The flow is towin’, precision as a afro trim
All big letters but it isn’t no acronym
MF DOOM’s Isolated Vocals For “Ballskin”
Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses) Gets Expanded For 50th Anniversary
Grateful Dead earned the band’s first-ever gold record in 1971 with its self-titled live album. Known to many fans as “Skull & Roses” (a reference to the cover art by Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse) the original double-LP included songs recorded in March and April 1971 in New York and, the band’s hometown, San Francisco. Grateful Dead celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a newly remastered and expanded version of the original.
GRATEFUL DEAD (SKULL & ROSES): EXPANDED EDITION will be available as a two-CD set on June 25. It includes the album’s original’s 11 tracks, which have been remastered from the stereo analog master tapes by Grammy® Award winning engineer David Glasser using Plangent Process Speed Correction. The set also includes a bonus disc with 10 previously unreleased live tracks that were recorded on July 2, 1971 at the Fillmore West, which was the band’s final performance at the historic San Francisco venue. The music will also be available in both standard and high-resolution 192/24 audio at digital download and streaming services.
GRATEFUL DEAD (SKULL & ROSES) will also be released on June 18 as a double-LP set that features the newly remastered version of the original album pressed on 180-gram black vinyl. In addition, Dead.net will offer an exclusive version pressed on 180-gram, black and white propellor vinyl that is limited to 5,000 copies.
“For the Grateful Dead’s second live album, released two years after its predecessor Live/Dead, the band delivered an equally magnificent, but entirely different, Grateful Dead sound. Whereas Live/Dead was a perfect sonic encapsulation of the band at the peak of their Primal Dead era, Skull & Roses captures the quintessential quintet, the original five piece band, playing some of their hardest hitting rock ‘n’ roll (‘Johnny B. Goode,’ ‘Not Fade Away’), showing off their authentic Bakersfield bona fides (‘Me & My Uncle,’ ‘Mama Tried,’ ‘Me & Bobby McGee’), and some originals that would be important parts of the Dead’s live repertoire for the next 24 years (‘Bertha,’ ‘Playing In The Band,’ ‘Wharf Rat’),” says David Lemieux, Grateful Dead archivist, legacy manager, and the set’s producer. “Of course, the Dead were never defined by one specific ‘sound’ and amongst the aforementioned genres and styles the band brought to this album, they also delved deeply into their psychedelic, primal playbook with an entire side dedicated to their 1968 masterpiece ‘The Other One.’ This is one of the most deeply rich and satisfying tracks preserved on an official Grateful Dead album, up there with Live/Dead’s ‘Dark Star’ and Europe ’72’s ‘Morning Dew.’ Skull & Roses sounds as fresh today as the first time I heard it in 1985, and as fresh as it was upon its spectacularly well-received release in 1971.”
After releasing the back-to-back classics Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty in 1970, the Dead were riding a hot streak when the group decided to hit the road in February 1971 to record its first live album since 1969’s Live/Dead. For the shows, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Phil Lesh and Bill Kreutzmann were armed with a batch of new songs, including “Bertha,” “Playing In The Band,” and “Wharf Rat,” which would all appear on Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses). The original also mixed in classic covers (“Not Fade Away” and “Mama Tried”), a traditional (“Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad”), and an entire LP side dedicated to the epic jam vehicle, “The Other One.”
GRATEFUL DEAD (SKULL & ROSES): EXPANDED EDITION builds on the original with more than an hour of previously unreleased live recordings taken from the July 2, 1971 performance at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. Standouts from new additions include a 17-minute version of “Good Lovin’” that captures Pigpen fully in control of the packed Fillmore West audience; and the aching beauty of the band’s version of Merle Haggard’s “Sing Me Back Home.” “The Other One” makes another appearance on the bonus disc. Recorded a few months after the one on the original album, this version is every bit its equal.
GRATEFUL DEAD (SKULL & ROSES): EXPANDED EDITION
CD Track Listing
Disc One: Original Album Remastered
1. “Bertha”
2. “Mama Tried”
3. “Big Railroad Blues”
4. “Playing In The Band”
5. “The Other One”
6. “Me & My Uncle”
7. “Big Boss Man”
8. “Me & Bobby McGee”
9. “Johnny B. Goode”
10. “Wharf Rat”
11. “Not Fade Away/Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad”
Disc Two: Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA (7/2/71)
1. “Good Lovin’” *
2. “Sing Me Back Home” *
3. “Mama Tried” *
4. “Cryptical Envelopment” *
5. Drums *
6. “The Other One” *
7. “Big Boss Man” *
8. “Not Fade Away” *
9. “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” *
10. “Not Fade Away” *
* previously unreleased
LP Track Listing
Side One
1. “Bertha”
2. “Mama Tried”
3. “Big Railroad Blues”
4. “Playing In The Band”
Side Two
1. “The Other One”
Side Three
1. “Me & My Uncle”
2. “Big Boss Man”
3. “Me & Bobby McGee”
4. “Johnny B. Goode”
Side Four
1. “Wharf Rat”
2. “Not Fade Away/Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad”
Hip Hop / R&B Artist WithLoveXavier Returns With “For What”
Hip hop/R&B artist WithLoveXavier asks “For What” in this, his new single — available now.
The latest to land from his freshly pressed LP, This Is Fine, “For What For What (feat. 9D4 JU)” is one chapter in the eight-track arc that spans the release start to finish. “It’s a rollercoaster,” WithLoveXavier — né Matthew Xavier Hunter — says of the album. “It’s an eight part rollercoaster that tells the story of a man who is trying to give love a second chance, but is in conflict with himself — and the world.”
The LP — which, yes, is named for the iconic meme — is spreading like its own wildfire, resonating wide following its February 2021 release. One such noteworthy nod of the Brooklyn-based artist’s work included legendary singer and songwriter, Ne-Yo. “He reached out,” Xavier shares of the artist’s co-sign. “He even added his voice to the album. It was like a passing of a torch.”
At 4 Million streams across platforms and rising, WithLoveXavier is quickly becoming known for his unique lyricism — his way of relating and sharing through music. He first stepped onto the scene in 2019 with “Feenin’,” and has since added six additional singles — including stream-stackers “Deserve It” and “Good Vibes” — before this year’s debut LP offering with This Is Fine.
“When you’re listening to my music, you’re listening to my heart,” Xavier reveals of his intimate songwriting style. “You hear my love, and my happiness… You hear my heartbreak, and my pain.
“Music is my way of opening up to the world. You get the real me.”
Maria Muldaur with Tuba Skinny Proclaim ‘Let’s Get Happy Together’ on New Album, Coming May 7 from Stony Plain Records
Six-time Grammy nominee Maria Muldaur, who’s been dubbed “The First Lady of Roots Music” for previous albums touching on her wide-ranging influences from blues, country, folk, jazz and even jug band music, continues her exploration of the great American roots music songbook. On her latest excursion, this time into the vintage jazz and blues sounds of the 1920s/’30s, Maria teams up with acclaimed New Orleans street band Tuba Skinny for Let’s Get Happy Together, releasing May 7 on Stony Plain Records.
Maria Muldaur recorded Let’s Get Happy Together at Marigny Studios in New Orleans along with the members of Tuba Skinny: Shaye Cohn – cornet; Todd Burdick – tuba; Barnabus Jones – trombone; Jason Lawrence – banjo; Craig Flory – clarinet; Greg Sherman – guitar; Max Bien-Kahn – guitar; and Robin Rapuzzi – washboard. This is Maria’s 43rd album release in a long and storied career, (her ninth on Stony Plain).
The Crescent City has always been a favorite destination and inspiration for Muldaur and that New Orleans feel permeates throughout the album’s 12 tracks. When Maria discovered the music of Tuba Skinny, she learned that just like her, these musicians study, play and immerse themselves in the early blues, jazz and jug-band music of the ‘20s and ‘30s. “They were not just playing a marvelous repertoire of cool tunes with great skill and authenticity, but somehow channeling the very atmosphere and vibration of that bygone era,” she says.
Maria details how she first got turned on to Tuba Skinny: “A couple of years ago, while shopping in my favorite Woodstock, NY, clothing store, I heard the most wonderful vintage jazz joyously floating through the air! “How cool that the local radio station is playing this kind of music,” I remarked to the shop owner, who informed me that that we were not listening to the radio, but some CDs of a band called Tuba Skinny. She told me they were a band of young musicians, some originally from the Woodstock area, which now lived in New Orleans and performed on the streets and at many clubs and festivals there. Having studied, enjoyed and immersed myself in early blues, jazz, and jug band music of the ‘20s and ‘30s all of my musical life, I found it almost impossible to believe we were not listening to some classic old 78s from the era, but instead to a band of young street musicians! She had to show me the CD covers before I would believe her! I was gratified to learn that there was a current crop of young musicians coming up dedicated to rediscovering and preserving the treasure trove of our rich musical past, much as my Jugband mates and I and so many others had done in the Folk Revival of the ‘60s. I immediately asked how I could get ahold of their CDs and when I returned to Woodstock a month later, she had five Tuba Skinny CDs for me, which have been in heavy rotation in my life ever since!”
Just prior to the COVID Pandemic in January, 2020, Maria asked Tuba Skinny to collaborate for a showcase performance at the International Folk Alliance Conference in New Orleans. It was so well-received that an album was immediately conceived and recorded later that year, with the title track summing it all up: “Let’s Get Happy Together!” Performing 12 songs as closely as possible in feeling to the original recordings, Maria and Tuba Skinny breathed new life into rarely heard gems from this incredible era.
“It was an amazing show,” recalls Holger Petersen, Stony Plain Records founder and executive producer of the new disc, about the Folk Alliance concert. “‘A match made in heaven’ as they say. We talked about a possible album and I am delighted that it worked out and to now hear the results. I’ve had the honor of working with Maria on many of her passion projects. There is no one who digs deeper with more respect, enthusiasm, and love for the music. She spends months researching material and preparing. This is a unique historic project that pays reverence to the early New Orleans women of blues and jazz. You can almost see the grin on Maria’s face when you hear her singing with this truly inspiring band. The music and performances are infectious.”
Maria Muldaur’s 57-plus year career is a long and adventurous odyssey through the forms of American Roots Music: blues, jug band, bluegrass, jazz and Appalachian “Old Timey” music. Besides her six Grammy nominations, as well as other blues, folk and roots awards, Maria was the 2019 recipient of the “Lifetime Achievement Americana Trailblazer Award” from the Americana Music Association.
“It is my hope that by sharing the origins of these tunes, you will be inspired to look up these wonderful artists yourself on YouTube and start exploring and enjoying the endless abundance of incredible music they left us!,” Maria adds.
Wu-Tang Clan Meets Legion of Doom
The Legion of Doom as the Wu-Tang Clan rapping the classic, “Uzi (Pinky Ring)”. Video by Mylo the Cat aka isthishowyougoviral . Starring in order of appearance Sinestro as U-God, The Riddler as Raekwon, Scarecrow as Ghostface Killah, Lex Luthor as The RZA, Captain Cold as Method Man, Bizarro as Inspectah Deck, Black Manta as Masta Killa, and Braniac as the GZA. Check my Wu/Superfriends video, this one is the follow-up with all of their evil counterparts.
Canadian Pop Songstress Jessia Debuts Music Video For Viral Hit “I’m Not Pretty”
After turning a short TikTok video filmed in her car into an empowering body acceptance anthem with over 70 million streams, Vancouver -based pop singer and songwriter JESSIA shares the music video for her breakthrough anthem “I’m not Pretty” today.
In the visual, JESSIA steps through the looking glass to confront her insecurities in a playful and tongue-in-cheek kind of way and falls down a rabbit hole into an imaginary yet cinematic eye-popping peach filled wonderland inspired by Roald Dahl’s ‘James and The Giant Peach’. The video illuminates the rising artist’s fun and quirky persona, which is as infectious as the song itself.
“Filming the music video was such a surreal experience,” JESSIA explains. “I kept looking around set and asking myself, ‘are all of these people here for me and my song? What? Am I really here right now? What a time. It was such a party on set! SUCH A BLAST!”
“I’m not Pretty” initially exploded on Tik Tok when JESSIA introduced an acapella hook of the song by sharing, “I don’t know if this is total trash, or if it’s actually a bop.” Turns out, it was the latter as the clip racked up 1 million views in a day. The candid lyrics describe a journey towards self-love and the emotions one can feel while on its path – a message that has instantly resonated with audiences all over the world. Since January 1, the clip has accumulated 100 million views, while the official version produced by 4x JUNO Award nominee, singer, songwriter, and producer Elijah Woods has cracked 43 million Spotify streams as she averages 5.3 million monthly listeners on the platform.
In addition to early support from international tastemakers, Grammy award winning singer, songwriter, and producer Ryan Tedder, personally reached out to JESSIA upon hearing the song to champion her work and collaborate. Together they are putting the finishing touches on new music—due out soon.
Charmaine Selected As Only Canadian Artist For “First On SoundCloud” Program
Charmaine has been selected as the only Canadian artist among nine global acts for 2021’s First On SoundCloud, which you can view here. The campaign spotlights groundbreaking artists from across SoundCloud’s global community for a year-long investment is making them the next generation of global music stars. Spanning hip hop, electronic and pop, these artists represent the more than 10 million creators heard on SoundCloud every month.
To kick-off her First On SoundCloud journey, Charmaine taps influential artist Rico Nasty who is set to join her on Instagram Live tonight at 5:00PM EDT to announce the campaign with fans. Together, Charmaine and Rico Nasty will discuss their careers, motherhood and their individual artistry.
“I’m so humbled and grateful, it feels surreal,” Charmaine says of being the only Canadian selected. “Being a new artist is hard because you have to prove to the world that you are capable. For SoundCloud to see me, what I’m doing and decide that I am worth this spot is mind blowing. I’m ready to show the world who I am and I’m here to stay!”
Other artists selected for the campaign are Ela Minus, Kid Quill, Lourdiz, Otis Kane, Pa Salieu, Payday, Sofia Mills, and SoFaygo.
Charmaine may have started with nothing, but with her debut EP Hood Avant Garde, it’s clear that she’s coming for everything. Born in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare, Charmaine relocated to the United States at the age of five, bouncing around the Midwest with her family at first before eventually settling in Nashville for a large chunk of her childhood. Living in the American South was an eye-opening experience but by the time high school rolled around, Charmaine was already on the way to her next culture shock, this time heading north of the border to Toronto, where life would soon take a dark turn. “After we moved to Toronto, my dad got laid off,” says Charmaine, “and pretty quickly after that, we lost our house. We went to a shelter and then ended up living in a motel, all six of us in this tiny little room with just a hot plate for a kitchen.” Throughout her family’s frequent moves and financial struggles, Charmaine had always turned to music as a source of comfort and stability, something she could rely on for emotional support no matter how difficult things got. Now, sitting on the motel floor with a notebook in hand, she turned to music as a life preserver, penning her own songs and scouring the internet for performance opportunities in the hopes of writing herself a ticket to a brighter future.
Coming off her first two hit tracks “BOLD” and “WOO!”, Charmaine is emerging as one of the top rappers coming out of Canada. “While the industry at large sees a female rap renaissance, Charmaine is helping to get Canada caught up,” Complex writes.
Charmaine inspires her growing fanbase to own who they are and to do so unapologetically. She exudes confidence and a swagger like no other through braggadocious bars that will be heard on her debut EP, Hood Avant Garde arriving April 2nd.
Serena Ryder Releases ‘The Art Of Falling Apart’ Keynote
Serena Ryder’s new album The Art of Falling Apart invites listeners to join her mental wellness journey, helping us understand the importance of sitting with the uncomfortable moments and the wisdom in their messages. But what many don’t know is that the album is based on an eponymous keynote speech Ryder wrote in 2019, which she’s shared with organizations and at events across the country. When Ryder was struggling with her worst mental health challenges, she felt like nobody understood her, and she wrote this speech to show others that they’re not alone. It chronicles her journey as performing artist and tells the strategies she’s learned to not only survive, but thrive. In an effort to make these messages more accessible to everyone, Ryder developed a condensed, animated version of the speech, which you can watch below.
Brazil-Born, Montreal-Based Tricia Fitz Speaks Up with New Video for “Millennials”
Brazil-born, Montreal-based music artist, Tricia Fitz, captures the essence of the Gen-Y lifestyle with her fetching new lyric video single, “Millennials” — available now!.
At a runtime of three-minutes-thirteen-seconds, “Millennials” presents itself with an energetic and fun power pop rock foundation, laced with ragtime keys, trickling synths and brought together with Tricia Ftiz’s signature radiant vocal style. Her keen awareness of the generation’s stereotypes, along with the aforementioned instrumentation makes for a spirited single that’s easy to identify with and sing along to.
The lyrics address the reputation Millennials have garnered in a very self-aware manner, brought about in a playful and modestly satirical way. At the same time, they lend a voice to a generation that is seemingly misunderstood by the generations that both precede it (Gen-X) and follow it (Gen-Z).
“The line “Whoop as you please” was meant to be a way to say that, yeah, we may have destroyed the doorbell industry and everyone hates us, but we’re trying our best here so hush now,” Tricia reveals.
When it comes to the overall identity of the single, she describes it as having been inspired by friends and acquaintances who fit the stereotype. “I wanted a song that, while at the same time made fun of the stereotype, was oddly comforting to those who relate to it,” says the artist. “My favourite part about it is the group vocals, where I gathered my best Millennial friends in the studio and we all had a wonderful afternoon whooping and chanting.”
The lyric video for the single is two-pronged. While it displays the lyrics in a sing-along fashion, Trica Fitz herself also appears in the video to embellish them with her chipper demeanour. Her appearance was (mostly) improvised, save for the inclusion of a few props, and was done in a one-shot style.
Tricia Fitz describes her thoughts on the live action/lyric format by saying: “My favourite thing about the hybrid format is that people are able to get a better sense of the song and its satirical undertones. It was a way to showcase theatricality and perform, and I had tons of fun with it.”
Tricia Fitz not only does vocals for the single, but also sweetens it up with her harmonies and piano/synths. Other accompanying talents are Matt Nozetz on drums, bass and rhythm guitar, as well as Gustavo Pedro on lead guitar. Her vocal army on the single consists of: Felicia Corbeil, Marc-Antoine Fortin, Izzy Landry, Angela Marino, Brooke Murray, Matt Roumeliotis, Martin Thomas-Couture, Emily Yakimchuk, Jeffrey Yakimchuk.
This isn’t her first foray into the music industry. She’s been involved since 2008, as a vocal coach, and launched her debut album, The Storm, in 2016. Her latest effort, Epic Penguin Sharks, was released on February 12, 2021. Having developed artistically since her debut, she cites Freddie Mercury, Devin Townsend and Andrew W.K. as her most current influences.
“Millennials” was written, co-produced, and co-arranged by Tricia Fitz and Matt Nozetz — who also joined in the same capacity for Epic Penguin Sharks; it was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Nozetz at Avbury Studios in Montreal.
BigMotorGasoline are Pedal to the Metal on ‘The Way Things Used To Be’
At 200,000+ streams across platforms, chart-topping Canadian rockers BigMotorGasoline are pushing pedal to the metal when it comes to this, their latest album The Way Things Used To Be, and new video for single “Whiskey Down” — both available now.
Their sophomore offering, The Way Things Used To Be is working man’s, A+ grade, southern rock with a bluesy swagger at its finest. And the video for “Whiskey Down”? Reminiscent of life pre-COVID.
“Making this album was a great experience from start to finish,” lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist John Freitas says of the 10-track release, “and ‘Whiskey Down’ is my favourite song from it.
“It paints a picture for me,” he continues. “It’s a snapshot of where I love to be, kicking back in the country. And from a song that was written more than three years ago at a friend’s house, to the video that we’ve just now released, in the middle of a pandemic and our industry’s total disruption, no less?
“It’s been a journey.”
The track was initially penned before the current rhythm section was in place, and “was quite different,” Freitas adds. “But once the BigMotorGasoline lineup was solidified in 2018, the song was ripped apart and rebuilt with all of us contributing to make it a true four-man effort.”
Fast-forward, making the video was just as much of a wrestle as they swerved left on previous plans. “When the pandemic hit, all our live shows needed to be cancelled,” lead guitarist Roger Dafoe says. “Making videos was the answer when we asked ourselves what we were going to do, but even that decision wasn’t as easy as it seemed.”
Restrictions around gatherings and the camera crew’s mismatched availability delayed the shoot through to mid-September. “It was one of the last warm, sunny days before the arrival of winter,” Freitas recalls. “Roger led the way on his four-wheeler down a very narrow trail, deeper and deeper into the woods just west of where he’s based in Tweed, Ontario.
“I slowly drove my van, which was fully loaded with gear, thinking: ‘can I make it there?’
“I did.”
“We arrived at the sight of an old, broken-down shack that was used for producing maple syrup,” bass guitarist and backing vocalist Dave Brown explains. “For our purposes, though, it was going to be a moonshine shack. There was a cliff on one side of us, and very tall trees all around; it made us realize the effort to get there was the right choice.”
It was a skeleton crew of just two camera persons and, as it turned out, those very tall trees would force BigMotorGasoline’s hand at reimagining the pre-planned scope. “We realized the idea of drone footage from above needed to be scrapped due to the many trees in the way,” drums and percussionist Sterling Dale shares. “There were cameras on the ground, in the trees, on roofs, and on amps; it was ‘as many shots and as many angles as we could capture that day was going to have to do.’”
The original storyboard was to feature a backwoods party to set the scene of the song but, not wanting to risk fines for more than 10 people gathered, the band pivoted once again.
“Change on the fly,” Freitas considers. “It’s been a whole year of that, for everyone, and we’ve done what we can to keep getting music in the hands of fans who need an escape from the stress, and just want to rock out and have a good time.”
‘Doing what they can’ is a considerable understatement when considering the Peterborough-area band’s track record. As far as release offerings go, videos from The Way Things Used To Be are consistently welcomed with upwards of 40,000+ views apiece — including “Iron Horse, and the 10-track LP’s title track, “The Way Things Used To Be.” “Whiskey Down” has recently passed 52,000+ views within six weeks of release.
Between the music found on The Way Things Used To Be and their breakthrough debut, Fuel to Burn, BigMotorGasoline have been featured on upwards of 150+ radio station around the world — including nationally across Canada, across the US, Germany, South Africa, Spain, Australia, and the UK; Fuel to Burn’s “BYOT” hit #2 on CJIM’s 2016 Top 30. BigMotorGasoline have been featured in the UK’s Rock & Metal Magazine, and the forthcoming edition of Moto Kul:Ture Magazine.
Dale is a sponsored artist with Soultone Cymbals, and the band has performed with the likes of Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) and Bonds Of Mara. Currently approaching ‘live performance’ in a new way, the band is set to headline at Belleville’s Empire Theatre this month for a future-streamed performance.