Twitter will now let you listen to Spotify music clips right from your timeline.
The new audio cards let users listen to 30 second previews of song tracks in their feeds without having to open Spotify itself. Click or tap on the song to start playing the music, or click on the little Spotify icon to play the full song.
In one of the highest-profile interactive concerts ever, Jason Isbell and Old Crow Medicine Show were among Tennessee artists who performed sets transmitted to Chicago in 360º virtual reality this week. Old Crow even took a request from Chicago, for a cover of the Tom Petty song “American Girl.” The concerts were staged by the Tennessee Department for Tourism Development in hopes of spurring travel to the state.
Members of Alberta’s Fire Aid Organizing Committee, comprised of volunteers from across the province of Alberta, proudly announced today the details for Fire Aid for Fort McMurray – a major benefit concert being planned in support of people in the City of Fort McMurray and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) directly impacted by the Alberta Fires. Fire Aid for Fort McMurray is set to hit Commonwealth Stadium on Wednesday, June 29, 2016 at 4PM MT. All proceeds raised from this event will benefit the Fort McMurray United Way to support the city’s efforts to rebuild for all residents, individuals, families and businesses.
Canadians have expressed immense compassion and generosity during this time and many award-winning Canadian musicians have been keen to contribute to these efforts. World-class Canadian talent, including many hailing from Alberta, are ready to take the stage at Commonwealth Stadium on Wednesday, June 29, 2016 including Nickelback, Blue Rodeo, Corb Lund, Dean Brody, The Rankin Family, Dallas Smith, Brett Kissel, Randy Bachman with The Sadies, Ian Tyson, Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Gypsies, Dear Rouge, and High Valley.Tickets for Fire Aid for Fort McMurray, a major benefit concert in the name of community, are on sale Monday, May 30, 2016 at 10AM MT. Tickets are $35.00, $60.00 and $99.00 and will be available at ticketmaster.ca or charge by phone at 1-855-985-5000.
This past May, Albertans, Canadians and the entire world were shocked by the devastation of the wildfires in Fort McMurray and across the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Those affected were friends, neighbours, family and colleagues, and our hearts have continually gone out to them in their time of need. In the spirit of community, a dedicated group of volunteers from across the province, including the core team of organizers of the 2013 Alberta Flood Aid benefit concert, have come together to create Alberta’s Fire Aid Committee, working to help rebuild and sustain the future of Fort McMurray and surrounding regions.
Co-chairing Fire Aid for Fort McMurray are Edmonton-based community leaders Bob Nicholson, Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) CEO and Vice Chair, Len Rhodes, Edmonton Eskimos Football Club President and CEO and Tim Reid, Northlands President and CEO, alongside special Honorary Chair, her Worship Mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Melissa Blake.
All funds raised will go directly to the community as the Fort McMurray United Way has been selected as the beneficiary from Fire Aid. United Way’s mission is “to improve lives and build community by engaging individuals and mobilizing collective action,” making this cause the perfect fit for Fire Aid for Fort McMurray’s beneficiary. The United Way will work with the various agencies on the ground in the region and help the thousands of residents with the support they need now and for however long it will take to rebuild.
TD Bank Group has joined the Fire Aid effort knowing that the recovery and rebuilding efforts will be massive, and through their early efforts and contribution of $500,000 to Fire Aid, they show their commitment to rebuilding this community. The TD First Responders sponsorship highlights the heroic efforts of those who have given so much and in addition to supporting relief efforts, are honoured to host first responders during the concert.
For tickets, please visit here or for more information on Fire Aid for Fort McMurray, visit fireaid.ca
The Royal Mail is celebrating Pink Floyd, one of the most influential and successful British bands of all time, with a superb range of stamps, limited edition souvenirs and gifts.
Renowned for creating some of rock music’s most acclaimed albums and iconic imagery, Pink Floyd are also lauded for their ground-breaking live performances. Royal Mail has worked closely with Pink Floyd to bring you crazy diamonds this exceptional collection.
The Royal Mail’s limited edition 10 stamp collection will pay tribute to the 50 years since the group started. Classic Floyd album covers that made the cut include The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, Atom Heart Mother, The Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Endless River.
To pre-order, go here.
LUNO’s flagship model, EGB2, is a timely update of the classic record consoles of the 50’s and 60’s. The beautiful Mid Century inspired design, boutique minimalist turntable, pull out MiniBar and custom gold rimmed whiskey glasses effectively evoke the luxurious style and modernist design of the Mad Men era. Each EGB2 is crafted by finely skilled artisans in the USA using American Walnut and would undoubtedly be a conversation piece based on it’s stylish design alone.
However, looks are not all that the EGB2 has to offer. Look under the hood and you’ll find all the trappings of a powerful sounding music system. The EGB2 couldn’t be easier to use. Plug in the power cord, lift the tonearm, drop it on to your favorite record and enjoy the warm, rich sound of the EGB2’s custom designed two way speaker system. Need more bass? Not a problem. Built into the EGB2 is a separate 100w enclosed subwoofer and a three band tone control. Want to stream music from your digital devices? Just toggle the selector switch and the EGB2 can now be controlled from any Apple or Airplay compatible device in the house. Need somewhere to store your records? The EGB2 has storage space for up to 150 records built in. Want a drink while listening to your records? The EGB2 features a pull out minibar complete with gold-rimmed Whiskey glasses and storage space for four average size liquor or wine bottles.
Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones has announced that he will publish his autobiography, “Lonely Boy”, on November 17th in the UK and January 10th in North America,
The project sees Jones collaborate with journalist Ben Thompson to share his story of growing up in the streets of Hammersmith and Shepherd’s Bush, West London, before forming Strand in 1972 and, eventually, the Sex Pistols in 1975 with vocalist Johnny Rotten, bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook.
Inspired by New York bands the Ramones and the New York Dolls, among others, the Sex Pistols helped to propel the UK punk scene through a series of four singles and one studio album, 1977’s “Never Mind The Bollocks…Here’s The Sex Pistols”, before disbanding just three months after its release.
Jones spent years after the Pistols in a self-imposed exile in New York and Los Angeles where he battled with alcohol, heroin and sex addiction – caught in a cycle of rehab and relapse.
Alongside producing and playing on records by other artists, the guitarist was a member of several post-Pistols groups including The Professionals, Chequered Past and Neurotic Outsiders, as well as building a solo career.
He hosted the popular daily radio program “Jonesy’s Jukebox” on Indie 103.1 FM Los Angeles from 2004 to the station’s sign-off in 2009, welcoming special guests and spinning whatever tunes he wanted to play for listeners.
KX Country along with Sound Check Entertainment are pleased to announce an incredible line up of talent that will play an evening of music at The Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto on June 9th with 100% of proceeds going to the Red Cross for Fort McMurray.
The evening will feature personal, acoustic performances by some of the top names in Canadian Country music, with the likes of Tim Hicks, Jason Blaine, Autumn Hill, Cold Creek County, Wes Mack, Madeline Merlo, Meghan Patrick, Cory Marquardt, James Barker Band and Dani Strong currently set to take the stage for a night of amazing music.
In just a few days, after Sound Check Entertainment and KX Country combined forces, the Canadian Country Music community responded quickly and passionately to lend support and aid to the on-going relief efforts in Fort McMurray, Alberta. KX Country Vice-president Steve Kassay says “Everyone was buzzing about the tragedy in Ft. McMurray. We knew that together with the teams at Sound Check and The Phoenix, a benefit show could quickly be organized. Everyone came to the table ready to help and ready to work.”
Thursday, May 26th @ 10am via ticketmaster.ca. General Floor are $24.50 + Taxes & Surcharges while VIP Balcony Seating (100 Tickets ONLY) are $40.
P!nk reveals her crushes on Johnny Depp and Michael Keaton and Johnny surprises her by showing up during her interview.
Moby has released a new album. Long Ambients1: Calm. Sleep. is available via streaming services and as a free download; the artist says it’s “really quiet: no drums, no vocals, just very slow, calm, pretty chords and sounds and things for sleeping and yoga, etc.” The set’s 11 tracks were originally created by Moby as aids to his own relaxation.
https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/136AocmGvmUjqNsvAhtfU5
In 2015, SOCAN began diving deeper into the world of Song Camps in an effort to support the recently created A&R strategy. By focusing on craft development and creating an opportunity for music creation, SOCAN hopes to add even more value to the careers of SOCAN members. Modeled on the legendary Motown and Brill Building formats that resulted in some of the greatest popular songs in history, an effectively run song camp features a delicate balance between artistic and commercial spirit, with a dose of healthy competition and deadline pressure.
Launched in 2015, SOCAN’s Kenekt Song Camp is a curated event that brings together established songwriters, producers and recording artists to collaborate on the creation of new songs. The first KENEKT has already produced the debut single from Canadian artist Vacay and 2 upcoming singles for Fall Out Boy’s Uma Thurman producers, Young Wolf Hatchlings.
Shiloh and Waqaas Hashmi of Young Wolf Hatchlings (Photo: Jeff Knights)
Perched atop a remote cliff in Upper Kingsbury, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, stand the Shobac Cottages where the SOCAN Kenekt Song Camp got its start and where it will be returning later this month. The Shobac cottages provide an idyllic atmosphere for a group of songwriters to escape the realities of their everyday to allow them the opportunity to turn off distractions and immerse themselves in the creative, collaborative process.
While SOCAN is proud of the Kenekt brand and how it’s developed, the organization is pleased to announce that their suite of song camps is growing in 2016 and that from Vancouver to Montreal, more members will have opportunities to participate in a SOCAN Song Camp.
In the fall of 2016, SOCAN will host two new Song Camps; one in Quebec focusing on upcoming pop projects and one in British Columbia that is still being fine-tuned. Both song camps will give their publisher members the opportunity to recommend writers, producers and artists. Stay tuned for more information.
SOCAN has formed a new partnership with the world renowned, Black Rock Studios. Held in Santorini, Greece twice annually, the Black Rock Songwriter Camp is considered one of the world’s premier songwriting camps. SOCAN’s new partnership with Black Rock will ensure that two spots at each camp are filled by SOCAN members in addition to any SOCAN writers who’ve been invited back to participate by the team at Black Rock. This ensures a steady flow of new members getting to attend the camp. SOCAN will suggest the writers with final approval coming from Black Rock.
SOCAN’s A&R team continues to play an integral role in the artistic development of music creators by connecting Canada’s songwriters, composers and music publishers so that they can create the music we all love to hear.
Follow us on Instagram @thatericalper
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
© Copyright - That Eric Alper
