Multifaceted producer, singer/ songwriter and DJ, Idris Elba has collaborated with some of the world’s biggest musical talent via his London imprint 7Wallace – Skepta, Little Simz, Damon Albarn’s Africa Express, Che Lingo, Q-tip, Sean-Paul, Stefflon Don – the list is extensive and impressive.
Elba’s first release of 2021 champions new and up and coming Canadian talent and hip-hop enthusiast Connor Price on their collaborative record ‘Courteney Cox’. Released by 7Wallace, Price’s Toronto based imprint, 4 of clubs, and baselineMUSIC, ‘Courteney Cox’ is high-octane and an infectiously hooky slice of synth-soaked trap – a playful and tongue-in-cheek homage to Connor’s favourite actress and childhood crush.
The collaboration came from an Instagram challenge Idris created after being diagnosed with Covid-19, where he posted a rap and left the third verse open. Connor responded with a freestyle of his own and woke up to a DM from Idris the next morning. From there Idris sent the track to Courteney Cox who wrote and recorded her own lyrics to Idris and Connor’s skit and performed it in the video – what results is a huge serving of fun, wit and humour which doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Hailing via Toronto, Connor Price started releasing music independently under his self-owned ‘4 of clubs’ brand. He began to further develop his sound and fanbase by putting out a brand-new song every two weeks. His self-directed/edited video ‘Typical Rapper’ accumulated over 1 million Facebook views in the first month.
7Wallace is the record label founded by Idris Elba in 2015, with the aim of breaking boundaries in dance and hip-hop. Since then, the company has expanded to include music publishing, in a joint venture with Universal Music Publishing, and has also set up studios in Central London and Oxford.
Here’s a wonderful outtake from DA Pennebaker’s documentary “Don’t Look Back”. Joan Baez and Marianne Faithfull create brief but spellbinding harmonies while Bob Dylan taps away on a draft of his first book, “Tarantula”.
Pack it up, pack it in, let me begin by telling you House Of Pain’s Jump Around will forever be popular among dancehall DJs and widely regarded in the United Kingdom and North America as a club classic.
“This is a love song, even though it makes reference to a felony or mischief,” multi-Gold and Platinum-selling Canadian rock star, author, songwriter, manager, producer, human and animal rights activist Bif Naked says of her new single, “Broke into Your Car.”
“Whoopsie!” she continues. “But yes, it really is a nod to the lengths a smitten person — in this case, moi — would go to to gain the attention and affection of their crush.
“I love the imagery of sitting in the back of one’s love interest’s car, perhaps leaving Polaroid pictures (among other things) behind…
“The height of romance!”
The song follows 2020’s release of “JIM,” and a year of continued immersion in the community as a prominent activist. “Originally I considered releasing this track last Spring,” Bif recalls, “but with the ongoing pandemic, it seemed unimportant to me.
“As the summer went along and all of the social unrest and racial awakening that was beginning to really make change, my focus became less about my new album and more about being in the community.
“That has not changed.
“Eventually, we had scheduled a live performance December 30th that was postponed due to a new lockdown to try and curb rising COVID-19 numbers. This song was set to be a surprise during that performance, but I decided to release it now anyway and share some joy.”
Both “Broke into Your Car” and “JIM” serve as prime preview into Bif’s forthcoming full-length offering, CHAMPION.
Her eleventh studio release, the album wastes no time revealing Canada’s ‘Princess of Everything’ remains in her rightful throne, reigning rock supreme and as strong as ever.
“When writing new songs for CHAMPION, I always try to meet every song where it is, both in style and vibe,” she shares. “‘I Broke Into Your Car Last Night’ is definitely a departure from the rock songs on the rest of the record, but love the chance to do lots of different things on each release, and CHAMPION is no different.”
As a title for Bif, CHAMPION couldn’t be more fitting for arguably one of the nation’s most recognized and beloved entertainment industry icons whose personal story provides endless inspiration.
As detailed in her highly intimate, Internationally best-selling memoir, I Bificus (Harper Collins International), the multi-disciplinary artist and businesswoman — and notably, a vegan who lives a straight-edge lifestyle — has arm-wrestled breast cancer, heart surgery, and kidney failure. Inspired by her myriad of life experiences and ardent interest in wellness, she has recently launched MonaLisa Healing, a premium, organic all-hemp CBD online boutique available in Canada, the United States, and soon to the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
And it’s not as if she’s not busy elsewhere; a contributor to such national publications as the Globe and Mail and Huffington Post — and as seen on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno — Bif is fresh off a series of talks at Vancouver’s The Wellness Show.
A podcast series, New Riot Girls, a book of poetry and illustrations, and a book designed to help empower patients and their families while navigating cancer treatments and the Canadian healthcare system are also in the works.
For the entirety of her prolific career — and interconnected in such a woven way only one of the country’s most unforgettable and inspiring women can accomplish — Bif has documented her journey in a deeply personal, highly relatable and inclusive way, covering topics that allow her truths to be a source of empowerment for fans.
“Broke into Your Car” and CHAMPION are no different.
“I’m still fighting,” she says of the album, and career at large. “I’m still swinging as a legacy artist… An O.G.
“At this stage of the game, I am a CHAMPION.
“I’ve never allowed myself to be limited, and the direction of this new album was from experimenting and being fearless. I’m excited by it, and fiercely proud of these tracks.”
Singer, songwriter, actress, and designer, Sabrina Carpenter, signs with Island Records and makes waves with stunning new single “Skin” – out now.
“Sabrina Carpenter is a star,” Island Records President / CEO Darcus Beese states on the signing of the artist. He continues, “Her powerful vocals, infectious personality, and successful career as a singer, songwriter and actress attest to that. We are thrilled to welcome such a talented young woman to the Island Records family.”
On joining the Island Records roster, Sabrina explains, “I’m so excited to join the Island Records family, Darcus and the team really understood my vision from the moment we first met. They just got me and have been super supportive. It’s the perfect place for me to start the next chapter of my music career and evolution as an artist. I can’t wait for everyone to hear what we’re working on for this year!”
With a new label and a new felt freedom to express her growth as an artist, Sabrina has found a confidence in her writing that clearly shows in her new hit single. “Skin” quickly went viral, garnering over 17 Million Streams, 10 million in the first 48 hours, hitting Top 5 USA Debut on Spotify at #4, Top 5 iTunes Pop Genre, Top 10 iTunes Overall, Top 3 Apple Music Pop, Top 15 Apple Music Overall, and Top 35 on the Spotify Global Chart. The track also received immediate support on radio spinning at Z100, Sirius Hits, and made its debut on the The Vibe iHeart syndicated show.
“Skin” instantly took the internet by storm, trending #1 on Twitter worldwide and hit #1 on both the Genius Artist Chart and Song Chart and as well as trending at #7 on YouTube. The track was also met by high praise from the likes of Billboard, Variety, People, USA Today, E!, Cosmo, Bustle, and many more.
Produced alongside Aaron Dessner (The National, Sharon Van Etten, Taylor Swift), Collections From The Whiteout heralds the first time Ben Howard has opened the door to production outside of he and his bands closer confines. To coincide with its announcement, the first single “What A Day” is now available.
The foreboding darkness that coated Ben’s second record I Forget Where We Were and thinly veiled its follow up NoondayDream, isn’t so evident on Collections. These are songs written from headlines scanned, or news stories scrolled past. Ben has taken those snippets and let his curiosity take control, creating an aural scrapbook that reverberates with tape loops and guitar FXs. Those stories sifted from the news provided inspiration for a selection of vivid narrative snapshots – the death of amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst (Crowhurst’s Meme); Russian fraudster Anna Sorokin (Sorry Kid); Richard Russell, the man who stole and crashed a plane in Seattle (The Strange Last Flight Of Richard Russell); and the dismembered body a friend of his father found in a suitcase floating along the Thames (Finders Keepers). An England puffed up into absurdity by political outrage and infighting all fed these songs. Alongside them, the personal anecdotes from the same scattered period living between Paris, Devon and finally Spain. There are sounds akin to Brian Eno, Durutti Column and Steve Reich in there, but also Neil Young and Townes Van Zandt. It’s a million miles away from Ben’s multi-platinum selling debut, but a path plotted from Ben’s then to his now isn’t so far removed.
The door was also left open to some new players too. Yussef Dayes, one of the UK’s most innovative young drummer/producer’ especially in the field of jazz features, as does Kate Stables from This Is The Kit, James Krivchenia from Big Thief, Kyle Keegan from Hiss Golden Messenger, and the aforementioned Aaron Dessner lent his hand too where needed. Long-term guitarist to Ben’s band, Mickey Smith, remains a reassuring presence. Rob Moose, a long-standing arranger of strings for Bon Iver and a collaborator to Laura Marling, Blake Mills, and Phoebe Bridgers is also present, peppering the mix.
It’s a substantial record. A sonic adventure that continues this nagging suggestion that Ben Howard is one of the UK’s most inventive and naturally talented of songwriters. Collections From The Whiteout is his latest opus, and arguably his most fully realised to date.
SoundON is a province-wide campaign and funding mechanism to help British Columbia’s music community by providing desperately needed support to those deeply connected to the sector – artists, presenters, production staff and venues.
The highly successful project was initially launched by Music BC during the summer of 2020 in response to the financial devastation COVID-19 invoked on the sector and received an incredibly positive response from the creative community.
To date, more than $186,000 of funding has been awarded to 44 recipients. This equates to 579 industry jobs being funded and 266 artists being supported through the grants across British Columbia. Of those recipients 154 were female, 165 were Black, Indigenous or Persons of Colour, and 58 were from the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
“Over the past ten months we have seen the devastating impact that the pandemic has had on British Columbia’s vibrant music scene,” explains Lindsay MacPherson, Executive Director of Music BC. “Through SoundON funding, we were able to put money directly into artists pockets and help them get back to performing. We saw firsthand the effect COVID had on our industry and how instrumental the SoundON funding was in supporting the creative sector in our province. The criteria for applications is broad because the urgent need for financial support is vast. It allows us to continue to showcase the diversity in British Columbia’s music scene, while offering real tangible support.”
“People in the music industry have been deeply impacted by the pandemic,” said Bob D’Eith, Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film. “Our government understands the challenges they are facing and provided $510,000 through Amplify BC for SoundON. These grants are vital because they get funding to artists fast and support what they do best – making and performing music to inspire us all.”
SoundON is providing direct support to those within the creative community most affected by the pandemic. Unlike other funds and grants, which have lengthy application processes, SoundON aims to get money into presenter’s hands quickly, within the next 30 – 45 days. The fund will continue its mission to showcase the diversity of BC – helping bring together music communities from across the province digitally.
“Being a musician over this past year has been incredibly stressful and left a lot of our community with doubts about the future. With live shows being cancelled, our primary source of income and creative release disappeared overnight. Receiving SoundON funding provided a release for a months-long dry spell of performing and created a safe space for us to continue to engage with our fans. The added investment into the fund is essential to sustaining this vibrant community, so that more artists and hungry music fans can benefit from this financial aid.” —Alexis Young, Blonde Diamond
Successful applicants will be awarded $5,000 and the fund will support more than 70 performances. Successful applicants will also be able to add a ticketing element to their shows, an aspect that is new for this round of funding.
Applications for presenters open TODAY and can be found at https://soundon.ca/
Ranked by CBC as one of Canada’s Top 100 songs of all time, the late Stan Rogers’ “Barrett’s Privateers” (Borealis/True North Records) is experiencing a very 2021 renaissance thanks to the delightful Internet corner we all needed: ‘sea shanty TikTok.’
The trend burst forth from niche obscurity late last year, quickly taking the billion+ user platform by storm; millions upon millions of videos — plus coverage from CBC, Billboard, the Today Show, BBC, Rolling Stone, and more — shows a series of the old-timey, tag-along work tunes sung just as they are, or reimagined by genre.
Within the craze, TikTok-ers quickly zeroed in on the Canadian folk artist’s classic folk ditty — resulting in 250% streaming spikes week over week since the start of the year to over 3.5 million streams so far.
From his’ 1977 album, Fogarty’s Cove, “Barrett’s Privateers” came to be six years before Rogers’ tragic accidental passing; the award-winning artist’s catalogue is currently under Borealis Records’ and True North Records’ wing, among other artist’s experiencing an uprising courtesy of the trend.
“It’s great to see the work of incredible Canadian artists like Stan Rogers, Jimmy Rankin, and the Irish Rovers appreciated by a whole new generation,” Geoff Kulawick, President of True North Records, says. “It goes to show the power music and lyrical storytelling has when it comes to connecting people from all walks of life.”
Kulawick also notes the platform’s breakthrough accessibility and opportunity when it comes to introducing — and re-introducing — Canadian music to the masses. “It’s without question that TikTok is a dynamic and changing force within the music industry, and this is a perfect example of meeting audiences where they are to get great music in their hands.”
While most of us aren’t hauling anchors, (you’d have to visit ‘cruise ship TikTok for that), the ubiquitous allure of sea shanties is here to boost morale and connectedness through these long days of increased COVID-19 restrictions.
In a release that’s anything but “Futile,” Canadian rockers Derev harness the intensity of metal with atmospheric progressive sounds, all while incorporating elements of their Arabic and Armenian heritage in this, their propulsive new single.
The freshly pressed debut track for the Toronto-based three-piece features the guest vox of Adel Saflou (Ambrotype); its video then whisks audiences on a vivid journey through the mind of an individual who is exhausted from a life lived glued to a screen and yearns to return to a more natural way of life.
“Contrary to what one might assume when seeing the music video, it’s not meant to illustrate or predict our future as this ‘doomsday,’” says Syrian drummer and songwriter Michel Karakach. “We’re not predicting the future or saying that our species is going to be dominated by machines or overtaken by this advanced artificial intelligence.”
“Rather, it’s about the present situation and how integrated we have become with this technology,” Armenian guitarist and songwriter Armando Bablanian adds. “We are so dependent on it that we hardly do any activity that does not involve us being behind a screen.”
“Futile” is the first single to land ahead of Derev’s forthcoming EP, Leap of Faith — available this Spring.
“Musically, the album combines the energy and intensity of metal music with the atmospheric feel of old-school progressive rock music,” bassist Liam Horrigan considers. “It’s also filled with mellow sections and solos that trigger emotions and deliver the message of the EP, not only through melodies and lyrics, but also through a personal and intimate experience.
“There’s many peaks and troughs.”
Although Leap of Faith isn’t slated as a concept album, per se, the common theme is about seeing things from a different perspective. “And taking action to make a change,” Bablanian offers. “Each song aims to discuss a different topic, and we target numerous controversial ones — including social issues our community faces on a daily basis.”
“It starts with a track that talks about questioning things that are culturally presumed as absolute truths: what is moral, what is taboo, the idea of going to war for peace, and so on…” Karakach expands. “The album also discusses personal struggles and hurdles that bring us down, leaving us stumped and overwhelmed with doubt and remorse, rather than taking action and achieving what we set out to do.
“The overall experience of Leap of Faith delivers a message that every listener can relate to on some level, and be moved by.”
Leap of Faith may be Derev’s newly minted breakout album, but the band’s earliest rumblings could be heard a long time ago.
With Bablanian and Karakach first meeting in high school while living in Kuwait, “we were unable to pursue the project at the time due to the circumstances of living in the Middle East,” they share.
In the meantime, Karakach received his dental degree in Syria before immigrating to Canada, actively drumming and songwriting along the way. For his part, Bablanian received an engineering degree from the University of Toronto while also part of Canadian metal band, Till I Conquer — with whom he released an EP and three singles. Horrigan — also a UofT engineering alum — used to be in the Ottawa-area band Open Season; he’s also released a solo alt-rock offering under @t_ii_f.
