John Lennon And Yoko Ono’s Imagine Celebrates Its Golden Anniversary With Global Events

Music

Eric Alper

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Sep 1, 2021

Since it was released on September 9, 1971, on the iconic eponymous album, “Imagine,” John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s paean for peace has become one of the most famous and beloved songs in the history of music – an indelible melody known the world over, a sentiment shared no matter the language spoken.

Yoko Ono Lennon says: “John and I were both artists and we were living together, so we inspired each other. The song ‘Imagine’ embodied what we believed together at the time. John and I met – he comes from the West and I come from the East – and still we are together. We have this oneness and ‘the whole world would eventually become one’ is the sense that we will all be very happy together. All these instructions are for people for how to spend eternity, because we have lots of time.”

Over the last five decades “Imagine” has endured as a timeless global anthem, a collective prayer uniting the world through song and imagination; providing comfort in troubling times and unity, hope and happiness in others. This was especially evident in the dazzling opening ceremony of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics where the song was re-imagined by renowned orchestral composer Hans Zimmer for a global audience in the hundreds of millions, initiating the celebrations for both the Olympics and Imagine’s 2021 Golden Anniversary.

On September 9, 2021, Yoko & Sean Ono Lennon, The Estate of John Lennon and Universal Music Group invite you to “join us” with a Global Party to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of “Imagine” – the song, the album and the film.

“IMAGINE” FILM – WATCH PARTY

One of the first full-length conceptual music films, John & Yoko’s “Imagine” (1971) contains all the songs from John’s Imagine album, four songs from Yoko’s FLY album plus a few additional pieces. In 2018, under the supervision of Yoko Ono Lennon, the film was completely reassembled in HD from the original 16mm negative reels and cleaned and digitally restored frame-by-frame with the audio completely remixed in 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Atmos by triple GRAMMY®-award winning engineer and mixer, Paul Hicks.

At 11:30 am PDT/2:30 pm EDT/7:30 pm BST, fans around the world are invited to watch the “Imagine” film together, either online or in person at participating venues as Yoko Ono Lennon, Mercury Studios and partners including The Coda Collection, Hard Rock and Music Venue Trust make the film available to view for free.

Meanwhile Tim Burgess’ wildly popular Tim’s Twitter Listening Party will be hosting a simultaneous online Listening Party event, where the experience of watching and listening to the music of the “Imagine” film will be enhanced by a second-screen Twitter experience – with quotes, photos and multimedia, led by Yoko Ono Lennon, the John Lennon Estate and many of the musicians, filmmakers and friends involved in the making of the album and film, as well as fans joining in using the hashtags #timstwitterlisteningparty and #IMAGINE50.

Confirmed participants for the Event are: Yoko Ono Lennon, The Estates of John Lennon, guitarist George Harrison and keyboard player Nicky Hopkins, plus Sean Ono Lennon, bassist Klaus Voormann, drummer Alan White, cameraman Nic Knowland, factotum Dan Richter and MC Tim Burgess, with more to be announced soon.

For more info, visit Tim’s Twitter Listening Party and look out for updates on the @johnlennon and @yokoono Twitter feeds.

The event is a fitting sequel to the Listening Party held for the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection box set launch earlier this year. Check out the replay here.

HOW TO WATCH THE FILM ONLINE

The Coda Collection, a unique streaming platform that delivers the most iconic music documentaries, concert films, and more, is proud to stream the “Imagine” film in the U.S. and the U.K. to empower even broader audiences to take part in this global special event. The Coda Collection is available exclusively via Amazon Prime Video Channels.

Audiences in the U.S. will be able to stream the “Imagine” film on The Coda Collection channel during and after the event with a free 7-day trial.

Audiences in the U.K. can stream the film on Amazon Prime at no additional charge during the event. Tweets from the Twitter Listening Party will also be available for anyone to follow live on a bespoke page at the Coda Collection website. To explore The Coda Collection, including other John Lennon & Yoko Ono films, visit codacollection.co

The film will also be available to view online in the USA for AXS subscribers (see below) and in the UK for Sky subscribers on NOWTV and the SkyGo App, and to rent or purchase globally from Apple TV, iTunes or Amazon Prime; or on Blu-Ray or DVD. To discover the best way to watch the film in your country, click here.

HOW TO WATCH THE FILM IN PERSON

In the UK, Sage Gateshead is excited to welcome people back to its phenomenal Sage One venue with a free Surround Sound screening of the film, timed to sync with the interactive Listening Party.

Additionally, Grassroots Music Venues all over the UK will be screening the film for free, in collaboration with Music Venue Trust. Check your local music venue for details and look for the hashtag #IMAGINE50 on Twitter.

Hard Rock is also getting in on the celebration and will show the “Imagine” film throughout the day in select Hard Rock Cafés in North America and Europe. Many of the Hard Rock Hotels in the U.S. and Mexico will be offering the film for guests to watch for free in their rooms. Check with your local Hard Rock Café or Hotel for participation and viewing times.

You can also host a screening at home and invite your friends and neighbors round.

REPLAYS

For those who want to join in with the Party, but need to watch the film later in the day, all the tweets from the Listening Party will be collated and made available to replay at this link on the Tim’s Twitter Listening Party website soon after the event finish time, so you can watch the film and enjoy the party replay at your leisure.

AFTERSHOW ON TWITTER SPACES

Immediately following the Tim’s Twitter Listening Party watch party, Sean Ono Lennon and BBC6 Music’s Chris Hawkins will host a special #IMAGINE50 Listening Party Aftershow with discussion and Q&A via Twitter Spaces at 1:40 pm LA/3:40 pm NYC/8:40 pm UK /4:40 am Tokyo. The audio-only event will include many of the contributors that made the album and film. The lineup will be announced soon.

AXS TV SPECIAL

A few days prior on September 6^that 5 pm PDT/8 pm EDT, AXS TV will honor the 50^th anniversary of Imagine with a showing of the “Imagine” film as well as the 1988 documentary “Imagine: John Lennon.” Hosted by Ahmet Zappa, co-host of AXS TV’s “Rock My Collection, and Katie Daryl, executive producer and host of “The Top Ten Revealed,” the duo will be joined by an impressive roster of notable musicians who reflect on how John & Yoko have impacted their lives, and how the Imagine album and song have influenced their careers. The special will re-air September 8 at 5 pm PDT/8 pm EDT and the “Imagine” film will also be available to stream via the AXS TV NOW app. Visit AXS.com for more information.

IMAGINE – THE ULTIMATE MIXES & OUT-TAKES
DOUBLE WHITE VINYL

TRACK LISTING

LP1

Side A

Imagine
Crippled Inside
Jealous Guy
It’s So Hard
I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die

Side B

Gimme Some Truth
Oh My Love
How Do You Sleep?
How?
Oh Yoko!

LP 2

Side C

Imagine (Original demo recorded at Ascot)
Imagine (Take 1)
Crippled Inside (Take 3)
Crippled Inside (Take 6 alternate guitar solo)
Jealous Guy (Take 9)
It’s So Hard (Take 6)

Side D

I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (Take 25)
Gimme Some Truth (Take 4)
Oh My Love (Take 6)
How Do You Sleep? (Takes 1 & 2)
Oh Yoko! (From Bed Peace footage – Sheraton Hotel, Bahamas 1969)

LIMITED EDITION DOUBLE WHITE VINYL RELEASE

On September 10^th, Capitol/UMe will release a limited collector’s edition pressing of Imagine as a double LP on white vinyl, featuring the acclaimed 2018 Ultimate Mix mixed by engineer Paul Hicks and overseen by Yoko Ono Lennon on LP1 and a host of outtakes on LP2. The unique, expanded edition, Imagine – The Ultimate Mixes & Out-takes, includes the original demo for “Imagine” alongside a host of outtakes that demonstrate the writing and recording process and showcase the evolution of the songs. Included are outtakes for nearly every song on the record including “Jealous Guy” (Take 9), “It’s So Hard” (Take 6), “Crippled Inside” (Take 3, Take 6), “Gimme Some Truth” (Take 4), “I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die” (Take 25), “Oh My Love” (Take 6), “How Do You Sleep?” (Takes 1 & 2), and an early version of “Oh Yoko” taken from the Bed Peace rehearsal filmed in the Bahamas. The limited edition release is available to pre-order now here: https://johnlennon.lnk.to/Imagine-White-2LP

IMAGINE – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION

The stunning Ultimate Mixes and Out-takes included on the vinyl were originally released in 2018 on the six-disc box set, Imagine – The Ultimate Collection. The historical, remixed and remastered 140-track collection, which was fully authorized by Yoko Ono Lennon (who oversaw the production and creative direction) offers a variety of listening experiences that are at once immersive and intimate, ranging from the Ultimate Mixes of the original album, which reveal whole new levels of sonic depth, definition and clarity to these timeless songs, to the Raw Studio Mixes that allow listeners to hear Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band’s original, unadorned performances, to enveloping 5.1 surround sound mixes, and a Quadrasonic Album Mix, presenting the original four speaker mix remastered in Quadrasonic sound for the first time in nearly fifty years. This ultimate deep listening experience, which features scores of previously unheard demos, rare outtakes and isolated track elements, also includes The Evolution Documentary, a unique track-by-track audio montage that details the journey of each song from demo to master recording via instructions, rehearsals, recordings, multitrack exploration and studio chatter. The comprehensive nature of the full Imagine – The Ultimate Collection is the absolute best representation of a career artist working at the top of his creative game.

DOLBY ATMOS MIXES – COMING SOON

The much-requested three-dimensional Dolby Atmos mixes and full-length Stereo versions from the Blu-ray content in the Box Set Edition of Imagine – The Ultimate Collection will be made available on streaming services to celebrate John Lennon’s birthday this year, on October 9^th.

NEW MERCHANDISE

As part of the celebration, a new collection of merchandise has been released in the official store. To see the full collection, visit: store.johnlennon.com

The Doors Expands “L.A. Woman” With 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

Music

Eric Alper

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Sep 1, 2021

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The Doors Expands “L.A. Woman” With 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

The Doors found their mojo (and Mr. Mojo Risin’) in November 1970 as they recorded L.A. Woman over six days at the Workshop, the band’s rehearsal space on Santa Monica Boulevard. A success both critically and commercially, the album was certified double-platinum and contains some of the band’s most enduring music, including the Top 20 hit “Love Her Madly,” “Riders On The Storm,” and the title track.

To commemorate the album’s 50-year anniversary, Rhino keeps on risin’ with a 3-CD/1-LP set that will be available on December 3. L.A. WOMAN: 50TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION includes the original album newly remastered by The Doors’ longtime engineer and mixer Bruce Botnick, two bonus discs of unreleased studio outtakes, and the stereo mix of the original album on 180-gram virgin vinyl. The music will also be available from digital and streaming services the same day, as will a new Dolby Atmos mix of the original album by Botnick.

The previously unheard original demo of “Riders On The Storm” from the early recording sessions for the album at Sunset Sound studios is available today digitally. The demo was recently discovered on an unmarked tape reel in the band’s vault after being assumed lost for decades. The recording was done with producer Paul A. Rothchild, who famously referred to the demo as “cocktail music.” This led to Rothchild departing the project, with the band opting to co-produce the album with Botnick.

For this new collection, the original album has been expanded with more than two hours of unreleased recordings taken from the sessions for L.A. Woman, allowing the listener to experience the progression of each song as it developed in the studio. An early demo for “Hyacinth House” recorded at Robby Krieger’s home studio in 1969 is also included.

The outtakes feature Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, and Ray Manzarek working in the studio with two additional musicians. The first was rhythm guitarist Marc Benno, who worked with Leon Russell in The Asylum Choir. The other was bassist Jerry Scheff, who was a member of Elvis Presley’s TCB band.

In the studio, Botnick says the band took a more organic approach to recording instead of starting and stopping repeatedly to achieve technical perfection. “The previously unreleased reels here – serial takes of ‘The Changeling,’ ‘Love Her Madly,’ ‘Riders On The Storm,’ and ‘L.A. Woman’ – depict a band obsessed with groove while executing turns and flourishes with the precision of a well-drilled soul combo…The idea was to go from song to song, to let it flow.”

Among the outtakes of album tracks, you can also hear the band joyously ripping through the kinds of classic blues songs that Morrison once described as “original blues.” There are great takes of Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train,” John Lee Hooker’s “Crawling King Snake,” Big Joe Williams’ “Baby Please Don’t Go,” and “Get Out Of My Life Woman,” Lee Dorsey’s funky 1966 classic, written by his producer Allen Toussaint.

In the collection’s extensive liner notes, veteran rock journalist David Fricke explores the whirlwind making of the album, which would be the last with Morrison, who died in Paris a few months after its release. “Morrison may never have come back to The Doors,” he writes. “But with his death, L.A. Woman became rebirth, achievement, and finale, all at once. It’s the blues too – original blues, as Morrison promised. Fifty years later, there is still nothing like it.”

L.A. WOMAN: 50TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION

CD Track Listing

Disc One: Original Stereo Mix Remastered
“The Changeling”
“Love Her Madly”
“Been Down So Long”
“Cars Hiss By My Window”
“L.A. Woman”
“L’America”
“Hyacinth House”
“Crawling King Snake”
“The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)”
“Riders On The Storm”
Bonus Tracks
“Hyacinth House” – Demo
“Riders On The Storm” – Sunset Sound Version – Original Demo*

Disc Two: L.A. Woman Sessions, Part 1
“The Changeling” *
“Love Her Madly” *
“Riders On The Storm” *
“L.A. Woman” (Part 1) *

Disc Three: L.A. Woman Sessions, Part 2
“L.A. Woman” (Part 2) *
“She Smells So Nice” *
“Rock Me Baby” *
“Mr. Mojo Risin’” *
“Baby Please Don’t Go” *
“L.A. Woman” (Part 3) *
“Been Down So Long” *
“Get Out Of My Life Woman” *
“Crawling King Snake” *
“The Bastard Son Of Jimmy & Mama Reed (Cars Hiss By My Window)” *
“Been Down So Long” *
“Mystery Train” *
“The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)” *

L.A. WOMAN (ORIGINAL STEREO MIX REMASTERED)

LP Track Listing

Side One
“The Changeling”
“Love Her Madly”
“Been Down So Long”
“Cars Hiss By My Window”
“L.A. Woman”

Side Two
“L’America”
“Hyacinth House”
“Crawling King Snake”
“The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)”
“Riders On The Storm”

SiriusXM launches a new SoundCloud Radio channel

Music

Eric Alper

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Sep 1, 2021

0

SiriusXM launches a new SoundCloud Radio channel

Celebrate SoundCloud’s lasting impact on the hip-hop landscape and the new tracks driving culture today with the launch of SoundCloud Radio today, September 1, on the SXM App.

SoundCloud Radio’s exclusive window captures the biggest names in hip-hop to tomorrow’s breakout stars. SoundCloud Radio is specially curated to highlight both the biggest names and new releases from the artists who came up on SoundCloud, such as Megan Thee Stallion, Trippie Redd, Doja Cat, Lil Tecca, NLE Choppa, CJ, and introduce the most exciting emerging talent in hip-hop today before they reach mainstream stardom, like Rico Nasty, Roddy Ricch, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Don Toliver, Lil Tjay, Rod Wave, Denzel Curry, Fase Yoda, and more.

SoundCloud Radio follows the crossover success of SoundCloud’s trendsetting hip-hop music show on Hip Hop Nation, The Lookout by SoundCloud. Listeners, artists, and fans are eager to hear, share, and engage even more with what’s happening today in hip-hop, plus experience a first listen into what’s next.

“Being an artist that grew up listening to SoundCloud and uploading my first songs on the platform that are some of my biggest to this day, it’s crazy and exciting to be one of the first artists on the SoundCloud channel on SiriusXM. Thank you, SC,” Star rapper Lil Tecca, who just dropped his sophomore album, We Love You Tecca 2, said about the launch of SoundCloud Radio.

“I’ve been working so hard for the last few years and to hear the first song I ever drop on the radio [on The Lookout by SoundCloud] was mind blowing! SoundCloud is always looking out for us new artists and I can’t wait to watch other fire and deserving artists get the same opportunity for radio exposure. It inspires me to go harder and make better music for more people to hear!” Louisiana rapper Fase Yoda, who is already garnering millions of views and streams with his newly released first single “Butterflies,” said.

“With The Lookout by SoundCloud driving new music discovery for artists, we are hyped to be partnering once again with SiriusXM on the launch of SoundCloud Radio,” Caiaffa, SoundCloud’s Interim Head of Music, said. “The influence of SoundCloud’s young, diverse community of artists and fans in breaking music is unmatched and SoundCloud Radio is one more way to share their influence and incredible talent with even more fans.”

The channel airs through September 30 and will also be available on satellite and in vehicles on Channel 105 from September 8 through 17.

The Lookout by SoundCloud, hosted by SoundCloud curator Sowmya K., airs weekly at 9pm ET on Hip Hop Nation, (Ch. 44), with encores on Saturdays at 2pm ET and Sundays at 11pm ET.

Take Oath & Bear Witness: “Jury” is in Session for Canadian Artist ASTRID TANTON’S New Single

Music

Eric Alper

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Sep 1, 2021

0

Take Oath & Bear Witness: “Jury” is in Session for Canadian Artist ASTRID TANTON’S New Single

It’s a witchy world of rumours, stories, gossip, and telephone games. And for Toronto-based indie sensation Astrid Tanton, it’s about clearing everything at once on this, her new single and video, “Jury” — available now.

Fresh from her breakthrough debut EP, From My Eyes, “Jury” comes from a place of learning and hurt, the Toronto-based artist explains. Her message is ageless — there is their version, your version, and… Somewhere in the middle is the truth.

And Tanton isn’t afraid to expose it.

“There’s a reason people always say there’s two sides to a story,” she says. “People will twist and tell a story to benefit themselves.

“‘Jury’ explores that relationship of being placed as the ‘villain’ or the ‘bad guy’ in a story.

“The concept behind the ‘Jury’ video follows myself and ‘the jury,’” Tanton continues, offering a behind-the-scenes take of her visual counterpart of the track. “The jury represents not only people who are being told a one-sided story, but the intrusive thoughts that can follow you when you are constantly being painted as the bad guy.

“We all have a story to tell, and have been in the situation of being painted as something we are not — especially when we know the truth.

“That is the story ‘Jury’ is telling.”

Indeed, Tanton’s exploration into self-worth and reclaiming her agency has become the yarn she’s spun on From My Eyes; her authentic storytelling and dynamic vox seamlessly weaves together the tracks of the five-song-strong album.

A pop anthem complete with rushing percussion, chasing handclaps, and low-fi vox, Tanton isn’t afraid to take chances on “Jury” — interchanging pace, vox enhancers, near-spoken languid, beautiful crescendos and pleading. Tanton goes full throttle on the track, refusing to take prisoners. She incorporates electric horns, resonating bass; coming up for air, and descending into haunting melancholic tones.

Going ‘full throttle’ could be seen as an overarching theme; the teenager is as fearless as they come, having moved out of the village of Verona (South Frontenac) for a venture in the big city at Rosedale Heights School of the Arts in Toronto, and eventually, Ryerson University. Her tenacity to see through difficulties, and put a spin of optimism in a world of chaos, concretes Tanton’s contribution to the music community around her; she’s not afraid to be honest.

As was the case for musicians around the globe, the 2020 pandemic caused a standstill to live gigging, concerts and shows. And caught in the mix of the mayhem was Tanton, who’d planned to drop From My Eyes in the fall of last year — complete with a touring schedule to promote the release.

Now forced to move into an all-virtual world of virtual meetings and encounters, Tanton utilized the newfound space in her time to work mercilessly on songwriting. She’s catching her niche and going for it, no holds barred.

Allowing herself to escape into her rawest emotions and bleeding out the truth through the melodies, Tanton has found her voice on each cut; exposing herself as someone with something to say, to relate to, to understand.

“The more than 18 months during the COVID pandemic made life so difficult for so many, and now it’s time for us all to get back on track, roll up our sleeves and share what we love,” Tanton says. “The coming months are a time for us all to come together again, one step at a time.”

And she’s seeing the mantra through. Over the course of the summer 2021, Tanton will release the final three songs off her debut album, and move towards touring Canada in 2022.

With From My Eyes set to deliver on its promise to provide listeners a collection of tracks that would turn them into fans, Astrid Tanton is now focusing her attention to taking life on the road now that life has been capable of resuming.

From My Eyes, to the open road — Astrid Tanton is just getting started. And we’re all here to take oath and witness her foray into greatness.

From My Eyes and “Jury” are available now.

Toronto Alt-Psych Rocker RISE CARMINE Wants to “Be The Only One” in New Single

Music

Eric Alper

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Sep 1, 2021

0

Toronto Alt-Psych Rocker RISE CARMINE Wants to “Be The Only One” in New Single

Heavy percussion and a groove-saturated bass line set psych-rocker Rise Carmine’s latest single up as the sexy, 70s-esque low-fi electric gem it’s destined to be; “Be The Only One” is available now.

The latest to land ahead of the Toronto-based artist’s forthcoming debut, No Coup For Anyone, the release’s GRAMMY-winning powerhouse producer Dave Schiffman’s (Weezer, PUP, Vampire Weekend) craftsmanship is on full display: a tightly woven intro, a crushing hook, and a sizzling fade, magnificently mingled with frontman Liam Colbert’s smart lyrics, and incendiary vox.

“Be The Only One” is a staring competition; look away and you might miss what’s to come next from the full EP.

While this Fall 2021’s six-track album may be a debut under this moniker, Rise Carmine is not Liam Colbert’s first foray onto the scene. Initially assuming the stage name “Patiohawk”, he has been an exceptional member of the independent music community of Canada for a decade.

A multi-instrumentalist with a wide variety of musical influence and a creative energy that refuses to slow down, Colbert released a self-produced album in 2017. Each track mixed and mastered in his parents’ basement, Colbert would confidently branch out into live shows, recruiting a crew of musicians to bring his music to life on the stage.

For the next three years, Colbert would win audiences with his “dazzling brand of showmanship, between a chorus that you can sing along to and dual-guitar-harmony heroics that harken back to a time of tighter pants and longer hair.” That unseizable energy oozing off his initial record would follow Colbert from stage to stage, and his knack for understanding the visual for an audio experience would set him apart from his musician colleagues and counterparts.

And, as the world moved into a standstill in 2020, he allowed that electric flow of pulsating ideas and musical prowess to form a new project, under a new name — Rise Carmine.

For Colbert, Rise Carmine is a rise to the top in a new direction for his music, his career, and a musical journey into a new stratosphere of sounds and risk taking. Harnessing his desire to concoct a love letter to the 70s rockers and 90s influences that dominated his affair with music, No Coup for Anyone is just the homage you’ve been waiting for.

And it’s for everyone.

“Be The Only One” is available now.

Sonic Reducers: Johnny Ramone’s Mosrite Guitar And Amp Are Up For Auction

Music

Eric Alper

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Sep 1, 2021

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Sonic Reducers: Johnny Ramone’s Mosrite Guitar And Amp Are Up For Auction

Sonic Reducers: 1 topic. 2 music nerds. 5 minutes.

We discuss the auction of Johnny Ramone’s iconic Mosrite guitar, debate whether rock memorabilia belongs in a museum or people’s houses, and learn that Eric could fit into Joan Jett’s old leather jacket.

Canadian Blues Alt-Country Soft-Rock (really!) Duo FRESH BREATH Ask ‘How Did I Get Here’ in New Album

Music

Eric Alper

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Aug 31, 2021

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Canadian Blues Alt-Country Soft-Rock (really!) Duo FRESH BREATH Ask ‘How Did I Get Here’ in New Album

Kingsville, ON’s blues alt-country soft-rock duo Fresh Breath are asking How Did I Get Here with the release of this, their new album — available now through their website or Bandcamp.

The six-song EP is a culminating reflection of the band’s married members, KT and Josh, and their own relationship stories — from the early days of when the couple first met, to their take on the world navigating isolation, all the way to the darkness they were forced to find in order to keep their own lights shining.

This year’s previously released lead single “World Gone Crazy” covered ground as an alternative protest piece around social injustices and pandemic fatigue, whereas newly unveiled songs “You & Me,” and the album’s title track, “How Did I Get Here,” land as sweetly tender and raw with revelation.

All in all, How Did I Get Here is proving to be the Kingsville, Ontario-based pair’s most revolutionary release yet.

“It’s no secret our world has changed,” Josh marvels, “and when you read through the track list of the album, it pretty much sums up what we went through in 2020.”

“It’s like the ‘World Gone Crazy,’ so we ‘Find Our Way Home,’ and worry there’s a ‘Rumour Going Round’ about ‘You & Me’…” KT adds. “And then, when we reminisce about ‘When We First Met,’ it’s hard not to think: ‘How Did I Get Here?’”

“This wasn’t actually planned!” the two insist. “We organized the tracks for the first time like this and, as we listened to the album as a whole, the flow of songs just worked so well. It all seemed too good to be true, so we stuck with it!”

It’s that same sentiment — the organic ease of things falling into place just as they should — that effortless ripples out through the husband-and-wife singing/songwriting duo’s entire artistic ethos; between Josh’s prowess on the guitar, bass, drums, harmonica, and vocals, and KT’s immersive, enveloping vox, they are a tour de force on the Canadian scene.

And with upwards of 100,000+ streams across Spotify alone, this dynamic new EP — and the pair’s previously released discography, including singles “Likes & Shares,” “Time For a Change,” and more — only further showcases the duo as the powerhouse storytelling lyricists and talented multi-instrumentalists they are.

Their collective talents don’t stop there; KT also designed the artwork for How Did I Get Here. “The idea behind the crows on the cover comes from the second track on the release, and could be said to represent Josh and I,” she explains, referencing “Find Your Way Home.” “It’s a song about wondering what it would be like if you were on Earth as something other than human… A line in the song reads, ‘I’d rather be a crow, on the side of the road; Just picking at a carcass, minding cars as they go.’

“By adding the windmills, farm fields, and telephone poles, I also wanted to represent the reality of our rural setting since we stayed so close to home during this pandemic,” she adds.

How Did I Get Here is available for digital download through Fresh Breath’s platform on Bandcamp, as well as on Apple Music; physical copies are available pressed to vinyl, as well. The release is a FACTOR-funded ‘Artist Development’ project, and was produced by Sound Foundry Studios’ Brett Humber.

How Did I Get Here is available now.

Sonic Reducers: Johnny Marr Set To Release Double Album In 2021

Music

Eric Alper

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Aug 31, 2021

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Sonic Reducers: Johnny Marr Set To Release Double Album In 2021

Sonic Reducers: 1 topic. 2 music nerds. 5 minutes.

Listen in as we discuss Johnny Marr’s upcoming Fever Dreams album and go through the lengthy list of the former veteran guitarist’s post-Smiths collaborations, and beg Johnny to hit us up for interviews.

Todd Haynes’ “The Velvet Underground” Documentary Trailer Is Out

Music

Eric Alper

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Aug 30, 2021

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Todd Haynes’ “The Velvet Underground” Documentary Trailer Is Out

The Velvet Underground. A hypnotic new documentary and the first major film to tell the band’s legendary story. Playing in theaters and on Apple TV+ October 15.

The Velvet Underground created a new sound that changed the world of music, cementing its place as one of rock and roll’s most revered bands. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.

The Velvet Underground: A Documentary Film By Todd Haynes – Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack, a 2CD and digital soundtrack that features both well-known and rare Velvet Underground tracks, will be released on October 15, 2021. Curated by the documentary’s director, Todd Haynes, and music supervisor Randall Poster, the album is the official soundtrack for the critically acclaimed Apple Original documentary.

Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) Played by Electronic Devices

Music

Eric Alper

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Aug 30, 2021

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Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) Played by Electronic Devices

Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), played by eight electronic devices in The Device Orchestra: two electric toothbrushes, three credit card machines, one toaster, one steam iron, and one electric typewriter.