For a limited time only, Martin Guitar has partnered with TrueFire, the #1 most comprehensive online resource for guitar players of all skill levels, to give Martin customers 3-months of unlimited streaming access to TrueFire’s online library.
To qualify, residents of the US and Canada simply purchase any Martin instrument by May 31st and register the warranty at martinguitar.com/warranty by June 30th. Customers will receive a unique code that unlocks 40,000+ video lessons on TrueFire.com, along with a free download of Corey Congilio’s Acoustic Rhythm Guitar Playbook – that’s a $115 value!
TrueFire offers lessons for every style, genre, technique and skill level. Features include progress tracking, slo-mo and looping, and live stream sessions. For more on TrueFire, visit https://truefire.com.
Corey Congilio’s Acoustic Rhythm Guitar Playbook is a must for any serious guitarist. It dives deep into the art of acoustic rhythm playing with a massive curriculum, which is organized into six sections featuring 60 rhythm guitar studies and grooves. Visit https://coreycongilio.com for more on Corey.
For those looking to add to their collection of Martin guitars, or buying their long-awaited first, there has never been a better time to pick up a new Martin and take your playing to the next level.
Canadian future house electro artist Fonkynson’s genre-pushing creative heavy lifting is Falling into place with the release of his newest album — available now!
“Falling is an album where I took time and perspective about my music,” the Montreal-based artist says of the LP, touching on how it weaves a series of social flash points into a genre that doesn’t often touch such. “It reflects what I have been through the past years, musically and personally.
“I wanted something else, more ‘mature’ music and less ‘club’ music. Music you can listen to on your couch and is still relevant.”
Like the album’s title track, designed to serve as an immersive, self-reflective sonic cocoon. “I wanted it to be a song you can lose yourself into, let your feelings be expressed, go inward… An introspection, of sorts, but also a song you can close your eyes and dance to and let yourself go.
“I was in a special mood when I began to play some keyboards the day I wrote ‘Falling.’ It was rainy, I was feeling a bit nostalgic — not sad, but like when you cherish a memory, or a special moment that’s gone that overflowed with feelings you didn’t necessarily know how to deal with.
“I don’t get sad when I remember painful moments,” he continues. “I dig into them.”
Of the single “Mind Games,” he says, “That is our tendency as humans… To be enemies when it comes to life matters. Negative self-talk is something we all deal with but don’t necessarily talk about, especially in music. On this track, Desiire made an amazing job at writing a positive and uplifting song that inspires, as well as makes you dance.
“Best of both worlds!”
Speaking of Desiire’s co-write credit on “Mind Games,” that’s just one example of the creative collaboration Fonkynson called on for Falling, something he’s never really done before. “I’m trying to not be so alone in my process anymore, so I invited several musicians and singers to join the party, and bring their own meaning to the songs,” he explains. “Working with other artists really made the music take off elsewhere.
“I was kind of a lone wolf before, but if I learned one thing during the making of this album, it’s that working with the right artists can make your project even more personal and achieved. Collaborating helps you express feelings you couldn’t do yourself.
“I stepped out of my comfort zone, and I like where it all landed.”
Beyond “Mind Games” and arm wrestling negative self-talk, the album explores concepts of love being given a second chance (“Giving U Up”), and how anxiety can create its own sense of false comfort, “like a cocoon where you feel comfortable, but it’s really a poisonous home,” he explains of “Reefer Madness” and “Ultra Violet.”
Or missed connections — but not with another person, but rather one’s self, as heard in “Missed Connection”. “It’s not the original meaning, but more about the missed connection between you and your own life, your destiny.
“That’s even sadder, when you think about it,” he laughs, “but also more inspiring and poetic.
“It’s not always easy to express abstract feelings through instrumental music, but I did my best to translate those emotions in the album. There are still club bangers, but with an emotional note.”
Fonkynson’s concept for the album ripples outward to society as well, most notably in the cover art. “I wanted to bring a big concern of mine — and everybody else’s too, (or at least it should be!) — and touch on the catastrophic outcome we’re about to face as humans on this planet.”
The result is an artful series of pictograms that predict Fonkynson’s prediction of the future. “It starts with a guy getting punched in the face because he uses a straw in his drink,” he explains. “It reflects the violent hypocrisy of lesson givers and the diversion of concerns. The notion led to the title of the album, with Falling as a fatality.”
It’s not all curious existentialism for Fonkynson, however; one silver-lining of such rad album art translates beautifully onto merch… “When we received the artwork, the label and I thought, ‘oh damn! Can’t wait to see this on vinyl!!’”
Growing up in France, Fonkynson — nee Valentin Huchon — was greatly influenced by his father’s music. “It was the iconic set of sounds from artists like Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones,” he recalls. “As my interest started shifting, I developed a taste for house, drum n’ bass, and techno. From there, I started to produce my own.”
And start, he did. Fonkynson’s debut EP — a super-funky, vinyl-only release that sold over 2,000 copies — first landed in 2008 via Super HiFi. 2013 saw a decidedly French house EP, Thirsty via Heavy Disco, followed by 2015’s Horny via Montreal-based label, Lisbon Lux Records.
Hitting sonic stride, Fonkynson delivered the full-length #followme, in 2016 — with singles “Aquarelle” and “Caresse” quickly topping Hype Machine and Spotify’s viral charts.
With over 100,000+ streams across Spotify, award-winning Canadian alt-folk rock-to-blues country duo Fresh Breath are sharing some fresh and positive perspective in their two new singles, “Tomorrow Today” and “Make It Together” — both available now.
“‘Tomorrow Today’ was written during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Katie Pascoe recalls. “Josh was playing the piano riff one day during our isolation, and I thought of the lyrics on the spot.
“The song is inspired directly by the health care heroes and front line workers out there that are choosing daily courage over fear, and fighting for our ‘Tomorrow Today.’”
“Production was unique to this track,” Josh Pascoe adds, citing the restrictions that come with social distancing and isolation. “We recorded at our home studio and shared the files to our producer, Brett Humber at Sound Foundry Studios.”
The video features a mindful cameo from Ann Pascoe, Josh’s mom, who is a sign language interpreter, and marks a way to share the inspiring message with as many people as possible. “The idea of including her came from watching press briefings and public announcements,” he explains. “The video was created at our home, with careful social distance practices in place.”
For “Make It Together,” the inspiration echoes a similar sentiment, even if the lyrics came from a different time. “I was using different arrangements Josh had been working with, and flipping through an old lyric journal,” Katie says. “I found a rough poem-style entry from a few years back and they happened to fit the guitar licks and chord progression.”
While the pair didn’t realize just how the words rose to the world’s current scenario until after the song was put together, that Women of Substance Radio says “this band delivers an encouraging message of hope and fortitude set to an upbeat and memorable melody” goes to show this is inherently who they are.
“We spread peace, love and Fresh Breath,” the Ontario-based husband and wife duo offer. “We’re all about no attitude, all gratitude.”
Their lyrics evoke everything from hard truths, to vulnerable moments of self-reflection, to inspiring ideologies on how to pick up and move on from the uncertainties of life.
That it’s packaged in a high-energy, infectiously listenable way makes it a force to be reckoned with.
Folk Roots Radio notes that they have “great energy, (and are a) great live band;” Buzz Music LA agrees, adding “good, high energy with an electrifying delivery… (Want) to see a performance like this live!”
93.9 The River / AM 800’s Dan Macdonald says “Fresh Breath is on FIRE on this new record,” citing their 2019 release, The Big Picture, which also received airplay on 99.1 CKXS, CJIM, CBC, and more. Previous albums have also included 2017’s Us Against The World, 2015’s A Dream That’s Not Followed… is a Dream That Is Lost, and 2010’s The Speed Of Sound.
“Tomorrow Today” and “Make It Together” are available now.
Tame Impala is the project of Kevin Parker, a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from Perth, Australia. Since putting his first EP in 2008, Tame Impala has been nominated for two Grammys and won eight of Australia’s ARIA Awards. Multiple albums of his have been named best of the year. As a producer, he has collaborated with Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, The Weeknd, and more. The most recent Tame Impala album is The Slow Rush, which came out in February 2020. For this episode, Kevin chose to take apart the song, “It Might Be Time.”
In 1992, a then-unknown musician named Brian Warner made it on camera as part of the audience of “Hanging With MTV”, the successor to Dial MTV and the predecessor to TRL. What a nice young man. He later became Marilyn Manson, who was also a nice young man.
Estelle and Kanye West’s American Boy reached the top five in many European and Oceanic markets, and peaked at number-one in Belgium and Estelle’s native United Kingdom. It also achieved success in the United States, peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming Estelle’s breakout song in the country.
Singer/songwriter, global entrepreneur & philanthropist Bret Michaels has reinvented the autobiographical blueprint with the game-changing release of his first book, entitled “Bret Michaels: Auto-Scrap-Ography,” on May 12, 2020.
With a blend of Hardcopy Digital and Digital E-Book-and a never-before-seen Audio/Visual Biopic read by Michaels, with both still and moving images-the Auto-Scrap-Ography is handwritten by the artist, detailing his journey even up to and including his battle with diabetes and the Coronavirus.
Containing never-before-seen, timestamped photographs and untold stories, Michaels makes a “real, sincere deep dive through the moments of impact-with pictures to prove it.”
The book will be available in both e-book as well as hardcover formats- and to kickoff World Book Day today, Auto-Scrap-Ography is available for pre-order now, by visiting ShopBretMichaels.com.
The ultimate underdog story, Auto-Scrap-Ography provides a humorous, real and raw inside look at Michaels’ journey through highs and lows, and how he overcame every adversity life has thrown in his way: From his extremely humble beginnings, growing up in a small Pennsylvania town and learning to rise up in the face of adversity, battling a life-threatening illness daily as a type one juvenile diabetic; to the massive success as a solo artist and with Poison; to rocketing to the top of the music world, reality TV, and entrepreneurial branding; to the causes closest to his heart: his charitable and philanthropic efforts around the world; And continuing through present day, as Michaels is revealed as the fan favorite, Banana on Fox Television’s hit show “The Masked Singer.”
Auto-Scrap-Ography even includes Michaels’ recent personal thoughts as the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic- showing how the diabetic rock star has stayed positive during the quarantine while being in the highest risk category for the terrible virus.
The book’s first hardcopy print sold out quickly during its initial pre-order. Pre-order the Digital E-Book today to secure your copy. Also available for pre-order and due to high demand the next print edition will go into production when is it medically safe to do so.
“First and foremost, the health and well-being of your family is most important,” Michaels said.
“When the May 12th on-sale date was announced back in December 2019, no one knew would be a global pandemic. With the stay at home orders, fans have been clamoring for us to move the release date up-but keeping our workers safe is my highest priority, and it would have been impossible to do that without endangering their lives. I am in the highest risk category and am staying home and following the guidelines-as we all should.”
To give back even more to his fans, Michaels is offering his custom “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” guitar, recently used in his special “Rosebush Sessions” online and TV show performances, as the grand prize for a just-launched giveaway. Everyone who pre-orders a copy of the Auto-Scrap-Ography will be automatically entered for a chance to win this one-of-a-kind prize. Additionally, the winner will receive an extremely great $1,200 Bret Book stimulus package of their very own consisting of $500 cash to spend however they want, a $100 gift certificate to ShopBretMichaels.com and a $500 donation to the charity of their choice.
Auto-Scrap-Ography will officially be released to the world on May 12, 2020 and available exclusively on www.ShopBretMichaels.com.
Katy Perry and XR Studios, a Los Angeles-based production company dedicated to producing XR content in live entertainment, engaged Production Resource Group, known for its technological innovations in the entertainment industry, to support the virtual 3D interactive environment for Katy Perry’s “Daisies” performance during Sunday’s American Idol finale on ABC. The performance made history as the most comprehensive use to-date of Extended Reality (XR) for television. XR Studios in partnership with Silent Partners Studios of Los Angeles and Montreal, created an environment with comic-book style graphic elements that changed throughout the performance, including a house, chair and, of course, daisies that enveloped Katy and to which she interacted and reacted.
XR is an umbrella term for all immersive technologies that enable the layering of 3D on top of the real world. The technologies available today – augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) – extend what we experience by either blending the virtual and real worlds or by creating a fully immersive experience. PRG has been developing its XR capabilities and the ability to meld the worlds of virtual and real using LED screens since early 2018 and first used the technology during the 2019 Super Bowl Halftime Show broadcast.
With this workflow, graphics presented in a performance are completely run in real time, and scenes instantly react to the movements of tracked cameras, people, and objects. Using this approach, digital graphics can be rendered and displayed on physical LED screens, which are seen on the broadcast feed only and/or composited together. The result is 3D content that appears both in front of and behind the performer. Using real time visuals allows talent to visually interact with their environment (the digital one combined with real props) adding a new layer of engagement that lends realism to the performance.
PRG Studios in Los Angeles, one of the largest XR stages ever built, provided a safe environment that supported the production within COVID-19 guidelines. The XR stage provided an alternative for high-level, real time in-camera shoots where green screen and VFX workflows would normally be used.
