Patty Smyth Announces First New Album in 28 Years, Shares Lead Single & Video

Music

pssadm

-

Aug 2, 2020

Patty Smyth Announces First New Album in 28 Years, Shares Lead Single & Video

Patty Smyth announces her first album of brand new, original music in 28 years.

Out October 9th on BMG, It’s About Time pairs the same passion and ferocity the Grammy and Oscar nominee first introduced as the lead singer of Scandal with the hard-earned wisdom she’s gained from decades of touring, writing, acting for film, and raising six kids with husband John McEnroe.

Recorded in Nashville’s Blackbird Studios and produced by Grammy-winner Dann Huff (Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, Kelly Clarkson), these six songs – plus covers of Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe” and Tom Waits’ “Downtown Train” – declare Smyth’s return to rock n roll as an artist who has embraced a new stage of life, but hasn’t shed the resolute and rambunctious defiance of her youth.

Patty Smyth explains, “People would always ask, ‘When are you gonna give us new music?’ I kept saying, ‘I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it…’ Finally I said, ‘Fuck it, man. I’ve just got to do it!’ I’ve been touring and playing shows with the same band for 12 years, just having a blast, and I finally went into the zone of writing these songs I felt were poignant and relevant for me. I started to realize this is a real thing that’s happening and just went with it.”

Watch the music video for lead single “Drive” below.

It’s About Time is largely rooted in the challenges and changes of relationships; Patty’s own and those of others. From taking care of yourself to taking control of your own insecurities, the album takes stock of the lessons she’s learned when life has felt too big to avoid. It’s a chronicle of thriving as well as surviving, though, and on tracks such as “Build a Fire” Smyth celebrates longevity, looking back on a quarter-century of marriage with McEnroe.

Since storming the scene in 1982, filling radio and video airwaves with the roaring hooks and iconic looks of hits like “The Warrior,” “Goodbye To You,” “Love’s Got a Line on You,” and other unforgettable highlights from Scandal’s Gold and Platinum-selling run, Patty Smyth’s solo career has included Grammy-nominated, chart-topping Don Henley duet “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough,” the Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated “Look What Love Has Done,” Armageddon soundtrack contribution “Wish I Were You,” and more. With no regrets, Patty is once again ready to bring the love and kick some ass.

It’s About Time Track List
Drive
Build a Fire
Losing Things
No One Gets What They Want
Only One
I’m Gonna Get There
Downtown Train
Ode to Billie Joe

‘Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind’ The Story Of The Canadian Music Icon Opens

Music

pssadm

-

Aug 2, 2020

0

‘Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind’ The Story Of The Canadian Music Icon Opens

‘Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind’ – the new documentary celebrating the life of a Canadian musical legend – opens today via Virtual Cinema.

Directors Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni capture Gordon Lightfoot’s profound evolution from Christian choirboy to troubled troubadour, international star and beloved Canadian icon with 5 Grammy Nominations and over 10 million albums sold. Lightfoot’s hits including “If You Could Read My Mind”, “Sundown”, “Carefree Highway”, and “Rainy Day People” and Bob Dylan once said “every time I hear a song of his I wish it would last forever.” The film is an intimate and emotional examination of Lightfoot’s relationship to his music, featuring exclusive interviews with Gordon, while intertwining his indelible legacy and unpacking key songs within the cultural history of folk and rock music along the way.

Produced by Insight Productions, the documentary takes audiences from high school auditoriums in straight-laced, small town Ontario in the ‘50s to the coffee houses of Toronto’s Yorkville and NYC’s Greenwich Village in the ‘60s, through Gordon’s turbulent, substance-fueled arena shows of the ‘70s, and finally to the artist – older, wiser – in present day. Interwoven throughout the film are Interviews with multiple generations of Lightfoot fans, in and outside the music industry – from Steve Earle and Sarah McLachlan, to Alec Baldwin and Geddy Lee – as well as behind the scenes stories from members of his longtime band.

‘Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind,’ a CBC Docs and documentary Channel Original, is presented by Greenwich Entertainment and Insight Productions in association with Canada Media Fund, Slaight Communications, Telefilm Canada and the Rogers Group of Funds through the Theatrical Documentary Program and with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Rogers Cable Network Fund and the Rogers Documentary Fund. The film’s TVOD release date is set for August 21st.

PBS’s Independent Lens to Premiere Mr. SOUL! in Its Upcoming Season

Music

pssadm

-

Aug 2, 2020

0

PBS’s Independent Lens to Premiere Mr. SOUL! in Its Upcoming Season

In 1968, America’s first Black variety show, SOUL!, helmed by producer and eventual host Ellis Haizlip, premiered on public television. The pioneering series ran for six years, cementing itself as not only a vehicle to celebrate Black artistry, community and culture but also as a platform for political expression and a powerful force in the fight for social justice. In Mr. SOUL!, award-winning filmmaker Melissa Haizlip—the niece of Ellis—portrays in exquisite detail a revolutionary time in American culture and entertainment through vibrant archival footage and interviews with numerous Black luminaires who appeared on SOUL!, or were impacted by it.

Winner of the Best Music Documentary at the IDA Documentary Awards and the Audience Award for Best Feature at AFI Docs in 2018, Mr. SOUL!will premiere on this season of PBS’s anthology documentary series, Independent Lens, Winter 2021.

While chronicling the journey of SOUL!, filmmaker Melissa Haizlip recounts the life and contributions of the late Ellis Haizlip, who was steeped in the New York City arts community prior to creating the show. Ellis quickly stepped into the role of host of his creation, where his earnest demeanor, low-key interviewing style, and his passion for the Black artistic community and their works—including books, the spoken word, music, film and dance—culminated in a show that depicted the Black experience in an utterly groundbreaking way. Haizlip’s creation shifted the media focus from what was then uniformly images of inner-city poverty and violence, to instead shine a light on the vibrant contemporary Black Arts Movement.

Initially produced for New York public television, SOUL! with its singular focus on the Black community, was utterly groundbreaking. It quickly became a nationwide forum to showcase African Americans’ profound contribution to the arts. By 1970, the weekly show—each episode a mix of performances and interviews—was broadcast by 72 PBS affiliates across the country. This film celebrates the genesis of SOUL! from inception, through its rise as a cultural force, to its final episode in 1973, after the series lost public funding, a casualty of changing political sensibilities.

Narrated by award-winning performer Blair Underwood, Mr. SOUL! features not only archival performances from music legends like Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, and Patti Labelle, but also spoken word performances from the Last Poets and Sonia Sanchez, dance numbers from Carmen de Lavallade and interviews with James Baldwin, Muhammed Ali and

Maya Angelou, among many others. Artists such as Harry Belafonte, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and actress Kathleen Cleaver share their recollections about the show and its impact on them.

“SOUL! broke new ground in entertainment, and its impact is still being felt today, as it inspired an entire generation of artists who watched at home as young people, with rapt attention, never missing the show every week,” said filmmaker Melissa Haizlip. “I hope the story of Ellis Haizlip and his creation continues to inspire the Black community to make their own art; art that reflects them and their own worldview, and that they never compromise their creative vision.”

“With Mr. SOUL!, Melissa shines a light on a one-of-a-kind creative visionary, and his truly important cultural creation,” said Independent Lens Executive Producer Lois Vossen. “We are delighted to bring the story of Ellis Haizlip and SOUL! back home to public television.”

Gibson Launches Search And Reward for Missing ’59-’60 Shipping Ledger

Music

pssadm

-

Aug 2, 2020

0

Gibson Launches Search And Reward for Missing ’59-’60 Shipping Ledger

This summer, Gibson, the iconic, American-made, leading instrument brand is launching a global search for missing shipping ledgers from 1959-1960. The 1959-1960 Gibson ledgers contain the shipping records of all the Gibson guitars created during that year, and proudly documents an important period in Gibson’s 126-year old history; the pinnacle of the Gibson Golden Era. The 1959-1960 shipping ledgers in question disappeared from Gibson’s archives around thirty years ago and may have never made the move with the company from Kalamazoo, MI to its hometown of Nashville, TN.

The Gibson family is asking for assistance in recovering the missing 1959-60 ledgers, and upon validation of the 1959-60 ledger’s authenticity, the person or persons who safely returns the books will receive a $59,000.00 cash reward, with zero questions asked.

In addition, Gibson is seeking to recover pre-1970 documents, blueprints, and unique Gibson historical assets. Gibson is willing to evaluate relevant items and individual rewards terms on a case-by-case basis. Gibson reserves the right to validate information and to authenticate materials as genuine articles prior to issuing rewards for pre-1970 items, which may include cash, Gibson gift cards, instruments, and experiences (conditions apply).

Following is the three-step Gibson validation request process for all items:

1.) Send validation requests to: 59Ledger@gibson.com or Ledger@gibson.com.
Emails must include:
a. Written description
b. Photograph(s) and/or videos of the items
c. Contact email and phone number

2.) The validation email request will be reviewed within 15 business days by the Gibson
Historical Committee (GHC), composed of Cesar Gueikian, Mat Koehler
(Head of Product Development), Mark Agnesi (Director of Brand Experience) and
Jason Davidson (Director of Consumer Services).

3.) Based on the GHC’s analysis, the submitting party will be contacted with next steps
and instructions.

“As a custodian of Gibson, I am very excited about this search. I hope we can recover these ledgers as they contain important information about the pinnacle of our Golden Era,” says Cesar Gueikian. “It will be interesting to see where in the world they surface, given that the last time they were seen was in Michigan. While they are dusty old books to anyone else, these ledgers are part of our history, DNA, and our iconic past. These ledgers contain the shipping information, including the serial numbers and shipping party, for the most valuable guitars in history; the Gibson 1959 and 1960 bursts.”

“It’s no wonder that for the last 62 years, many of the top players, collectors, and dreamers have dubbed the original Gibson Les Paul, produced in Kalamazoo Michigan by some of the greatest instrument builders, ‘The Holy Grail’,” says Rick Nielsen. “It held an unparalleled value back then with a price tag of $245; today, the value is 1,000 times that, and, in some cases, worth so much more – monetarily, historically, artistically, and most importantly…musically cool.”

Joe Bonamassa adds, “To find the original ledgers is to unearth knowledge of a pivotal point in America’s contribution to not only guitar manufacturing but to Rock and Roll itself.”

The 1957-1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard guitars are some of the most intrinsically valuable in history, even without a famous player attached. Only 643 of the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard were made and it has become one of the most iconic guitars in history. ‘58-‘60 guitars have been adopted by some of the world’s greatest guitarists Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Duane Allman, Peter Green, Gary Moore, Mike Bloomfield, Billy Gibbons, Joe Perry, Slash, Rick Nielsen, Joe Bonamassa, Don Felder, Joe Walsh, Kirk Hammett, Mike McCready, Brian Ray, Dave Amato, John Shanks and most recently Jason Isbell, to name a few.

The 1958 and 1960 Gibson Les Paul models are almost identical to the 1959 with minor spec differences, and each year is highly prized; a 1959 with a figured Tiger Maple design can start at $500,000. Gibson brought back the classic Les Paul Standard burst guitars and reissued each year with historical specs. These guitars are not just a tribute to the priceless original models-they are an exact clone of them. From laser-scanned dimensions, to color-matched shades of sunburst, every element has been rendered in unbelievable detail.

6 ways a musician should kill time during the quarantine

Music

pssadm

-

Aug 2, 2020

0

Quarantine is boring. Sure, it is necessary and something everyone has to find the best way to get through, but it sure is boring. This is especially true for musicians. Musicians are used to going out and doing gigs or jamming with friends or going to see live shows. Quarantine has erased the opportunity for most of those things – at least as we used to know them – but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of opportunity for musicians during quarantine too. Musical talent is a special skill that allows musicians to better deal with and thrive in quarantine. Here are 6 ways a musician should kill time during quarantine.

1. Practice, Practice, Practice

This seems like an obvious statement but it needs to be suggested because it is the number one thing musicians can do to kill time during quarantine. Musicians have something that most people don’t have, a skill that can bring enjoyment and ease the mental health burden of quarantine. This is music. Quarantine is a perfect time to play your instrument of choice as much as you can. It is a great time to try new techniques, learn new songs, and hone your craft. You can even pick up a new instrument or one you haven’t played in a while and get more competent at that.

If you don’t come out of quarantine a better and more technically proficient musician, you are missing a big opportunity. It can be hard to kill the hours and get through the unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in these days. One of the best ways to help do this is to look to the future and think about what our lives will be like once quarantine is over. By setting goals and practicing as much as you can to reach them, you will not just be killing the hours but doing it with a purpose.

2. Start a Social Media Channel

If you are a musician that is not already on social media, now is the perfect time to create a presence on the different social platforms. If you do have a presence, now is the time to up your game, grow your follower base or expand your reach by starting pages on new platforms. Social media has always been a great place to connect with new listeners and potential fans of your music and while people are quarantined, they are turning to social media more than ever to keep a sense of connection in their lives. This is your opportunity to make that connection.

If you are new to putting your music on social media, start with one or two platforms. For musicians, a YouTube channel is the best place to start. You can post your songs here and share them on other platforms. From there, either Instagram or Facebook are probably best. It really just depends on what you are more comfortable with. On these platforms, you can not only post your music but talk to other musicians and music fans about all sorts of topics. This can help your music and your state of mind, staying social during quarantine.

3. Zoom Jams

If you didn’t know about Zoom (or FaceTime, Skype, Microsoft Teams, House Party, Facebook Messenger Groups, etc.) before quarantine, you surely do now. These video conferencing services have been a vital lifeline for people around the world to maintain a sense of connection with friends, family, and even strangers while people were self-isolated. They have hosted virtual dinners, happy hours, trivia nights, and all sorts of other gatherings. Why not use them to have a virtual jam session?

If you are a musician with a group of people who you regularly jam with, getting together on a video conferencing service to jam is a very cool idea. If someone knows their way around a computer, you can even record the session to listen to later or share. It will help kill the time for sure but also connect you with fellow musicians in the same boat and keep your skills sharp as well.

4. Explore New Music

What’s your favorite type of music? Rock? Rap? Classical? Country? Techno? Whatever it is, now is a good time to dive deep into a genre you are not completely familiar with. The best new music in any genre is music that takes a bunch of different styles, passes it through the filter of the musician’s creative process, and comes out the other side as interesting new music in the musician’s genre of choice.

While you have a ton of time on your hands in quarantine, make a concerted effort to step out of your musical comfort zone, and explore different music. Pick a genre you don’t really like and try to find a band, performer, or style of that music that you do enjoy. If you like music from a certain period, go forward or backward and fine music from then that you love just as much. Or, read up on your favorite musicians’ influences and give a listen to anyone they mention that you aren’t familiar with.

5. Read a Book

Music is a creative outlet but you can’t do it 24/7. If you need a break from music but want to keep the creative side of your mind going, indulge in someone else’s creative work. Reading a great book is a great way to kill time that is active for your mind as opposed to more passive mental activities like watching TV or movies. A good book will entertain you, challenge you, and inspire you to create something of your own.

There are all types of genres you could partake in during quarantine to keep yourself busy. You can read about music theory or about musicians themselves. You could go with action/ adventure, romance, or mystery books as well. One genre that has always synched up well with musicians is science fiction. Musicians create music from whole cloth and sci-fi writers create their vision of the world the same way. If you are interested in reading some of the best sci-fi books of all time, you can start with this list from Cool Things Chicago.

Conclusion

We all have to do what we can to kill the time in quarantine. If you are a musician, let your love of music carry you through. By practicing, connecting on social media and video conferencing service, and discovering new music and new books, you will be able to come out the other side better than ever and with your mental health intact.

Bikini Kill Announce International Tour Rescheduled For 2021

Music

pssadm

-

Aug 2, 2020

0

Bikini Kill Announce International Tour Rescheduled For 2021

Legendary feminist punk band, Bikini Kill regrouped in 2019 for 10 thrilling performances in select cities NYC, LA and London + a special headlining Riot Fest appearance. Marking their first full shows since 1997, the enthusiastic fan response saw these shows selling out quickly. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the band had announced a more expansive, international tour in 2020. Eager to return to the stage safely, the band has announced these international tour dates rescheduled for 2021, plus four additional EU/UK shows. Tickets on sale this week. Previous ticket holders can contact their local venues for policies regarding refunds.

The run includes a valiant return to Olympia, WA and a benefit concert for Interfaith Works Nightly Shelter, a local non-profit acting as the only shelter/homeless services program that explicitly prioritizes women and LGBT single adults in the Olympia community.

These shows see the band performing with their iconic line-up of Kathleen Hanna on vocals, Tobi Vail on drums, and Kathi Wilcox on bass — along with guitarist Erica Dawn Lyle. Hailed by The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and The Los Angeles Times, the reunion has sparked critical discussion on the band’s legacy and influence on culture and music today with Entertainment Weekly, NYLON, The New York Times.

Bikini Kill International Tour Dates
5/27: Brussels, Belgium @ Le Botanique
5/29: Paris, France @ Trabendo
5/31: Glasgow, Scotland @ Barrowlands
6/2: London, United Kingdom @ Roundhouse
6/4: Barcelona, Spain @ Primavera Sound
6/6: Bologna, Italy @ Locomotiv
6/7: Milan, Italy @ Magnolia
6/9: Hamburg, Germany @ Gruenspan
6/10: Berlin, Germany @ Astra Kulturhaus
7/10: Oakland, CA @ Burger Boogaloo
9/2: Olympia, WA @ Capitol Theater
9/3: Olympia, WA @ Capitol Theater &
9/5: Victoria BC @ McPherson Playhouse (not on sale yet)
9/6: Victoria BC @ Distrikt &
9/8: Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
9/9: Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom +
9/11: Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
9/12: Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre &
10/3: Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring $
10/4: Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
10/5: Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall $
10/8: Boston, MA @ Boch Center Wang Theatre $
10/9: Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Burlington $
10/11: Montreal, QB @ M Telus
10/12: Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
10/13: Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
10/15: Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre *
10/16: Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre ^
10/17: Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
11/5: Miami, FL @ The Ground at Club Space
11/6: Miami, FL @ The Ground at Club Space
11/7: Orlando, FL @ The Plaza Live
11/9: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL @ Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
11/11: Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle %
11/12: Charlottesville, VA @ The Jefferson Theater %
11/13: Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel %
11/15: Knoxville, TN @ The Mill & Mine #
11/16: Louisville, KY @ Headliner’s Music Hall #
11/18: Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works #
11/19: Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse #
11/20: Birmingham, AL @ Iron City #

$ = w/ Alice Bag
* = w/ Donkey Bugs
+ = w/ Lithics
^ = w/ XV, CB Radio Gorgeous
& = w/ Mecca Normal
% = w/ H.C. McEntire
# = w/ Hurry Up

Keedron Bryant – Voice Of The Black Lives Matter Movement – Releases All-Star Rendition Of “I Just Wanna Live” Featuring Andra Day, Lucky Daye & IDK

Music

pssadm

-

Jul 31, 2020

0

Keedron Bryant – Voice Of The Black Lives Matter Movement – Releases All-Star Rendition Of “I Just Wanna Live” Featuring Andra Day, Lucky Daye & IDK

Adding even more power to one of the most important songs of the year and the clarion call for the Black Lives Matter movement, Keedron Bryant releases a new rendition of his single “I JUST WANNA LIVE” featuring Andra Day, Lucky Daye, and IDK today.

Keedron’s words ripple with intention and intensity as the all-star cast shines alongside him. GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum songstress Andra Day uplifts the chorus and delivers a thought-provoking verse. Meanwhile, Lucky Daye’s falsetto burns with a fire for change as IDK tears through potent, passionate, and politically charged bars and ponders, “How can my genetic make up make it so I never wake up, make it so I meet my maker…GOD!”

Keedron has become the voice of the Black Lives Matter movement. “I JUST WANNA LIVE” has notably garnered millions of YouTube views as Bryant earned widespread acclaim and an endorsement from President Barack Obama. He opened the 2020 BET Music Awards, appeared on ABC’s primetime special Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming, and performed on the NAACP’s Juneteenth Black Family Reunion: The Music, The Moments, The Movement—available online [53:02 mark] and on REVOLT TV. Since its official release, “I JUST WANNA LIVE” has continued to attract fervent fan and critical support. Get ready for more music from Keedron Bryant very soon.

Singing acapella on a smartphone-shot video, Keedron Bryant moved the world to tears with nothing more than his powerhouse voice and the declaration, “I’m a young black man doing all that I can.” The 13-year-old Florida native’s YouTube performance of “I JUST WANNA LIVE” surged around the globe as a clarion call for change and the unassuming soundtrack to a moment of revolution. He performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show via FaceTime, and received acclaim from Good Morning America, CNN, The Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation, Access Hollywood, and BBC News. Will Smith incorporated the clip in his “No Justice, No Peace” montage, and LeBron James posted it on Instagram with the caption, “I LOVE YOU KID! I LOVE US!” None other than President Barack Obama also cited it.

Born in Sicily to minister parents, Keedron began singing at just five-years-old. Attending church regularly, he developed a passion for gospel music. The budding talent first turned heads on season four of Little Big Shots. Represented by Heather Beverly, Esq. in association with Tabetha Plummer, Esq, and legendary producer Dem Jointz, Keedron catapulted to the top of the conversation in 2020, landing a deal with Warner Records and releasing the official “I JUST WANNA LIVE” single as his debut. With R&B energy, soul range, and gospel power, he will undoubtedly make a major impact.

Serena Ryder Releases Powerful Video For “Candy”

Music

pssadm

-

Jul 31, 2020

0

Serena Ryder Releases Powerful Video For “Candy”

Six-time Juno Award winner Serena Ryder has released the video for her new single “Candy” today. The powerful video for “Candy,” directed and shot by Kayla Rocca features Tanya Howard, one of the star dancers of the National Ballet of Canada moving expressively at Toronto’s Scarborough Bluffs. The video for the song can be seen here.

“Candy” is the lead single off Serena Ryder’s upcoming album: The Art of Falling Apart. The 10-track project chronicles Serena’s years of struggle with mental health, and her journey from mental illness to wellness. The Art of Falling Apart was written and recorded over just ten days. The track listing allows the listener to follow Serena’s creative process in a truly linear sense. Each song was recorded the day it was written, featuring powerfully raw, unprocessed vocals. “Candy” is the first song on the album, through which Serena begins to open up, unravelling her upbeat, sunny edges to show a softer, more vulnerable side.

Serena Ryder is one of Canada’s most successful singer-songwriters. In addition to co-hosting the televised JUNO Awards show, she has won 6 Juno Awards including Songwriter of the Year and two for Adult Alternative Album of the year. Serena has also won a Canadian Screen Award for Achievement in Music – Original Song. She has performed as a feature artist on songs by Simon Ward (The Strumbellas), Shawn Hook, Johnny Reid, The Trews and Melissa Etheridge. Serena Ryder was the first Canadian Artist to reach the #1 spot on the CBC Radio 2 Top 20 chart. She has performed on an incredibly diverse number of stages, including the Luminato Festival, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the 2014 NBA All Star Game, the 2015 Pan Am Games Closing Ceremony and the 2018 Canadian Country Music Awards broadcast show.