thought that this could all be gone if the fire situation worsened.”
The situation that was unfolding around Ryan’s home led to some of his classic tongue-in-cheek commentary of the situation around him. Being no stranger to creating abstract wordplay that represents what is going on both socially and around Owen’s, the opening line of “Summer Night Dream” refers to the haze seen around the forest and area of Owen’s home — “smoky skies saunter through the valley.”
In the end, this high-spirited indie dance-pop artist was able to finish creating something that, at the very least, will serve as a warm and colorful spirit booster and, at worst, may serve as a heartwarming reminder of what was.
In the meantime, take the time to revisit those warm summer moonlit walks in the forest by listening to Ryan Shane Owen’s newest double-single.
“Summer Night Dream (Oberon Remix)” and the original “Summer Night Dream” are both available now.
Drummer for JUNO, GRAMMY and LATIN GRAMMY-Nominated Albums, MARITO MARQUES Releases A Ponte & “Manjerico”
Toronto-based drummer, composer, and producer Marito Marques for several Grammy, JUNO, and Latin Grammy-nominated albums, releases his own new track “Manjerico”, bridging cultural gaps through collaboration with traditional Portuguese cante alentejano group “Os Vocalistas,” and MARO (from Jacob Collier).
“Manjerico” — pronounced (‘Mun-Juh-rEE-co’) — is the latest to land from the multi-talented artist’s newest LP, A Ponte.
Drawing melodies from original compositions and lyrics that are 200 – 400 years old, the vocals are inspired by genre cante alentejano — which is listed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Marques’ timeless tunes, modern style, and decision to produce the album by collaborating with both Portuguese and Canadian musicians, makes it accessible to both international Portuguese communities, and the greater public.
“I want to show to the Canadian audience, and the world, this beautiful music genre presented in a modern way,” Marques says of the release. “I’ve always had respect and admiration for traditional Portuguese music and, since I moved to Canada in 2013, this fascination grew even more.
“This record is about the longing to bridge these geographical and cultural gaps.”
And with the title meaning ‘The Bridge,’ the song, and the conception of A Ponte, couldn’t have come at a better time…
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to leave multicultural Canadians asking when they will be able to visit their hometowns and families again, Marques offers the Portuguese community, music lovers, and those missing travel a way to stay connected to culture during these trying times. Marques demonstrates first-hand how the arts provide ways for people to stay connected to their roots, and also for others to learn about different cultures; he understands that the need to support multicultural communities is more evident than ever.
Marito Marques is a prodigious musician from Arganil, Portugal who, at only 5 years old, began playing live. His talent quickly garnered the attention of musical legends such as Donna Grantis (guitarist, Prince), Jeff Coffin (saxophonist, Dave Matthews Band), and Fado icon Carlos do Carmo, along with Grammy nominations for Afro Peruvian Jazz orchestra – Best Latin Jazz Album, Tradiciones 2021, and Latin Grammy nomination for Afro Peruvian Jazz orchestra – Best Arrangement – La Flor De La Canela 2021.
“Manjerico” and A Ponte are available now.
With Multi-Platinum Producer Ryan Louder, ViVA TRIO are “Wild and Free” in Stunning, Cinematic New Single
Award-winning Canadian female vocal group ViVA Trio are “Wild and Free” in this, their stunning, cinematic new single — available now.
Multi-Platinum Producer Ryan Louder (Dua Lipa, Dido) co-wrote and produced “Wild and Free” with ViVA Trio members Anna Bateman, Erin Fisher, and Katya Tchoubar. “This song is an expression of our new direction, and is such an exciting collaboration!” Anna shares.
“Yes!” Katya agrees. “We can do vocal fireworks all day but, for this album, we wanted to create a more ethereal quality. By collaborating with Ryan Louder on this song, our vision for this new sound came to life.”
“Wild and Free” is a diamond among the teeming trove of jewels in their upcoming album, and will act as a centerpiece track in the highly anticipated concept album that’s set to be released next Winter. ViVA Trio’s Anna and Katya’s characters are heard in the verses, and Erin’s character is introduced singing the trio’s catchy chorus, ‘Wind in my hair, I’m Wild and Free.’ “We love that this song stands out!” Erin says. “It’s got a dramatic vibe, and in my mind, like a female warrior’s anthem.”
The three know how to make their mark with music; their debut album Nothing Else Matters dropped with overwhelming fan support — including a crowdfunding campaign that was fully funded in less than one week. The album featured ViVA’s powerful vocals, live full 52 piece orchestra, and ViVA’s Children’s Choir with nine covers and two originals.
The Trio toured the show across two continents, and were featured in Asia as well; the music of this album made international TV, airplay, and press.
Considering they’ve been touring nationally and internationally for years without much time to create new music, COVID-19’s hold on their European 2020 tour and other live performances in Canada and the United States meant the Trio have been busy working on new original music for their second album.
For their second album, ViVA is creating a full storyline spun out of fantasy and folklore, with mythical characters from Danish and Russian folk tales. All the music is being written by ViVA Trio, fusing styles and defying categorization. They will take this album through a kaleidoscope of genres from cinematic, theatrical, classical to electronic and folk, with their incredible team of musicians, sound engineers and producers in Toronto and Europe.
“Wild and Free” follows the forthcoming album’s previously released previews: “Lorien” and “Solstice Jig.”
“Wild and Free” is available now.
My Next Read: “U2’s The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America” by Bradley Morgan
U2 planted the seeds for The Joshua Tree during an existential journey through America. As Irishmen in the 1970s, the band grew up with the belief that America was a place of freedom and prosperity, a symbol of hope and a refuge for all people. However, global politics of the 1980s undermined that impression and fostered hypocritical policies that manipulated Americans and devastated people around the world.
Originally conceived as “The Two Americas,” The Joshua Tree was U2’s critique of America. Rather than living up to the ideal that the country was “an idea that belongs to people who need it most,” the band found that America sacrificed equality and justice for populism and fascism. This book explores the political, social, and cultural themes rooted in The Joshua Tree when it was originally released in 1987 and how those themes resonated as a response to the election of Donald Trump when U2 toured for the album’s 30th anniversary.
The author juxtaposes the band’s existential journey through America with his own journey connecting with his Irish roots by becoming a citizen in the age of Trump and places U2’s and The Joshua Tree’s relevance in context with the current political climate.
Eric Alper Public Relations’ Artists Receive 25 Maple Blues Awards Nominations
There’s no stopping the blues – not even a second year of a global pandemic. In a year like no other, 2021 has proven that Canadian blues artists are tenacious, forward-thinking, and incredibly creative in the face of adversity. Despite ongoing challenges and changes, Toronto Blues Society continues to support and promote Canadian Blues artists by announcing the nominees for the upcoming 25th annual Maple Blues Awards. The winners will be announced on January 31, 2022 at the LIVE Maple Blues Award Show to be held at Koerner Hall in Toronto.
Eric Alper Public Relations’ musicians and clients receive a whopping 25 nominations!
Leading the way with multiple nominations is Steve Marriner, who has received seven nominations including Entertainer of the Year, Electric Act of the Year (with MonkeyJunk), Acoustic Act of the Year (with David Gogo), Male Vocalist of the Year, Recording/Producer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Harmonica Player of the Year. Another nominee in multiple categories is Sue Foley, who has been nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Electric Act of the Year, Recording/Producer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Guitarist of the Year.
25th Annual Maple Blues Awards Nominees
Entertainer of the Year
David Gogo
Steve Marriner
Sue Foley
Electric Act of the Year
Colin James
MonkeyJunk
Sue Foley
Acoustic Act of the Year
David Gogo & Steve Marriner
Male Vocalist of the Year
Chuck Jackson
Colin James
Matt Andersen
Steve Marriner
Female Vocalist of the Year
Crystal Shawanda
Recording/Producer of the Year
Steve Marriner – Hope Dies Last / Stony Plain (Steve Marriner)
Sue Foley – Pinky’s Blues / Stony Plain (Mike Flanigin)
Songwriter of the Year
Steve Marinner
Sue Foley
Blues with a Feeling Award (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Dalannah Gail Bowen
Guitarist of the Year
David Gogo
Sue Foley
Tony D
Harmonica Player of the Year
Steve Marriner
Piano/Keyboard of the Year
David Vest
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne
Drummer of the Year
Tom Bona
Matt Sobb
Nominees for the Maple Blues Awards are selected by a distinguished panel of some 53 blues experts. Co-Chaired by a steering committee consisting of Cindy McLeod, Yanick Theriault, Terry Parsons, and Brant Zwicker, the panel includes radio hosts, journalists, and festival organizers regionally distributed across Canada. Members of the Nominating Panel are not eligible for any of the awards.
Winners in instrumental categories — guitar, harmonica, piano/keyboards, horn, drum, and bass — will be determined by the Nominating Panel. Winners in all other categories will be selected by blues fans across the country.
The Maple Blues Awards is Canada’s national blues awards program. Its goal is to promote blues music across Canada and to recognize outstanding achievements in the field. The nominees are selected by a distinguished panel of blues DJ’s and journalists from across Canada. Members of the Nominating Canada. Members of the Nominating Panel are not eligible for any of the awards. The winners are selected by the votes of blues fans from across Canada.
Blues fans can cast their votes online at www.mapleblues.ca. Public Voting opens November 3, 2021 at 12:01 am Eastern Time and closes December 1, 2021, 11:59 pm Eastern.
The Maple Blues Award winners will be announced on January 31, 2022 at the LIVE Maple Blues Award Show to be held at Koerner Hall in Toronto. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.rcmusic.com/events-and-performances .
This voting site has been designed and programmed by KMP Designs Inc., a Toronto software consulting company specializing in custom software development for the desktop PC, wireless handheld, and the Web