Can your fans do Abbey Road’s cover better than The Beatles? Dawn Dylan better than His Bobness? Ask them to prove it.
Juno Award Winner Molly Johnson Releases New EP ‘This Holiday Season’
oday, Juno award-winning singer-songwriter Molly Johnson released a new EP, This Holiday Season via Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. The EP features four songs including the brand new single, “Painted Blue.”
Reflecting on her latest piece of musical work, Molly Johnson said, “I am so excited to be releasing these four holiday songs, each one as unique as a snowflake. Writing and recording with my dream team was … a dream come true.” She continued, “This holiday will be very different for all of us. What will remain the same is our love and care for each other.”
The award winning artist is set to share her music virtually, with two upcoming digital concerts. On November 24th as part of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival Casa Loma Sessions Streaming Concert Series, Johnson will perform her hits plus the debut of a new song with special guest, The Philosopher Kings’ guitarist James Bryan. Backed by Davide DiRenzo, Mike Downes and Robi Botos, and a string quartet. The concert was filmed this summer at the iconic Toronto landmark, Casa Loma. And on December 22nd the artist will share a special performance of her latest EP, This Holiday Season. Details can be found below and HERE.
While live, in-person musical events may be on pause, that hasn’t stopped Johnson’s passion project the Kensington Market Jazz Festival from doing what it does best, sharing live and local music. The festival, now in it’s fifth year, recently held a virtual concert series.
Known as one of Canada’s greatest voices, she is a mother, singer-songwriter, artist and philanthropist. Johnson has been awarded the honour of becoming an Officer of Canada(O.C.) and received the Queens Jubilee medal for her philanthropic work. In 2016 she launched the Kensington Market Jazz Festival with over 400 Canadian musicians performing 150 + shows.
This Holiday Season Tracklisting:
This Holiday Season
Christmas in Hopetown
Painted Blue
I Don’t Like Christmas (When You’re Not Around)
Benee Releases Debut Album “Hey u x” Today
New Zealand’s platinum sensation BENEE unveils her eagerly awaited full-length debut album, Hey u x, today via Republic Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company.
Stella Rose Bennett, who records as BENEE, grew up in Auckland, New Zealand on a steady diet of downer Soundcloud rap, James Blake breakup hymns, and artists who valued experimentation like Bjork, Groove Armada, and Radiohead, which her parents exposed her to at an early age. One day, on a whim, Bennett put Gnarls Barkley and Amy Winehouse covers she’d sung directly into GarageBand up on Soundcloud, and soon she was in the studio with producer Josh Fountain, working on original songs.
Last year, Bennett released two BENEE EPs. FIRE ON MARZZ and STELLA & STEVE each delivered a string of instinctive, hyper connective hits that brought a rush of fans to her door. With 2.1 billion streams across all platforms, her breakout hit “Supalonely” is certified Platinum in eight countries including the US. In Australia, “Supalonely,” “Glitter” and “Soaked” are all Double Platinum records, and “Evil Spider” and “Find an Island” are Gold – an impressive feat also matched in her home country. Additionally, she was named Apple Up Next Artist July 2020, nominated for MTV VMA “Push Best New Artist” 2020, MTV EMA “Best Push” Artist 2020, E! People’s Choice Awards New Artist of 2020 and nominated for New Zealand’s 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards in the “Single of the Year,” “Best Solo Artist,” and “Best Pop Artist” categories (having already taken home the same prizes in her haul of four 2019 Awards).
Her single “Glitter” won Bennett and fellow songwriters Josh Fountain and Djeisan Suskov the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll in October. All of which set the stage for what would become her debut studio album, Hey u x, which is out November 13th. Hey u x is a fascinating album that exists in two opposing eras of modern society: the (relatively) carefree pre-COVID-19 era, and the post COVID world, where lockdowns and intense isolation are now a regular part of life. Each of the songs on the album offer up a discrete universe of heartbreak, loneliness, and personal growth, shot back to the listener as quiet communiques.
“I’m writing music for one human listening to the music,” Bennett says. “I want them to feel as connected as they can to my mind. Like a message that you send to a friend.” On Hey u x, musical genres are to be explored and adopted, songs are constructed from otherworldly concepts, and a sense of playfulness hangs over even the most melancholy moments. Like much of what Bennett has achieved thus far, it all seems so casual that it could be accidental, but there’s a deep purpose behind her music and her worldview.
Fueled by one off-kilter bop after another, Hey u x sounds like the perfect lost Gen X classic made for Gen Z. Blending, bending and breaking genres like only BENEE can, the album boasts an all-star cast of collaborators, including Lily Allen, Grimes, Flo Milli, Gus Dapperton, Mallrat, Kenny Beats, Bakar and Muroki, and has already been praised by the likes of Billboard, E! Online, Los Angeles Times, NME, NYLON, PAPER Magazine, Pigeons & Planes, Stereogum, Teen Vogue, The Boston Globe, The FADER, The Guardian, UPROXX, V Magazine, Variety and many more. See the full tracklist below. The album was produced by BENEE’s longtime collaborator Josh Fountain, and its artwork was designed by Californian artist Terry Hoff.
BENEE says the album is a deliberately eclectic mix of sounds. “I’m writing music for one human listening to the music. I want them to feel as connected as they can to my mind. I called it ‘Hey u x’ like a message that you send to a friend,” she says.
Today, BENEE also shares the official video for her new single “Kool”—watch it HERE. Made in collaboration with the iconic Electronic Arts video game The Sims 4, BENEE becomes a “Sim” in the visual complete with the bright green crystal “Plumbob” above her. In footage akin to the instantly recognizable gameplay, countless outfit changes ensue as she wanders around the house actually controlling her Sim-self remotely. The nineties-style guitar, slick bass line and head-nodding beat provide the perfect soundtrack for her Sims adventure.
Of “Kool,” BENEE says, “I wrote [the song] about some people I know who seem to be effortlessly cool. They always seem to say the right thing.”
To celebrate the album’s arrival, BENEE will perform her track “Happen To Me” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday, November 16th at 11:35pm ET/10:35pm CT on CBS—be sure to tune in! BENEE will also host the Hey u x pop-up store and immersive album listening experience in Auckland, NZ. She welcomes fans into her world with larger-than-life activations befitting of her vision throughout the weekend. Today, fans can use the global Twitter emoji for the album’s release when they use the hashtags #BENEE and #Heyux. On November 18th, BENEE will be answering fan questions during a Reddit AMA with the /popheads community.
BENEE continued to make headlines leading up to Hey u x’s release. Billboard recently touted her among its “21 Under 21 Artists,” and she took home “Best New Zealand Act” at the 2020 MTV EMAs.
Hey u x TRACKLIST
“Happen To Me”
“Same Effect”
“Sheesh” feat. Grimes
“Supalonely” feat. Gus Dapperton
“Snail”
“Plain” feat. Lily Allen & Flo Milli
“Kool”
“Winter” feat. Mallrat
“A Little While”
“Night Garden” feat. Kenny Beats & Bakar
“All The Time” feat. Muroki
“If I Get To Meet You”
“C U”
Can You Mash Up Buffalo Springfield’s For What It’s Worth With Young MC’s Bust a Move? Absolutely.
Bill McClintock has wonderfully put together a mashup of the classic Buffalo Springfield anthem “For What It’s Worth” with the eYoung MC song “Bust A Move” from 1989. If that’s enough, he threw in Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard and Van Halen, too.
The Chesterfield New Video Interview Series Hosted by iskwē and Ben Rayner
FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting is pleased to announce The Chesterfield, a new video interview series about Canadian culture where notable Canadian artists reveal the Canadian art that inspires them. Hosted by songwriter and performance artist iskwē, and entertainment journalist Ben Rayner, The Chesterfield will premiere Tuesday, October 6, 2020 on YouTube and run weekly for 12 episodes.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3NjAbjocIW16rn8Q-ljgwQ
The Chesterfield will feature iskwē and Ben Rayner interviewing prominent Canadian musicians, authors, filmmakers, comedians, and more. Guests in the debut season include Jann Arden, Michael de Adder, Ali Hassan, Max Kerman of The Arkells, Jeff Lemire, Catherine MacLellan, Chris Murphy of Sloan, Alanis Obomsawin, Fred Penner, George Stroumboulopoulos, Diana Reyes aka Fly Lady Di, and David A. Robertson.
In each 15-minute episode of The Chesterfield, guests will discuss their favourite book, film, record, painting or other Canadian creation and discuss the importance of appreciating our own Canadian culture. When watching The Chesterfield, audiences can look forward to diving into the role of Canadian arts in national identity by examining such diverse influential Canadian works as CBC TV’s Kids in the Hall, Cherie Dimaline’s novel The Marrow Thieves, Maestro Fresh-Wes’ “Let Your Backbone Slide” and David Blackwood’s painting Cape Spear.
FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting has commissioned The Chesterfield as part of its ongoing advocacy on behalf of Canadians who recognize the importance of telling our own stories. These conversations about Canadian culture will reinforce FRIENDS’ fight for a strong public broadcaster and media now, and into the future.
iskwē is a songwriter, performance artist and activist originally from Winnipeg, now based in Hamilton and Montreal. A nominee for the Juno Awards and Polaris Music Prize, and regular performer at festivals across the country, when the pandemic lockdown hit she created “Live from my Living Room” on her Instagram – a series of conversations with such Canadian talent as Jann Arden, Strombo and Lights. A multi-disciplinary artist of Cree and Métis descent, iskwē will present the diversity of Canadian art, from film and music to comedy and dance.
Ben Rayner is a veteran newspaper journalist specializing in music and popular culture who just retired from a twenty+ year career as the staff critic at The Toronto Star. Born in England to two reporter parents, he grew up in Newfoundland and New Brunswick, graduated from Carleton University’s journalism program, and has been roaming the country in search of his next favourite band ever since. Beyond music, Ben’s obsessions include theoretical physics, horror films and UFOs. Expect the unexpected.
Bizet’s Carmen on glassware
The amount of hours it must have taken trying to get the water just right in each glass and put in the right order is astoudning.
The Weeknd Set To Headline The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show
Pepsi, the NFL and Roc Nation announced The Weeknd, one of today’s most compelling and significant artists of a generation, will perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show on CBS at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Fla. on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021.
In less than a decade, The Weeknd has amassed a global fanbase, become a multi-award winning artist, and recently, was named one of the most influential people of 2020 by Time Magazine. Regarded for his creative vision, The Weeknd is known for his genre-bending music and redefining storytelling, both sonically and visually.
Marking the second year of this collaboration, Pepsi, the NFL and Roc Nation are excited to bring The Weeknd to the world’s biggest stage for what is sure to be a transcendent performance.
The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show telecast will be produced by DPS with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serving as executive producers, and Hamish Hamilton serving as director. Roc Nation is also serving as the strategic entertainment advisors of the live performance.
“We all grow up watching the world’s biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position. I’m humbled, honored and ecstatic to be the center of that infamous stage this year,” The Weeknd said.
“The Weeknd has introduced a sound all his own. His soulful uniqueness has defined a new generation of greatness in music and artistry,” said Shawn JAY-Z Carter. “This is an extraordinary moment in time and the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show is going to be an extraordinary experience with an extraordinary performer.”
The Black Keys’ “Brothers” Deluxe Remastered Anniversary Edition Set For Release On December 18
he Black Keys release Brothers (Deluxe Remastered Anniversary Edition), an expanded version of their watershed 2010 multi-platinum, Grammy-winning sixth studio album December 18, 2020 in the US and Canada and on January 1, 2021 in all other territories, via Nonesuch Records, on which the record is newly available throughout the world. To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Brothers will be re-released with three added bonus songs: “Keep My Name Outta Your Mouth,” “Black Mud Part II,” and “Chop and Change.” It will be available in three formats: a 7” box set, a 2-LP set, and a CD (full info about each below). This will be the first in an annual series of archival releases from the band. The band today also share their promotional video for the release, directed by Bryan Schlam.
Members of The Black Keys fan club, The Lonely Boys and Girls Club, were treated to an early listen of one of the new tracks from the deluxe reissue, as well as an early look at some of the bonus material included in the upcoming release.
Brothers, originally released on May 18, 2010, was largely recorded at the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama. It was a career breakthrough for The Black Keys, receiving critical praise and earning three Grammy Awards, for Best Alternative Album, Best Rock Performance, and Best Recording Packaging for Michael Carney’s design. Upon release, Rolling Stone hailed the album “a masterpiece,” and Uncut named them “one of the best rock ‘n’ roll bands on the planet.”
Although they realized upon their arrival in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in hot and humid August that the studio had seen better days, the band—singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney—brought in their own equipment and proceeded. The oppressive Alabama summer weather “forced us into the studio,” Carney says. “We went into that darkness and stayed there.”
The duo recorded nine of the original Brothers songs in what was now “a remote recording in a historic room that had been gutted,” Auerbach recalls, adding that the location contributed to the vibe of Brothers nonetheless: “You can feel it if you’re a musician, the great things that happened in a place. Half of the thing that we love is in our minds, but when we go to these shrines, it gives us inner strength. It feels magical—this is where the music was born.”
The band recorded additional material in other locations: the album song “Tighten Up” in Brooklyn with Danger Mouse (Brian Burton), several others on Auerbach’s eight-track in his Akron basement, and three in Mark Neill’s home studio in San Diego. “Chop and Change” and “Keep My Name Outta Your Mouth” are bonus tracks on this anniversary edition of Brothers. The band then gave the music to Tchad Blake to mix. Carney recalls, “We told Tchad, ‘Make it sound fucked up.'”
The album title highlighted a revived bond between the longtime bandmates and childhood neighbors, who had been through challenging times personally and professionally. Carney says, “I was thinking about what the record meant to me—how Dan and I had gone through this shit that brothers go through where you don’t get along, but then you do get along and realize it’s an unconditional love.” It was reminiscent of one of Auerbach’s favorite Allman Brothers albums, too: “As soon as Pat suggested it, I loved it.”
The Black Keys released their ninth studio album, “Let’s Rock,” via Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch Records last year. The album received critical praise, with Pitchfork saying, “This is an album by the Black Keys called ‘Let’s Rock.’ That’s what it does.” The Wall Street Journal said, “The Black Keys have mastered the form of guitar-based music, and the craft at work on these dozen songs is something to behold.”
Brothers (Deluxe Remastered Anniversary Edition) Track Listing:
1. Everlasting Light
2. Next Girl
3. Tighten Up
4. Howlin’ for You
5. She’s Long Gone
6. Black Mud
7. The Only One
8. Too Afraid to Love You
9. Ten Cent Pistol
10. Sinister Kid
11. The Go Getter
12. I’m Not the One
13. Unknown Brother
14. Never Give You Up
15. These Days
16. Chop and Change *
17. Keep My Name Outta Your Mouth **
18. Black Mud Part II ***
*Previously released on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
**Previously unreleased
***Previously unreleased
Brothers (Deluxe Remastered Anniversary Edition) 7” Box Set
● Limited edition – only 7500 copies available worldwide
● Nine 7” singles
● New liner notes written by David Fricke
● Three bonus songs
● 60-page book of photos from the archives
● Limited edition poster
● Special heat-sensitive ink on cover
Brothers (Deluxe Remastered Anniversary Edition) 2-LP Set
● 140 gram vinyl
● 12” vinyl tip-on gatefold double-pocket album jacket
● New liner notes written by David Fricke
● Three bonus songs
● Insert with photos
Brothers (Deluxe Remastered Anniversary Edition) CD
● Single CD
● Booklet with new liner notes written by David Fricke and photos from the archive
● Three bonus songs
Tones & I Returns With New Single “Fly Away”
Australian artist Tones And I has returned with a brand-new single “Fly Away,” which is available now on all streaming platforms. The track, which is accompanied by a cinematic official music video live now on Tones And I’s YouTube channel, marks a new chapter in the global phenom’s already historic career and serves as a preview to her widely anticipated full-length debut.
Regarding “Fly Away,” Tones And I commented, “‘Fly Away’ is about chasing your dreams, reaching your goals and the realities that comes with it. Being a busker, I obviously had bigger dreams. However, this song is inspired by the way I thought I would feel versus the way I actually feel. I think that’s very powerful, at least to me. It’s about genuine happiness and what we think we need to have happiness versus what we actually want. The truth is we only ever want anything because we think it will make us happy, but it’s never that simple.”
Tones And I wrote “Fly Away” solely by herself while quarantining at home in Melbourne during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Co-produced by Tones And I and Dann Hume, the song stands out as one of her most personal, poetic, and powerful compositions as she confides, “I had dream that someday I would just fly, fly away.” Additionally, Tones And I chose to take a photo with her grandfather for the track’s single art (see below). “It’s a beautiful song, and I knew he would particularly like this one, so I thought it was the right choice. He’s my Pa, and I wanted to have something cool for us to do together that I can look back on. He’s also a boss!”
“Fly Away” marks yet another major moment in Tones and I’s unbelievable journey. Earlier this fall, she recruited blackbear for the official Remix of her 2020 hit “Ur So F**kInG cOoL,” the single version of which has surpassed 80 million streams globally and broke into the Top 40 radio charts stateside. “Ur So F**kInG cOoL” also follows Tones And I’s standalone tracks “Can’t Be Happy All The Time” and “Bad Child” – the latter of which Tones And I debuted a stripped back piano performance of on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Tones And I was recently picked by Billboard as a frontrunner for “Record of the Year” and a likely nominee for “Best New Artist” at the 2021 GRAMMY® Awards following the massive impact of her global smash “Dance Monkey.” “Dance Monkey” has not only emerged as the most Shazam’d single of all time and crossed 1.3 billion views on YouTube, but has also become the 4th most streamed song of all time on Spotify and the most streamed song ever by a female artist on the platform. “Dance Monkey” has also eclipsed seven billion streams globally and earned 4x platinum certification from the RIAA in the US, while reaching multiplatinum or diamond certification in sixteen other countries. Plus, “Dance Monkey” hit #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, making “Dance Monkey” the first top five Hot 100 hit solely written by a woman in over eight years. In Australia, “Dance Monkey” holds the all-time record for the most weeks spent at #1 on the ARIA singles chart, while in the UK “Dance Monkey” has made Tones And I the longest running #1 of all time by a female artist on the Official Singles Chart. The New York Times detailed the making of “Dance Monkey” in their Diary of a Song video series, speaking with Tones And I about her journey from local busker to global star.
“Dance Monkey” is featured on Tones And I’s RIAA gold certified debut EP The Kids Are Coming which earned her four major wins back home at last year’s ARIA Awards including: “Breakthrough Artist,” “Best Female Artist,” “Best Pop Release,” and “Best Independent Release.” Following the EP’s release Tones And I showcased her staggering voice across performances of “Dance Monkey” and standout single “Never Seen The Rain,” appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Voice, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Today Show.
Tones And I rescheduled her upcoming Australian headline tour to 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. Tickets for the rescheduled dates, which are set to kick off April 21st in Melbourne featuring special guests Jakubi and Billy Davis, are on sale now at www.tonesandi.com
Originally from Australia’s Mornington Peninsula, Tones And I traveled to Byron Bay in early 2018 to take a chance at busking. On the first day she had crowds spilling onto the street. Tones quit her retail job and decided to make Byron her new home where she lived out of her van for a year, honing her songwriting and busking every weekend. A year later, she had one of the biggest songs in the world with her global smash “Dance Monkey.”
Neon Dreams Release Sophomore Album ‘The Happiness of Tomorrow’
Halifax alt-pop duo Neon Dreams have released their sophomore album The Happiness of Tomorrow, available today. Frank Kadillac and Adrian Morris embarked on a 12-date run that started last night in Halifax, making them one of the only bands touring in North America for the remainder of 2020. Neon Dreams are taking advantage of the COVID-safe Atlantic Bubble that enables them to perform for fans in person at selected venues.
Sometimes the most terrible situations can have positive outcomes. For Neon Dreams, COVID-19 shutting down the world was the catalyst for their sophomore album, The Happiness of Tomorrow. Though Frank Kadillac and Adrian Morris had dozens of songs written pre-pandemic, the title track was conceived in quarantine and became the spark for the rest of the project.
“This album wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t go into quarantine,” Kadillac admits. “I wouldn’t have had time to watch the movies or think about the thoughts that influenced it. I’m not happy all this happened, but I’m happy I had the time to think about my life and where I come from.”
After writing The Happiness of Tomorrow, the rest of the album fell into place. Neon Dreams polished the six tracks that would accompany it and organized them like a coming of age movie soundtrack. Aside from the album, the alt-pop duo is releasing a series of videos—“House Party,” “Don’t Go Hating Me Now,” “All The People,” and “I’m With You”—that tell a cohesive story.
Kadillac and drummer Adrian Morris have been making music together under Neon Dreams since 2015, but it wasn’t until last year that Kadillac realized his true purpose. After pushing himself too far and experiencing insomnia for the first time in his life, the singer wanted to get help—but not from a doctor. He had dabbled in meditation in the past and decided to attend the Sedona Meditation Center Mother Earth Retreat. There, he detoxed from life and recalled horrifying memories he had previously blocked out.
After writing from a place of sadness for so long, Kadillac felt moved to invoke positivity with his music. Though the band had already garnered a gold single in “Marching Bands,” accumulated tens of millions of streams, and won numerous Canadian awards—including a coveted JUNO for Breakthrough Group of the Year —the singer-songwriter wanted to reinvent their sound. He promptly deleted a full album’s worth of songs and started Neon Dreams anew.
In 2019, the duo released Sweet Dream till Sunbeams—an album comprising nine uplifting songs about not fitting in and overcoming adversity—and have continued to drop new material this year, covering subjects from Kadillac’s painful youth to his mother beating cancer. Though they consider themselves to be “alt-pop,” Neon Dreams’ music can’t be pigeonholed. Kadillac likes to describe their sound as “if Adam Levine and Gym Class Heroes made a band that was influenced by early 2000s, late ‘90s inspirational coming of age movie soundtracks.”
Atlantic Canadian Tour Dates:
Nov 13: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nov 14: Fredericton, New Brunswick
Nov 15: Moncton, New Brunswick
Nov 16: Sydney, Nova Scotia
Nov 19: St. John’s, Newfoundland
Nov 20: Clarenville, Newfoundland
Nov 21: Marystown, Newfoundland
Nov 25: Gander, Newfoundland
Nov 26: Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland
Nov 27: Stephenville, Newfoundland
Nov 28: Corner Brook, Newfoundland