All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Photo Gallery: The Red Carpet at The 2019 Juno Awards in London
CMW 2019 Announces Television, Azaelia Banks, James Barker Band and more
Canadian Music Week announces another round of artists this week. The new additions feature Juno award winning country act James Barker Band joined by singer songwriter Emily Reid at the Sirius XM House, rapper, singer, producer Azaelia Banks, Toronto rapper Tasha the Amazon, and seminal 70s rock band Television. The 37th edition takes place from May 6-12 at a variety of downtown Toronto venues. See below for previously announced shows.
The indie- rock group The Elwins have been added to The Indies presented by Indie 88 and Jim Beam and will accompany Born Ruffians along with the winner of the Jim Beam National Talent Search.
Nominations are now open:
Part concert and part awards, the Indies are a celebration of national and international independent musicians making outstanding achievements in this area. Submissions are being accepted through indies.ca until March 24, 2019.
Previously Announced:
And you will know us by the trail of dead
Atsuko Chiba
AWWZ
Azaelia Banks
Born Ruffians (The Indies presented by Indie 88 and Jim Beam)
CLAVVS
Cosmonauts
Counterfeit
Dre Ngozi
Emily Reid (Sirius XM House)
George Clanton
Harlequin Gold
I don’t know how but they found me
IFE
James Barker Band (Sirius XM House)
Kevin Garrett
Lil Windex
Merkules
Nick Waterhouse
Nino Brown
Riobamba
Shay Lia
Sunflower Bean
Tasha the Amazon
TEEN
Television
The Bright Light Social Hour
The Dandy Warhols
The Dirty Nil
The Elwins (The Indies presented by Indie 88 and Jim Beam)
The Lemonheads with Tommy Stinson
Tokyo Police Club
Walker Luckens
Whoop Szo
Zaki Ibrahim
My Next Read: WHAM!, George Michael, and Me by Andrew Ridgeley
For the first time, Andrew Ridgeley – one half of one of the most famous bands in the world – tells the inside story of Wham!, his lifelong friendship with George Michael, and the formation of a band that changed the shape of the music scene in the early eighties.
Andrew’s autobiography will be published on October 8 by Michael Joseph, an imprint of publishing firm Penguin Random House.
In 1975 Andrew took a shy new boy at school under his wing. They instantly hit it off, and their boyhood escapades at Bushy Meads School built a bond that was never broken. The duo found themselves riding an astonishing roller coaster of success, taking them all over the world. They made and broke iconic records, they were treated like gods, but they stayed true to their friendship and ultimately to themselves. It was a party that seemed as if it would never end. And then it did, in front of tens of thousands of tearful fans at Wembley Stadium in 1986.
Andrew’s memoir covers in wonderful detail those years, up until that last iconic concert: the scrapes, the laughs, the relationships, the good, and the bad. It’s a unique and one-and-only time to remember that era, that band, and those boys.
You can pre-order the book here.
Want 108,000 Records and 57,000 CDs? CBC Has An Offer For You
Radio-Canada is seeking Canadian institutions that fall into one or more of the following categories: a) secondary or post-secondary educational institutions that offer specialized music instruction recognized by a provincial Department of Education or the equivalent in Canada; b) museums; c) public libraries; d) community radio services; e) non-profit organizations with a social mission (hereinafter referred to individually as the “Institution”) to acquire, as is and without charge, one or more portions of its inventory of vinyl records comprising an estimated 108,000 surplus copies of 33 RPM, 45 RPM and 78 RPM records, and/or its inventory of CDs comprising an estimated 57,000 surplus copies.
This invitation constitutes a call for interest and in no way limits Radio-Canada’s ability to donate the inventory to one or more interested institutions. Radio-Canada will invite qualified Institutions in the order of priority set out in the first paragraph above. Radio-Canada will donate the Inventory batched by musical categories only (see categories below) and may give preference to qualified Institutions that offer to acquire the largest number of batches or the Inventory as a whole. Radio-Canada reserves the right to explore other options and is not committed to accepting a given Institution’s proposal or any other specific proposal. It may consider any factor that it deems to be in its best interest. Acquisition proposals from individuals or institutions that do not fall into any of the target categories described in the first paragraph will not be considered.
The Inventory contains an estimated 108,000 vinyl records broken down as follows: 49,000 33 RPM records – classical (16,000), French pop vocal (8,300), English pop vocal (8,300), instrumental (6,300), jazz/blues (5,800), folk (3,900), theatre, comedy and other (400); 19,000 45 RPM records – French pop vocal (10,000), English pop vocal (6,000), classical, jazz and other (1,250), folk (1,250), instrumental (500); 40,000 78 RPM records – classical (16,000), French pop vocal (6,000), English pop vocal (6,400), instrumental (6,300), jazz/blues (2,900), folk (2,000), theatre and other (400).
The Inventory includes an estimated 57,000 CDs broken down as follows: classical (24,200), French pop vocal (6,100), English pop vocal (6,600), jazz/blues (7,200), instrumental (3,000), folk (2,800), theatre, comedy and other (300), miscellaneous categories (6,800).
Institutions interested in acquiring all or part of the Inventory must intend to give the vinyl records and CDs a second life. Furthermore, they must show that they have a place of business in Canada and that they are able to pack, handle, pick up at Maison de Radio-Canada in Montreal and carry away the Inventory or the portion of the Inventory of which they take possession, all at their own cost.
Call for Interest procedure:
- Expression of Interest Form – Interested Institutions can express their interest by completing the following online form. Completing the Expression of Interest Form does not, in and of itself, constitute a formal commitment.
- On-site visit and pickup – Institutions that have completed the Expression of Interest Form to Radio-Canada’s satisfaction will be invited, in the order of priority described in the first paragraph (above) and by random draw (unless an Institution is given preference by taking on a substantial portion of the Inventory), to visit Maison de Radio-Canada in Montreal to review the Inventory on the premises. They will then be permitted to take possession of the portion of the Inventory selected during their visit.
Institutions interested in acquiring one or more portions of the Inventory that Radio-Canada wishes to donate must submit their expression of interest by completing and submitting the following form online by no later than March 29, 2019. Any form received after this date will not be considered. Only those Institutions that have completed the Expression of Interest Form to Radio-Canada’s satisfaction will receive the full, itemized Inventory list of vinyl records and CDs offered as part of this Call for Interest and will be invited to visit Maison de Radio-Canada in Montreal to review and take possession of the desired Inventory items on the premises. The Inventory list is provided for reference purposes only. The order of visits will be determined by random draw (unless an Institution is given preference by taking on a substantial portion of the Inventory) and it is possible that items may no longer be available at the time of your visit.
Note that access to the Inventory will be limited and that the Institution must assume all risks and liabilities related to individuals representing it during the visit and throughout the process of taking possession of the Inventory.
Go here to fill out the form completed online and submitted by no later than March 29, 2019.
Ukulele Medley Of Muse’s Greatest Hits
Muse’s Black Holes and Revelations’s lyrics covering topics such as political corruption, alien invasion, revolution, and New World Order conspiracies, and if you think that would stop EatMyUke from creating a medley from songs like Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole, and Knights of Cydonia, on the ukulele, well, here you go.
Coalition of Canadian music organizations sign Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct
A coalition of Canadian music community groups has joined in solidarity and is working towards environments free of harassment, discrimination, violence, and bullying for the music community.
Today the coalition announced that 42 music groups have formally signed on to the Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct. By signing on to the Code, the organizations are acknowledging their responsibility to build safe, respectful workplaces, and are committing to improving and implementing policies to keep the music community safe.
As a first step, members of the coalition have formed an Education, Training and Safe Support Committee, which is working to provide each member of the Canadian music community with the appropriate resources and training to identify, confront and prevent harassment, bullying and violence in any workplace. Unison Benevolent Fund has volunteered to host a suite of educational and training resources through its website at no cost. These resources will be made available to the music community at a later date.
Today’s announcement was made at Allies in Action, an event focused on initiatives undertaken or underway to create safer spaces as the Canadian music community gathers in London, Ontario for the 2019 JUNO Awards.
Because of the uniqueness of the music business and the spaces in which musicians and music workers often operate, the coalition has added the following music-specific preamble to the existing Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct:
“We, the Canadian music community signatories, support the Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct. We recognize that in the music industry, the terms work, workplace and work-related, are extremely broad and can include any physical or virtual spaces at any time.”
You can read the full Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct at www.ReadTheCode.ca
Additional organizations that would like to sign on to the Code can register online. Once the form has been completed, new signatories should email a high resolution company logo to info@readthecode.ca with your organization’s name and “Becoming Code signatory” in the subject line.
Music industry groups that have signed on to the Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct are:
Steve Haines and the Third Floor Orchestra, featuring Becca Stevens, out March 29
Justin Time Records is proud to announce the March 29th release of bassist, composer and arranger Steve Haines’ upcoming album Steve Haines and the Third Floor Orchestra. The album features Becca Stevens on vocals, Chad Eby on soprano saxophone, Joey Calderazzo on piano and a full orchestra providing a beautiful sonic backdrop over which Eby’s sax floats and Stevens’ voice soars. Drawing on influences from the jazz, classical and celtic traditions, this album of stunning original compositions and reimagined popular songs transcends genres, and has something to offer for a very wide array of listeners.
On Steve Haines and the Third Floor Orchestra, the artist chose to interpret the work of multiple composers from his homeland of Canada with pieces from Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen and Kim Mitchell gracing the album. Listeners will undoubtedly enjoy Haines’ arrangements of popular songs such as “Harvest Moon,” “Hallelujah,” and “Patio Lanterns.” These arrangements celebrate the original melodic and lyrical structures of the pieces with explorations in harmony and instrumentation which aim to augment the power of these classic songs.
This release offers listeners the rare opportunity to hear vocalist Becca Stevens’ rich voice accompanied by a full orchestra, which harkens back to the early days of jazz, when such accompaniment was commonplace. The world renowned vocalist describes her voice and approach on this album as “wider,” stating that she has to “soar over the area that she had to cover sonically.” Haines has been acquainted with Stevens for over decade; they first met at a gig in New York City, where she gave him a copy of her debut Tea By Sea, which “totally knocked [him] out.” Stevens wrote two songs for this release including the wistful waltz “No More,” and the driving, bright-tempoed “Canyon Dust.”
The inspiration for Steve Haines and the Third Floor Orchestra came after Haines had finished writing a string quartet arrangement for Stevens. Writing for the album began in the summer of 2016, and the album’s recording process was completed in February 2018. Haines’ foray into orchestral writing also paired with his passion for writing lyrics, a recent discovery for the artist. “In my midlife, I discovered lyrics, and there a couple of songs on here of mine.” Haines exclaimed, “I am late to writing and even paying attention to lyrics but i’m very glad for them at this stage of my life.”
In “What I’ve Seen,” Haines writes about the devastating effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in returning veterans. Moved by the loss of many young men and women in the military to suicide, Haines penned the lyrics to this piece. He states ““What I’ve Seen” started out as a story about a mother speaking to her lost husband, and his response from the grave.” Stevens delivers Haines’ forlorn lyrics, and tells the heartbreaking story with sincerity and grace. The piece ends with a short, powerful improvisational segment from Eby, his soprano saxophone wailing over the tender string harmonies, reminiscent of a wife’s cries of longing over a lost love.
“You,” another composition with lyrics by Haines, tells a largely autobiographical tale of a deepening serendipitous love in the life of the author. The composer states that the piece started with the solo guitar refrain that is heard at the beginning of the song, and unfolded into the sublime lyrically-driven track that can be heard on the album. Haines explains “The concept is that the “You” that one loves can be more than one person: it could be a spouse, a son or daughter, a mother or a best friend, or God.” The ethereal verses of this song with vocals accompanied by classical guitar leave room for the piece to grow dynamically into the wonderful, amorous clave-driven choruses that truly bring this song to life. This track features a fantastic solo by stellar pianist Joey Calderazzo.
Steve Haines and the Third Floor Orchestra will be available on March 29th, and an album release show is planned 8:00 pm, April 26th at UNCG Auditorium in Greensboro.
Lou Reed Archive at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Has Opened
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is thrilled to announce that the Lou Reed Archive has been processed and is now available to users. The Lou Reed Archive documents the history of Reed’s life as a musician, composer, poet, writer, photographer, and tai-chi student through his own extensive papers, photographs, recordings and other materials. The archive spans Reed’s creative life—from his 1958 Freeport High School band, the Shades, to his final performances in 2013.
The Library for the Performing Arts is celebrating the opening of the Lou Reed archive with a special edition library card, a display of collection items, and more.
Anyone with an existing NYPL card is welcome to get the Lou Reed special edition card at The Library for the Performing Arts for the card replacement fee of $1. If you have never had a NYPL card, please visit The Library for the Performing Arts to apply in person or click here to Apply Now. Get more information about the Lou Reed card.
The Head And The Heart Announce New Album ‘Living Mirage’ Out May 17
The Head And The Heart have announced their forthcoming LP, Living Mirage, due out on May 17th on Warner Bros. Records/Reprise. “Missed Connection,” the first single from the new album, is now available to download, stream or watch the lyric video.
The band also announced a special livestream performance from The Belasco in Los Angeles in the coming week. on March 21st. Fans can tune in to the stream beginning at 8:30pm PT on The Head and The Heart and Live Nation’s Facebook pages to watch the intimate performance, hear songs from the new album for the first time, and be the first to hear another major announcement from the band about their plans for this summer and fall across North America.
Early last year, The Head And The Heart came together in the Mojave Desert’s Joshua Tree where they decided to shed old skin before writing their fourth album, Living Mirage, a sweeping, artful expansion of the earthy folk rock that once defined them. This recent “rebirth, a spirit quest of sorts,” as bassist Chris Zasche describes it, came from growing pains after their last album, Signs of Light: the amicable departure of guitarist-vocalist Josiah Johnson, replaced by Matt Gervais (husband to singer-violinist Charity Rose Thielen), and the return of keyboardist Kenny Hensley.
With a new beginning underway, the writing and recording process continued out of the desert, moving to Appleton, Wisconsin’s The Refuge Fox Cities, West Seattle, Omnisound in Nashville, and Barefoot Recordings in Los Angeles with the help of Tyler Johnson and Alex Salibian (Harry Styles, Sam Smith, Cam) and engineer Ryan Nasci. The result is a series of what singer Jon Russell sees as a sort of chronicle of stories and perspectives.
“In my mind, the songs on this album are vignettes,” Jon says. “Like ‘Brenda’ reminds me of when you’re a teenager at a house party. You’re surrounded by noise—‘What am I doing here?’—and a ray of light comes down and you notice this person. You’re like, ‘Maybe I will stay.’ These songs feel honest.”
The palpitating-choral “Missed Connection,” is a poignant snapshot of the anxiety that preceded that growth spurt. “A lot of the beats on that song are quicker, and there are high hats that were never in our music before,” drummer Tyler Williams says, attributing the new sounds to their love of pop and hip-hop production. The track began as a remembrance of how Jon met his girlfriend, until morphing into a potent metaphor for the band—which met serendipitously around an open-mic night in Seattle 10 years ago—suddenly wondering, as he recalls, “Is it all going to work?”
Living Mirage lives up to its title, a shapeshifting fever dream of unease, angst, and ultimately hope. “This is literally the most work we’ve ever done on an album,” the band’s Jon Russell remarks, proudly.
Living Mirage Tracklisting:
01. See You Through My Eyes
02. Missed Connection
03. People Need a Melody
04. Honeybee
05. Brenda
06. Running Through Hell
07. Against The Wall
08. Saving Grace
09. I Found Out
10. Living Mirage
11. Glory of Music
The Black Keys Confirm Extensive North American Tour
The Black Keys have confirmed an extensive, thirty-one-date arena tour of North America. The “Let’s Rock” Tour will hit cities including Chicago, Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, and Austin; full dates below. Special guests Modest Mouse will provide support on all dates, and Shannon & The Clams, *repeat repeat, and Jessy Wilson will each open select shows on the tour. Tickets for all dates go on sale to the general public beginning on Friday, March 22, at 10 AM local time via nonesuch.com/on-tour.
To ensure tickets get in to the hands of fans and not scalpers or bots, the tour has partnered with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan® platform. Fans can register now through Sunday, March 17, at 10pm EST here for the Verified Fan presale. Registered fans who receive a code will have access to purchase tickets before the general public on Tuesday, March 19 at 10am local time through Thursday, March 21, at 10pm local time.
Additionally, Citi is the official presale credit card of The Black Keys’ “Let’s Rock” Tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, March 19, at 11am local time until Thursday, March 21, at 10pm local time through Citi’s Private Pass program. For complete presale details visit citiprivatepass.com.
The band also headlines 2019’s Life Is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, September 21.
The Black Keys recently debuted the new song “Lo/Hi,” the first new music from the band since their 2014 album, Turn Blue. Listen here. “Lo/Hi” was written and produced by Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, and recorded at Nashville’s Easy Eye Sound studio. Rolling Stonenamed the track a “Song You Need to Know” and said, “the Keys have officially returned, louder than ever” and the New York Times calls the song “the kind of garage-boogie stomp that the band never left behind.” Additionally, GQ magazine included “Lo/Hi” in its list of Songs You Need to Hear This Week and called it “a snarling and immediate little slice of heaven from the Ohio rock stars.”
THE BLACK KEYS ON TOUR
Sep 21 Life Is Beautiful Las Vegas, NV
Sep 23 Pepsi Center* Denver, CO
Sep 24 Sprint Center* Kansas City, MO
Sep 25 Enterprise Center* St. Louis, MO
Sep 27 United Center* Chicago, IL
Sep 28 Target Center* Minneapolis, MN
Sep 30 Quicken Loans Arena* Cleveland, OH
Oct 1 Bridgestone Arena* Nashville, TN
Oct 2 Nationwide Arena* Columbus, OH
Oct 4 Fiserv Forum** Milwaukee, WI
Oct 5 Little Caesars Arena** Detroit, MI
Oct 7 PPG Paints Arena** Pittsburgh, PA
Oct 8 Van Andel Arena Grand Rapids, MI
Oct 9 Scotiabank Arena** Toronto, ON
Oct 11 TD Garden** Boston, MA
Oct 12 The Anthem** Washington, DC
Oct 14 Wells Fargo Arena** Philadelphia, PA
Oct 15 Barclays Center** Brooklyn, NY
Nov 5 BB&T Center^ Sunrise, FL
Nov 6 Amway Center^ Orlando, FL
Nov 8 PNC Arena^ Raleigh, NC
Nov 9 State Farm Arena^ Atlanta, GA
Nov 12 Toyota Center^ Houston, TX
Nov 13 Frank Erwin Center^ Austin, TX
Nov 14 Dickies Arena^ Fort Worth, TX
Nov 16 Talking Stick Resort Arena^ Phoenix, AZ
Nov 17 Pechanga Arena^ San Diego, CA
Nov 19 The Forum^ Los Angeles, CA
Nov 20 TBA^ San Francisco, CA
Nov 22 Moda Center^ Portland, OR
Nov 23 Tacoma Dome^ Tacoma, WA
Nov 24 Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena^ Vancouver, BC
* with Modest Mouse and *repeat repeat
** with Modest Mouse and Jessy Wilson
^ with Modest Mouse and Shannon & the Clams