Another message from a tech firm that promises me that I can find the next big artists by looking at different numbers on different outlets. Outlets, well they seem more just stats from social media and streaming platforms. As I have written before that is just 25% of the artist's career. It really doesn't give any accurate picture of what is really going on.

Sure, you can get some sales figures from these numbers, at least some pinpoint, but not what is coming, just the past. When the numbers start to reach critical levels someone has already discovered this artist and that is why you have you have those numbers.

This week we spotlight Wigwamen Waabnong Food Bank 20 Sewells Rd, Toronto, ON

Location Scarborough North Office phone 647-607-5943
Website: torontoeastsda.ca
Service contact
Faye Moffett, Coordinator, fayemoffett@rogers.com

HoursCOVID19 -- Food bank open Thu 2 pm-4:30 pm; serving outside

An ocean of  emotion from UK's Alvarez Kings in hook-filled" single "Words I Couldn't Say.”

An uncontrollable collision course of self-destruction from drug and alcohol abuse, the desolation of a failed relationship and self-blame.

"Words I Couldn't Say" here:

I sat in a meeting with quite a few indie labels. It was a crash course on a new play listing tool. Of course, some of the labels started to ask questions about how you pitch to playlists around the world. Because Sweden was not big enough. Also, they complained that it was very hard to get any results.

The labels that really did this, I actually usually receive their press releases since I also work with media and radio. I can easily say that all of their press releases are not in the standard to be brought outside Sweden. They don't contain the right info or the right assets. Of course, they don't get any attention to sending a shitty press release around the world. It doesn't really make any sense. Reality struck me  that they don't have any success in Sweden but they are still blaming the Swedish press and radio for not covering their music and releases. Going abroad will not make it any easier!

That is not what is actually failing. It's the number one fail that 99.9% of the artist do wrong. If you would like to have a chance to be successful you need this!

A good song!

Commemorating the 50^th anniversary of Frank Zappa’s heralded but short-lived 1970 Mothers Of Invention lineup, The Mothers 1970, a new 4CD and digital collection of 70 unreleased live and studio recordings, is now available via Zappa Records/UMe.

Fans can also get into the spirit and show their love for Zappa on Instagram with a new filter unveiled today that superimposes his trademark mustache and soul patch onto their face. Click here to access the filter on the official Frank Zappa Instagram and Zappa-ify yourself.

Multi-platinum, JUNO Award winning Rock icon and Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame inductee Kim Mitchell announces the surprise release of his brand new single “Wishes” on June 26^th and coincides with the highly anticipated release of his forthcoming new album, “The Big Fantasize” (El Mocambo Records), the first full-length recording since 2007’s “Ain’t Life Amazing”. 

When it comes to “WISHES”, the way the song came to be is just as poetic as its original inspiration.

“The lyrics literally fell into my lap one day in a waiting room,” the Gold and Multi-Platinum selling singer/songwriter and guitarist recalls. “After very randomly reading A.C. Child’s poem ‘WISHES,’ I knew immediately I wanted to turn it into a song.

“After writing the verses, I quickly realized that, while the poem itself felt complete, now being in a song, it didn’t anymore. It needed something lyrically and musically to sum up the whole idea. The challenge would be coming up with a melody and music that would harmonically be satisfying to me, yet present itself as simple, pretty, and serving the lyric.

This week spotlighting
Churches on the Hill Food Bank:
230 St Clair Ave W, Toronto ON M4V 1R5
Phone: 416-967-3842

Mondays 6 pm. On account of CoVid19, please call before you go.

Toronto’s jazzmatazz Micah Barnes has a new album out and it debuted at #1 on iTunes Jazz Chart. Vegas Breeze is home to #1 chart-topping hits “That’s Life” and “When In Rome (I Do as the Romans Do)” is available all over.

Vegas Breeze sets the thematic stage immediately, transporting listeners back to Sin City’s yesteryear of legendary showrooms and iconic entertainers working ‘the strip.’

“Finding the songs for Vegas Breeze was a gas,” Barnes says of his meticulous search of 50s and 60s-era pop. “It meant hours and hours of enjoyment, discovering lesser known material of the classic showroom era.

I got a call from a manager that I know on messenger. We usually talk once a week and especially now in the Corona lockdown.

“He dumped me,” was the first thing she said. “After five years he just dumped me!”

I knew exactly who it was, it was her favorite artist that she had been working with for five years. She had told me that the artist had been a bit "off" lately not answering on things and didn't want to take meetings. Still, she thought it was the Corona lockdown that was making the artists depressed.

Now she told me that suddenly she was disconnected as manager from the artist Spotify account, she thought it was odd, but since they weren't releasing anything right now she didn't think much about it. Then she was thrown out as admin on the Facebook page then she knew something was up.

Then she got a short email from the artist saying that he was thinking of releasing in another way now and taking care of his own business.

This week we spotlight St James Food Basket at St James United Church
400 Burnhamthorpe Rd Toronto ON
Serves Everyone.

COVID-19 Alert:
Due to COVID-19, operational hours and services might have changed. Please call 416-622-4114 before visiting.
Typical Operating Hours Wednesday: 1:30pm - 5:30pm

Rolling out with San Fran indie power pop unit Cocktails and new album ‘Catastrophic Entertainment' on July 1

Check lead single “Bun E. Carlos"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLrF-kMXZ4c

‘Tis a scrappy little thing with garage pop in its genes and a welcome summertime vibe.

Cocktails makes power pop music that its forebears would be proud of. Moulded in the image of bands like The Rubinoos, The Records, and Shoes, Cocktails bring melody, harmony, and guitar rock in equal measures.

I had the great pleasure and honour of speaking to Artie Pasquale at his home in New Jersey, and within minutes we were like old friends talking about music, life and of course his once in a lifetime role in The Sopranos.

A seasoned actor and producer, Artie Pasquale had landed the golden opportunity when he scored the role of Burt Gervasi in The Sopranos.

Yes, every time you see a new superstar they just appear. Or it seems like it. Most of the time they have been around for years. In the industry, you usually hear about the next star a year ahead. Before it was usually three years ahead, but things are going faster without internets no borders. Still, it never happens overnight, and it never happens as fast as you think.

Just a couple of examples. I had a meeting with Avicii:s manger at least two years before he even became big on the DJ market. After he became big there it took at least two to three years before he went on to the normal big pop market. My guess is that I knew the name at least five years before the coolest mainstream started to recognize him.

Halsey, we got from out American record label they where friends with Haley’s manager and they told us she was going somewhere. She just released Badlands and was going well. I guess the mainstream here in Sweden really does not know her yet.

The Legendary Downchild Blues Band Present A Free Father's Day Charity Concert In support of The Unison Benevolent Fund with Special Guests - Dan Aykroyd, Colin James, James Cotton, Colin Linden, Jonas & Wayne Jackson Of The Memphis Horns.

In celebration of Father's Day and what would have been the final date of The Legendary Downchild Blues Band's 50th Anniversary Tour, the band are streaming their "Live At Massey Hall" concert in its entirety as a FREE SHOW for fans on Sunday, June 21, 2020 at 7:00 Pm (EST), all in support of a very important cause, the Unison Benevolent Fund.

Downchild were joined on stage by some very special guests for their historic "Live At Massey Hall" performance, including Hollywood Star Dan Aykroyd, blues/rock icon Colin James, American blues legend, James Cotton, Grammy Award winner Colin Linden, Montreal chart topping rocker Jonas and the one and only Wayne Jackson of The Memphis Horns.

This week we spotlight Donnie Blais and his team at Rancho Relaxo restaurant. These thoughtful folk are putting out 500 meals a day to feed those in need. Please support Rancho Relaxo next time you’re up for the best Mexican food in Toronto. Blais has been feeding rock’n’rollin Toronto since the Nineties, both touring acts and local up and comers, many of the latter dining free courtesy of the man’s generous heart and community spirit.
ranchorelaxotogo.com/

In case ya missed it, here's the new single / music video 'Inside' from Rockshots Records latest signing Neroargento. The single is off upcoming album "Circles' due out later this summer. This album will be big for fans of Motionless In White, Falling In Reverse, Linkin Park. Dude cooks up a likeable brew of melodic metal, grunge and electronica.

Get ‘Inside’:

I read a great article on a site that sells email lists. They wrote that they get a lot of complaints that their lists don’t work. People didn’t get answers they sent to over 1000 emails and only got two answers. The site explained that you really need to check out the blog, radio station, record label, etc before you send it to them. Not just send an email. Yes, this takes time. It’s quite easy to just put emails into an email list and just send a generic e-mail. The problem is that it never fits everyone. The generic email almost never fits anyone.

You have to go into each site to see what’s it all about and adapt your email content. So instead of sending 1000 emails in one hour, you are down to be able to send maybe 30 emails a day if you are working efficiently.

Why don’t people answer? Here is a mail that came into one of the festivals we work with. On Facebook not even on the official email that goes to the bookers.

Dear,

Hope you're ok.

We contacted you before, last year, about a concert of ******** from USA, blues, bluesrock.

This week we spotlight a location that has the unfortunate distinction of being Toronto’s oldest continuously operating food bank.

The Scott Mission 502 Spadina Ave, Toronto

Morris Zeidman, an ordained Presbyterian minister who was born in Częstochowa, Poland, and converted to Christianity from Judaism, founded The Scott Mission with his wife Anne in 1941.It was their belief that the hunger of the physical body needed to be addressed as well as the hunger of the soul.

General Inquiries 416-923-8872 ; Women and Family Food and Clothing Bank 416-923-3916 ; Donation Line 416-923-2400 info@scottmission.com

Holly Thompson, Director of Public Relations, ph:416-923-8872 ext 295.

COVID-19 -- Food bank open Mon-Fri 9 am-12 noon pick up at north end of building *takeout hot meals available Mon-Sat 10 am-12 noon, pick up at laneway window at south end of building  bag lunch available Mon-Sun 4 pm at laneway door at south end of building *Shelter Open Mon-Sun

Right now I get up to ten friend requests on Facebook every day. No, I don't count the girls with scanty clothing that always are home alone who are looking for a male companion. Those are the ones who are just listening to bad Britney pop and have bad music taste my girlfriend tells me so I erase those. I don't want people with bad music taste in my feed. The ones that are adding me are real people. It's not that I'm popular either. I guess I'm listed somewhere.

Anyway, part of these is what I call drive-by shooters. People that just add you and then five minutes later send you a song to listen to. Just reminded me; I got one of those girls with fewer clothes playing ukelele the other day, oh well back to the subject, they send you a song but never tell you what to do with it. Okay, listen to it but what then? I have never encountered any of them that have ever been any good.