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Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Releasing New Vinyls of Classic Albums on September 13

Eric Alper
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Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Releasing New Vinyls of Classic Albums on September 13

Multi-GRAMMY Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo announce new vinyl reissues of three seminal albums, Crimes Of Passion, In The Heat Of The Night, and Precious Time, out September 13, 2024, via UMe.

Each LP will be available in various limited-edition configurations: In The Heat Of The Night will be pressed on either Black or Tangerine Vinyl, Crimes Of Passion on either Black or Opaque Magenta Vinyl, and Precious Time on either Black or Opaque Fruit Punch Vinyl.

“We know how much you’ve wanted reissues of the early records on vinyl. Finally, here they are! Happy listening, enjoy!” – Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

Preorder In The Heat Of The Night, Crimes Of Passion, and Precious Time HERE.

The platinum-certified debut, In The Heat Of The Night, initially landed in 1979, effectively introducing Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo to the world. It notably boasts anthemic hits such as “Heartbreaker,” “I Need A Lover,” and “We Live For Love.”

Just a year later, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo returned with Crimes Of Passion in 1980. It reached #2 on the Billboard 200 and went 4x-Platinum. In addition to housing hits “You Better Run” and “Treat Me Right,” it included the signature smash “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” which went Top 10 in the United States. The album marked their first GRAMMY® Award win for “Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female.”

1981’s Precious Time bowed at #1 on the Billboard 200 and touted “Promises In The Dark” and “Fire And Ice,” notching their second straight GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female.” The record also went 2x-Platinum.

To date, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo have sold over 30 million records worldwide and garnered four consecutive GRAMMY Awards.

Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are on tour this summer, too.  For dates and more information, click HERE.

CBC Music Announces Searchlight 2024: The Elite 50 Artists

Eric Alper
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CBC Music Announces Searchlight 2024: The Elite 50 Artists

The first milestone of this year’s Searchlight contest is finally here, as we reveal the artists who have made the Elite 50.

Discover more about each artist by reading their profiles as you listen to their songs here.

Here’s how the national Elite 50 was decided. Each artist was judged on the following:

  • Potential for success in the Canadian music industry.

  • Vocal performance, quality of music and lyric composition.

  • Our judges’ impression of your song and your career to date.

  • Social media engagement and streaming numbers.

Please also note that the quality of each song was judged on audio, not video.

See the musicians who made the Elite 50 below.

CBC Music’s Searchlight 2024 Elite 50  

1. Alexander Wesley, “Tied Up” (Brampton, Ont.)
2. Amanda Jordan, “You Don’t Wanna Know” (Smiths Fall, Ont.)
3. Aphrose, “Roses” (Toronto).
4. Arianna Reid, “Out of the Game” (Brampton, Ont.)
5. Avry, “Run Into Me” (Toronto).
6. B00sted, “Selfish” (Mission, B.C.)
7. B.Rob, “Can’t Believe” (Toronto).
8. Bree Taylor, “Standing Still” (Mississauga, Ont.)
9. Cab’Ral, “Good Girl” (Edmonton).
10. Calling all Captains, “Undone” (Edmonton).
11. Chloé Caroline, “94” (Los Angeles).
12. Con the Artist, “All My Friends” (Toronto).
13. Darrian Gerard, “Villian” (Duncan, B.C.)
14. Dee Dee Austin, “Why Am I So Different” (Fall River, N.S.)
15. Drew Gregory, “This Side of the Dirt” (Standard, Alta.)
16. Eleanor, “Former Friend” (Toronto).
17. Elenee, “I Don’t Want It” (Lloydminster, Sask.)
18. Francis Skyes, “Break My Fall” (Moncton, N.B.)
19. fxrrvst, “Lavender” (Toronto).
20. Haleluya Hailu, “Postal Code” (Surrey, B.C.)
21. Housewife, “I Lied” (Toronto).
22. Jackson Hollow, “Travelin’ Heart” (Vancouver).
23. Jaguar Sun, “Don’t Stress” (Toronto).
24. Jessa Sky, “Anxiety” (Edmonton).
25. Josh Alexander, “Why Am I Falling For You” (Montreal).
26. Josh Sahunta, “Someone Like You” (Edmonton).
27. Jr. Rhodes, “What I Gotta Say” (Edmonton).
28. Justin Fancy, “Lie” (Conception Bay South, N.L.)
29. Justine Blanchet, “Cheap Sunglasses” (Montreal).
30. Kam Prada, “Sid’s Song” (Calgary).
31. LeFlofranco, “Sonner L’Alarme” (Ottawa).
32. Levy, “Half Alive” (Dieppe, N.B.)
33. LostsOfficial, “I’ll Be There” (Toronto).
34. Madisyn Gifford, “For Shaughnessy” (White Rock, B.C.)
35. Maeesha B, “Prove It” (Ottawa).
36. Maggie Andrew, “About Us” (Halifax).
37. Maurice Moore, “memrise” (Ottawa).
38. Mauvey, “Pray For You” (Chilliwack, B.C.)
39. Nige B, “Tears On Love Letters (feat. Dubbygotbars) [Remix]” (La Ronge, Sask.)
40. Nobro, “Where My Girls At” (Montreal).
41. Omega Mighty, “Badgirl Workout” (Ajax, Ont.)
42. Pelch, “Last Night” (Montreal).
43. Quincy Isaiah, “Say Less” (Toronto)
44. Rachelle Show, “Stranger” (Toronto).
45. Rarity, “Keep It To Yourself” (Hamilton, Ont.)
46. Roveena, “Save Me” (Toronto).
47. Steph LaRochelle, “Slow” (Ottawa).
48. Summer Bennet, “Just a Phase” (Paradise, N.L.)
49. Tinywiings, “Lighter” (Calgary).
50. X. Ari, “She Knows It” (Pickering, Ont.)

Congratulations once again to our Elite 50. Please check back in on Friday, Aug.16, 2024, at 8 a.m. ET when our Top 10 finalists will be revealed. All 10 artists will be chosen by our judges.

Our grand prize winner and the four secondary winners of CBC Music’s Searchlight 2024 competition will be announced on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, at 8 a.m. ET.

Each of the artists in the Elite 50 will be featured on our new Searchlight Standout stream, and you can listen to the playlist via CBC Listen or using the CBC Listen app.

Fleetwood Mac To Release 22-Track Concert With Six Unreleased Songs from 1982 Forum Shows

Eric Alper
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Fleetwood Mac To Release 22-Track Concert With Six Unreleased Songs from 1982 Forum Shows

Live recordings from Fleetwood Mac’s two sold-out shows at The Forum in 1982 during the Mirage Tour will be featured in a new collection from Rhino.

Mirage Tour ‘82 will be available on September 20 in 3LP, 2CD, and digital configurations. Pre-order HERE. On the same day, a special crystal-clear vinyl edition will be available exclusively at Amazon.

This 22-track live collection features six previously unreleased recordings from the October 21, 1982 show, including favorites like “Landslide,” “Don’t Stop,” and “Never Going Back Again.” The other songs were recorded at the October 22 show and have appeared on various releases through the years, including Live Super Deluxe Edition (2021), Mirage Super Deluxe Edition (2016) and the 1983 concert video Mirage Live.

In September 1982, Fleetwood Mac embarked on a 31-city U.S. tour in support of Mirage, the band’s fourth consecutive multi-platinum album and third No. 1 in America. Both shows at The Forum were recorded, and Mirage Tour ‘82 combines songs from both into a single concert experience.

Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks were at the height of their collective power at these shows, delivering a hyper-charged setlist filled with hits new and old. Standouts include “Songbird,” “Oh Well,” “Love In Store,” “Go Your Own Way,” and a version of “Landside” for the ages.

In the set’s liner notes, music journalist and songwriter Bill DeMain calls the collection “a riveting listen” and a reminder of a time when rock shows “were platforms to expand and reinvent songs for the stage, to let them breathe, to unleash different, wilder sides of a band.”

Fleetwood Mac Mirage Tour ‘82

CD Tracklist
Disc One
“Second Hand News”
“The Chain”
“Don’t Stop” *
“Dreams” *
“Oh Well” *
“Rhiannon”
“Brown Eyes”
“Eyes Of The World”
“Gypsy”
“Love In Store”
“Not That Funny”
Disc Two
“Never Going Back Again” *
“Landslide” *
“Tusk”
“Sara” *
“Hold Me”
“You Make Loving Fun”
“I’m So Afraid”
“Go Your Own Way”
“Blue Letter”
“Sisters Of The Moon”
“Songbird”

LP Tracklist
LP One: Side One
“Second Hand News”
“The Chain”
“Don’t Stop” *
“Dreams” *
Side Two
“Oh Well” *
“Rhiannon”
“Brown Eyes”
“Eyes Of The World”
LP Two: Side One
“Gypsy”
“Love In Store”
“Not That Funny”
Side Two
“Never Going Back Again” *
“Landslide” *
“Tusk”
LP Three: Side One
“Sara” *
“Hold Me”
“You Make Loving Fun”
“I’m So Afraid”
Side Two
“Go Your Own Way”
“Blue Letter”
“Sisters Of The Moon”
“Songbird”
* Previously Unreleased

‘Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story’ Opens In Canadian Cinemas Starting August 16

Eric Alper
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‘Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story’ Opens In Canadian Cinemas Starting August 16

Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee’s award-winning Banger Films/National Film Board of Canada (NFB) feature documentary Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story is opening in cinemas across Canada beginning August 16, distributed by the NFB.

Nashville-born soul singer Jackie Shane boldly carved a new path as one of music’s pioneering Black trans performers—but on the edge of stardom, why did she suddenly leave the spotlight?

Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story hands the mic over to one of the most beguiling artists of the 20th century to finally reveal her truth, in her own unmistakable voice. The film combines never-before-heard phone conversations, dazzling animation and an original score by Murray Lightburn (The Dears), in a remarkable portrait that includes Elliot Page (X-Men, The Umbrella Academy) as executive producer.

To date, Any Other Way has won the Out in the Silence Award at the Frameline International LGBTQ+ Film Festival in San Francisco as well as the DGC Special Jury Prize – Canadian Feature Documentary at Hot Docs, where it was also a Top 10 Audience Favourite. The film currently has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

National screening schedule

More cities to come—filmmaker Q&As at select screenings:

Additional festival screenings:

A star is reborn. With an outsize stage presence that eclipsed R&B greats like Etta James and Little Richard, Black trans soul singer Jackie Shane was the real deal.

Vowing to escape the Jim Crow South, Jackie joined a travelling carnival and arrived in Cornwall, Ontario, in 1959. In 1960, she moved to Montreal, joining with bandleader Frank Motley and his Motley Crew band as its singer, touring Canada and the U.S. before settling in Toronto in 1961. In an era when voices like hers were silenced and marginalized, Jackie blazed an incandescent trail to the top of the charts in 1960s Toronto, where she ruled the nightclub scene.

After mysteriously vanishing from public view for almost 40 years, this little-known icon is given her ultimate due in Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee’s remarkable documentary portrait Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, executive produced by Elliot Page.

With few recordings of her legendary performances, this film brings Jackie to life in her own words through never-before-heard phone conversations, dazzling rotoscope animation and a newly released song, part of an incredible soundtrack that seals Jackie’s place as one of the greatest soul performers of the 20th century.

The full scope of her extraordinary life and career is an epic journey, marked by family secrets, loss and love. From standing down the mob to telling off Ed Sullivan, Jackie lived as her most authentic self through talent, courage and an unbreakable commitment to truth. But on the eve of her return to the stage, fate had other plans. In Any Other Way, Jackie finally gets her second act. Or in her own words: “Oh, Honey! When it comes to Jackie, look out!”

‘Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land’ premieres August 23 on NFB

Eric Alper
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‘Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land’ premieres August 23 on NFB

At the height of the golden age of reggae, some of Jamaica’s brightest stars left their homeland to relocate to Toronto. Now their stories and the musical community they helped build are celebrated in Graeme Mathieson and Chris Flanagan’s captivating National Film Board of Canada (NFB) anthology series Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land, premiering August 23 on nfb.ca and the NFB’s streaming platform for smart TVs.

Toronto’s Paradise Theatre will also host a special screening and launch event on August 22.

Through rare archives, electrifying needle drops and lively interviews, this five-part series takes viewers from Kingston to Kensington Market to see and hear how reggae made roots in Canada against all odds, chronicling the musical and geographical journeys of Nana McLean, Johnny Osbourne, Leroy Sibbles, Jerry Brown and the duo of Roy Panton and Yvonne Harrison.

Getting their sound to catch on in Canada wasn’t easy. These innovators of rhythm and rhyme had to work against racism, scarce resources and an industry that stigmatized reggae music. But that didn’t stop them from transforming the city into a reggae mecca. With a powerful message of love and a revolutionary spirit behind them, these visionaries faced the pressure head on—and thanks to them, you can still feel the infectious beats of Bathurst Street and Eglinton Avenue reverberating all over the world.

Prior to the online launch, the Paradise Theatre (1006c Bloor Street West) is hosting a special Toronto screening of all five episodes on August 22, starting at 8 p.m. The screening will be followed by a live Q&A with directors Graeme Mathieson and Chris Flanagan, and all five artists featured in the series, moderated by journalist/radio host Danae Peart. General admission is $15.00 + HST/fees. Tickets are available now at eventbrite.

My Next Read: “Revolutionary Spirit: A Post-Punk Exorcism” by Paul Simpson

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “Revolutionary Spirit: A Post-Punk Exorcism” by Paul Simpson

Part memoir, part social history, Revolutionary Spirit is the poignant, often hilarious story of a cult Liverpool musician’s scenic route to fame and artistic validation, and marks the arrival of an original literary voice.

If Morrissey was the Oscar Wilde of the 1980s indie scene, Simpson was its William Blake; a self-destructive genius so lost in mystical visions of a new arcadia that he couldn’t meet the rent. Simpson’s career begins alongside fellow Liverpool luminaries Ian McCulloch, Bill Drummond, Will Sergeant, Pete Wylie, Pete Burns, and Holly Johnson at the infamous Eric’s club, where, in 1976, he finds himself at the birth of the city’s second great musical explosion. He co-founds and christens the neo-psychedelic pop group The Teardrop Explodes with Julian Cope but walks out of the band just as they are about to break big and goes to work in a tearoom instead. He then forms The Wild Swans, the indie-band of choice for literary-minded teens in the early 1980s, and Care with Ian Broudie of The Lightning Seeds, sharing a flat with a seventeen-year-old Courtney Love along the way.

Marriage, fatherhood, tropical illness, and divorce follow, interspersed with artistic collaborations with Bill Drummond and members of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, among others. Following an onstage reunion with Cope at the Royal Festival Hall, Simpson discovers that seven thousand miles away, in the Philippines, he is considered a musical god. Presidential suites, armed-guards, police escorts—you couldn’t make it up, and, incredibly, he doesn’t need to.

Revolutionary Spirit is the story of a musician driven by an unerring belief that artistic integrity will bring its own rewards. It concludes with an exorcism of sorts as Simpson finally rids himself of the debilitating demon of psychological depression that has, from the age of nine, run like malware in the background of his life.

Photo Gallery: Slash with Keb’ Mo’ and ZZ Ward at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage

Eric Alper
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Photo Gallery: Slash with Keb’ Mo’ and ZZ Ward at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage

All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or X.

Slash
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Keb’ Mo’
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Keb’ Mo’
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Keb’ Mo’
ZZ Ward
ZZ Ward
ZZ Ward
ZZ Ward
ZZ Ward
Slash

Larry Folk’s “Hey Politician!” Is A Bluegrass Scorcher Taking Aim at Today’s Divisive Political Climate

Eric Alper
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Larry Folk’s “Hey Politician!” Is A Bluegrass Scorcher Taking Aim at Today’s Divisive Political Climate

Retribution; in-fighting; stalling; personal attacks; Sounds like a plot from HBO’s hit series Succession. Actually, it’s politics as usual these days. And just like that hit show, it’s hard to find a likeable character among our current elected officials. Toronto-based composer and vocalist Larry Folk follows up his moving song of goodbye (“Gathering of Friends”) with a to-the-point commentary on the current political climate called “Hey Politician!” Though never intended to be released publicly, the atrocious level of un-civility that exists in today’s politics begs for the song’s inclusion in his upcoming album Lessen the Blue. In the tradition of the great protest songs of the past, Larry’s view on the outrageous behavior is a biting statement on our divided reality. “Hey Politician!” is a fast, upbeat bluegrass scorcher that calls for a return to civility. In the words of Bob Dylan, “You gotta serve somebody.” When it comes to our public officials, that should be the people.

For more than 45 years Larry Folk has written and performed in a variety of styles, moving with ease and sustained emotion from simple folk ballads to the swinging standards of the Great American Songbook. On “Hey Politician!” He plays everything except for the bass playing of Pat Collins, and Folk engineered the recording which Murray Daigle mixed.

Folk’s ability to write lyrics that create stunning visuals for his listeners is matched perfectly to his masterful guitar playing. Larry’s early songs mused about love and the beauty of the vast Canadian wilderness but didn’t shy away from more serious subjects such as the horrible treatment of North America’s Indigenous Peoples. In the 80’s he performed his original song “Amandla! Ngawethu! (Power to the People)” on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill and at Toronto City Hall during rallies to end Apartheid in South Africa. A completely new version of that song called “There is a Power” appears on Lessen the Blue.

Larry’s songs continue to challenge the status quo, confronting our complex relationship with the planet, political divisions, the loss of innocence, and his response to Covid 19. He wrote his guitar piece, “Nunca Mas,” in response to the atrocities inflicted on the citizens of Argentina by the military in the 70’s. The title is the name of the committee formed to investigate what happened and translates as “never more.” The forthcoming album includes a new version for solo guitar.

Toronto Pop Artist And Actress Harriet Chung Takes Us Through A Bad Romance With Glam-Inspired “Popcorn Film”

Eric Alper
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Toronto Pop Artist And Actress Harriet Chung Takes Us Through A Bad Romance With Glam-Inspired “Popcorn Film”

When someone ghosts you, it hurts like hell. But pop artist Harriet Chung manages to make the whole thing sound glam – and even somewhat rock opera – in her whimsical and soaring new single “Popcorn Film.”

Accompanied by guitars, piano, and beautiful backup-singer harmonies, Harriet Chung sets up the premise of her “Popcorn Film” love story:

Our popcorn film seemed complete
We shared our favorite things to eat
Then took a stroll along a sandy beach
We held hands
Skipped rocks
Took some pics
Kissed in bright Muskoka chairs
A crack of thunder rumbled down from the sky

And then we get an actual crack of thunder, right before we learn that the narrator’s lover is ambivalent at best: “Cuz I could see a cloud over you/ Something inside you wasn’t true/ I could sense it all within your sighs.”

The romance unravels, until the beloved disappears and the ‘popcorn film’ is revealed to be an imaginary bliss. “It’s a heartfelt journey through love and loss, and it captures the bittersweet essence of a relationship that felt perfect but slowly revealed its cracks,” says Chung.

For “Popcorn Film,” Chung is joined by Warren Robert (arranger, bass, guitars, midi), Christopher Siu (piano), Randy Cooke (drums), and Rique Franks (backup vocals).

Harriet Chung was born in Hong Kong and grew up dancing, singing, and playing the piano. As a member of children’s choirs that performed around Europe and the United States, Harriet became enamored with the west at a young age. After graduating from high school, she majored in dance at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.

Harriet moved to Toronto to further her dance training at the National Ballet of Canada. Afterwards, she danced professionally with the Empire State Ballet, Ontario Ballet Theatre, and Xing Dance Theater, among others. During this time, she also landed roles in operetta and musical theatre productions. Harriet’s career took a huge turn when she was cast in the Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera. Most notably she has won numerous Best Actress awards for her portrayal of the titular character in the internationally acclaimed musical Golden Lotus.

Harriet’s debut album A World Away was released in January 2023 and includes her hit track “A World Away (Remix)” and “Today and Tomorrow,” which won Best Original Song at the New York Movie Awards. Its music video won Best Music Video at the Los Angeles Film Awards and the Seattle Filmmaker Awards. Harriet was also awarded as Best Artist of the Future for her single and music video of Old Montreal at them World Class Film Awards in Mexico City.

Harriet will also be appearing at the Stratford Festival in the world premiere production of “Salesman in China” opening August 23.

Copyrighting All The Melodies To Avoid Accidental Infringement

Eric Alper
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Copyrighting All The Melodies To Avoid Accidental Infringement

In the litany of copyright infringement lawsuits, technology lawyer and musician Damien Riehl demonstrates that music is merely math, and has a finite number of possible melodies. If you’ve ever thought a song you like sounded similar to another, the culprit may not be an unethical forger, but rather the limited mathematical musical equations that our favorite artists have to work with. Current copyright law is at risk of severely limiting future music creation and future human creativity. This talk suggests a new way to handle these legal cases. Damien Riehl is a technology lawyer with a B.S. in music. After beginning to code in 1985, and for the web in 1995, he has worked for the chief judges of state and federal courts; litigated for a decade; taught law-school copyright classes; and led teams in software development, digital forensics, proactive cybersecurity, reactive cybersecurity incidents, and world-scale investigations. Damien’s combined experience in the law, technology, and music has inspired his most recent project—copyrighting billions of unique melodies. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

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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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