From 1978, James Taylor and Oscar the Grouch sing about how rotten they make each other feel!
My Next Read: Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste
From the chief architect of the Pandora Radio’s Music Genome Project comes a definitive and groundbreaking examination of how your mind, body, and upbringing influence the music you love.
Everyone loves music. But what is it that makes music so universally beloved and have such a powerful effect on us?
In this sweeping and authoritative book, Dr. Nolan Gasser ― a composer, pianist, and musicologist, and the chief architect of the Music Genome Project, which powers Pandora Radio―breaks down what musical taste is, where it comes from, and what our favorite songs say about us.
Dr. Gasser delves into the science, psychology, and sociology that explains why humans love music so much; how our brains process music; and why you may love Queen but your best friend loves Kiss. He sheds light on why babies can clap along to rhythmic patterns and reveals the reason behind why different cultures around the globe identify the same kinds of music as happy, sad, or scary. Using easy-to-follow notated musical scores, Dr. Gasser teaches music fans how to become engaged listeners and provides them with the tools to enhance their musical preferences. He takes readers under the hood of their favorite genres―pop, rock, jazz, hip hop, electronica, world music, and classical―and covers songs from Taylor Swift to Led Zeppelin to Kendrick Lamar to Bill Evans to Beethoven, and through their work, Dr. Gasser introduces the musical concepts behind why you hum along, tap your foot, and feel deeply. Why You Like It will teach you how to follow the musical discourse happening within a song and thereby empower your musical taste, so you will never hear music the same way again.
You can buy it here.
Eels’ E discusses the best show he ever saw, and what Leon Russell taught him
Was there a particularly memorable show you witnessed in your formative years?
I was lucky to grow up in the late ’60s and early ’70s. I had a sister who was six years older than me. She was into a lot of the best music of the time, so she took me to Neil Young’s Rust Never Sleeps concert when I was 16. I saw Led Zeppelin twice on their last tour. My very first concert was George Harrison with Billy Preston. I was very fortunate. I saw the Who with Keith Moon. I’m showing my old-as-fuck age, but I was a little kid at the time.
Did you become a student of performance along the way?
I was heavily influenced by all the people I saw. I remember learning some really great lessons. One day my friend, Anthony, I was probably about 18 at the time, called me and said, “Hey, Leon Russell is playing this horserace track in Maryland.” It as the middle of the day at like an arts and crafts fair. We drove out there, and there wasn’t really anyone there. Sparsely-attended.
I felt sorry for Leon. Then he came out and put on this show that, to this day, is one of the greatest shows I ever saw. It was as if he was blind and didn’t know how sparsely-attended it was. That taught me a really valuable lesson. We all have shows like that. It’ll probably happen to us on this tour. When that happens, I always remember what Leon taught me that day: Just fucking bring it.
Right on.
The funny thing is, the few times that’s happened to us, there was usually someone in the crowd who’s now a famous artist or filmmaker or actor or musician. They always tell me that they were one of those few people in attendance and that it made a huge impact on them. That makes the lesson even more valuable. You never know who’s out there. You’re doing God’s work.
Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill To Open At Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre in December
Producers Vivek J. Tiwary, Arvind Ethan David, and Eva Price are pleased to announce that the new Broadway musical JAGGED LITTLE PILL will begin preview performances at the Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W 44th St., NYC, on Sunday, November 3, 2019, with an official opening night of Thursday, December 5, 2019.
Tickets for the musical will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, May 23, at 10:00AM at Telecharge.com. Special pre-sale access to tickets will be available to members of the Jagged Little Pill fan club from May 6–8, American Express Cardholders from May 8–16, and Audience Rewards from May 16-23.
Featuring lyrics by seven-time Grammy Award winner Alanis Morissette and music by Morissette and six-time Grammy winner Glen Ballard, JAGGED LITTLE PILL is directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin) and features an original story by Academy Award-winning writer Diablo Cody (Juno, Tully). Movement Direction & Choreography is by Olivier Award winner and frequent Beyoncé collaborator Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Musical Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements are by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, American Idiot).
JAGGED LITTLE PILL is an exhilarating new musical inspired by the themes and raw emotions laid bare in Alanis Morissette’s seminal album of the same name. The Healys appear to be a picture-perfect suburban family — but looks can be deceiving. When the cracks beneath the surface begin to show, they must choose between maintaining the status quo or facing harsh truths about themselves, their community, and the world around them. “Urgent, wildly entertaining, and wickedly funny in all the right places” (The Boston Globe), this original story is ignited by Morissette’s groundbreaking music – including such hits as “You Oughta Know,” “Head Over Feet,” “Hand In My Pocket,” and “Ironic” – plus brand-new songs written for the show. Hailed by The New York Times as “a big-hearted musical that breaks the mold,” JAGGED LITTLE PILL “takes on the good work we are always asking new musicals to do: the work of singing about real things.”
Atlantic Records has partnered with JAGGED LITTLE PILL for the release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording, adding the production to the label’s elite roster of Grammy Award-winning artists and cast albums.
The world premiere production of JAGGED LITTLE PILL ran for 79 sold-out performances, from May 5 – July 15, 2018, at American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA. The 10-week engagement marked the longest-running and highest-grossing production in the theater’s history. Variety declared the musical “Triumphant! Not since Rent has a musical invested so many bravura roles with so much individual life.” BuzzFeed described the show as “stirring, breathtaking and exceptionally relevant…work this ambitious broadens our perspective of what theater can do.” NPR declared, “Morissette’s anthems are now for the ages. Visually interpreted in Jagged Little Pill with an absorbing intimacy and ingenuity, they reach down to our deepest raw selves, regardless of who we are.”
Released on June 13, 1995, the tremendous success of Alanis Morissette’s album Jagged Little Pill skyrocketed her to become the bestselling international debut artist in history; a title she still holds, with the record’s sales reaching 33 million copies worldwide. Nearly 25 years after its release, Jagged Little Pill continues to be one of the Top 20 Best-Selling Albums of All Time. With nine eclectic and acclaimed albums released over the subsequent twenty years, Morissette’s music has garnered 7 Grammy Awards (with 14 nominations), a Golden Globe nomination, and total sales of over 60 million albums.
Bon Iver Gives A Concert To An Audience Of One
At Funkhaus’ 37d03d Festival, one lucky fan was ushered in a dark room and sat right in front of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, who sang Heavenly Father with the help of the Cantus Domus choir. More artists should do this.
Canadian Musician Magazine Celebrates 40 Years
Canadian Musician Magazine, the widely-read and respected publication for Canada’s musicians and music industry professionals, is celebrating its 40th anniversary throughout 2019.
Founded in 1979, Canadian Musician continues to serve its readers with entertaining, informative, and insightful content designed to help propel their careers forward.
“We published our first issue of Canadian Musician 40 years ago with one goal: to be Canada’s premier publication and a go-to resource for professional and amateur musicians and the industry that supports them,” says Jim Norris, Founder and Publisher, Canadian Musician. “It’s been as thrilling as it has been fulfilling to work towards that goal in the decades since, and like the industry we’re proud to represent, now feels like the most exciting time in our history. Celebrating this milestone with so many passionate friends and partners from over the years is a great reminder of why we do what we do, and our team is freshly inspired to continue our mission in the years to come.”
The inaugural issue of Canadian Musician Magazine was published in the spring of 1979. Since then, the publication has featured countless covers, interviews, and columns with some of the most notable names in Canadian music, from The Guess Who, Rush, Alanis Morissette, and The Tragically Hip to Nickelback, Avril Lavigne, Shad, and Marianas Trench.
Each and every issue also includes: the latest updates from the Canadian and international music industries; career-building feature content; instructional columns for musicians, songwriters, and audio engineers; updates on the latest gear, tech, and trends; coverage of major music industry events across Canada and beyond; and more.
Today, Canadian Musician Magazine continues to expand its reach with initiatives like the Canadian Musician Radio podcast, its series of music business webinars in partnership with NWC Webinars, and CM Live sessions on Facebook with some of the industry’s best and brightest.
Billie Eilish: 5 Albums That Changed My Life
Billie Eilish shares five albums that she loves… a lot.
Meshuggah’s light operator is VERY busy during a show. Check THIS out!
Meet Edvard Hansson, Meshuggah’s light tech. The show does not happen without him.
Jonas Brothers Announce First North American Headline Tour In Nearly A Decade
After building overwhelming anticipation, GRAMMY® nominated multiplatinum powerhouse trio–Jonas Brothers—announce the details for their 40-city Happiness Begins Tour this summer and fall with special guests Bebe Rexha and Jordan McGraw. The announcement coincides with the launch of the pre-order for the band’s highly anticipated comeback album Happiness Begins, as well as the launch of their official merch store online today.
Produced by Live Nation, the “Happiness Begins Tour Presented by American Airlines and Mastercard” kicks off August 7th in Miami, FL and will make stops in Atlanta, Boston, New York, Chicago, Dallas and more before wrapping October 20th in Los Angeles, CA at the famous Hollywood Bowl. This marks the first headline tour for the Jonas Brothers in almost a decade.
American Airlines AAdvantage Mastercard credit card holders will be among the first to have access to tickets through an exclusive pre-sale beginning on Tuesday, May 7th at 10am local time. Cardholders will also have the chance to purchase the ultimate Jonas Brothers experience—from the best seats in the house, to early access and exclusive premiums. Cardholders may also get the unexpected, because when you use your Mastercard, you never know when you might get a Priceless Surprise. In Canada, American Express Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, May 7th at 10am local time through Thursday, May 9th at 10pm local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, May 10th here.
The Jonas Brothers have also partnered with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan platform to ensure tickets get in to the hands of their fans, not scalpers or bots. Fans can register now through Monday, May 6th at 10pm ET HERE for the Verified Fan presale. Registered fans who receive a code will have access to purchase tickets before the general public from Wednesday, May 8th at 10am local time through Thursday, May 9th at 10pm local time. Additionally, TIDAL subscribers will also have access to an exclusive presale beginning Thursday, May 10th at 10am local time through 10pm local time. TIDAL members can find details for purchasing tickets on TIDAL.com/JonasBrothers or via the TIDAL mobile, web and desktop apps.
Jonas Brothers VIP packages will be available & sold exclusively through HOST VIP. VIP package details will be announced on Friday, May 3rd prior to all ticketing pre-sales. VIP packages will be available for purchase on May 10th. A limited number of LaneOne Premium Packages will also be available, including amazing seats in first 5 rows, GA First On Floor, B-Stage VIP Bar area, transportation, preferred entrance and more.
The Happiness Begins pre-order will include instant grat downloads of the band’s hit singles “Sucker” and “Cool,” produced by GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter, producer, and lead singer of the multi-platinum band OneRepublic, Ryan Tedder. The third instant grat titled “Only Human,” produced by GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Shellback, will follow. Not only will this be the group’s first album since 2009, but it stands out as one of 2019’s most anticipated records.
These announcements set the stage for the boys to light up the Billboard Music Awards tonight with what promises to be a blockbuster performance. The band is expected to perform their first #1 hit at Top 40 radio “Sucker,” which has just clenched its second consecutive week at #1. Be sure to tune in to NBC at 8:00pm ET. Next up, you can catch them on Saturday Night Live on May 11.
“Sucker” now exceeds 445 million global streams to date. During release week, it clinched #1 on Apple Music, #1 on Spotify, and #1 on iTunes in North America. Globally, it reached #1 on Apple Music, #1 on YouTube, #1 on Twitter, and #2 on Spotify, as well as the #1 Streaming Song and #1 Digital Song. Speaking of making history, the rollout of “Sucker” marked “the first time a band debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this century.” Continuing the runaway success, “Cool” has notched 70 million global streams and soared to #1 on iTunes Overall Top Songs Chart and Top Music Videos Chart.
Jonas Brothers “Happiness Begins Tour” 2019 Dates:
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena
Friday, August 9, 2019 Orlando, FL Amway Center
Saturday, August 10, 2019 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
Monday, August 12, 2019 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena*
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 Raleigh, NC PNC Arena
Thursday, August 15, 2019 Washington, DC Capital One Arena
Saturday, August 17, 2019 Boston, MA TD Garden
Sunday, August 18, 2019 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Wednesday, August 21, 2019 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Friday, August 23, 2019 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
Tuesday, August 27, 2019 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Center
Thursday, August 29, 2019 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Saturday, August 31, 2019 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium
Tuesday, September 3, 2019 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena
Thursday, September 5, 2019 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
Saturday, September 7, 2019 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena
Sunday, September 8, 2019 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
Tuesday, September 10, 2019 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
Friday, September 13, 2019 Indianapolis, IN Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Saturday, September 14, 2019 St. Louis, MO Enterprise Center
Monday, September 16, 2019 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
Tuesday, September 17, 2019 Milwaukee, WI Fiserv Forum
Thursday, September 19, 2019 Chicago, IL United Center
Sunday, September 22, 2019 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
Wednesday, September 25, 2019 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center*
Thursday, September 26, 2019 Houston, TX Toyota Center*
Friday, September 27, 2019 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center*
Sunday, September 29, 2019 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
Tuesday, October 1, 2019 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
Thursday, October 3, 2019 Salt Lake City, UT Vivint Smart Home Arena
Saturday, October 5, 2019 Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort Arena
Sunday, October 6, 2019 Anaheim, CA Honda Center
Tuesday, October 8, 2019 San Francisco, CA Chase Center
Friday, October 11, 2019 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
Saturday, October 12, 2019 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
Sunday, October 13, 2019 Portland, OR Moda Center
Tuesday, October 15, 2019 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
Thursday, October 17, 2019 San Diego, CA Pechanga Arena
Friday, October 18, 2019 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
Sunday, October 20, 2019 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
*Bebe Rexha not performing