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Canada’s ‘Princess of Everything’ Bif Naked Shares New Single, “Broke into Your Car” — Available Now!

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Canada’s ‘Princess of Everything’ Bif Naked Shares New Single, “Broke into Your Car” — Available Now!

“This is a love song, even though it makes reference to a felony or mischief,” multi-Gold and Platinum-selling Canadian rock star, author, songwriter, manager, producer, human and animal rights activist Bif Naked says of her new single, “Broke into Your Car.”

“Whoopsie!” she continues. “But yes, it really is a nod to the lengths a smitten person — in this case, moi — would go to to gain the attention and affection of their crush.

“I love the imagery of sitting in the back of one’s love interest’s car, perhaps leaving Polaroid pictures (among other things) behind…

“The height of romance!”

The song follows 2020’s release of “JIM,” and a year of continued immersion in the community as a prominent activist. “Originally I considered releasing this track last Spring,” Bif recalls, “but with the ongoing pandemic, it seemed unimportant to me.

“As the summer went along and all of the social unrest and racial awakening that was beginning to really make change, my focus became less about my new album and more about being in the community.

“That has not changed.

“Eventually, we had scheduled a live performance December 30th that was postponed due to a new lockdown to try and curb rising COVID-19 numbers. This song was set to be a surprise during that performance, but I decided to release it now anyway and share some joy.”

Both “Broke into Your Car” and “JIM” serve as prime preview into Bif’s forthcoming full-length offering, CHAMPION.

Her eleventh studio release, the album wastes no time revealing Canada’s ‘Princess of Everything’ remains in her rightful throne, reigning rock supreme and as strong as ever.

“When writing new songs for CHAMPION, I always try to meet every song where it is, both in style and vibe,” she shares. “‘I Broke Into Your Car Last Night’ is definitely a departure from the rock songs on the rest of the record, but love the chance to do lots of different things on each release, and CHAMPION is no different.”

As a title for Bif, CHAMPION couldn’t be more fitting for arguably one of the nation’s most recognized and beloved entertainment industry icons whose personal story provides endless inspiration.

As detailed in her highly intimate, Internationally best-selling memoir, I Bificus (Harper Collins International), the multi-disciplinary artist and businesswoman — and notably, a vegan who lives a straight-edge lifestyle — has arm-wrestled breast cancer, heart surgery, and kidney failure. Inspired by her myriad of life experiences and ardent interest in wellness, she has recently launched MonaLisa Healing, a premium, organic all-hemp CBD online boutique available in Canada, the United States, and soon to the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

And it’s not as if she’s not busy elsewhere; a contributor to such national publications as the Globe and Mail and Huffington Post — and as seen on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno — Bif is fresh off a series of talks at Vancouver’s The Wellness Show.

A podcast series, New Riot Girls, a book of poetry and illustrations, and a book designed to help empower patients and their families while navigating cancer treatments and the Canadian healthcare system are also in the works.

For the entirety of her prolific career — and interconnected in such a woven way only one of the country’s most unforgettable and inspiring women can accomplish — Bif has documented her journey in a deeply personal, highly relatable and inclusive way, covering topics that allow her truths to be a source of empowerment for fans.

“Broke into Your Car” and CHAMPION are no different.

“I’m still fighting,” she says of the album, and career at large. “I’m still swinging as a legacy artist… An O.G.

“At this stage of the game, I am a CHAMPION.

“I’ve never allowed myself to be limited, and the direction of this new album was from experimenting and being fearless. I’m excited by it, and fiercely proud of these tracks.”

Sabrina Carpenter Signs To Island Records Following The Release Of Explosive New Hit Single “Skin”

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Sabrina Carpenter Signs To Island Records Following The Release Of Explosive New Hit Single “Skin”

Singer, songwriter, actress, and designer, Sabrina Carpenter, signs with Island Records and makes waves with stunning new single “Skin” – out now.

“Sabrina Carpenter is a star,” Island Records President / CEO Darcus Beese states on the signing of the artist. He continues, “Her powerful vocals, infectious personality, and successful career as a singer, songwriter and actress attest to that. We are thrilled to welcome such a talented young woman to the Island Records family.”

On joining the Island Records roster, Sabrina explains, “I’m so excited to join the Island Records family, Darcus and the team really understood my vision from the moment we first met. They just got me and have been super supportive. It’s the perfect place for me to start the next chapter of my music career and evolution as an artist. I can’t wait for everyone to hear what we’re working on for this year!”

With a new label and a new felt freedom to express her growth as an artist, Sabrina has found a confidence in her writing that clearly shows in her new hit single. “Skin” quickly went viral, garnering over 17 Million Streams, 10 million in the first 48 hours, hitting Top 5 USA Debut on Spotify at #4, Top 5 iTunes Pop Genre, Top 10 iTunes Overall, Top 3 Apple Music Pop, Top 15 Apple Music Overall, and Top 35 on the Spotify Global Chart. The track also received immediate support on radio spinning at Z100, Sirius Hits, and made its debut on the The Vibe iHeart syndicated show.

“Skin” instantly took the internet by storm, trending #1 on Twitter worldwide and hit #1 on both the Genius Artist Chart and Song Chart and as well as trending at #7 on YouTube. The track was also met by high praise from the likes of Billboard, Variety, People, USA Today, E!, Cosmo, Bustle, and many more.

Ben Howard Returns With His Fourth Album, Collections From The Whiteout Released On March 26

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Ben Howard Returns With His Fourth Album, Collections From The Whiteout Released On March 26

Produced alongside Aaron Dessner (The National, Sharon Van Etten, Taylor Swift), Collections From The Whiteout heralds the first time Ben Howard has opened the door to production outside of he and his bands closer confines. To coincide with its announcement, the first single “What A Day” is now available.

The foreboding darkness that coated Ben’s second record I Forget Where We Were and thinly veiled its follow up Noonday Dream, isn’t so evident on Collections. These are songs written from headlines scanned, or news stories scrolled past. Ben has taken those snippets and let his curiosity take control, creating an aural scrapbook that reverberates with tape loops and guitar FXs. Those stories sifted from the news provided inspiration for a selection of vivid narrative snapshots – the death of amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst (Crowhurst’s Meme); Russian fraudster Anna Sorokin (Sorry Kid); Richard Russell, the man who stole and crashed a plane in Seattle (The Strange Last Flight Of Richard Russell); and the dismembered body a friend of his father found in a suitcase floating along the Thames (Finders Keepers). An England puffed up into absurdity by political outrage and infighting all fed these songs. Alongside them, the personal anecdotes from the same scattered period living between Paris, Devon and finally Spain. There are sounds akin to Brian Eno, Durutti Column and Steve Reich in there, but also Neil Young and Townes Van Zandt. It’s a million miles away from Ben’s multi-platinum selling debut, but a path plotted from Ben’s then to his now isn’t so far removed.

The door was also left open to some new players too. Yussef Dayes, one of the UK’s most innovative young drummer/producer’ especially in the field of jazz features, as does Kate Stables from This Is The Kit, James Krivchenia from Big Thief, Kyle Keegan from Hiss Golden Messenger, and the aforementioned Aaron Dessner lent his hand too where needed. Long-term guitarist to Ben’s band, Mickey Smith, remains a reassuring presence.  Rob Moose, a long-standing arranger of strings for Bon Iver and a collaborator to Laura Marling, Blake Mills, and Phoebe Bridgers is also present, peppering the mix.

It’s a substantial record. A sonic adventure that continues this nagging suggestion that Ben Howard is one of the UK’s most inventive and naturally talented of songwriters. Collections From The Whiteout is his latest opus, and arguably his most fully realised to date.

SoundON Returns with Enhanced Funding to Put Money Directly into BC Artists’ Pockets

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SoundON Returns with Enhanced Funding to Put Money Directly into BC Artists’ Pockets

SoundON is a province-wide campaign and funding mechanism to help British Columbia’s music community by providing desperately needed support to those deeply connected to the sector – artists, presenters, production staff and venues.

The highly successful project was initially launched by Music BC during the summer of 2020 in response to the financial devastation COVID-19 invoked on the sector and received an incredibly positive response from the creative community.

To date, more than $186,000 of funding has been awarded to 44 recipients. This equates to 579 industry jobs being funded and 266 artists being supported through the grants across British Columbia. Of those recipients 154 were female, 165 were Black, Indigenous or Persons of Colour, and 58 were from the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

“Over the past ten months we have seen the devastating impact that the pandemic has had on British Columbia’s vibrant music scene,” explains Lindsay MacPherson, Executive Director of Music BC. “Through SoundON funding, we were able to put money directly into artists pockets and help them get back to performing. We saw firsthand the effect COVID had on our industry and how instrumental the SoundON funding was in supporting the creative sector in our province. The criteria for applications is broad because the urgent need for financial support is vast. It allows us to continue to showcase the diversity in British Columbia’s music scene, while offering real tangible support.”

“People in the music industry have been deeply impacted by the pandemic,” said Bob D’Eith, Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film. “Our government understands the challenges they are facing and provided $510,000 through Amplify BC for SoundON. These grants are vital because they get funding to artists fast and support what they do best – making and performing music to inspire us all.”

SoundON is providing direct support to those within the creative community most affected by the pandemic. Unlike other funds and grants, which have lengthy application processes, SoundON aims to get money into presenter’s hands quickly, within the next 30 – 45 days. The fund will continue its mission to showcase the diversity of BC – helping bring together music communities from across the province digitally.

“Being a musician over this past year has been incredibly stressful and left a lot of our community with doubts about the future. With live shows being cancelled, our primary source of income and creative release disappeared overnight. Receiving SoundON funding provided a release for a months-long dry spell of performing and created a safe space for us to continue to engage with our fans. The added investment into the fund is essential to sustaining this vibrant community, so that more artists and hungry music fans can benefit from this financial aid.” —Alexis Young, Blonde Diamond

Successful applicants will be awarded $5,000 and the fund will support more than 70 performances. Successful applicants will also be able to add a ticketing element to their shows, an aspect that is new for this round of funding.

Applications for presenters open TODAY and can be found at https://soundon.ca/

‘Sea Shanty TikTok’ brings the music of late Canadian folk artist Stan Rogers To 250% increase in steams

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‘Sea Shanty TikTok’ brings the music of late Canadian folk artist Stan Rogers To 250% increase in steams

Ranked by CBC as one of Canada’s Top 100 songs of all time, the late Stan Rogers’ “Barrett’s Privateers” (Borealis/True North Records) is experiencing a very 2021 renaissance thanks to the delightful Internet corner we all needed: ‘sea shanty TikTok.’

The trend burst forth from niche obscurity late last year, quickly taking the billion+ user platform by storm; millions upon millions of videos — plus coverage from CBC, Billboard, the Today Show, BBC, Rolling Stone, and more — shows a series of the old-timey, tag-along work tunes sung just as they are, or reimagined by genre.

Within the craze, TikTok-ers quickly zeroed in on the Canadian folk artist’s classic folk ditty — resulting in 250% streaming spikes week over week since the start of the year to over 3.5 million streams so far.

From his’ 1977 album, Fogarty’s Cove, “Barrett’s Privateers” came to be six years before Rogers’ tragic accidental passing; the award-winning artist’s catalogue is currently under Borealis Records’ and True North Records’ wing, among other artist’s experiencing an uprising courtesy of the trend.

“It’s great to see the work of incredible Canadian artists like Stan Rogers, Jimmy Rankin, and the Irish Rovers appreciated by a whole new generation,” Geoff Kulawick, President of True North Records, says. “It goes to show the power music and lyrical storytelling has when it comes to connecting people from all walks of life.”

Kulawick also notes the platform’s breakthrough accessibility and opportunity when it comes to introducing — and re-introducing — Canadian music to the masses. “It’s without question that TikTok is a dynamic and changing force within the music industry, and this is a perfect example of meeting audiences where they are to get great music in their hands.”

While most of us aren’t hauling anchors, (you’d have to visit ‘cruise ship TikTok for that), the ubiquitous allure of sea shanties is here to boost morale and connectedness through these long days of increased COVID-19 restrictions.

Kuwait/Syria-Born, Now Toronto-Based Metal Prog-Rockers DEREV Deliver Debut Single That’s Anything But “Futile”

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Kuwait/Syria-Born, Now Toronto-Based Metal Prog-Rockers DEREV Deliver Debut Single That’s Anything But “Futile”

In a release that’s anything but “Futile,” Canadian rockers Derev harness the intensity of metal with atmospheric progressive sounds, all while incorporating elements of their Arabic and Armenian heritage in this, their propulsive new single.

The freshly pressed debut track for the Toronto-based three-piece features the guest vox of Adel Saflou (Ambrotype); its video then whisks audiences on a vivid journey through the mind of an individual who is exhausted from a life lived glued to a screen and yearns to return to a more natural way of life.

“Contrary to what one might assume when seeing the music video, it’s not meant to illustrate or predict our future as this ‘doomsday,’” says Syrian drummer and songwriter Michel Karakach. “We’re not predicting the future or saying that our species is going to be dominated by machines or overtaken by this advanced artificial intelligence.”

“Rather, it’s about the present situation and how integrated we have become with this technology,” Armenian guitarist and songwriter Armando Bablanian adds. “We are so dependent on it that we hardly do any activity that does not involve us being behind a screen.”

“Futile” is the first single to land ahead of Derev’s forthcoming EP, Leap of Faith — available this Spring.

“Musically, the album combines the energy and intensity of metal music with the atmospheric feel of old-school progressive rock music,” bassist Liam Horrigan considers. “It’s also filled with mellow sections and solos that trigger emotions and deliver the message of the EP, not only through melodies and lyrics, but also through a personal and intimate experience.

“There’s many peaks and troughs.”

Although Leap of Faith isn’t slated as a concept album, per se, the common theme is about seeing things from a different perspective. “And taking action to make a change,” Bablanian offers. “Each song aims to discuss a different topic, and we target numerous controversial ones — including social issues our community faces on a daily basis.”

“It starts with a track that talks about questioning things that are culturally presumed as absolute truths: what is moral, what is taboo, the idea of going to war for peace, and so on…” Karakach expands. “The album also discusses personal struggles and hurdles that bring us down, leaving us stumped and overwhelmed with doubt and remorse, rather than taking action and achieving what we set out to do.

“The overall experience of Leap of Faith delivers a message that every listener can relate to on some level, and be moved by.”

Leap of Faith may be Derev’s newly minted breakout album, but the band’s earliest rumblings could be heard a long time ago.

With Bablanian and Karakach first meeting in high school while living in Kuwait, “we were unable to pursue the project at the time due to the circumstances of living in the Middle East,” they share.

In the meantime, Karakach received his dental degree in Syria before immigrating to Canada, actively drumming and songwriting along the way. For his part, Bablanian received an engineering degree from the University of Toronto while also part of Canadian metal band, Till I Conquer — with whom he released an EP and three singles. Horrigan — also a UofT engineering alum — used to be in the Ottawa-area band Open Season; he’s also released a solo alt-rock offering under @t_ii_f.

“Futile” is available now.

Leap of Faith is available April 23rd, 2021.

The First Canadian Hip Hop and R&B Virtual Music Festival of 2021, Everbloom Music Festival Announces Lineup

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The First Canadian Hip Hop and R&B Virtual Music Festival of 2021, Everbloom Music Festival Announces Lineup

Everbloom Virtual Music Festival has announced the official lineup of participating Canadian hip hop and R&B artists. Organized by Waveland Canada, with support from Music Canada and the City of Toronto, Everbloom features an incredible lineup of established and breakout musicians for the 2.5 hour virtual experience taking place on January 30, 2021 at 7 PM EST. The festival is free to attend, and will be hosted on Happin, a Toronto-based livestream platform with a passion for the music industry.

Everbloom Music Festival will feature a 100 per cent local lineup of up-and-coming musicians including Quincy Morales, Gary Beals, Aphrose, Joyia, The Free Label, Del Hartley, Dallas, Kei-Li & HMLT, 3409 and Osé.

Full details of the schedule will be available soon on Everbloomfestival.com

Gibson Celebrates the Iconic Career of Peter Frampton with New Peter Frampton “Phenix” Les Paul Custom VOS

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Gibson Celebrates the Iconic Career of Peter Frampton with New Peter Frampton “Phenix” Les Paul Custom VOS

For the past 127 years, Gibson has been synonymous with creating and shaping sound. The new Gibson era celebrates the iconic models of the Gibson Golden Era while leaning into the future with inspiring instruments that nurture new players across generations, and genres of music. Gibson has announced it will celebrate the iconic Peter Frampton this year with the release of the new Peter Frampton “Phenix” Les Paul Custom VOS guitar from Gibson Custom Shop. Frampton has been a signature Gibson and Epiphone artist for over twenty-five years.

Frampton’s storied career began at 16 as the lead singer and guitarist for the British band The Herd. By 18, he co-founded one of the first supergroups – the seminal rock act Humble Pie. A multi-platinum-selling artist, his fifth solo album, Frampton Comes Alive!, remains one of the top-selling live records of all time with over 17 million copies sold worldwide. In 2007, he won the GRAMMY Award for “Best Pop Instrumental Album” for Fingerprints and in 2014 was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame.

His touring years have included work with a who’s-who of the top names in music, such as David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, Gregg Allman, Ringo Starr, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick, Steve Miller Band, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, and many others. Frampton’s session work includes collaborations with artists who have made their mark on the industry including George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, Jerry Lee Lewis, John Entwistle, Mike McCready, and Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam), among many others. His recently released memoir, Do You Feel Like I Do?, debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list.

“My brand-new Gibson Les Paul Custom VOS is here and boy is it good,” says Peter Frampton. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the look and sound. Gibson has gone that extra mile in every area to make this feel and sound the closest to my original, storied Phenix Les Paul Custom guitar. The neck and weight of this mahogany guitar will amaze you at how great it feels and how light it is (and it’s even a hair lighter than the Phenix). This is the real deal. Thank you, Gibson!”

“It was such a thrill and a privilege to work with Peter on this project,” says Mat Koehler, Head of Product Development at Gibson Brands. “Thanks to recent technology we were able to get the guitars to feel and sound closer than ever to Peter’s iconic original. The incredible craftspeople at Gibson Custom Shop are proud to honor Peter’s indelible legacy in music with these instruments. Each one is inspiring and magical like the man himself.”

King Of The Sea Shanty Nathan Evans Releases Original Song & Remix Of Global Viral Hit “Wellerman” Out Today

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King Of The Sea Shanty Nathan Evans Releases Original Song & Remix Of Global Viral Hit “Wellerman” Out Today

After kickstarting the sea shanty phenomenon that has swept the globe in recent weeks, one of the most exciting breakout stars of 2021, Nathan Evans today releases his debut track “Wellerman” and “Wellerman 220Kid & Killen Ted Remix” via Universal.

The genre is everywhere right now and it’s all down to Nathan that a new generation are discovering the thrills of fisherman-themed, multi-harmonised folk music. It all began when Nathan, from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire in Scotland, decided to start uploading songs to TikTok after completing his morning duties as a postman. The first track he shared was a cover of Leave Her, Johnny, the traditional Irish shanty that dates back to the early part of the last century. But what happened next was off the scale, with the video racking up eye-popping numbers. Something about this music and Nathan’s charismatic delivery connected in a big, big way.

By the time Nathan uploaded a rendition of the New Zealand whaling ballad The Wellerman a few months later, he was at the centre of a new cultural movement whirling around sea shanties. To date, he has over 500,000 TikTok followers and The Wellerman has amassed an astonishing seven million views and more. Now, taking his music career full time, he follows in the chart dominating footsteps of those he has always admired including Dermot Kennedy and Lewis Capaldi as well as finding unlikely fans in Andrew Lloyd Webber, Gary Barlow and Ronan Keating who have also uploaded their own renditions of the song alongside the current 1.6 billion videos using the hashtag #seashanty on TikTok.

He has begun an international love of sea shanties that have seen the craze sweep the globe, popping up in a variety of platforms from football posts to prime-time TV shows. UK producer 220 Kid’s remix of Wellerman became a viral sensation of its own, exploding out of Instagram and receiving radio plays from Radio 1’s Scott Mills, Nick Grimshaw and Capital Dance’s Mistajam. Ahead of its release, it’s already Top 20 in the Shazam chart.

Sea shanties have rocketed from cult tradition to a fevered mainstream concern. Everyone is doing it: Manchester City created their own sea shanty meme ahead of a league game against Crystal Palace and Jimmy Fallon and The Roots performed a sea shanty rendition of Olivia Rodrigo’s hit song Drivers License on Fallon Tonight. Nathan himself will perform a special version of The Wellerman, which is currently number five on Spotify’s global viral chart, as part of the BBC’s coverage of Manchester United v Liverpool’s FA Cup tie this weekend.

In a feature about how Nathan kickstarted this global trend, The Independent said, “The sea shanty frenzy has taken on a life beyond TikTok, even landing a spot on BBC Radio 4, and being Googled more than at any other time in history”. The Guardian wrote that sea shanties have “become something of a global online obsession” and the LA Times described how sea shanties have “taken over the internet”.

Lifting the spirits of those in the pandemic today Nathan says: “back in the day when the shanties were sung, it was to bring everybody together, to keep them all in time, to keep the morale high” and that’s exactly what he has done a century later.

The Grateful Dead Release New Video For “Ripples,” 50 Years After Release

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The Grateful Dead Release New Video For “Ripples,” 50 Years After Release

The Grateful Dead’s “Ripple” became a kind of cosmic spiritual after its debut 50 years ago. Since then, the universal appeal of Robert Hunter’s serene prose and the band’s heartfelt performance have made the song a popular choice at everything from weddings to funerals. As relevant now as ever before, the enduring optimism of “Ripple” is a welcome reminder of better days ahead, when songs will, once again, fill the air. The American Beauty 50th Anniversary Edition is available now. The 3CD features the original album with newly remastered audio plus one of the most requested archival recordings in the Dead’s vault – the unreleased concert recorded on February 18, 1971 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. Get your copy here https://rhino.lnk.to/AB50

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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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