Daryl Hall & John Oates Announce The 2020 Tour

Fri Jan 31, 2020

From the mid-'70s to the mid-'80s, Daryl Hall and John Oates scored six #1 singles, including "Rich Girl" (also #1 R&B), "Kiss on My List," "Private Eyes," "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) (also #1 R&B), "Maneater" and "Out of Touch" from their six consecutive multi-platinum albums -- '76's Bigger Than Both of Us, '80's Voices, '81's Private Eyes, '82's H2O, '83's Rock N Soul, Part I and '84's Big Bam Boom. The era would also produce an additional five Top 10 singles, "Sara Smile," "One on One," "You Make My Dreams," "Say It Isn't So" and "Method of Modern Love." In 1987, the RIAA recognized Daryl Hall and John Oates as the top-selling duo in pop music history, a record they still hold today.

Daryl Hall & John Oates

 

Rock Star & ‘Princess of Everything’ Bif Naked Launches International Organic CBD Brand, MonaLisa Healing

Fri Jan 31 2020
Bif Naked Photo Credit Coco and Kensington Photography

Gold and Platinum-selling Canadian rock star — not to mention author, songwriter, manager, producer, and human and animal rights activist — Bif Naked has unveiled a new venture under her expansive wing with the launch of her new organic CBD boutique, MonaLisaHealing.com. Bif is available for phoners now and select in-person interviews in the Toronto area

Touted as the ‘Renaissance of CBD’, the online e-com shop celebrated its North American debut throughout both Canada and the U.S. in the Fall of 2019.

Specializing in premium organic, triple lab tested and verified all-hemp cannabidiol, MonaLisa Healing is set to extend their exclusive product line to the United Kingdom and Europe this February, and Australia and New Zealand in April. The store currently offers a range of 30mL CBD tinctures in varying potencies, ranging from 750mg - 3000mg for $79.99 - $199.99 CAD respectively.

BTW-Denise Leslie, Audra, American Television, Micah Barnes, Elk Run & Riot, China Crisis/Rational Youth, TD Black History Month, Jamila & The Other Heroes, Harry Manx, Howard Jones Acoustic Trio, Jon Bryant, The Blue Stones

Fri Jan 24 2020
Denise Leslie

Kinda quirky, kinda dorky and all intriguing, Canadian artist Denise Leslie is on a mission “to bring the fun back to jazz” through fresh arrangements, unique musical interpretations, and magnetic charisma. She lays it all out on the Toronto-area vocalist’s debut solo album, One Fine Morning — and its premiere single, her take on Brit rockers Badfinger’s circa-1971 hit, “Day After Day” — both available now! Produced by award-winning producer and guitarist Bob McAlpine, One Fine Morning sits squarely at the ambitious intersection of jazz, R&B and rock, and features bassist Pat Collins, drummer Paul DeLong, pianist Don Baird, and horn players from Brass Transit and Lighthouse.

“This album is paying tribute to the music I cherished in my formative years,” Leslie shares of the release. “Particularly the 70s. The music of that time had a pureness,” she continues. “It was a time when music could really make a difference, and when melody was more integral to songwriting.”

Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt Perform at Meridian Hall April 30

Fri Jan 24 2020
Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt Perform at Meridian Hall April 30

Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt, two of America’s premier singer-songwriters, join forces for an acoustic evening backed by nothing but their superb voices, first-rate guitar playing and charming reminiscences.

Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt will perform together at Meridian Hall (formerly the Sony Centre) on Thursday, April 30 at 8 PM. 

Tickets go on public sale this Saturday, January 25 at 10 AM. Tickets can be purchased online at meridianhall.com, by calling 416-366-7723 or 1-800-708-6754, and at select TO Live Box Offices.  Tickets range from $72.50 - $85.50 with limited Gold Circle at $99.50 (plus applicable fees and service charges).

Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt’s previous Toronto appearances at Massey Hall (in 2008 and 2014) were both sold-out. These elegant, captivating meetings between cherished friends and collaborators make for dynamic song-and-story swaps that are difficult to resist.

Winterfolk Blues and Roots Festival Celebrates 18 Years – February 21-23 2020

Fri Jan 24, 2020

Toronto is a music mecca for festivals and events in the spring and summer months, but the event that takes the same concept indoors is the Winterfolk Blues and Roots Festival, giving music lovers a break from our sometimes harsh winter weather to congregate and enjoy live music at its best.

Winterfolk 2020 Volunteer PosterThis year the festival marks its 18th year of celebration along with an area change for the whole event.

The Algorithm Can’t Predict The Future!

Thu Jan 23 2020
Peter Åstedt

Well, the tech guys want us to believe that the algorithm is that magic thing that can actually predict the future in the big data world. Maybe in a George Orwell future, it can, but I really don’t want to live there.

I got this idea for this text from a press release of another company doing a site with an algorithm that goes on the mood. In this case for sync placements. For me, this feels like 2010 when several companies did the same thing. If you really want that search engine to go top Spotify then find the people that just want mood playlists. And yes, sad playlists are the most popular right after workout playlists. The problem that is now occurring on Spotify is that the audience is not really listening to the music they just use it as background music on other things. It’s like the music in the ceiling of the supermarket. It’s there but no one cares what it is;  you are too busy shopping.

BTW-Extreme, River Drivers, Steel City Rovers, Humble, Jesse Cook, Ilja Alexander, Celeste, Dilly Dally, Rebecca Hennessey, Olivia Jean, Caveboy

Fri Jan 17 2020
River Drivers

Gentle reader, please consider this a PSA. In light of the continued abuse, misuse and degradation of the words ‘amazing’ and ‘awesome’ at all levels of society, they will continue to be absent from this space. If you require tired hyperbole drained of all meaning in your reading material, have a nice day.

Extreme
Extreme

More Than Words: Extreme

We Need a New Top Chart

Fri Jan 17 2020
Peter Åstedt

I’m utterly tired of explaining to idiots that you have millions of streams doesn’t make you a star, or even successful. In the old days, the counting of sales was a good measurement of how popular you were. That is NOT the same as streams. Streams can be anything. A bought physical thing is an action you must do and a lot of thresholds so in the end yes that can prove something. A stream is not even a person pressing a button it can be on a playlist that really no one is listening to is just a background in a store or even on a chine mobile farm. There is no investment from the fan in a stream. And that is why it can never prove any fanbase whatsoever.

So, bragging that you have a couple of million streams is stupid. If you want it to be more stupid those million streams are just on one platform.  The easiest trick is to compare an artist through different platforms. You want to get even more stupid those millions of streams were created before 2019 when you could easily cheat on several playlists.

Eagles: Before the Band – The History of the Iconic Rock

Fri Jan 17, 2020

If you are an Eagles fan or even just a die-hard music fan this is a must-have book for your library. It is about the Eagles but it takes you through the formations and dismantling of bands like Poco, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Dillard & Clark, Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, The Dillards (Dillard and Clark), Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band, James Gang, Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young), Shilo, Longbranch/Pennywhistle and so many more. There are timelines of how and when members came and went, along with the history and stories of those times.

EaglesBackground pieces on Don Felder, Randy Meisner, Jackson Browne, Bob Seger, Timothy B. Schmit, Bernie Leadon, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Glen Frey, J.D. Souther, Neil Young, David Crosby, Gene Clark; the list goes on and on.

Caardia Release Heartfelt Song and Video “Walking Away”

Fri Jan 10 2020
Caardia

Caardia, Celia and Annie Siriopoulos, are sister songwriters from the GTA. Highlighted performances include CP24 Breakfast Weekend Television, The Toronto Christmas Market at the Distillery-annually, CBC Radio and The Rivoli.

They have been featured on CBC/Fresh Air, IndieCan/The Verge Channel on Sirius XM, Global News, CTV, Rogers TV, Girls' World Magazine, ALTo Magazine, Snapd, The Markham Economist, Pappas Post, Agape Greek Radio and other Greek media throughout Canada and the world.

They made it to the second round of the 2019 CBC Searchlight Competition, as they were part of the top 50 contestants selected by the judges from thousands across Canada.

Other performances include Taste of the Danforth, The Lindsmore, Supermarket, The Tennessee, Free Times Café, Brave TO, Pure Philanthropy, City of Markham events, East End Arts, Kick the Stigma/Michael Garron Hospital, and Salute to Olympic Athletes such as Andre De Grasse and much more. They are permanent performers on Main Street Unionville, especially in the summer and during Christmas.

BTW-Never Elected, Tombstones in Their Eyes, The Jab, Caveboy, Growler Choir, SPEAK Music Be Kind Festival, Long Winter, Elvis Birthday Tribute

Fri Jan 10 2020
Never Elected

Happy New Year. 2020 is gonna need all the luck that comes its way. Setting the tone, Robert Zimmerman’s environmental scream ‘"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall".’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5al0HmR4t

Straight outa the Washington, DC swamp, the hard-hitting Never Elected have a new single “Wake Up” that will be out on November 15th. Energetic and engaging, it’s pure rock with a catchy flair. The grunge power crew is Altan Aydin– Guitar, Dr. T – Bass, AbelPaiva – Drums and Sujit Kumar– Madness of a percussive and vocal nature.

Check “Wake Uphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXq4F9B4UPg

Free Spirits Release Single “The Power of Our Love” From Debut Album 11.1

Fri Jan 10 2020
Free Spirits 11.11

Multi-JUNO Award-winning Canadian Platinum-status producer, composer, singer/songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Chris Birkett has a newly minted project on his plate, just ahead of a notable career milestone this Spring. 

Free Spirits prides itself on being more than just what meets the ear; The Free Spirits are a musical collaboration shedding light on life, the world, and how artists can help be a positive force for truth and change, they say. 

Together, the duo — Chris Birkett on guitar, drums, bass, and keys, and Tallon on flute, keyboards and vocals — are unlocking sonic synchronicity with a debut album, 11:11, and its premiere single “The Power of Our Love.”

Crooner Micah Barnes Puts His Own Stamp on Classic “When In Rome (I Do As The Romans Do)”

Fri Jan 10 2020
Micah Barnes Photo Credit Juan Palacio

Canadian jazz virtuoso Micah Barnes has transformed into a transcontinental tomcat with the release of his new single, “When In Rome (I Do as the Romans Do)” — available now!

“For the video, we got very lucky indeed,” Barnes says of the opportunity to shoot in the song’s subject city itself — Rome! “So for three days I pretended I was Marcello Mastroianni in La Dolce Vita, sweltering in a suit as we shot in the warm Italian sunshine.

“For the song itself, ‘When In Rome’ has a real ‘swingers anthem’ to it, so I decided to give it a sexy, breezy, Bossa Nova feel with strings for that ‘International playboy’ approach,” Barnes continues, detailing his 2020 vision for the 60s-era Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh classic, in collaboration with his band — Michael Shand, Russ Boswell, Al Cross, with additional contribution from Rob Pitch and Don Breithaupt. “I hope folks will find the results deliciously naughty! 

“After all, ‘When In Rome’ is essentially a very smart and sophisticated ‘cheating’ song.

Watch ‘When In Rome’ here:
https://youtu.be/ORQA_6OdV08

Here Is The Secret How To Break!

Fri Jan 10 2020
Peter Åstedt

No, there is no one that can totally fix your career. Stop looking! The time where an artist could just be on for the ride and do drugs and just have a party is no longer there. Yes, it was in the 80’s and 90’s mainly because you could write off things as tax defaults. Today that is no longer possible.

There is no secret label that can fix your career. You have to do the work yourself. The closest you get to someone to fix your career is the manager, but that person needs help to keep the wheels turning.

A band that I know was in this discussion. Their friends had been signed to one of the three majors. And my band thought it was cool as hell. I just told them that it won't make any difference. The band is totally unknown and the major can only operate on their local market. The chances that this will go further are so slim that I say they have a bigger chance that they get an offer to play on the mainstage of Sweden’s biggest festival. Still, the band thought it was a cool thing.

The History of Cashbox Magazine

Fri Jan 10, 2020

During my radio days as a Music Director, we had magazines that we considered the ‘station bibles.' In Canada, we had RPM and it was a trailblazer for the Canadian artists and had charts to boot, then Record Week,

We also watched other stations, if 1050 Chum added a song or if Rosalie Trombley at CKLW played it, then it was a surefire hit. Then there were the magazines: Billboard, Radio and Records, Record World and of course, Cashbox Magazine. Little did I know I would end up decades later actually owning the current Canadian version, Cashbox Canada.

Recently, a very established pr person told me I should let people know more about the history of Cashbox Magazine. He said the legacy artists know the name, but the new indie artists have no idea the background of this iconic magazine. So that brings me to this part of the story.

BTW-Partow, Sitar Fusion, Oblyx, Wayne Hussey, Morning Bells, Betty Moon, Jonathan Emile, Logan Ledger, Lynne Hanson

Fri Dec 20 2019
Partow

The World at Hugh’s is a new series coming to Hugh’s Room Live that will feature some of the best music from around the planet. The host of CBC’s Big City Small World, Errol Nazareth, will be speaking to a few of the musicians on stage ahead of the performance. This intimate Q+A will be a perfect introduction to our World at Hugh’s. Errol will be taking the stage at 8PM along with his guests.

First up is Partow, Sunbeam in Persian. Partow is an international ensemble led by Iranian tar player and composer Padideh Ahrarnejad. Its roots are in Persian classical music but the sound encompasses diverse influences and draws its strength from the group’s members who come from Turkey, Greece, Peru and Brazil. Partow has recorded its first album, set to be released in early 2019. website: https://bit.ly/36tIsmL

Singer/Songwriter Mauve Releases a “Brand New” Video

Fri Dec 20 2019
Mauve

Award-winning avant-garde electro-popstress Mauve has ushered in an electrifying “Brand New” era with the release of her newest video, available now! 

The Canadian singer/songwriter best known for infusing chill-bop pop tracks with distinctly infectious hints of tropical house and RnB, is quickly garnering recognition. Mauve was nominated for a 2018 Niagara Music Award for “Best New Artist” and her single “Come Around” won top honours at the 2019 InterContinental Music Awards for “Best of North America.” 

With tracks topping upwards of 450,000 streams across Spotify, she has also been featured by NBC-2, FOX40 News, ABC7 News, CBC Music, 107.3 Virgin Radio, Buzz Music LA, Talk About Pop Music, WFMZ-TV 69, Best Kept Montreal, Tinnitist, KOTV-TV CBS-6, IndieCan Radio on SiriusXM and many more. 

Season’s Greetings and Merry Christmas from Cashbox

Fri Dec 20, 2019

Sandy Graham: Christmas is a time to be grateful for all we have and I need to say how grateful I am for the Cashbox Team and my extended friends and colleagues in the industry who made 2019 so memorable for me.

The Cashbox Team is made up of Lenny Stoute, Don Graham, Chris Wardman, Jain MacMillan, Peter Astedt and Michael Williams and honestly, we could not publish week after week without these incredible people and their dedication to our magazine.

We have listed a few of their favourite ‘Top Ten’ things that happened for them this year:
 

Jain MacMillan
Jain MacMillan

Jain MacMillan - Cashbox Cover Design/Graphic Artist

My Top Ten favourite music-related things in 2019!

Danny Thomas Sound of Thunder

Fri Dec 13 2019
Danny Thomas Sound of Thunder

Everything about Danny Thomas says country singer, from his rich baritone voice to his Georgia roots, songwriting skills to his easy as Sunday morning way of interacting with folks

Danny grew up listening to is grandpa pickin’ on the front porch on Saturday nights in Alto, Georgia and was so enthralled by the music that felt the strong pull to the musician’s life. At 17 years old young, Danny picked up his guitar and began his journey. He started performing professionally about  5 years later, playing at Churches, on TV and WCON Radio. “I grew up listening to George Jones, Merle Haggard and Elvis and later on got into southern-rock with Lynrd Skynrd and bands similar to their sound.”

After more than a decade of playing gospel and country on the circuits, Danny decided to put a temporary hold on his dream in order to build up his business up and secure his future. “I wanted to be able to have something to fall back on.” But his passion was never far from his mind and heart and in 2018 he got back in the saddle. “I feel like God blessed me to sing songs and write them too. It’s so important to use the gifts God gave us and I’m now in a position to do just that.”

BTW Boreal, White Cowbell Oklahoma, The Membranes, YSSY, The Franklin Electric, David Lesak, Festival Of Cool, Ault Sisters, Raincity, Hollerado, Peter Hill, Serena Ryder, Toronto Chamber Players

Fri Dec 13 2019
Boreal

From November 29th through December 21st, popular seasonal harmonies trio Boreal will share their “Songs For The Snowy Season” concerts with nine communities across much of Ontario! Group members, award-winning Guelph singer-songwriters: Tannis Slimmon and Katherine Wheatley are pleased to introduce their talented new bandmate, Orillia's Angie Nussey.

As a member of the Bird Sisters Slimmons has sung harmony for many Canadian music stars including the Rheostatics, David Francey and Valdy and received the Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Vocalist of the Year. When not performing with Boreal, Wheatley performs as a solo artist with Betty and the Bobs, and in Wendell and Wheat with Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer, Wendell Ferguson. Wheatley’s song “Hallelujah” won a 2009 Golden Quill award, and 2 of her other songs were selected for the new Rise Again Songbook. Through her program Youthsongs, she has written over 200 songs with kids and produced over 25 school CDs.