The Hood Internet bring back 1979 in a big way, combining 50 of the biggest songs of 1979 into one monster mashup. It’s all here – glam, new wave, punk, rap, rock and roll. Dive in.
Oakville, ON’s country-pop singer/songwriter Lori Lynne Johnson releases Heartache & Healing album
Oakville, ON’s country-pop singer/songwriter Lori Lynne Johnson and her debut album Heartache & Healing — available now — embody the notion that once a caregiver, always a caregiver.
“At my core, that’s who I am,” explains Johnson. “I have taken care of people all my life. That has always been a big part of my identity.”
Naturally, it’s a big part of her music.
And it takes just one spin through the Oakville country-pop singer-songwriter’s striking EP to understand that Johnson is still deeply dedicated to helping others. The only difference is, these days she gets results with music instead of medicine.
A former critical-care nurse and longtime health-care professional, Johnson strides into the artistic spotlight for the first time. But you’d never know she’s new to the game. Not from the passion, power and poise of her warm-honey contralto and rich vibrato. And certainly not from the emotional depth and artistic range she displays as a lyricist and songwriter. She’ll charm you with the sunny roots-pop romance of “A Fool and His Honey” and the ear-catching sonic hybrid “A Thousand Cuts.” She’ll touch you with lovestruck, yearning gems like “Walk Beside” and her cover of Janis Ian’s “Getting Over You.” And she’ll move you with true-to-life ballads like “Remember You Instead” — inspired by a dream about the birth mother who gave her up for adoption — and the emphatically orchestrated “Courage,” based on a close friend’s battle with cancer.
Stylishly and expertly crafted with her collaborator, arranger and producer Marc Ganetakos, Heartache & Healing’s tracks stretch beyond Nashville country into timeless pop-rock, finding a distinctive, winning balance that would make any songwriter proud. Especially one who counts them as the first songs she’s written.
Toronto’s Suzanne Jarvie receives 2019 Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award
Toronto-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Suzanne Jarvie is this year’s recipient of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC)’s Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award for her song All In Place. The award was presented at Folk Music Ontario (FMO)’s annual conference.
Suzanne Jarvie, a mother of four and full-time lawyer, began songwriting in 2011 in the aftermath of a near-fatal accident suffered by her eldest son. In 2014, she found the courage to turn this painful journey into her debut record, Spiral Road. The album jump-started Suzanne’s music career. It garnered rave reviews from music critics in Canada, the United States and Europe, and was nominated for an Independent Music Award in the Best Concept Album category. Suzanne released her sophomore record, In The Clear, in 2019. Picking up where Spiral Road left off, it explores the ongoing effects of a family tragedy, touching on themes such as addiction, freedom and forgiveness. Suzanne recently completed a European tour in support of her new record and will be returning for more performances in late 2019 and 2020.
The Colleen Peterson Songwriting Fund was established at the Ontario Arts Council in 2003 by Peterson’s sister, Shirley Richardson, and her friend, singer-songwriter Laura Bird. The annual $1,000 award honours Peterson’s contribution to Canadian music by supporting and promoting the work of Ontario-resident emerging singer-songwriters in the roots, traditional, folk and country genres. Nominations are received from FMO’s Songs From the Heart competition. FMO also assembles the jury that chooses the award winner. Previous winners include Lora Bidner (2018), Noosa Al-Sarraj, aka Winona Wilde (2017) and Abigail Lapell (2016). Click here for a full list of past recipients.
Andy Warhol: “We’re sponsoring a new band. It’s called the Velvet Underground.”
During this 1966 interview, Andy Warhol revealed that he was sponsoring a new band, Velvet Underground with frontman Lou Reed and German singer and model Nico.
5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell is a living legend. And even though she hasn’t released any new material in the past decade, it’s really no surprise that we still celebrate her contributions to culture to this day. A recent example of this is the film Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration, which features artists such as Chaka Khan, Norah Jones, and Glen Hansard all collaborating in her honor. But despite her fame, you’d be surprised that there are still some things you may not know about this iconic singer-songwriter. Read on to learn more!
She Shares Good Company
Joni Mitchell is only one of three Canadian songwriters to be given the Order of Canada. Along with Gordon Lightfoot and Leonard Cohen, she’s a recipient of Canada’s second-highest honor of merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of the country. Mitchell and Cohen have both also been inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, cementing their place as two of Canada’s cultural vanguards.
She’s Worked with Legendary Musicians
Well, it’s no surprise that good musicians tend to flock together. But even by those high standards, Mitchell has played with an impressive bunch throughout her long and illustrious career. Her first touring band consisted of members of Tom Scott’s LA Express, a well-respected fusion act at the time, which included influential guitarist Robben Ford. She’s also shared the stage and recorded with legendary jazz bassist, Jaco Pastorius.
And her list of stellar collaborators doesn’t end there, as David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, and Nash is credited as the producer for Mitchell’s 1968 debut album Song to a Seagull. Crosby had apparently caught one of Mitchell’s shows and was immediately enamored by her, deciding there and then to help her get onboard at Reprise Records.
She was Quite the Poker Player
This one might be surprising for a lot of people, but Mitchell was quite the poker player. She would frequent The Eagles’ singer Glenn Frey’s house for rounds of poker, which is why Frey’s home is sometimes referred to as the Kirkwood casino. The games would take place every Monday night after football, and were known to go on until the early hours of the morning. There are, after all, lots of different kinds of poker, and the singer-songwriter used to enjoy plenty around Frey’s house with fellow musicians. partypoker notes how the most popular types are Texas Hold’em and Omaha, which both pretty much follow the same rules except that in Hold’em, players get two cards and can use both, one, or none along with cards on the board. Omaha, on the other hand, has the player get four cards, from which they must take two cards from their hand and three from the board to create the best five-hand possible. Mitchell’s love for poker is even referenced in the song Taming the Tiger where she sings about “every disc being a poker chip.”
She Produced Most of Her Own Work
Mitchell tried to be as hands-on as possible with her albums, expressing discontent with the music industry and a desire to be in control of her life and work. She’s credited as the sole producer on most of her releases, including Ladies of the Canyon, Blue, and Court and Spark. These albums saw her branch out from the acoustic folk of her youth towards jazz and jazz fusion. And from there, her music progressed towards a more pop and rock sound, which by far is what’s now considered as Mitchell’s most popular era.
Her English Teacher Inspired Her to Write
Initially interested in painting, it would take Mitchell’s English teacher from her high school in Saskatoon to steer her towards music. These encounters would prove formative as he inspired her to “paint with words,” though she has described herself since as “painter derailed by circumstance.” Mitchell would go on to dedicate her debut album Song to a Seagull to him, writing, “This album is dedicated to Mr. Kratzman, who taught me to love words” in the album’s liner notes.
The Art of True Self-Expression
A lot of people get into the performing arts as a way to express themselves, since for the most part, it isn’t very well-paying and comes with a ton of uncertainties at every angle. But then, the thing is there’s a special feeling when you can perform in front of an audience and really reach them on an emotional level that’s special beyond what’s easy to say. There are a lot of ways to express yourself while you reach out to the audience.
Audiences may seem fickle at times, but there are really very few audiences who will think less of you if you put yourself out there and do your best work. While they may not love your genre and they may not believe the world of your choices of set list, when you have your feelings coming out properly, and your quality level is reasonable, they will at least be entertained for a moment. The thing is you have to get your skills in order if you want to express yourself properly.
The Feelings Themselves
One part of really expressing yourself is to identify within yourself what you’re actually feeling. In our society, this can be a complicated thing to do in itself. People are generally just taught to not use emotions unless they are in very specific moments. It’s okay to be annoyed in traffic, or sad right after someone died, but what if you’re feeling afraid because you don’t know what your future is going to hold? Society usually doesn’t want to talk about those kinds of feelings, even though they are incredibly common, and just about everyone feels them at least some of the time.
When you think through what you’re really feeling, it’s important not to judge yourself for these feelings. Judgment will pollute them, and will often leave you feeling worse or as if you’re a terrible person. It’s important to remember that having feelings doesn’t make you a bad person, and the feelings themselves aren’t good or bad. They simply are a part of you, and accepting them is a part of accepting yourself as a complete person. A surprising number of people in this world find this to be a seemingly impossible task.
Getting Your Skills in Order
Once you have your feelings set straight, you can then find the audience who will resonate with what you have to say. This audience probably feels in a similar way to how you do, and they will love your performances. At least, they will love them if your skills are solid.
Make sure you know how to play your instrument well, practice your songs until you could sing them in your sleep, and find good vocal lessons to identify any weaknesses and iron them out. The stronger you are as a performer, and the more in touch you are with your audience, the better they are going to respond to you when you express yourself on stage.
“My Dad Wrote A Porno” Is Back With An All-New Tour For 2020
After their critically acclaimed HBO comedy special, over 180 million downloads, and a sell-out world tour, the award-winning #1 hit podcast, My Dad Wrote A Porno, is back with a brand new live show for 2020. Reading never-before heard material from the mind of the legendary Rocky Flintstone, join Jamie Morton, along with best mates James Cooper and Alice Levine, as he delves deeper into his father’s Belinda Blinked erotic saga. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry but you will not be aroused. With surprises, interactive elements and a massive party atmosphere, you do not want to miss this hilarious and outrageous comedy event as Team Porno bring more of the best/worst erotica ever written to the world.
With Hollywood fans including Dame Emma Thompson, Elijah Wood, Daisy Ridley, Nicholas Hoult & Michael Sheen and rave reviews from the likes of Variety, The Guardian and Time Magazine, My Dad Wrote A Porno is quite simply ‘a cultural phenomenon’ (The Sunday Times). Season 5 of the groundbreaking comedy podcast will launch Monday 9 September 2019.
My Dad Wrote A Porno recently won a prestigious Webby Award for Best Comedy Podcast 2019 as well as being named Podcast Champions at this year’s British Podcast Awards for outstanding contribution to British podcasting. The show has also won a European Lovie Award and Team Porno were listed on The Progress 1000, London’s most influential people of 2018.
My Dad Wrote A Porno World Tour 2020 Itinerary
08 January 2020 – Sydney Opera House Concert Hall – Sydney, Australia
11 January 2020 – Crown Theatre – Perth, Australia
13 January 2020 – Thebarton Theatre – Adelaide, Australia
15 January 2020 – Palais Theatre – Melbourne, Australia
17 January 2020 – The Tivoli – Brisbane, Australia
20 January 2020 – Auckland Town Hall – Auckland, New Zealand
21 January 2020 – The Opera House – Wellington, New Zealand
22 January 2020 – Isaac Theatre Royal – Christchurch, New Zealandm
05 March 2020 – Paramount Theatre – Denver, CO, United States
06 March 2020 – Pantages Theatre – Minneapolis, MN, United States
07 March 2020 – Chicago Theatre – Chicago, IL, United States
08 March 2020 – ACL Live – Austin, TX, United States
12 March 2020 – Queen Elizabeth Theatre – Vancouver, BC, Canada
13 March 2020 – Revolution Hall – Portland, OR, United States
15 March 2020 – Moore Theatre – Seattle, WA, United States
20 March 2020 – The Theatre at Ace Hotel – Los Angeles, CA, United States
21 March 2020 – The Masonic – San Francisco, CA, United States
01 April 2020 – Warner Theatre – Washington, DC, United States
02 April 2020 – The Met Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA, United States
03 April 2020 – Radio City Music Hall – New York City, NY, United States
9 April 2020 – The Wilbur – Boston, MA, United States
11 April 2020 – Sony Centre for the Performing Arts – Toronto, ON, Canada
13 May 2020 – The London Palladium – London, United Kingdom
14 May 2020 – The London Palladium – London, United Kingdom
27 September 2020 – Symphony Hall – Birmingham, United Kingdom
29 September 2020 – Folketeateret – Oslo, Norway
30 September 2020 – Cirkus – Stockholm, Sweden
03 October 2020 – O2 Apollo – Manchester, United Kingdom
16 October 2020 – SEC Armadillo – Glasgow, United Kingdom
17 October 2020 – Bord Gáis Energy Theatre – Dublin, Ireland
25 October 2020 – Bristol Hippodrome -Bristol, United Kingdom
27 October 2020 – Koninklijk Theater Carré – Amsterdam, Netherlands
29 October 2020 – Kulttuuritalo – Helsinki, Finland
30 October 2020 – DR Koncerthuset – Copenhagen, Denmark
Jason Mraz Announces Fall Tour Dates
Multi-platinum singer/songwriter Jason Mraz has announced plans for a very special North American tour, set to kick off this fall. The multiple Grammy award-winner will be joined by longtime collaborators Raining Jane for the run, dubbed “Ladies & Gentleman, An Evening with Jason Mraz & Raining Jane.” Set to kick off on October 23rd in Modesto, CA, the tour finds Mraz bringing his exuberant live show to theaters and performing arts centers, wrapping with a two night stand at the Chicago Theatre on November 23rd + 24th.
Mraz recently wrapped his global “GOOD VIBES” tour, with stops at arenas and outdoor pavilions throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. “I am thrilled to be returning to intimate venues with Raining Jane,” Mraz explained. “I love the sounds and stories we make as a 5 piece.” Raining Jane echoed these sentiments: “YES! You KNOW we are fired up to play some intimate shows around the US. Excited to share some new tunes we’ve been working on together, and our interpretations of Mraz classics!”
In addition to familiar favorites, “Ladies & Gentleman” will feature new material, including songs from Know. – Mraz’s sixth studio album, released in August 2018. The album became his fifth consecutive studio album to debut in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and has gone on to amass hundreds of millions of streams, led by the inspiring single “Have It All.”
This past weekend, Mraz hosted the annual LIVE ART event in Richmond, Virginia. Presented by the School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community (of which Mraz is an alum), the evening features performances from local youth and benefits SPARC’s mission as an inclusive arts education organization.
Next weekend, Mraz will team up with Cleveland’s Contemporary Youth Orchestra for a sold-out two-night stand at Severance Hall (June 8th + 9th). With a second night added by popular demand, the shows will feature hits and fan favorites backed by the 115-piece Contemporary Youth Orchestra, led by Music Director Liza Grossman, and will mark Mraz’s very first full-length performance with a live orchestra.
LADIES & GENTLEMAN, AN EVENING WITH JASON MRAZ & RAINING JANE
OCTOBER
23 Modesto, CA Gallo Center for the Arts
25 Santa Cruz, CA Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
26 Paso Robles, CA Vina Robles Amphitheatre
27 Santa Rosa, CA Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
30 Eugene, OR Hult Center for the Performing Arts, Silva Concert Hall
NOVEMBER
1 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
2 Spokane, WA First Interstate Center for the Arts
3 Missoula, MT The Wilma
5 Edmonton, AB Winspear Center Concert Hall
6 Calgary, AB Jack Singer Concert Hall
8 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth Theatre
9 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
10 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
17 Carmel, IN The Palladium – Center for the Performing Arts
19 Toronto, ON Queen Elizabeth Theatre
20 Toronto, ON Queen Elizabeth Theatre
22 New Buffalo, MI Four Winds Casino Resort – Silver Creek Event Center
23 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
24 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
So Here’s Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham KILLING It For The 15-Minute Version Of “Moby Dick” In 1970
Led Zeppelin’s Moby Dick is an instrumental tune and drum solo, featured on their 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. Named after the whale in the novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, it was also known by the alternate titles “Pat’s Delight” (early 1968–1969 version with completely different guitar riff) and “Over the Top” (with “Out on the Tiles” intro section and original closing reprise) during various points of the band’s career.
The live version below, clocksin at a mere 15 minutes, and comes from a 1970 show at Royal Albert Hall.
Steve Hackett To Play Classic Genesis Album SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND For First Time On Tour
Acclaimed by many to be GENESIS’s finest album, SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND will be performed by Hackett and company in its entirety. Supported by some of the best musicians on the planet, Steve’s unique guitar work remains the fulcrum on which this challenging and exhilarating show is balanced.
STEVE HACKETT is renowned as an immensely talented and innovative rock musician. He was lead guitarist with GENESIS as part of their classic line up with Gabriel, Collins, Banks and Rutherford, that produced acclaimed albums such as SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND (a favorite of John Lennon). With Steve’s extraordinary versatility in both his electric guitar playing and his composing, he involves influences from many genres, including Jazz, World Music and Blues. He is equally adept in his classical albums.
With GENESIS, Steve’s guitar playing produced some of the most memorable moments, from the sensitivity of his acoustic sound on Horizons and Blood on the Rooftops to the dramatic rock guitar solos of Firth of Fifth and Fountain of Salmacis. As he embarked on his solo career he developed his exceptional range, pushing musical boundaries into exciting areas, inventing new sounds and also techniques such as ‘tapping’. His solo career went from strength to strength resulting in the highly successful single Cell 151 in the mid-eighties, as well as the STEVE HACKETT and STEVE HOWE super group GTR, highly successful in America.
GENESIS’S induction into the ROCK and ROLL HALL OF FAME in March 2010 stands as a testament to the enduring qualities of their music. Steve has always held a torch for the classic Genesis music. His GENESIS REVISITED II, a double CD, involved several iconic artists and contains many Genesis favourites. It was released in late October 2012. A Genesis Revisited worldwide tour in 2013 was followed by a Genesis Extended tour in 2014 and has continued to tour his particular brand of GENESIS REVISITED by popular demand, interspersed with the might and majesty of his own solo material.
With the announcement throughout Europe and the UK, of his climactic 2019 tour SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND combined with the 40th anniversary of his inaugural solo album SPECTRAL MORNINGS, Steve has ignited huge interest throughout the world to witness this spectacular show.
2/26/2020 Jubilee Auditorium Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2/27/2020 Winspear Centre Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
3/1/2020 Burton Cummings Theatre Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
3/4/20 The Fillmore Detroit Detroit, MI
3/6/20 Warner Theatre Washington, DC
3/7/20 Bergen Performing Arts Center Englewood, NJ
3/11/20 The Academy of Music Northampton, MA
3/12/20 Miller Symphony Hall Allentown, PA
3/13&14/20 Scottish Rite Auditorium Collingswood, NJ
3/15/20 Whitaker Center Harrisburg, PA
3/17/20 Carolina Theatre Durham, NC
3/19/20 The Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA
3/20/20 Ponte Vedra Concert Hall Ponte Vedra, FL
3/21/20 The Plaza Live Orlando, FL
3/22/20 Capitol Theatre Clearwater, FL
3/24/20 Parker Playhouse Ft Lauderdale, FL