Go inside Amy Schumer’s head as she battles wind machines and strikes her “signature look” on the set of her Glamour cover shoot. As she puts it: “I love strangers touching me and taking pictures of me.”
Dear Rouge Wins $10,000 SOCAN Songwriting Prize
I voted, I called it, and far and away, this is my fave song of 2014.
Vancouver-based “alt-rock, electro-dance and all-around rad music duo” Dear Rouge are the winners of the 10th annual SOCAN Songwriting Prize for their song “I Heard I Had.” Band members Andrew McTaggart and Danielle McTaggart will receive a $10,000 cash prize, along with a Martin D-16GT acoustic guitar, a Yamaha PSR-S950 keyboard, a $500 Gift Card from Long & McQuade, 20 hours of studio time with Timothy Abraham, and six hours of vocal coaching with Amanda Mabro.
“Being honoured and recognized for songwriter craftsmanship is probably the greatest respect and appreciation a musician can receive,” said Danielle McTaggart. “We’re awestruck by every one of the nine other nominated songs, each of which could have been a worthy winner. Thanks to our fans for voting and to SOCAN for organizing this great contest, and for sticking up for the rights of songwriters like us.”
The SOCAN Songwriting Prize is an annual competition that identifies 10 outstanding songs written by Canadian emerging songwriters over the past year, as selected by a panel of esteemed music industry experts, and invites the public to vote for the winner. Other than nominees having to be members of SOCAN, the Canadian music rights organization has no role in determining nominees or winners.
For two weeks – June 14 to July 1, 2015 – Canadian music fans voted for their favourite song by one of the 10 nominees by visiting socansongwritingprize.ca or through Twitter using the hashtag #mySSPvote and including the artist’s name in the tweet.
More than 21,000 votes were cast for the respective English and French prize nominees over the two-week voting period, far exceeding any 14-day period in any of the previous nine years.
To mark the tenth anniversary of the award, the number of finalists for each of the English and French prizes was expanded permanently from five to 10, and the cash prize doubled to $10,000, making it the largest cash prize for songwriting in the Canadian music industry.
The 10 English SOCAN Songwriting Prize finalists were:
• “Archie, Marry Me” – written by Alec O’Hanley and Molly Rankin; performed by Alvvays
• “Old Knives” – written by James Anderson and Cold Specks; performed by Cold Specks; published by Kobalt and Cold Specks Music Ltd.
• “I Heard I Had” – written by Andrew McTaggart and Danielle McTaggart; performed by Dear Rouge; published by Dear Rouge.
• “In My Solitude” – written by Laura Bates,Tyler Belluz, Aaron Brooks, Lisa Conway, Karen Ng, Chris Sandes and Ira Zingraff; performed by Del Bel.
• “Hideaway” – written by Rami Afuni and Kiesza; performed by Kiesza; published by Universal Music Publishing Group, Afuni Music (BMI), Music Of Liberal Arts Publishing (BMI), Songs Of Universal (BMI), EMI Blackwood Music Canada Ltd., Elephant Eye Publishing, and Stellar Songs Ltd.
• “You Look Like Trouble (But I Guess I Do Too)” – written and performed by Lisa Leblanc; published by Third Side Music Inc.
• “The Bells” – written by Lowell, Justin Broad and Paul Herman; performed by Lowell; published by BMG Rights, BMG Rights Management Ltd. (PRS), Peermusic, Submarine Music Ltd., Fintage, and Voxwatch Ltd. (PRS).
• “It’s A Burn” – written and performed by Samantha Savage Smith.
• “Young Gunner” – written by Joel Chambers, Nevon Sinclair and Renee Wisdom; performed by Shi Wisdom.
• “Private Island” – written by Daniel Jacques and Allie Ho-Sang; performed by 2nd Son featuring Allie.
“Congratulations to Dear Rouge for winning this year’s SOCAN Songwriting Prize, and to all the nominees,” said Michael McCarty, Chief Membership & Business Development Officer at SOCAN. “Even though there can only be one winner, all the songs were fantastic, which I’m sure attracted new fans for the nominees. This prize is about identifying and celebrating great songwriting by some of Canada’s next and best music creators, and Dear Rouge’s ‘I Heard I Had’ is a great song. We wish Andrew and Danielle McTaggart continued success and hope that winning this prize is the beginning of many more accolades to come.”
The winner of the French SOCAN Songwriting Prize, the Prix de la chanson SOCAN, was Antoine Corriveau for his song “Le nouveau vocabulaire”.
Video: Reggie Watts Gets Animated In This New Interview
Musician, comedian, performer and self-proclaimed “weirdo” Reggie Watts discusses blowing up model airplanes, how he prepares (or doesn’t) to go onstage and the intrinsic health benefits of life on the West Coast in California Inspires Me, a Google Play and California Sunday Magazine collaboration.
Pearl Jam, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran And Coldplay To Headline 2015 Global Citizen Festival
Pearl Jam, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay will headline the 2015 Global Citizen Festival, a free-ticketed event on the Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City on Saturday, September 26, 2015. The Festival is timed to coincide with the launch of the United Nations’ new Global Goals designed to fight inequality, protect our planet and end extreme poverty by 2030. The Global Citizen Festival will channel the power of hundreds of thousands of global citizens lending their voices to achieve policy and financial commitments that will shape the success of these Goals.
msnbc will serve as a media partner of the Global Citizen Festival for the second year in a row. The network will air a live simulcast of the full concert on msnbc and msnbc.com. The Festival will be produced by Emmy Award-winning producer, Ken Ehrlich (Grammy Awards). Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Richard Curtis (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Love Actually) will produce a one-hour special of the event to air on NBC on Sunday, September 27 and BBC One in the UK on Monday, September 28. BBC Worldwide will serve as the global distributor for the TV special.
YouTube is a worldwide digital streaming partner for the Festival and will feature a special livestream of the full concert at YouTube.com/GlobalCitizen, presented by T-Mobile. iHeartRadio will digitally stream the audio of the Festival on iHeartRadio.com and in their app. TIDAL, the innovative music and entertainment platform, will also digitally stream the audio of the Festival on Tidal.com as well as in their app. Radio Everyone, the global pop up radio station, as part of the Global Goals campaign will then air highlights of the concert around the globe.
Starting today, free tickets to the Festival are available to global citizens who visit globalcitizenfestival.com, and take “action” to earn their admission. All fans will participate in an Action Journey by making phone calls, volunteering and attending events, taking part in creating a just, equitable and healthy world. Once they complete an Action Journey, fans can enter to win free tickets. Ticket draws will occur throughout the summer and fans will be notified via Global Citizen when they have been selected. A limited number of VIP tickets will also be available for purchase through Ticketmaster starting on Friday, July 10 at 10 a.m. Citi is proud partner of the Global Citizen Festival and Citi credit card members will have exclusive access to VIP offers at the early bird pricing through Thursday, July 16.
Building on the extraordinary momentum over the past 15 years, the Global Goals carry the promise of equal rights and opportunity for women and men: the promise to live a healthy and dignified life, the promise for every child to survive and thrive.
CHIME FOR CHANGE, the successful campaign founded by Gucci and led by co-founders Beyonce Knowles-Carter and Salma Hayek Pinault, will join Global Citizen in a groundbreaking partnership to raise global visibility for girls’ and women’s equality within GlobalCitizen.org. Global Citizen and CHIME FOR CHANGE have come together to build a community of people who want to learn about and take action on the biggest challenges faced by girls and women, because gender equality is fundamental to the long-term objective of ending extreme poverty by 2030. Together, CHIME FOR CHANGE and Global Citizen will unite to strengthen the voices speaking out for girls and women around the world.
“Through our CHIME FOR CHANGE campaign, over the last three years we have been able to convene and activate a powerful coalition of those who share our belief that girls and women globally should have an equal opportunity for education, health and justice,” said Gucci President Marco Bizzarri. “This new partnership with Global Citizen will increase the momentum and impact of our campaign by harnessing the scale and global platform of Global Citizen to engage millions – especially young people – by educating them and encouraging meaningful action in support of girls and women.”
“The 2015 Global Citizen Festival will serve as a critical moment to shed light on the world’s agenda for the next 15 years,” said Hugh Evans, CEO of The Global Poverty Project. “We are now at a moment where we can eliminate extreme poverty by 2030, but this cannot be achieved by the words of politicians alone. The Global Citizen Festival serves to channel the unwavering call for action from global citizens who want to see equality, change and justice reach those who need it most.”
Said Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam, “We hope Pearl Jam fans will sign up to become Global Citizens — not just to earn tickets to the show — but to be part of a movement that encourages leaders of nations with the greatest wealth to apply aid, trade and governance policies in support of nations and communities in the greatest need. People living on less than $1.50-a-day deserve the opportunity to lift themselves up out of extreme poverty.”
“I am honored to be a part of the Global Citizen Festival,” said Beyonce. “It has always stood for improving the lives of people everywhere, but this year is especially rewarding as we all join focuses and utilize our talents for one goal: to end extreme poverty globally.”
Ed Sheeran said, “It’s at once a great honor and very humbling to participate in the Global Citizen Festival. I look forward to sharing the stage with such an amazing lineup of artists in an effort to raise awareness, educate others, and work toward the goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. I truly believe it’s possible if we all work together.”
Said Chris Martin of Coldplay, “We are so proud to be playing this year’s Global Citizen Festival. We love the Global Citizen movement and we love opening for Beyonce so this ticks both boxes.” Chris Martin of Coldplay serves as a curator of the Global Citizen Festival.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio stated, “The City of New York is proud to once again welcome the Global Citizen Festival back to Central Park. Our city has a rich history of hosting movements to call for change and equality both here in our nation and across the world—and this event provides another important opportunity for New Yorkers to come together to help eradicate extreme poverty. I want to thank the Global Citizen Festival event organizers, participants, and attendees for joining together in this critical mission and helping bring this effort to the forefront.”
Richard Curtis, who serves as the creative director for the 2015 Global Citizen Festival, said, “I am delighted to be working with Global Citizen and the UN on this amazing festival. We want to give the Global Goals for Sustainable Development the noisiest launch in history in the belief that the more famous they are, the more effective they will be. My particular job is to turn the Festival into an hour-long TV program – all part of a huge campaign to get the word of the Goals out through TV, cinema, schools, on-line and through Radio Everyone, a unique global network of broadcasters and talent. We hope to leave no stone unturned to support the Goals that could spell the end of extreme poverty and the threat of climate change.”
One of the first “actions” fans will be asked to complete is to call the U.S. State Department and tell them to commit 50% of the U.S. foreign aid budget to the world’s poorest countries at next week’s Conference on Financing for Development. By making this call, we will show the U.S. Administration that the world is watching and demand concrete solutions that will lead to the end of extreme poverty by 2030. This is the moment when world leaders will decide on how to fund the roadmap for ending extreme poverty and propel the next generation into a sustainable future. Without aggressive commitments, the new Global Goals risk being a mere wish list.
Over the last four years, global citizens have taken nearly 3 million actions in the fight against extreme poverty. These actions have resulted in 87 commitments and policy announcements, including cash commitments valued at U.S. $18.3 billion.
Previous headliners of the Global Citizen Festival include: in 2014, JAY Z (with special guest Beyonce), No Doubt, fun., Carrie Underwood, The Roots, Tiesto; in 2013, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Alicia Keys, Kings of Leon; in 2012, Neil Young with Crazy Horse, Foo Fighters, The Black Keys, John Legend, and Band of Horses. In April 2015, Global Citizen hosted ‘Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day’ in partnership with Earth Day Network, which brought No Doubt, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Fall Out Boy and more to the National Mall in Washington D.C.
4 Great Covers From Punk-Rock Related Slash Magazine
Slash was a punk rock-related fanzine published by Steve Samiof and Melanie Nissen in the United States from 1977 to 1980. The magazine was a large-format tabloid focused on the Los Angeles punk scene, and the fanzine also gave birth to Slash Records, an important punk record label. Slash magazine folded in 1980, as many of the main principals involved were increasingly concentrating on other activities. Bob Biggs was more involved in running the label; many of the writers were concentrating on their own musical activities. In addition, there was a widespread perception that punk rock was dying, as movements such as post-punk, hardcore, and deathrock were emerging while many of the original Los Angeles punk bands (such as The Germs and The Weirdos) were breaking up, and in such a changing environment Slash had essentially served its purpose.
One Direction launch Action/1D
One Direction has today launched the action/1D manifesto for the future asking their fanbase of millions to describe the kind of world they want to live in by sharing powerful and emotive pieces of creative content, including film and photos using the #action1D hashtag on their social media channels.
The campaign is part of action/2015, a global citizens’ movement which is united by the idea that 2015 can be the year when the world can set the agenda to end extreme poverty, tackle inequality and climate change ‘ but only if global people power compels World Leaders to make ambitious commitments at two crucial summits to be held in New York in September and Paris in December.
One Direction joins a host of high profile figures including Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Malala Yousafzai, Sir Richard Branson, Shakira, Ben Affleck, Bill and Melinda Gates and Bono who have already pledged their support for action/2015.
Action/1D will give young people across the world the chance to add their voices to global conversations about the future of people and planet in order to achieve the best possible development and climate frameworks, which will set the agenda for the next generation.
The action/1D manifesto film premiered this morning at 08.30BST to a Twitter audience of more than 20 million, and in early September, the pieces of content gathered as part of the action/1D campaign will be revealed at a global premiere ahead of the unveiling of the final sustainable development framework at the UN in New York.
One Direction said: ‘Time and again our fans have shown how creative and powerful they can be when they unite and that’s why we want to all join together to speak out and hopefully make a real and lasting change to the world around us.
‘Young people really do have the power to help end poverty, tackle inequality and to stop dangerous climate change. Now is the time for us to unite, take action and raise our voices to show that we care about the future of our planet.’
The first comprehensive box set devoted to the early years of Creation Records gets a street date
Okay, so we know it’s only just July, but I’m very excited about a new box set collection Cherry Red have coming out on September 25th – it’s the first comprehensive box set devoted to the early years of Creation Records – CREATION ARTIFACT.
Creation Records was one of the most important, vital independent labels of the 80s and 90s, born in the post-punk era and progressing to define the Britpop generation.
The label was born from a hip London club night and won the plaudits with a string of limited edition 7” singles and a handful of albums – including the acclaimed debut ‘Upside Down’ by the Jesus & Mary Chain.
“When we started Creation, I was twenty three so we made it up as we went along – most of the first batch were mates I had met through my club the Living Room.”
Alan McGee
During this period 1983-1985, the label also issued vinyl by Primal Scream (their debut 45), The Pastels, The Bodines, The Loft, The Membranes, The Jasmine Minks et al.
Housed in a lavish ‘book’ set, CREATION ARTIFACT pays tribute to that seminal period with two discs comprising early A’s and B’s, a third CD of rarities and album tracks, another comprising previously unissued demos and a fifth disc of rare BBC sessions.
Awash with rare memorabilia, a 12,000-word essay from journalist Neil Taylor, band biographies, personal reminiscences and numerous archive finds, CREATION ARTIFACT is the ultimate tribute to the dawn of Creation Records 1983-1985.
TRACK LISTING:
DISC 1: SINGLES
1.THE LEGEND! – ‘73 In’83
2. THE LEGEND! – You (Chunka Chunka) We’re Glamorous
3.THE LEGEND! – Melt The Guns
4. THE REVOLVING PAINT DREAM – Flowers In The Sky
5. THE REVOLVING PAINT DREAM – In The Afternoon
6. BIFF BANG POW! –
Fifty Years Of Fun
7. BIFF BANG POW! –
Then When I Scream
8. THE JASMINE MINKS – Think!
9. THE JASMINE MINKS –
Work For Nothing
10. THE PASTELS –
Something Going On
11. THE PASTELS –
Stay With Me Till Morning
12.THE X-MEN – Do The Ghost
13.THE X-MEN – Talk
14. BIFF BANG POW! –
There Must Be A Better Life
15. BIFF BANG POW! –
The Chocolate Elephant Man
16. THE JASMINE MINKS –
Where The Traffic Goes
17. THE JASMINE MINKS – Mr Magic
18. THE LOFT – Why Does The Rain
19.THE LOFT – Like
20.THE LOFT – Winter *
21. THE LEGEND! – The Legend! Destroys The Blues
22. THE LEGEND! –
Arrogant Bastards
23.THE X-MEN – Bad Girl
24.THE PASTELS – Million Tears
25.THE PASTELS – Surprise Me
26.THE PASTELS – Baby Honey
* Bonus track
DISC 2: SINGLES
1. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN -Upside Down
2. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN – Vegetable Man
3. THE LOFT – Up The Hill And Down The Slope
4. THE LOFT –
Your Door Shines Like Gold
5.THE LOFT – Lonely Street
6.THE LOFT – Time
7.THE BODINES – God Bless
8.THE BODINES – Paradise
9. PRIMAL SCREAM – All Fall Down
10.PRIMAL SCREAM – It Happens
11. THE JASMINE MINKS –
What’s Happening
12. THE JASMINE MINKS –
Black & Blue
13. MEAT WHIPLASH- Don’t Slip Up
14. MEAT WHIPLASH – Here It Comes
15. FIVE GO DOWN TO THE SEA? – Singing In Braille
16. FIVE GO DOWN TO THE SEA? – Aunt Nelly
17. FIVE GO DOWN TO THE SEA? – Silk Brain Worm Women
18. THE MOODISTS –
Justice And Money Too
19. THE MOODISTS –
You’ve Got Your Story
20. THE MOODISTS –
Take Us All Home
21. THE PASTELS –
I’m Alright With You
22. THE PASTELS –
Couldn’t Care Less
23. THE PASTELS – What It’s Worth
24. BIFF BANG POW! –
Love And Hate *
25. THE WEATHER PROPHETS -Worm In My Brain *
* Bonus tracks
DISC 3: RARITIES & ALBUM
1.THE LAUGHING APPLE – Participate!
2.THE LAUGHING APPLE – Wouldn’t You?
3. THE REVOLVING PAINT DREAM – In The Afternoon (Early Vsn)
4. THE JASMINE MINKS –
The Thirty Second Set Up
5. THE JASMINE MINKS –
Somers Town
6. BIFF BANG POW! – Fifty Years Of Fun (Almost Live Version)
7. BIFF BANG POW! – Waterbomb!
8. J.C. BROUCHARD
with BIFF BANG POW! –
Someone Stole My Wheels
9. J.C. BROUCHARD with BIFF BANG POW! – Sunny Days
10. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN – Upside Down (Demo Version)
11. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN -Just Like Honey (Oct 84 Demo)
12. THE BODINES – God Bless (Alternative Version)
13. THE MEMBRANES – I Am Fish Eye
14.THE MEMBRANES – Gift Of Life
ALIVE IN THE LIVING ROOM:
15. THE JASMINE MINKS –
Seven And Seven Is
16.THE JUNE BRIDES – I Fall
17. THE LEGEND! –
Arrogant Bastards
18.THE THREE JOHNS – A.W.O.L.
19. THE LOFT –
Your Door Shines Like Gold
20. THE MEKONS – Rock’n’Roll Shoes
21. THE LEGEND! & HIS SWINGING SOUL SISTERS – Sweet Soul Music
22. THE JASMINE MINKS – Green Fuz
23. ALTERNATIVE TV – Lonely Lenny
BONUS TRACKS
24. TELEVISION PERSONALITIES – A Picture Of Dorian Gray (live)
25. TELEVISION PERSONALITIES – The Dream Inspires (live) *
26. TELEVISION PERSONALITIES – Family Affair (live) *
* = previously unissued
DISC 4: DEMOS
1. THE JASMINE MINKS –
All Fall Down *
2.THE JASMINE MINKS – Work *
3. THE JASMINE MINKS –
Second Post *
4.THE LEGEND! – Boredom (Is) *
5. MEAT WHIPLASH –
Losing Your Grip *
6. MEAT WHIPLASH –
Always Sunday *
7.MEAT WHIPLASH – Walk Away *
8. THE LEGEND! –
Victorian Values *
9.THE X-MEN – Home *
10.THE X-MEN – Planet Of The X *
11. THE MOODISTS –
The Train From Kansas City *
12.THE MOODISTS – The Day They All Wake Up *
13. THE MOODISTS –
I Guess I’m Dumb *
14.THE LEGEND! – Social Protest (By Numbers) *
15. THE JASMINE MINKS – Mr Magic *
16.THE JASMINE MINKS – Friends *
17. THE LEGEND! –
Do You Remember *
18. BIFF BANG POW! –
Lost Your Dreams (Demo)
19. BIFF BANG POW! –
I’m Okay Me (Demo)
20. THE LEGEND! –
Picture The Scene *
21. THE X-MEN – A Tryst For Liszt *
22. THE X-MEN –
Stone Cold One Note Mind *
23.THE JASMINE MINKS – Choice *
24. THE JASMINE MINKS – Everybody’s Got To Grow Up Sometime *
* = previously unissued
DISC 5: BBC SESSIONS
1. THE X-MEN – The Witch
(John Peel 13/9/1984)
2. THE X-MEN – Little Girl
(John Peel 13/9/1984)
3. THE X-MEN – Xtramental
(John Peel 13/9/1984)
4. THE LOFT – On A Tuesday
(Janice Long 9/12/1984)
5. THE LOFT – Skeleton Staircase
(Janice Long 9/12/1984)
6. THE LOFT – The Canal And The Big Red Town (Janice Long 9/12/1984)
7. THE LOFT – Lonely Street
(Janice Long 9/12/1984)
8. THE MOODISTS – Other Man
(John Peel 10/7/85)
9. THE MOODISTS – Bullet Train
(John Peel 10/7/85)
10. THE MOODISTS –
Take The Red Carpet Out Of Town
(John Peel 10/7/85)
11.THE MOODISTS – Justice And Money Too (John Peel 10/7/85)
12. MEAT WHIPLASH – Loss
(John Peel 28/10/1985)
13. MEAT WHIPLASH – Walk Away
(John Peel 28/10/1985)
14.MEAT WHIPLASH – Eat Me To The Core (John Peel 28/10/1985)
15.MEAT WHIPLASH – She Comes Tomorrow (John Peel 28/10/1985)
16. THE BODINES – Scar Tissue
(Janice Long 13/10/1985)
17. THE BODINES – Therese
(Janice Long 13/10/1985)
18.THE BODINES – William Shatner (Janice Long 13/10/1985)
19. THE BODINES – The Back Door
(Janice Long 13/10/1985)
BONUS TRACKS
20.THE LOFT – Beware (Live)
21. THE LOFT – Wide Open Arms (Live)
22. THE LOFT – Worm In My Brain (Live)
23.THE LOFT – Up The Hill And Down The Slope (Live)
VIDEO: Revolutions On Air: The Golden Era of New York Radio 1980 – 1988
NYC radio during the ’80s featured the most dynamic and influential soundtrack the city has ever heard. Revolutions On Air is the story of mix show legends and studio wizards like Shep Pettibone, Tony Humphries, The Latin Rascals, Marley Marl, and Kool DJ Red Alert – innovators whose “anything goes” attitude pushed the emerging hip hop, electro, freestyle, and house music scenes and kept radio listeners citywide hooked to their tape decks in order to record these now-classic mixes.
A red hot nickel ball on vinyl records
Ever wonder what a red hot nickel ball on vinyl records would look like? Never, right? This video will be an unexpected treat, then. Here you go, and just be thankful you can’t actually smell it.
Louis Armstrong’s classic song What A Wonderful World will forever change when you see this video
From A celebration of Natural History on BBC One with David Attenborough, putting Louis Armstrong’s classic song What A Wonderful World with these images forever changes the meaning for me.
“I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom for me and you. And think to myself, ‘What a wonderful world.'”