As part of YouTube’s #StayHome campaign, The Rolling Stones weekly series “Extra Licks” on their official YouTube channel continues to go from strength to strength, delighting Stones fans across the globe during lockdown.
This week’s episode will premiere this Sunday May 31st at 3pm ET and features performances from one of the first dates on the Bridges To Babylon Tour, filmed in Chicago in September 1997. The band took a fresh approach on this tour, introducing a B-stage and inviting fans to vote via their website for a song to be added to the setlist each night. The Bridges To Babylon Tour lasted a year and was seen by over 4.5M fans, with 97 shows over 4 continents.
https://youtu.be/JiV0Gurc8oY
Available digitally for the first time—the #ExtraLicks Bridges to Babylon Tour performances will appear as a YouTube Premiere, continuing the streaming of a series of bonus features from six concert films from the band’s career. This series is in partnership with The Rolling Stones and Eagle Rock Entertainment, and will stream exclusively on YouTube.
The Rolling Stones recently released a new single entitled, “Living In A Ghost Town,” that was created and recorded in Los Angeles, London and in isolation. The track was released in tandem with a brand new music video that Premiered exclusively on YouTube and has had over 6 million views to date.
https://youtu.be/i3M-YFXvZ_8
YouTube Premieres is a feature that lets artists and their teams build anticipation and create a unique moment around a music video release on YouTube. The feature transforms the way fans view and engage with content by creating an event where fans and artists directly engage and enjoy the experience together in an interactive way. Premieres radically change how music video content is released, turning the watching experience into a communal moment.
fter catching the attention of critics with her first EP Self Aware Bitch, Anna Sofia has released her brand-new song “Either Way” today. The track will be the first single off of her upcoming Broken Perfection EP out Jul. 17th.
“I wrote this song as a note to someone I really care for,” Sofia said. “They have been struggling with body image issues and have always been very self-conscious. I wanted to find a way to really get through to them and let them know how I feel about them -to let them know that I love them no matter what they look like.”
In addition, this release is the first time Sofia and her producer Jeff Hazin were able to work with Jeff Kleinman (Frank Ocean, FKA Twigs, Beyoncé). “Working with Jeff Kleinman was huge for Jeff Hazin and I,” Sofia said. “Jeff K was a super amazing person to work with and it was pretty crazy to even get the chance to be in a studio with him. He has worked with some of my favorite artists from Frank Ocean to Beyoncé, so to be able to work with someone that I look up to is so unreal to me and I’m so thankful for the opportunity.”
The song adds to the accolades Sofia received from her debut Self Aware Bitch EP which received critical acclaim from Ones To Watch, Affinity Magazine, That Buzzing Sound and more and accumulated over 3 million cumulative streams. In addition, she released the official music video for the song’s title track “Self Aware Bitch” which shows Sofia tackling dodgeball try-outs and school drama with a twist ending.
The project was primarily produced by rising producer Jeff Hazin with Grammy® nominated producer Frank Dukes (Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Post Malone) lending his talents to the song “Self Aware Bitch.” A triad of successful singles set the stage for the six-song EP. On the heels of “Meaner Girl” and “I Try,” she closed out 2019 with the buzzing “No Fun.” Streamed nearly half-a-million times on Spotify, Ones To Watch claimed, “The charming single is a pleasant introducer to her forthcoming EP, Self Aware Bitch” and dubbed it “an impactful introverted anthem.”
Contagiously confident and irresistibly melodic, Sofia asserts herself as a powerful presence in 2020.
16-year-old Toronto singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist ANNA SOFIA threads together narrative pop with the scope of a classic nineties teen flick and the unpredictability of 21st century genre-bending. Through a pure perspective only an insider could possess, Sofia chronicles these moments and so much more in her music. Streamed over 3 million times independently as of 2019 and acclaimed by Ones To Watch, Lyrical Lemonade, and Complex who dubbed her, “a prodigious new talent,” she places listeners in the front row of her world on the introductory 2020 EP, Self Aware Bitch [Electric Feel/Republic Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company], and her forthcoming full-length debut.
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter J.S. Ondara, now mononymously known as Ondara, reveals Folk N’ Roll Vol 1: Tales of Isolation, a new collection of songs written in direct response to the current global pandemic. The album was composed and produced by Ondara while in lockdown in Minneapolis over the course of a week, and came out of Ondara’s deep need to create as a form of therapy during this incredibly uncertain time.
“As I’m sure it has for all of us, I found the period of isolation to be wearing down the equilibrium of my sanity. After being stuck in a mental rut for four weeks, I woke up one morning and spent three days writing these songs and three more days recording them in a friend’s living room in Minneapolis. It was a kind of vomit of words and melodies, compulsive and without any control or forethought. I wasn’t trying to make a record, I wasn’t trying to do anything really, I was only trying to provide myself with some kind of therapy, a desperate attempt at preserving my sanity. They are stories about the ramifications of a whole population isolating; about the personal, political and economical scars that will linger for the rest of our lives long after we have found our way past this. In crisis, the human spirit is laid bare, its volatility preyed upon and its resilience tested. This record is hence not only a portrait of the bizarre times we have unknowingly fallen into, but also a collective tale of the human spirit navigating uncertainty,” explains Ondara.
Folk N’ Roll Vol 1: Tales of Isolation follows Ondara’s 2019 debut Tales of America which received widespread critical acclaim—Rolling Stone praised it as “…a clear-eyed acoustic newcomer’s tale of American promise and calamity that establishes him as an invigorating new voice in American folk music,” NPR Music hailed, “He really nails the sort of freewheeling spirit of American acoustic music in the spirit of Paul Simon and Dylan…” while American Songwriter called it “an early contender for one of the finest and most moving Americana albums of the year.” Ondara was featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” performed a Tiny Desk concert, and made his television debut on CBS This Morning: Saturday. Moreover, the breakout LP received a nomination for Best Americana Album at the 62nd Grammy Awards and Ondara received a nod for Best Emerging Act at the 2019 Americana Awards.
Ondara grew up in Nairobi, Kenya listening to American alt-rock and making up his own songs for as long as he can remember. At an early age he fell in love with the music of Bob Dylan and moved to Minneapolis in 2013 to pursue a career as a singer and songwriter. He began making his way in the local music scene, continually writing songs about what he saw, felt and experienced in a place far different from home. Since then, he has toured extensively including sold out European performances, a completely sold out headlining U.S. tour, appearances at festivals nationwide including Xponential Festival, Newport Folk Festival and Edmonton Folk Festival, and opened for the likes of The Lumineers, First Aid Kit, Neil Young, The Head & The Heart, and more.
Continuing a rapid rise this year, Ontario-born vocal powerhouse Ryland James shares a new song entitled “Better Off” today.
Over soft piano and a sparse beat, his undeniable voice immediately takes flight. Intimate verses give way to a rapturous refrain accompanied by a full choir. Driven by his overpowering delivery, it culminates on the ultimate breakup postscript, “I’d be better off loving myself,” spiked with soul and spirit.
“Better Off” arrives on the heels of Ryland’s recent single “Shoulder To Cry On.” Produced by Jon Levine [Alessia Cara, Dua Lipa, Drake], it has already racked up 1.5 million YouTube views and over 3.5 million Spotify streams. In addition to praise from The Honey Pop, Canadian Beats, and more, Idolator declared “Ryland James needs to be on your radar.” The momentum only continues to ramp up.
Ryland James highlighted 2019 by crisscrossing Canada and the U.S on tour with Alessia Cara, as well as making his music festival debuts at Bumbershoot and Life Is Beautiful. Returning from the road, he released his single “In My Head” which has impressively been certified Gold in Canada. Co-written amidst trips to Stockholm and London, the track highlights Ryland’s poetic songcraft and expansive vocal range. The vocals reverberate with a combination of urgent immediacy and palpable emotion. Upon release, Billboard declared that “In My Head” was an “incredibly soulful” song, adding that Ryland “shows off Adele-like qualities with a soaring chorus and emotional, heartbreak-ridden lyrics.”
When it came to her new release “Jerusalem’s Thorns: Civilian Remix,” artist Carolyn Fe wrangled a tough decision: How does one choose between two creations cut from the same cloth?
“‘Jerusalem’s Thorns: Civilian Remix’ is closer to my heart than the version released on the album,” Fe shares candidly.
The version is aggressive with a military tone that accompanies tribal sounds alluding to a battle cry stemming from her deepest wounds, she expands. “It’s like a purging of poisons and toxins from (my) soul to rebuild a new normal.”
Originally from the album Sugat Ko — translating to ‘My Wound’ in her native tongue of Tagalog — “Jerusalem’s Thorns” was the collective choice of Fe’s bandmates. “They liked the organic and not-so aggressive vibe of the tune, which was a cry and scream of frustration as (my) wounds healed,” she offers.
In both versions of the song, those tribal percussions introduce the listener — and brings Fe closer — to her Filipino roots as she continues to further her version of the Blues genre.
Following a four-year silence to re-frame, re-energize and re-prioritize, she says, Carolyn Fe came back stronger than ever with the release of 2018’s Sugat Ko.
“I dropped my malong to reveal my truest self and to heal the wounds of the past,” she says, making note of the traditional tube skirt or dress made from a woven, multi-coloured cotton worn for warmth and/or traditional celebrations.
Familiarizing listeners to her Filipino heritage, the album ventures into new blues territory with masterful twists on the familiar forms of the genre. Infused with Filipino rhythms and sounds, and combined with timely lyrics, Sugat Ko is a poignant and unquestionably original release “not for the Blues purist,” she says.
“This is a modern album and relative to the current world climate, but at once classic with hints of tradition that is not necessarily your definition of, but also undeniably not your ‘Grandma’s blues.’
“It’s me daring you to step out of your comfort zone.”
The award-winning video for the original version of “Jerusalem’s Thorns” is akin to a short film about the Philippines’ Babaylan. “The Babaylan were almost always women. They were held in high regard and were powerful ritual specialists from the pre-colonial Philippines and were believed to have influence over the natural and spiritual realms. They were believed to possess powers that block dark magic and heal the sick or wounded, and interact with the deities of the spirit world.”
A dual-city-citizen of Montreal and Toronto, Philippine-born Carolyn Fe is a true artist: curious, adaptable, an outlier, a free-spirited visionary who questions accepted standards and pushes against established rules to bravely navigate the daunting corridors of her soul, reinventing and redefining her craft. She is an innovator who has always expressed herself through the performing arts — dance, television, film, web and music — specifically the blues, where she fully embodies her talents as an insightful lyricist, evocative interpreter, and singularly authentic performer.
Her inspirations come from being a woman of colour who grew up in a predominantly white neighbourhood where she was always on the fringe, even when she was literally in the spotlight performing. Being an outlier fuelled her determination to create her own space and freedom to blaze her own path — on her own terms. Carolyn Fe continues to write her own material and her lyrics lay comfortably on various artists’ music around the world such as Shun Kikuta (former guitarist of Koko Taylor), Finland’s Sami Joensuu, and many more.
As an actress, Carolyn Fe can be seen in both French and English productions. Catch her in her recurring role as Lola (Grandma) to the host of the show, Josh, in the children’s show Blue’s Clues and You (the reboot of the classic Blue’s Clues) on the Nickelodeon channel, as the mother to CIA agent in Condor on Amazon Prime, as Madame Z in the French web series Meilleur Avant on tv5unis.ca/meilleur-avant and more. In the theatre, Fe graces the stages of Toronto and Montreal’s most established houses.
Born to a family of entrepreneurs, whose enterprising spirit has clearly influenced her, it is no surprise that Carolyn Fe will continue to widen hers, her colleagues and her audiences’ boundaries. She defies age and challenges our stereotyped thinking about theatre, music and the performing arts in general. When working with and/or seeing Carolyn Fe in action, make sure you’ve loosened your parameters, or even better, erased the borders of what you think should be. Widen your horizons, only growth and evolution can come from being uncomfortable.
Live Nation Canada and Budweiser announced Budweiser Stage at Home, a weekly one-hour concert experience for fans to enjoy in the comfort of their own home. The iconic waterfront music venue will be transported from downtown Toronto into the homes of Canadians from coast to coast. The series premier will feature The Black Crowes with The Trews and hosted by Juno-nominated musician and Rogers Hometown Hockey host, Tara Slone. Beginning Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m., music fans can watch the special weekly concert series each Saturday on Citytv and Citytv.com. The events will also be available to stream on the Citytv iOS and AppleTV apps as well as Live Nation’s Live From Home platform, more details below.
“Budweiser Stage has a long, rich history as one of North America’s premiere concert destinations, and we know how important music is to people, especially at a difficult time. We wanted to keep the summer concert season going, even when we have to be apart,” said Riley O’Connor Chairman Live Nation Canada. “Live Nation Canada is proud to present Budweiser Stage at Home to keep our fans connected with live music. Live Nation continues to be the leader in the presentation of live music performances and looks forward to when we can all celebrate together at a live concert.”
Budweiser Stage at Home elevates the home streaming experience by delivering fully produced shows from this iconic venue. The series will celebrate music and the connection it creates as we head into another great Canadian summer. The hour-long specials will be performed remotely and feature performances and interviews with artists who were set to play Budweiser Stage this season or have previously performed at the venue. The second episode will feature Canadian favourites Blue Rodeo and Alan Doyle on June 6. Further artist performance announcements are coming in the following weeks.
“The month of May has always been the kick-off to summer with the opening of Budweiser Stage, however, during these unprecedented times we’ve all had to change how we live our lives. But it hasn’t changed Budweiser’s commitment to its community,” said Todd Allen, Vice President, Marketing, Labatt Breweries of Canada. “Budweiser Stage at Home allows us to elevate the at home music experience while creating great moments for friends to celebrate at a distance.”
Although this season may look different, Budweiser Stage at Home hopes to continue sharing music and entertainment with its community of fans.
BUDWEISER STAGE AT HOME LINEUP: Saturday, May 30th @ 8 p.m. EST:
The Black Crowes with The Trews
Saturday, June 6th @ 8 p.m. EST:
Blue Rodeo and Alan Doyle
WATCH ON:
CITY TV
Simultaneous Live Stream on Citytv.com, Citytv iOS app, AppleTV apps Live From Home – Live Nation’s All-New Virtual Music Hub
Tim Friese-Greene is best known as producer and unofficial member of Talk Talk, and for his work producing Catherine Wheel, Lush, Thomas Dolby, Sidi Bou Said and Firefly Burning. AllMusic wrote, “renowned for his unerring sense of atmosphere and nuance, Tim Friese-Greene was among the most innovative — albeit under-recognized — producers of his era”.
After 1995, he shifted his primary focus to creating music as a solo artist, issuing various releases under his own name and as Heligoland. Short-Haired Domestic is the next step in a logical progression for this producer.
A song in Latin about the importance of comfortable shoes is the first preview of the duo’s eponymous album, to release this summer:
Each track features vocals sung in a different language. At their heart are a breakbeat loop, sampled fragments, scratching, insistent funk and Latin rhythms, surprising appearances of acoustic guitar and just about every sound that’s possible to wring from a WASP synthesizer.
Short-Haired Domestic – photo by Jake Friese-Greene
“I was interested in a kind of heavy slowed-down funk, with quite a lot of abstract noise, and generally embracing dirtiness and imperfection. I had the idea around 2017 to make a slow funk album, but didn’t want to get bogged down in drummers or drum programming, so I picked 9 breakbeat loops off some 90s DJ vinyl that I had knocking about. At about the same time, Lee and I were taking Italian lessons and I was struck with how readily she adopted the nuances of the language,” says Tim Friese-Greene.
“Her gift for mimicry is what got me thinking about the possibility of using a separate language for each song. As well as utilising her skillset to the max, this would probably take her out of her comfort zone, creating different and unexpected possibilities.”
Short-Haired Domestic – photo by Jake Friese-Greene
Lee Friese-Greene was a member of early 90’s London Riot Grrl band Sidi Bou Said. 20-odd years was pre-occupied with parenting, teaching, doing up houses, and dabbling in music, including performance of back vocals for Tim’s projects. More recently, Lee is the songwriter, lead singer and guitar player for Devon-based band Pavlova.
“I am about the least bilingual person I know, but seem to be OK at mimicry, says Lee Friese-Greene, having called in favours from friends to translate her words and help her with pronunciation.
“Writing lyrics for translation was a challenge – in English I would think about all the usual literary devices- rhyme , alteration , metaphor, etc., but most of this goes out of the window once translated. So as the project progressed, I found I was writing more direct, straight forward words and then, with the help of the translators, things were tweaked to fit the melody.”
Lead track ‘A Song in Latin’was the first song Tim and Lee Friese-Greene wrote after coming up with the ‘Short-Haired Domestic’ album concept.
“Tim suggested I start with a Latin language, so I though – why not just do it Latin? We weren’t aware of any other records in Latin. I found a Latin translator tool online – no idea how accurate my translation is but having gone to what was once a rather stuffy grammar school, I did have to study Latin for a couple of years, so recall it being reasonably straightforward and easy to pronounce,” says Lee Friese-Greene.
“Anyway this is a song about always wearing your own shoes and choosing your own path, because other people’s shoes never feel right even if they appear to be the same size”.
As of June 5, ‘A song in Latin… A song in Hindi…’ will be available digitally. It is now available for pre-order via Bandcamp. Later this summer, the duo shall release their debut eponymous album on vinyl and CD, as well as digitally across the main digital platforms.
TRACK LIST
1. A song in Latin about the importance of comfortable shoes 2. A song in Hindi for insomniacs
The Kaleidoscope Orchestra performs a medley of tracks from Eminem, including Lose Yourself, Just Lose It, The Real Slim Shady, Without Me, and My Name Is.
