Western Swing Authority Big Deal

Fri Jan 11, 2019

If you take six of the finest musicians in the country and team them up with a crackerjack female singer who perform with authority and add western swing music to the mix what do you have? The Western Swing Authority of course! Western swing music is “a mix of rural, cowboy, polka, folk, Dixieland jazz and blues mixed with swing; and played by a hot string band often augmented with drums, saxophones, pianos and, notably, the steel guitar. The electrically amplified stringed instruments, especially the steel guitar, give the music a distinctive sound.

Happy New Year from the Cashbox Team!

Fri Dec 21 2018
Happy New Year from the Cashbox Team!

Editor's Note: Cashbox Canada is on holiday! We will return on January 11, 2019, with more stories, more reviews and more personal interviews for you to enjoy. Happy New Year to all of you!

 

I was recently asked at an industry by an industry colleague how I keep Cashbox Canada going. Considering we have reached a ten-year mark in publishing, it is actually remarkable.

 

We do work hard to have advertising carry the financial burden to run a magazine while striving to be supportive of the music and the artists. Sometimes a label, artist or publicity person doesn’t understand that we have to pick our stories carefully and although it is not contingent on ad buys, obviously personal interviews do require paying a journalist for their time and efforts.

The same goes for our cover stories-there are only 51 covers a year so we choose carefully and like to make sure we give the established artists their due and perhaps be lucky enough to choose the future stars just before they break as hit artists. 

But that is just the money side and weekly logistics.

Bara Jonson and Free Synergy

Fri Dec 14 2018
Bara Jonson and Free Synergy

They say that music is the language of the soul, and nothing could be truer for this Crockpop (country/rock/pop) band from south of Sweden. Composed of a dynamic duo together with inspirational musicians and skillful performers, Bara Jonson and Free are a band like no other. From live gigs to streaming sessions and more, they continue to touch fans around the world with their blend of heartfelt lyrics, strong music, and soulful messages.

The duo has played at most of southern Sweden's festivals and also had tours in Denmark, Germany and Holland. 

Bara Jonson and Free recently attended Live at Heart Newfoundland and came back from the island of the rock inspired by the welcoming community of Burin Peninsula NL. Performing at the Live at Heart in Örebro, Sweden earlier this year Bara Jonson and Free received an invitation from organizer Evan Murray to be one of only 30 acts to participate at Live At Heart Newfoundland, Marystown on the Burin Peninsula, this past October. It was to be an appearance that inspired them on many levels, and it touched the hearts of all who attended.

A Conway Christmas - Newfoundland Family Duo Keeps the Tradition Alive

Fri Dec 07, 2018

Preparations for the Christmas season means a lot of hustle & bustle. It’s especially true for teenagers Emily & Thomas Conway, the duo known as CONWAY.

A jam-packed schedule over the past month saw them perform at the iconic St. John’s pub, O’Reilly’s, the province’s cultural hotbed The Rooms, and this Christmas season, their first ever television special will air.

The Mount Pearl duo just recently taped the holiday special, which will be broadcast on NTV, Newfoundland & Labrador’s independent broadcaster, province-wide, and the station is also available on many cable systems across the country, as well as internationally in Bermuda.

“We’re very excited about this opportunity,” Emily tells Cashbox Magazine Canada. “We have some amazing talent joining us.”

It’s especially impressive, considering they haven’t released their first album yet.

John Harris A Night of Music, Magic and Memories

Fri Nov 30 2018
John Harris A Night of Music, Magic and Memories

On November 22, 2018, Cashbox Magazine Canada presented another in its series of Cashbox Canada Legacy Awards in Toronto to a Canadian music industry builder and educator, John Harris. The presentation ceremony took place at Harris Institute in Toronto, a music industry school started by Harris in 1989.

The evening was attended by many of John’s contemporaries and fellow music industry icons and was highlighted by a live solo performance by Lisa Hartt, whom John managed. Hartt performed her hit ‘Old Time Movie’ and a moving version of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Tower of Song’, a perfect fit for John and the evening.

Cashbox CEO/Editor in Chief Sandy Graham presented the award to an emotional Harris who gave a heartfelt acceptance speech where he gave thanks to all who helped him on his journey with a special thanks to “two people who are unable to attend because of the distance, and it’s a really far distance, so thanks Mom and Dad who are up there” as he pointed up to heaven.

Billy Idol Vital Idol: Revitalized

Fri Nov 23, 2018

Vital Idol: Revitalized, the new Billy Idol remix album inspired by his 1980's remix collection, Vital Idol, is now available on CD, digital and 2LP 180-gram black vinyl in addition to a limited edition, red/blue smoke swirl viny variant by Capitol/UMe. The Punk And Rock Icon Continues To Break New Sonic Ground With Help From Rac, Tropkillaz, Moby, The Crystal Method And More.

 

The album garnered Idol his first appearance on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Chart in 25 years, when Vital Idol: Revitalized debuted in the Top 10.

More than 30 years after his groundbreaking Vital Idol compilation cemented the vibrancy of the dance-rock remix genre in the second half of the 1980's, Idol's Revitalized collection features 11 brand-new remixes of his most classic and enduring hits. Lending their hands to the Revitalized proceedings are electronic dance luminaries Moby, The Crystal Method and Paul Oakenfold as well as current innovators including RAC, Tropkillaz, Shiba San, Juan Maclean , and CRAY.

WATCH TWO VIDEOS FROM THE ALBUM, EACH CONTAINING NEWLY REMIXED FOOTAGE FROM THE ORlGINAL 1980s MUSIC VIDEOS:

Bob Livingston The Cosmic Cowboy Ridin’ High

Fri Nov 16, 2018

Ever hear of Bob Livingston? No? Yeah. Wait! I think so. It’s the degrees of separation that once brought to your attention bring Bob Livingston into clear focus. With names like Michael Martin Murphy, Jerry Jeff Walker, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Gary P. Nunn as associates on his resume, all Texas music legends, his place in Americana music history is cemented. And all of the aforementioned are proud to include Bob Livingston in their resumes. In fact, it was Bob who put the Wylie in Ray Wylie Hubbard and the P in Gary P Nunn. “ At the end of a Jerry Jeff Walker recording, I said ‘Ray Wylie Hubbard and Gary P Nunn’. Now Wylie was Ray’s middle name and Gary’s was Phillip hence the P, but from that moment on that was their identities.” Also, it was Bob who was responsible for Jerry Jeff recording Ray’s 'Redneck Mother'. Jerry Jeff broke a string while playing with Bob at the Broken Spoke and said to Bob ‘ sing them a song Bob’ and Bob sang Redneck Mother that he’d heard when Ray wrote it in Red River, New Mexico.

Leah Capelle Walking With Giants

Fri Nov 09, 2018

Cover Photo Credit Jessamyn Sheldon

One of the hardest things for a working artist to do these days is to follow their arrow. To go where they want to and need to go both musically and artistically without listening to the noise pulling them in the direction of popular compromise. But Leah Capelle is laser-focused on what she needs to do to fulfill her musical needs and please a hungry public. The alt/rock singer-songwriter came from the home of the blues Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California where pop dreams are turned into reality. “I moved to L.A. about 5 years ago now because I know this is where I need to be to make my music breathe life and fulfill my destiny. I love it here but I do miss Chicago sometimes. I miss the different seasons.”

Rachel Cousins: “This Fire” Burns Bright

Fri Nov 02, 2018

If you live in Canada, you’ve likely seen Rachel Cousins on your TV screen, but you might not have realized it at the time.

As a young girl, Cousins, currently a 17-year-old singer/songwriter from St. John’s, and one of the rising female stars in the province, starred in award-winning television commercials promoting tourism in Newfoundland & Labrador. The commercials, which featured a young Cousins exploring the beauty of rural Newfoundland settings, were hugely popular, and are still showcased regularly, even though Cousins herself is now letting her musical accomplishments showcase herself & her province on the national & international stage. Iceberg Alley NL Tourism Ad featuring a young Rachel

Iceberg Alley, TV Ad, Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RpShYvI84JI

Skidderpup: Conquering The Great Divide

Thu Oct 25, 2018

“’Cause when you see me comin’, you better get out of my way.”
-Runaway Train by Skidderpup

When you visit the rural Newfoundland community of Grand Bank on the province’s Burin Peninsula, you see a close-knit community of 1500 with a rich connection & history to the sea.

But lately, Grand Bank and the rest of the South Coast has been rocking more often than not lately, thanks to the sounds of a power rock trio named Skidderpup.

The band, which features Dave Noseworthy, Damon Greene & Chad Grandy, is no stranger to the area, and have been together since 2001.

The musical bug was likely introduced by Chad’s grandfather, George Grandy, a well known Burin Peninsula entertainer, who was one of the originals in the growth of the area’s music scene.

“I was only young when I watched my grandfather play,” Chad recalls. “He was the face of rock and roll on the Burin Peninsula from the 1950’s onward, filling dance halls around the Peninsula.”

But the elder Grandy instilled a love of music in young Chad.

Bif Naked and Hot Box Girls

Fri Oct 19, 2018

Bif Naked is a celebrated and notorious performer in music, TV, film, and dance, and a tireless advocate and Humanitarian. Orphaned in India, emancipated by punk rock, and empowered by surviving breast cancer, kidney failure, heart surgery, divorce, and surviving as a Woman in The Entertainment Industry for twenty-five years, Bif has transcended any and all obstacles placed in her path to become one of the world's most unique, recognizable and beloved icons. It is because Bif is such a tremendous performer and musician, that she is able to seamlessly and successfully explore and record other mediums, like writing, painting, choreography, and of course- other genres of music.

A celebrated and diverse artist and writer, known for sliding easily between her punk roots, to rock, pop, alternative, and contemporary genres of music. Known for her inimitable live shows, Naked has said, "Performance is my passion, my raison d'etre in life. I owe it to myself and my beautiful fans to keep evolving and pushing the boundaries, to keep challenging myself."

Lisa Marie and Elvis Presley – United in Love and Music

Fri Oct 05, 2018

Credit: www.lisamariepresley.com

RCA/Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, has released Elvis Presley - 'Where No One Stands Alone, a new Elvis album celebrating the artist's everlasting love of gospel music.

Produced by Joel Weinshanker, Lisa Marie Presley and Andy Childs, Elvis Presley – ‘Where No One Stands Alone’ introduces newly-recorded instrumentation and backing vocal contributions from music legends who'd performed on-stage and/or in-the-studio with Elvis. It also includes a re-imagined duet with Elvis and his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, on the album’s title track and spiritual touchstone.

"It was a very powerful and moving experience to sing with my father," said Lisa Marie, "The lyrics speak to me and touch my soul. I’m certain that the lyrics spoke to my father in much the same way."

Watch ‘Where No One Stands Alone’ here:

https://youtu.be/RaRaUjzD-as

Live at Heart Newfoundland

Fri Sep 28, 2018

Following in the musical footsteps of the recent success of Live at Heart Sweden, Canada is about the embrace another version of this successful festival, with the inaugural event, Live at Heart Newfoundland.

Live at Heart Sweden began in 2010 when founders Anders Damberg and Johannes Nilsson wanted to create a space for local, unsigned bands to play for larger audiences. In its first year, Live at Heart featured 102 different acts and hosted gigs on 10 different venues around Örebro, Sweden. Over the years, Live at Heart has evolved into a creative industry conference and showcase festival – attended by hundreds of artists, filmmakers and creative professionals from all over the world. The event has grown into one of the biggest of its kind in all of Scandinavia and is considered one of the best festivals in the world. The 2018 version showcased more than 200 music acts and independent film screenings in the heart of Örebro.

Sheldon Kagan Not In a Shy Way

Fri Sep 21, 2018
DJ Sheldon and his early DJ Gear
DJ Sheldon and his early DJ Gear

If you are a Montrealer, or even just worked in the entertainment business in that glorious city, then the name Sheldon Kagan is one you will instantly recognize.

For 50 years plus, Kagan was known as one of Montreal’s leading event producers and entrepreneurs. From starting out as a 16-year-old kid doing high school DJ gigs to creating a niche for jazz shows to come through the city, to booking the likes of local bands to legendary greats, producing thousands of productions and taking the chances it takes to book live entertainment.

Gowan Still a Criminal Mind

Fri Sep 14, 2018

At his Caesar’s Palace Coliseum concert on Friday, Sept 7, Larry Gowan was presented with a Certified Canadian Platinum Single award for a combined 80,000 physical, digital and stream equivalent units of his song “A Criminal Mind.”

Gowan was surprised by his label Linus Entertainment with the award, just as his band left the stage leaving him to perform the song solo. While the band and stage managers were in on the plot, Larry was genuinely surprised and delighted at the presentation. “It’s amazing to me because I didn’t think anyone bought records anymore!” he said upon returning for an encore. Linus Entertainment represents several Gowan albums including Strange Animal, Great Dirty World (which includes the song Moonlight Desires), and The Good Catches Up.

Don McLean ‘Mr American Pie’ in the Botanical Gardens

Fri Sep 07, 2018

Don McLean is one of those rare characters, a true US music icon with a song-writing knack and a melodic thrust few can ever reach, let alone match. With a new album just out, ‘Botanical Gardens,’ he is relaxed, assured and happy to look back at his fifty years on the road, a modern troubadour who still loves the buzz of live performance.

I love being out there, on-stage, never knowing what might happen. I’m flying and I only hope everybody gets it and it goes well and is not a disaster. I don’t wear a harness. I’m like a wild horse,’ he says with evident relish.

Ry Cooder The Return of the Prodigal Son

Fri Aug 31, 2018

When one of the world’s most accomplished, admired and revered guitarists tells you that how he plays is: “………nothing special. It’s just music. All music’s the same, all that folk stuff. You just play what you know. You listen to the other guys and try to compliment them,” you know you’re dealing with a master of understatement. And with Ry Cooder, the humility continues in a similar vein as he looks back over half a century at the absolute peak of musical genius.

From his sideman work with the Rolling Stones – Cooder’s the stinging slide-picker on ‘Sister Morphine’ on the ‘Sticky Fingers’ album – in the 1960s to his remarkable emergence as a movie music score writer twenty years later, Cooder has always been a guy with a passion for music, performance and unexpected twists and turns. Always ready to play out his socio-political beliefs and hopes in musical form, Cooder never shuns controversy when he feels the time is right, or there’s a need to push back against convention or authority.

Live at Heart Ready to Showcase over 200 Acts in Sweden

Fri Aug 24, 2018
Peter Astedt
Peter Astedt

It all began in 2010 when Live at Heart’s founders Anders Damberg and Johannes Nilsson wanted to create a space for local, unsigned bands to play for larger audiences. In its first year, Live at Heart featured 102 different acts and hosted gigs on 10 different venues around Örebro.

Over the years, Live at Heart has evolved into a creative industry conference and showcase festival – attended by hundreds of artists, filmmakers and creative professionals from all over the world. The event has grown into one of the biggest of its kind in all of Scandinavia and is considered one of the best festivals in the world.

Live at Heart Ready to Showcase over 200 Acts in Sweden

Fri Aug 24, 2018

It all began in 2010 when Live at Heart’s founders Anders Damberg and Johannes Nilsson wanted to create a space for local, unsigned bands to play for larger audiences. In its first year, Live at Heart featured 102 different acts and hosted gigs on 10 different venues around Örebro.

Over the years, Live at Heart has evolved into a creative industry conference and showcase festival – attended by hundreds of artists, filmmakers and creative professionals from all over the world. The event has grown into one of the biggest of its kind in all of Scandinavia and is considered one of the best festivals in the world.

Live at Heart is a showcase festival, meaning that we are showcasing the stars of tomorrow and giving promising creative talents the opportunity to get discovered and boost their careers. More than 200 music acts and independent film screenings in the heart of Örebro.

Carlos Santana Up Close and Personal

Fri Aug 17, 2018

Carlos Santana is, without doubt, one of the finest guitarists modern music has to offer. From his explosive appearance on the Woodstock stage fifty years ago, in 1969, through his work with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter and the legendary blues duo of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper, Santana has remained a unique, instantly recognizable figure in both the blues and world music camps.

Now, with a new band behind him and an ambition and optimism that he believes is leading him back to his ‘blues roots,’ he is about to hit the road with a promise of Santana at his very best, a bluesman with a purpose and a genuine desire to take the music world by the scruff of its neck and deliver a promise that he believes will push him straight back into the spotlight where many would agree he clearly belongs.