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Dashboard Confessional Announces Canadian 20th Anniversary Celebration Tour Dates

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Dashboard Confessional announced a ten date Canadian tour as part of their 20th anniversary celebrations. Starting in Vancouver on May 24th 2020, the band will head to Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Waterloo, London, Oshawa, Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto.

The Best Ones Of The Best One is a thoughtfully curated collection of the band’s most beloved songs and features selections from all seven studio albums, the So Impossible and The Drowning EPs, and the band’s legendary, Platinum-certified MTV Unplugged performance. From start to finish, The Best Ones Of The Best Ones showcases the profound durability of Dashboard Confessional’s music over the past two decades. The collection highlights singer/songwriter Chris Carrabba’s extraordinary ability to give a cathartic voice to the messiest of emotions, which led the band to ascend from a bedroom project to a global sensation. Carrabba—who now owns the majority of Dashboard Confessional’s master recordings (a notable rarity in the music industry)—will self-release the physical, double LP version of The Best Ones Of The Best Ones, along with digital distribution via AWAL. Pre-order The Best Ones Of The Best Ones in multiple formats and bundles now HERE.

With more new music coming soon, Carrabba looks forward to carrying a celebratory spirit all throughout 2020 and reconnecting with his legion of listeners across Canada and the globe. “The fact that my music has had an effect on anybody’s life besides mine is so humbling, and one of the greatest parts of that has been getting to know the people who have become fans over the years,” he says. “Because the thing is that people can choose your band, but it doesn’t work the other way around—you don’t get to choose your fans. I always feel so incredibly lucky these are the fans who ended up choosing us.”

The Best Ones Of The Best Ones tracklist
1. Screaming Infidelities
2. The Swiss Army Romance
3. Again I Go Unnoticed
4. Saints and Sailors
5. The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most
6. Hands Down
7. So Impossible
8. The Best Deceptions
9. The Sharp Hint Of New Tears
10. The Brilliant Dance
11. Drowning
12. Ghost Of A Good Thing
13. Don’t Wait
14. Stolen
15. So Long, So Long
16. Vindicated
17. Fever Dreams
18. Belle Of The Boulevard
19. We Fight
20. Heart Beat Here

Dashboard Confessional tour dates:
2/04 – Dallas, TX – House Of Blues*
2/05 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s*
2/07 – Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren*
2/08 – Anaheim, CA – House Of Blues*
2/11 – San Diego, CA – Observatory North Park*
2/14 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern*
2/15 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore* %
2/16 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore* +
2/18 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox*
2/19 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom*
2/21 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot*
2/22 – Denver, CO – Ogden*
2/23 – Kansas City, MO – Truman^
2/25 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue^
2/26 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave^
2/28 – Chicago, IL – House Of Blues^ %
2/29 – Chicago, IL – House Of Blues^ +
3/03 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews %
3/04 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews +
3/06 – Columbus, OH – Express Live^
3/07 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
3/10 – New York, NY – Webster Hall^ %
3/11 – New York, NY – Webster Hall^ +
3/13 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom^
3/14 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club^ %
3/15 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club^ +
3/17 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre Of Living Arts^ %
3/18 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre Of Living Arts^ +
3/20 – Boston, MA – Paradise^ %
3/21 – Boston, MA – Paradise^ +
3/26 – Orlando, FL – House Of Blues^
3/27 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade^
3/28 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium^
5/24– Vancouver, BC –Commodore Ballroom #
5/25 – Edmonton, AB – Myer Horowitz Theatre #
5/26– Calgary, AB – Bella Concert Hall #
5/28 – Winnipeg, MB – The Garrick #
5/30 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre #
5/31 – Quebec, QC – Imperial Bell #
6/02 – Waterloo, ON – Maxwell’s #
6/03 – London,ON – London Music Hall #
6/05 – Toronto,ON- The Danforth Music Hall #
6/07 – Oshawa,ON- The Music Hall Concert Theatre #

% Performing The Places You Have Come to Fear The Most
+ Performing A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar
Performing a mix of songs from both albums on all other dates
* Support from Piebald

Terry Gilliam explains the secrets of the Monty Python animations on “The Do-It-Yourself Film Animation Show” in 1974

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Arnimation and comedy genius Terry Gilliam of Monty Python gives a few lessons on how does it all.

Chance the Rapper Will Host PUNK’D on Quibi

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MTV Studios, a unit of MTV and ViacomCBS and Quibi announced today that Grammy award-winning superstar Chance the Rapper will take the reigns as host of “Punk’d,” the groundbreaking prank series that dares to put unsuspecting A-listers into hilarious and over-the-top situations. “Punk’d” will be reimagined for a new generation and will be available only on Quibi’s mobile video platform.

The MTV series that coined the cultural verb, “Punk’d,” started a phenomenon by going where no show had gone before. Now, Chance the Rapper, along with his signature ‘3’ baseball cap, is stepping into the director’s chair with new laughs, new hoaxes and new celebrity ‘marks’ in bite-sized episodes. This time around, no stars are safe, and the hidden cameras will be there to catch every second.

Celebrity ‘marks’ will be announced at a later date.

“Punk’d is one of MTV’s most iconic franchises,” said the Grammy award-winning artist. “I grew up watching this show and it’s surreal to be in the driver’s seat this time around on Quibi.”

Launching on April 6, 2020, Quibi is the first entertainment platform designed specifically for your phone. Quibi will feature original content from Hollywood’s biggest stars. Quibi – which is short for “quick bites” – is built for easy, on-the-go mobile viewing with new episodes of movie-quality shows delivered in 10 minutes or less.

Watch a preview here:

Toronto’s SIGGI Releases Neon Dream of a Video for “Better Man” — Available Now!

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Electro-funk songwriter SIGGI is out with a brand new neon dream of a video for his new single, “Better Man” — available now!

With the vibe of video game avatars come to life, “Better Man” and its video take a long walk— literally — in search of connection.

“It comes down to one overall, related message,” Siggi explains. “Something is missing between one another, and I try to define what it is.”

That quest is endeavoured upon throughout the entirety of Human Touch, Siggi’s sophomore release, set to land this July. “Human Touch is my first concept album,” he offers. “It’s centred on social aspects and individual strength… It’s a roller coaster of emotions based on human interaction and behaviour.

“Toronto is multicultural, exhilarating, and challenging,” he continues, relating it back to his new home city of YYZ. “It’s not about race, gender, or political ideologies… It’s about humanity.

“The sound and mood change in each track, but it still blends together.”

“He” in reference is also known on ID pieces in his wallet as Daniel Sigismondi; Siggi is the Italian-born genre-bending lead singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s display of creative craftsmanship at its finest.

The project gains extra juice from background vocalist Holly Paxton, keyboardist and background vocalist Scott Dion Brown, bassist Michael Kossov, drummer Garson Karrel, and percussionist Greg Noguera.

Originally from San Benedetto, Italy, Siggi found himself in a tough spot: drums and punk were his jam, through and through, and provided an outlet for the self-described sense of rage and rebellion he felt within the seemingly claustrophobic provincial culture he was surrounded by. After moving to Milan at age 18, his sound shifted to jazz, blues and soul. “Beauty is in the difference, and that’s how I started appreciating creating music,” he recalls. “Even though drums were originally my passion, I always felt like there was a part of myself I needed to discover.”

Sigismondi eventually caved to the curiosity, and he picked up a guitar. “Soon I was devoting my time to a solo career, composing songs, recording my own material, and writing lyrics.”

With 2017’s breakout single, “Devil on My Shoulder,” Siggi’s debut five-track EP My Way Around would land later that year. On it, Sigismondi incorporates Italian songwriting influences with modern funk, before polishing them into dynamic and easily danceable sounds.

“Now I’ve moved to Toronto with the goal to make people dance, to give the right positive message, and to connect — but in my own way,” he says. “I’m not saying everything has a purpose, but… Maybe.”

“Better Man” is available now.

Human Touch is available July 2020.

Jonas Brothers Announce Las Vegas Residency At Park MGM

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On the heels of releasing their first new single of 2020, “What A Man Gotta Do,” GRAMMY Award-nominated trio Jonas Brothers have announced their Las Vegas residency at Park Theater at Park MGM beginning Wednesday, April 1.

Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets or online at Ticketmaster.com or ParkTheaterLV.com. Tickets also can be purchased through the MGM Resorts International Call Center at (888) 529-4828. All shows are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.

The nine dates going on sale are:

April 2020: 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 18

The preeminent male group of this century, Jonas Brothers opened the floodgates for a new era of titans in pop music. Following a six-year hiatus, Jonas Brothers took 2019 by storm with the surprise release of their critically acclaimed and widely successful single “Sucker.” The double-platinum single debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, becoming the first #1 for the band and the first #1 debut from a group this century. The song emerged as a cultural phenomenon, ranking #1 on Billboard’s critic’s picks list of the “50 Best Songs of 2019,” and standing out as the top song on U.S. Radio in 2019, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

Making history once more, the band delivered their third #1 album debut with the release of their platinum-selling album Happiness Begins. The band continued to soar with their sold-out “Happiness Begins Tour,” with over 1 million tickets sold. The tour received unanimous praise with Billboard writing, “The ‘Happiness Begins’ Tour feels like a celebration of everything in the Jonas Brothers’ career, but also the beginning of their larger-than-life new chapter,” and The Washington Post saying “There hasn’t been a boy band in recent history that’s made a comeback quite like Jonas Brothers.” Moreover, Rolling Stone summed it best, “Following a six year hiatus, it almost feels like the Jonas Brothers are bigger than ever.”

The band closed out a banner year with the release of “Only Human,” another Top 5 hit on both Top 40 and Hot AC radio airplay charts. What’s more, they garnered a bevy of awards, including a 2019 MTV Video Music Award for “Best Pop Video” and two 2019 Teen Choice Awards for “Artist Of The Decade” and “Choice Summer Group.” Plus, they were nominated in top categories at the American Music Awards, including “Favorite Duo or Group Pop/Rock” and “Favorite Song Pop/Rock.” Most recently, they notched their second GRAMMY® nomination for “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.”

Park Theater is the entertainment centerpiece of Park MGM, a partnership between MGM Resorts International and New York-based Sydell Group which features two distinct hotel experiences including a Las Vegas version of Sydell’s widely acclaimed NoMad Hotel. The 5,200-seat Park Theater, with its cutting-edge audio and visual technology, provides artists of diverse talents with a dynamic space to create one-of-a-kind productions where every seat allows guests to feel up close and personal. From comedy shows and live concerts, to sporting events and award shows, the theater is specially designed to transform seamlessly for any occasion. For more Park Theater show and ticket information, visit ParkTheaterLV.com or follow on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

Lauv Announces ~how i’m feeling world tour~

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PLATINUM-certified independent singer, songwriter, producer and pop visionary Lauv announces dates for his “~how i’m feeling world tour~”! The 65+ date world tour will mark Lauv’s largest U.S. shows of his career. The North American leg is produced by Live Nation* and will hit iconic venues in the U.S. such as Radio City Music Hall in New York, NY, Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, CO and The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, CA. Artists Maisie Peters, Charlotte Lawrence, Role Model and Alexander 23 are set to join as support in select cities.

Last week, Lauv dropped his newest single “Tattoos Together.” In conjunction, he also released the music video that was all filmed in one shot, directed by Declan Whitebloom (Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, One Direction). “Tattoos Together” is the latest release off the artist’s 21-track debut album, ~how i’m feeling~, set for release on March 6, 2020. Click HERE to view!

Over the past few months, Lauv has released his much anticipated collaboration “Mean It” with LANY (HERE), his surprise 2020 track “Changes,” in addition to the video for album track “Sims.” The video was directed by Phillip Lopez (Kygo, Selena Gomez, Liam Payne), which serves as the proper visual introduction of the “Little Lauv” characters that adorn his debut album artwork for ~how i’m feeling~ and make up Lauv’s “one man boyband.” Click HERE to view!

In October, Lauv was also notably featured on the radio version of powerhouse K-Pop group BTS’ “Make It Right (feat. Lauv)” which can be heard HERE!

Lauv’s last single “fuck, i’m lonely” with Anne-Marie has surpassed over 250 million streams to date and peaked at #30 at Top 40 US radio. The pair performed the song on Late Night With Seth Meyers (HERE). In addition, the track was also included on the current 3rd season of the popular Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, as well as this seasons soundtrack.

2020 TOUR DATES
3/21 Monterrey, Mexico Tecate Pal Norte Festival Sideshow
3/23 Mexico City, Mexico El Plaza Condesa
3/25 Lima, Peru Domos Art
3/27 Santiago, Chile Lollapalooza Chile
3/29 Buenos Aires, Argentina Lollapalooza Argentina
3/30 Buenos Aires, Argentina Lollapalooza Sideshow @ Teatro Vorterix
4/3 Sao Paulo, Brazil Lollapalooza Brazil
5/11 Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon Coliseum
5/13 Madrid, Spain La Riviera
5/14 Barcelona, Spain Razzmatazz
5/16 Milan, Italy Fabrique
5/18 Lyon, France Le Transbordeur
5/19 Zurich, Switzerland X-TRA
5/20 Vienna, Austria Gasometer
5/24 Riga, Latvia Palladium
5/26 Stockholm, Sweden Arenan Fryshuset
5/28 Oslo, Norway Sentrum Scene
5/30 Copenhagen, Denmark VEGA
6/16 Bangalore Manpho Convention Center
6/18 Mumbai NSCI Dome
6/21 Beijing Exhibition Theatre
6/22 Shanghai Modern Sky Lab
6/23 Shanghai Modern Sky Lab
6/25 Taipei Legacy Max
6/27 Jakarta Istora Senayan
7/17 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
7/18 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater
7/19 Atlanta, GA Coca Cola Roxy
7/21 Detroit, MI Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
7/22 Toronto, ON RBC Echo Beach
7/24 Indianapolis, IN White River State Park
7/25 Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion
7/26 Cleveland, OH Jacobs Pavilion
7/28 Minneapolis, MN The Armory
7/29 Council Bluffs, IA Stir Cove
7/30 St. Louis, MO Saint Louis Music Park
8/4 Philadelphia, PA The Met
8/6 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall
8/7 Boston, MA Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion
8/8 Baltimore, MD MECU Pavilion
8/9 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheater
8/11 Miami, FL FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park
8/12 St. Augustine, FL St. Augustine Amphitheatre
8/14 Houston, TX Revention Music Center
8/15 Dallas, TX Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
8/16 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre
8/18 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
8/19 Salt Lake City, UT Complex (Outdoors)
8/21 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Federal Theatre
8/22 Las Vegas, NV Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan
8/24 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth Theatre
8/25 Portland, OR McMenamins Edgefield
8/26 Seattle, WA WaMu Theater
8/28 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre @ UC Berkeley
8/29 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre
10/26 Oberhausen, DE König-Pilsener-Arena
10/28 Munich, DE Zenith
10/29 Stuttgart, DE Porsche Arena
10/31 Hannover, DE Swiss Life Hall
11/2 Frankfurt, DE Jahrhunderthalle
11/3 Antwerp, BE Lotto Arena
11/5 Paris, FR Zénith Paris – La Villette
11/6 Amsterdam, NL AFAS Live
11/7 Tilburg, NL 013 Poppodium
11/10 Birmingham, UK O2 Academy
11/11 Glasgow, UK O2 Academy
11/13 Manchester, UK Manchester Academy
11/17 London, UK O2 Academy Brixton

Brother Roger And Brian Eno Create First Duo Album For Deutsche Grammophon Debut

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Roger and Brian Eno explore the nature of sound in their first ever duo album, Mixing Colours. Set for international release on 20 March 2020 in digital, vinyl and CD digipack formats, their debut on Deutsche Grammophon, is a major milestone in their ongoing creative collaboration. The album’s 18 soundscapes invite listeners to immerse themselves in the infinite space that lies below their surface.

Mixing Colours grew over a number of years, with both artists drawing on their long experience as composers, performers and producers. The creative process began with Roger Eno playing individual pieces and recording them using a MIDI keyboard. He then sent digital MIDI files of these recordings to his older brother, who set each piece in its own particular sound world, by revising and manipulating its content. Their exchange developed an effortless dynamic as the project unfolded.

The earliest pieces on Mixing Colours began life around 2005, but were not originally thought about as part of a larger body of work. “We weren’t directing this towards an end result – it was like a back-and-forth conversation we were having over a 15-year period,” says Roger. “I’d wake up, go straight upstairs, put my equipment on and improvise, then I sent things to Brian that I thought he might be interested in. The idea for a full album emerged as the number of pieces kept increasing and the results kept being interesting. It’s something that neither of us could have arrived at alone.”

Mixing Colours creates bridges between the music’s past and future. Roger’s compositions evoke the yearning melodic style of late Schubert while Brian’s sound design draws from his ground-breaking conceptual work with electronic music and lifelong fascination with the creative potential of new media. Over the past half century, he notes, the pop world has developed electronic music’s enormous possibilities to create previously unimagined sound colours and instrumental timbres.

Brian observes: “With classical instruments the clarinet represents a little island of sound, the viola another, and the grand piano yet another. Each instrument is a finite set of sonic possibilities, one island in the limitless ocean of all the possible sounds that you could make. What’s happened with electronics is that all the spaces in between those islands are being explored, yielding new sounds that have never previously existed. It has been a huge pleasure for me to explore that ocean with Roger’s unique compositions.”

All but one of the recording’s eighteen tracks have colour-related titles – “Burnt Umber”, “Obsidian” and “Verdigris” among them – comparable to those often attached to abstract paintings. Together they create a deep meditation on shifting tonal shades and contrasts in timbre. The final track, the haunting “Slow Movement: Sand”, strips music back to its bare essentials of tone colour, timbre and pulse.

Mixing Colours, adds Roger, stemmed from their shared artistic, musical and literary interests to become a work of genuine collaboration. “The more you listen to this album, particularly with the fabulous worlds that Brian has created, you can really walk into its enormous landscape and stay.”

The album artwork features abstract paintings by artist Dom Theobald, including a striking piece given as a gift by Roger to Brian.

Reggae Master JAY DOUGLAS Gets 2020 JUNO Award Nomination With Hit Release, “Jah Children”

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“The music, it heals,” is what Toronto-based music master Jay Douglas says of his freshly nominated 2020 JUNO Award Reggae Recording of the Year, “Jah Children” — available now.

“The nomination is about good and positive vibrations,” he continues. “Reggae music is an awakening, and the message is peace and love every time.”

As Douglas sings, “we live in a land, we got so much to give thanks for,” the track lands as an optimistic ode, aiming to shine light through the many social and political issues plaguing the world, and features iconic Jamaican dancehall DJ General Trees and a remix by JUNO Award-winning Canadian reggae artist Dubmatix.

“Three years ago, I performed at a reggae festival in Toronto with General Trees as the headliner,” Douglas recalls on how “Jah Children” and the collaboration came to be. “I was so impressed with his performance… He had the audience in his hands.

“I invited the General to Side Door studio to put a rap on ‘Jah Children,’” he continues. “He accepted my invitation, and we played the track for him… He looked at me and smiled; it took him less than one hour to do his rap, he was so excited.”

Jay Douglas first appeared on stage in Montego Bay, Jamaica and, in the over 50 years of entertaining since, has developed into an Internationally idolized musical renaissance man thanks to his wide-ranging repertoire of American blues, West Indian rhythms, and jazz standards — including fronting The Cougars, a circa-1960s/1970s R&B act, and Light in the Attic’s ‘From Jamaica to Toronto’ concert series.

“Jah Children” is Douglas’ second JUNO Award nomination, the first being for 2012’s reggae release, Lover’s Paradise.

Douglas has also won NOW Magazine’s ‘Best R&B Act,’ the Annual Toronto Reggae Awards’ ‘Male Reggae Vocalist of the Year,’ and the BBPA Harry Jerome Awards’ ‘G98.7 Entertainment Award.’

“Thanks to Jessie Dubmatix and Everton “Pablo” Paul who worked so patiently with me, voicing me properly, and making me do so many harmonies and octaves with the help for the backing vocals,” Douglas says of the team’s work on “Jah Children.” “Great mixing and mastering by Dubmatix, and his positive vibes every time.

“Blessings to Dubmatix and General Trees for joining me on this project. ‘Jah Children’ is the message we need right now.”

System Of A Down’s John Dolmayan Announces Debut Solo Album, ‘These Grey Men,’ out February 28

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John Dolmayan, the iconic drummer of GRAMMY Award-winning, multiplatinum Los Angeles quartet System Of A Down, has announced his debut solo album, These Grey Men. The eight-track album, out Friday, February 28, is an eclectic collection of reimagined songs Dolmayan was inspired by during many drives between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. These Grey Men features special guest artists including M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold, Serj Tankian of System Of A Down and Tom Morello, among others, with a bulk of the album recorded at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606.

“While I was driving, I’d put on satellite radio and listen to whatever came on,” says Dolmayan. “Oftentimes, I’d hear something and ask myself how I would play or arrange it. I actually started to make a list of about 30 songs I might cover someday. I just got inspiration from desert driving and listening to music. System wasn’t making music at the time, but I needed an outlet for my artistic energy. So, I whittled down the list and reached out to some artists I wanted to work with.”

Through the album’s track list are standouts including powerful renditions of notable song’s such as the leadoff single, “Street Spirit,” a lively cover from the Radiohead catalog that catapults the song into a new dimension with M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold on vocals and a blistering guitar solo from Tom Morello. Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone noted, “Dolmayan’s cover itself is a complete transformation of ‘Street Spirit,’ making it a larger-than-life arena rocker that still retains the same pathos as the original. The track ends with the delirious buzz of Morello’s guitar.”

“It’s from my favorite Radiohead album,” notes Dolmayan. “In terms of approach, I thought about how it might sound if John Bonham was on it. I tried to channel that a little bit. It was the first time I worked with M. Shadows, and he hit it out of the park. Tom came in and did a fantastic guitar solo. For all of these, we tweaked them to the point where they became our own versions.”

Other tracks that break into new sonic territory include the high-voltage revamp of David Bowie’s “Starman” that rejoins Dolmayan with System Of A Down vocalist Serj Tankian. Dolmayan’s commanding drumming also links with Tankian on a spirited arrangement of Talking Heads’ “Road To Nowhere.”

“Since Serj is the singer of System, I know where his vocals are going to go before he does,” smiles Dolmayan. “I play drums to the melody. I was able to cater to what he had in mind. He did a phenomenal job on both songs. He has the same quirky element to his vocals that David Bowie did, so it was a perfect mix. He really stepped up on ‘Road To Nowhere’ too.”

Furious drum fills fire up a propulsive reinterpretation of Madonna’s “Hung Up” with new lyrics and “a hat tip to ‘Ohio’ by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.” The track vaults from a wild riff into a shimmering disco breakdown before a hypnotic bridge carried by Armenian superstar Sirusho on the mic.

Over a span of five years, Dolmayan carefully assembled what would become These Grey Men joined by James Hazleyon guitar, Tom Coppossela on bass, and Danny Shouman on keys for the bulk of the project. Choosing eight diverse classics from the popular music canon, Dolmayan recorded his parts at Dave Grohl’s legendary Studio 606 and personally arranged strings at Toys of the Masses.
Produced by John Dolmayan with James Hazley, the title for These Grey Men, was birthed from conversations with a close friend, a former U.S. Navy S.E.A.L.

“A buddy of mine is a former Navy S.E.A.L., and he was staying at my house when I was making the album,” Dolmayan says. “He’s a very introspective guy and a really good person. We’d have these long conversations. He told me S.E.A.L.s would always try to be nondescript. You would never notice them in a room. In other words, they were ‘Grey Men.’ He said, ‘They’re kind of invisible—similar to a drummer’. We thought it would be a great title, because many people don’t necessarily notice the drummer unless there’s a mistake.”
“I’m very appreciative of everyone who took time to work on this,” adds Dolmayan. “Fans have been waiting for a while, and I just can’t wait for them to hear it. These Grey Men is out everywhere Friday, February 28.

Track listing for These Grey Men:

“Road To Nowhere”
(Talking Heads cover featuring Serj Tankian)
“Starman”
(David Bowie cover featuring Serj Tankian)
“What I Know”
(Two Door Cinema Club cover featuring Jonathan Dorr)
“Runaway”
(Del Shannon cover featuring Franky Perez)
“Street Spirit”
(Radiohead cover featuring M. Shadows and Tom Morello)
“Hung Up”
(Madonna cover featuring Sirusho)
“Beautiful Thieves”
(AFI cover featuring Jonah Perry Nimoy)
“Rock Bottom”
(Eminem cover)

Gordon Lightfoot Announces New Studio Album ‘Solo,’ His First In Over A Decade

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Canada’s most celebrated songwriter, and international folk legend Gordon Lightfoot has announced his new album SOLO. The album sees seeing Lightfoot returning to the studio to release his first album of new music since 2004’s HARMONY. The album showcases Lightfoot at his most pure, alone in the studio with his guitar. The new album is heralded by the first single “Oh So Sweet,” which can be heard below.

In the making of SOLO, Lightfoot discovered a treasure trove of unreleased material in his Toronto home. Two CDs of songs he recorded nearly two decades ago were tucked away in his office. The songs were written in late 2001 and early 2002, just before he suffered a near-fatal abdominal aortic aneurysm later that year. After discovering the songs, he went into Grant Avenue Studio in downtown Hamilton, ON with his guitar to create this beautifully minimal work.

Of the new work, Lightfoot says “I thought my fans would be interested in hearing what songs sound like when first written.”

Gordon Lightfoot is Canada’s greatest singer-songwriter. He was a genre-defining figure in the folk-pop scene of the 1960s and 1970s. He has been awarded the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts, as well as being named a Companion of the Order of Canada. His songs are indelible to the Canadian music landscape, and include such national treasures as “Sundown,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “If You Could Read My Mind.” Lightfoot has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as Canada’s Walk of Fame. His songs have been recorded by the likes of Elvis Presley, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton and The Tragically Hip.