One town isn’t big enough for a tight pants love triangle. Watch Will Ferrell, Christina Aguilera and Jimmy Fallon (looking strangely like Mike Meyers), perform the 60s classic hit that never was, Tight Pants.
Line Rider Game Synched To ‘Black Betty’ Is Spot-On
Line Rider was one of the internet’s most popular games back in the mid-2000’s. TheConundrumer made this course that perfectly syncs up with the classic rock song, Black Betty.
Here’s how to draw Adele on a flaming hoverboard
What’s more compelling than pop icon Adele? Well, Adele on a flaming hoverboard of course. Mashable’s very own Bob Al-Greene shows you how to draw this very strange mash-up. Once you’ve drawn your own, share it using the hashtag #AdeleOnAHoverboard on Twitter or Instagram.
Who Received The Biggest Sales Jump From The Grammys? Here You Go.
The Grammy Awards lived up to its billing as “Music’s Biggest Night,” according to same-day numbers from Border City Media’s BuzzAngle Music platform, which collects daily data from all meaningful U.S. sellers of music, both digital and physical, as well as music streaming services.
Nominated artists gained on average an increase of 17,000 album sales (a 27.8% increase) and 118,000 song sales (a 39.7% increase) on Grammy Monday as opposed to forecast.– Nominated albums gained an uplift of 54.8% and nominated songs gained an uplift of 130.4% against forecast.
“Traveller” by Chris Stapleton was the top selling album on Grammy Monday (over 8,100 sales), “To Pimp A Butterfly” by Kendrick Lamar had the largest growth against forecast (over 4,500 sales) and James Bay’s “Chaos And The Calm” had the largest % increase, 657%. All three artists performed during the telecast, while Stapleton and Lamar each received Grammys during the broadcast.
“Let it Go” by James Bay was the top selling song on Grammy Monday (21,000) as well as the largest growth against forecast (over 18,000). Alabama Shakes “Don’t Wanna Fight” had the largest % increase against forecast, over 1,900%.
Top 10 Selling Albums on Grammy Monday:
| Rank | Title | Artist |
| 1 | Traveller | Chris Stapleton |
| 2 | To Pimp A Butterfly | Kendrick Lamar |
| 3 | Sound and Color | Alabama Shakes |
| 4 | Beauty Behind The Madness | The Weeknd |
| 5 | Chaos And The Calm | James Bay |
| 6 | 1989 | Taylor Swift |
| 7 | Montevallo | Sam Hunt |
| 8 | Cheers To The Fall | Andra Day |
| 9 | Hymns | Joey + Rory |
| 10 | Unbreakable Smile | Tori Kelly |
Top 10 Selling Songs on Grammy Monday:
| Rank | Title | Artist |
| 1 | Let It Go | James Bay |
| 2 | Girl Crush | Little Big Town |
| 3 | One Call Away | Charlie Puth |
| 4 | Thinking Out Loud | Ed Sheeran |
| 5 | Hollow | Tori Kelly |
| 6 | Can’t Feel My Face | The Weeknd |
| 7 | Heartbeat | Carrie Underwood |
| 8 | Take Your Time | Sam Hunt |
| 9 | Rise Up | Andra Day |
| 10 | Uptown Funk | Mark Ronson |
Without fail, exposure from the Grammys’ annual telecast provides robust activity in the market for participating artists, with performances generally meaning more than who does or doesn’t win. Last year, album of the year winner Beck and nominees Annie Lennox and Ed Sheeran were among those who garnered the biggest upticks in both album and song sales, all three among the acts who played the 2015 show.
Even though this year’s Grammys fell the day after Valentine’s Day, this marks the fourth time in five years the industry will see the benefit of Valentine shopping and award show exposure fall within the same tracking week. This time, however, it happens because the July 2015 adoption of Global Street Date moved the start of the U.S. tracking week from Monday to Friday. In the previous alignment, benefits from those two market drivers would have fallen into different weeks.
Since 2004, when the Oscars moved into late February, where the Grammys used to reside, the Recording Academy has strived to schedule its show in front of Valentine’s Day, but that is contingent on where in the calendar the Super Bowl lands. This year’s Grammys happened on the President’s Day holiday, only the second time since 2004 that the awards show didn’t air on a Sunday.
According to overnight ratings, various entertainment journals report the telecast brought in 24.8 million viewers, down slightly from the 25.3 million drawn in 2015.
Via BuzzAngle
Phil Collins sets the record straight about his return
Phil Collins is out of retirement. That much is true.
His health is back. He’s moved to Miami. He’s in the midst of a reissue campaign of his entire discography. There’s an autobiography due later this year, and he is looking to make some new music and play some shows.
But the reported tour and new album? Like many headlines from Collins’ life in recent years, they’re greatly exaggerated. They may happen. They’re likely even, but it’s still too far out to say. Right now, Collins’ biggest focus is embracing his new lease on life and taking advantage of the pop culture tidal shift that’s returned him to favor.
I was floored when I heard that you were touring again. That isn’t an easy thing at all, and from all the reports of the past five years, your body has taken quite a beating. I’m excited that you’re feeling well enough for that.
I’m still hobbling around with a broken foot, but that will get better. This thing is accelerating a little bit quicker than I would like it to. I have said that I would like to do a few shows, and now people are saying, “You’re going back out on tour,” but I’m not going to go back out on tour.
I like the rhythm of my life. It’s very important to me at this moment of my life to be with my kids. I do not want to go back out on the road. I think doing some shows would be fun. I know I’m going to be doing that once the foot is better. There have been pictures of me with a walking stick, and that’s the reason I’m with a stick. It’s because of my foot — it’s not old age, you know.
Same thing with the record. People are saying I’m making a record, and I’m not. I haven’t written a song yet. I’m putting things with you in perspective. It’s not exactly as you read it. Things have kind of been elaborated upon to make a better story, but I’m not sure how that will take shape yet.
Via CoS
Elvin Bishop, Eddy Clearwater, Jimmy Johnson, John Mayall Inducted Into Blues Hall Of Fame
On May 4, 2016 five legendary blues performers, two individuals who were instrumental in the creation of blues music, five single blues recordings, one blues album and an important piece of blues literature will be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Elvin Bishop, Eddy Clearwater, Jimmy Johnson, John Mayall, and The Memphis Jug Band will each take their places beside performers who have been deemed by a group of blues scholars and industry veterans to be the Best in the Blues. Each of these musicians has carved his place in blues history. Bishop’s beginnings with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band to his more recent recognition for the 2015 Blues Music Awards “Song of the Year” have elevated him to the highest stature in blues music. Clearwater, Johnson, and Mayall each boast careers that have spanned more than a half century, and their talent has not waned as they each continue to produce music and to perform for devoted audiences, yet each are distinguishable by their stage presence and musical talent. The Memphis Jug Band’s music crossed the racial divides of the first half of the twentieth century and inspired many musicians to follow in their footsteps.
The Blues Foundation is Memphis-based, but world-renowned as THE organization whose mission is to preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, expand worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form. Founded in 1980, The Blues Foundation has approximately 4000 individual members and 200 affiliated local blues societies representing another 50,000 fans and professionals around the world. Its signature honors and events–the Blues Music Awards, Blues Hall of Fame, International Blues Challenge and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards–make it the international center of blues music. Its HART Fund provides the blues community with medical assistance. Blues in the Schools programs and Generation Blues scholarships expose new generations to blues music. The recent opening of the Blues Hall of Fame Museum, in Memphis, TN, now adds the opportunity for music lovers of all ages to interact with the music and the history.
Non-performer individuals to be recognized by The Blues Foundation for their behind-the-scenes contributions are Malaco Records partners Tommy Couch, Sr. and Wolf Stephenson, whose label’s first big hit was Dorothy Moore’s “Misty Blue” in 1976, and who then went on to produce such blues greats as Bobby Bland, Little Milton, Z.Z. Hill, Denise LaSalle, Latimore, Johnnie Taylor, and Tyrone Davis. The business foundation they built has allowed Malaco to remain an active player in the music world today.
The book Early Downhome Blues: A Musical and Cultural Analysis, by Jeff Todd Titon is the literature entry into the Blues Hall of Fame this year, and is one of the most important analytical studies of the blues to have been published.
The classic album Blues in the Mississippi Night (Nixa, 1957: United Artists, 1959) is being honored as are the singles, “Crazy Blues” by Mamie Smith (OKeh, 1920), “That’s All Right” by Jimmy Rogers (Chess, 1950), Billy Boy Arnold’s “I Wish You Would” (Vee-Jay, 1955), Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers’ (Charles Brown, vocal and piano) “Merry Christmas Baby” (Exclusive, 1947), the first Yuletide song inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, and “Blues Before Sunrise” by Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell (Vocalion, 1934).
The induction ceremony will be held Wednesday, May 4, at the Sheraton Memphis Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before the 37th Blues Music Awards. With living musicians like Buddy Guy and Eric Clapton, and legends like Muddy Waters and Koko Taylor, the Blues Hall of Fame consists of blues music’s best and brightest stars. The Blues Hall of Fame induction ceremony will coincide with the one year anniversary of the opening of the Blues Hall of Fame Museum, also located in Memphis, TN at the home of the Blues Foundation. This state of the art facility celebrates the lives and the music of each Hall of Fame individual as well as the history of the music and the literature produced through the blues timeline. These newest inductees will be added to the museum’s permanent exhibits and interactive displays in conjunction with their induction this May.
On May 5, the night after the Blues Hall of Fame inductions, The Blues Foundation will present the Blues Music Awards for the 37th time. Performers, industry representatives, and fans from around the world will celebrate the best in blues recording, songwriting, and performance from the previous year at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis. For tickets and more information, visit This link.
Major funding is provided by ArtsMemphis and the Tennessee Arts Commission. The 37th Blues Music Awards and The Blues Foundation are also supported by BMI, the First Tennessee Foundation, the Hyde Family Foundation, the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.
Field Trip Announces 2016 Lineup And On-Sale Dates
Toronto’s favourite weekend music event and the unofficial kickoff to the city’s bustling summer festival season is back with its most diverse lineup yet, Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5, 2016.
Four years into creating a world-class, boutique music event inside the gorgeous confines of the city’s Historic Fort York & Garrison Common, Field Trip is driven by the same themes of community and discovery. This year’s edition will again be programmed far beyond music to focus on highlighting Toronto’s best culinary offerings, as well as collaborative explorations on the themes of visual art, technology, fashion and more.
Saturday’s musical performances will be headlined by indie institution The National, JUNO-Award winning rockers July Talk, the amazing energy of Santigold, Australia’s Boy & Bear, rising Toronto rapper Jazz Cartier, the progressive noise of Holy Fuck, Nashville’s Bully and many more.
On Sunday, Swedish pop queen Robyn will close the festival, supported by Athens, Georgia eccentrics of Montreal, soul legend Charles Bradley, Brooklyn shoegazers DIIV, A&C luminary Jason Collett and a mixture of Canada’s best indie that includes Plants & Animals, Basia Bulat, Dear Rouge and more.
2016 also brings another exciting year of expansion of Field Trip’s ‘Day Camp’ programming, where children 12 years old and under are admitted for free to enjoy a wealth of youth-focused activities and performances. Over the coming months we’ll be making several announcements about the full run of incredible programming on the Day Camp stage, where music, education, discovery and charity come like nowhere else.
Past TD Day Camp performances have included: Kevin Drew & Andy Kim, Max Kerman (Arkells), Torquil Campbell (Stars), Sharon & Bram, Emilie Mover, Girls Rock Camp, Toronto Music Camp and many more.
As well, 2016 promises the return of the Laugh Barracks, our indoor comedy showcase featuring performances from some of Toronto’s newest and best loved joke tellers.
And there’s more… Field Trip 2016 will include numerous artists in residence, each helping to transform the Fort York & Garrison Common site into an unforgettable visual exploration. Adding to that experience will be Field Trip’s second custom virtual reality experience, inspired by one of the festival’s performers and free for all attendees to try.
Add all of this to the collection of amazing food and drink vendors fans have come to expect from Field Trip and you can be sure the many diverse tastes and culinary styles alive in our great city will be well represented.
“There are many amazing festival experiences available to people these days, but we take great pride in the intimacy and diversity of Field Trip, and the deep connection we have with the City of Toronto,” said Aaron Miller, Manager of Events at Arts & Crafts. “Field Trip guarantees something for all of us, and something new each and every year.”
Regular Price and VIP Single Day & Weekend tickets go on sale Monday, February 22 @ 10AM via Ticket Master and via Toronto independent retailers Rotate This and Soundscapes.
FIELD TRIP 2016 LINEUP
SATURDAY
THE NATIONAL
JULY TALK
SANTIGOLD
BOY & BEAR
JAZZ CARTIER
HOLY FUCK
BULLY
TEI SHI
MEG MAC
TOR MILLER
BRAVE SHORES
MOST PEOPLE
SUNDAY
ROBYN
OF MONTREAL
DIIV
CHARLES BRADLEY & HIS EXTRAORDINAIRES
PLANTS & ANIMALS
BASIA BULAT
RA RA RIOT
DEAR ROUGE
JASON COLLETT
LENNON & MAISY
ELIOT SUMNER
CHARLOTTE DAY WILSON
KALLE MATTSON
* All artists subject to change without notice.
ALL TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22 @ 10AM ET
* Regular Price Weekend (2 Day) passes are $125. VIP Weekend (2 Day) passes are $200
* Regular Price Single Day passes are $75. VIP Single Day passes are $125
* All tickets are subject to a $5.00 facility fee and vendor service charges
* Children 12 years old and under are admitted for free with any adult ticket holder to a maximum of two children per adult
* All Regular Price passes are available via FieldTripLife.com & Ticketmaster.ca as well as through Toronto independent retailers Rotate This (801 Queen W) and Soundscapes (572 College
* VIP tickets available online only
Sia Joins James Corden for ‘Carpool Karaoke’
James spots Sia in Los Angeles and asks her to carpool to work as they sing some of the biggest songs she’s performed and written, including “Chandelier” and “Diamonds.”
Steve Coogan And John C. Reilly To Star As Stan Laurel And Oliver Hardy In ‘Stan & Ollie’
Leading independent studio Entertainment One (eOne), is pleased to announce it will co-finance with BBC Films, Fable Pictures’ STAN & OLLIE, starring Academy Award nominees Steve Coogan (Philomena) and John C. Reilly (Guardians of the Galaxy).
Written by BAFTA Award winning screenwriter Jeff Pope (Philomena), STAN & OLLIE will be directed by Jon S. Baird (Filth) and produced by Faye Ward’s Fable Pictures, in association with eOne Features and BBC Films. The rights to the work of Laurel and Hardy has been licensed by Larry Harmon Pictures Corporation.
Executive producers on the film are Christine Langan and Nichola Martin for BBC Films, Gabrielle Tana, as well as Jeff Pope for Sonesta Films.
Laurel & Hardy, the world’s favourite comedy double act, set out on a variety hall tour of Britain in 1953. Diminished by age and with their golden era as the kings of Hollywood comedy now behind them, they face an uncertain future. As they set out, crisscrossing the country, attendances are disappointingly low. But they’ve always been able to make each other laugh and as the charm and beauty of their performances shines through their audiences laugh too, and they re-connect with legions of adoring fans, old and new.
The tour becomes a hit, but Laurel & Hardy can’t quite shake the spectre of Stan and Ollie’s past; and long buried ghosts, coupled with Oliver’s failing health, start to threaten their precious partnership. A portrait of the most tender and poignant of creative marriages begins to unfold as the duo, aware that they may be approaching their swan song, try to rediscover just how much they mean to each other.
“We are thrilled to be teaming up with Faye Ward and BBC Films on this endearing film. We were immediately drawn to Jeff’s engaging script and we are excited to have director Jon S. Baird, Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly all on board to bring it to life,” said Xavier Marchand, President, eOne Features.
“I am delighted to be working with eOne. The team there really understands Laurel and Hardy’s special legacy and the privilege and challenges of telling this story. The Stan & Ollie team are all looking forward to collaborating with them and BBC Films,” said Faye Ward of Fable Pictures.
eOne Features is the company’s feature film creative development and production unit. Upcoming releases include Gavin Hood’s Eye in the Sky, Ricky Gervais’ David Brent: Life on the Road, and Fabrice Du Welz’s Message from the King. As part of a recently-inked partnership with Sierra Pictures, the international sales and distribution of films produced and acquired by eOne Features, are handled by Sierra/Affinity outside of territories where eOne directly distributes films.
Joey Alexander: The 12-year-old jazz prodigy who charmed the Grammys
Born on the island of Bali in the city of Denpasar in 2003, Joey Alexander first encountered a piano at the age of six, and was immediately able to pick out the melody of Thelonious Monk’s “Well, You Needn’t” and other jazz standards from his father’s record collection by ear. His father, an amateur musician, nurtured Joey’s gift for swing and improvisation by introducing him to classic jazz recordings and taking him to jam sessions with seasoned musicians in Bali and Jakarta. From there, his musical intuition flourished, as did his love of playing jazz.
Although Joey didn’t win at last night’s Grammy Awards in his two categories of Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Jazz Solo, the crowd gave him a worthy standing ovation after his performance.
Learning by listening, Joey’s early influences include Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans and John Coltrane, and he has a special affinity for trumpet players including Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis. Despite his lack of formal jazz training, Joey developed an authoritative technique, and with his depth of musicality he quickly rose in the Indonesian jazz scene and beyond. At age 8, UNESCO invited Joey to play solo piano in front of jazz icon Herbie Hancock during his visit to Indonesia. Joey drew significant inspiration from Herbie’s enthusiastic response to his playing. At age 10, Joey was featured at jazz festivals in both Jakarta and Copenhagen, and he won the international improvisation contest in Odessa, Ukraine – besting over 200 jazz professionals from 17 countries. In 2014, Joey performed at star-studded galas in New York City for Jazz at Lincoln Center in Rose Hall, the Jazz Foundation of America at the Apollo and the Arthur Ashe Learning Center at Gotham Hall.
On May 12, 2015, Joey Alexander released his highly anticipated debut album ‘My Favorite Things’ on the Grammy-winning Harlem-based label Motema Music. On his debut recording, Alexander performs classic tunes from Coltrane to Rodgers & Hammerstein with a deft touch, adventurous spirit and improvisatory verve. ‘My Favorite Things’ was produced by Grammy-winning producer Jason Olaine. Accompanying Joey on the album are bassist Larry Grenadier and 2-time Grammy-winning drummer Ulysses Owens, as well as three talented young players from the New York scene, Russell Hall (bass), Sammy Miller (drums) and Alphonso Horne (trumpet). Alexander’s imagination, sophisticated arrangements and dazzling playing make ‘My Favorite Things’ a soulful and joyful musical adventure. It is also a statement of intent, a compelling introduction to a budding young leader, performer and composer, who plays with power and elation. From his impressionistic introduction to “Giant Steps” to the spirited interplay with his band mates on “It Might As Well Be Spring,” to his remarkable rendition of “Over the Rainbow,” Joey proves himself a true and distinctive jazz professional.