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Jess Moskaluke and Brett Kissel Tie For Lead With 6 Nominations At Canadian Country Music Awards

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Jess Moskaluke and Brett Kissel Tie For Lead With 6 Nominations At Canadian Country Music Awards

The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) has announced the full list of 2018 CCMA Award nominees. Leading the race with six nominations each are three-time Female Artist of the Year winner, Jess Moskaluke and reigning Male Artist of the Year, Brett Kissel.

Moskaluke is nominated for the Apple Music Fans’ Choice Award, FORD Album of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Video of the Year and Songwriter(s) of the Year. Kissel will be competing for wins in the Apple Fans’ Choice Award, FORD Album of the Year, Interactive Artist of the Year, Record Producer(s) of the Year, Video of the Year and Male Artist of the Year categories.

Reigning SiriusXM Rising Star and Female Artist of the Year Meghan Patrick has earned five 2018 CCMA Award nominations. Patrick is competing for top honours in hopes of taking home the FORD Album of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Video of the Year and Songwriter(s) of the Year Awards.

Taking home three awards in 2017, Dallas Smith has earned four 2018 CCMA Award nominations today: Apple Music Fans’ Choice Award, Male Artist of the Year, Single of the Year and Video of the Year. Smith has also been announced as a performer for the 2018 CCMA Awards show which will broadcast live from Hamilton, ON on September 9.

The Apple Music Fans’ Choice Award, the most honourable award for many country artists as the winner is chosen by Canadian country music fans, was announced late last night. Nomination leader Jess Moskaluke goes head to head with Canada’s biggest names in country music — Gord Bamford, Dean Brody, Chad Brownlee, Tim Hicks, Dallas Smith, James Barker Band, High Valley and Canada’s country powerhouse and 2018 CCMA Awards host Shania Twain.

The 2018 CCMA Award Show will broadcast live from Hamilton, ON on CBC and cbcmusic.ca/ccmas on Sunday, September 9 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Tune in this September to see the winners live in action!

Tickets to the 2018 CCMA Awards Show are available for purchase in-person at the FirstOntario Centre Box Office and online at ticketmaster.ca. For each ticket sold, $1 will go directly to the MusicCounts in support of their year-round music initiatives.

ARTIST AWARDS

APPLE MUSIC FANS’ CHOICE AWARD

Gord Bamford
Dean Brody
Chad Brownlee
Tim Hicks
High Valley
James Barker Band
Brett Kissel
Jess Moskaluke
Dallas Smith
Shania Twain

FORD ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Country Music Made Me Do It – Meghan Patrick
Past The Past – Jess Moskaluke
The Project – Lindsay Ell
We Were That Song – Brett Kissel
What We’re Made Of – The Washboard Union

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Lindsay Ell
Madeline Merlo
Jess Moskaluke
Meghan Patrick
Shania Twain

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Gord Bamford
Chad Brownlee
Brett Kissel
Dallas Smith
Bobby Wills

GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR

High Valley
Hunter Brothers
James Barker Band
The Reklaws
The Washboard Union

ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

The Lovelocks
Jessica Mitchell
Lindi Ortega
The Washboard Union
Donovan Woods

SIRIUSXM RISING STAR

Dan Davidson
Aaron Goodvin
Hunter Brothers
Leaving Thomas
The Reklaws

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

Chills – James Barker Band
Country Music Made Me Do It – Meghan Patrick
Drive Me Away – Jess Moskaluke
Lonely Drum – Aaron Goodvin
Side Effects – Dallas Smith

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

The Bad Guy – Meghan Patrick
Drive Me Away – Jess Moskaluke
Hometown Kids – The Reklaws
Sky Stays This Blue – Dallas Smith
We Were That Song – Brett Kissel

SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR

Dean Brody, Matt Rovey   
Song: 8th Day (Performed By: Dean Brody)
Dan Isbell, Meghan Patrick, Jeremy Stover 
Song: Country Music Made Me Do It (Performed By: Meghan Patrick)
Zach Abend, Corey Crowder, Jess Moskaluke
Song: Drive Me Away (Performed By: Jess Moskaluke)
James Barker, Gavin Slate, Travis Wood 
Song: It’s Working (Performed By: James Barker Band)
Alexander Black, Aaron Goodvin, Cathy Gravitt
Song: Lonely Drum (Performed By: Aaron Goodvin)

INTERACTIVE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

Tenille Arts
Hunter Brothers
Brett Kissel
Leaving Thomas
Nice Horse 

MUSICIAN AWARDS

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kirby Barber
Chris Byrne
Lisa Dodd
Justin Kudding
Travis Switzer

DRUMMER OF THE YEAR

Matthew Atkins
Ben Bradley
Flavio Cirillo
Rich DaSilva
Chad Melchert          

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Denis Dufresne
Ali Raney
Mike Sanyshyn
Tyler Vollrath
Mark Whitehead

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Derek Caven
Paul Chapman
Matt McKay
Darren Savard
Geoff Torrn

KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Scott Galloway
Mike Little
Bart McKay
Dale Wallace
Brendan Waters

SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT PLAYER OF THE YEAR

David Barber – Banjo
Denis Dufresne – Banjo
Shane Guse – Mandolin
Mitch Jay – Dobro
Connor Riddell – Banjo

STEEL GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Chris Altmann
John Ellis
Mitch Jay
Doug Johnson
Mark Whitehead

RADIO AWARDS

MUSIC DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR- LARGE MARKET

Larry Donohue – CFCW – Edmonton, AB
Steph Hansen – CISN-FM/CKRY-FM – Edmonton, AB/Calgary, AB
Amanda Kingsland – CKBY-FM – Ottawa, ON
Peter Walker – CJKX-FM/CHKX-FM – Oshawa, ON/Hamilton, ON

** Less than five nominees

MUSIC DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR- MEDIUM OR SMALL MARKET

Shilo Bellis – CJXL-FM – Moncton, NB
Jenn Dalen – CKGY-FM – Red Deer, AB
Paul Ferguson – CHCQ-FM – Belleville, ON
Cal Gratton – CJVR-FM – Melfort, SK
Cory Noel – CKFM-FM – Olds, AB

INDUSTRY AWARDS

BOOKING AGENCY OF THE YEAR

APA Agency
The Feldman Agency
Invictus Entertainment Group
Sakamoto Agency
United Talent Agency

COUNTRY CLUB OF THE YEAR

Cook County Saloon – Edmonton, AB
The Dakota Tavern – Toronto, ON
Gabby’s Country Cabaret – Langley, BC
Ranchman’s Cookhouse and Dancehall – Calgary, AB
The Roxy – Vancouver, BC

COUNTRY FESTIVAL, FAIR, OR EXHIBITION OF THE YEAR

Big Valley Jamboree – Camrose, AB
Boots And Hearts Music Festival – Oro-Medonte, ON
Calgary Stampede – Calgary, AB
Cavendish Beach Music Festival – Cavendish, PE
Rockin’ River Country Music Fest – Merritt, BC

COUNTRY MUSIC PROGRAM OR SPECIAL OF THE YEAR

Canadian Coast To Coast – Fabmar Communications
The Casey Clarke Country Countdown – Casey Clarke Productions
The Casey Clarke Show – Casey Clarke Productions
The Dungarees Christmas Special – Rogers Media and The Dungarees
Jess Moskaluke – Home Movie – Corus Entertainment

MANAGEMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR

Big Loud Management LLC.
Invictus Entertainment Group
MDM Artist Management Services
RGK Entertainment Group Inc.
Starseed Entertainment Inc.

MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY OF THE YEAR

ole
Royalty Music Publishing Inc.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Canada
Universal Music Publishing Canada
Warner/Chappell Music Canada

RECORD COMPANY OF THE YEAR

MDM Recordings Inc.
ole red dot
Open Road Recordings Inc.
Universal Music Canada
Warner Music Canada

INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE YEAR

Steve Coady – Vice President, Radio Promotions – Warner Music Canada
Jim Cressman – President – Invictus Entertainment Group
Mike Denney – President – MDM Recordings Inc.
Shannon McNevan – Director of A&R – Universal Music Canada
Robert Ott – Chairman, CEO – ole

CREATIVE DIRECTOR(S) OF THE YEAR
Design Team: Rory Gardiner, Loren Stevenson Photography: Doyle Smith
Interactive Video Brochure, Associate Booklet, Album: Be You (Artist: Rory Gardiner)
Design Team: Jason Graham, Photography: John Gaucher
Album: In Comes The Night (Artist: Bobby Wills)
Design Team: Mitchell Nevins, Photography: Margaret Malandruccolo
Single: Loud (Artist: Tim Hicks)
Design Team: Antoine Moonen (Mediavandals) Photography: Delaney Royer
Album: Past The Past (Artist: Jess Moskaluke)
Design Team: Mitchell Nevins, Photography: Phil Crozier
Album: The Squeeze (Artist: The Road Hammers)

RECORDING STUDIO OF THE YEAR

Barrytone Studios – St. Clements, ON
Bart McKay Productions – Saskatoon, SK
MCC Recording Studio – Calgary, AB
OCL Studios – Chestermere, AB
Revolution Recording – Toronto, ON

RECORD PRODUCER(S) OF THE YEAR

Gord Bamford, Phil O’Donnell
Album: Neon Smoke (Artist: Gord Bamford)
Spencer Cheyne, Brett Kissel, Justin Kudding, Bart McKay, Matt McKay, Luke Wooten
Album: We Were That Song (Artist: Brett Kissel)
Jeff Dalziel
Album: What We’re Made Of (Artist: The Washboard Union)
Danick Dupelle, Tebey
Album: Love A Girl (Artist: Tebey)
Dan Swinimer
Album: Downtown Kids (Artist: David James)

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Apple Music
Spotify Canada Inc.
Sunrise Records

**Less than 5 nominees

RON SAKAMOTO TALENT BUYER OR PROMOTER OF THE YEAR

Paul Biro – Sakamoto Agency
Jim Cressman – Invictus Entertainment Group
Emmanuel Patterson – Live Nation Entertainment
Julia Rambeau – MRG Group
Denise Ross – Live Nation Entertainment

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Stephano Barberis
Video: The Bad Guy (Artist: Meghan Patrick), Video: Coming Clean (Artist: Shirley Gnome),  Video: Dirt Covered Rhinestone (Artist: Jade Mya), Video: Heart Of A Woman (Artist: Johnny Reid), Video: Hold The Line (Artist: Jesse Mast), Video: Might As Well Be Me (Artist: Chad Brownlee), Video: Neon Smoke (Artist: Gord Bamford), Video: Out Of The Blue (Artist: Chad Brownlee), Video: Sky Stays This Blue (Artist: Dallas Smith), Video: Something To Wrap My Heart Around (Artist: JoJo Mason), Video: What We’re Made Of (Artist: The Washboard Union)
Gavin Michael Booth
Video: Born and Raised (Artist: Hunter Brothers), Video: Slide Over (Artist: Tim Hicks), Video: Sombrero (Artist: Scotty James), Video: Those Were The Nights (Artist: Hunter Brothers), Video: You Get To Me (Artist: River Town Saints)
Ben Knechtel
Video: Chills (Artist: James Barker Band), Video: Drive Me Away (Artist: Jess Moskaluke), Video: Hometown Kids (Artist: The Reklaws)
Travis Nesbitt
Video: Anywhere With You (Artist: The Dungarees), Video: Ring The Bells (Artist: The Dungarees), Video: Say We Did (Artist: Dan Davidson), Video: Shine (Artist: The Washboard Union)
Joel Stewart
Video: All About Her (Artist: Paul Brandt), Video: In Comes The Night (Artist: Bobby Wills), Video: Kill Your Love (Artist: Jess Moskaluke), Video: Past The Past (Artist: Jess Moskaluke)

SOCAN Foundation and SiriusXM Launch Young Canadian Songwriter Awards

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SOCAN Foundation awards emerging Canadian musical and audio-visual composers and songwriters producing high-quality original works that deserve to be recognized. A wide variety of awards are available to recognize the remarkable talent we call Canadian music-creators across genres.

SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Composers – Deadline: 2019 (TBD)

SOCAN Foundation Awards for Emerging Audio-Visual Composers (Sponsored by RBC) – Deadline: 2019 (TBD)

SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Canadian Songwriters (Sponsored by SiriusXM) – Deadline: July 16, 2018 at 11:59 PM EDT

TD Indigenous Songwriter Award – Deadline: 2019 (TBD)

SOCAN Foundation hires renowned Canadian composers to serve as jury members, who meet over several days to review applications submitted for the SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Composers, Emerging Audio-visual Composers (Sponsored by RBC), and Young Canadian Songwriters (Sponsored by SiriusXM). Juries for each competition are balanced to ensure representation from the West, Central/East and Quebec regions. Each jury comprises three members, who report their results in meetings with the SOCAN Foundation manager.

Applications for the SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Composers are reviewed anonymously. Applications for the SOCAN Foundation Awards for Emerging Audio-Visual Composers (Sponsored by RBC) and for Young Canadian Songwriters (Sponsored by SiriusXM) are not reviewed anonymously.

Go here to apply.

Apply Now To Showcase at Folk Alliance International 2019

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After 6 years, Folk Alliance International Conference & Festival will return to Canada in 2019. Applications are now open for artists interested in showcasing February 2019 in Montreal, Quebec.

APPLY FOR AN OFFICIAL SHOWCASE

Deadlines

May 1, 2018: Official Showcase applications open

August 15, 2018 5pm CT: Official Showcase applications close

September 17, 2018: Official Showcase Artists notified

October 1, 2018: Official Showcase Artists announced publicly

October 19, 2018: Official Showcase Artists scheduled

Eligibility

Membership is not required to submit an application. All selected artists and accompanying musicians are required to be paid registrants of the conference.

All non-Canadian artists must be legally able to enter Canada and are responsible for acquiring all necessary travel permits including visas when necessary.

INELIGIBLE: Artists who had an Official Showcase in 2017 and a second Official Showcase in 2018 are not eligible to apply in 2019. They may still arrange Private Showcases in 2019 and are welcome to reapply for an Official Showcase for the 2020 conference. This policy ensures turnover and access to Official Showcases for our wide community of established and emerging artists.

Radius Clause

In order not to compete with Folk Alliance International Official Showcases, and to maximize the community and career impact of presenter and industry attendance on-site, artists selected for an Official Showcase or as Music Camp instructors are not permitted to perform concerts within a 24 kilometer (15 mile) radius of the conference hotel between the hours of 4pm – 3am, February 13-16, 2019.

  • This clause does not restrict Private Showcases at the conference, radio performances, media interviews, or in-store signings.
  • Off-site events (within the above conference dates/times/distance) cannot be promoted in any advance communication to the FAI delegate list or in any on-site branding, advertising, announcements, or activity.
  • Any use of the Folk Alliance International name or logo (in relation to an off-site event) must be approved in writing by FAI in advance of all events and promotion.

Official Showcase Application Fee

May 1, 2018 – May 31, 2018

FAI members $15, non-members $30

June 1, 2018 – July 31, 2018

FAI members $20, non-members $40

August 1, 2018 – August 15, 2018 (due by 5pm CST on Aug 15)

FAI members $25, non-members $50

 Official Showcase application fees are non-refundable.

What You’ll Need to Complete the Application

  1. Credit card for application fee
  2. Contact information for the artist and all representation
  3. 50-word bio (3rd-person)
  4. Two different artist/band headshot photos (300dpi, color)
  5. Link to 1-2 audio files (note: the jury cannot review downloads, Dropbox or Google Drive files)
  6. Link to 1 video of a live performance of the proposed showcase format
  7. 2019/20 desired touring territory
  8. Link to highest profile media review received in the last 2 years
  9. Awards & recognition within the last 2 years
  10. Names/roles of all band members
  11. Stage plot (.pdf)

Download a sample application here. This printable copy of the online Official Showcase application is for preparation purposes only. FAI will only accept applications that are paid for and submitted online, NO MAIL-IN APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Disclaimers

If accepted for a showcase, artists are required to post that they are an Official Showcase artist on social media using the FAI provided badge. This action is part of the artist’s contract.

Official Showcases are “festival style” performances, meaning that there are no sound checks and the lighting is set. The performances are 30 minutes long with a 15 minute change over. All performances take place in hotel ballrooms. There is no guaranteed use of in-ear-monitors.

Official Showcase performances are not open to the public. There are no public tickets or guest passes available. All attendees of the Official Showcases must be registered delegates of the conference.

Discounted Registration Fee for Official Showcase Applicants

Applicants are guaranteed a discounted conference registration rate regardless of Official Showcase award status.

Please note that these rates are only for the artists and not for the support team (manager, agent, publicist, etc.). Support team members must register using standard registration rates.

Discounted rates are available to artists from outside North America and Official Showcase acts of 6 or more. Contact FAI for special pricing.

After you complete the Official Showcase application, you will receive an email with a discount code to use when registering to receive the discounted applicant rate.

All prices are per person, in USD.

Discounted conference registration rates are available for members. Become a member of Folk Alliance International here.

APPLY FOR AN OFFICIAL SHOWCASE

Remember The Beatles Vintage Record Player?

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Remember The Beatles Vintage Record Player?

Cool looking The Beatles Vintage Record Player. Only about 5000 of these players were ever produced, and very few of the boxes were kept.

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I Want This: Rolling Stones “Party Pack” Toy Instrument Set

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I Want This: Rolling Stones “Party Pack” Toy Instrument Set

Going up for auction later this month from Heritage Auctions, is this little beauty. Manufactured in the UK by Selcol, this incredibly rare set is made even more desirable by the fact that it’s still on its original card. Includes a kazoo, miniature bass guitar, and harmonica with “Rolling Stones” printed across the top, on a cardboard backing emblazoned with illustrations of the band members – Mick, Keith, Bill, Brian, and Charlie – playing or holding their instruments.

Shad annnounces ‘A Short Story Abour A War’ Featuring Yukon Blonde, Lido Pimienta, KAYTRANADA, A Tribe Called Red

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Shad annnounces ‘A Short Story Abour A War’ Featuring Yukon Blonde, Lido Pimienta, KAYTRANADA, A Tribe Called Red

For his new album, polymath emcee Shad has vibrantly imagined and created an entirely new world. A Short Story About A War releases October 26 on Secret City Records. This concept album holds a mirror to our world – a provocative story told through disarmingly catchy songs that weaves through issues of migration, environment, politics and above all, the human spirit.

The album was created in collaboration with dozens of musicians and engineers: From luminaries like Kaytranada, 2oolman of A Tribe Called Red, and Lido Pimienta, to crafty indie rockers Yukon Blonde, and Toronto rap veterans Ian Kamau, Eternia, and DJ T Lo. Their contributions bring multiple textures and colours to Shad’s singular vision. A North American tour begins this fall (listed in full below), all tickets are on sale now.

Shad is the host of the Emmy and Peabody award-winning Netflix Original Hip-Hop Evolution docu-series and is a former host of CBC Radio’s flagship arts & culture program ‘q’. In 2011, his album TSOL won Rap Recording of the Year at the JUNO Awards. Three of his full-length albums (The Old Prince, TSOL and Flying Colours) were shortlisted for Canada’s Polaris Music Prize.

The first single “The Fool Pt.1 (Get it Got it Good)” is a master class in juxtaposition; a bouncy beat mixed with frenzy. Shad’s delivery is breathless – an effusive outpouring that borders on screams, cries and joy. The video for the track, unveiled today, was directed by Justin Broadbent and is an ode to Shad’s truthfulness.

We are flooded with the energy of an exuberant, excited Shad, describes Broadbent. The video is a lo-fi, 1-take shot of Shad performing on a bright and sunny stage of wooden pallets and blooming white flowers in a decrepit parking lot. And it’s The Fool’s ideal music video : it is purposefully shot handheld on a phone (literally reflected in the car window) to convey the character’s playfulness, and also to reign in on Shad’s number one attribute, his authenticity. The style cannot be passed off as cocky or bougie – it’s just Shad, “no add-ons or code names.”

The album follows suit – it is a mix of menacing and uplifting, a convergence of complex ideas that take on the entire world, driven by beats that cover a wide swath of the sounds of hip-hop, from trap to funk and jazz-flecked. From the first words, Shad’s lyrics dissect the systems of prejudice and hate, institutions of war and violence and money, God, hope, and how to “elevate and escalate.” Each consecutive song furthers the narrative, culminating with “All I Need” and Shad’s concluding statement: “The truth is bulletproof.”

TRACK LIST:
1. Intro: Sniper
2. The Revolution/The Establishment
3. The Stone Throwers (Gone in a Blink)
4. Get it Got it Good Intro
5. The Fool Pt. 1 (Get it Got it Good)
6. Magic Intro
7. Magic (feat. Lido Pimienta)
8. The Fool Pt. 2 (Water) (feat. Steven Mulcare)
9. Sniper Interlude
10. Peace/War
11. The Fool Pt. 3 (Frame of Mind)
12. Another Year (feat. Ian Kamau & Eternia)
13. All I Need (feat. Yukon Blonde)

TOUR DATES:
November 1 – Waterloo, ON @ Starlite
November 2 – London, ON @ Rum Runners
November 9 – St. Catharines, ON @ FirstOntario PAC
November 10 – Hamilton, ON @ Casbah
November 15 – New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
November 16 – Washington, DC @ DC9
November 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot and Saddle
November 22 – Ottawa, ON @ 27 Club
November 23 – Montreal, QC @ Le Ministère
November 24 – Quebec City, QC @ L’Anti
December 4 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
December 5- Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
December 7 – San Francisco, CA @ Café du Nord
December 8 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan
December 14 – Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall

The Bob Lefsetz Podcast : Troy Carter

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The Bob Lefsetz Podcast : Troy Carter

Troy Carter talks about growing up in Philadelphia, working with Lady Gaga, hip hop’s dominance, and Spotify’s approach to working with artists. From his brief career as an artist to going through a tough time with Will Smith to spending his last pennies on dinner to win the business of Lady Gaga, the interview is packed with surprising stories and wisdom for the next generation of artists and managers.

Paul Simon To Release New Album In The Blue Light” On September 7

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Paul Simon To Release New Album In The Blue Light” On September 7

Legendary songwriter, recording artist and performer Paul Simon will release his 14th studio album – In The Blue Light – on September 7. Produced by Simon and Roy Halee, who have worked together since the 1960s, the album features a talented cast of musicians who have joined Simon to lend fresh perspectives on 10 of the artist’s favorite (though perhaps less-familiar) songs, drawn from his unparalleled body of work.

Revisiting his repertoire, Simon has selected songs originally appearing on There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973), Still Crazy After All These Years (1975), One-Trick Pony (1980), Hearts and Bones (1983), The Rhythm of The Saints (1990), You’re The One (2000) and So Beautiful Or So What (2011), refreshing and transforming the compositions through new arrangements and collaborations.

Among the many musicians joining Simon on In The Blue Light are jazz icons trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, guitarist Bill Frisell, and drummers Jack DeJohnette and Steve Gadd. Two of the compositions recorded with the New York-based chamber ensemble sextet yMusic, “Can’t Run But” and “Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War,” are being brought to the stage each night as show-stopping highlights on Simon’s Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour.

Simon explains in the album’s liner notes, “It’s an unusual occurrence for an artist to have the opportunity to revisit earlier works and re-think them; to modify, even completely change parts of the originals.
“Happily, this opportunity also gave me the gift of playing with an extraordinary group of musicians, most of whom I hadn’t recorded with before. I hope the listener will find these new versions of old songs refreshed, like a new coat of paint on the walls of an old family home.”

The release of In The Blue Light on September 7 coincides with the final leg of Homeward Bound – Farewell Tour in September, including four performances in the New York City area and culminating with the Final Performance on September 22 in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Having created a distinctive and beloved body of work that includes 14 studio albums, plus five studio albums as half of Simon & Garfunkel, Paul Simon is the recipient of 16 Grammy Awards, three of which-Bridge over Troubled Water, Still Crazy after All These Years, and Graceland-were Album of the Year honorees. In 2003, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in Simon & Garfunkel, and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

During his unparalleled career, Simon has achieved 29 Top 40 singles in the U.S. alone, with 14 of those reaching the Top 10 or higher, including “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” (which reached #1), “Kodachrome,” “Loves Me Like A Rock,” “Mother and Child Reunion,” “Late In The Evening,” “You Can Call Me Al” and many others. With Simon & Garfunkel, he wrote and performed the #1 singles, “The Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and numerous other timeless hits.

Paul Simon is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, both as a member of Simon & Garfunkel and as a solo artist. Simon was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002 and was named one of Time magazine’s “100 People Who Shape Our World” in 2006. In 2007, Simon was awarded the inaugural Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, which recognizes the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world’s culture. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011. And in 2012, he was named the recipient of the prestigious Polar Music Prize along with classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Paul Simon’s In The Blue Light track listing:
One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor
Love
Can’t Run But
How The Heart Approaches What It Yearns
Pigs, Sheep and Wolves
René and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War
The Teacher
Darling Lorraine
Some Folks’ Lives Roll Easy
Questions For The Angels

How to Get Your Tunes Out into the World on a Small Budget

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Being a struggling musician or a band that’s interested in getting their songs more attention isn’t easy when the marketing budget is in the 3-4 figure range. There’s no way to go up against the major record labels and win when playing by their rules, but as an indie operation, you still have options thanks to affordable manufacturing costs and the internet.


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Here are a few ways to make your tunes available even if you have a small budget.

Cutting Your Own CD

When you have either an EP or a full album professionally-produced, you’re ready to get a CD printed. The CD can be sold at live gigs, on eBay, and provided as a product on Amazon too. If you’re producing a CD to sell online, you’ll benefit from getting a unique Universal Product Code for US sales (or an EAN for European sales). There are also services that will only sell you the UPC code that’s needed when selling a CD for retail in the US.

To get your CD produced but control the distribution and hold the product in-stock, then you’ll need reliable CD duplication services. These can receive an order for 1,000 units (or a different set amount depending on the CD format) and produce them efficiently for you or your band. Buying a good batch of CDs reduces the price per packaged unit down to a reasonable amount.

Selling on Amazon and Other Retailers

When you already have your own CD produced with the required UPC code, then you can provide it to US online retailers that support indie bands and solo artists. It depends on the retailer what their rules are regarding packaging, information needed to stock the CD, and the signup process. Each online retailer will have their own rules, so you’ll need to learn them. However, the larger the retailer, the better the chances are that you’ll get sales just being stocked by them.

Musical Artist Website

Having your own website is crucially important to provide a fan base (or a future one) information about your solo plans or the band’s future plans. A mailing list that emails subscribers when a new album or a live gig is booked helps to bring people back to the site who’ve maybe only visited once before.

The site can provide a way to order a CD directly or via a third-party site like Amazon.com (you can even get an affiliate commission for referring the buyer). It’s also possible to sell music digitally from the site too.

Digital Tracks

There are plenty of sites like iTunes from Apple, the Google Play Music store and many others that will host your music tracks and sell them. They do take a cut of every sale, but it’s an easy way to sell your music to people who want to access it digitally on their smartphone or computer. Selling digitally also permits fans to buy single tracks even if they’ve not been released as a single. This is good for people who aren’t interested in buying the whole album but would spring for a favorite track. It’s still a money generator!

Getting your tunes out into the world is a lot easier than it used to be. Previously, you either had a record deal or you had no way to get known. These days, while a record deal is still a sought-after thing, not every solo artist or band requires one to be successful

Vancouver’s Lightning Echoes Will Spin You “In Circles” With Debut Release

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Vancouver’s Lightning Echoes Will Spin You “In Circles” With Debut Release

Alternative pop duo Lightning Echoes is taking listeners on a spherical journey of sound with their newest release, “In Circles” — available now!

The Vancouver-based pairing is equal parts singer/songwriter Kaitlin Deavy and producer Alejandro Zarazúa. Having teamed up in February 2018 amidst their respective studies on music and production, the multi-instrumentalists were driven by their shared vision of music and human connection.

On “In Circles” you’ll hear seemingly simple melodies swirling among complex layers of indie, folk, and what the two call “smart pop” elements.

“We wrote “In Circles” before officially becoming Lightning Echoes,” explains Zarazúa. He and Deavy studied Music Technology together and, after being assigned to work together, started opting to consistently until it blossomed into a long-term partnership we see — and hear — today. “It was actually part of our final portfolio project for the music program we studied together. We wanted some live material for the portfolio, so we invited some friends to the studio and recorded four songs that day.”

This meant it became about more than just the music. Zarazúa and Deavy quickly became in charge of the entire production process, including setup, live audio engineering, cameras & lighting, live mix, audio/video editing, mix and mastering. The result is a fun, interesting and accessible experience for the everyday listener with “special treats” for the more experienced ear.

“We like pop music, in the sense that we usually enjoy common time signatures and rhythms, basic chord patterns, et cetera,” Zarazúa explains. “We call it ‘smart pop’ when all these ‘simple’ elements are used to craft a beautiful piece of music, and not just as a formula to produce factory-like radio hits, which seems to be the mainstream meaning of ‘pop music’ nowadays.

“We also really enjoy it when an artist or band writes something that is complex in essence, but results in a song that you can follow, sing along, or dance to, etc. This is our definition of good music… Songs that are well-crafted and involve a lot of thought and honesty, but you can also enjoy without much context or without having to pay too much attention.”

So how did they get there to craft their brand of ‘smart pop’?

“We talked about it a few times, and our best conclusion so far is that it’s kind of like language… When we write songs, we usually start with a few simple chords or melody, or even just a scale or some melodic idea, and then we play around without thinking too much for a while,” Zarazúa continues. “Since we are also producers, we get to play with the sounds during and after the recording process, so we also have the freedom to think about the soundscape we want to create, and add some smaller details here and there that may be barely noticeable (if at all), but hopefully just add up to make the listener smile, whether they are thinking about the theory/technical side, or just enjoying the tune.”

Creating under a mutual musical language of sorts can often be deeply rooted in a shared value or appreciation of something outside the craft. For Zarazúa and Deavy, that connection is one of humans.

“One of the main things that brought us together in the first place is our approach,” shares Zarazúa. “We both appreciate deeper connections with other humans… Being honest and sharing who we are… Caring for other people and trying to do good in the world… We want to use music as a way to find other people who feel the same way and bring us closer together.

“In the end, for us it’s all about pursuing happiness and trying to do something good in the process.”

“In Circles” is available now.

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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