Get yourself tested, for Lou’s sake.
Artists who use the Mac to create music
From bedroom studio to stadium tour, the British music scene is alive. See the emerging and the iconic, the graft and the glory, a glimpse behind the scenes and behind the music.
Learn more about music on Mac here.
Photo Gallery: Marianas Trench with Scott Helman at Niagara Falls’ Rapids Theatre
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
My Next Read: The Vinyl Frontier, The Story of the Voyager Golden Record
In 1977, a team led by the great Carl Sagan was put together to create a record that would travel to the stars on the back of NASA’s Voyager probe. They were responsible for creating a playlist of music, sounds and pictures that would represent not just humanity, but would also paint a picture of Earth for any future alien races that may come into contact with the probe. The Vinyl Frontier by Jonathan Scott tells the whole story of how the record was created, from when NASA first proposed the idea to Carl to when they were finally able watch the Golden Record rocket off into space on Voyager.
The final playlist contains music written and performed by well-known names such as Bach, Beethoven, Glenn Gould, Chuck Berry and Blind Willie Johnson, as well as music from China, India and more remote cultures such as a community in Small Malaita in the Solomon Islands. It also contained a message of peace from US president Jimmy Carter, a variety of scientific figures and dimensions, and instructions on how to use it for a variety of alien lifeforms. Each song, sound and picture that made the final cut onto the record has a story to tell.
Through interviews with all of the key players involved with the record, this book pieces together the whole story of the Golden Record. It addresses the myth that the Beatles were left off of the record because of copyright reasons and will include new information about US president Jimmy Carter’s role in the record, as well as many other fascinating insights that have never been reported before. It also tells the love story between Carl Sagan and the project’s creative director Ann Druyan that flourishes as the record is being created.
The Golden Record is more than just a time capsule. It is a unique combination of science and art, and a testament to the genius of its driving force, the great polymath Carl Sagan.
You can get it here.
Keanu Reeves Plays With Puppies While Answering Fan Questions
Keanu Reeves gives us the scoop on his favorite sandwich, his new Toy Story 4 character, and what that picture of him riding a horse in Brooklyn was all about.
Celebrate Soundgarden With A New Live Film, Album And Immersive Events For ‘Live From The Artists Den’
Soundgarden along with The Chris Cornell Estate, UMe and Artists Den, the critically acclaimed music series best known for presenting intimate concerts by extraordinary artists in non-traditional settings, announced today an unprecedented line-up of immersive events and a suite of products titled Soundgarden: Live from the Artists Den. The events will feature a reimagined experience of Artists Den’s previous concert taping of legendary Seattle rock band Soundgarden and beloved lead singer and songwriter Chris Cornell, with stops in Los Angeles and New York, as well as a special screening in Seattle.
On February 17, 2013, Soundgarden concluded a sold-out U.S. Winter tour in support of King Animal, their first studio album in over sixteen years, with a special Live from the Artists Den taping at the Wiltern in Los Angeles. Soundgarden mixed new songs with classic radio hits and rarities performed live for the first time in front of a rapturous crowd. The concert has become the all-time most requested Soundgarden live show for an official release. The 29 song, nearly two-and-a-half-hour show, encompasses the band’s rich musical legacy, spanning their early years with “Hunted Down,” through their monumental albums Badmotorfinger and Superunknown respectively with “Outshined” and “Black Hole Sun,” and to their final record, with nearly every song from King Animal including “By Crooked Steps” and “Been Away Too Long.” Live From The Artists Den features 21 songs never before released on a Soundgarden concert film, including 17 making their first appearance on a live album, and highlighted by “Blind Dogs,” which the band performed on stage for the first time ever at the Wiltern show. Pre-order Soundgarden:Live from the Artists Den now. View Official Trailer
Six years following the original taping, Artists Den in partnership with UMe, will release a selection of products for Soundgarden: Live from the Artists Den on July 26, 2019. The limited-edition Super Deluxe box will feature the complete 29-song concert film in 5.1 surround sound and stereo on Blu-ray, and more than 30 minutes of bonus interviews with the band, in addition to four black 180-gram audiophile LPs, 2CDs, a 40-page photo book, four band member lithos, and replica artist all-access pass and ticket stub from the original show. Additional products scheduled for release include: 4LP 180-gram audiophile black vinyl, limited edition 4LP color vinyl (each disc will feature a unique combination of splattered colors), Blu-ray and 2CD. Digital live album and digital live video will be available for preorder on May 31.
Speaking about Live from the Artists Den, Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil said, “We were very proud and excited to document the performance of our new material from King Animal, and to celebrate with each other and our fans.”
In advance of the album release, Artists Den will present Soundgarden: Live from the Artists Den immersive events of the full 29 song show in New York and Los Angeles, as well as an additional screening in Seattle. The stops in New York and Los Angeles will each showcase 12 HD camera angles customized for an immersive multi-screen viewing experience. A live remix of the original multitrack 48-channel audio in L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound, a groundbreaking ultra-high resolution audio technology from L-Acoustics, offers fans the thrill of connecting with the band’s repertoire in vivid fidelity. The 360˚ real time mix synced to on-screen footage and further complemented by a stunning light show promises to immerse the audience in a truly unique experience, for one night only in each city. The Seattle screening will be located at The Showbox, the same site the band reunited for the first time in 2010 under the anagram “Nudedragons.”
Tickets for the Soundgarden: Live from the Artists Den immersive events will go on sale later today, May 16th at 5PM EDT/2PM PDT at http://artistsden.com/soundgarden as an exclusive bundle which includes the 2-CD.
The Soundgarden: Live from the Artists Den immersive events and screening are being held at the following venues. For additional information, visit ArtistsDen.com.
Soundgarden: Live from the Artists Den Event Dates
June 17
Los Angeles, CA
The Wiltern (Immersive Event)
June 18
New York, NY
Brooklyn Steel (Immersive Event)
June 23
Seattle, WA
The Showbox (Screening Only)
Woodstock Nation, A New Festival Documentary For The 50th Anniversary Of Woodstock
Independent film production company Golden Leaf Pictures announces it will release Woodstock Nation, a new documentary exploring the evolution of music festivals, from the organic experience of the original 1969 Woodstock to a myriad of themed festivals today, asking the question: Is music still a strong voice for social change and do people have an innate need to gather in musical celebration?
Woodstock sparked a social and humanitarian revolution. Those three days in upstate New York led a generation to find its voice, and fifty years later there are hundreds of festivals popping up each year. Woodstock Nation explores this phenomenon through interviews with performers – original Woodstock performers and today’s top stars – concert promoters, influencers, celebrities, and fans.
The documentary will explore themes and theories revolving around the power of music, the importance of festivals to artists and fans, and the ways in which our relationship to music has changed. With technology that allows us to experience more high-quality music than ever before from the comfort of our homes, why do millions flock to music festivals each year?
Jim Henson with Kermit, as a stylized POP vinyl from Funko!
This gives me all the feels, and it’s available on August 14, 2019 here.
Kelowna-based teen country star Beamer Wigley releases “I Knew” video and single from forthcoming album
The Canadian country scene continues to have a young wonder on its watch in the form of Beamer Wigley and his newest single and video, “I Knew.”
“It really resonates with me,” says Wigley on the arc of the track, co-written by his manager, award-winning legendary hitmaker and GRAMMY Award-nominated Keith Follese (Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Randy Travis, Katy Perry, John Oates). The final cut also features award-winning musician Danny Rader (Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, LeAnn Rimes, Gretchen Wilson, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Julianne Hough) on Dobro. “The storyline about a guy busking and wondering if he’ll ever succeed with his guitar can apply to not just me, but so many other musicians who start off the same way.
“It can be pretty discouraging when there isn’t much in your guitar case after hours of playing… But then you meet the girl and good things happen!”
Beamer Wigley’s impressive trajectory means he can fret a little less about career success; now 16-years old, the Kelowna-based teen wrote his first song at age seven, took First Place at the Vancouver P.N.E. ‘Star Showdown’ at nine, won the inaugural Penticton Youth Arts Award (25 and Under) at eleven, hit the charts at #74 for his first single to radio at age fifteen, and was the youngest ever to be signed to award-winning talent agency Invictus Entertainment Group and label Big Star Recordings.
He’s sponsored by Music Man / Ernie Ball guitars, opened for George Canyon, Brett Kissel, Aaron Pritchett, Granger Smith, and Dwight Yoakam, was invited to participate in the CCMA’s Songwriters Series with Washboard Union, Kenny Hess, and Livy Jean, and a member of the exclusive worldwide network The Brotherhood Of The Guitar.
Recently, extensive time spent in Nashville has him under the management of prolific songwriters and industry leaders Keith Follese and his wife Adrienne (Martina McBride, Jo Dee Messina, Emerson Drive, Lady Antebellum); together they wrote Beamer’s 2018 single “Roller Coaster” — which boasts 450k+ streams and counting — as well as this year’s forthcoming sophomore EP, including “I Knew.”
“It was going to be cut by a really well-known artist in Nashville, but he changed directions and the song was offered to me,” Wigley shares on how “I Knew” — written by Keith, Adrienne, and their sons, songwriters and musicians Jamie and Ryan Follese (Hot Chelle Rae) — came to be. “I jumped on it.”
The video was shot in Vancouver. “It was early spring,” he continues, “so the weather had been snowy and cold, but the skies cleared up for us on the day of the shoot and we had beautiful sunshine. We shot in four different locations, including a remote bus stop at around 9:00 pm, which by that point, got really cold. My poor co-star was freezing, so giving her my jacket — as it says in the lyrics — was really what she needed! I felt bad for her, but it worked, and fit into the story perfectly!”
Beamer Wigley’s “I Knew” is available now.
Springsteen’s E Street Band’s Jake Clemons To Release New Single “Consumption Town” Today
Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Clemons will release his new single “Consumption Town” on May 17th, the second offering from his upcoming album, Eyes On The Horizon, set for release this summer. Joined by guitar legend Tom Morello and mixed by award winning Mixer and Producer Eddie Kramer, Clemons once again addresses his thoughts and shares his beliefs in one of the upcoming albums strongest and most intricate of songs.
The song “Consumption Town” is meant as a wake-up call. “It’s about how we seem to be distracted by desire and greed, and how big corporations are creating these distractions and causing us to lose sight of our needs. It’s also a change in direction for me musically. I was really delighted to have Tom Morello featured on guitar for ‘Consumption Town” says Jake.
Dividing his time between touring the world, performing his own music and spending the last seven years as the tenor and baritone saxophonist with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band (stepping in for his Uncle, the late Clarence Clemons,) Jake continues to make a deep connection in the present by living life to its’ fullest. He will be touring in the Netherlands and Italy this June and will be recording with the renowned producer Eddie Kramer as part of the ‘Mix With The Masters’ Series at La Fabrique Recording Studios in the South of France on June 1-4. Clemons will return to the UK and Ireland in October for additional tour dates.