All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Photo Gallery: Blue October at Niagara Falls’ Rapids Theatre
The Rolling Stones Announce A Massive 15-Album Vinyl Box Set
Whenever The Rolling Stones do anything, they do it with quality and gravitas. Having defined rock’n’roll in the 60s, The Rolling Stones entered their imperial phase in 1971 with Sticky Fingers. What followed is a run of albums that couldn’t have happened at any other time, by any other band: the decadent excess of Exile On Main St, the Jamaican voodoo swamp of Goats Head Soup, the disco and punk-infused prowl of Some Girls. With each new decade, the Stones evolved while staying true to their roots, coming full circle in 2016 with Blue & Lonesome, a love letter to their first inspiration: the blues.
‘The Studio Albums Vinyl Collection 1971-2016’, a brand new 15 studio album limited-edition vinyl box-set, is now available for pre-order and scheduled to be released on June 15, 2018. ‘The Studio Albums Vinyl Collection 1971-2016’ will cost £399.99, and pre-order is available now from here.
‘The Studio Albums Vinyl Collection 1971-2016’ presents this monumental era in rock’n’roll history in a highly bespoke, lenticular mounted, limited edition box-set housing the 15 studio albums from Sticky Fingers through to Blue & Lonesome in faithful and intricate original packaging replications. Every album has been lovingly remastered and cut at revelatory half-speed at Abbey Road Studios, from vinyl specific original tape transfers designed to get the very best possibly sound from the format. Each album is pressed on heavyweight 180-gram black vinyl and includes a download card for HD digital redemption of the catalogue and includes a numbered certificate of authentication.
Cut at half speed, these are among the highest quality vinyl pressings that these classic Rolling Stones albums will have ever received. Half speed mastering and pressed to a very high standard ensures top notch sound quality for the listener.
Special care has been taken to create packaging to the same high standards, creating a detailed artwork reproduction for each album. ‘Some Girls’ comes housed in the replica design including 20 cut-outs on the cover, while the sleeve of ‘Sticky Fingers’ is presented as Andy Warhol’s original design, complete with a working zip with a hidden image underneath and ‘Exile On Main Street’ comes with a set of 12 original postcard inserts.
Abbey Road Studios’ engineers have been cutting grooves into discs since the studios first opened in 1931. In 2013, award-winning engineer Miles Showell joined their existing mastering team, bringing a wealth of disc-cutting experience with him.
One of the artisan techniques offered by Abbey Road Studios that results in the very highest quality sound reproduction is Half Speed Cutting. This process involves the master source being played back at precisely half its recorded speed while the cutting lathe is similarly turned at half the desired playback speed. This allows the cutting head twice the time to cut the intricate groove, allowing considerably more accuracy with important matters such as frequency extremes and micro-dynamic contrasts. The resulting cuts have excellent high frequency response (treble) and very solid and stable stereo images.
It’s not quite as simple as running everything at half rate. There is an EQ curve applied to all vinyl records and by running the lathe at half speed, all the frequencies are wrong. However, the technical staff at Abbey Road Studios have had new custom-built filters installed which allow Miles to practice half speed cutting to the full on a modified Neumann VMS-80 lathe.
Jason Mraz Wants You To “Have It All” With His New Single
Multiple GRAMMY Award winner Jason Mraz has announced today’s release of his eagerly anticipated new single. “Have It All” is available now at all digital music retailers and streaming services.
“Have It All” was written by Mraz with David Hodges (Christina Perri, Kelly Clarkson) and JKash (Maroon 5, Charlie Puth, Meghan Trainor) in collaboration with his friends in Raining Jane (Mona Tavakoli, Chaska Potter, Mai Bloomfield, and Becky Gebhardt), and produced by Andrew Wells. The track was originally conceived after Mraz received and translated a blessing from a Buddhist monk during a moving visit to Myanmar in 2012. However, current events compelled him to bring “Have It All” fully to life at last.
A dedicated artist and gentleman farmer, Mraz is first and foremost a committed global citizen. His impassioned social activism and philanthropic efforts span from environmental advocacy in regenerative agriculture, to ardent support for human rights. His own Jason Mraz Foundation serves to shine for inclusive arts education and the advancement of equality. Through it all, Jason Mraz continually confirms and celebrates music’s myriad forms and miraculous power, inspiring and delighting his countless fans around the world.
“The world had changed a lot since 2012,” Mraz says. “More people are marching for their freedoms and equality; to be seen and heard. Activism is back in style. I wrote a lot of frustrated, angry, even sad songs between then and now, but nothing I wanted to come forward with; nothing I wanted to sing. ‘Have It All’ stood out as a song with a hopeful message to help me heal and move forward; a song with a message of generosity – the antithesis of despondency; a song bestowed to me by translating a message from a monk. It’s a blessing disguised as a rap song and it’s meant to be paid-forward and shared.”
“Have It All” is joined by a colorful companion video, streaming now at Mraz’s official YouTube channel (WATCH). Directed by longtime collaborator Darren Doane (“I’m Yours,” “Make It Mine,” “Lucky”), the visual captures the song’s bright spirit with a stroll through Mraz’s hometown of Richmond, VA, joined by students from the School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community (SPARC), as well as students from the Richmond area Turnaround Arts schools, plus actors Katie Grober (Waitress) and Greg Grunberg (Alias, Heroes).
“Have It All” heralds Mraz’s upcoming North American summer tour, “GOOD VIBES.” The tour – which sees Mraz joined by his SuperBand and featuring special guest Brett Dennen – begins Wednesday, July 25th in Grand Rapids, MI at Meijer Gardens, and continues through early September (see attached itinerary). For complete details, and ticket information, please visit jasonmraz.com/tour.
Prior to “GOOD VIBES,” Mraz – who recently concluded his acclaimed Broadway debut run in the hit musical, Waitress – has set a pair of very special concert appearances, beginning with INSPIRE 2018, presented by Sands Cares and set for May 18th at The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas, NV. All proceeds from concert ticket sales will be donated to the Marty Hennessy Inspiring Children Foundation and Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. Tickets and additional information can be found HERE.
Next up will be the School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community’s 6th annual SPARC Presents LIVE ART: LOVE, of which Mraz is not only a performer, but also a sponsor and program advisor, set for June 3rd at Richmond, VA’s Altria Theater. Mraz calls this his “favorite show of the year.” The award-winning mega-concert pairs nationally, internationally, and regionally recognized recording artists with SPARC’s LIVE ART students. This year’s event will see Mraz joined by a truly remarkable line-up that includes Josh Groban, Sara Bareilles, Michael McDonald, Rayvon Owen, René Marie, Raining Jane, Robbie Schaefer, Chris Caswell, and many other local artists, plus a cast of 200 student performers.
Mraz recently celebrated the 15th anniversary of his RIAA platinum certified major label debut album, “WAITING FOR MY ROCKET TO COME,” with the album’s first-time-ever vinyl release. The “WAITING FOR MY ROCKET TO COME” double LP is available now on standard black vinyl at all music retailers carrying vinyl records; an orange vinyl edition is exclusively available via Barnes & Noble (purchase here). All vinyl editions feature expanded artwork by Robert Fisher and Alison Dyer, plus lyrics and new liner notes by Mraz.
As PEOPLE recently noted, “WAITING FOR MY ROCKET TO COME” launched Mraz “from the Southern California coffee house scene into global stardom and the forefront of contemporary American singer-songwriters.” Released October 15th, 2002, “the album indeed propelled Mraz to the forefront of contemporary American pop, fueled by a trio of indelible hit singles in “You And I Both,” “Curbside Prophet,” and the #1 favorite, “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry).” The latter single proved Mraz’s breakthrough, ascending to the top 15 on Billboard’s “Hot 100” while also reaching the top of the “Top 40 Adult Recurrents” chart.
JASON MRAZ – 2018 LIVE DATES
MAY
18 Las Vegas, NV INSPIRE 2018 @ The Venetian Theatre
JUNE
3 Richmond, VA SPARC Presents LIVE ART: LOVE @ The Altria Theater
GOOD VIBES
ALL DATES W/ SPECIAL GUEST BRETT DENNEN EXCEPT *
JULY
25 Grand Rapids, MI Meijer Gardens
27 Cleveland, OH Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
28 Rochester Hills, MI Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
29 Toronto, ON RBC Echo Beach
AUGUST
1 Shelburne, VT The Green at Shelburne Museum
2 Boston, MA Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
3 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
4 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena *
7 Brooklyn, NY Prospect Park Bandshell
9 New York, NY SummerStage, Central Park
10 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
11 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center for the Performing Arts
12 Bethlehem, PA Musikfest
14 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
15 Charleston, SC Volvo Car Stadium
17 Jacksonville, FL Daily’s Place Amphitheater
18 Atlanta, GA State Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
19 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater
21 Southaven, MS Bank Plus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove
22 Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion at the Riverbend Music Center
24 Indianapolis, IN Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park
25 Highland Park, IL Ravinia Festival Pavilion
26 Cedar Rapids, IA McGrath Amphitheater
28 St. Paul, MN Minnesota State Fair
29 Moorhead, MN Bluestem Center for the Arts Amphitheatre
30 Lincoln, NE Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater
31 Kansas City, MO Starlight Amphitheatre
SEPTEMBER
2 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
4 Nampa, ID Idaho Center Amphitheater
6 Jacksonville, OR Britt Pavilion
7 Troutdale, OR Edgefield
8 Redmond, WA Marymoor Amphitheater
9 Redmond, WA Marymoor Amphitheater
11 Reno, NV Reno Events Center
13 Berkeley, CA The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley
14 Irvine, CA Five Point Amphitheatre
15 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl
2018 Just Got That Much Better. ABBA Is Back
I don’t care what the music sounds like. I don’t care if they don’t want to tour again. I only know this is great news.
Snapchat is the clear choice for U.S. teens in 2018
When it comes to their social media preferences, U.S. teens are about as loyal as Brutus was to Caesar. Back in 2013, Facebook was still their social network of choice. In 2014, Instagram took the throne for a while before being replaced by Snapchat in 2016.
Now, in the spring of 2018, Snapchat is the clear number 1 for teens in the United States, with 45 percent of the 6,000 teenagers polled for PiperJaffray’s bi-annual “Taking Stock With Teens” survey naming it their favorite social platform. 26 percent of the teenage respondents called Instagram their favorite, while Facebook and Twitter are falling out of grace with the teen demographic.
You will find more infographics at Statista
The One-Man Industrial Doom Metal Band
Noisey meets Tristan Shone, the mechanical engineer behind Author & Punisher to learn more about how he makes his unique music.
Ed Sheeran’s x Spends Its 200th Week On The Billboard Album Charts
Ed Sheeran’s x spends its 200th week on the Billboard Album Chart, thanks to “Sing”, “Don’t”, “Thinking Out Loud”, “Bloodstream”, and “Photograph”. In December 2014, Spotify named x the most-streamed album in the world for 2014, racking up more than 430 million streams for the year. x has been certified 10× Platinum in the UK with sales of over 3 million copies, making it the third best-selling album of the 2010s and one of the best selling albums in the history of the UK. The album has been certified 3× Platinum in Canada, 6× Platinum in New Zealand, and 4× Platinum in the US, with sales of over 4 million copies. It also became the first album ever to be certified Diamond in Australia. Also, x broke Adele’s record for the longest charting Top 10 album in the history of the United Kingdom. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, x sold 4.4 million copies in 2014 and 3.5 million copies in 2015, becoming the third and second best-selling album, respectively, and now the album has sold 10 million copies worldwide.
Who says you have to be young to hit the top of the Urban/AC charts in the US? Not David Bray!
Who says you have to be young to hit the top of the Urban/AC charts in the US? David Bray has the edge and experience of songwriting to hit #1 on Buffalo’s WUFO FM with his “Crowded Isolation.”
From his early work with producers Daniel Lanois, Eugene Martynec and John Capek to his more recent work with a list of all star musicians including Motown’s legendary bassist Bob Babbitt, Garth Hudson of the Band, Colin Linden, Kim Mitchell, Jeff Healey, Daniel Lanois, Bill King, Richard Bell, Gary Craig, Paul Reddick, Justin Abedin of Jacksoul, John Dymond and more, David has emerged as one of Canada’s most distinctive songwriters. His compelling lyrical flare combined with an ear for musical hooks has been hailed by critics and industry veterans alike. Bray is a poet and storyteller as much as he is a writer of songs….all without compromising on his superb brand of R&B which is the bedrock of his latest collection.
A decade of work has resulted in a trilogy of three separate releases (of which Crowded Isolation is the second) ranging musically from contemporary R&B to Soul and Blues, focusing on a soul-searching examination of what Bray calls “Crowded Isolation” and the challenges of urban life.
Bray wrote, produced and performed the latest album helped out by all star musicians and some fine vocalists, most notably his musical partner Lorraine Reid, one of Canada’s finest new vocalists. Crowded Isolation has been drawing raves from over 100 stations around the world so far.
Watch Prince Rehearse The Revolution For “Nothing Compares 2 U” Back In 1984
Unseen rehearsal footage of Prince & The Revolution from the summer of 1984, and Prince’s original studio version of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U.’
What’s Happening With Toronto’s El Mocambo? Eddie Kramer Explains…
Bill King: The El Mocambo? Everyone wants to know what’s going on!
Eddie Kramer: I so remember being there in 1977 recording The Stones.
The place was purchased, and I was asked to come up and have a look and see whether I wanted to get involved. I looked at it and I said OK, I’m going to do this, we’re going to put a studio in here. I wanted to bring in John Storyk, my oldest and dearest friend. He and I did Electric Lady for Jimi, OK. And that’s the reason. WSD Group, which is the architectural firm, is probably one of the largest ones in the world and one of the better ones. It’s almost there.
We’ve taken about two and a half years so far and basically destroyed the entire building and took it down below grade and built a brand-new building on the inside. All we kept was the facade and the side walls and we underpinned the entire interior. There are now two venues. One on top of the other.
You remember the old El Mocambo? It had about a ten-foot ceiling. It’s now twenty-six and a half feet high with a balcony running around top side and it’s going to be the preeminent and predominant facility in North America. They are soundproof rooms. Both are completely isolated so that I can record the two venues at the same time with live streaming.
I have a special room on the third floor looking down on the room. This is like Abbey Road. We have the same board, a beautiful Neve vintage board looking down at the stage and five 4K cameras and Go Pro’s – the whole thing and live streaming 24/7.