A new season of Ted Lasso returns July 23. It’s more exciting than Higgins at an open mic jazz club. Watch exclusively on Apple TV+.
New Season Of Official Prince Podcast, The Story Of Welcome 2 America, Debuts July 22
The Prince Estate, in partnership with Legacy Recordings and Sony Music Entertainment, today announced the new season of the Official Prince Podcast, The Story of Welcome 2 America, which will debut Thursday, July 22. The new season explores Prince’s career in 2010-2011, as the artist recorded his prescient and political album Welcome 2 America and then mysteriously archived it and will offer listeners the first chance to hear the songs on the album ahead of its official release. You can listen here.
The popular and award-winning Official Prince Podcast was just honored with two additional Webby Awards nominations for its 8-part series The Story of Sign O’ The Times and was both the People’s Voice Winner and the Webby Winner in Podcasts, Music Arts & Culture last month.
Hosted by music journalist Andrea Swensson and special guest co-hosts Shelby J. and Morris Hayes of Prince’s legendary band the NPG, the four-episode season will take listeners into the studios of Paisley Park and out onto the road to learn more about this prescient and philosophical period of Prince’s later-era career. The hosts will be joined by the additional musicians who performed on Welcome 2 America—Tal Wilkenfeld, Chris Coleman, Elisa Fiorillo, and Liv Warfield—plus important behind-the-scenes collaborators from the era who will shed light on Prince’s creative process and late-night conversations.
In addition to hearing the stories behind the singles “Welcome 2 America” and “Born 2 Die,” listeners will get the opportunity to hear numerous unreleased vault tracks including “Same Page, Different Book,” “Check the Record,” “1000 Light Years From Here,” “1010 (Rin Tin Tin)” and “Stand Up and B Strong” for the very first time.
Click here to listen to the preview for The Story of Welcome 2 America. The first episode will be available on Thursday July 22 on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.
The previously unreleased Welcome 2 America album is available July 30.
Seether Announce ‘Wasteland – The Purgatory’ EP
Today, SEETHER announced the release of, Wasteland – The Purgatory EP, available digitally and on CD July 30, 2021, and on vinyl October 22, 2021 (Fantasy Records). The 5-track set includes the fan favourite, Wasteland, from the band’s most recent album, and features three never-before-heard songs, and an alternate/stripped down version of Wasteland, which is available today. Watch the accompanying music video here. Written and produced by Shaun Morgan, engineered by the band’s newest member, Corey Lowery, and mixed by Matt Hyde, Wasteland – The Purgatory EP, follows the August 2020 release of SEETHER’s eighth album, the acclaimed, Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum (If You Want Peace, Prepare For War). The first two singles from the album both hit #1 on the Active Rock and Rock charts: the anthemic, Dangerous, and hard-hitting, Bruised and Bloodied.
Wasteland – The Purgatory EP special vinyl edition will be released on 45rpm 12” vinyl on October 22, 2021. The band’s online store will have a 500-unit super limited-edition custom Smoke and Translucent Red split colour vinyl and a limited-edition Custom Clear with Smoky White Swirls colour vinyl, while record stores will carry Custom Mixed Translucent Red with Smoky Black Swirls colour vinyl.
Pre-order Wasteland – The Purgatory EP Vinyl & CD and exclusive merch here.
SEETHER front man Shaun Morgan says on this new release: “We are really excited to release The Purgatory EP as a companion to our latest single, Wasteland. I’m especially proud of how the alternate version of the track turned out and really happy that people will finally hear it!”
Wasteland – The Purgatory EP demonstrates SEETHER’s dynamism and creative versatility. Seething with dark muscularity, the urgent What Would You Do? is a beautiful and cathartic baptism-by-fire that never lets up. With Pixies’ undertones and Beatle accents, Will It Ever End? is a startling, pandemic appropriate head trip that, like the voice in your head, goes to places unforeseen and unforgiven. Feast or Famine sounds like the unholy progeny of AC/DC and Ozzy-era Sabbath. The EP is bookended by two versions of Wasteland, the original album version and a stripped-down alternate version that features touches of piano and cello, but still retains the original’s tormented drive. This latest release finds SEETHER, one of hard rock’s most enduring and prolific bands, at the very top of their very productive game.
Earlier this month, SEETHER announced they will join 3 Doors Down on the band’s, The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour, as special guests on select dates throughout the summer. These shows kick off on July 17, 2021, in Huber Heights, OH and will see the bands play amphitheaters in major markets across the U.S. Tickets and VIP packages are on sale now and full routing is below. Additionally, this fall will see SEETHER play several festivals including Louder Than Life 2021 in Louisville, KY and the sold-out Aftershock Festival 2021 in Sacramento, CA. For additional information please visit www.seether.com/tour.
For exclusive Wasteland – The Purgatory EP merch bundles visit www.seether.com.
Wasteland – The Purgatory EP Track List:
1. Wasteland (original album version)
2. What Would You Do?
3. Will It Ever End?
4. Feast or Famine
5. Wasteland (alternate version)
SEETHER 2021 Tour Dates:
July 17 – Huber Heights, OH @ The Rose Music Center*
July 18 – Corbin, KY @ Corbin Arena*
July 22 – New Orleans, LA @ Champions Square*
July 23 – Orange Beach, AL @ The Wharf Amphitheatre*
July 24 – Pelham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre*
July 29 – Bossier City, LA @ Brookshire Grocery Arena*
July 30 – Sugar Land, TX -@ Smart Financial Centre*
July 31 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory*
August 5 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre*
August 6 – Indianapolis, IN – TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park*
August 7 – Sterling Heights, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill*
August 12 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Stir Cove Casino*
August 14 – Belcourt, ND @ Sky Dancer Casino & Resort*
August 19 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach*
August 20 – Baltimore, MD @ MECU Pavilion*
August 21 – Philadelphia, PA – The Mann Center*
August 26 – Kennewick, WA @ Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo 2021
August 27 – Boise, ID @ Western Idaho Fair 2021
August 28 – Salem, OR @ Oregon State Fair 2021
August 31 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic*
September 2 – Corning, CA @ Rolling Hills Casino*
September 3 – Reno, NV @ Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort*
September 5 – Las Vegas, NV @ Fremont Street Experience 2021*
September 7 – West Valley City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre*
September 8 – Denver, CO @ Bellco Theatre*
September 10 – Newark, NJ @ WDHA’s Family Reunion
September 11 – Danville, VA @ Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2021
September 17 – Minneapolis, MN @ 93X’s Family Reunion
September 19 – St. Louis, MO @ KPNT Pointfest
September 23 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater*
September 24 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP*
September 25 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater*
September 26 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Festival 2021
October 2 – Tampa, FL @ WXTB 98RockFest
October 8 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival 2021
October 14 – Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place*
October 15 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live Orlando*
October 16 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iThink Financial Amphitheatre*
*with 3 Doors Down
Dine Alone Signs Toronto-Based Music Collective New West
Dine Alone Records is excited to announce they are now working with New West, a Toronto-based music collective formed in 2017. The group is comprised of four like-minded songwriters and instrumentalists from varying notable studio production and musical backgrounds: Kala Wita, Vella, Ben Key and Noel West.
New West’s double-single Summer B-Sides features evocative and breezy indie-pop earworms, “Special Place In Hell” and “The Kids Are Alright”.
“All of our songs are inspired by the relationships that surround us, capturing moments and feelings then transcribing them into lyric and melody. We like writing songs about love because they feel good, even after the hundredth listen. Our music is meant to be felt and we hope this resonates with our listeners. We want to inspire a sense of movement and progression, while leaving our listeners with feelings of nostalgia, youth and carelessness.”
The four members that make up New West met primarily through Noel. In 2017, Noel conducted separate studio sessions with Kala Wita, who was introduced to Noel via the Toronto music scene and childhood friend Ben Key with the intention of forming a collaborative project. The three inevitably started sessions together however it was the addition of Vella, friend and colleague to Ben, that completed the equation. The chemistry was instantaneous. In 2018, the group changed their name from The .wav to New West, ready to introduce a new signature sound to the Toronto music scene.
All music released by New West is written and performed by all four members. It is this characteristic that defines them as a collective and separates them from other artists and bands. Each member contributes as a multifaceted instrumentalist/songwriter, putting forth a fresh spin on collaborative music. The New West sound is comprised of a wide pallet of sonic inspirations but drawing primarily from British acts such as Oasis, Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Toronto artists such as The Weeknd and Daniel Caesar. Their songs emanate themes of nostalgia, infatuation, heartbreak and self-awareness with a focus on songwriting and lyricism. More information and new music will be announced when available.
A Flock Of Seagulls returns with ‘Say You Love Me’, lead single from their New Album ‘String Theory’
Following up on their 2018 their “Ascension” album, A Flock Of Seagulls return with ‘Say You Love Me’, the lead single from their new album, the second installment of their Orchestral Hits opus. ‘String Theory’ includes 11 new recordings of some of their classic hits and fan favorites.
The ‘Say You Love Me’ single comes with a eight different versions, remixes and a music video. The track is full to the brim of soaring strings, uplifting grooves and widescreen scope. Mikes positive message in the vocals knitting the new recording together with aplomb. Remixes are both of the 80s style “extended” variety and also newly reproduced versions, with Soda Pimps offering a electronic diversion on the track.
A Flock Of Seagulls may well be known for their bizarrely teased haircuts as much as their hit single “I Ran”. A Flock Of Seagulls were one of prime movers in the 80’s new wave era. Growing out of the synth-heavy and ruthlessly stylish new romantic movement. Hairdresser Mike Score (lead vocals, keyboards) formed A Flock Of Seagulls with his brother Ali (drums) and fellow hairdresser Frank Maudsley (bass) in 1980, adding guitarist Paul Reynolds several months later.. “Telecommunication” became an underground hit in Euro-disco and new wave clubs. The band signed a major-label contract with Jive by the end of the year, and their eponymous debut album appeared in the spring of 1982. “I Ran (So Far Away)” was released as the first single from the album, and MTV quickly picked up on its icily attractive video, which featured long shots of Mike Score and his distinctive, cascading hair. The single climbed into the American Top Ten, taking the album along with it. In the UK, “I Ran” didn’t make the Top 40, but “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)” reached number ten later that year; in America, that single became a Top 40 hit in 1983, after “Space Age Love Song” peaked at number 30. “Wishing” was taken from the group’s second album “Listen” in 1983. The band released 1984’s “The Story of A Young Heart” which fielded the hit “The More You Live, The More You Love”.
A Flock Of Seagulls are famous for their music but also famous for their references in popular culture from TV (Ross’s Haircut in Friends), Computer Games (“I Ran” was the standout track on Grand Theft Auto Radio), Film (The band and haircut are referenced in Pulp Fiction, X-Men and The Wedding Singer) . This cemented the bands reputation and brought the band to a whole new legion of fans.
In 2003, the original line-up of Mike, Ali, Frank and Paul reunited for a one-off performance on the VH1 series Bands Reunited. In September 2004, they reformed again and did a brief tour in the United States. From 2004 to 2021 Mike was as busy as ever touring the band around the world. In 2018 the band appeared on record together for their “Ascension” album. The original members all appear on record together for ‘String Theory’.
Wanda Jackson Gives Her Encore August 20
The most core-shaking female to ever hit a stage returns with a vengeance! WANDA JACKSON, Rock & Roll, International Gospel and Rockabilly Hall of Famer, teams with fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Joan Jett and Kenny Laguna to conceptualize ENCORE (out August 20 via Big Machine Records/Blackheart Records). ENCORE is rooted in the belief that the pure Rock & Roll that Wanda pioneered, has lived in Jett’s modern version of agency, independence and audacious self-expression that has been taboo for women in music. Jackson’s 32nd album is a final chapter amplifying a career that’s ignited others too, from the Cramps to Amy Winehouse, Adele to Jack White, who produced her 2009 critic’s favorite THE PARTY AIN’T OVER.
“Right around the time I retired from performing and what I thought was the end of my career, I found myself back to writing songs with some of the great writers in Nashville. The songs you hear are truly my life story. This is the first time I have ever inserted so much of my personal life into my music. You’ll get a picture of my early life and have a peak into the closeness that my late husband Wendell and I had in our life together. I’m happy to share this with all of you. Your constant love and support have seen me through the ups and downs of my 64-year career. I love you all and God bless you,” shared Jackson.
Marked by Jackson’s incandescent swagger and effervescence, ENCORE is an in-your-face sonic experience that walks listeners through the Rockabilly, Country and even Punk colors of one of music’s most thrilling vocalists. That growl in her voice and full tilt femmepower in her songs, it’s no wonder throw down rocker/writers Elle King and Angaleena Presley join Jett to ramp up the bravado and the fun.
Recorded just before announcing her retirement, Jackson’s signature tease and straight up no-nonsense delivers a resounding thump on the choogling taunt “Big Baby.” She’s saucy and snarling on the jaunty “Can’t Keep A Good Girl Down” featuring Presley and Candi Carpenter and wide open on Jett’s garage grunge come on “You Drive Me Wild,” as well offering clear-eyed tenderness on the classic balladry on ENCORE’s closing “That’s What Love Is.”
“Real, authentic rock and roll is something you have to have inside. It can’t be taught; it can’t be faked. Wanda Jackson has it. Joan Jett has it. ENCORE has it. It is rare,” said Laguna.
The bodacious vocalist known for “Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad;” “Mean, Mean Man;” “Fujiyama Mama” and “Let’s Have A Party” writes half of ENCORE’s songs, with a coterie of writers including triple Grammy Awards winner Lori McKenna, ACM/CMA/Grammy nominees Will Hoge and Luke Laird, Presley, plus Bluegrass queen Sonia Leigh. Timeless, classic, forward-tilting, Jackson is still teaching the kids how it’s done.
To give fans a taste of the set, the vintage Country of Johnny Tillotson’s 1962 Rhythm & Blues smash “It Keeps Right On A Hurtin’,” arrives today, June 25. The sweeping stroll embodies the Hargus “Pig” Robbins Country that captivated jukeboxes throughout the ‘60s; most notably re-recorded by Elvis Presley on his 1969 FROM ELVIS IN MEMPHIS.
Whether the feral Funk “Treat Me Like A Lady” with its time changes – featuring both Jackson’s grit and soft as silk approaches – or the giddyup Rockabilly of “Two Shots” – matching her with King and Jett – the diminutive dark-haired vixen remains every bit as sultry and in charge as ever. Hearing women tell it not just like it is, but how it’s going to be, has defined Jackson. For seven decades she has made fringe sing, bodies swing and the mind do untold things.
ENCORE TRACKLIST:
1. “Big Baby” | Christopher Casello, Robin Lynn Grant
2. “Two Shots (featuring Elle King and Joan Jett)” | David Ryan Harris, Tanner Elle Schneider
3. “You Drive Me Wild” | Joan Jett
4. “Good Girl Down (featuring Angaleena Presley and Candi Carpenter)” | Wanda Jackson, Vanessa Olivarez, Angaleena Presley
5. “It Keeps Right On A Hurtin’” | Johnny Tillotson
6. “We Gotta Stop” | Wanda Jackson, Will Hoge, Vanessa Olivarez
7. “Treat Me Like A Lady (featuring Joan Jett)” | Wanda Jackson, Sonia Leigh, Vanessa Olivarez, Jordan Breanne Simpson
8. “That What Love Is (featuring Joan Jett)” | Wanda Jackson, Luke Laird, Lori McKenna, Jordan Breanne Simpson
Few can naturally cut through squalling guitars or the kind of slap bass thundercrack beats like Jackson. It’s what drew some of Rock’s most hardcore female voices and has given generations a role model who’s as freewheeling as she is feminine. Always looking like a million dollars, here – with the help of Jett, longtime co-producer Kenny Laguna, veteran savant Thom Panunzio (Bruce Springsteen, Dr Drè, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty), Jackson’s granddaughter and manager Jordan Breanne Simpson and Alden Witt – the Rockabilly Queen breaks the bank with a fistful of songs that are attitude and sass set on stun alongside blistering musicianship, including Jett’s legendary Blackhearts.
Ani Di Franco Presents Revolutionary Love: Live At Big Blue Out July 9
Singer/songwriter/feminist/activist/author Ani Di Franco is releasing Revolutionary Love: Live at Big Blue, a full 95-minute concert documentary film from Ani, Terence Higgins and special guest Ivan Neville. Captured lovingly with seven cameras at Big Blue, Ani’s home and recording studio for the past decade, Revolutionary Love: Live at Big Blue finds Ani performing her 22nd studio album Revolutionary Love live, along with classics from Di Franco’s illustrious career. Revolutionary Love: Live at Big Blue will be released on July 9 via the Righteous Babe store and Bandcamp.
In addition, fans can also pre-order Revolutionary Love: Live at Big Blue as an audio download or CD. Dating back to her landmark live album Living in Clip (which went Gold), Di Franco has been a proponent of regularly releasing her works live, building a deep catalog of offerings that also has included So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter, and Carnegie Hall 4.6.02 which is part of a now 23-album series referred to as her Bootlegs. This latest edition includes additional bonus tracks “You Had Time” and “Life Boat” that were recorded in the same session.
After being off the road due to the pandemic, Di Franco is back on tour beginning August 19 in Davenport, Iowa. Elizabeth Moen has been tapped to support the August tour, while Di Franco joins the Indigo Girls for four co-headline dates in September. A full list of tour dates are below and at anidifranco.com/tour.
Revolutionary Love was named one of 2021’s Most Anticipated Albums by Pitchfork and Rolling Stone and subsequently garnered wide critical acclaim following its January 29 release. The prolific artist was featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, MSNBC’s The Beat with Ari Melber and received coverage in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The New Yorker, American Songwriter and many more.
Widely considered a feminist icon, Grammy winner Ani Di Franco is the mother of the DIY movement, being one of the first artists to create her own record label in 1990. While she has been known as the “Little Folksinger,” her music has embraced punk, funk, hip hop, jazz, soul, electronica and even more distant sounds. Her collaborators have included everyone from Utah Phillips to legendary R&B saxophonist Maceo Parker to Prince. She has shared stages with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, Kris Kristofferson, Greg Brown, Billy Bragg, Michael Franti, Chuck D. and many more. Her memoir No Walls and the Recurring Dream was released in May 2019, and Di Franco released a No Walls Mixtape alongside the book, offering a new take on songs related to the memoir. Di Franco launched Righteous Babe Radio in April 2020, a 24-hour news, music and interview station that personifies her Revolutionary Love and social activist mission.
ANI DI FRANCO TOUR DATES
8/19 – Davenport, IA – Codfish Hollow
8/20 – Washburn, WI – Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua *
8/21 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue *
8/23 – Grand Rapids, MI – Meijer Gardens *
8/24 – Lake Orion, MI – Wildwood Amphitheater *
8/26 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall *
8/27 – Kent, OH – Kent Stages *
8/28 – Hammondsport, NY – Point of the Bluff Vineyard *
8/29 – Greenfield, MA – Green River Festival
9/9 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest
9/10 – Chicago, IL – Ravinia Festival **
9/11 – Louisville, KY – Iroquois Amphitheater **
9/14 – Greensburg, PA – Palace Theater
9/16 – Williamsport, PA – The Community Arts Center
9/17 – Lowell, MA – Lowell Summer Series
9/18 – Camden, NJ – Xponential Music Festival
9/19 – Asbury Park, NJ – Sea Hear Now Festival
9/21 – New York, NY – Central Park Summerstage **
9/22 – Vienna, VA – Filene Center at Wolftrap **
9/25 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
*with special guest Elizabeth Moen
** with Indigo Girls
Original Sin – The Seven Sins Short Film Reimagines Dante’s Inferno, Accompanied By A Soundtrack Featuring Reinterpreted INXS Classics
On July 16, Original Sin – The 7 Sins featuring the songs and music of INXS will launch on the Veeps streaming platform via Petrol/UMe/ Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. Original Sin is a modern-day love story about a broken-hearted heroine and her journey through the seven sins and the quest towards the virtue of Hope. The music of the legendary global rock band INXS seamlessly accompanies the film, and ultimately, the young heroine finds true love while the world heals with her.
Directed by Amy Tinkham (https://www.amytinkham.com) and championed by the founder of Petrol Records and Executive Producer Chris “CM” Murphy before his passing earlier this year, Original Sin is the last project and passion that CM was working on during his final days. The film is loosely based on and inspired by celebrated Italian writer Dante Alighieri’s Inferno and the spiritual journey through the Seven Sins of Purgatory — pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust. The Original Sin short film reimagines Dante’s tale through the eyes of Jane, a 21st-century heroine isolated during the recent pandemic, who continues to search for love and the means to validate her soul.
“I was so honoured to be asked by the legendary Chris Murphy to explore telling a story through INXS music, but was also overwhelmed with how to start because it is such an iconic and incredible catalog,” said Amy Tinkham. “So instead, I sat with the music for many, many weeks and let it tell me a story. It was an out-of-body experience actually because it feels more like the songs and the times we are living in, wrote this film than anything I consciously tried to do.”
Original Sin reflects the world’s current state of affairs and the universal quest for reconnection and romance. The short film is harmoniously intertwined with the symbolically poetic music of rock icons, INXS. The entire film threads together the epic tale of all seven sins by way of a bacchanalia of color, sound, imagery, and movement. The heroine’s journey through the seven sins, ultimately finding love with each other, and together, their love heals them both as well as the world around them. Framed with minimal narration, the unscripted short film runs close to 26 minutes and is a story of isolation and love, inspired by the songs and music of INXS, as a young woman is catapulted through the 7 SINS to find true love and heal her heart.
“We are honoured that our music inspired such a beautiful and innovative short film. INXS has always explored the marriage of our music with visuals, and we welcome the reimagined versions of our songs performed by a roster of contemporary and up-and-coming global artists. These versions of our songs are a perfect accompaniment to the film,” said Kirk Pengilly of INXS. “Knowing that ‘Original Sin’ was Chris Murphy’s last passion project makes it even that much more impactful. We are deeply grateful that we are now able to share Amy’s emotive and thought-provoking short film with our audience. Play it loud…”
“Amy Tinkham’s artistic vision using our music within the film is refreshing and truly inspired, the global & diverse artists who brought their imagination through their interpretations of our songs really complement the film while still respecting our original music. It’s such an honour to have these incredible artists cover our music!! I’m humbled by their passion and in awe of their talent.” Said Tim Farriss of INXS.
Original Sin stars notable actress/dancer Autumn Miller who shot to fame as a dance sensation in her role in “Bad Liar” from Imagine Dragons’ and Trevor Jackson, who is a true triple threat, singer/songwriter, producer, and actor (Superfly, Grown-ish, American Crime). Both Miller and Jackson personify the unyielding spirit of those among us who are searching for love and redemption in a time fraught with much personal and social peril. Fabrice Calmels, the ballet prodigy who entered the Paris Opera Ballet at age 11 and is currently dancing with Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet, embodies each of the sins within his stunning performance as the “Angel” in the film.
The accompanying 13-song soundtrack — the first-ever INXS-specific project between Petrol and UMe, will also be available July 16 and features a wealth of INXS-related material, including some dramatic reworkings and reinterpretations of some of the band’s most iconic tracks, including Australian female chanteuse George Alice’s edgy take on “Suicide Blonde,” and international electropop sensation Loane’s otherworldly French lead vocals on “Mystify.” Other soundtrack highlights include Michael Hutchence’s sultry, Spanish-flavored cover of Eric Burdon & War’s 1970 collaborative classic “Spill The Wine,” Tricky’s rapid-fire rumination on “Mediate,” the sultry vocals of Sweden’s Ida Redig on “Taste It” and “Kill The Pain” and Trevor Jackson’s pleadingly personal “Need You Tonight.” GRAMMY Award-winning Petrol – INXS Executive Music Producer Giles Martin collaborated with Amy, developing the original concept. Academy Award-winning sound engineer Chris Jenkins mixed the 5.1 reimagined audio for the soundtrack. Order Original Sin – The 7 Sins soundtrack on all major digital platforms on July 16 HERE.
Also available beginning today is the first of eight carefully curated, seven SIN-themed INXS playlists and ending with one embodying Hope. The playlists will drop every week from now through August and feature many of INXS’ biggest singles as well as deeper cuts. Listen to the playlists HERE.
ORIGINAL SIN: THE SEVEN SINS – SOUNDTRACK [digital version]
Drum Opera – performed by Jon Farriss (INXS)
Let it Ride – performed by INXS
Kill The Pain – performed by Ida Redig
Never Tear Us Apart – performed by Global Network & Sophia Amato
Mediate – performed by Tricky & INXS
Suicide Blonde – performed by George Alice
Mystify – performed by Loane & INXS
What You Need – performed by Wyatt Stromer & Eric Stromer
Spill The Wine – performed by Michael Hutchence
Taste It – performed by Ida Redig
Don’t Change – performed by Vimala & Aden Jaron
Need You Tonight – performed by Trevor Jackson & Wyatt Stromer
New Sensation – performed by Alterboy
ON-FOOT App Unlocks Toronto’s Iconic Music Venues & Landmarks with Immersive Tours
More than just a backstage pass, the ON-FOOT app allows old fans and new, an inside look at Toronto’s most musical neighbourhoods and the artists and songs that made them legendary.
The mobile app–available on both iOS and Android–is launching two new immersive walking tours that will educate and entertain music lovers–especially those who have been missing live shows!
Transport yourself back to a 1970s popular gay disco that evolved into one of city’s earliest punk hotspots and find out which Toronto bar floor is immortalized in The Tragically Hip’s campfire anthem, “Bobcaygeon.” The fully immersive walking tours feature rich interactive media, historical reference photos, and striking audio-visual elements.
The new tours available on July 1st, 2021 include:
Spadina Music Tour
With stories of early speakeasies and saloons, underground DIY venues, and immortalized shows, this tour will explore the creation and evolution of one of Toronto’s most musical neighbourhoods. The tour features 15+ captivating stories written by Lana Gay of Indie 88, 90+ photos, and historical reference images from the Toronto Archives and Toronto Public Library.
Toronto ‘Gaybourhood’ Music Tour
Explore some of the city’s most iconic LGBTQ2+ music venues and landmarks of past and present. With 15+ captivating stories by Denise Benson of Then & Now, more than 100 photos documenting the neighbourhood’s landscape and venues over decades, this musical tour invites you to explore the city’s rich LGBTQ2+ music history. The tour features tracks by queer and queer positive artists like Barry Harris, Rough Trade, Cozmic Cat, Greek Buck, Jackie Shane, The Hidden Cameras, Owen Pallett, Vivek Shraya, Regina Gently, Witch Prophet and Stratavarious.
“Technology, particularly mobile, has provided a way for people to explore new cities and even their own in a socially distant way,” says Tristan Tiggeloven, Producer/Creative Director, Pop Sandbox. “After the successful launch of our first season of tours we decided we wanted to find a way to celebrate Toronto’s rich music history. From iconic venues to the artists who made them famous we felt especially in these Covid times it was important to highlight and commemorate these spaces and artists who were particularly hard hit during this pandemic.”
In addition to the newly launched music tours the app features haunted walks in both Toronto and Amherstburg, a Queen West and a Graffiti Alley tour. By using your phone’s GPS, interactive experiences (audio stories, archived images, and music) are triggered when the user arrives at various points of interest. ON-FOOT is available for iOS and Android, and can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
ON-FOOT is free to install and try. Full tours start at $1.99 CAD.
French Indie-Pop Duo Djakarta Launches Infectious New Single, “Looking For Attention” — Available Now!
Mere months prior to the release of their forthcoming sophomore EP, Overseas, French indie pop duo Djakarta release their infectious new folk-inspired electro pop single, “Looking For Attention” — available now.
If you remember Djakarta from their self-titled debut release, this will be a brand-new listening experience for you. “Looking For Attention” marks the beginning of new beginnings for Paris-born brothers Raphaël and Tristan Stuart.
After stepping onto the scene with their debut EP in 2017, Djakarta have released a handful of singles, including: 2020’s “Any Open Door,” a cover of Lil Nas X’s Grammy Award-winning 2019 hit, “Old Town Road,” and the low-key folk track “Leave it for Tomorrow” from earlier this year.
This time around — and for the entire new EP — Djakarta has set aside the live, electric rock-type vibes of their inception in favour of a more modern-sounding, electronically enhanced and ultimately more organic production, which, after hearing the brand-new single, you will hear is much better suited to their current folk-pop inclinations.
This doesn’t mean they’ve completely abandoned where they started off, though.
Before breaking out into a signature, catchy electro pop synth melody, “Looking For Attention” kicks off with a soft acoustic guitar intro, which is bound to make you want to dust off the old axe. After a few bars, the listener is treated with interchanging vocal lines from the multi-instrumentalist Stuart brothers and Hawaiian singer/songwriter Keilimei, AKA Keilimeilani Trahan.
Overseas will feature five original tracks and will be released on the brothers’ very own record label: Lyrebird Records. According to the duo, the project is intended to “evoke the endless ocean between two continents” while also relating to the “dualistic nature” of their music and songwriting.
This “dualistic” nature also refers back to their band name. Yes, it was named after the city of Jakarta — a location they respectively hold dear to their hearts — but why exactly did the Stuart siblings put the letter ‘D’ in front of it? Well, according to the self-described “adventurers,” they used a ‘D’, because it could stand for many things, including: “duality,” “Duo,” or “double citizenship,” as they have spent their lives living between the world’s most romantic city, Paris, and their father’s own homeland down under: Melbourne, Australia.
“Looking for Attention” is available now. Overseas is available Fall 2021.