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Andy Kim Christmas Announced At Massey Hall – Wednesday, December 8, 2021

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The 17th Annual Andy Kim Christmas will make its live return to the famed Massey Hall on Wednesday, December 8, 2021. Tickets will go on sale Thursday, June 24, 2021.

The Andy Kim Christmas has been gathering friends and fans together to celebrate the spirit and generosity of the musical community with all proceeds going to charity. Last year, the concert brought people together from coast to coast on television, raising over $200,000 to bring its cumulative money raised to over $1.8 million. The program is the brainchild of music legend, and one of the evening’s performers, Andy Kim.

“I have longed to do the Christmas show at Toronto’s historic Massey Hall and with the support of Live Nation Canada, I am excited to be one of the first to perform after their restoration and bring The Andy Kim Christmas back in front of a live audience after many, many long months and hopefully raise an incredible amount of money for CAMH Gifts Of Light,” said Andy Kim.

During this one-of-a-kind charity event, patrons will be treated to a classic variety entertainment show that includes holiday performances by some of the country’s most sought-after singer/songwriters and performers. Past guests include Sarah McLachlan, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Ron Sexsmith, Russell Peters, Sean Cullen, The Sheepdogs, City and Colour, Nelly Furtado, The Strumbellas, Sloan, Tom Cochrane, Cowboy Junkies, Barenaked Ladies, The Trews, Feist, Amy Milan, Sam Roberts, Lights, Maestro, Alex Lifeson from Rush, James Black & Rick Jackett from Finger Eleven, Serena Ryder, Colin James, Sarah Harmer, Jacksoul, BUCK65, Honeymoon Suite, Arkells, k-os, Tom Wilson, Tomi Swick, Beverley Mahood, Bobby Bazini, and many more. Join us for a magical evening jam-packed with Canadian talent and Christmas music.

During the duration of the live concert, audiences at home will be encouraged to visit Donate.AndyKimMusic.com to support CAMH Gifts of Light, a 100% donation-funded program that meets the unique needs of its patients. Items provided by Gifts of Light, like emergency kits and pajamas, make a difference year-round, but particularly during the holidays. By supporting Gifts of Light, you can help more than 14,000 patients each year find the hope, strength, and courage they need to get through their hardest days and find a better tomorrow.

Blackberry Smoke Announces North American “You Hear Georgia” Tour

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Acclaimed American rock band Blackberry Smoke will continue to tour extensively through next year with their newly confirmed North American “You Hear Georgia Tour.” The headline dates kick off August 31 at Columbus, OH’s The Athenaeum Theater and run through next spring with stops at Aurora, IL’s The Piazza, Dubuque, IA’s Five Flags Center, Roanoke, VA’s Dr. Pepper Park at The Bridges, Selbyville, DE’s The Freeman Stage, Oklahoma City, OK’s The Criterion, Toronto, ON’s Danforth Music Hall and Ottawa, ON’s Bronson Centre among several others. See below for complete itinerary. Pre-sale for the newly confirmed shows begins this Wednesday, June 23 at 10:00am local time (PW: SMOKEFAN) with general on-sale following Friday, June 25 at 10:00am local time.

Of the tour, lead singer Charlie Starr shares, “We can’t wait to come out and play our new songs from You Hear Georgia LIVE! We are long overdue to get out to these great places and see some friends, family, brothers and sisters that we have really missed. It’s going to be extra special playing these big rock n roll shows again!”

The “You Hear Georgia Tour” will follow the band’s “Spirit of the South Tour: A Celebration of Southern Rock N’ Roll,” which kicks off next month with special guests The Allman Betts Band, The Wild Feathers and founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, Jaimoe. Created to honor the various influences within Southern music, each show will conclude with a unique collaborative finale including Blackberry Smoke, The Allman Betts Band, The Wild Feathers and Jaimoe as well as additional surprise guests. The Allman Brothers Band Museum At The Big House will also have a new mobile set up on-site at each show, featuring never-before-seen archival items including original hand-written lyrics, family photographs, iconic clothing and jewelry, one-of-a-kind instruments played by the band and more. Jaimoe will also be available for meet and greet opportunities at each stop.

You Hear Georgia follows the release of 2018’s Find A Light, which debuted as the best-selling Country and Americana/Folk album in the country, entered at #3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #2 on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart. Released to critical acclaim, NPR Music praised, “pushes the envelope while providing that famous Blackberry Smoke autonomy, delivered with soulful vocals, haunting harmonies and kick ass songs,” while Guitar World declared, “one of the hottest and most exciting acts around,” and Rolling Stone hailed, “part of a lineage that shares a love of Petty, the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams Jr., able to ride an Americana vibe or peel off a stomping riff and tie it all together without a hint of pretense.” Following Find A Light, the band shared three additional projects—a live album and concert film, Homecoming: Live In Atlanta, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Album Sales chart, a 6-song acoustic EP, The Southern Ground Sessions and Live From Capricorn Sound Studios, an EP of six covers that have ties to the studio.

Since forming in 2001, the band has continued to tour relentlessly, building a strong and loyal community of fans. Their music has also been prominently featured in the hit television show, “Yellowstone” and they’ve performed on NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly.” In addition to their work as musicians, Blackberry Smoke remains committed to charitable work and has raised nearly $500,000 benefiting children’s cancer research.

YOU HEAR GEORGIA TRACK LIST
1. Live It Down
2. You Hear Georgia
3. Hey Delilah
4. Ain’t The Same
5. Lonesome For A Livin’ (feat. Jamey Johnson)
6. All Rise Again (feat. Warren Haynes)
7. Old Enough To Know
8. Morningside
9. All Over The Road
10. Old Scarecrow

BLACKBERRY SMOKE CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
BOLD on-sale Friday, June 25 at 10:00am local time
June 25—Sunbury, PA—Spyglass Ridge Winery^
June 26—Augusta, NJ—Rock Ribs & Ridges Festival
June 27—Middletown, NY—Orange County Fair Speedway^
June 29—Lafayette, NY—Apple Valley Park^
July 1—Lewiston, NY—Artpark^
July 2—Scranton, PA—The Peach Music Festival
July 3—Woodford, VA—Dominion Raceway
July 9—Bloomsburg, PA—4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals
July 10—Bloomsburg, PA—4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals
July 30—Bridgeport, CT—Hartford Healthcare Amphitheatre*
July 31—Canandaigua, NY—CMAC*
August 1—Huber Heights, OH—Rose Music Center at The Heights*
August 3—St. Louis, MO—St. Louis Music Park*
August 5—Dallas, TX—The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory*
August 6—Memphis, TN—The Soundstage at Graceland*
August 7—Ashland, KY—Riverfront*
August 10—Jacksonville, FL—Daily’s Palace*
August 12—Baltimore, MD—MECU Pavilion*
August 13—Asbury Park, NJ—The Stone Pony Summer Stage*
August 14—Portsmouth, VA—Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion
August 15—Charlotte, NC—Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre*
August 17—Raleigh, NC—Red Hat Amphitheater*
August 19—Cincinnati, OH—PNC Pavilion*
August 20—Nashville, TN—Ascend Amphitheater*
August 21—Alpharetta, GA—Ameris Bank Amphitheater*
August 25—New York, NY—Pier 17 at South Street Seaport*
August 26—Boston, MA—Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion*
August 28—Saratoga Springs, NY—Saratoga Performing Arts Center‡
August 31—Columbus, OH—The Athenaeum Theater#
September 2—Milwaukee, WI—Summerfest 2021#
September 3—Shakopee, MN—Canterbury Park Summer Concert Series#
September 4—Aurora, IL—The Piazza#
September 5—Dubuque, IA—Five Flags Center#
September 9—Roanoke, VA—Dr. Pepper Park at the Bridges#
September 10—Selbyville, DE—The Freeman Stage at Bayside#
September 11—Bristol, TN—Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion#
September 17—Pryor, OK—Born & Raised Music Festival#
September 23—Indianapolis, IN—Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park†
September 24—Sterling Heights, MI—Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill†
September 25—Cleveland, OH—Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica†
September 30—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion+
October 1—East Providence, RI—Bold Point Park+
October 8—New Orleans, LA—Jazz Fest NOLA
October 9—New Orleans, LA—Jazz Fest NOLA
October 16—Richmond Hill, GA—Greater Ogeechee Seafood Festival#
October 28—Morrison, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre*
December 4—Lake Wales, FL—Orange Blossom Revue Festival#
February 3, 2022—Barcelona, Spain—Razzmatazz%
February 4, 2022—Madrid, Spain—Sala Riviera%
February 6, 2022—Zurich, Switzerland—Kaufleuten Festsaal%
February 7, 2022—Milan, Italy—Alcatraz%
February 8, 2022—Munich, Germany—Backstage Werk%
February 10, 2022—Cologne, Germany—Carlswerk Victoria%
February 11, 2022—Stuttgart, Germany—LKA Longhorn%
February 12, 2022—Vienna, Austria—Flex%
February 14, 2022—Wiesbaden, Germany—Schlachthof%
February 16, 2022—Berlin, Germany—Huxleys%
February 18, 2022—Stockholm, Sweden—Munchenbryggeriet%
February 19, 2022—Oslo, Norway—Rockefeller%
February 20, 2022—Copenhagen, Denmark—Amager Bio%
February 22, 2022—Utrecht, Netherlands—Tivoli Vredenburg – Ronda%
February 23, 2022—Leuven, Belgium—Het Depot%
February 25, 2022—Paris, France—Bataclan%
February 27, 2022—Birmingham, UK—O2 Academy%
February 28, 2022—Glasgow, UK—O2 Academy%
March 2, 2022—Belfast, Northern Ireland—The Telegraph Building%
March 3, 2022—Dublin, Ireland—Olympia Theatre%
March 4, 2022—Manchester, UK—Academy%
March 6, 2022—London, UK—Roundhouse%
March 18, 2022—Oklahoma City, OK—The Criterion#
March 30, 2022—Vancouver, BC—The Commodore Ballroom#
April 1, 2022—Edmonton, AB—Midway#
April 2, 2022—Calgary, AB—The Palace Theatre#
April 4, 2022—Winnipeg, MB—Burton Cummings Theatre#
April 7, 2022—Toronto, ON—Danforth Music Hall#
April 8, 2022—London, ON—London Music Hall#
April 9, 2022—Ottawa, ON—Bronson Centre#
April 10, 2022—Kitchener, ON—Elements#

^with special guest Nick Perri & The Underground Thieves
*“Spirit of The South Tour” with special guests Allman Betts Band and The Wild Feathers
†“Spirit of The South Tour” with special guests Allman Betts Band and TBD
+with 3 Doors Down
‡with Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Betts Band
#North American “You Hear Georgia Tour”
%European “You Hear Georgia Tour” with special guests The Steel Woods

www.blackberrysmoke.com

CBC Music Announces Toyota Searchlight 2021 Winner And Runners Up

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CBC today announced Scarborough-based R&B artist Jhyve as the grand prize winner of CBC MUSIC’S TOYOTA SEARCHLIGHT 2021 contest. With applicants from every province and territory submitting original songs and 725,000 votes cast from the public, the panel of judges awarded the top spot to  Jhyve for the song “Down from his 2020 album Rapture. New to this year’s contest, four additional acts from the previously announced Top 10Elyse Saunders (Peterborough), Michaela Slinger (Vancouver), RIELL (Edmonton) and The Royal Foundry (Sherwood Park) will also receive Runner Up prizes courtesy of Toyota Canada.

Upon finding out that he had won TOYOTA SEARCHLIGHT 2021 Jhyve told CBC Music “That’s so amazing, I feel like I want to find a mountaintop and scream off it! ‘Down’ was written in one of the hardest times in my life. I was working with a record label that I was having creative differences with, and a personal relationship that was really big for me had ended earlier that year. ‘Down’ represented the low, a breaking point. It’s kind of crazy to think that something that came from such a dark place has had such an impact on people. It makes me feel like it wasn’t for nothing. It’s kind of poetic.”

In 2018, the guitar-playing singer-songwriter was nominated for a JUNO Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year, alongside heavy hitters like Jessie Reyez and Daniel Caesar. After creative differences with his label, Jhyve wrote, self-produced and released the album Rapture in 2020 – a personal album rooted in mental health and finding one’s purpose through tragedy. The album has garnered almost 2 million streams across all platforms to date.

As part of the grand prize, Jhyve will take part in the Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class talent development program, receive a residency at the National Music Centre in Calgary, a Play MPE distribution deal and $5,000 towards the purchase of musical equipment and recording time courtesy of Toyota Canada. Full prizing details for the grand prize winner and the four Runners Up can be found at CBCMusic.ca/searchlight.

SOCAN Foundation and TuneCore Launch Creative Entrepreneur Summit for Emerging Music Creators

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The SOCAN Foundation, part of the SOCAN Group of companies, has partnered with TuneCore, the world’s leading independent digital music distributor, owned by Paris-based Believe, to launch the Creative Entrepreneur Summit, an online interactive event geared towards enhancing the business acumen of emerging music creators and industry professionals. The summit will be held on July 20th – 29th, 2021.

Music creators from across Canada can attend the 6-day live-streamed event which will cover a host of discussions led by expert speakers. Topics explored will relate to music and business, including sessions on publishing, distribution, licensing, and legal fundamentals. Workshops will cover entrepreneurism, social strategy, data analytics, business planning, and more. Speakers include TuneCore’s Director of US & Canada, Dan Rutman, TikTok Canada’s Music Lead, Jordan Sowunmi, Warner Music Group’s Director of Data and Insights, Christine Osazuwa, and many more.

“The music industry is a complex ecosystem, especially for emerging music creators in pursuing their dreams.” said Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of SOCAN Foundation. “The goal of the Creative Entrepreneur Summit is to empower the next generation of musical artists to develop their business skills and entrepreneurial aptitude, so they can turn their talent and passion into sustainable careers.”

Rutman commented, “It was important to TuneCore to partner with SOCAN Foundation as the lead partner for the Creative Entrepreneur Summit, as SOCAN Foundation and TuneCore both have a shared track record for innovation and developing programming in support of independent artists. This series of informative panels and inclusive workshops further defines our ambitions to continue to inspire independent artists across Canada and the world.”

The summit will be live streamed on EventMobi and registration to the event includes an all-access pass to more than 18 panels and workshops, as well as a code for a free single distributed via TuneCore. Anyone interested in attending the Creative Entrepreneur Summit is encouraged to register here.

A New Pop Smoke Album Gets Released July 16

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Today, Victor Victor Worldwide/Republic Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company, announces a new Pop Smoke album to be released on July 16th. The 17-track album is now available to pre-add and pre-order. Earlier this year, Pop Smoke’s posthumous debut album, Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon, earned the title of the longest running #1 Hip Hop/R&B Album since 1990 and landed the #1 spot for two non-consecutive weeks. The album, which has over 7 million units consumed worldwide, also reached the #1 spot on the Top Rap Albums chart and charted in the top five on the Billboard 200 for 34 weeks, becoming only the fourth album this century to spend that many weeks in the top five.

Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon has launched three RIAA certified platinum songs (“Hello,” “Got It On Me,” and “Something Special”), two 2x platinum songs(“The Woo” and “What You Know About Love”), two 3x platinum (“Mood Swings” and “Dior”), and the 4x platinum “For The Night.” “Dior” was also nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Rap Performance and, to date, Pop Smoke has amassed almost 20B streams worldwide and counting.

Christened “Brooklyn Rap’s Homecoming King” by The New York Times, noted for bringing “a sense of excitement to New York rap that had been absent for years” by Complex, and averaging nearly ten million monthly listeners on Spotify, Pop Smoke carried Brooklyn as the Borough’s next icon in the wings. His breakthrough 2019 mixtape Meet The Woo has 280 million streams globally and in a stellar review, Pitchfork claimed, “The Brooklyn rapper makes good on the promise of ‘Welcome to the Party’ with a debut full of the hardest, dirtiest tracks he can manage.” He turned up at the top of 2020 with the Gold certified Meet The Woo 2 and debuted at #7 on the Billboard Top 200. Meanwhile eight certified singles, including five that are platinum or multi-platinum, garnered a combined certification of 10M. Most recently his posthumous debut album Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, spent 34 weeks in the Top 5, had the most weeks at #1 in the history of the Billboard Top Hip Hop/R&B Albums chart since 1990, landed the #1 spot for two non-consecutive weeks, topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland upon its release and became the UK’s biggest debut album of 2020. The album has garnered over 11B streams, launched three RIAA certified platinum songs (“Hello,” “Got It On Me,” and “Something Special”), two 2x platinum songs (“The Woo” and “What You Know About Love”), two 3x platinum (“Mood Swings” and “Dior”), and the 4x platinum “For The Night.” “Dior” was also nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Rap Performance and, to date, Pop Smoke has amassed almost 20B streams worldwide and counting.

Sonic Reducers: Don’t Look For Lorde’s “Solar Power” On CD

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Sonic Reducers: One topic. Two music nerds. Five minutes.

Join us as ponder Lorde’s decision to make upcoming album Solar Power a discless release, and maybe hope the end of the CD — so CD nostalgia can kick in and Darryl can finally sell his collection.

Country Crooner Laurie LeBlanc Releases New Single “I’ve Never Known”

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Dare to learn something new when you take a spin of Canadian country artist Laurie LeBlanc’s new single, “I’ve Never Known” single — available now.

The latest release from his recent full-length offering, When It’s Right, It’s Right, the East Coast cowboy crooner stares love straight in the eyes on this track, humbly confessing that this — this feeling — this is beyond all comprehension.

A delicately strung together single, it gets right to the heart of the matter from the first chord. Unabashedly slow and melodic, “I’ve Never Known” is a transpiring tale of finally finding the one.

The song is rooted in traditional country; plucking guitar, just the right twinge of twang, rushing percussion, and the truth. LeBlanc churns out beautiful melodic harmonies, stitching together the magic of falling in love and the desire to lean into it fully. Country fans are served up a cocktail of Brad Paisley bourbon, poured over Blake Shelton on the rocks, mixed in a Kenny Chesney tumbler and garnished with 90’s-slow-song vibes these fans made famous. You’ll find yourself whisked away in the enchantment, searching for a partner to sweep across a dance floor made of stars.

LeBlanc, a Francophone Acadian from the East Coast, has become a mainstay in the Canadian country music community. His previous efforts with his group, Zarico, produced two full-length French albums, lending him the courage to entertain the possibility of a solo career, and what ultimately became When It’s Right, It’s Right.

With a gentle push from his wife, and manager Jeannette, LeBlanc felt confident in pursuing an album in English. “I needed to step out of my comfort zone, and it turned out to be a truly gratifying experience,” he expresses. “I’ll always love singing in French, and cherish the support I get from my francophone audience, but hearing one of my songs on the radio alongside the Canadian and American country artists I admire gives me so much joy.

“The album has a little bit of everything I like — up-tempo fun stuff, happy love stories, and even some country rock in there too,” LeBlanc explains. “It was hard to choose the final ten cuts for the record, but at the end of the day, I think it turned out just right.”

To create a project that was true to his craft and genre — and lent sincerity to his rich vocals and undeniable charm — LeBlanc procured some of Country music’s heaviest hitters to round out the production of the album. Don Mescall, who’s writing credits include Rascal Flatts & Lonestar, and Don Schiltz, who notably penned ‘The Gambler’ for Kenny Rogers, both contributed songs to flesh the album into reality.

Besides catapulting LeBlanc’s effortless talent to the spotlight with this album, he’s also been duly recognized by his industry peers. Currently, LeBlanc has landed two nods at the 2021 ECMA awards including Country Recording of the Year for When It’s Right, It’s Right. Plus, he’s also snagged the attention of the country music mecca to the south, scoring four nominations at this year’s Josie Awards in Tennessee including Modern Country Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year for “Another Night Like This.”

Now LeBlanc has scored a hat trick with the release of his latest single “I’ve Never Known.” The preceding singles have carved a primrose path for the country songwriter; the album is exquisite.

And his commitment to allowing a young lover’s heart to feel it all on this track is to surrender to the tsunami of euphoria. For Laurie LeBlanc, it’s about being real, raw, and genuine. And knowing When It’s Right, It’s Right.

“I’ve Never Known” and When It’s Right, It’s Right are available now.

SAMWAYS Poetically Trek Untrodden Ways with New Album & Single, “The Mother”

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Toronto-based acoustic folk group Samways sets poetry in musical motion again with their new single, “The Mother,” and debut album, Untrodden Ways — available now!

With previously released singles “The Wind of Death” and the album’s title track, “Untrodden Ways,” serving as previews to the 10+2-track LP, the Toronto-based innovative quartet unveils another intriguing mashup of turn of the century poetry in “The Mother.”

Not this century, but the last one… Complete with a soundscape that is totally today; the song is ancient prose living in perfect harmony with modern folk.

The lyrics for “The Mother” come from confederation-era poet, Wilfred Campbell, the band shares. “Campbell was one of the first great Canadian poets,” they explain. “He was also the editor of Canada’s first compilation of poetry, The Oxford Book of Canadian Verse (1913).

“This poem is a response to an old German superstition that a dead mother coming back in the night to suckle the baby she has left on earth may be known by the hollow pressed down in the bed where she lay.”

From throes of pain they buried me low,
For death had finished a mother’s woe.
But under the sod, in the grave’s dread doom,
I dreamed of my baby in glimmer and gloom.

This centuries-old story may be darkly macabre, but Samways turns it into a song that is all aural sunshine.

With a beautiful lyric melody — plus harmonies from the band’s trio of stellar vocalists carrying Campbell’s verse alongside driving eighth notes of the guitars and rhythm section — Untrodden Ways’ “The Mother” transcends standard spook-laden lore into head bobbing and foot tapping.

For Samways, this is much more than simply spinning an old wives’ tale into a groovy new tune — and distinct style found throughout all corners of their breakthrough release. The brainchild of guitarist/composer Nathan Hiltz, the inspiration for the group’s sound is equal parts high Anglican choral tradition and Canadiana folk set against a wide range of acoustic guitar styles. Each song across Untrodden Ways draws lyrics from a classic Canadian poem from the likes of Susannah Moodie, EJ Pratt, and the great Bliss Carmen.

“This project is so special to me,” Hiltz recently said in an interview with Canadian Beats. “It’s a sort of ‘dream’ band where I combine my loves of poetry, choral music, rhythm guitar playing on flat top acoustic, folk music, and Canadiana.”

Hiltz began composing music in collaboration with these long since passed poets in early 2019. The lyrics are sung in gorgeous thrusters part harmony by Samways’ singers, Shannon Butcher, Jessica Lalonde, and Melissa Lauren. “All three unique voices with busy solo careers,” says Hiltz. “Together they sound much more than the sum of their parts and give this group a gorgeous sound!”

This dream project has already created a groundswell of popularity in Samways’ home base. Pre-pandemic, the band performed for enthusiastic audiences at top Toronto venues and events such as The Old Mill, The Rex Hotel, and the Markham Jazz Festival; the Toronto Arts Council took notice, and awarded them with a recording grant.

Untrodden Ways was recorded November 2020 at Toronto’s Noble Street Studios by engineer Johnny Griffith, and released via GBRecords.ca

“The Mother” and Untrodden Ways are available now.

 

Americana Folk-Roots Rocker CHRIS RONALD Shines with Fifth New Album, Light & Dark

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With poetic lyrics steeped in his British roots, Vancouver-based artist Chris Ronald captures his signature blend of folk and rock reminiscent of 60s-era revivalists and 70s-era singer/songwriters in this, his fifth and latest album, Light & Dark — available now!

Leaning towards a decidedly rootsy sound, Ronald’s powerful vocals and accomplished musicianship in guitar, harmonica, and ukulele serve up a delicious folk-Americana, roots-rock release that lands just where he and his long-time collaborator, award-winning producer and multi-instrumentalist John MacArthur Ellis, set their sonic sights a few years ago.

“After showcasing at Americanafest in Nashville in 2018 — and really soaking up the vibe of the Americana music scene down there — John and I knew which direction to take this next album,” Ronald recalls. “Where my most recent album, Fragments, was more on the folk-side of Americana, Light & Dark has more of a contemporary roots sound.”

Newest single “Still Turning” confronts human-caused problems in its environmental theme, but ends with resounding positivity with its nod to the young, green movement. The song also highlights one of a few singing collaborations on the release; for “Still Turning” Ronald wanted increasingly more people singing the chorus to give the impression of a growing movement. “To do so, and to add a youthful touch, I had my children, who were 12 and 14 at the time of recording, join in for the final rousing chorus,” he says.

From there, the 11-track LP features a few rewrites from Ronald’s 35-year archive alongside more recent compositions; Chris Ronald wrote them all, save for one exception — the beautiful, Beatles-esque ballad “Old Lover,” which was co-written with his brother shortly after the first COVID-19 lockdown.

The pandemic played a large role in shaping the terrain for Light & Dark, Ronald reveals; lyrical nuances pepper the production, the crew navigated strict restrictions around recording — not to mention the untimely passing of Ronald’s father within it.

Songs penned pre-pandemic, such as “Please Don’t Come For Me Now” and “Bones,” suddenly embodied a new poignancy, while the release’s title track, “Light & Dark,” tackles mental health and the healing properties of music.

But Ronald’s intention was to give album lovers a bit of a ride, he shares. “As the title suggests, the album’s track sequence intentionally alternates between dark and light moods and themes, so there’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.”

To that end, bright and breezy “City Girl” reflects on the grind of city life whole holding the prospect of escape, while the ukulele-driven and reggae-flavoured “Sunshine” could be about that very thing, but was inspired by the birth of Ronald’s first child.

In all, audiences soon come to realize that, while Ronald doesn’t shy away from addressing some sticky issues, a common sentiment running through Light & Dark is one of hope.

Chris Ronald attracts some of the best talent in British Columbia to the studio and, while Light & Dark is no exception, COVID safety concerns reduced the band to three to include Chris Nordquist on drums.

Everything else is handled by Ronald and Ellis, who proves himself once again to be one of Canada’s finest players adding guitar, bass, dobro, pedal steel, mandolin, banjo, keys and more. The versatility of Ronald’s voice is unmistakable as he adds his own harmonies, though four tracks — including the duet “Pacific Time” — also feature the stunning vocals of Vancouver singer-songwriter Natalie Ramsay (nom de plume, Daughter of the Moon).

The album art for Light & Dark was created by JUNO Award-winning designer Michael Wrycraft.

Chris Ronald has four previous album releases, including Pacific Time (2004), Turning Tides (2011), Timeline (2014), and Fragments (2017). He was nominated for Songwriter of the Year at the 2014 Canadian Folk Music Awards, is a Kerrville New Folk finalist, achieved Top 10 artist, song, and album ranking on The Folk Charts, and tours internationally — including annual showcases at the Americana and Folk Alliance music conferences. Born in Liverpool, England, he now lives in Vancouver, Canada.

“Still Turning” and Light & Dark are available now.

Damon Albarn’s “The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows” To Be Released November 12

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The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows, the new studio album from Damon Albarn, will be released by new label home Transgressive Records on November 12th, 2021.

The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows was originally intended as an orchestral piece inspired by the landscapes of Iceland. This last year has seen Albarn return to the music in lockdown and develop the work to 11 tracks which further explore themes of fragility, loss, emergence and rebirth. The result is a panoramic collection of songs with Albarn as storyteller. The album title is taken from a John Clare poem Love and Memory.

Albarn says, “I have been on my own dark journey while making this record and it led me to believe that a pure source might still exist.”

In a career of perpetual musical shifts and exploration, the record uncovers yet more ground, finding expansive orchestral arrangements nestling with intimate melodies, discordance brushing up against infectious majesty, all set to some of Albarn’s most arresting vocal performances to date. Much like the beauty and chaos of the natural world it soundtracks, The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows vividly documents the emotional ebb and flow of the human condition, in all its extremes, serving as a soul enriching document for our times.

The tracklisting is as follows:
1. The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows
2. The Cormorant
3. Royal Morning Blue
4. Combustion
5. Daft Wader
6. Darkness To Light
7. Esja
8. The Tower Of Montevideo
9. Giraffe Trumpet Sea
10. Polaris
11. Particles

Alongside a digital release, there will be limited edition color vinyl formats, plus CD and cassette. There will also be a deluxe version of the album, taking the form of a casebound book with additional photography, original scanned lyrics and artwork from Damon, alongside a clear vinyl version of the album, a high quality digital file and a bonus 7” featuring an exclusive song from the recording sessions.

Albarn debuted a set of songs from the album as part of the Live At Worthy Farm event last month, highlights of which can be seen on BBC iPlayer from June 24th, ahead of a BBC Two documentary ‘Live At Worthy Farm: Backstage’ at 9pm on Sunday June 27th. And this summer, accompanied by a band and string section, Albarn will perform two festival shows to play tracks from across his songbook, including the new album, on 13th July at Manchester International Festival and Edinburgh International Festival on 24th August.

2022 Tour Dates (rescheduled from 2021):
21 & 22 February – London (Barbican)
23 & 24 February – Dublin (National Concert Hall)
26 February – Luxembourg (Philharmonie)
28 February – Brussels (Bozar)
1 March – Brussels (Bozar)
2 March – Eindhoven (Muziekgebouw)
4 & 5 March – Paris (Philharmonie)
6 March – Lyon (Auditorium)
7 March – Hamburg (ElbPhilharmonie)
9 March – Copenhagen (KB Hallen)
11 March – Reykjavik (Harpa)