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Sauga City Music Conference Goes Digital with Keynotes on Twitch for Musicians and Rap Music & Mental Health

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Sauga City Music Conference Goes Digital with Keynotes on Twitch for Musicians and Rap Music & Mental Health

The second annual Sauga City Music Conference will take place virtually on Zoom over two weeks from March 17 – 26, 2021. The conference is free with registration on Eventbrite.

Featuring two keynote speakers, a webinar and three music panels, the conference will provide tools and advice for emerging and veteran musicians adapting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first keynote speaker is much sought after writer and business consultant Karen Allen. She’s the author of Twitch for Musicians Second Edition: A Step-by-Step Guide to Producing a Livestream, Growing Audience, and Making Money as a Musician on Twitch. Her timely presentation, Livestreaming on Social Media Platforms for Profit, will reveal the revenue generating opportunities on Twitch, Instagram and other livestreaming platforms for musicians. Allen, who also works as a business consultant, has been ahead of the digital curve and her insights are much in demand, especially during the pandemic.

The second keynote speaker is Alex Kresovich, who will give an equally important presentation titled Rap Music and Mental Health. Kresovich, who is the Roy H. Park Doctoral Fellow at the University of North Carolina Hussman School of Journalism and Media, argues that Rap music is changing, just as the mental health conversation is changing around the world. He is also a Billboard #1 and RIAA-Platinum music producer. Kresovich will outline his research into the changing mental health conversation in popular rap music and explore the implications – good and bad – especially for young people who struggle with their mental health.

This year’s Sauga City Music Conference will include several relevant panel discussions with expertise from music industry and related industry professionals. The panels include: Digital Strategies to Reach a Diverse Audience; Overcoming Challenges Faced by BIPOC Artists in the Music Industry; and Funding Support for Culturally Diverse Artists. Representatives from various funding agencies will share their insights on funding programs.

The conference will also include a special webinar titled Recording at Home…Like A Pro. This timely webinar will be presented in association with the Mississauga Arts Council.

“It is imperative that we support artists who have suffered immensely during the pandemic, especially those who rely on live performances at music festivals and gigs to make a living, says Phil Vassell, the Artistic Director of Sauga City Music Festival and the TD IRIE Music Festival.”

The organizers of the Sauga City Music Conference bring a wealth of experience, having produced the IRIE Music Festival, the Toronto Urban Music Festival and Urban Music Week over two decades. We’d like to acknowledge FACTOR and the Department of Canadian Heritage for their support of this initiative.

Alt-Pop Duo K. SOFIA Invite Audiences to Get “Intimate” with Cheeky New Single

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Alt-Pop Duo K. SOFIA Invite Audiences to Get “Intimate” with Cheeky New Single

Brooklyn-based alt-pop duo K. Sofia are standing in the wake of Valentine’s Day with their cheeky new single (and comedic, innuendo-laden video to match) — “Intimate” is available now.

Throughout the video, K. Sofia can be seen dancing together — with various outfit changes — throughout their apartment. A consistent backlight vignette with a pink glow sets the scene, accompanying sporadic messages such as “You’re sweet,” “Be mine,” “Only you,” and “I’m yours.” The funny and lighthearted creation started out as another one of their “DIY music videos,” according to the group — something they’ve been doing since breaking out onto the music scene last year, to help pass time during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Lead singer and songwriter behind the project, Kristos Sofia — where the group’s name initially stemmed from — recalled the making of “Intimate” in an interview, saying that while he was standing on his balcony in Brooklyn, he heard a song blaring out from a car on the street below and was reminded of how “much more common a lyric about physical intimacy and sexuality is than perhaps anything else in pop music.

“I started playing with this innuendo-filled idea of getting mentally or spiritually intimate with someone — as I do believe that’s what we all actually crave in life and love,” he added.

The track also features a light and playful rap verse from New York City’s very own Dreux, who also appears in the video. On how the pair enlisted him to feature on the track, they revealed he only lived a block away from Kristos’s apartment. The singer continued: “I remember just planting the seed with everyone that in a few months we would have this song called ‘Intimate,’ with a pop/hip-hop sensibility and all the right play on words … and that we’d have to be naked on the album art (sorry).”

The overall vision behind K. Sofia is to build a platform for love and togetherness through relatable human stories through enjoyable music, which highlights “singable melodies, danceable grooves and passionate soundscapes.”

On their relationship together, as producer and singer, K. Sofia agreed: “We’ve known each other for a long time and we’ve lived and died a few lives already, so we create from a foundation of brotherhood and trust … and we write for whoever might need to hear it.”

Along with 2020’s “Heart in Mind,” “Lonely Together,” “Angel” (2021) and their breakthrough, debut single “The Fool,” K. Sofia’s brand-new single, “Intimate,” is available now.

Toronto’s Folk Band SAMWAYS releases “Untrodden Ways” as an Acoustic Taster of Forthcoming Debut

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Toronto’s Folk Band SAMWAYS releases “Untrodden Ways” as an Acoustic Taster of Forthcoming Debut

Toronto-based folk quartet Samways acknowledge the work of a late, great Canadian poet in this, their new single, “Untrodden Ways” — available now.

Landing ahead of their forthcoming debut album, the song is backed by a steady bass groove and the sounds of lead songwriter, guitarist and composer Nathan Hiltz’s acoustic, and driven by the beautiful and smile-inducing vocal harmonies of co-lead singers Shannon Butcher, Melissa Lauren, and Jessica Lalonde.

On the creation of the “Untrodden Ways,” Nathan said: “I tried to channel Joni (Mitchell)’s rambunctious and expressive strumming,” adding that it highlights a “polyrhythmic feeling … which might fit in with Paul Brady — somewhere between a jig and a 1960s songwriter.”

In the same format of their small, yet steadily-growing back-catalogue — and their soon-to-be-released debut album — Samways’ music incorporates lyrics drawn from 19th century Canadian poetry and beyond. It’s composed that way to serve as an homage to the suffering and triumphs of pre-confederation Canada.

The music for “Untrodden Ways,” for example, was written by Nathanm, but the track’s lyrics are based off of the poem of the same name, which was written in 1913 by the late and renowned Kingston-based author and poet, Agnes Maule Machar.

As well as Agnes, Samways’ music has highlighted the works of famed Canadian poets like Bliss Carmen, Susannah Moodie, and E.J. Pratt. The band themselves describe their sonic approach as a marriage of old prose with new musical idioms.

Though the up-and-coming four-piece is not able to tour during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve performed a number of gigs and festivals over the last few years, accompanied by session musicians Neil Macintosh (drums), Chris Banks (bass) and violinist Mark Fewer.

To help support their upcoming 2021 album, Samways hopes to have the opportunity to hit the road again to showcase the infectious live shows which have had crowds all across Ontario irresistibly toe-tapping along to the percussive and grooving nature of their diverse and colourful folk music. For now, however, they will continue to perform to audiences digitally, across the web.

While Samways is a fairly “young” band and only just breaking out onto the music scene, they’re not holding back one bit. Before even releasing their debut single, or any singles for that matter, they’ve already garnered a large mass of fans and have earned themselves a recording grant from the Toronto Arts Council.

“Untrodden Ways,” the first taste of Samways’ upcoming and untitled debut album is available now.

Best Wigs For The Best Occasion

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By Mitcha Rice

Let’s be rather honest with ourselves. Doing a complete hairdo for a special occasion is difficult. That is why some of us use a headband wig. Some of us cut our hair, then pin it to a perfect hairdo, and adequately set it with a lot of hairsprays, and then leave curls around. It will take a lot of time to practice these tactics.

Some of us even do bundles with closure. That is why many of us do many practices when dealing with hair updos and use different wigs for a complete, perfect look.

We can always style with lace front wigs to make it look perfect on the right day. If you don’t know how to create an algorithm, and you do not know if the head looks the right way you wish to do so, learn.

With a proper wig, you can style the wig’s whole head or on a mannequin many days ahead of time. It will save you time, and on the big day of the wedding, we are trying to guarantee that every part of the start will look great.

You no longer have to yank your hair, worrying if you will burn the whole forehead or try to wonder if each piece of the hair is done right.

Wig’s will take a lot of complicated guesswork out of making the perfect updos.

What Do You Ask Yourself Before You Pick the Right Updo?

When dealing with things first, pick the correct type of hairdo you currently wish to. Do you need something tremendous or flowing and romantic?

Ask yourself a few questions:

  • If you currently have natural hair, are you getting hair extensions for the event, or want to do extensions or hair buns to get the right look?
  • Are you going to wear the wig upwards or downwards?
  • Would you want curls or straight hair? What type of synthetic wig will be given for pre-curled wigs.
  • Would you prefer a wig cap that looks natural or something with more volume?
  • Will you use the current wig, or are you getting a new wig??

There is a proper magical place that will give you a lot of updos inspiration and get you right on the path to getting the right style for the occasion.

Which platform are we talking about? Pinterest!

However, there are a lot of updos that you can find on Pinterest that are rather elaborate. It might be even more difficult for our home stylist experts. If you want to see things you like and are not confident that you can rebuild yourself, you do not have to take the whole wig to the hairstylist.

We can give you the right hairstyle and make sure that you are happy with the wig collection we recommend.

 

 

 

Video: The World’s Most Famous Unknown Band

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Video: The World’s Most Famous Unknown Band

Good Evening, I’m Chet Atkins”

From March 1990, Chet Atkins presents “The World’s Most Famous Unknown Band” in a salute to Ralph Emery, and that band is Glen Campbell, Jerry Reed, and Steve Wariner (guitar); Roy Clark (mandolin), Ray Stevens (piano), Ricky Skaggs (fiddle), Lee Greenwood (saxophone), Steve Gatlin (bass), Barbara Mandrell (steel guitar), and Irlene Mandrell (drums).

It’s Not “Too Late”… Popsters VOMITING BUNNIES Forges Ahead With New Single Despite *Gestures At Everything*

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It’s Not “Too Late”… Popsters VOMITING BUNNIES Forges Ahead With New Single Despite *Gestures At Everything*

Argentinian darkened synth pop duo Vomiting Bunnies breaks the shackles of uncertainty with their cathartic new single “Too Late” — available now.

While the world lies in a state of uncertainty, to say the least, “Too Late” is a marriage between their dark synth pop sound and the emotions surrounding society’s temporal state to deliver something all too relatable and hauntingly atmospheric.

Providing insight into their most recent single, members Vale (Valeria Curcio) and Jörg (Jorge Singh) say “‘Too Late’ is about those moments in life when it turns difficult to deal with ourselves; when we feel stuck, frustrated, or tormented by our own thoughts, and we find ourselves caught in a loop from which it feels impossible to escape.

“Last year was full of changes, a roller coaster of emotions, full of ups and downs due to everything we have experienced, and everything we have had to put on hold due to quarantine,” they continue. “But for us, it was also a year of much inspiration, creativity, catharsis, and growth that we managed to transform into art through our music.”

The single was mixed and mastered by Ana Laura Castro Borsani and Sebastián Admetlla at Fauna Cósmica Studios based in Buenos Aires. The cover art was designed by Jörg himself, from the artwork “Construcción en caos”.

With Vale and Jörg each having backgrounds in audiovisual arts, they come together creating a sound that is fundamentally synth pop, with a dark and groovy trip-hop twist. From Jörg’s programming and harmonies to Vale’s silky voice and chilling tone, “Too Late” accomplishes all that it intends to capture, bringing the feel of the track’s themes surrounding depression and its emotional by-products full-circle.

“Too Late” is a musical expression of what one experiences in the throes of deep depression, which is a relatable state of mind for many worldwide. However, while the pandemic has been the ending point to many endeavours, it’s during this fragile period in time where Vomiting Bunnies began. They have released seven singles since the beginning of the pandemic, including: “Mr. Brightside,” “Hate Me,” and “La vie en bleu,” among others.

Brazilian Hard Rockers PENTRAL Arrive with Pummelling and Prescient New Single, “Silent Trees”

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Brazilian Hard Rockers PENTRAL Arrive with Pummelling and Prescient New Single, “Silent Trees”

Brazilian hard rockers Pentral have unleashed the video for the pummelling and prescient new single “Silent Trees” — available now.

The song — which features a radio edit and a seven-minute extended cut — lands ahead of their forthcoming debut album, What Lies Ahead of Us, set for release this May.

Pentral translates to ‘spirit’ in Latin and, according to the band, was chosen to help signal the premise of the message contained within their sound: the overall need to transcend the “material world” through the power of music — without losing connection with reality and human frailties.

With over 440,000+ streams across platforms and rising, the breakthrough three-piece act consists of bassist Joe Ferry, and brothers — drummer Vagner Lima and lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Victor Lima.

As the mastermind behind the music, Victor describes “Silent Trees” and the album, What Lies Ahead of Us, in completion as a “declaration,” which was conceived long before the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic swept the world off its feet.

The narrative of the record in its entirety follows the story of a man and a woman who endure trauma and turmoil before they are gifted with a child — and “Silent Trees” serves as the beginning of the tale.

“The couple lives in the woods and gives birth to a child among the threat of ‘the beast’ — which is pretty much the human being itself — interested in destroying the rainforest, and making money,” Victor shares. “The woman has premonitions about a sad ending and, eventually, they have to run to survive as the invaders arrive.

“It fits the current reality we’re going through,” he continues. “This pandemic is the outcome of the unfriendly way we’ve been treating our environment — and ourselves, as well — and it serves to expose our insensitivity, our lack of empathy [to the world].”

The album art for What Lies Ahead of Us was created by the great Canadian artist Heidi Teillefer, and is described by Pentral as a visual representation of each one of the album’s 10 songs.

Pentral have been gathering a worldwide audience as a result of their original music, plus their modern take on various classic rock songs via their burgeoning YouTube channel; covers of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” Queen’s “Who Wants to Live Forever,” and The Beatles’ 1967 classic “A Day in the Life” pepper their platform as the band credits them as some of their biggest shared influences.

Pentral’s highly-anticipated debut album What Lies Ahead of Us will be available May 7th, 2021 through all major streaming platforms.

It’s Love in the Time of COVID for LGBTQIA Artist JOSHUA SADE JAMES In New Single “I’ll Wait For You”

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It’s Love in the Time of COVID for LGBTQIA Artist JOSHUA SADE JAMES In New Single “I’ll Wait For You”

It’s love in the time of quar for Canadian artist Joshua Sade James and his yearning new single, “I’ll Wait For You” — available now.

“I originally wrote this song about four months into quarantine,” James recalls. “It took me less than two hours; all of those feelings were incredibly raw at the time, so I wasn’t surprised at how quickly it flowed.

“I’m in a long-distance relationship,” he explains, “and once the borders closed, it became virtually impossible for us to meet — the only way was with the power of FaceTime.

“In a way, ‘I’ll Wait For You’ was written almost as a ‘swan song’ to my relationship since we didn’t — and still don’t — know when we will be able to see each other again.”

“I hope people can find solace in this song, and know they are not alone during this pandemic. I want them to know that many of us are separated from our loved ones, and are doing all we can to stay safe and sane. To anyone listening, I want you to know you are not alone: You are worthy, you are loved, and you are perfectly you. Just because the distance, the closed borders — or whatever else kind of obstacle leaves you separated — just know that love and hope are the strongest things we can hold onto right now.

“Don’t give up, don’t give in — just give love.”

It’s a generous and genuine sentiment from the multi-talented artist as he himself paces through this next lap of the pandemic by pouring focus even further into his craft; with streams reaching ~ 2 Million across all platforms, he released his previous singles and videos, “All Fall Down” and “Closer” in 2020 and early 2021 respectively, as well as a six-track EP, Mirrors And Smoke. He’s also applying the finishing touches to another forthcoming EP, JSJ, (Joshua Sade James).

“I’ll Wait For You” was penned with his grandfather’s acoustic guitar on-hand, but ultimately James knew the background vocals and overall vibe needed to level-up their impact, one way or another. “I just knew I wanted a grand experience to match the feelings I put into the song,” he shares. “Once I started revisiting it, I knew I wanted a choir background which… Checked out. If you ask any of my producers, I am one who is prone to wanting grand embellishments on my tracks!

“Since we were under lockdown, however, I had to improvise. My producer, Mike Tompa, turned my voice into an army of 30!! I cried the first time I heard the song in its full form, and had an ‘a-ha’ moment: when I perform this song live, it’s gonna be epic.

“The concept for the music video wasn’t some sort of elaborate meaning or trying to get some sort of point across — other than ‘wear your damn mask!’” he continues, half-laughing. “I asked my friend Jake Chapman at One2One Photography if he would do the honours of capturing the essence of the song and my life.

“We wanted to capture the two sides of me: the one who is JSJ, who wears extravagant outfits and SLAYYYYYS, and the Joshua who loves being lazy and hanging out in his velour tracksuit. We also wanted to capture the essence of the song: being in love, and separated by factors outside of your control.

“So, naturally, I chose to wear a fancy outfit and sing while lost in the wintry woods, while also in my sweats in a studio on FaceTime. It represents the before and after, the behind the scenes vs the final product, and the stage performance vs the crushing reality.

“Overall, I wanted this tune and video to represent the professional, heartfelt performer and the goofy, lovestruck swooner that I am.”

That these inventive visions for videos accompany James’ songwriting artistry is of little surprise; a Sheridan College alum for Musical Theatre Performance — and winning the Sheridan: Pop Award for Outstanding Performance — James also co-choreographed, co-directed and starred in the College’s PREP Production original, Revue Diva Dynasty.

Hailing from the tri-city Kitchener/Waterloo area — with country artist Jamie Warren for a dad — he’s been featured coast to coast, including Newfoundland to play ‘Pepper’ in Mamma Mia!, The Calgary Stampede’s Talent Search, Ontario’s Western Fair’s Rise2Fame, PEI’s Charlottetown Festival, and more.

In addition to his extensive performing and recording work, Joshua Sade James is an active advocate for mental health rights and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Video: Hanson on The Weird Al Show in 1997

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Video: Hanson on The Weird Al Show in 1997

The Weird Al Show, created and presented by “Weird Al” Yankovic, aired on Saturday mornings on the CBS TV network. The show ran for one season, from September to December 1997 and a featured a slew of cool guests, including Hanson.

Video: Deftones on a public access show in 1992

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Video: Deftones on a public access show in 1992

Check out the rare footage of Deftones performing on the Sacto Active Rock community-access TV show in 1992.

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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