Congratulations! You now run your own country and get to make up a rule.
Register Now – FACTOR 101: Info Session for Women & Gender Minorities
This event is open to women and gender minorities, including but not limited to trans individuals (AMAB and AFAB), agender and non-binary people.
Join us to learn more about what kind of music funding you can access through FACTOR, how the application process works, and general advice and tips on applying! We will discuss our two juried programs, Artist Development and Juried Sound Recording, as well as some other funding programs. In the end we will have time for questions to address your specific concerns. A FACTOR-funded artist (TBD) will join us to give some insights into their grant writing process.
This virtual session will take place on Microsoft Teams. Once you register we will send you a link to join the meeting closer to the event date. You can also find the link to join the meeting on the Eventbrite online event page section. Please note that you do not need to download Microsoft Teams to join the meeting, you should be able to click the link and use a web browser version.
Apple for the free event here.
Steve Earle, Bobbie Gentry, Kent Blazy, Brett James and Spooner Oldham elected to Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
Steve Earle, Bobbie Gentry, Kent Blazy, Brett James and Spooner Oldham have been elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, according to an announcement made today by Sarah Cates, chair of the organization’s board of directors.
The five new inductees-elect – who next year will join 219 of their previously named colleagues in the elite organization – will be officially inducted during the “50-51” edition of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Monday, November 1, 2021, at the Music City Center. The Class of 2020 will join the yet-to-be named Class of 2021 to celebrate the 50th and 51st anniversaries of the event, which was postponed this year because of the ongoing health crisis.
“This year marks our 50th year to welcome a new class into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. And although our year has looked different, we couldn’t be more excited to continue our commitment and core mission by announcing the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Class of 2020,” says Cates. “It’s our great honor today to welcome our class of 2020: Kent Blazy and Brett James in the songwriter category; Spooner Oldham in the veteran songwriter category, Steve Earle as our songwriter/artist and Bobbie Gentry as our veteran songwriter/artist.”
Kentucky native Kent Blazy’s songwriter credits include “If Tomorrow Never Comes” (Garth Brooks), “Ain’t Goin’ Down (’Til The Sun Comes Up)” (Garth Brooks) and “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)” (Chris Young).
Artist/songwriter Brett James’ resume is known for “Jesus Take The Wheel” (Carrie Underwood), “When The Sun Goes Down” (Kenny Chesney & Uncle Kracker) and “Summer Nights” (Rascal Flatts).
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Spooner Oldham is the writer of R&B and Pop hits such as “I’m Your Puppet” (James & Bobby Purify), “Cry Like A Baby” (The Box Tops) and “Sweet Inspiration” (The Sweet Inspirations).
Multiple Grammy Award winner Steve Earle recorded many of his self-penned hits, including “Guitar Town,” “Copperhead Road” and “The Devil’s Right Hand.”
Artist/songwriter/producer Bobbie Gentry popularized many of her own compositions such as the oft-recorded smash “Ode To Billie Joe,” “Fancy” and “Mornin’ Glory.”
A mandolin and accordion cover of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck!” This. Is. Bardcore!
Accordion in the Middle Ages??? Yes. This is Johan Carlsberg’s medieval version of AC/DC.
My Next Read: “150 Glimpses of The Beatles” by Craig Brown
Though fifty years have passed since the breakup of the Beatles, the fab four continue to occupy an utterly unique place in popular culture. Their influence extends far beyond music and into realms as diverse as fashion and fine art, sexual politics and religion. When they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, fresh off the plane from England, they provoked an epidemic of hoarse-throated fandom that continues to this day.
Who better, then, to capture the Beatles phenomenon than Craig Brown―the inimitable author of Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret and master chronicler of the foibles and foppishness of British high society? 150 Glimpses of the Beatles is a wide-ranging portrait of the four lads from Liverpool rivals the unique spectacle of the band itself by delving into a vast catalog of heretofore unexamined lore.
When actress Eleanor Bron touched down at Heathrow with the Beatles, she thought that a flock of starlings had alighted on the roof of the terminal―only to discover that the birds were in fact young women screaming at the top of their lungs. One journalist, mistaken for Paul McCartney as he trailed the band in his car, found himself nearly crushed to death as fans climbed atop the vehicle and pressed their bodies against the windshield. Or what about the Baptist preacher who claimed that the Beatles synchronized their songs with the rhythm of an infant’s heartbeat so as to induce a hypnotic state in listeners? And just how many people have employed the services of a Canadian dentist who bought John Lennon’s tooth at auction, extracted its DNA, and now offers paternity tests to those hoping to sue his estate?
150 Glimpses of the Beatles is, above all, a distinctively kaleidoscopic examination of the Beatles’ effect on the world around them and the world they helped bring into being. Part anthropology and part memoir, and enriched by the recollections of everyone from Tom Hanks to Bruce Springsteen, this book is a humorous, elegiac, and at times madcap take on the Beatles’ role in the making of the sixties and of music as we know it.
BTS: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
NPR has been trying to make a BTS Tiny Desk concert happen for years now — even gaming out ways we might move show host Bob Boilen’s desk far enough forward to accommodate the superstar Korean boy band’s dance moves.
In the end, it took a global pandemic — and the launch of Tiny Desk (home) concerts back in March — to make something happen.
Crystal Shawanda on the cover of Maple Blues
There’s a tendency these days to try to pigeonhole any artist that attempts to breach the boundaries. Chalk it up to the restrictions of radio playlists or the media’s attempt to strictly define musicians by the music it believes artists ought to be making, creative instincts be damned.
Nevertheless Crystal Shawanda opted to defy those demands and chart her own path forward. Initially signed to RCA in 2007, she hit her stride as a country singer and songwriter when she scored a top 20 hit with her song “You Can Let Go” and subsequently tallied sales of over 50,000 copies of her debut album Dawn of a New Day and subsequently debuted in the Billboard Top 20. Nevertheless, she began to realize that the blues had captured her muse, and with that, she left the label, shifted her stance and began recording albums that reflected her love of blues and her natural affinity for that sound.
As she once told an interviewer, “The whole time I was singing Patsy Cline on stage, I was singing Etta James at home.”
Her new album Church House Blues reflects that dedication and devotion and finds her co-writing seven of the ten songs on the album. Produced by her husband, collaborator and cowriter Dewayne Strobel, it not only marks her fourth blues effort to date, but one of her most demonstrative as well. That’s evident at the outset, from the fiery delivery of the title track, the riveting drive of “New Orleans Is Sinking,” and the assertive strains of “Rather Be Alone,” to the quiet, contemplative desire and despair that scorches “Evil Memory,” the radio-ready hooks illuminated in “Hey Love,” and the emotive strains instilled in the bittersweet ballads “When It Comes To Love” and “Bigger Than the Blues.” At the center of it all is Crystal’s evocative vocals, a powerful, provocative force of nature that elevates each encounter and sends the album’s entries soaring towards the stratosphere.
Credit is also due some spectacular guest artists, including session superstar Dave Roe on bass (Johnny Cash, Yola, Ceelo Green, among the many), the McCrary Sisters on backing vocals, Dana Robbins of Delbert McClinton’s band on sax, and Peter Keys of Lynyrd Skynyrd playing keys.
Most importantly, Crystal says that the recording allowed her to express herself without feeling like anyone was looking over her shoulder. “This is the most I’ve ever loved an album out of everything I’ve ever done,” she insists. “This is really who I am. It’s my most definitive album yet. All these songs reflect different aspects of who I am. It’s putting a finger on that definitively. I’m not trying to prove anything. I’m just being me. I’m done with trying to fit in.”
Our Lady Peace Releases 20th Anniversary Remastered Edition Of Double-Platinum Certified Album Spiritual Machines
Four-time JUNO award winning group, Our Lady Peace, celebrates the 20th anniversary of their double-platinum album Spiritual Machines. To commemorate this alt-rock masterpiece, the group releases a remastered edition of the cult-favourite on Friday November 6th via Sony Music Entertainment Canada, and available on all streaming platforms. Additionally, selections from the Our Lady Peace Live DVD will be released on YouTube in high definition starting November 8th. Recorded in 2003, the concert features performances of “Life”, “Right Behind You (Mafia)”, “Are You Sad” and “In Repair”.
Originally released in December 2000, Spiritual Machines features many fan-favourite singles, including “In Repair”, “Life” and “Right Behind You (Mafia)”. These singles went on to become major Canadian rock radio hits, helping the album sell more than 200,000 copies in Canada alone. The animated video for “In Repair” won Best Video, Best Post-Production and Best Director at the 2001 Much Music Video Awards.
As the band’s fourth studio release, Spiritual Machines is a conceptual interpretation of non-fiction book written by futurist/inventor Raymond Kurzweil, The Age of Spiritual Machines. Kurzweil is featured throughout the album in spoken word vignettes in which he prophesizes the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of humankind.
“Spiritual Machines, our first attempt at a concept record, will always remain for me, a balance between, futuristic science and the heart of the human condition, says bassist Duncan Coutts. “We were extremely fortunate to get the opportunity to work with Ray Kurzweil, whose book, The Age Of Spiritual Machines, had us fascinated by the possibility of what the future could look like; but at the end of the the day, I think the album is comprised of more heart than science. Lyrically, songs like Life, In Repair and Are You Sad still hit me on an emotional level”.
While reminiscing about the inspiration behind the album, lead vocalist Raine Maida affirms, “Twenty years ago, Ray Kurzweil helped inspire Spiritual Machines. His futurist predictions reflected in the music and his recordings for the album, were 87% accurate. I still feel so honoured to have been a part of such a unique recording.”
In August 2020, Our Lady Peace announced a direct sequel, titled Spiritual Machines II, was in the works and planned for release in 2021.
Spiritual Machines Remastered Tracklisting
1. R.K. Intro
2. Right Behind You (Mafia)
3. R.K. 2029
4. In Repair
5. Life
6. Middle of Yesterday
7. Are You Sad
8. R.K. 2029 (Part 2)
9. Made to Heal
10. R.K. 1949-97
11. Everyone’s A Junkie
12. R.K. on Death
13. All My Friends
14. If You Believe
15. The Wonderful Future
16. R.K. and Molly
Toronto’s Queen of the Dance Scene MELLEEFRESH is Invincible with New Full-Length LP
When it comes to the Canadian electronic music scene, there are indisputable legends among us. One just so happens to be the inimitable and iconic Melleefresh and her newest album release, Invincible.
The newly minted knock-out LP is teeming start to finish with alluring tracks that gracefully gravitate to that space between dance pop and classic house — a space the acclaimed dance music diva has arguably owned since stepping onto the scene in the early ‘90s.
Speaking of the space between, Invincible is not without the very mischievous moments Melleefresh is known for, while a step back reveals powerful, inspiring themes of togetherness, unity, positivity, and a brighter future; it’s an album offering that’s found the prolific chanteuse at her most self-assured and hopeful.
“Invincible, unbeatable, indestructible, unstoppable,” Melleefresh lists. “Four words that describe the album.
“Totally next level, just like me!”
This album’s first released fire track “Let’s Do It Together” came together by reading the room; COVID-19 proved to be a perfect inspiration for Melleefresh and her production team. “What a perfect song for these crazee lockdown days we’re all living through,” she marvels. “What better time for a ‘pandemic party.’”
The way it all came together was a peak-summer fever dream — a process Melleefresh wouldn’t have any other way. “It was a super-hot and steamy summer night, and we’d been locked down since March,” she recalls of the process. “I was up late, as usual, and I got a text from Callum Magnum saying ‘I have some music,’ and when I asked who it was from he said, ‘it’s me.’
“I loved it, so I said ‘who is It’s Me? We need to find them.’ He was like, ‘no, it’s me! It’s my beat.’ I was like, holy s—!
“I went right over at 3:00 am and, by the next morning, we had an album of eight tracks — lyrics, and everything. Boom, it was done!”
It may have been done, but Melleefresh went back the following night for a late-night drive in her car — a can’t-miss custom purple Porsche tricked end to end with a luxe turquoise interior. “Callum and I drove around with the top down and with the music blasting; you know — the ‘car test.’ Then we stopped at an empty parking lot down by Cherry Beach and just raved out in front of the headlights of the car.
“The music sounded sooooo good,” she continues. “We knew it was magic on the spot.”
If there’s one thing the Toronto-based artist knows it’s how to create music magic, as demonstrated by her distinguished and multi-award winning and nominated career.
Deemed “one of the pivotal figures in North American dance music” by Clash Magazine, Melleefresh has been a prominent avant-garde performance artist on the scene for the last 30 years.
The President and founder of Play Records — the label deadmau5 was discovered by and first signed to, and who she collaborated with as freshmau5 on many tracks, including the 2008 JUNO Award-nominated release, After Hours — Melleefresh has also collaborated with, including Dirty 30 (Alixander III), Billy Newton-Davis, Calvertron, Hoxton Whores, 40oz Profits, Gettoblasters, Jerome Robbins, MC Flipside, and more.
Melleefresh also co-founded Play Deep — a state-of-the-art recording studio in London — with DJ Spydabrown (Zachary Spider Brown-Smith), and has played host to recording sessions for the likes of The Spice Girls, Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora, Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino, Nadia Rose, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Gigs, Offset, and more.
It wouldn’t be a Melleefresh or Play Records release without some serious remixes on the table. “I got some super-amazing remixes from some new Canadian producers on Play,” Melleefresh shares. “Kardano, from Vancouver who I met at ADE in Amsterdam — his sound is very classy, West Coast-lounge house with a disco vibe… There’s also DJ Genderfluid with their groundbreaking trashy hard-house.
“My good friend DJ Danny Jay is a solid house producer from Liverpool; he’s been releasing music with Play since we first got onto Beatport in 2005, and he never lets me down with a bangin’ club-y tech house remix.
“I’m also working with my newest BFF, Princess Superstar, and she’s going to do a rap/hip hop style on the track,” she teases. “We’re going for a ‘Powerful Beadadoobie’ vibe using my vox as the chorus.
“It should be interesting… Two powerful women like me and Princess Superstar? Anything could happen!”
Saint John, NB Folk & Roots Duo TOMATO/TOMATO Are “Chasing Rainbows” With Their New Song
Saint John, New Brunswick folk and roots duo Tomato/Tomato have been “Chasing Rainbows” when it comes to their new single.
The track is the first to land from their forthcoming album, It’ll Come Around, set for release this November 20th, and was penned on a picture-perfect morning with their daughter Lucy. “It was a sunny Saturday, and we were reflecting on some vivid childhood memories,” John and Lisa McLaggan share of the song’s creation process.
“When we began writing for the album, we weren’t quite sure what direction we would be heading,” John continues. “We were, though, feeling strong pulls back to our roots.”
For John, that was how he grew up listening to mix tapes his father made for him, complete with generous helpings of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Buddy Holly, and loads of other early rock n’ roll in between. For Lisa, who grew up in Chicago, it was a draw to early influences of Motown and the Blues.
“The direction for It’ll Come Around was solidified when a long-lost family heirloom returned to our lives,” Lisa adds. “In 1974, John’s Uncle David died tragically at the age of 19 in a gas station explosion. John never had the opportunity to meet his Uncle, but he knew they shared a love for the guitar.”
“I’d always wondered what happened to his guitar,” John says. “After we moved into our new home, the 40-year mystery was solved, however: as it turns out, our neighbour had the guitar and generously agreed to a trade!”
Inspired by this connection to his family’s past, John soon finished writing the album on the newly acquired ’64 Fender Stratocaster in their home base of Saint John, New Brunswick.
“It turned out to be the missing piece of the puzzle,” John says. “Everything else just fell into place.”
Recording It’ll Come Around involved a return to Nashville to work with producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist Jon Estes. The McLaggan’s spent six days recording the majority of the instrumental parts with some of the city’s finest before returning home to round out the vocals. The final result is a high-energy roots-rock album with a vintage vibe.
“Chasing Rainbows,” specifically, also features a beautiful string arrangement by Matt Combs.
Tomato/Tomato have toured nationally as well as to Australia and the UK. They’ve received multiple nominations from the East Coast Music Awards, Music/Musique New Brunswick, and the Canadian Folk Music Awards, as well as awards for Group Recording of the Year, SOCAN Song of the Year, and the well-deserved Hardest Working Artist Award.
Their fifth release, It’ll Come Around arrives at the end of a year where the title’s message of optimism feels both relevant and needed, and follows 2019’s Canary in a Coal Mine, 2017’s Pinecones and Cinnamon, and both of 2016’s So It Goes and I Go Where You Go.
“Chasing Rainbows” is available now. It’ll Come Around is available November 20th, 2020.