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Animal Collective Score New Rap Documentary ‘Crestone’

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Animal Collective Score New Rap Documentary ‘Crestone’

Animal Collective’s Josh “Deakin” and Brian “Geologist” Weitz have scored a new documentary called Crestone, named after the desert in Colorado, where a group of SoundCloud rappers live in solitude, growing weed and making music for the internet. When an old friend arrives to make a movie, reality and fiction begin to blur. On February 19, Domino Soundtracks will release Crestone (Original Score).

Crestone (Original Score):
Dome Yard
Eye in the Sky
Boxing & Breathing
Scavengers
Wake Up Ryan
Benz’s Dream
Sloppy’s Dream
Sand That Moves
Over the Sangre de Christo
EBS
Sad Boy Sleeping
Ramshack
Smoke & Broken Mirror
Zapata Falls
Oh California
Cotton Candy Sky (Dead God Theme)

Katy Perry Is Collaborating With Pokémon

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Katy Perry Is Collaborating With Pokémon

The Pokémon Company International officially launches celebrations today for Pokémon’s landmark 25th anniversary. As an iconic video game and entertainment franchise beloved by millions of fans of all ages around the world, Pokémon has been bringing people together since its launch in 1996. In 2021, Pokémon will continue that tradition by aligning with another universal unifying force — music. Headlined by pop icon Katy Perry, the star-studded program created in partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, accompanies fan-focused activations celebrating 25 years of Pokémon across the franchise’s portfolio of video games, mobile apps, animation, merchandise and more. To help fans kick off this celebration, a live-action video, uniquely highlighting moments in the brand’s 25-year history and a journey through the Pokémon world’s many regions, can be viewed beginning today on the official Pokémon YouTube channel.

Every party needs a great playlist. To celebrate 25 years, The Pokémon Company International is teaming up with UMG through their brands strategies division, Universal Music Group for Brands, to make 2021 the biggest Pokémon party in history — and everyone is invited. Pokémon is working with some of the biggest names in music, from rising artists to award-winning global superstars, for the program, titled P25 Music. Pop icon Katy Perry was revealed today as a premier collaborator in the massive, yearlong music campaign.

“Pokémon has been a constant in my life from playing the original video games on my Game Boy, to trading Pokémon TCG cards at lunch, to the adventures of catching Pokémon on the street with Pokémon GO. I’ve even visited the Pokémon Café in Japan while on tour! It is an honor to be chosen to help celebrate a franchise that has given me so much joy in the last 25 years, and to be able to watch it evolve in the ways it’s provided that kind of electric joy for the kids in my life and around the world,” said Katy Perry.

Details about Katy Perry’s participation, additional artist surprises and more about the P25 Music program will be announced throughout the year.

25 Years of Adventures: A Journey Through the Pokémon World

Since the first video games launched in 1996, the franchise has explored a new region in the Pokémon world with the introduction of each core series game. In 2021, The Pokémon Company International will invite fans to relive their journeys through each of these regions in a yearlong program, beginning with the most recently discovered Galar region from Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield and ending with the classic Kanto region from the original Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue games. Beginning today, fans can visit a new website that will serve as the hub for this and all fan celebration activities as they are announced throughout the year, located here: https://25.pokemon.com/

Anniversary Partners: Celebratory Programs and Merchandise

Pokémon adventures are always better with friends, so The Pokémon Company International is teaming up with other iconic brands to help fans celebrate the journey throughout the year with unique promotions and merchandise. Collaborations in the brand’s 25th anniversary year include programs from Build-A-Bear Workshop, General Mills, Levi’s, McDonald’s and more. Fans can also look forward to even more special merchandise tied to the anniversary celebrations from licensees including Jazwares, Scholastic, Mattel, Funko, PowerA, and The Wand Company. Additional partners and the ways they will celebrate the anniversary will be announced throughout the year.

Special Collections: The Pokémon Trading Card Game & Pokémon Center

The Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) is a cornerstone of the brand, and fans can look forward to special 25th anniversary-themed collections of the Pokémon TCG later in 2021. In the meantime, fans will soon be able to collect oversize cards featuring Pikachu and beloved first partner Pokémon from the various regions featured in the franchise-spanning retrospective. Fans can also expect 25th anniversary-themed products from Pokémon Center, the premier destination for official, high-quality Pokémon merchandise in the US and Canada. To kick off the celebrations on Pokémon Center, fans will be able to preorder the limited-edition 25th anniversary-themed skateboard by industry craftsman Bear Walker starting Jan. 19.

More Celebrations Across the World of Pokémon

The details revealed today are a glimpse into what the world can expect from Pokémon in 2021. With 25th anniversary-related activations planned for Pokémon animation, Pokémon video games, mobile games including Pokémon GO and Pokémon Masters EX, and more big announcements from the franchise, fans have a year full of new journeys ahead.

Cosmo Music and Efkay Musical Instruments Partner to Create Launch Music

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Cosmo Music and Efkay Musical Instruments Partner to Create Launch Music

Canadian music instrument distributor, Efkay Musical Instruments Ltd and Richmond Hill-based music retail superstore, Cosmo Music are proud to announce a new alliance in the creation of Launch Music – a new logistics, distribution, and marketing company serving Canadian music instrument (MI) dealers and global MI brands with a full complement of music industry-based services.

This new venture will synergize two of Canada’s most prominent MI industry organizations with over 100 combined years of active involvement and expertise. Launch Music is located on Cosmo Music’s current Richmond Hill campus in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area.

In combination with Efkay’s current industry-leading listing of distributed MI brands, Launch Music will start complementing its newly acquired portfolio with several new partnerships still to be announced.

Howard Kalisky (Efkay) says, “I am so excited about the newly formed Launch Music brought about by the efforts of Efkay and Cosmo Music and the opportunities we will bring forward to all of our current and future global music brand partners. Talking with Mark about our different musical industry perspectives and having such a strong personal connection, it became obvious to both of us that by working together we could offer MI brands unique and formidable advantages they would not find elsewhere for the Canadian market”.

“I couldn’t agree more!” adds Mark Hebert (Cosmo Music), “In addition, the benefit of having Canada’s single largest MI retail store located on the same compound with access to its multiple internet sales channels including leading market positions through cosmomusic.ca, amazon.ca, walmart.ca, bestbuy.ca, reverb.com and more on the way, brings a unique value proposition to brands looking to penetrate the Canadian market”.

Launch Music will be led by Jean-Philippe (J.P.) Lambert who brings 17 years of experience in business development and guiding national sales teams in the deployment of scalable service offerings. Lambert says, “In Launch Music, we look forward to building the kind of partnerships that Canadian musical instrument dealers deserve and that global MI brands expect”.

Launch Music’s full complement of services will begin rolling out on April 1, 2021, including servicing Efkay’s currently distributed brands such as Orange, Dean Markley, Mooer, Toca, Laney, 2Box, John Pearse, EBS, Singular Sound, and Groove Juice.

Canada’s Multicultural Music Stars Urge Canadians to Never Give Up, Keep Going! in New Kruger Products Masterbrand Campaign

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Canada’s Multicultural Music Stars Urge Canadians to Never Give Up, Keep Going! in New Kruger Products Masterbrand Campaign

 Canada is built on a foundation of diversity, inclusion, and acceptance. We celebrate our cultural mosaic, yet rarely see it come to life in brand advertising. That’s all about to change, thanks to a bold, trend-setting new effort from Kruger Products, maker of best-selling brands including Cashmere and Purex Bathroom Tissue, Scotties Facial Tissue and SpongeTowels Paper Towels, which has produced a remarkable advancement in multicultural marketing. The new creative, produced in three languages in collaboration with film director Bobby Singh Brown and musicians Qurram ‘Q’ Hussain, Hindi/Urdu; Moulann, Mandarin; and Mr. Will Wong, Cantonese, features original music, captivating lyrics and culturally relevant visuals designed to strike an evocative chord with Canada’s South Asian and Chinese communities.

Kruger Products broke its first-ever Unapologetically Human Masterbrand campaign under the direction of its new Chief Marketing Officer, Susan Irving, in Fall 2020. The raw, messy, and unexpected creative is a strong departure from the category’s typically clean, white, mess-free imagery. The English language spot, directed by award-winning Canadian storyteller Mark Zibert for Broken Heart Love Affair, is set to the track, ‘Human’, by British recording artist Rag ‘n Bone Man, and features real Canadians dealing with real messes: crying, bleeding, spilling, eating, using the toilet, and all. It became an instant hit with consumers from coast-to-coast, and a natural next step was to extend the narrative to Canada’s large South Asian and Chinese communities.

“We strongly believe in the power of multicultural marketing, and the importance of reimagining our communications to establish relevancy, cultural meaning, and authentic storytelling,” says Susan Irving. “We wanted Unapologetically Human’s multicultural adaptation to be equally, if not more compelling for its target audiences. That’s why we chose not to cut a single corner, and reimagined three new spots with original music and singers in three languages, and a complete re-edit of our footage under the direction of our talented production team at Ethnicity Matters,” she says.

“Inclusive marketing is table stakes in Canada these days,” says Bobby Sahni, partner and co-founder, Ethnicity Matters, which has partnered with Kruger Products on multicultural marketing for more than five years. “Our guiding principle is to be ‘in-culture’, not just ‘in-language’, because multicultural content must be compelling and true to lived experiences to resonate emotionally with its intended audience. This takes careful strategic planning, deep understanding, and the patience to identify and engage the perfect creators,” he says.

For the multicultural creative reimaging, Ethnicity Matters partnered with Desert Tent Music, a music production house co-founded by Bobby Singh Brown, an award-winning Toronto-based producer, director and screenwriter; and musician Qurram ‘Q’ Hussain, who also sang the Hindi/Urdu version.  Q is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and the brains behind Montreal-based band, JoSH – a South Asian fusion group that performs in Hinglish, with four award-winning albums, and a massive following in Pakistan. Q has created hit remixes with global music icons including Priyanka Chopra, Pitbull, and Canada’s own Nelly Furtado. Q brought lyrical finesse, beats and top-quality production to the Hindi/Urdu reimagination of Unapologetically Human, with an entirely new score and lyrics that translate loosely to ‘Never Give Up, Keep Going,’ in English.

“Engaging and empowering cultural communities makes every Canadian feel seen, understood, and connected,” says Q. “It takes thoughtful, intuitive leadership to build these authentic relationships, and Kruger Products’ ethnic Masterbrand creative pays testament to this value. The ad we created is a moving, unique tribute to Canada’s South Asian communities and our ability to stay strong,” he adds.

To round up the talent roster, Desert Tent Music recruited two other top Canadian multicultural artists who are adored within their communities, but little known in English and French Canada:

Mr. Will Wong, an award-winning entertainment blogger based in Toronto, adapted Q’s music and lyrics into Cantonese. His resume includes extensive competitive singing, albums in both English and Chinese and international performances. Moulann, a songwriter, vocalist, and producer of Chinese and Japanese heritage, began her musical studies at the age of four, shortly after moving to Toronto from Taiwan, and performs the ad’s Mandarin track.

“Never Give Up, Keep Going!, and its inspiration, Unapologetically Human, are labours of love that connect us with our Chinese and South Asian consumers and talented multicultural creatives,” says Susan Irving. “Connecting with these Canadians is the most rewarding part of developing our communications, and we look forward to continuing to do so,” she adds.

Thoughtful filming, careful content selection and thorough editing were essential to deliver successful final products. As the creative was shot amid the pandemic, Kruger partnered with real families – as that was what protocols would allow. Diverse casting by Kruger ensured strong representation in the full suite of Unapologetically Human ad spots, and Desert Tent Music’s creative vision brought culturally relevant visuals to the forefront of the Hindi/Urdu, Mandarin and Cantonese spots.

Kruger Products’ Never Give Up, Keep Going! ads in Hindi/Urdu, Mandarin and Cantonese aired throughout December 2020 and will continue through January 2021 in the Toronto and Vancouver markets, on culturally relevant broadcast and digital channels. The creative can be seen and shared at the following links: Hindi/Urdu, Mandarin, Cantonese, English, French.

Billie Eilish’s first book will be released in Spring 2021

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Billie Eilish’s first book will be released in Spring 2021

Legendary recording artist Billie Eilish shares an intimate inside look at her life and career — both on and off the stage — in this stunning, photo-filled book.

Billie Eilish is a 21st century global pop-phenomenon. Uncompromising and unapologetic, between her record-breaking, award-winning music and artistry, it’s no surprise that she has become one of the biggest and most loved artists of her generation.

Now in her first book — a stunning visual narrative journey through her life — Billie is ready to share more with her devoted audience for the first time, including hundreds of never-before-seen photos. This gorgeous book will capture the essence of Billie inside and out, offering readers personal glimpses into her childhood, her life on tour, and more. It will be a must-have for every fan.

Published simultaneously with the book, Hachette will release a standalone audiobook of exclusive, unique content in which Billie reflects on her life. Including never-before-told stories and recollections from her personal life and career, from the early years to her breakout success and including memories shared by her parents, this is an audiobook like no other – providing a truly intimate window into her journey, in Billie’s own words.

You can pre-order it here.

Metallica’s ‘Fade to Black’ Simultaneously Played on Two Guitars by One Musician

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Metallica’s ‘Fade to Black’ Simultaneously Played on Two Guitars by One Musician

Luca Stricagnol plays a dark but stunning dual acoustic guitar cover of Metallica’s song “Fade to Black”, played two different guitars at the same time.

He writes, “Fade To Black is, in the opinion of many, a very significant song in the development of Metallica. Some identify it as their first slow song and it explores serious themes such as hopelessness and depression. I could have picked many other great songs by Metallica to arrange, but this one was my choice. I am using two guitars: a Standard 6 String and my 7 String Soprano Guitar, placed on the usual keyboard stand.”

GARY NUMAN New Album ‘Intruder’ To Be Released On May 21

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GARY NUMAN New Album ‘Intruder’ To Be Released On May 21

The iconic Gary Numan is set to release his brand new album ‘Intruder’ on May 21st.

‘Intruder’ is Numan’s 18th solo studio album and follows 2017’s ‘Savage: Songs From A Broken World’, which became his highest charting set in almost forty years when it debuted at #2 on the Official Albums Chart. That commercial success was complemented with wide-reaching critical acclaim from Mojo, The Quietus, PopMatters and more.

Whereas ‘Savage’ depicted earth as a barren wasteland in which humanity and culture had been largely crushed by the effects of global warming, ‘Intruder’ presents a fresh but complementary narrative. It’s a philosophical examination of a potential future apocalypse: the planet can only survive by purging its inhabitants.

Numan explains: “‘Intruder’ looks at climate change from the planet’s point of view. If Earth could speak, and feel things the way we do, what would it say? How would it feel? The songs, for the most part, attempt to be that voice, or at least try to express what I believe the earth must feel at the moment.

The planet sees us as its children now grown into callous selfishness, with a total disregard for its well-being. It feels betrayed, hurt and ravaged. Disillusioned and heartbroken it is now fighting back. Essentially, it considers humankind to be a virus attacking the planet. Climate change is the undeniable sign of the Earth saying enough is enough, and finally doing what it needs to do to get rid of us and explaining why it feels it has to do it.”

The title track and lead single provide a tantalising taster of what to expect. As austere synths loom like shadows and industrial beats are detonated, Numan’s beguiling hook towers like a beacon in the darkness. It’s visionary, fierce and fascinating: three traits that have become hallmarks of the musician’s influential career. The song, he says, finds “the Earth angry and hostile, and more than willing to fight back.”

Partially written and recorded during lockdown, it’s no surprise that current circumstances have been assimilated into its themes. It’s especially evident in ‘The Gift’, which evolves from a sparse introduction into a resonant Middle Eastern sonic motif. It imagines Covid-19 as the first weapon that the planet deploys in order to eradicate mankind and once again flourish.

While anger and vengeance rage in its opening chapters, ‘Intruder’ charts a wider spectrum of emotions. ‘Is This World Not Enough’ and ‘A Black Sun’ exude regret and then despair that this fate could’ve been avoided. The finale presents a black-hearted double-bill to bring the curtain down on the tale. First ‘Now And Forever’ offers a hope of eternity in the end days during its theatrical intensity, before the sparse, sorrowful ‘The End Of Dragons’ ends on the chilling reminder that what’s broken can’t always be fixed.

Select formats feature two bonus tracks: questions of faith in ‘When You Fall’ and a plaintive, stripped back version of ‘The End of Dragons’.

‘Intruder’ was recorded between sessions at Numan’s home studio in Los Angeles and at producer Ade Fenton’s studio in Bath. It represents their fifth studio album together after ‘Jagged’ (2006), ‘Dead Sun Rising’ (2011), ‘Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind)’ (2013) and ‘Savage (Songs From A Broken World)’ (2017).

‘Intruder’ will be released on CD, deluxe CD, black heavyweight double-vinyl, picture disc double-vinyl and digital formats. There will also be three exclusive coloured double-vinyl formats: in red (at select indie stores), silver (from Amazon) and gold (from Gary Numan’s official store). The official store will also exclusively stock the cassette.

Since coming to prominence with era-defining hits such as ‘Cars’ and ‘Are ‘Friends’ Electric?’ (with Tubeway Army), Gary Numan has remained consistently creative and released a huge catalogue of work. His impact on electronic and alternative music has been hailed by pioneers such as Prince, David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails and remains impactful today, with Kanye West and Lady Gaga both crediting him as an influence. He was rewarded with the prestigious Inspiration Award at the Ivor Novellos in 2017 and shared his remarkable story with 2020’s candid autobiography ‘(R)evolution’.

‘Intruder’ tracklist:
1. ‘Betrayed’
2. ‘The Gift’
3. ‘I Am Screaming’
4. ‘Intruder’
5. ‘Is This World Not Enough’
6. ‘A Black Sun
7. ‘The Chosen’
8. ‘And It Breaks Me Again’
9. ‘Saints And Liars’
10. ‘Now And Forever’
11. ‘The End of Dragons’
12. ‘When You Fall’ (bonus track on deluxe CD, vinyl and digital formats)
13. ‘The End of Dragons (alt piano)’ (bonus track on vinyl and digital formats)

Jack White Releasing Live Album Of Masonic Temple Show and SNL Appearance

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Jack White Releasing Live Album Of Masonic Temple Show and SNL Appearance

On July 30th, 2014 Jack White played one of the most captivating live shows of his career. With the friendly confines of Detroit’s Masonic Temple providing as much of a home field advantage as White could ever get, this tour-de-force, three hour plus, 38 song barn-burner of a set spanned the breadth of his recorded career and left all comers in its wake gobsmacked, a testament to the undiminished magnetism of a performer at the height of his powers.

Kicking off at breakneck pace with three sizzling fan favorites from the White Stripes back catalog, the impromptu song selection never loses focus and instead delivers body blow after body blow of unrelenting passion. Inspired, off-the-cuff covers of Beck’s “Devil’s Haircut” to Zeppelin’s “Lemon Song”, Hank Williams’ “Ramblin’ Man” to Junior Wells’ “Hoodoo Man” absolutely delight. White’s Dead Weather bandmates Alison Mosshart and Dean Fertita unexpectedly join onstage for a particularly heavy version of “I Cut Like a Buffalo.” Chock full of delightful stage banter, local references and even a laugh-out-loud takedown of a supposed icon (you’ll have to listen to know exactly), the performance manages to blow everyone’s mind, both satiating desire and yet quizzically also leaving them wanting more…such are the paradoxes of a truly transcendent evening.

As Third Man Records’ 47th Vault package, they are proud to present here for the first time, Jack White Live at the Masonic Temple 7-30-14. Spanning four 180-gram colored vinyl LPs, housed in an immaculate slipcase cover with custom printed photo inner sleeves, bedecked with stunning photos shot that evening by official tour photographer David Swanson, the overall package is exquisite and grand in a manner befitting of the audio it contains.

For an extra special added bonus, Third Man is including a 7-inch single of Jack White’s October 2020 performance on Saturday Night Live. Jumping in with two days notice to fill the musical guest slot, White unleashed an explosive power trio medley of “Don’t Hurt Yourself” (a song he co-wrote with Beyonce and included on her “Lemonade” album) into the White Stripes’ classic “Ball and Biscuit” while interpolating elements of “Jesus Is Coming Soon”, a song originally written by Blind Willie Johnson about the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak that feels uniquely relatable in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. On the flipside is White’s blistering reimagination of his 2014 track “Lazaretto” with a brief, respectable, finger-tapping solo nod to Eddie Van Halen (performed on an EVH signature model guitar), who passed away earlier that week. Inarguably one of the most talked about and praised Saturday Night Live musical performances in some time, it felt only right to enshrine these takes into the vinyl permanence. Get it here.

 

1. Fell in Love with a Girl
2. Astro
3. The Big Three Killed My Baby
4. High Ball Stepper
5. Lazaretto
6. Missing Pieces
7. Just One Drink
8. Hotel Yorba
9. You Know That I Know
10. Love Interruption
11. Weep Themselves to Sleep
12. I Cut Like a Buffalo
13. Cannon
14. Hoodoo Man (Junior Wells cover)
15. Icky Thump
16. Screwdriver
17. Ramblin’ Man (Hank Williams cover)
18. Apple Blossom
19. Three Women
20. The Same Boy You’ve Always Known
21. We’re Going To Be Friends
22. Sugar Never Tasted So Good
23. Entitlement
24. Alone in My Home
25. Steady, As She Goes
26. Ball and Biscuit
27. The Lemon Song (Led Zeppelin cover)
28. The Hardest Button to Button
29. Sixteen Saltines
30. Devils Haircut (Beck cover)
31. Hypocritical Kiss
32. That Black Bat Licorice
33. Would You Fight For My Love?
34. Blue Blood Blues
35. You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told)
36. My Doorbell
37. I Fought Piranhas
38. Seven Nation Army
Saturday Night Live 7-inch single
Don’t Hurt Yourself / Ball and Biscuit / Jesus is Coming Soon (Blind Willie Johnson)
Lazaretto

“Saved,” The New Solo Release From Award-winning, Platinum Selling Alfie Zappacosta, Out On February 5, 2021

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“Saved,” The New Solo Release From Award-winning, Platinum Selling Alfie Zappacosta, Out On February 5, 2021

Few recording artists deliver some of their finest work in the fifth decade of their career, but that is clearly the case with Saved, the new solo release from award-winning, platinum selling Alfie Zappacosta, out on Alma/Universal on February 5, 2021, bringing his deep catalogue to 16 albums. Saved will be available on CD, Streaming, Digital + Hi Res Digital Platforms. Pre-order NOW.

The first single, “Saved,” from this gorgeous album comes out on January 8, 2021.

Zappacosta is at the very top of his game here, as a singer, a songwriter and producer. There is that rich soaring voice that has always been his signature, one that, like a fine Amarone Italian red wine, has improved with age, gaining a new degree of resonance evident on Saved.

From soulful and romantic ballads like “Always Near,” “Unspoken,” and “Here In My Heart,” to the gospel-tinged “Saved,” and the upbeat and jazzy “Had Enough” and playful “This Place In Time,” Alfie’s versatile vocals never miss a step.

The diversity of tempos and tones on Saved always keeps things interesting. The songs draw from pop, jazz and rock elements, and reflect Alfie’s current mandate: “I’m a writer and I like to write as many different kinds of songs as I can. Once upon a time, record labels would want you to have a certain style so they knew how to market you, but now I can do anything I want.”

Zappacosta’s passion for music and the urge to be creative were saved by his decision to take full control of his career and his music after surviving the ups and downs of life with a major record label. “For the last six records I’ve made, I realised I had nothing to lose, so I took the bull by the horns. I am very much in control of what I do these days. Now, ‘it’s just shut up and go to work,’ plus I’m completely comfortable with everyone I work with.”

To write and record Saved, Alfie collaborated with a talented group of co-writers and musicians, most of whom he has had a long working relationship with. “Gerry Mosby from Toronto was responsible for many interesting arrangements, and Marco Luciani, Andrew Glover, and Silvio Pupo (a Cuban-Canadian jazz pianist) were involved in the songwriting,” Alfie explains. “Making Saved was in part about getting together with some old friends and reliving good times. There was nothing but good vibes in making this record.”

“I’ve always loved what these people do with songwriting. I didn’t owe anyone anything, but I just thought they were great tunes and I could do them justice in taking their chord progressions and writing melody and lyrics to them. That is what I did with some of these songs.”

Playing a key role in the recording of Saved was fellow Edmontonian Louis Sedmak. “He’s an all-round great musician and a fabulous engineer and mixer too,” Zappacosta explains. “We recorded the album at his fully functional home studio, with Louis engineering.” Sedmak has produced such artists as Ian Tyson, Duane Steele, and Jake Mathews, and is recognised as one of western Canada’s top session guitarists.Sedmak plays on the album, alongside the aforementioned notable musicians as well as Toronto session aces Denis Keldie and Blake Manning.

Alfie Zappacosta describes himself laughingly as “a hopeless romantic,” and that is reflected in much of his writing. He digs deep into his own heart, but then translates those emotions into imaginative literary and philosophical insights.

That is vividly showcased on Saved by “Just Like This,” a tune with deep significance for Alfie. “That is an old favourite I wrote many years ago, before my wife passed away,” he explains. “It is something of an autobiography of me and my wife, about making a relationship work and the moments – just like this – that make it all worthwhile.”

Alfie is also justifiably proud of the title track, which, despite the gospel favour and the title, is not a spiritual. “I’m not a religious character by any means but I am a humanitarian,” he stresses. “’Saved’ is about hoping for the best for people in general, and how if anybody is going to save you it has to be yourself.”

The musicianship on Saved is stellar, with strings, horns, and female backing vocals all used judiciously to add depth and atmosphere to individual tracks, as does the Django-like guitar on “Had Enough,” and muted trumpet on “Unspoken.”

Zappacosta’s solo catalogue has certainly justified the faith shown in naming him Most Promising Artist at the 1988 Juno awards. That year, he won a second Juno, Album of The Year, for his hit second record, A-Z.

That same milestone year brought Alfie multi-platinum success with “Overload,” a song he co-wrote with Marco Luciani and recorded for the soundtrack of the Patrick Swayze movie, Dirty Dancing. That album sold over 42 million copies, and earned Zappacosta an American Music Award.Rather than resting on past laurels, Alfie Zappacosta continues to forge ahead in compelling fashion. He is eager to perform again for his loyal audience in Canada, and beyond. Until then, you are strongly urged to take a listen and get Saved!

Track Listing

1. Unspoken
2. Here In My Heart
3. Saved
4. Always Near
5. Had Enough
6. Aurelia’s List
7. This Place In Time
8. Just Like This
9. De PensarEnTi (Bonus Track)

Puppy Bowl Returns for an Epic Showdown Between Team Ruff & Team Fluff on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021

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Puppy Bowl Returns for an Epic Showdown Between Team Ruff & Team Fluff on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021

“We need puppies now more than ever!” said everyone. Have no fear because television’s cutest sports competition and the original call-to-adoption TV event, PUPPY BOWL, returns on Sunday, February 7 for the biggest, most exciting game to date, now as a 3-hour event that can be viewed on both discovery+, the definitive non-fiction, real life subscription streaming service that features a landmark partnership with Verizon that gives their customers with select plans up to 12 months of discovery+ on Verizon, and Animal Planet on Sunday, February 7 at 2PM ET/11AM PT. Join discovery+ and Animal Planet for this special three-hour event to experience all the fuzzy puppy faces from TEAM RUFF and TEAM FLUFF who go paw to paw to win the CHEWY “Lombarky” trophy in PUPPY BOWL’s all-new venue, a ‘stadium within a stadium’ that’s bigger and better than ever before.

Be sure to be on the lookout for TEAM RUFF who is looking to reclaim their title after last year’s loss – they’re coming back with a vengeance! Gear up because it’s officially the most wonderful time of the year for the biggest game of the year – PUPPY BOWL XVII!

PUPPY BOWL celebrates adoptable pups in all their cuteness and showcases the incredible shelters and rescues, as well as their staffers, who dedicate their lives to helping animals find their loving homes. In years past, PUPPY BOWL is 16 for 16 with the adoption rate at 100% as all puppies and kittens featured in PUPPY BOWL to date have found their forever homes with loving families. And even though this past year has been different from year’s past, one thing is for certain – there will be a PUPPY BOWL – and discovery+ and Animal Planet continue this annual tradition to highlight these special puppy players and kittens so that they can finally find the place they are meant to call ‘home.’

This year, 22 shelters and rescues from nine Northeastern States are enlisted to bring 70 incredible adoptable puppy players out for PUPPY BOWL to sport their TEAM RUFF ‘Tail Mary Tangerine’ and TEAM FLUFF ‘Bark Blue’ bandana colors. What genetic traits are these pups bringing to the game? With the Wisdom Panel(TM) dog DNA test, we’ll find out what’s beyond those big puppy dog eyes and how each dog’s breed mix might give them an advantage on the field. We’ll see their skills playout in the brand-new GEICO Stadium, where these adoptable players have even more room to rumble and fumble! Fan-favorite elements, including slow motion replays, nose-to-nose action from the famous water bowl cam, and aerial shots of the field from the brand-new TEMPTATIONS(TM) Sky Box are all back this year, along with epic drone shots of puppy players across the arena that bring audiences as close as possible to all the game-play action. THE HOME DEPOT goal post nets serve as the backdrop to every touchdown and field goal as audiences have a front row seat view through lens of the cameras in the CHEWY end zone pylons.

Joining this year as PUPPY BOWL XVII announcers are ESPN’s Monday Night Football play- by- play announcer Steve Levy and SportsCenter host Sage Steele who will be providing puppy analysis throughout the game! The PUPPY BOWL XVII Pre-Game Show begins at 1PM ET/ 10AM PT where long-time PUPPY BOWL sports correspondents Rodt Weiler, James Hound and Sheena Inu, and field reports Brittany Spaniel and Herman Shepard pump up the crowd with pup insights on the furry matchups before the big game. Sponsored by yellow tail wine, the Pre-Game Show will also offer ideas on how to create a PUPPY BOWL “tail”gate party for the perfect viewing experience. The game opens with a special performance of the National Anthem by singing-group and internet sensation, Boys World, before kicking off with the pups of the PEDIGREE(R) Starting Lineup, who are giving it their all to compete for the one and only BISSELL(R) MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) award by scoring the most touchdowns. Who will take home the title this year to join the greats of puppies past in the Puppy Bowl MVP Hall of Fame? Tune in to find out this and which lucky pup will also take home the coveted SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. Underdog Award!

Joining the game for the 10th year in a row is America’s favorite “Rufferee,” Dan Schachner, who, after a decade, is ready to call the puppy penalties, ruffs & tumbles, and pawsome touchdowns for a game unlike any other. Award-winning animal advocate and television correspondent Jill Rappaport also returns to introduce the SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. Pup Close and Personal segments that shine a light on some of these adorable athletes and other adoptable puppies across the country, in addition to the special Senior Spotlight stories which showcase that age is just a number with senior dogs who are ultimately puppies at heart.

This year’s Pup Close and Personal highlights include a special profile of actress and animal advocate Kristen Bell who has teamed up with Annenberg PetSpace in Los Angeles to spend time with Java, a Labrador mix puppy looking for a fur-ever home to snuggle in; Biscuit, a very special Maltese mix pup from Paw Works in LA, who gets a special day out with one lucky kid baker from Food Network’s ‘Kid Baking Championship,’ where we’ll also hear from hosts Valerie Bertinelli & Duff Goldman; Fozzie, a Foster Dogs Inc. Norwegian Elkhound who experiences his first ever grooming from Harlem Doggie Day Spa; and Foofur, a Shepherd mix puppy who is cared for by a very special foster under the PAWS Chicago foster program. Other in-depth profiles include Marshall, a deaf Boston Terrier mix rescue pup who’s training with Green Dogs Unleashed to be a therapy dog, where at a local hospital, he will provide a group of COVID ER nurses with a much-needed mental break in the midst of the pandemic; Jett, a double front amputee Labrador mix from Pets With Disabilities in Maryland, who is prepping for the big game with regular jaunts along the countryside with his fellow special needs cat and dog companions; and Stitch, a Hound mix, who at Wilburton Inn-New England dog friendly resort in Vermont, enjoys a special day out at the Inn on a mission to meet an adopter, before getting scrappy on the field.

Audiences will also see four incredible Senior Spotlight profiles that include Scoobert, an 8-year-old Chihuahua Boxer mix from mix from Young at Heart Sanctuary in Chicago who even though is a senior pooch with medical needs, has a special zest for life; veterinarian Dr. Kwane Stewart, aka @thestreetvet, who treats homeless dogs off the streets of Los Angeles at no cost; Mona, a 10-year-old Toy Poodle mix who undergoes reiki healing sessions at Den Retreat in Los Angeles for a more peaceful state of mind; and Blossom, an American Staffordshire Terrier, who has become the poster pup for the ‘Pitbulls in flower crowns’ series by rescue advocate and photographer Sophie Gamand. PUPPY BOWL XVII will also feature five special needs players who are looking forward to finding their loving home including Jett, and four hearing impaired pups including Marshall, a Boston Terrier; Fletcher, an American Bull Dog; Theodore, a Pyr Border Collie; and Rumor, a Heeler mix.

Additionally, for the first time ever on the sidelines, our TEAM RUFF and TEAM FLUFF players will be cheered on by none other than adoptable puppy cheerleaders who will root and howl for their favorite players. These cheerleading pups will turn up the volume with cuteness overload by shaking their pom poms as the PUPPY BOWL XVII players make their way down the field! Midway through the game, get ready to turn up the beat and put on your dancing shoes for the ARM & HAMMER(TM) Clump & Seal(TM) KITTY HALF-TIME SHOW. Audiences will experience the neon dance party they’ve been waiting for all year and rave to the purr-fect beats dropped by senior rescue cat DJ Grand Master Scratch. As an after-party treat, viewers will even be able to see a special adoption update on where these dancing felines found their loving new homes with their loving new forever dance partners.

As a bonus treat for this year’s PUPPY BOWL XVII, audiences will also see exciting new ‘Adoptable Pup’ segments, hosted by Dan Schachner and sponsored by CHEWY. Sprinkled throughout the program, 11 shelters from around the country will feature one of their special pups (and a few kittens during KITTY HALF-TIME!) that are all up for adoption during the game!

PUPPY BOWL digital audiences can point their paws to PuppyBowl.com to vote for their favorite pup in the ‘Pupularity Playoffs’ bracket style tournament featuring photos by Instagram sensation @TheDogist. Audiences can also check out an exciting live puppy playtime scrimmage on Animal Planet’s TikTok in the lead up to PUPPY BOWL XVII. Fans may also be able to see their own animal featured in a photo gallery on PuppyBowl.com when they post a pic of their fur-baby watching PUPPY BOWL XVII and tag #PuppyBowl. For more fun social content, head to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for original videos, GIFs, Instagram Stickers, a Puppy Bowl AR Filter, and more. Audiences can also follow discovery+ on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Fans can also access even more furry fun and exclusive content by downloading discovery+. Leading up to PUPPY BOWL, discovery+ and Animal Planet GO users will find exclusive in-app original programming, including the PUPPY BOWL midform series “Pupclose & Personal”, where NFL stars Chris Godwin, Ronnie Stanley, and Ryan Kerrigan reveal their personal pup adoption stories to share why they’re so passionate about canine causes. Pus, we’ll also see Dan the Ref take us down memory lane, highlighting the very best and firsts of Puppy Bowl’s 17-year history. Additionally, fans are also invited to Tweet along with game day commentator Meep The Bird and vote in real time, for the winner of the Most Valuable Puppy award. Results will be revealed during the epic program.

Official PUPPY BOWL XVII sponsors include ARM & HAMMER(TM) Clump & Seal(TM), BISSELL(R), CHEWY, GEICO, THE HOME DEPOT, PEDIGREE(R), SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC., TEMPTATIONS(TM), Wisdom Panel(TM) dog DNA test and yellow tail wine.

For more information about the shelters, rescues and organizations that participated in PUPPY BOWL XVII, Animal Planet audiences can visit Puppybowl.com/Adopt.

PUPPY BOWL XVII is produced for Animal Planet by Bright Spot Content, an All3Media America company. Simon Morris is executive producer and showrunner with Cindy Kain and Sandy Varo Jarrell also serving as executive producers. For Animal Planet, Dawn Sinsel serves as senior executive producer and Pat Dempsey is supervising producer.

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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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