Brazilian musician & social activist Gilberto Gil discusses the experience of being a political prisoner, the international influences on his music which emerged as he was forced into exile living in London in the late 60’s, and his return home to Brazil continuing to push the boundaries of freedom and equality in society while innovating musically, ultimately being named Brazil’s Minister of Culture in 2003.
SiriusXM and the CCMA open voting for Top of the Country semi-finalists vying to be Canada’s next country star
SiriusXM Canada invites the nation to vote for Canada’s next big country star in the first SiriusXM Top of the Country in partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA). Nine semi-finalists from coast-to-coast now face off as Canada picks the top three to move on to the finals for their chance at $25,000 and more.
The 2018 SiriusXM Top of the Country semi-finalists are:
Western Canada
- Shawn Austin (Hometown—West Vancouver, BC)
- Kristin Carter (Hometown—White Rock, BC)
- Leaving Thomas (Hometown—Calgary, AB)
Central Canada
- Andrew Hyatt (Hometown—Sudbury, ON)
- Cory James Mitchell (Hometown—Port Lambton, ON)
- The Redhill Valleys (Hometown—Hamilton/Burlington, ON)
Eastern Canada
- Jason Benoit (Hometown—Fox Island River, NL)
- Ian Janes (Hometown—Hantsport, NS)
- Chris Ryan (Hometown—St. John’s, NL)
Earlier this spring, SiriusXM hosted studio sessions with each semi-finalist to record an original song. Beginning at 10 a.m. ET today through to June 6, country fans can watch all studio sessions and vote at siriusxm.ca/topcountry for their favourite in each market, once per day.
According to Jeff Leake, Director of Music Programming for SiriusXM, selecting the nine finalists was no easy task. “From the moment registration opened, we were overwhelmed by the level of talent and passion from the artists that Top of the Country attracted. There’s no question that Canada is a hotbed for country music, and we are proud to provide a showcase of the very best new artists.”
At the end of the voting period, the artist with the most votes in each region will move on as a finalist and get a chance to perform at Big Valley Jamboree (Camrose, AB), Cavendish Beach Music Festival (Cavendish, PEI) or a SiriusXM-sponsored major festival in Ontario. Finalists will also receive a SOCAN songwriting camp in Nashville, TN and an exclusive mentoring session with artists and industry professionals in Toronto.
The grand prize winner of Top of the Country will be chosen during Country Music Week in Hamilton, ON this September. Finalists will compete live on stage before a headlining artist at the SiriusXM CCMA Top of the Country Finale, airing live on SiriusXM, with music industry professionals and audience votes deciding the winner of $25,000, plus a SOCAN songwriting camp in Pender Island, BC.
SiriusXM’s Top of the Country in partnership with CCMA is part of SiriusXM’s ongoing tradition of promoting and elevating the best Canadian music. SiriusXM continues to offer a leading platform for Canadian artists through its significant financial contributions and North American-wide reach of over 55 million listeners.
Capitol Studios Launches Online Mixing, Mastering And Vinyl-Cutting Services
Capitol Studios, the iconic and state-of-the-art recording facility located in the historic Capitol Tower in Hollywood, California expands its reach with the launch of its new Online Mixing, Mastering and Vinyl-Cutting services.
“Capitol Studios has an established history of GRAMMY® Award-winning, world-class audio services,” noted Paula Salvatore, VP/Studio Manager, Capitol Studios. “Our cutting-edge facilities and unparalleled team of engineers are now made available to artists and producers all around the world with these online mixing, mastering and vinyl-cutting services. We welcome you to come experience the best of the best.”
Clients’ projects will benefit from the entirety of Capitol Studios’ world-class mixing and mastering facilities, including one-of-a-kind echo chambers. Projects are guaranteed to have a turnaround of five days or less for mastering services, and 30 business days or less for mixing services, no matter where you are in the world.
For mixing services, projects can be uploaded in WAV format to Capitol Studios’ website. Clients will be able to preview the result and request a revision, and downloads will be provided as master stems.
For mastering services, projects can also be uploaded in WAV format, and the client will select the desired mastering formats and choose an engineer from the list of five world-class mastering engineers (Ron McMaster, Robert Vosgien, Evren Göknar, Ian Sefchick and Kevin Bartley). Clients will be able to preview the result and request a revision, and the master will be provided in WAV format or vinyl pressing/CD. Additional formats can be selected as add-ons at economical price points.
Vinyl mastering is a specific craft; the characteristics of the format require special attention to decisions that preceded the cutting process, including mix, EQ, compression and timing – considerations that these engineers are well-versed in.
Music Heals Wants To Put Your Band On Stage At Vancouer’s SKOOKUM Festival
SKOOKUM and Music Heals are partnering on Covers For The Cause, challenging musicians to raise money to increase access to music therapy while also providing those same musicians with an opportunity to play the inaugural music festival, September 7-9 in Stanley Park.
Through the Covers For The Cause fundraising platform, artists have the opportunity to engage their fans by building a fundraising page here and offering personalized videos of cover songs by request, in exchange for a tax-deductible donation to Music Heals. Videos of the cover songs requested include a dedication to the donor and are posted on the artist’s YouTube channels and/or sent directly to donors.
The band that raises the most money between May 14 and July 13 will play SKOOKUM Festival.
As part of Covers For The Cause, every artist who raises over $1,000 gets to pick which accredited music therapy program their money goes to – so they have the option to fundraise for one close to their heart.
“SKOOKUM is proud to partner with an organization that increases access to music therapy for patients in children’s hospitals, senior’s centres, palliative care, at-risk youth and bereavement support, and more,” said Paul Runnals, festival director. The inaugural SKOOKUM festival is produced by BRANDLIVE in collaboration with Virgin Mobile and will feature over 50 stage performances by some of the biggest names in music, including The Killers and Florence + The Machine.
Your band can play SKOOKUM! from Music Heals on Vimeo.
NXNE Announces Festival Village and Club Land Programming Featuring Jazz Cartier, Azealia Banks, Big Freedia and more
NXNE is pleased to announce the first round of programming for the Yonge-Dundas Square ‘Festival Village’ along with the Club Land Curator series line-up. Yonge Street will be open to pedestrians between Dundas and Queen Streets to host this year’s free programming component of the festival, which includes music, comedy and more in the heart of downtown Toronto.
NXNE’s 2018 Festival Village headliners include Toronto’s most energetic and enigmatic MC Jazz Cartier, rapper / singer of ‘212’ and ‘Anna Wintour’ fame Azealia Banks, and Queen of Bounce Big Freedia. For full line up, see below and stay tuned for our next programming announcement on May 22nd.
Festival Village
Jazz Cartier
Azealia Banks
Big Freedia
U.S. Girls
TORRES
Sean Leon
Alx Veliz
Yungblud
Cadence Weapon
Kamikaze Girls
Nate Husser
and many more!
Club Land
The Club Land Curators Series, programmed by leading Canadian musicians, has expanded with over 30 shows throughout the festival week. Club crawlers can look forward to a diverse range of programming including art installations, emerging artist showcases, late night DJ sets and after parties, all in Toronto’s most cherished venues. This year’s Club Land acts include Phedre, Ice Cream, Die Mannequin, Saya, Charlotte Cornfield, Sun K, Myst Milano, The Pick Brothers, La Timpa (DJ Set) Goodbye Honolulu and more. See full lineup below.
The Curator series aims to encourage music fans of all genres to club hop across the city and witness their favourite artists transform the showcase experience. Get priority access to all shows with an affordable NXNE wristband. For tickets visit here.
YouTube Music Streaming Service Is Coming May 22
From Beyonce’s livestream at Coachella to landmark videos like “Despacito,” “New Rules” and “This Is America,” more than 1 billion music fans come to YouTube each month to be part of music culture and discover new music. It’s also where over 2 million artists come to share their voices and art with the world. YouTube is where artists and fans connect: creating and discovering a world of music.
But YouTube was made for video, not just music. On Tuesday, May 22, they’ll be changing that by introducing YouTube Music, a new music streaming service made for music with the magic of YouTube: making the world of music easier to explore and more personalized than ever. The days of jumping back and forth between multiple music apps and YouTube are over. Whether you want to listen, watch or discover, it’s all here. YouTube Music is a new music streaming service made for music: official songs, albums, thousands of playlists and artist radio plus YouTube’s tremendous catalog of remixes, live performances, covers and music videos that you can’t find anywhere else – all simply organized and personalized. For the first time, all the ways music moves you can be found in one place.
So what is YouTube Music exactly?
A new music streaming service from YouTube
- A reimagined mobile app and brand new desktop player that are designed for music.
- YouTube Music has thousands of playlists, the official versions of millions of songs, albums, artist radio and more, in addition to all the music videos people expect from YouTube.
Find more of the music you’re looking for
- Remixes, covers, live versions as well as deep cuts you can’t find anywhere else – from the biggest artists in the world to freshest voices breaking through.
- New and iconic videos from “God’s Plan” and “Havana” to “Thriller,” “Sledgehammer,” and more.
- YouTube Music search works even if fans don’t know exactly what they’re looking for … we’ll find it if they describe it (try “that hipster song with the whistling”) or give us some lyrics (try “I make money moves”).
Effortlessly discover new music
- YouTube Music’s personalized home screen dynamically adapts to provide recommendations based on people’s listening history, where they are and what they’re doing. At the airport? We’ll recommend something relaxing before the flight. Entering the gym? We’ll suggest some beats to get the heart-rate going.
- Thousands of playlists built to help you discover new music. That means no matter what kind of music you like, where you are, what you’re doing, or what mood you’re in, you can easily find the right playlist for that moment.
While fans can enjoy the new ad-supported version of YouTube Music for free, we’re also launching YouTube Music Premium, a paid membership that gives you background listening, downloads and an ad-free experience for $9.99 a month. If you are a subscriber to Google Play Music, good news, you get a YouTube Music Premium membership as part of your subscription each month. And if you use Google Play Music, nothing will change — you’ll still be able to access all of your purchased music, uploads and playlists in Google Play Music just like always.
To extend the features of YouTube Music Premium beyond the music app, we’re soon introducing YouTube Premium, the new name for our YouTube Red subscription service. YouTube Premium includes ad-free, background and offline across all of YouTube, as well as access to all YouTube Originals including Cobra Kai, Step Up: High Water and Youth & Consequences. YouTube Premium will continue to provide an ad-free experience, background play, and downloads across the millions of videos on YouTube. But because it includes our brand new YouTube Music service, the price will be $11.99 for all new members. If you’re already a YouTube Red (soon to be YouTube Premium) member, don’t worry you’ll still enjoy your current price.
Starting Tuesday, we’re rolling out the new YouTube Music experience in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South Korea*. It will expand more broadly in the coming weeks. We’ll also soon be launching in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. If you want to know when the new YouTube Music is available in your country, head to music.youtube.com/coming-soon and let them know you’re interested.
Keith Urban To Perform At The 2018 Canadian Country Music Awards
Hot off the announcement of Shania Twain as the show’s host, the Canadian Country Music Awards have confirmed a performance by Grammy-award winning artist Keith Urban. The performance will be a part of the nationwide broadcast from First Ontario Centre in Hamilton, ON, on Sunday, September 9, live in all time zones on CBC and on their website at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).
Grammy-Award winner Keith Urban is no stranger to the CCMA Awards stage. This year, the platinum-selling artist will arrive in Hamilton celebrating the release of his ninth studio album, GRAFFITI U. Hitting #1 on all-genre charts after one week of release and recently gold certified in Canada, GRAFFITI U boasts singles such as “Coming Home” (ft. Julia Michaels) which is anticipated to add to Urban’s long-list of #1 hits (23). The second chart-topping album for Keith Urban, GRAFFITI U will lay the foundation for electric, high-energy performances both at the 2018 CCMA Awards and each night of the upcoming 10 Canadian dates of the “GRAFFITI U WORLD TOUR”.
Tickets for the 2018 CCMA Awards are available now, with GOLD and PLATINUM Packages available as of today. Single tickets and packages are available for purchase in-person through the FirstOntario Centre Box Office and online at ticketmaster.ca.
“Shine: How A MuchMusic Compilation Came To Define Canadian Alternative Music And Sell A Zillion Copies” Is Out Next Week
Written by Toronto-based music journalist Mark Teo (The Toronto Star, AUX, Fast Forward Weekly), Shine: How A MuchMusic Compilation Came To Define Canadian Alternative Music And Sell A Zillion Copies is a critical, humorous and always engaging look at one of the most notable phenomenons in Canadian music: MuchMusic’s first-ever Big Shiny Tunes compilation, released in 1996. Shine reveals how this compilation album, which left a massive cultural imprint on a generation of Canadians, was made and unpacks the impact of how one disc stretched across musical tastes and ultimately led to a transition towards personal curation in pop music.
“For a long time, Big Shiny Tunes wasn’t talked about, which is absurd,” said Teo. “It sold millions of copies, making it ubiquitous—you can find copies at any Value Village across the country. At the same time, it’s not taken seriously: it’s a uniquely Canadian compilation, and one that represents an era dominated by MuchMusic, Modrobes and Clearly Canadian. Big Shiny Tunes is an important, underrepresented and—without a doubt—hilarious chapter in Canadian music. It was a success by any number of metrics, but what does that say about Canadian music, Canadian culture, Canadian attitudes? Those are the answers I’m after.”
As one of Canada’s most acerbic and thoughtful music journalists, Teo has long examined Canada’s musical mainstays, often with a healthy amount of skepticism. But he also builds a more entertaining notion of how Canadian music could, and should, be recognized.
“I hope that readers find Shine nostalgic and entertaining,” said Teo. “It’s the product of another era, and Big Shiny Tunes simply couldn’t exist in 2018. But at the same time, this isn’t a book about conservatism; it’s not about pining for the way things were. I hope that readers can find humour in our collective childhoods, the things we’ve loved, the views we’ve held. Things change, and that’s for the better.”
Through extensive interviews and criticism, Shine dives into the era of the compilation, the album’s origins, its status as the ultimate gateway record and its still-unfolding influence on Canadian music—one track at a time. For every music lover who was turned on to a band because of Big Shiny Tunes, or can harken back to warm memories while listening to the omnipresent compilation, Shine is the book for you.
“Big Shiny Tunes is a uniquely Canadian phenomenon, and one that wouldn’t be possible without MuchMusic—another uniquely Canadian phenomenon,” said Teo. “It was created, consumed and loved almost exclusively north of the border. And it created stars out of uniquely Canadian musicians: it elevated Sloan, the Killjoys, Pluto and Moist, placing them alongside Marilyn Manson, Foo Fighters and Bush (ahem, Bush X). All compilations were meant to elevate its artists, of course, but few Canadian comps had such an enduring impact.”
This book is a must-own for fans of Canadian nostalgia and may force you back into the used CD bin at your local record store. Shine will be available at select independent bookstores across Canada, online retailers, as well as the Eternal Cavalier Press website on May 25th. Pre-orders are now live.
Songs with Deeper Meanings
Songwriters write songs for a variety of reasons but oftentimes a composer writes a song because he has a message to pass on. Some of the most interesting and meaningful songs of recent times include songs about children, Vegas games, dancing contests and other hidden themes:
Runaway Train
Soul Asylum wrote Runaway Train as a way of addressing the million youngsters who go missing form their homes every year. The 1992 song was written to draw attention to the subject. Director Tony Kaye made a video that was set to play on MTV where, he thought, the highest number of kids and other involved individuals would see it.
Runaway Train was so successful that other variations were made for Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom. The video was a success in that it encouraged many kids to return home and raised awareness among people who had the opportunity to help runaways return home.
The results weren’t, unfortunately, always successful. Returning kids to an environment, that had been toxic to begin with, continued to be toxic and many of the returnees ran away again as soon as they could.
Stuck in a Moment
Bono’s Stuck in a Moment was written to commemorate the suicide of Bono’s friend Michael Hutchence. Hutchence was the lead singer of the band INXS. U2’s lead singer Bono composed the song in the form of an argument where Bono tries to convince his friend of the act’s foolishness and fruitfulness.
In 2005 Bono spoke about the song, saying”It’s a row between mates. You’re kinda trying to wake them up out of an idea. In my case it’s a row I didn’t have while he was alive. I feel the biggest respect I could pay to him was not to write some stupid soppy song, so I wrote a really tough, nasty little number, slapping him around the head. And I’m sorry, but that’s how it came out of me.” Bono admitted that the song came out of a feeling of guilt for never having raised the issue with Hutchence.
Wake Me Up When September Ends
The song’s video portrays a couple torn apart by the Iraq war so one could be forgiven for thinking that Wake Me Up When September Ends is about romance and love. The song was also dedicated to the victims of the 2001 World Trade Center attack which took place on September 11 and the 2007 Katrina Hurricane.
In reality however, the song, written by Green Day lead singer Joe Armstrong, is meant to convey Armstrong’s distress at the death of his father. Armstrong was a child when his father passed away in September of 1982 and the boy was distraught. He sobbed at the funeral and then ran home. When his mother returned to the house, she knocked on the door and little Joe said “Wake me up when September ends”
Layla
Eric Clapton’s Layla wasn’t a hit when it was first released in 1972 but it garnered critical acclaim and has become a classic in rock history. The song refers to Clapton’s obsession with Patty Boyd who was, at the time that Clapton wrote the song, George Harrison’s wife. Clapton called the song Layla after a love story that originated in the 7th century Arabia. The story was then written down in book form in the 12th century in a book entitled The Story of Layla and Majnun by Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi. The story tells the tale of a young man who fell in love with a young woman. Layla’s father forbade the marriage and Majnun sunk into insanity.
Boyd eventually divorced Harrison and married Clapton (with Harrison at the wedding party) but in 1988 they too divorced.
Like a Virgin
The title sounds naughty but the theme of Madonna’s Like a Virgin is anything but racy. It’s actually a simple story of love, sung to a funky tune that makes it easy to dance to the beat.
The song was written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg and relates to Steinberg’s romantic experiences, first in a emotionally challenging relationship and then in a fresh, exciting love with a new partner.
Steinberg explained that he felt “Like a Virgin” – not in a physical sense, but in an emotional sense as he embarked on a new direction and partnership. Steinberg explained that “I wasn’t just trying to get that racy word virgin in a lyric. I was saying … that I may not really be a virgin — I’ve been battered romantically and emotionally like many people — but I’m starting a new relationship and it just feels so good, it’s healing all the wounds and making me feel like I’ve never done this before, because it’s so much deeper and more profound than anything I’ve ever felt.”
Losing My Religion
Losing My Religion by R.E.M. actually has nothing to do with spirituality or religious belief. The 1991 Grammy winning song uses the Southern expression “losing my religion” – which means being at the end of one’s rope or losing one’s temper – to express unrequited love. Michael Stripe, the vocalist who sings the song for R.E.M, said, “It’s just a classic obsession pop song. I’ve always felt the best kinds of songs are the ones where anybody can listen to it, put themselves in it and say, ‘Yeah, that’s me.'”
How to Buy Your First Guitar
Due to the fact that there are so many options in the market, choosing the best guitar can be overwhelming. However, you don’t need to rush the process when you’re shopping for it. Ensure that you weigh your options carefully and research on the various types such as electrical and acoustic guitar. Beginners are often advised to buy the former as it’s much easier to play and adjust. Check out the following handy tips for purchasing your first guitar.
· Create a budget
You don’t have to focus on getting the cheapest guitar so that you won’t end up sacrificing quality for price. The truth is that these types of guitars are usually poorly made. On the other hand, high quality guitar tends to last longer, but be ready to spend around $200-$500. Investing in a superb musical instrument will boost your motivation to improve your skills every day. The good thing is that it’s possible to get a guitar that suits your taste and needs even if you have a tight budget.
· Buy from trustworthy suppliers
Always buy from reputable dealers whether you’re shopping online or visiting a brick and mortar store in your area. Selecting the former will give you the opportunity to meet other guitar enthusiasts. Make sure that a technician helps you to set up the guitar before making a payment. This normally attract a token fee, but some stores can do it for free. Check whether the strings are due for a replacement and inform the dealer. It goes without saying that you should ask several questions if certain things are unclear.
· Consider used guitars
Several people prefer buying used guitars and other musical instruments to new ones. The most important thing is that they must still be in good shape. Endeavor to ask for recommendations and examine the guitar thoroughly during your visit to the store. Once you discover the ones that you really like, try each of them out and determine whether it’s has the right size and weight. This is because comfort really matters when playing any instrument.
· Get the necessary accessories
Some of the accessories that you will need include guitar capo, guitar strap, picks, tuner, guitar stand and gig bag. It’s not compulsory to buy everything at once. Get these things yourself instead of purchasing an inexpensive guitar package for beginners which may contain low quality items.
· Enlist the help of a friend
Chances are you have a friend or family member that has knowledge and experience in musical instruments, especially guitar. Don’t hesitate to approach them for assistance so that they can guide you in the right direction. Apart from that, they can enlighten you about the types to avoid with reasons. Most of them will be ready to accompany you to the store. Let them know important details like the artists that you admire and your preferred styles of music.
After acquiring your guitar, you can enroll in a music class or take advantage of online resources to boost your skills in no time.