David Spargo loves the Australian band Peking Duk. I mean, really, really like them. He came up a brilliant way, and one I’ve never ever heard of in all my years of working in the music industry. On Wednesday night in Melbourne, he went to the backstage area of a concert, where he was stopped by a security guard. David told him he was band member Reuben Styles’ stepbrother, and for proof, he pulled up Peking Duk’s Wikipedia page on his phone and pointed out his name. The name he added only a few minutes before. Guess what happened?
That’s right. He got in.
“It was probably the most genius, mastermind move that I’ve ever witnessed,” said Adam Hyde, Styles’ bandmate. “It’s crazy. He just did it on the spot, in a second on his phone.
“He told the security guard he was our stepbrother or something, and showed them the Wikipedia page and his ID.”
It goes to show, said Hyde, “never trust Wikipedia”.
Spargo introduced himself to the band, who were more impressed by his ingenuity than concerned by the security breach.
som1 edited our wiki 2 say he was our family. showed security, got in2 the green room and had a beer with the boys.. pic.twitter.com/DUZfki9hFS
It's that time of the year again, where websites, blogs, news media outlets and generally happy people endeavor into creating their Best Of The Year lists, highlighting works that will surely stand as their choices for high-water marks for music in 2015. You'll find a fairly diverse range of opinions, but all of their choices contain within the power, beauty and commitment to the art form, no matter how you chose to consume music these days. So, go ahead - choose a list. Many of them link up to a Spotify, Pandora or YouTube playlist so you can hear and see people's choices. The big winners from the critics include Adele, Sufjan Stevens, Grimes, Julia Holter, Sleater-Kinney, Courtney Barnett, Father John Misty and a whole lotta Kendrick Lamar. But, above all, you'll no doubt find one or two hidden gems in each critic's choices. I'll be updating this list daily, so if you have a list published, or want to direct me to one, please let me know by email EAlper@EntOneGroup.com
You'll notice, there's no worst of, or most-overrated lists below. You can easily find those by just hanging around social media for a moment or two. I choose to celebrate the great, not slam. And by the way, if you're looking to see what topped the list in 2014, you can go here to find all the year-end lists - over 1,100 of them, all in one place.
My choices? Best Album: Courtney Barnett, Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit. I missed her at SXSW. I missed her in Toronto. This won't happen again. This album sound so easy to make, but that's just how good she is. It's an instant classic, beautifully natural, exhilarating and brilliant. Best Artist: Justin Bieber/Adele/Taylor Swift. Justin, for what is the feel-good story of the year, and a rule for anyone: Focus on the music. Nothing else matters. Adele. Apparently she put out a record this year. Kidding. 25 debuted at number one in more than 20 markets and broke first-week sales records in multiple countries, including the United Kingdom and United States; in the US, the album sold 3.38 million copies in its first week of release, marking the largest single-week sales for an album since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking point-of-sale music purchases in 1991. When was the last time an artist had an impact to have people buy and/or listen to an album like this? Taylor Swift, she was everywhere, but it's her keen sense of social media and outreach to fans that make her #1 in my book. Best Canadian Album: BadBadNotGood and Ghostface Killah/Sour Soul. eOne Music Canada put this out. I did PR. I haven't been this honoured to work a record since J Dilla's Donuts. 25 years from now, your kids will be listening to this collaboration.
One Direction’s You & I, taken from their third studio album Midnight Memories, was released as the album’s fourth and final single, first impacting US contemporary hit radio in April, 2014 by Columbia Records and later being released in Europe in May, 2014.
“Nothing means anything” – Kurt Vonnegut on November 8, 1970
In November 1970, Kurt Vonnegut walked into a class room at NYU. He was a guest speaker that day. He’d prepared some handwritten notes on what he wanted to say: there were his thoughts on the art of writing, his childhood, the death of his parents. He jumped from topic to topic as he shuffled through his papers. Sometimes his voice trailed off. He delivered punchlines with perfect timing. The class roared. Listening to this tape, we get to be flies on the wall that day. So take a seat, but your book bag down and enjoy, thanks to the latest entry in PBS’ Blank On Blank series.
Here’s a cool infographic from SwitcherStudio that shows just how much things have changed since YouTube was created 10 years ago. Astounding, isn’t it?
In 1976, an 11-year-old Björk participated in a Christmas special for Icelandic TV station RUV in which she read the nativity story while accompanied by music played by fellow students from the Reykjavík Children’s Music School.
NEW YORK – CILVER will release Not The End Of The World on March 18th, 2016 via Entertainment One Music, the first since signing with the indie label last year. The band’s own Leon Lyazidi produced the record with help from well known producer Johnny K, who executive produced. The band is eager to release their songs to the world, the band spent a good portion of the spring locked away in Groovemaster Studios in Chicago.
“This is the perfect time to release this record,” says vocalist Uliana Preotu. “A time where America is angry, frustrated, lost, but hopeful. The songs are honest and biographical to the point that every lyric made me cry as it transported me to important and memorable moments of my life. Moments of loss and hope, moments that every citizen and immigrant can relate to.”
Anchored by songwriting duo Uliana Preotu and guitarist Leon Lyazidi, the band has come a long way from their previous projects in New York City. What served as an artistic restart has turned into a runaway train of accomplishment that seems to be going faster as time goes on. The band signed a new deal with eOne Music last year. “eOne is real,” says Leon. “When we set out to launch Cilver, we were looking for people who ate, slept and bled music just like we did. eOne was clearly a cut above everyone else and we couldn’t be more excited to be part an amazing roster, led by a passionate and creative team.”
Check out for “In My Head” featuring Bumblefoot of Guns N’ Roses taken from the band’s previous EP.
After landing a management deal with The RSE Group (Slayer, Gojira, Ghost, Mastodon), representation from The Circle Talent Agency, and legal from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, 2014 and 2015 ended up as the band’s busiest years yet. The band gained traction touring as openers on the Revolver Magazine Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock tour with Sick Puppies and Lacuna Coil. Uliana was also featured in the Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock issue of the magazine and calendar. After a series of radio festivals and showcases, Cilver found themselves on a boat with Motorhead for the Motorboat Cruise this past fall. In similar fashion, the band also participated on the ShipRocked Cruise this January, which sailed from Miami to the Bahamas.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band launch The River Tour, a nine-week US trek, on Jan. 16 in Pittsburgh. The announcement of the tour coincides with today’s release of “The Ties That Bind: The River Collection,” a comprehensive look at the era of the 1980 “The River” album that “Rolling Stone” calls “Springsteen’s best archival release yet.”
Springsteen precedes the tour with a Dec. 19 performance on “Saturday Night Live,” his third appearance on the NBC show.
The River Tour (#TheRiverTour) is the first for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band since the 2014 High Hopes Tour.
Each night of the tour will be mixed for release on Live.BruceSpringsteen.net as high-quality downloads and CDs. Recordings will be available within days of each performance.
The original The River Tour began Oct. 3, 1980, two weeks before the release of Springsteen’s fifth album, and continued through Sept. 4, 1981. With sets that regularly approached the four-hour range, the 140-date international tour firmly established a reputation for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band as marathon performers.
“The Ties That Bind: The River Collection” includes 52 tracks on four CDs with a wealth of unreleased material and four hours of never-before-seen video on three DVDs. It contains the original “The River” double album; the first official release of “The River: Single Album”; a CD of 1979/80 studio outtakes; a brand-new documentary about “The River”; and a coffee-table book of 200 rare or previously unseen photos and memorabilia, with a new essay by Mikal Gilmore. The set also includes a two-DVD film of never-released, newly edited multi-camera footage from a Nov. 1980 show in Tempe, AZ, described by NPR as a “holy grail.”
Tickets to The River Tour go on sale Dec. 11.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 2016 US Tour Dates:
January 16 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center
January 19 Chicago, IL United Center
January 24 & 27 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
January 29 Washington, DC Verizon Center
January 31 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
February 2 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
February 4 Boston, MA TD Garden
February 8 Albany, NY Times Union Center
February 10 Hartford, CT XL Center
February 12 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
February 16 Sunrise, FL BB&T Center
February 18 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
February 21 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
February 23 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena
February 25 Buffalo, NY First Niagara Center
February 27 Rochester, NY Blue Cross Arena
February 29 St Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
March 3 Milwaukee, WI BMO Harris Bradley Center
March 6 St Louis, MO Chaifetz Arena
March 10 Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort Arena
March 13 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
March 15 & 17 Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
Scott Weiland, best known as the lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, passed away in his sleep while on a tour stop in Bloomington, Minnesota, with his band The Wildabouts.
According to Billboard, the Bloomington, Minn. Police Department issued a statement at 11:15 p.m. PT detailing the events as such: On Dec. 3rd at 8:22 p.m., officers responded to a report of an unresponsive adult male in a recreational motor vehicle located in the 2200 block of Killebrew Drive. “Officers arrived and determined the adult male was deceased,” read the release, which did not identify the deceased. The address seems to correspond to a local Country Inn & Suites hotel.
Here’s the interview I did earlier this summer:
Two days before being found dead at 48, Scott Weiland gave one of his last interviews backstage at Toronto’s Adelaide Hall.
Neil Portnow, President and CEO of The Recording Academy wrote in a release, “Two-time GRAMMY Award winner Scott Weiland was a grunge icon and a true modern day, rock and roll front man. From the massive success he achieved as the original lead vocalist of Stone Temple Pilots to his work with rock supergroup Velvet Revolver and his most recent venture with the Wildabouts, Scott’s extraordinary talent and captivating performances will forever live on and inspire legions of rock fans worldwide. We have lost an innovative member of our creative community and our sincerest condolences go out to Scott’s family, friends, collaborators and all who have been impacted by his incredible work.”
STP went on to sell 13.5 million albums in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, while Velvet Revolver sold 2.4 million units.
Craig Kallman, Atlantic Records’ CEO helped the band get signed to his label, and he sent out a letter yesterday to pay tribute to Weiland.
Dear Colleagues,
You may have heard the deeply sad news that Scott Weiland, the former lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots, passed away last night at the age of 48. Scott was a force of nature, on record and on stage. One of the most extraordinary vocalists, performers, and songwriters in rock history, he was a charismatic, galvanizing presence with an unmistakable voice and style.
In 1991, the year that I joined Atlantic Records, we signed a band from Southern California called Mighty Joe Young. By the following year, they had changed their name to Stone Temple Pilots, and I watched firsthand as they began a decade of phenomenal creativity and success. We released their debut album, Core, in September of 1992, and STP immediately became America’s biggest new rock band, going on to rank among the most accomplished and influential artists of their generation.
By the time they disbanded in 2002, STP had sold some 35 million albums worldwide, half of those in the U.S. alone. Their songs became rock anthems: “’Sex Type Thing, “ “Plush,” “Creep”, “Interstate Love Song,” and many more. Scott and STP made music that has only become more timeless over the years, sounding as fresh and vital today as the day it was recorded. In 1998, we released Scott’s acclaimed solo album, 12 Bar Blues. STP got back together in 2008, and we released their reunion album in 2010, but unfortunately, it turned out to be Scott’s last work with the band.
Scott was an incredibly creative, warm, intelligent, and inspired human being. His demons have been well publicized, but it is his incredible musical legacy that will be remembered for many years to come. Scott’s passing is a tragic loss for all of those who knew him and for his millions of fans around the world. He will be greatly missed.
Craig Kallman
The surviving members of Stone Temple Pilots took to Facebook on Friday to post their own tribute to Weiland:
The post reads:
Dear Scott,
Let us start by saying thank you for sharing your life with us.
Together we crafted a legacy of music that has given so many people happiness and great memories.
The memories are many, and they run deep for us.
We know amidst the good and the bad you struggled, time and time again.
It’s what made you who you were.
You were gifted beyond words, Scott.
Part of that gift was part of your curse.
With deep sorrow for you and your family, we are saddened to see you go.
All of our love and respect.
We will miss you brother,
Robert, Eric, Dean
Here’s one of my all-time faves, Slither. May he finally, finally get some rest and peace.
Speaking about his guitars, legendary musician and Entertainment One Music recording artist Jesse Cook said, “Over the years, I’ve taken my music and tried to cross-pollinate it with music from different parts of the world,” explains the 50-year-old global-guitar virtuoso. “For the (2003) album Nomad, I went to Cairo and recorded with musicians there. On my (2009) record The Rumba Foundation, I went to Colombia, and worked with musicians from Cuba as well. On (1998’s) Vertigo, I went down to Lafayette, La., and recorded with Buckwheat Zydeco. For me, the question has always been: Where did you go? Where did you take your guitar?” The answer is found in his new album, the #1 Jazz and World Music album One World, and now, fans of Cook will have an opportunity to own one of these treasured instruments valued at $18,000 in CharityBuzz’s upcoming auction for a one-of-a-kind Deluxe Calton, to be held online starting December 1 and ends December 20.
This is a brand new Flamenco instrument, specifically made for Cook. Cook has played a Laskin Flamenco Negra in performance for many years. This on-going collaboration with Cook inspiring Laskin to build him another guitar. After years of dreaming about getting a Flamenco Blanca Laskin, the guitar-maker finally managed to find the time to build one. As always, his guitar was spectacular. Jesse was caught by surprise when presented with a new $18,000 Laskin guitar, and he’s now passed along the opportunity for another music-lover to enjoy it, with proceeds going to MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), helping to keep music alive in schools and communities across Canada.
A video of Jesse’s performance with this unique instrument can be seen on below.
Here’s a video of Jesse sharing his love for his William Laskin guitar in conversation with its builder.
“By giving another music-lover the chance to enjoy this incredibly unique instrument, we will be providing the opportunity for thousands of children to experience the sheer joy of making music, along with the many other benefits that are proven to go hand-in-hand with music education,” Said Vanessa Thomas, Executive Director, MusiCounts. “We are extremely grateful for Jesse’s generosity as this will help us support multiple music programs with instruments that will last for many years to come.”
The guitar is set up within the normal range of CONCERT Flamenco action. It is currently at 7/64 measured at the 12 fret position. “Commonly we have flamenco players who go as low as 6/64 and rarely even lower,” says Laskin. “There is a full 6/64 of excess height at the bridge saddle so plenty of scope to lower the action if required.”
“This is an excellent opportunity to acquire a classic instrument, complete with a unique history and future, and to support an exceptionally worthy cause at the same time. It’s no overstatement that this is one of the most beautifully-made and sonically-perfect instruments in the world,” said Cook. “This is a significant instrument, and will no doubt be the prize in some guitarist’s collection.”
MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), is putting musical instruments into the hands of children who need it most. MusiCounts’ mission is to ensure that children in Canada, regardless of socio-economic circumstances or cultural background, have access to music programs through their schools and communities. Since MusiCounts’ establishment in 1997, nearly $8,000,000 has been awarded in support of music education in Canada. These funds have benefitted over 700 schools and communities from coast to coast, supported over 300 post-secondary music program graduates and honoured 10 extraordinary music teachers through the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award. For more information visit musicounts.ca.
