“Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, “Dear Jim: I loved your card.” Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.” – Maurice Sendak, Author of Where The Wild Things Are
Watch Arcade Fire’s Win Butler Describe His Songwriting Process Step By Step. Sorta.
The lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning band Arcade Fire sat down with us to share what exactly goes into crafting a song. But don’t look for a serious talk. It comes from The Clickhole, so be prepared for some deadpan Spinal Tap funny.
St. Vincent Covers The Beatles In New Tiffany Ad Campaign
Love and beauty are the essence of Tiffany, and the new Tiffany fragrance captures that essence in a bottle—a sparkling floral musk with a precious signature ingredient, the iris. Last month, it emerged that Annie Clark — a.k.a. St. Vincent — would be one of the faces of a fall advertising campaign by Tiffany and Co. In a new ad that’s part of the campaign, St. Vincent is heard covering The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.”
Bruce Springsteen On Broadway Extended By 10 Weeks
Tickets went on sale for Bruce Springsteen’s Broadway residency through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan service this morning, and sold out in seconds. Soon after, “Springsteen On Broadway” announced that the show will be extended by 10 weeks and will run from October 3 to February 3. Ticketmaster announced that anyone who registered as a Verified Fan will still be eligible to receive an offer code to buy tickets to the new run of shows which will be on sale September 7 at 10AM ET. You can still enroll in the Verified Fan program through September 3 here.
Watch Metallica Unbox Their Own “Master of Puppets” Deluxe Box Set
Unboxing videos aren’t really new, but a video of the band (or brand) itself doing it? That’s pretty rare. Watch James Hetfield as he takes his first look at the Remastered Deluxe Box Set of Master of Puppets.
The JUNO Awards reinstate Comedy Album of the Year category
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) today announced the re-establishment of the JUNO Awards category Comedy Album of the Year, sponsored by SiriusXM Canada. Back after a 33-year hiatus, the award is being recognized by CARAS as the 42nd category for submission.
“We are thrilled to bring back Comedy Album of the Year, a category that celebrates Canada’s gifted comedians,” said Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards and MusiCounts. “As we do with our diverse musical categories, the award embraces the full scope of this entertainment genre, recognizing the diverse talent making waves both locally and abroad.”
Through the re-establishment of this award, CARAS aims to celebrate and promote brilliant comedic artists; the category acknowledges Canadian emerging and established comedians who are actively contributing to culture. Albums eligible for submission must be recorded by a comedic performer or performers of any of the following disciplines: stand-up, sketch, improvisation or musical comedy. The category represents a genre that embraces satire, social commentary, absurdism, parodies,character-based humour and monologists; there are no sales qualifications for this category. Submissions for the 2018 JUNO Awards open on October 2 and close on November 10. Visit junoawards.ca for more information. The reinstatement of this award has received incredible support from the comedy community; to check out what some of Canada’s top comedians have to say click here.
The Comedy Album of the Year award sponsored by SiriusXM Canada will be presented at the JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards on Saturday, March 24, 2018.
JUNO Week 2018 will be hosted in Vancouver, British Columbia from March 19 through March 25, 2018.
CBC Music And MusiCounts Present The 3rd Annual Canadian Music Class Challenge
CBC Music in association with MusiCounts today announced the return of the Canadian Music Class Challenge, which encourages eligible music classes, music clubs and after-school programs to submit a video performance of a Canadian song (full 2017 list below) for a chance to win one of six $5,000 classroom recording studios. This year’s competition launches on September 1 and will close on November 24, with winners to be announced on CBC Radio 2 Morning with Raina Douris on December 15. For full criteria or to sign up and submit a video please visit www.cbcmusic.ca/musicclass
Now in its third year, the Canadian Music Class Challenge builds on CBC Music’s ongoing commitment to support music education and MusiCounts’ mandate to encourage music in classrooms and communities across Canada. Last year saw over 500 groups from grades one to 12 enter across six categories with many talented students being profiled across CBC’s digital, radio and television platforms.
This year, the following 17 songs can be submitted for consideration:
Treat You Better – Shawn Mendes
Both Sides, Now – Joni Mitchell
Constant Craving – k.d. lang
CBC Olympic Theme – Marc Cholette arr. Grayson Mathews
Dans Ton Oreille – Jérôme Minière
End Of An Era – The Strumbellas
Fool – Basia Bulat
I Don’t Want To Break Your Heart – Coeur de pirate
It Snowed – Meaghan Smith
James Bay – Midnight Shine
Lost Boy – Ruth B
Listen To The Sounds – Bobs and LoLo
Missing You – JF Robitaille
Northern Lights – The Jerry Cans
Running – Jully Black
Sing It Together – Marc Jordan / Ian Thomas
L’Amour – Karim Ouellet
A panel of musicians and CBC Music journalists will evaluate submissions and release a list of the top 10 finalists in each category on December 8.
Schools that participate in the Canadian Music Class Challenge also have the opportunity to apply for new instruments and equipment through MusiCounts’ Band Aid Program. Through this program, MusiCounts provides musical instruments in $5,000 and $10,000 value allotments to support public (elementary, secondary and separate) school programs across Canada. Visit www.musicounts.ca for more information.
Important Dates for the 2017 Canadian Music Class Challenge:
Submissions open: Friday, September 1
Submissions close: Friday, November 24
Top 10 in each category released: Friday, December 8
Winner announcement: Friday, December 15 on Radio 2 Morning
CIMA Appoints Emy Stantcheva as Manager of MusicOntario
CIMA is pleased to announce Emy Stantcheva’s appointment as Manager of MusicOntario, moving from her previous role as Marketing and Events Coordinator for both CIMA and MusicOntario.
In her four and a half years at CIMA and MusicOntario, Emy has worked closely with the team to build, develop and execute various professional development and showcase programs for emerging artists and music industry professionals. Her role has included building relationships with various conferences and festivals, overseeing CIMA’s annual Gala, launching the Road Gold program, working with CMPA on the Canadian Music Café, and assisting with Music Export Canada/Canadian Blast initiatives.
“I am very pleased to announce Emy’s new appointment as Manager of our MusicOntario division,” says Stuart Johnston, President of CIMA. “Emy has long made a positive and meaningful impact on members and the industry at large, and I am more than confident that MusicOntario and its members will only benefit from Emy’s endless passion and drive to make the industry a better place for everyone.”
As Manager of MusicOntario, Emy will step back from her various roles at CIMA and focus on creating and identifying new opportunities for Ontario artists and entrepreneurs, while continuing to drive and hone the organization’s existing resources, outreach and market access programs. Emy moves into the position following the recent departure of Interim Manager Brian Hetherman.
“I’ve had the distinct pleasure of being with MusicOntario since the company’s infancy, and it has been a joy to witness its growth as it develops an instrumental role in Ontario’s independent music community,” says Emy. “It is a constant learning curve to identify what our vast constituency needs us to deliver, and to work collaboratively with this diverse community to ensure our programming is accessible, meaningful and inclusive. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to build these existing relationships, and identify new opportunities to connect with, engage, and create resources for indie musicians and entrepreneurs across the province. I’m very lucky to embark on this next chapter with the CIMA family, and could not ask for the support of a better team!”
Prior to CIMA, Emy worked in music publicity and marketing, and artist management. With over a decade in experience, we are confident that Emy’s expertise, passion and sense of humour will play vital roles in leading our program and service delivery to benefit MusicOntario’s members and our industry.
Wanda Jackson To Release Autobiography “Every Night Is Saturday Night: A Country Girl’s Journey To The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame” On November 14, 2017
BMG has announced it will release legendary rockabilly and country music pioneer Wanda Jackson’s autobiography Every Night Is Saturday Night: A Country Girl’s Journey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on November 14, 2017. The iconic performer known as the “Queen of Rockabilly” and the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” landed more than thirty singles on the country and pop charts between 1954 and 1974. Featuring over eighty photographs from her personal collection and a foreword by Elvis Costello,Every Night is Saturday Night is the rockin’ great-grandmother’s chance to finally share the story of her fascinating life and career in her own words.
Jackson’s debut single, “You Can’t Have My Love,” reached the Top 10 while she was still a sixteen-year-old high school student. She hit the road after graduation, playing package shows with Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley, who gave Wanda his ring and asked her to be “his girl.” With Presley’s encouragement, the Oklahoma native began recording rock music, often releasing singles with country on one side and rock on the other during her decade-and-a-half tenure on Capitol Records.
Known for her energetic stage shows and pioneering presence as a female artist, Wanda stormed the charts with a series of hit singles, including “Let’s Have a Party,” “Right or Wrong,” and “In the Middle of a Heartache.” With over 40 albums to her credit, Wanda has proven to be an enduring and genre-defying legend of American music.
In Every Night is Saturday Night, Wanda tells the story of being discovered by Country Music Hall of Famer Hank Thompson; why she refused to return to the Grand Ole Opry for more than fifty years; the challenges she and her integrated band, The Party Timers, faced when touring in a less racially tolerant era; personal memories of her relationship with Elvis; and how she ultimately found the love of her life.
Along the way, Wanda reveals details about her first boyfriend, who went on to become a well-known pioneer of country music’s Bakersfield Sound; how she launched the career of country star Roy Clark; the challenges she faced as a woman who introduced sex appeal to country music and growling femininity to rock & roll; her recent work with rock luminaries such as Jack White and Joan Jett; and how her deep faith has sustained her over more than seven decades of rocking, shocking, and thrilling audiences around the globe.
Wanda will launch the book with several public events and book signings around its release, including Tuesday, November 14 at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles and Saturday, December 2 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.
Game Of Throne Characters As Classic Album Covers
Game of Thrones has attracted record viewership on HBO, and thus, ripe for parody, thanks to the creative geniuses on the internet. Here, chartacters from the TV show are used for some of the great classic album covers, and it’s just perfect.
Jon Snow as Peter Gabriel
The men of the Wall as the Ramones
Melisandre as Taylor Swift
Daenerys Targaryen as Lana Del Ray
Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon
Arya Stark as Phil Collins
The Hound as Kate Bush
Catelyn and Eddard “Ned” Stark as the Beatles
Via Dangerous Minds and the Why the Long Play Face Instagram feed.