“The Room,” a cult classic infamous for its awkward dialogue and Tommy Wiseau’s melodramatic performance, has gained notoriety for its unintentional hilarity. However, musician Nick Lutsko took the film’s absurdity to a whole new level by transforming Wiseau’s memorable lines into a Prince-style musical rendition. In a stroke of comedic genius, Lutsko’s creation, showcased on Super Deluxe, seamlessly melds Wiseau’s idiosyncratic delivery with the funky beats reminiscent of the legendary musician, resulting in a side-splitting homage to both “The Room” and Prince’s musical legacy.
Top 10 Canadian Music Videos Shortlisted For The 2024 Prism Prize
Today, the finalists for the Grand Prize at the 2024 Prism Prize were revealed, showcasing the top 10 Canadian music videos of the year. Chosen by a distinguished jury of over 120 leading figures in Canadian music, film, and media arts, the winning artist and director will receive an unprecedented $20,000.00 CAD cash prize, marking the largest award in the realm of music videos worldwide.
The 2024 Prism Prize Top 10 (in alphabetical order):
Blame Brett – Artist: The Beaches | Director: Ievy Stamatov
Borrow Trouble – Artist: Feist | Directors: Mary Rozzi, Colby Richardson, Heather Goodchild & Leslie Feist
Demons – Artist: Allison Russell | Director: Ethan Tobman
feral canadian scaredy cat – Artist: young friend | Director: Sterling Larose & Zachary Vague
Iām Good – Artist: Snotty Nose Rez Kids | Director: Sterling Larose
I Wanna Be Your Right Hand – Artist: Nemahsis | Directors: Norman Wong & Amy Gardner
My Mind At Ease – Artist: Dominique Fils-AimĆ© | Director: Adrian Villagomez
Name of God – Artist & Director: Mustafa
Of Woods And Seas – Artist: Alaskan Tapes | Director: Andrew De Zen
Revenge of the Orchestra (feat. Magugu) – Artist: Apashe | Director: Adrian Villagomez
Each of these Top 10 finalists are also eligible for the fan-voted Audience Award, which comes with a $2,500.00 CAD prize for the winner. Music lovers and fans alike can now view all of the Top 10 videos and cast their vote for their favourite through Thursday, June 6, 2024 at prismprize.com.
“As the Prism Prize continues to illuminate the dynamic landscape of Canadian music videos, it serves as a testament to the boundless creativity flourishing within our nation’s music community,ā said Louis Calabro, Vice-President, Programming & Awards, at the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the Founder of Prism Prize. āAs we unveil this year’s Top 10 videos, we invite you to embark on a journey of discovery, celebrating the diverse voices and groundbreaking visions that define the essence of Canadian musical artistry.”
This year, the Prism Prize jury evaluated over 300 eligible Canadian music videos, carefully considering elements such as originality, style, creativity, innovation, and execution to curate the final Top 10.
Along with the Grand Prize and Audience Awards, the Prism Prize annually recognizes a group of Special Award recipients who are honoured for their achievements and contributions to the music industry, both in Canada and abroad.
- The Hi-Fidelity Award (supported by FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canadaās Private Radio Broadcasters) established to recognize recording artists who utilize music video in innovative ways;
- The Lipsett Award, Ā established to celebrate a unique approach to music video art;
- The Special Achievement Award (supported by The Slaight Family Foundation) established to recognize an exceptional contribution to music video art on the world stage;
- The Willie Dunn Award (supported by Telefilm Canada) presented to a Canadian trailblazer who has demonstrated excellence within the music, music video and/or film production communities.
These Special Award recipients will be unveiled alongside the Grand Prize and Audience Award winners when the Prism Prize Class of 2024 is announced on Thursday, June 25. A celebration of the Class of 2024 will take place in July, featuring a screening of the Top 10 videos and the work of our Special Award Recipients.
View the Top 10 Canadian music videos of the year eligible for the 2024 Prism Prize and the Audience Award at prismprize.com.
Since its introduction in 2013, the Prism Prize has been celebrating outstanding work in Canadian music video production. Through the years, the Grand Prize has been awarded to an eclectic group of homegrown artists and directors who have created captivating and moving visual accompaniments to their music, including Rich Aucoin and director Noah Pink for Brian Wilson Is A.L.I.V.E., Charlotte Day Wilson and director Fantavious Fritz for Work, Jessie Reyez and director Peter Huang for Far Away and Snotty Nose Rez Kids and director Sterling Larose for Damn Right.
Previous winners of the Special Awards include July Talk (2017 Hi-Fidelity Award recipient), Grimes (2018 Hi-Fidelity Award recipient), Karena Evans (2018 Lipsett Award recipient), Mustafa (2022 Willie Dunn Award recipient), and Nemahsis (2023 Hi-Fidelity Award recipient), just to name a few.
Learn more about previous Prism Prize recipients here.
My Next Read: “Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts)” by Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian will be the first to admit that his band, System Of A Down, was āunlikely a chart-topper as had ever existed in modern music history: a band of Armenian-Americans playing a practically unclassifiable clash of wildly aggressive metal riffs, unconventional tempo-twisting rhythms, and Armenian folk melodies, with me alternately growling, screaming, and crooning lyrics that could pivot from avant-garde silliness to raging socio-political rants in the space of a single line.ā After all, as Serj concedes, āitās not easy listening.ā
Even so, thereās no doubt that Systemās music had struck a chord with millions of listeners across the globe ever since they burst on the scene in the mid-1990s. With nearly 40 million album sales, three albums topping the Billboard charts, and a devoted legion of fans, the band dominated the alt-rock and metal scenes just as the world hurtled into a new millennium, redefining the very idea of what rockstars could and couldnāt talk about, could and couldnāt do, could and couldnāt represent.
In DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM, Serj presents readers with a memoir that is far more than just a rock ‘n’ roll fable. It’s an immigrant’s tale, itās an activist’s awakening, and it’s a spiritual journey from darkness toward light. And all of this comes down to the fact that Serj himself has had the chance to live an extraordinary lifeāthanks to a combination of luck, circumstance, struggle, talent, and spiritual awakening. Born to Armenian parents in Beirut, Serj grows up hearing bombs drop outside his childhood home during the countryās civil war, before moving to Los Angeles at the age of seven. As a young man, he is immersed in the SoCal community of āLittle Armenia,ā learning more and more about the brutal genocide faced by his ancestors while helping his parents adapt to the constraints and contradictions of the American Dream. Then, during a pivotal drive home from an LSAT class, Serj decides to turn away from a promising future in business and law to make music insteadāa decision that leads him to touring five continents as the lead singer of a hugely popular rock band, hitting number #1 on the Billboard album charts the morning of 9/11, and then having the hit single from the same album banned from radio two days later. In the years that follow, his uniquely singular story continues, as he evades glass bottles hurled at a cancelled show by angry Slayer fans, teams up with Tom Morello to push social justice causes on unsuspecting metalheads, argues with LAPD officers over the best way to quell rioting fans, and defines new sounds and singing tactics with Rick Rubin.
Braiding together Serjās thought-provoking insight with heartfelt and poetic prose, DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM retraces Serjās remarkable and unlikely journey, and explores what itās taught himāabout music, about art, about activism, and about himself. Itās an unforgettable ride that will leave you breathlessāand an absolute delight for new fans and old ones alike.
The 2024/25 Off-Mirvish Season Features Two New Productions of Recent Local Hits
The return of two local critical and popular hits from previous seasons in major new productions ā Britta Johnsonās musical LIFE AFTER and Crowās Theatreās Fifteen Dogs; the Canadian premiere of Indigenous playwright Larissa FastHorseās satirical comedy The Thanksgiving Play; and the homecoming of sorts of the hilarious new comedy featuring the songs of Canadian icon CĆ©line Dion, Titanique, make up the 2024/25 Off-Mirvish Season.
Subscriptions to the Off-Mirvish season are now available for sale at mirvish.com.
āIn each Off-Mirvish season we like to include both local and international shows,ā said David Mirvish. āThis coming season we are delighted to welcome back two past local successes and present two local productions of successes from both Broadway and Off-Broadway.
āLIFE AFTER dazzled several seasons ago at the Berkeley Street Theatre. After having productions in two prestigious regional theatres in the United States, Yonge Street Theatricals is mounting a major new production of Britta Johnsonās moving and unforgettable musical. Itās an honour to be hosting it at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre.
āWe are equally excited about the Canadian premiere of The Thanksgiving Play, which has played Broadway and is one of the most produced plays across the continent.
āFifteen Dogs will be our third presentation of a Crowās Theatre production. Two seasons ago we presented Cliff Cardinalās The Land Acknowledgement (or As You Like It) and this past season we staged a revival of Uncle Vanya. Both were major hits at the CAA Theatre. Fifteen Dogs is a different breed altogether, an adaptation of the Giller Prize-winning novel that is daring, playful and full of creative energy. Originally staged in the round, it will be adapted to a proscenium production at the CAA Theatre.
āCanada has given the world some truly brilliant artists. CĆ©line Dion is perhaps this countryās most prolific and well-known export. When we heard about a spunky Off-Broadway musical that paid homage to CĆ©line while having fun with one of the worldās most popular films, Titanic ā which, by the way, was made by another Canadian artist, director and producer James Cameron ā we knew we had to bring it home to Canada. āOur co-production of Titanique (with the Segal Centre for Performing Arts) will rightly begin in CĆ©lineās hometown, Montreal, before making the journey down the 401 to the CAA Theatre.
Bruce Springsteenās āBorn In The U.S.A.ā Gets Special 40th Anniversary Vinyl Release Coming June 14
Sony Music will commemorate the 40th anniversary of Bruce Springsteenās history-making Born In The U.S.A. on June 14, with a special-edition release featuring new colored vinyl and expanded packaging. Arriving via translucent red LP, this anniversary edition of Born In The U.S.A. will feature a gatefold sleeve and exclusive booklet with archival material from the era, new liner notes penned by Erik Flannigan and a four-color lithograph. Released on June 4, 1984 – Born In The U.S.A. had an unprecedented seven Top Ten singles on its tracklist, has sold approximately 25 million copies to date and captured the pop culture zeitgeist with once-in-a-generation impact. Springsteen and The E Street Bandās accompanying Born In The U.S.A. tour included 156 sold-out performances across the globe, while tracks like āDancing In The Dark,ā āNo Surrenderā and āGlory Daysā remain staples of their live show to this day.
Pre-order the 40th anniversary edition of Born In The U.S.A. here.
Forty years after the Born In The U.S.A. tour kicked off in Summer 1984, Springsteen and The E Street Band started the European leg of their 2024 run this past weekend; with an opening show that was praised for “reminding us…no one does it better” (The Times) and as “a spectacle of unadulterated joy and human connectedness” (The Telegraph). The 2024 European tour follows a triumphant run across the continent last year, which sold 1.6 million tickets and was praised as among the best of the bandās career. The 40th anniversary release for Born In The U.S.A. also follows Sony Musicās career-spanning Best Of Bruce Springsteen collection – which is out now in physical formats as an 18-track set across 2 LPs or 1 CD – and digitally as an expanded 31-song package.
Quadraphonic Albums Available For The First Time In 50 Years With Donny Hathaway, Hot Tuna And More
Rhino returns with the next installment of high-quality quadraphonic releases. Unavailable in quadraphonic audio for nearly 50 years, four iconic titles have been digitized from the original analog four-track Quad mixes – Donny Hathawayās Extension Of A Man, Hot Tunaās Burgers, Roberta Flackās Killing Me Softly, and Seals & Croftās Summer Breeze.
Quadraphonic sound, or 4.0 surround sound, utilizes four audio channels connected to four speakers positioned at the corners of a listening space. The multi-tracked audio is mixed dimensional, immersing the listener in an expansive soundscape.
The collection is available today as a Blu-ray disc with a quadraphonic and 192/24 stereo mix. Currently exclusive to Rhino.com and select Warner Music Group stores worldwide, each title retails for $24.98, with a bundle of all four available for $79.98. Order HERE.
Donny Hathawayās final studio album, Extension of a Man, released in 1973, was a collaborative effort with renowned musicians Stanley Clarke (Return to Forever), Fred White, Al Kooper, Billy Preston, and many more. The album featured the transcendent track āSomeday Weāll All Be Free,ā which featured lyrics from Hathawayās close friend and manager, Edward Howard.
Hot Tunaās Burgers, released in February of 1972, marked the distinction between Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casadyās work with Jefferson Airplane. The band’s debut studio album is filled with acoustic folk rock and electric acid rock gems like “Water Song” and āHighway Songā featuring David Crosby. āBy this time, we had worked in the studio with Jefferson Airplane for more than half a decade, but this was Jackās and my first chance to give studio substance to the music that had been growing acoustically in hotel rooms and onstage with Hot Tuna.ā ā Jorma Kaukonen
Roberta Flackās 1973 Killing Me Softly was dedicated to jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk. The double platinum album featured the popular title track, which won the GrammyĀ® Award for Song of the Year in 1974, and a cover of Leonard Cohenās āSuzanne.ā
Seals & Croftās 1972 commercial breakthrough, Summer Breeze, included chart-topping folk-rock hits āHummingbirdā and the title track, peaking at No. 20 and No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album went on to place No. 7 on the Billboard Top LPs chart, their highest charting album since.
Rhino introduced the Quadio Series in June 2023, with Alice Cooper’s Billion Dollar Babies, Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, The J. Geils Band’s Nightmares…, and Jefferson Starship’s Red Octopus. This series follows the success of the sold-out Chicago and Doobie Brothers’ Quadio sets. Quadraphonic sound, also known as 4.0 surround sound, uses four audio channels connected to four speakers placed at the corners of a listening area. This type of audio provides an immersive listening experience by mixing multi-tracked audio in a dimensional way, creating an expansive soundscape for the listener. Rhinoās recordings are transferred from the original half-inch four-channel masters at a high resolution of 192/24 for a pristine sound.
Steve Aoki Announces 9th Studio Album Out June 28
2x-Grammy-nominated artist and producer Steve Aoki announces the forthcoming release of his 9th studio album, set to drop June 28. Aoki disclosed details in an interview with Billboard Magazine for their AAPI Issue cover story. Aoki shared that the album includes collaborations with artists such as Lil Jon, Ne-Yo, among others. Marking a return to Steve’s musical origins, this forthcoming release is a dancefloor-focused record. It will also further expand upon the HiROQUEST world that Aoki has recently introduced through his music, trading cards, and a newly released graphic novel. From the studio to the stage, Aoki’s passion for pushing boundaries and exploring new sonic landscapes shines through in every track. This is the first part of a two-part project, and more details will be provided soon.
To coincide with the album announcement, today, Aoki reveals his dynamic collaboration ā3 Daysā with rising star Kalan.FrFr. The track, which is produced by Steve Aoki and The Stereotypes, the Grammy-winning producers who have crafted hits including Justin Bieber’s “Somebody to Love (feat. Usher)ā, Bruno Mars’ “That’s What I Like,” and “24K Magic,” starts with a lively Afrobeats rhythm, transitioning smoothly into a relaxed hip-hop groove in the latter half for Kalan to glide over with his charming rap. With its infectious energy and innovative sound, ā3 Daysā previews what listeners can expect from Aoki’s upcoming album. Filmed while on the road, the official music video features live footage of Aoki and Kalan performing ā3 Daysā live during multiple shows including Aokiās March Ultra Music Festival headline performance. Additionally, the single includes a festival-season remix by Aoki, which you can listen to HERE.
Since March, Aoki has been on his Heavenly Hell Tour, teasing new material for audiences in each city he visits. The tour wraps with four big shows at San Franciscoās Midway, The Criterion in Oklahoma City, The Armory in Minneapolis, and a record-release party at Brooklyn Mirage. Dim Mak artists, including Callie Reiff, Deorro, Nostalgix, Pickle, Cheyenne Giles, Yetep, Ookay, Henry Fong, and Wolfgang Gartner, are set to appear on select stops.
Steve Aoki – Heavenly Hell Tour Dates
May 25 – San Francisco, CA – Midway
May 31 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
June 7 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory
June 28 – Brooklyn, NY – The Brooklyn Mirage
āRoad Diary: Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Bandā Documentary Film To Launch On Hulu And Disney+ This October
Hulu and Disney+ today announced that they will launch āRoad Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Bandā in October of this year. An exact launch date is forthcoming.
Springsteen and The E Street Band offer the most in-depth look ever at the creation of their legendary live performances in the new documentary featuring unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access to their 2023-2024 world tour. āRoad Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Bandā opens a new door to Springsteenās creative process for fans around the world, sharing fly-on-the-wall footage of band rehearsals and special moments backstage – as well as hearing from Springsteen himself. These conversations follow Springsteen closely as he develops the story he wants to tell with this tourās setlist – interspersed with rare archival clips of The E Street Band, underscoring themes of life, loss, mortality and community. In this way, it serves as an essential and never-before-seen chapter in an autobiographical series spanning Springsteenās memoir āBorn to Run,ā āSpringsteen on Broadway,ā and the films āWestern Starsā and āLetter to You.ā
The film was directed by Springsteenās longtime collaborator, EmmyĀ® and GRAMMYĀ® Award winner Thom Zimny (āWestern Stars,ā āThe Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash,ā āSpringsteen on Broadway,ā āWillie Nelson & Family,ā āSlyā), and produced by Zimny, Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen, Adrienne Gerard and Sean Stuart. The film begins with a one-of-a-kind look at the bandās preparation process, following them from their earliest rehearsals in Red Bank, New Jersey, to performances for tens-of-thousands across continents. All the while, fans get the chance to experience professionally shot footage from the 2023-2024 tour for the first time ever – in addition to hearing firsthand from band members about performing on stage with Springsteen and how they keep the magic of The E Street Band as potent as ever.
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band capped the first 2024 leg of their world tour in April; a cross-country U.S. run that brought surprise guests, blistering three-hour shows and setlist rarities (totaling 60 different songs through 11 performances). The band is in the midst of playing 25 shows throughout Europe this spring and summer – after last yearās European tour sold 1.6 million tickets – and will return to North America for more dates from August through late November.
Greenwich Entertainment Presents āRevival69: The Concert That Rocked The Worldā ļ»æSet For Release On June 28
Greenwich Entertainment has announced the June 28 release of REVIVAL69: The Concert That Rocked The World, a feature-length documentary that explores the nearly-unbelievable story of the 1969 Toronto Rock N Roll Revival. Through the iconic vĆ©ritĆ© lens of D. A. Pennebaker, once-in-a-lifetime moments are captured between the festivalās cross-generational bill – like Jim Morrison admiring Chuck Berryās performance from side-stage, or Alice Cooper backing ā50s icon Gene Vincent before launching into his own raucous solo show. But perhaps most remarkable is the debut of The Plastic Ono Band, and how two Canadian kids in their early 20s came to organize John Lennonās first major performance outside The Beatles.
Promoted by John Brower and Kenny Walker, the 1969 Toronto Rock N Roll Revival marked the first time John Lennon had performed without The Beatles since before their rise to stardom – taking the stage that night with Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann and Alan White. The behind-the-scenes road to booking Lennon is outlined in detail in the film – including near-cancellations, threats from biker gangs and rehearsals onboard transatlantic flights. The fact that Lennon quietly left The Beatles a week later (a decision that would not be made public until the following year) only adds to the historical weight of his performance captured in Revival69.
Additionally, featured throughout the documentary are commanding performances from legends in their prime like Little Richard, Bo Diddley and Jerry Lee Lewis – alongside an interview with Robby Kreiger about The Doors headlining set. First-hand perspective is also given by Alice Cooper, John Brower, Klaus Voorman and Alan White, as well as notable attendees including Geddy Lee, Robert Christgau, Claudja Barry and Shep Gordon. Revival69 is directed by Ron Chapman, written by Phyllis Ellis and produced by Chapman and Ellis alongside Trish Dolman, Andrew Williamson and Sally Blake. The filmās executive producers include Chris Hegedus, Frazer Pennebaker, Kirk D’Amico and the late D. A. Pennebaker.
Ray Lamontagne And Gregory Alan Isakov Announce Fall Tour Together
Acclaimed songwriters and musicians Ray LaMontagne and Gregory Alan Isakov will join forces for an extensive co-headline tour this fall. Produced by Live Nation, the 17-date tour includes stops at Seattleās Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery Amphitheatre (two nights), Los Angelesā YouTube Theater, San Diegoās CalCoast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, Phoenixās Arizona Federal Theatre, Charlestonās Firefly Distillery, Cincinnatiās Andrew J Brady Center, Franklinās FirstBank Amphitheater, Atlantaās Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park and Charlotteās Skyla Credit Union Amphitheater among others.
Ray LaMontagne has released eight studio albums, six of which have reached Top 10 on Billboardās Top Rock Albums chart and Billboardās Digital Albums chart. Additionally, his 2010 album God Willinā & the Creek Donāt Rise won the Grammy for Best Folk Album and was nominated in the coveted Song of The Year category for āBeg Steal or Borrow.ā Each release from his catalog over the last 20 years carries its own character and feel. Having worked with producers Ethan Johns, Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Rayās vast sonic catalog has been called everything from āa perfect throwback to the lost art of the album-length format,ā from Entertainment Weekly to āepic and magical,ā from Rolling Stone and āgorgeous and ambitious,ā from Esquire. NPRās All Things Considered says Ray, throughout the course of his career, āhas continued to push himself in different directions,ā while People calls him a āmarvel of nature.ā
Beloved by his devoted community of fans and critics alike, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov has garnered over 1 billion streams and has over 7 million monthly Spotify listeners. Isakov is in the midst of a landmark year following the release of his acclaimed new album, Appaloosa Bones, via Dualtone Records and his own label, Suitcase Town Music. Appaloosa Bones is his first new album in nearly five years and is filled with his signature āemotionally evocative songwriting styleā (NPR Music). Of the record, the Associated Press praises, āHis new songs are relentlessly majestic, a kind of musical morphine.ā In addition to the co-headline dates, Isakov will tour, supporting Appaloosa Bones, throughout this summer, including two sold-out headline shows at Coloradoās Red Rocks Amphitheatre (full itinerary here). In recent months, Isakov has collaborated with Noah Kahan and Jeremiah Fraites (of The Lumineers) on their recent record releases. When he isnāt on the road, he runs Starling Farm, which provides produce to the farmās CSA and a local food bank.
RAY LAMONTAGNE AND GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV FALL TOUR
September 4āMissoula, MTāKettleHouse Amphitheater
September 6āSeattle, WAāChateau Ste. Michelle Winery Amphitheatre
September 7āSeattle, WAāChateau Ste. Michelle Winery Amphitheatre
September 8āBend, ORāHayden Homes Amphitheatre
September 10āJacksonville, ORāBritt Pavilion
September 11āBerkeley, CAāGreek Theatre
September 12āLos Angeles, CAāYouTube Theater
September 14āSan Diego, CAā CalCoast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
September 15āPhoenix, AZāArizona Federal Theatre
October 1āCharleston, SCāFirefly Distillery
October 2āAsheville, NCāExlporeAsheville.com Arena
October 4āCincinnati, OHāAndrew J Brady Center
October 5āIndianapolis, INāEverwise Amphitheater
October 6āFranklin, TNāFirstBank Amphitheater
October 8āBaltimore, MDāPier Six Pavilion
October 9āCharlottesville, VAāTing Pavilion
October 11āAtlanta, GAāCadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
October 12āCharlotte, NCāSkyla Credit Union Amphitheater
October 13āRaleigh, NCāRed Hat Amphitheate