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The Dillinger Escape Plan Created “The Gayest Shirt Of All Time By Any Band” To Troll Homophobic Fans

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One of my favourite bands, and one that I had a chance to work with over a few albums, is New Jersey-bred prog-hardcore veterans The Dillinger Escape Plan. They took a postive stand on equal marriage rights, eventually taking action against those in their fanbase who revealed themselves as vocal homophobes in the process by releasing what they have called “the gayest shirt of all time by any band”.  They explain…

This one’s a bit of a winding tale, so to reward you early for your faith, you can see the shirt below in all the majesty of its rainbow-coloured, cock-headed Pegasus design — the explanation for its existence is to follow.

To understand the impetus for the fabulous new merchandise — we promise, it’s worth it — we have to go back a couple of days to the original incident. In wanting to show their support for the US Supreme Court’s recent decision to legalise same-sex marriage in all 50 states, the band released a special T-shirt to commemorate the change, promising 50% of its profits to The Trevor Project, which is focused on suicide prevention among LGBTQI youth — a noble cause in itself.

However, their problems began when they took a badge image they had posted to Facebook in support of the decision — of two muscular arms clasped in a bro-shake, emblazoned with the words You Son Of A Bitch (the whole thing is a reference to Predator) — that had been created by a third party who goes by the name of FutureZine, “altered the image enough to make it legally non-infringing to parody law” and slapped a Pride flag and their logo on it and put it up for sale.

From there, people started to point out their “plagiarism” of the patch — which the band vehemently denied — leading to the band posting a follow-up response in defense of the shirt, pointing out that the majority of FutureZine’s designs — the Predator arms included — are trading on other people’s intellectual property.

“We of all people obviously have no interest in stealing art,” the band explained. “We brought attention to him, we linked to his store, etc. We thought the two people clasping hands was a powerful image. We didn’t think that the outline of those arms would be a big deal to someone making money off of selling predator and rambo themed badges, and an actual drawing of Bart Simpson. Not a caracature [sic], not an interpretation, actual Bart Simpson artwork from the show (season four, episode one, exactly two minutes in).”

“We will continue to send fifty percent of the proceeds of this shirt to The Trevor Project, and the other fifty will now go to Matt Groening as a settlement to keep him from suing FutureZine,” they continued. “Irony is truly still a really dead scene.”

However, amid all the hooplah over the so-called plagiarism of FutureZine’s Predator arms, The Dillinger Escape Plan noticed an uglier trend emerging — open expressions of disappointment for their support of the same-sex marriage law among their fans.

Which brings us to the “gayest shirt of all time”.

“So after everything yesterday, the thing that still stuck out the most were the random comments we had to delete, and some we didn’t, of people who were somehow disappointed in our stance on gay marriage,” the band posted to Facebook this morning (AEST).

“Not many, but still, even one is shocking. So now, to violently weed those people out of our fanbase for good, we proudly give you the “gayest” shirt of all time by any band: a Pegasus, with a cock for a horn, ejaculating a giant rainbow, on a tie-dye…shit I mean rainbow soaked…tank top. For twenty four hours. Again, fifty percent of proceeds go to The Trevor Project.”

The house of Jazz legend John Coltrane

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A recent New York Times article lamented the neglected, and possibly endangered state of the John Coltrane Home, the Long Island house in the town of Dix Hills in which the jazz great lived from 1964 until his death in 1967. Sadly, it’s not the only Coltrane residence to fall into disrepair. Philadelphia’s John Coltrane House served as Coltrane’s primary residence from 1952, a few years after his return from service in the Navy during World War II, until 1958, when he departed for New York. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1999, but you wouldn’t know it from its neglected appearance.

That’s a shame for a number of reasons, that Coltrane’s years in Philadelphia were key to his musical development not the least of them. It was here, prior to his Navy stint, that Coltrane studied music theory the Ornstein School Of Music and Granoff Studios. And it was here that, from a distance, he fell under the sway of New York Bop giants like Charlie Parker. That infatuation turned into a professional calling when Coltrane began to work first with Dizzy Gillespie, Johnny Hodges, and other before moving onto collaborations with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. Coltrane’s Philadelphia years weren’t without tumult, however: A heroin addiction threatened both his artistic development and his professional success. In fact, Davis fired Coltrane from his famous first quintet before bringing him back into the fold to record the groundbreaking 1958 classic Kind Of Blue, the same year he stopped using heroin and experienced a spiritual awakening that would influence his music for the rest of his life. So what’s the future of the John Coltrane House? As with Coltrane’s Dix Hills home, that remains unclear. At the moment, it generates no income, making it difficult for its current owners—who purchased it from Coltrane’s cousin Mary Lyerly Alexander, the inspiration for his song “Cousin Mary”—to maintain and repair it. Whatever the fate of Coltrane’s homes, his music will live on. But it would be a shame if the places that help inspire that music faded away.

Chrissie Hynde’s ‘Reckless: My Life as a Pretender’ publishes on September 8

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Chrissie Hynde’s ‘Reckless: My Life as a Pretender’ publishes on September 8

‘Reckless: My Life as a Pretender’ publishes on September 8 and this looks to be a must-read for any rock and roll fan.

From Chrissie Hynde, one of rock’s most iconic, alluring, kick-ass, and (let’s face it) sexy women, a brilliant, no-holds-barred memoir of a rock life lived to the hilt.

Chrissie Hynde, the songwriter and frontwoman of The Pretenders in its various incarnations, has for thirty-five years been one of the most admired and adored and imitated figures in rock. This long-awaited memoir tells her life story in full and utterly fascinating detail, from her all-American Ohio fifties childhood to her classic baby-boomer seduction by the rock of the sixties to her sojourn in the crucible of punk that was seventies London to her instant emergence with her band, The Pretenders, in 1980 into stardom as a frontwoman and songwriter. She brings a fantastic eye for detail, a withering and sardonic sense of humor, and a fearless and sometimes naked emotional honesty to her memoir, and every line, every word of it is unmistakably hers. It is sure to be recognized as a classic of rock literature—and, man, is it fun to read.

You can pre-order it here.

SOCAN Releases Fiscal Year 2014 Final Results

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SOCAN Releases Fiscal Year 2014 Final Results

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada announced complete financial results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. The announcement of final official results followed the organization’s preview of financial figures on February 10, 2015, and coincided with SOCAN’s annual general meeting, held this year in Toronto.

Highlights:
* A record year for total revenue – $299.5-million brought in for members, an increase of approximately 8.4 per cent over 2013.
* Record international revenue of $55.5-million, an increase of 8.3 per cent over 2013.
* Internet streaming revenues of $21.3-million – up from $3.4-million in 2013.
* A record-low Corporate Net Expense Ratio of 9.5 percent – a 2.5-point improvement over 2014, making SOCAN one of the most cost-effective major music rights organizations in the world.
* $241-million distributed to members.

SOCAN continues to improve efficiencies and services, benefitting from technology advances, a more streamlined organization, and strategic departmental adjustments.

“SOCAN is one of the Canadian music ecosystem’s greatest success stories,” said CEO Eric Baptiste. “We’re fighting for our members’ rights every minute of every day, and uncovering more places where their music is performed in public in Canada and worldwide, ensuring that every penny a music creator and music publisher has fairly earned ends up in his or her pocket. Our 2014 results are testament to our success working for our songwriter, composer and music publisher members.”

SOCAN also reported that on June 15, 2015, the total number of the organization’s members surpassed 130,000 – an increase of more than 5,000 since this time last year.

For full financial statements and a complete overview of 2014, please visit www.socanannualreport.ca.

Don’t even question it. Phil Collins dominated the 1980s

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Don’t even question it. Phil Collins dominated the 1980s

Via Completely Ignored

The JUNO Awards and Slaight Music Team Up To Create Canada’s Premier Artist Development Opportunity

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The JUNO Awards and Slaight Music Team Up To Create Canada’s Premier Artist Development Opportunity

The JUNO Awards and Slaight Music announce the launch of the premier artist development opportunity in Canada, The Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class. This new initiative provides the crucial tools to help three finalists develop their careers, build their own sustainable business and become ‘JUNO ready’. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, July 27, 2015 at 5:00 pm ET.

The inaugural ‘master class’ includes a week-long customized artist development program co-developed with Canada’s Music Incubator at Coalition Music. This development program provides hands-on mentoring, networking and collaboration opportunities.

The Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class brings together the two key mandates of CARAS and The JUNO Awards: music education through MusiCounts and the celebration and promotion of excellence through the JUNO Awards. The program aims to foster the growth of Canadian musicians through mentorship, education, skills training, development and deal-making opportunities. With no submission fee needed to apply, the program requires that an active CARAS Academy Delegate endorse each applicant’s entry. For more information, visit www.junomasterclass.ca.

“It is our goal to help artists in their journey by exposing them to a program that will not only hone their musical skills, but enhance the business side of the industry for them as well,” said Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards & MusiCounts. “We are asking CARAS Academy Delegates across the country to endorse artists in their communities that they feel are ready for this next step.”

“Slaight Music remains committed to assisting, promoting and developing opportunities for Canadian musicians to flourish and the Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class is a fabulous extension of our objectives,” said Gary Slaight, CEO /President Slaight Communications. “My father, Allan, was a true leader in championing Canadian artists beginning with Gordon Lightfoot, and I know that he is proud to have this initiative named in his honour.”

Submissions will go through two rounds of judging. Canadian music industry heavyweights, including representatives from major and independent music labels, publishers, agents, managers, and media partners will narrow down the submissions to the top 10. A Super Jury made up of JUNO alumni will facilitate the second round of judging to narrow down the field to three finalists. JUNO Award winners Sam Roberts of the Sam Roberts Band, Max Kerman of Arkells, producer Gavin Brown, and A&R representative Ali Slaight from Slaight Music are amongst the Super Jury. Additional jurors and key partners from the music and media ecosystem to be announced.

“Canada’s Music Incubator at Coalition Music is dedicated to addressing the gap that exists between artists creating music and their ability to operate a small business. New artists are equivalent to starter companies and require entrepreneurial skills and know-how. We are proud to co-develop the artist development program with The JUNO Awards and Slaight Music and to share our experience, expertise and resources with the artists selected,“ says Vel Omazic, Executive Director, Canada’s Music Incubator at Coalition Music.

PRIZING DETAILS

Three finalists will each receive:

  • An all inclusive trip to Toronto for an intensive and customized artist development program with industry leaders and Canadian artists hosted by Canada’s Music Incubator at Coalition Music. The program (October 25–31) will culminate with a music industry showcase night in Toronto for the finalists.
  • A trip to the 2016 JUNO Awards in Calgary, Alberta. Includes flights, hotels and JUNO Weekend packages, including tickets to the Welcome Reception, JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards and the live JUNO Awards Broadcast.
  • Showcase opportunity at the JUNO Awards during JUNOfest – a two-day music festival during JUNO Weekend – PLUS a chance to perform for the Canadian music industry at the exclusive JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards.
  • JUNO TV will film the finalist’s experience of the Master Class program, producing three mini-docs to run on junotv.ca. This series will be directed by MuchMusic Video Award winner and JUNO-nominated music video director Ben Knechtel.
  • Studio time at Slaight Music Recording Studios.
  • A cash investment in their music career and more.

To be eligible for the Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class program, candidates must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Be a Canadian citizen(s).
  • Released a minimum of two original singles within the eligibility period (January 1, 2014-July 15, 2015); EPs and albums are also eligible.
  • Have never been previously recognized as a JUNO Award nominee either as a solo artist or as part of a group, even if this submission is a new solo project or band.
  • Have not sold more than 5,000 albums/EPs or 50,000 singles according to Nielsen SoundScan.
  • Must be 19 years of age or older on or before the program deadline.
  • Must be available to travel to Toronto, ON for a maximum seven-day artist development program, taking place October 25-31, 2015 and to attend the JUNO Awards in Calgary, AB from April 1–3, 2016.
  • Must have an active CARAS Academy Delegate endorse their submission.

For more details visit: www.junomasterclass.ca

Who Is Remixing Glenn Gould With Rap? This Is Awesome

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Who Is Remixing Glenn Gould With Rap? This Is Awesome

Glenn Gould was a Canadian pianist who became one of the best-known and most celebrated classical pianists of the 20th century. He was particularly renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard music of Johann Sebastian Bach. His playing was distinguished by remarkable technical proficiency and capacity to articulate the polyphonic texture of Bach’s music.

And he works INCREDIBLY well with hip hop. Don’t believe me? Check out what arts collective Uninvited Guests have done:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WsRRBQVP74

Rolling Stones Release Secret LA Club Show as ‘Sticky Fingers Live’

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Rolling Stones Release Secret LA Club Show as ‘Sticky Fingers Live’

The Rolling Stones have released a live version of the ‘Sticky Fingers’ album recorded just weeks ago in Los Angeles and without notice to fans.

On May 20 The Stones played the smallest show of the current tour at LA’s 1200 capacity Fonda Theatre, a warm-up show at the start of the 2015 Zipcode tour, where they performed the entire ‘Sticky Fingers’ album for the first time ever.

Two of those songs ‘Sister Morphine’ and ‘You Gotta Move’ had no been played live by The Stones since in a long time. ‘Sister Morphine’ since 1998 and ‘You Gotta Move’ since 1976.

The Sticky Fingers Live album features only the songs from the classic 1971 album performed that night and not the six other tracks the band performed.

The sequence was the album starting at track two ‘Sway’ with the original opening track ‘Brown Sugar’ moved to the end.
Sticky Fingers Live May 20 2015 at The Fonda

Sway (from Sticky Fingers, 1971)
Dead Flowers (from Sticky Fingers, 1971)
Wild Horses (from Sticky Fingers, 1971)
Sister Morphine (from Sticky Fingers, 1971)
You Gotta Move (from Sticky Fingers, 1971)
Bitch (from Sticky Fingers, 1971)
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (from Sticky Fingers, 1971)
I Got The Blues (from Sticky Fingers, 1971)
Moonlight Mile (from Sticky Fingers, 1971)
Brown Sugar (from Sticky Fingers, 1971)

The album is now available on iTunes. A physical disc version has not been announced.

Food Network Canada and Walmart Canada Harvest “Cooking For Kids” Campaign

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Food Network Canada and Walmart Canada Harvest “Cooking For Kids” Campaign

Food Network Canada and Walmart Canada are teaming up to help busy parents create easy, delicious, and healthy options for their kids with a robust multi-platform campaign. Coinciding with the re-brand of Walmart’s fresh foods section, the partnership includes sponsorship of the resourceful Cooking for Kids Guide onFoodNetwork.ca, which features inspiring meal ideas and tips for Canadian families, Walmart custom content, and product integration.The campaign also encompasses integration into the new original series The Incredible Food Race as well as sponsorship of the show.

Hosted by Rick Campanelli (Entertainment Tonight Canada), each episode of The Incredible Food Race features two families battling it out in a super-charged race full of fun food challenges and a main event: the family versus family cook-off of a kid-approved meal. As the official show sponsor, Walmart is integrated into every episode and provides each winning family free Walmart fresh groceries for a year. Campanelli is joined by Food Network Canada Chef Corbin Tomaszeski (Restaurant Takeover, Dinner Party Wars) as chef mentor and commentator during the main event. Over the summer, Walmart and Chef Corbin will also host eight tailgate events at sites across Canada featuring a barbecue, cooking demonstrations with local Walmart Mom Ambassadors and Chef Corbin, with a ninth tailgate event created for the series.

An additional piece of the partnership includes four broadcast spots featuring Chef Corbin inviting Canadians to Discover Another Side of Walmart and promoting the Cooking for Kids conversation online using #KidApprovedMeals. The spots will run on Food Network Canada as well as various Shaw Media broadcast properties including Global, HGTV Canada, Showcase and Slice. The vignettes include Chef Corbin offering advice on cooking meals for kids, introducing fresh produce and meat from Walmart fresh groceries into kid favourites, and tours of Walmart’s distribution centres. Extended vignettes will live online on the Walmart sponsored Cooking for Kids Guide on FoodNetwork.ca, in addition to Walmart sites and Walmart Mom Ambassador blogs.

“There is an appetite for quick, delicious and healthy meal options for families, and the partnership between Food Network Canada and Walmart Canada provides both the resources and the inspiration to make this easier for parents,” said Barb McKergow, Head of Marketing Ventures, Shaw Media.

”At Walmart, our mission is to help Canadians save money so they can live better,” said Jennifer Holgate, Vice President, Marketing Communications at Walmart Canada. “This is why we are excited to be partnering with Food Network Canada to showcase our enhanced fresh food offering and inspire Canadian families to create delicious, healthy and affordable kid-approved meal solutions.”

Beginning today, and running until December 16, Walmart is sponsoring Walmart Wednesday’s on Food Network Canada during primetime, with co-branded promos to run throughout the schedule.

Glen Hansard’s new album ‘Didn’t He Ramble’ out Sept. 18th

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Glen Hansard’s new album ‘Didn’t He Ramble’ out Sept. 18th

Didn’t He Ramble, the second solo outing from acclaimed singer songwriter Glen Hansard, will be released September 18 via Anti- Records. The new album is his first in over three years and follows 2012’s solo debut Rhythm & Repose, which Billboard hailed as “Hansard at his most engaging,” while The Wall Street Journal furthered, “Hansard’s distinguishing trait as a songwriter is a heavy-handed earnestness.”

As a special preview, the video for the album’s single “Winning Streak” is premiering now as an NPR Music First Watch here.

Of the video, director Braden King explains, “Glen and I talked a lot about the way in which every life is a fight, a struggle. No matter who you are. No matter what you do. They’re all different and they all never end. For me, the song is about that struggle we all face in our own ways and about who has your back along the way. There is no end to it. We may get momentary rests along the way but they are fleeting. We all have to get up again and get back into the ring. And you know, sometimes, those who are the hardest on us are the ones who get us through. The way this turned out, the song kind of became the spirit of this place, the blood running through all these boxers veins. And I love the way in which Glen haunts and inspires it all.”

Didn’t He Ramble was produced by Thomas Bartlett (The National, Sufjan Stevens), a frequent collaborator of Hansard’s, and Grammy winner and former Frames band-mate David Odlum (Paloma Faith, Tinariwen). The album, which was recorded in New York, Dublin, Chicago and France, is Hansard’s most intimate and elegant record since his work in Once and features guest appearances by John Sheahan (Dubliners), Sam Beam (Iron and Wine) and Sam Amidon.

While the journey to finishing the record was a long one, the reward of finally arriving at the end line was well worth it. Hansard explains, “I feel I’ve really dug deep for these songs, and I’ve been chasing specific ideas asking myself ‘what is it I’m trying to say with this line or idea?’ One would hope that through all of this that you find your voice. And, amazingly, you might find it in the smallest gesture of a song.”

Glen Hansard is the celebrated principal songwriter and vocalist/guitarist for the influential Irish group The Frames. Whether busking the streets of Dublin, where he got his start, or headlining a gig, Hansard has garnered a reputation as an unparalleled frontman.

Hansard is also one half of the acclaimed duo The Swell Season. In 2007, he and Czech songstress Markéta Irglová took home the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly” off the Once soundtrack. In 2013, the Broadway adaptation, Once, The Musical, won eight Tony Awards including the top musical prize itself.

As a solo artist he has sold-out shows worldwide and performed on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Tavis Smiley,” and has been featured on the Emmy Award-winning program “CBS Sunday Morning.”

TRACKLISTING
1. Grace Beneath the Pines
2. Wedding Ring
3. Winning Streak
4. Her Mercy
5. McCormack’s Wall
6. Lowly Deserter
7. Paying My Way
8. My Little Ruin
9. Just to Be the One
10. Stay the Road

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That Eric Alper

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

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