DJ Cummerbund continues to marvel This time, he’s made a brilliant mashup of Pearl Jam’s Jeremy with Kenny Loggins’ Footloose, and a little bit of Proud Mary thrown in because he can. WHo knew all three songs would go so well together?
Teachers In High School Are Using Gord Downie’s Lyrics To Teach Grade 9
Bruce Springsteen once said he learned more from the grooves of a 45 record than anything else in a high school classroom. This school has the right idea.
From YorkRegion.com
Gord Downie’s music is inspiring a new generation of Canadians in Georgina.
A group of teachers at Sutton District High School have been using Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip’s journey to help teach grade 9 students.
“Kids never realized how much history and geography and environment and Canadian connection is in their songs,” said Amanda Ellis, acting library head, who added the unit also includes truth and reconciliation.
Ellis and her colleague, English teacher Lindsay DiPaulo got the idea after students wanted to know about the musician.
“They wanted to know why everybody, the adults in their lives and the teachers, were so impacted by Gord Downie’s passing,” she said.
The unit was called ‘passport to Gord Downie’s Canada’ and featured a number of activities, including poetry studies, an escape room and personal reflections.
One activity had students find places mentioned in the Tragically Hip songs on a Canadian map. Another included a discussion about David Milgaard, who inspired the song Wheat Kings.
11th Annual Record Store Day Set For April 21, 2018. Start Saving….
The eleventh annual worldwide party that celebrates the culture of the indie record store is set for Saturday, April 21, 2018. Stores around the world will open up their doors to celebrate with their customers, the musicians who make the music they sell, and the staff who sell it.
In its first ten years, Record Store Day (the Day) has grown exponentially and is now celebrated by millions of people, in thousands of independent record stores, worldwide. It has spurred the growth of at least one physical media format, inspired new stores to open their doors, and helped existing stores to grow and expand. Thousands of artists have celebrated with performances, in-store events and limited edition special releases. Unknown numbers of people have had a damn good time at their local record store.
In that time Record Store Day (the Organization) has also grown, now working year-round to promote indie record stores and innovate to allow those who run them to improve their business. RSD’s Black Friday, RSD Vinyl Club, Vinyl Tuesday, and individual release promotions for all genres are part of what RSD does regularly.
In August 2018, RSD will host their third Summer Camp, a conference just for the special type of small business that is the indie record store. Record Store Day is also a founding partner of Making Vinyl, the world’s first conference devoted to the vinyl format.
Still to come this year are the announcement of the Record Store Day 2018 Ambassador and the list of special, limited edition releases available at a record store on April 21, 2018.
First Ever Chosen Artist and Song Revealed During World Premiere of CTV’s THE LAUNCH
One song can change everything! History was made tonight on the worldwide series premiere of CTV’s THE LAUNCH as folk/blues/soul artist Logan Staats from Ohsweken, Six Nations of the Grand River reserve in Ontario became the first-ever artist chosen to record a new, original single. “The Lucky Ones” was released across the country immediately following tonight’s broadcast – and is launching immediately on radio stations across the country. The single is also available to buy and stream everywhere, including iHeartRadio, Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play.
Unanimously mesmerized and moved by Staats’ staggering, soulful talent, mentors Shania Twain, producer/songwriter busbee, and music mogul Scott Borchetta ultimately chose to launch Staats’ music career with his poignant and poetic rendition of “The Lucky Ones” on THE LAUNCH.
“To work with these incredibly gifted mentors and to learn from them is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for which I’m so incredibly grateful,” said Logan Staats. “To be given the amazing chance to breathe life into the beautiful words and melody that is “The Lucky Ones” is an unbelievable honour that just feels so right and so natural. Tonight – I’m the lucky one!”
“Launching Logan and “The Lucky Ones” tonight reinforces the premise of this show: it all starts with a great song,” said Borchetta. “busbee delivered a song with amazing potential. Pairing that great song with the right artist creates a perfect storm – and Logan’s haunting, powerful voice and sheer talent bring this song to life so beautifully. We are proud to launch this song right now!”
This week’s episode of THE LAUNCH featured (in alphabetical order) Edmonton-born folk artist Havelin; indie-pop artist Julia Tomlinson from King City, Ont.; Toronto-based, five-member pop music act The Revel Boys; quintuple-threat singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and model Vivian Hicks; and the newly launched artist himself – Logan Staats.
Following a nail-biting audition process before the celebrity mentors, Logan and Vivian emerged as the two breakthrough artists chosen to perform and make the original song “The Lucky Ones” their own.
After a nerve-wracking 48 hours in studio rehearsals, recordings, and working closely with the episode’s celebrity mentors, Logan and Vivian took the stage in front of a live studio audience to perform their unique interpretations of “The Lucky Ones”.
Both aspiring artists dazzled the mentors with spectacular performances, but after intense deliberations, Logan was ultimately chosen for the opportunity of a lifetime – to have his soulful version of the song “The Lucky Ones” launched across Canada and to the world via THE LAUNCH’s expansive slate of top music partners.
Additionally, Bell Media is poised to throw the full weight of its marketing, promotional, and publicity support behind Logan and his song across its national footprint of broadcast and digital entertainment properties.
“The Lucky Ones” is written and produced by busbee in association with Bleta Rexha, Maureen “MoZella” McDonald, Justin Franks, and Casper & B. Label: Big Machine Canada and Universal Music Canada. Executive Producers are Scott Borchetta and Randy Lennox.
Born in Ohsweken on the Six Nations Of The Grand River reserve and raised in the town of Brantford, Ont., Logan Staats started writing and performing music in his early teens and would later go on to become an accomplished award-winning artist. His haunting and distinct voice has provided opportunities to share the stage with acts such as Buffy Sainte-Marie, Keith Secola, Mumford and Sons, and more. A product of passion, compulsion, and tireless musical commitment, Logan’s songs are truly his own. Armed with his guitar and harmonica, he has transitioned from running the weekend bar circuit to playing sold out venues in his hometown and beyond. His performances are animated by a level of self-possession, sadness, and joy created by an aura of inevitability. Logan is hell bent on raising the bar for Indigenous/mainstream crossover music. Ingrained with the mentality that anything is possible when you put your heart and soul into it, Logan is well on his way to further accomplishing greatness.
Short Cuts: The Best Songs Heard On January 11, 2018 From The Indie World
Dinny Skip
About a Bot
Electronic pop with rapping, a sequenced horn section, and lots of synthesizers, welcome to 2018! At first listen, it might be hard to take the song seriously, but on a second listen, you’ll realize this guy might be the Prince-like genius we’re missing out on. It’s playful, cool, and bright, and I know we can all use more of that this year.
Tenderfoot
Semiprecious Life
It’s hard to warrant a better story than Tenderfoot, a four-piece dream-folk band based in Seattle & Brooklyn, who started out as a solo project on the highways and back roads of the US. In 2010, songwriter Adam Kendall Woods lived on the road for a year in a vintage camper trailer towed behind a Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck. Many miles were taken, several relationships to find and break, and finding his now-band members, this is important to know to appreciate the song. Let this be a lesson to any artists out there – sometimes your life is going to suck, sometimes you just gotta find the right people to work with, but if you do – and you figure out correctly, you’ll create a folk-rock masterpiece like this band has created.
Trey Coasta
The Roof on Fire (feat. White Dave)
Trey Coastal, a 3-piece Hip-Hop project from Oakland, CA accomplishes exactly what they originally intended – the hip hop backbeat amidst a brilliant rhythmic interplay of voices. There’s no shortage of conscious hip hop but this trio is just as powerful as anyone else out there right now talking about what’s goin’ on. Makes me wanna holler.
Chamber Band
Constitution
Brooklyn-based outfit Chamber Band draws from a range of The Decemberists and Sondre Lerche, and slips in with They Might Be Giants and Weezer. They also come complete with the happiest 5-piece band photo I’ve seen in a long time. A masterclass in perfect pop with a killer hook and chorus, complete with whistles, of course. They deserve a wider audience. They’ll get it.
Wolf Gordon
Fool’s Paradise
Leaving his solo folk singer-songwriter roots behind Wolf Gordon has teamed up with two prominent Illawarrra, Australian musician, Paul Harrison and Matt Crawford to release Broken Road – a folk EP with a variety of influences and a driving edge. The rise of the band has been swift, forging a smooth and effective song to make you wait for the next one.
Matt Talley
Excommunicate
The alt-rocker from Baltimore, MD, came to his own conclusions about his religious upbringing. It was just the spark he needed to begin work on something new, himself. What defines you, what kind of person will you be? That’s the question explores as if his life depends on it. And it does, all the while creating music out of necessity.
Dig Exotic
Horses
Pop Rock/Indie Electronic project Dig Exotic is the creation of Los Angeles native singer, songwriter and record producer Rebecca Rosoff. Fair warning: Put this song in the car and watch your speed. Don’t let a ticket get you in the way of the rockin’ tune.
The Karmanauts
Life on Jupiter
“Moonstone,” the debut album by The Karmanauts, was self-produced and mixed, and was mastered by Joe LaPorta (Vampire Weekend, Grizzly Bear, Imagine Dragons, David Bowie, Foo Fighters). The band from Humboldt County, California soaring melodies are memorable, and are quickly turning into essential listening for anyone a fan of the groups in the brackets above.
The Karmanauts
Phantoms
See? I told you I dig this band. A tasteful acoustic-starting track that would be too good to ignore. They’ll have ample time to mark their mark, and for now, this fits neatly in definite ones-to-watch. See above.
Suburban
It’s Not What You Know, It’s What You Can Prove
Great title, right? When the Minstry-guitars come in, you don’t want the rest of the song to fall under the weight, and it doesn’t. Suburban is East Coast Hip Hop-inspired, hardcore-energised raw lyricism; “a unique sound where structure is the enemy of flow and sleep is the cousin of death,” they say. Not like you’re going to even catch a wink when this band plays. A hugely entertaining music to destroy your room to.
Wild Child
Sinking Ship
I used to work a DJ years ago called Wild Child on Moonshine Records, and then there’s Wildchild from Swollen Members. This band is NOT them. The Austin-based ensemble has carried its infectious blend of indie-pop and infectious melodies through their four records now, and are masterful at their arrangements and setting the mood to just shut up and listen. There may not be a more harmonious song this week heard by anyone. They deliver.
Miles Dismond
Maybe You Love Her
Out of Berkeley, CA, Miles’s sound sits somewhere between the lo-fi psych-pop of Ariel Pink and hazy psychedelia of Lonerism-era Tame Impala.The production is top-notch, it’s like a sweet brownie that might be laced with something for your ears. Gorgeous musical landscapes that if it was a painting, Bob Ross would be proud.
Torin
Scavenger Type (NOFX Cover)
The soft mood-drenched opening will easily make you forget this is a cover. A mid-tempo take on an entirely acoustic song is always a bold and brave move, but he does it with ease. I hope for his next songs to move out of the cover world, but for now, this will do just fine while, ahem, his mind keeps focused, tidal waves of sound catapulted.
Jahmar
Bitch Named Joe
Quentin Tarantino has his next awesome track to discover. If this was on one of his soundtracks, people would try and find it in their collection of ’50s R&B singles. He hollers, he jokes, and no rim-shots here, this is impressive blending the decades together.
Musician Explains The Concept Of Harmony To 5 Different People Of Ages and Knowledge
23-year-old musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier explains the concept of harmony to 5 different people; a child, a teen, a college student, a professional, and jazz legend Herbie Hancock.
Bon Jovi Announces “This House Is Not For Sale” Tour 2018 Dates
Global rock icons and newly announced Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2018 inductees Bon Jovi have announced the spring leg of their This House Is Not for Sale Tour, presented by Live Nation. The run will kick off in Denver, CO on March 14 and conclude May 14 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The Grammy-winning band will also celebrate their return to the road with the re-release of This House Is Not For Sale as a new version, containing two brand new songs, “When We Were US” and “Walls,” available via all download and streaming partners on February 23.
“Backstage with Jon Bon Jovi” Fan Club tickets and VIP Experience Packages go on presale beginning January 16 at 10 a.m. local time. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning January 16 at 10 a.m. local time (12pm in Canada) through January 18 at 10 p.m. local time (except St. Paul, which will be February 13 to 15, and from January 12 to 14, ticket holders to Bon Jovi’s cancelled spring 2017 Denver concert will have access to an exclusive “Previous Purchasers” presale to buy tickets to the March 14 Pepsi Center concert for 50% off [while supplies last]). Live Nation presales will begin January 18 at 10 a.m. local time and end at 10 p.m. (except St. Paul, which will be February 15). General public tickets will be available for purchase starting January 19 at 10 a.m. local time (except St. Paul, which will be February 16) at Ticketmaster.com and through participating venue Box Offices. Each online ticket purchased will include a CD of the original This House Is Not For Sale.
This House Is Not for Sale Tour Spring 2018 Concert Dates:
Wed., Mar. 14, 2018 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
Fri., Mar. 16, 2018 Salt Lake City, UT Vivint Smart Home Arena
Sat., Mar. 17, 2018 Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena
Tue., Mar. 20, 2018 Little Rock, AR Verizon Arena
Thu., Mar. 22, 2018 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
Fri., Mar. 23, 2018 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Sun., Mar. 25, 2018 New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center
Mon., Mar. 26, 2018 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Mon., Apr. 2, 2018 Boston, MA TD Garden
Wed., Apr. 4, 2018 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Sat., Apr. 7, 2018 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
Sun., Apr. 8, 2018 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
Wed., Apr. 18, 2018 Orlando, FL Amway Center
Fri., Apr. 20, 2018 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
Sat., Apr. 21, 2018 Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center
Tue., Apr. 24, 2018 Raleigh, NC PNC Arena
Thu., Apr. 26, 2018 Chicago, IL United Center
Sat., Apr. 28, 2018 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
Sun., Apr. 29, 2018 Milwaukee, WI BMO Harris Bradley Center
Wed., May 2, 2018 Allentown, PA PPL Center
Thu., May 3, 2018 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Sat., May 5, 2018 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Mon., May 7, 2018 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre
Wed., May 9, 2018 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Thu., May 10, 2018 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Sat., May 12, 2018 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Mon., May 14, 2018 Washington, DC Capital One Arena
The This House Is Not For Sale Tour has already received fan and critical acclaim, with its first North American leg grossing an estimated $47 million and its South American leg grossing nearly $40 million. Atlanta Journal-Constitution raved, “(The tour) solidifies their standing as one of rock’s most resilient acts.” Creative Loafing Tampa said, “Bon Jovi leaves 18,000 screaming, standing fans shot through the heart…” while the Los Angeles Daily News reported that “JBJ shook the stage from the start to end with energy and enthusiasm, and he kept that energy rolling with a voice in tip top shape…” The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said “Bon Jovi doesn’t miss a beat…” and the Toronto Sun enthused, “It was anthemic Bon Jovi at its best…”
The This House Is Not for Sale Tour was Bon Jovi’s first outing since the band’s 2013 Because We Can World Tour. 2013’s tour was their fourth in six years to be ranked the No. 1 top-grossing tour in the world (a feat accomplished by only The Rolling Stones previously) with a total of $259.5 million. Bon Jovi also earned the No. 1 grossing worldwide tour in 2010 for The Circle Tour, with $201 million total, and 2008’s Lost Highway tour, which earned $210.6 million. Bon Jovi’s touring legacy was recognized with the “Legend of Live” award at the Billboard Touring Conference & Awards prior to the kick-off of The This House Is Not for Sale Tour.
Bon Jovi released This House Is Not for Sale (Island Records) on Nov. 4, 2016 which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving the rock band its sixth U.S. No. 1. Worldwide, the album hit No. 1 in Australia and Austria; No. 2 in Spain and Switzerland; No. 3 in Canada and Germany; and hit the top 10 in Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Scotland and the United Kingdom. This House Is Not for Sale was Bon Jovi’s first major release since What About Now (2013), the band’s third consecutive multi-platinum album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 (Lost Highway in 2007, and The Circle in 2009).
Historic Music Discovery – The Lost Songs of WWII Uncovered in Yiddish Glory Featuring Sophie Milman out Feb. 23
Six Degrees Records is set to release Yiddish Glory: The Lost Songs of WWII on Feb 23. This discovery of Yiddish music from WWII & the Holocaust brings together musical legends to perform never-before-heard songs that call for the defeat of fascism with messages that are incredibly relevant today.
This release features 18 new recordings of music that haven’t been performed in more than seven decades, a 40+ page booklet featuring archival images, text bt Yiddish professor and project director Anna Shternshis, singers Psoy Korolenko and Sophie Milman plus Loyko & classical soloists.
Professor Anna Shternshis has confirmed speaking engagements (on the topic of Yiddish Glory) for 2018 and will be discussing the project with contributing muscian, Psoy Korolenko who will perform songs from the album. Confirmed dates are:
February 20 2018 – University of Irvine, Irvine CA.
February 21 2018 – Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
February 22 2018 – Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
April 8- 9 2018 – Centre for Jewish History New York, NY (keynote presentation on this project)
April 22-23 2018 University of Purdue, West Laffayette, IN.
May 7, 2018 – Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
Prince and a President: An Untold Story
Low Cut Connie frontman Adam Wiener tells a little-known story that describes former President Barack Obama’s fandom of Prince.
Guy Visits Long-Distance Girlfriend In Toronto And Sketches Their Best Moments Together
Sometimes, feelings between people are stronger than the distance that separates them. It all started when Italy-based digital artist Simone “Simz” Ferriero had fallen for a girl even though he hadn’t met her. “She saw me [streaming] on Twitch,” he told Bored Panda. “We then started to chat regularly.” After some time, however, he decided it wasn’t enough and booked an intercontinental flight to meet Krisi in real life. Ferriero has documented his unforgettable experience in a comic-diary, and it looks better than a Hollywood romance movie.
Scroll down to check out what happened from 16 Dec to 1 Jan while Ferriero was in Toronto.
Naples (Italy) Airport
Flying
Airplane Wing
Mountains (Alps)
Frankfurt Airport
First Look
First Kiss
Escape the Airport Parking
Arrived
First night together
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
Spilling Coffee
Coffee Shop
Cold weather
Insomnia episodes
Mall
Lazy boys
Lazy boysRoyal Ontario Museum
Art Gallery of Ontario
Sick
Christmas Trip to Oshawa
Tickling
Me Sick
Promise
CN Tower
Elevator ear poppin
CN Tower Restaurant + Final Bill Surprise
Gift shop
Some local food
Extra portrait
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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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