This is pleasant enough for people to stay in the store and buy more of your stuff.
How The YouTube Algorithm Propelled An Obscure Japanese Song From 1984 Back Into Popularity
Mariya Takeuchi’s sleeper hit Plastic Love and how Youtube’s algorithm (and memes) turned an obscure Japanese song into a modern classic.
Billie Ellish Breaks Apple Music Record With More Than 800,000 Pre-Adds
Today Billie Eilish releases her highly anticipated debut album, accompanied with a brand-new music video for her latest single, “bad guy”.
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? is out now on all platforms worldwide and features global smashes “bury a friend”, “you should see me in a crown”, “when the party’s over”, and “wish you were gay”, plus 10 previously unheard tracks including Billie’s latest single, “bad guy”, which comes with an official video, directed by MTV VMA-winner (Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble”) Dave Meyers.
Yesterday, Billie Eilish made her Jimmy Kimmel Live! debut and performed “bury a friend” in-front of a live audience. On Monday, April 1 she will be a talking guest and will also be performing live on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (check your local listings).
This weekend, in partnership with Spotify, and curated entirely by the 17-year-old artist, The Billie Eilish Experience boasts a fully immersive, highly visceral “enhanced album experience.” The labyrinth of rooms hosted at The Stalls at Skylight Row in Downtown Los Angeles will converge art, technology and the unexpected, creating a cerebral storytelling experience that is authentically Billie Eilish.
In other news, Billie Eilish shattered Apple Music’s record, amassing more than 800,000 Pre-Adds on the album.
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? comprises of fourteen tracks that materialize as ghostly genre-less pop projections of life’s firsts for the multi-platinum songstress as she ruminates on her first brushes with loss and love amidst the monsters under her bed and the triumphs at her feet.
“Nobody knows what the fuck dreams are, dude,” she exclaims. “You can’t give me a good enough answer as to what dreams are. Nobody can. Dreams are a big thing in my life though. They’ve always really occupied me. It’s all in the music.” One daydream manifested to set the stage for such provocation. Within three years since her 2015 debut, Billie quietly, yet unapologetically infiltrated the forefront of pop. Along the way, she and her chief collaborator, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and big brother Finneas O’Connell crafted what would become WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. Keeping the creativity in-house, literally, they retreated back to their childhood home. Once again, they worked in Finneas’s bedroom—two feet from Billie’s room—where the songs not only came to life, but also all of the dreams. “There were a lot of opportunities and things I said no to,” she grins. “We had to do this album our way. I realized how lucky I am to have my brother in this. If I didn’t have him, I would have to figure out what the hell I was doing without someone else there with me!”
“I want people to listen,” she leaves off. “I want to be heard, and I want people to feel heard. Nothing on this album sounds the same, but it all adds up to a whole. Since I first started doing music, my life has changed a lot. One thing that hasn’t changed in my music is that I still just do me.”
Billie Eilish – WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?:
1. !!!!!!!
2. bad guy
3. xanny
4. you should see me in a crown
5. all the good girls go to hell
6. wish you were gay
7. when the party’s over
8. 8
9. my strange addiction
10. bury a friend
11. ilomilo
12. listen before i go
13. i love you
14. goodbye
Photo Gallery: Shaggy at Niagara Falls’ Fallsview Casino
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Streetheart Announce Compilation Album And Release New Single “Nature’s Way” – The Last Song Ever Recorded With Lead Singer Kenny Shields
Fresh off the first leg of their 2019 Canadian tour, Platinum-selling Canadian band Streetheart announce a special compilation album and are releasing their new single today. “Nature’s Way” is the last Streetheart recording featuring lead singer Kenny Shields before his passing in 2017 of heart failure. The performance from Shields carries a poignant weight: “It’s Nature’s Way of receiving you / It’s Nature’s Way of retrieving you / It’s Nature’s Way of telling you / something’s wrong.”
Kenny Shields, along with Daryl Gutheil and Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve, were among the founding members of Streetheart in 1977. The band’s song writing style evolved and with the addition of guitarist Jeff Neill in 1981, Streetheart achieved landmark successes, earning multiple Platinum and Double-Platinum Certifications, induction into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and a JUNO Award in 1980.
Streetheart’s new compilation album, Life. Legacy. Music., is a celebration of the band’s career that has now spanned over 40 years. In addition to the never-before-released track “Nature’s Way”, the album includes fan favourites such as “Action” (the lead track from their 1978 debut album Meanwhile Back in Paris…), “What Kind Of Love Is This” (the highest-charting single written by the band), “Look In Your Eyes” (from their Double-Platinum self-titled album), “Under My Thumb” (a live show highlight that morphed into the band’s first Gold single), and more.
Life. Legacy. Music. will be released digitally and on CD April 12 . The CD booklet features notes from the band about each track all with collages of memorabilia and personal photos.
This month saw the return of Streetheart to playing live shows after a two-year hiatus to mark and honour the passing of Kenny Shields. Daryl Gutheil, Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve and Jeff Neill have been joined by Paul McNair (Harlequin) on lead vocals and David Langguth (Kim Mitchell/Nelly Furtado) on drums. Kicking off the first leg of their 2019 dates with a hometown show in Winnipeg earlier this month, Streetheart will continue their Life. Legacy. Music. tour throughout Canada this summer.
Streetheart – Life. Legacy. Music.:
Action
Under My Thumb
Here Comes The Night
What Kind Of Love Is This
Teenage Rage
Tin Soldier
Miss Plaza Suite
Snow White
Look In Your Eyes
One More Time
Hollywood (Live)
Nature’s Way
Frank Zappa Hologram To World Premiere New Music With Former Bandmates On “The Bizarre World Of Frank Zappa” Hologram Tour
Live music’s premier hologram production company Eyellusion has announced that a who’s who of ZAPPA fan favorite musicians will support “The Bizarre World Of Frank Zappa” hologram tour which will make its debut Friday, April 19 at the Capitol Theatrein Port Chester, NY. The nine U.S. shows will be followed with seven European shows and additional dates will be announced in the coming months.
Frank Zappa’s son, Ahmet Zappa and Eyellusion CEO Jeff Pezzuti are co-creators of this lifelike hologram of the late musician.
In 1974, FRANK ZAPPA transformed his Los Angeles rehearsal space into a sound stage and cranked out some unbelievable performances seen and heard only by the camera operators in the room. The audio from these performances–locked away in the ZAPPAvaults for 44 years–will serve as the basis for what will be the world’s most ambitious hologram tour to date. The “can’t miss” concert spectacle is being produced in close cooperation with the ZAPPA FAMILY TRUST.
The “Bizarre World of Frank Zappa” hologram tour band is comprised of former ZAPPAbandmates for this monumental series of shows. The touring unit boasts guitarists Ray White and Mike Keneally, bassist Scott Thunes, multi-instrumentalist Robert Martin, percussionist Ed Mann, and drummer and ZAPPA archivist Joe “Vaultmeister” Travers.
“As a futurist, and hologram enthusiast, Frank fearlessly broke through boundary after boundary as an artist and in honouring his indomitable spirit, we’re about to do it again, 25 years after his passing,” said Ahmet Zappa, EVP of business development for Eyellusionand co-trustee of the ZAPPA FAMILY TRUST.
“We’re excited to world premiere a handful of Frank Zappa compositions; these mind-melting concerts we’re putting together celebrate the music, often surreal imagery and humour synonymous with Frank. We will be pushing the limits of what anyone has seen holographically on stage before in a live venue. Circumstances, objects, places and subject matter from Frank’s songs and imagination will be brought to life for the first time on stage. We are anthropomorphizing Frank’s music utilizing various visual techniques, art styles, classic imagery from his album artwork and characters from his songs, culminating in one extremely bizarre, live music experience.
“My father and I actively discussed 3D and ‘holography’ and it was a concept he actively engaged in. He actually devoted half a chapter of his The Real Frank Zappa Book to this subject. This is a love letter and a journey celebrating the genius artistry of Frank Zappa. On a personal note, I feel like I am finishing something my father started years ago. And let’s not forget, Frank himself will be rocking his fans, alongside his bandmates like nobody’s business.”
The Bizarre World Of Frank Zappa dates:
Fri 4/19 Port Chester, NY Capitol Theater
Sat 4/20 Rochester, NY Kodak Center Theater
Mon 4/22 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie
Wed 4/24 Long Island, NY Paramount Theatre
Fri 4/26 Boston, MA Shubert
Sun 4/28 Albany, NY The Palace Theatre
Wed 05/1 Wilkes Barre, PA Kirby Center
Thu 05/2 Collingswood, NJ Scottish Rite Auditorium
Fri 05/3 Baltimore, MD The Lyric
Thu 5/9 Edinburgh, UK Playhouse
Sat 5/11 Gateshead, UK Sage
Sun 5/12 Manchester, UK Bridgewater Hall
Mon 5/13 Birmingham, UK Symphony Hall
Tue 5/14 London, UK The Palladium
Thu 5/16 Ostend, BEL Kurssal
Fri 5/17 Amsterdam, NLD Rai Theater
Soul Star Maxwell Releases Rare Urban Hang Suite EPs
Soul star Maxwell is releasing a rare set of EPs from his enduring and influential 1996 debut album Urban Hang Suite, comprising multiple versions of the hits that launched his career and re-shaped R&B music in the 1990’s. Beginning March 29th, the five long out of print EPs, will be released every Friday digitally for the first time. On the same day, the singer, songwriter and producer will release a five-song remix EP (+ video and instrumental version) of his latest single “Shame” — his 14th R&B top 10 hit. Maxwell has also confirmed summer performance plans, which include a series of headlining and festival dates.
The five Urban Hang Suite EPs (released via Sony Music’s Certified Classics – Legacy Recordings’ division for the celebration of Sony Music’s Hip-Hop and R&B catalog) comprise a combination of remixes, alternate versions, MTV Unplugged Live tracks, B-sides, dubs, radio edits, and instrumentals and will launch with the star’s first single ”…Til the Cops Come Knockin,” followed by other hits that defined his early career — “Sumthin’ Sumthin,'” “Whenever Wherever Whatever” and “Suitelady (The Proposal Jam).”
Maxwell will also release the SHAME 508 remix EP (via Columbia Records) on March 29 to coincide with his other new material. The EP will have five remixes (Cyril Hahn, Cassady, Wes1), along with a video and an instrumental version.
Release Schedule:
EP 1 – Til the Cops Come Knockin’ plus Shame – 3/29
EP 2 – Ascension No One’s Gonna Love You, So Don’t Ever Wonder/ Seguranca – 4/5
EP 3 – Sumthin’ Sumthin’ – 4/12
EP 4 – Suitelady (The Proposal Jam) – 4/19
EP 5 – Whenever Wherever Whatever – 4/26
Track Listing for Shame 508 RMX EP:
1 – Shame (S508 Cassady Remix)
2 – Shame (W508 Cassady Remix)
3 – Shame (H508 Cyril Hahn Remix)
4 – Shame (H508 Cyril Hahn Remix)
5 – Shame (F508 Wes1 Got It Remix)
6 – Shame (Visual)
7 – Shame (Unsung)
Track Listing for Urban Hang Suite EPs:
EP 1/Til The Cops Come Knockin’/The Urban Theme
1 – Til the Cops Come Knockin’ (Cut)
2 – Til the Cops Come Knockin’ (Unsung)
3 – Til the Cops Come Knockin’ (PT.01) (The Opus)
4 – Til the Cops Come Knockin’ (PT.02) (The Opus)
5 – Til the Cops Come Knockin’ (PT.03) (Uncut) (The Opus)
6 – Lock You Up N’ Love Fa Days (PT.04) (The Opus)
7 – Lock You Up N’ Love Fa Days (PT.05) (Unsung)
8 – Til The Cops Come Knockin’ (Encore Live)
9 – The Urban Theme (Unfaded) (B-Side)
EP 2/Ascension No One’s Gonna Love You, So Don’t Ever Wonder/ Seguranca
1 – Ascension (No One’s Gonna Love You, So Don’t Ever Wonder) [The Tribute] (Cut)
2 – Ascension (No One’s Gonna Love You, So Don’t Ever Wonder) (Uncut)
3 – Ascension (No One’s Gonna Love You, So Don’t Ever Wonder) (Unsung)
4 – Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder) (Cut)
5 – Ascension (Dub Ever Wonder)
6 – Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder) (Unsung)
7 – Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder) (Encore Live)
8 – Seguranca (B-Side)
EP 3/Sumthin’ Sumthin
1 – Sumthin’ Sumthin’ (Cut)
2 – Sumthin’ Sumthin’ (Unsung)
3 – Sumthin’ Sumthin’ (Mantra) [Uncut]
4 – Sumthin’ Sumthin’ (Mantra) [Unsung]
5 – Sumthin’ Sumthin’ (Mellosmoothe) [Cut]
6 – Sumthin’ Sumthin’ (Mellosmoothe) [Uncut]
EP 4/Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)
1 – Suitelady (The Proposal Jam) (Cut)
2 – Suitelady (The Proposal Jam) (Unsung)
EP 5/Whenever Wherever Whatever
1 – Whenever Wherever Whatever (MTV Unplugged Live)
2 – Whenever Wherever Whatever (Unsung)
3 – Whenever Wherever Whatever (Espanol)
Tour Dates:
March 30 – Atlanta, GA – V103 Live with Kem
April 10 – San Juan, PR – Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyages
May 24 – Indio, CA – Fantasy Springs Resort Casino Event Center
May 25 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
June 28 – Hampton, VA – Hampton Jazz
July 9 – Chicago, IL – The Ravinia Festival
July 26 – Cincinnati, OH – Cincinnati Music Festival
Esperanza Spalding’s 12 Little Spells To Be Released May 10 With 4 New Songs
Esperanza Spalding’s 12 Little Spells will be released on vinyl, CD and download on May 10 via Concord Records. The cutting edge creator released this new album digitally in the fall and it subsequently appeared on a number of Best of 2018 lists including the NY Times, Rolling Stone and Billboard. The physical version of the album comes with an additional 4 new songs, all of which were recently written and recorded in Brooklyn, and will be unveiled in the weeks leading up to May 10. Stay tuned for information on how they will be revealed. Esperanza and her band will also perform songs from 12 Little Spells on the live public radio show Live From Here on Saturday, April 6.
12 Little Spells was first penned by Spalding while on a writing retreat at a castle in Italy – inspired by the healing properties of art, how music and the body interact, and her interest in Reikki. Each spell is based on a different body part, exploring the way the hip moves and bares weight, the feeling of blood pumping through veins and beyond. Spalding recorded the album with her band in just a few days, and then released each spell with it’s own video on her Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages over the course of 12 days – the videos combined are at 4 million views and counting. In November and December she unveiled a completely new live concert with a customized stage design, gowns designed for her by Diego Montoya, choreography and projected images – limited to just 12 performances.
Spalding also joined John Legend to perform on The Voice in December, performed to honor Wayne Shorter at the Kennedy Center Honors, sat down for an extensive career-spanning Fireside Chat with Red Bull Radio, one of their flagship programs, and was profiled by Vanity Fair and Office Magazine.
12 Little Spells track list including 4 new bonus spells:
1. 12 Little Spells – Thorasic Spine
2. To Tide Us Over – Mouth
3. Until the Next Ful – Eyes
4. Thing – Hips
5. Touch in Mine – Fingers
6. The Longing Deep Down – Abdominal Portal
7. You Have to Dance – Feet
8. Knowing Now – Solar Portal
9. All Limbs Are – Arms
10. Readying to Rise – Legs
11. Mind/Brain – Dancing the Animal
12. With Others – Ears
13. Lest We Forget – Blood
14. How To – Hair
15. Move Many – Joints
16. Ways Together – Shoulder
Photo Gallery: Muse with Walk The Moon at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger and “Call Me Maybe” Celebrated as Milestone Music Achievements at 30th Annual SOCAN Awards
The outstanding accomplishments of Canada’s most prestigious songwriters, composers and music publishers will be celebrated at the 30th anniversary SOCAN Awards on April 1st in downtown Toronto, where legendary and emerging Canadian music creators, producers, writers and publishers spanning nearly every genre will come together to shine a spotlight on Canada’s tremendous talent.
The SOCAN Awards will be marked with special honours for SOCAN-member music creators who have achieved the greatest collective number of radio, live, digital, television, and screen performances in SOCAN’s history.
Thirtieth Anniversary Honours:
- Chad Kroeger – the front-man for globally celebrated, diamond-certified rock band Nickelback, with songwriting credits that include chart topping hits such as “How You Remind Me” and “Photograph” and “Someday,” Kroeger will be honoured as the Most Performed Songwriter in SOCAN history, recognizing his massive accomplishments in music and songwriting.
- “Call Me Maybe” – in 2012, British Columbia native Carly Rae Jepsen took the world by storm with the infectious “Call Me Maybe.” Co-written with Josh Ramsay and Tavish Crowe, the song catapulted Jepsen to the top of the music charts, becoming the best-selling single of the year and reaching number one in an incredible 47 countries worldwide. Jepsen, Ramsay and Crowe will be honoured for “Call Me Maybe” as the Most Performed Song in SOCAN history.
- Jack Lenz – from Due South to Little Mosque on the Prairie, Atomic Betty to Goosebumps, The Passion of the Christ and so many more, Jack Lenz has been a part of our television and movie experience for decades. For his incredible contributions to screen composition, Jack Lenz will be honoured as the Most Performed Screen Composer in SOCAN history.
2019 Special Achievement Winners:
- Drake – following his Best Rap Song win at the 2019 Grammy Awards for “God’s Plan,” Drake will receive the award for SOCAN Songwriter of the Year – Performer.
- Ed Robertson’s “The Big Bang Theory” Theme – Robertson will be recognized with the SOCAN Cultural Impact Award for the profound impact The Big Bang Theory theme has had on contemporary pop culture.
- Frank Dukes – from Post Malone to The Weeknd and Cardi B, Frank Dukes has worked with some of music’s biggest stars. For his contributions to the massive success of their, and many other songs, Dukes will be awarded the SOCAN Songwriter of the Year – Producer.
- Jessie Reyez – a graduate of Toronto’s famed Remix Project, Reyez has proven herself to be a major force in the domestic and international music scene, and will receive the SOCAN Breakout Songwriter Award.
- Murda Beatz – with a track record of hits Murda Beatz remains top of mind on the list of in-demand producers. For his contributions to songs by Nicki Minaj, Migos, Cardi B and more Murda Beatz will be awarded the SOCAN International Achievement Award.
- Keith Power – for his continued inspired contributions to the world of film and television Power will be honoured with his third consecutive SOCAN Screen Composer of the Year Award.
- Ralph Murphy – he’s written for the likes of Shania Twain, Randy Travis and many more. His songwriting credits are matched only by his dedication to the craft, and his passion for sharing his knowledge with the next generations. Murphy will be celebrated with the SOCAN Special Achievement Award.
In what is certain to be an unforgettable moment, legendary singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie will be officially inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, recognizing her lifetime of unparalleled achievements as one of Canada’s all-time greatest music creators.
“In SOCAN history, Canadian music creators and publishers have been played worldwide, streamed billions of times, and continue to shine in Canada and globally,” said SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste. “It is our privilege to honour the very best in Canadian music, and we look forward to celebrating the achievements of this past year while honouring the Canadian creators of the past three decades who have left their universal mark.”
In addition to performances by Dallas Smith and celebrated JUNO Award-winners Barenaked Ladies, “The SOCANs” are expected to include live performances by Meghan Patrick, Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine and Anders.
More than 45 awards will be presented at The SOCANs, for success in songwriting, composing, film scoring and music publishing based on SOCAN data compiled over the last calendar year.
SOCAN Achievement and 30th Anniversary Award winners receive “The SOCAN” – the world’s first and only music industry trophy that’s also a musical instrument. The SOCAN trophy integrates five custom bronze SABIAN crotales, tuned this year with notes from the chorus of “Call Me Maybe,” chosen especially by Carly Rae Jepsen.
The full list of this year’s SOCAN Award winners will be released on the evening of April 1, 2019.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the SOCAN Awards, a milestone and celebration of the accomplishments of Canadian music creators and publishers. The SOCAN Awards have been held in Toronto annually since 1990. The 2019 Gala de la SOCAN, celebrating and honouring the work of SOCAN’s Francophone members, will be held in September in Montréal.