Marshall Potts Free and Easy

Fri Apr 23, 2021

Perseverance, patience and positivity, three things that when augmented with talent, are ingredients that Marshall Potts has utilized to the max on his musical journey.

The success of his last single “That’s How It Starts” opened doors for the Kamloops B.C. artist and solidified his belief in his chosen path. The single created career openings such as touring in France and Sweden at major festivals as well as a mainstage performance at Canada’s Indie Week in Toronto which saw him nominated in Best Emerging Artist – National category.

Marshall began writing songs at age 12, after an early heartbreak. At 18, he began his musical journey when he formed a band with high school friends called the Cause. Early performances under this name followed a rebranding of the band name to Saints and Poets. Regular performances and tour dates followed to support the band’s first CD release. Early success was achieved with 2 songs from the CD placed on a movie soundtrack, received radio airplay, a CFOX seeds CD, the Best of BC CD placement, and many live performances.

BTW-Lee Aaron, Rich Aucoin, The Beat Club, Dru. Nadjiwan, Best Move

Fri Apr 23 2021
Lee Aaron

This week we spotlight the Ryerson Food Bank 55 Gould Street.

Food bank runs Mondays and Fridays from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
The Ryerson University Students' Union supports the Good Food Centre at 55 Gould Street.

 

Spinning into the music with the new Lee Aaron album ''Radio On!'' On which the former Metal Queen returns to her head banging roots. It drops worldwide June 18th 2021and is a strong and commercially savvy body of tuneage. As per the title, Radio On! is a collection of 12 new originals written in one weekend.

“I had this crazy idea, that if we locked ourselves in a room for a couple days and the only agenda was to have FUN and tap into the influences that inspired us as teenagers, it would be interesting to see what happened. I think we even surprised ourselves!"

The tight musical bond that has been growing since 2016’s critically acclaimed Fire and Gasoline took a giant leap forward as Lee and her band (drummer John Cody, bassist Dave Reimer, and guitarist Sean Kelly)’s lost weekend of garage-band-style song writing was so successful it resulted in an entire album.

RnB Producer & Artist Matell Releases Bold New Single, “Fragile (Help Someone)”

Fri Apr 23 2021
Matell

Billboard-featured RnB producer and artist Matell is making a bold statement in this, his new single “Fragile (Help Someone)”.

Heralded for previous releases like “I apologize 2u & u2,” “Quickly,” “Low expectations,” “I said I’m Gonna Go, Oops, Oops Upside Your Head” — and the strong response from the multi-licensed “My conversations with God” — the Colorado-based singer/songwriter aims to leverage “Fragile (Help Someone)” to send a heartfelt, intimate message against the violence that’s become normalized in recent years.

Check out “Fragile (Help Someone)” here:

One can assume the track’s crude, bare-bones approach aims at creating a sobering effect to the harsh reality that has become normality throughout Northern America, and the world. When asked, Matell indicated he was intending this piece as a “we are the world meets 2021.”

Original MuchMusic VJ, Platinum Singer/Songwriter CHRISTOPHER WARD Releases Black Velvet

Fri Apr 16 2021
Christopher Ward

JUNO Award-winning Canadian songwriter, artist, author and MuchMusic original VJ Christopher Ward has recorded a new take on his most recognizable song, the Billboard #1 hit “Black Velvet” — available now.

The writers who have achieved a #1 single number in the hundreds. This songwriter’s take on the classic comes 31 years after this achievement. It is worthy of your attention.  

As far as resumes go, Ward’s is among the nation’s most prolific: To leap by decades, he was a recording artist throughout the 70s, a television icon and founding VJ through the 80s, and a hit songwriter in the 90s. He’s written songs for many — including Diana Ross, Amanda Marshall, Colin James, and the Backstreet Boys — as well as for CTV’s Instant Star, the Degrassi franchise, Cirque du Soleil, and more. His songs have been performed on Idol shows around the world, and he’s won a JUNO Award for Songwriter of the Year. Ward has also authored three novels, Is This Live?, and co-hosts a podcast, Famous Lost Words.

Rock Legend Myles Goodwyn of April Wine Releases New Song “Will the Last Voice I Hear Be an Angel?”

Fri Apr 16, 2021

Award-winning Hall of Famer and multi-Platinum selling producer, songwriter, and April Wine leader Myles Goodwyn asks a tall and transcendental question as he releases this, his first-ever spiritual song, “Will the Last Voice I Hear Be an Angel?

Beyond a legendary mainstay of the Canadian music landscape in his own right, Goodwyn is joined on the track with Bruce Dixon (Oakley Band, Rita MacNeil, Roch Voisine) and Jim Henman — the latter with whom he started the iconic rock band, April Wine, alongside David Henman and Ritchie Henman in 1969.

The stunning song arrives ahead of Goodwyn’s forthcoming recording project, Long Pants, set for release this Summer 2021. A collection of his most personal songs to date, the new full-length dives deep into the masterful musician’s extensive and previously unreleased archives, with one song’s origins even dating back 40 years.

“The ‘oldest’ new song on the album, ‘Forever Amber,’ was written four decades ago,” Goodwyn shares. “I wrote it for my daughter, Amber, on the very night she was born.

Are The Online Conferences Like Cheap Dating Services?

Fri Apr 16 2021
Peter Åstedt

During the COVID, many have tried to take their conferences online. It’s a supplement to having a conference since COVID stopped us all from meeting personally. Of course, it’s not that hard to get people to sign up for an online conference. Especially if it’s for free. The problem is to get people to interact in a positive way.

How is that? Usually, I come back from a conference with at least a hundred new business cards! I love chatting and hanging around with people. With an online event it looks more and more like a cheap version of a dating service. When I’m at these conferences there is no small talk. Let’s pretend you are at a bar see someone that you like, and you want to make contact with this person. You wouldn’t just walk right up and tell the person that you are the best partner that has ever existed, and you now wonder what the person can do for you.

Online dating is kind of that in its worst form. Here you mainly go on a small piece of information that the other person has pimped up to get attention like a peacock. More or less you can guess that information is not really anything like reality, but hey that is what you are choosing from.

BTW -Friendly Rich, Apryll Aileen, AFROWAVETO, Leanna Oki, Art Bergmann, Betty Moon, Heal The Earth

Fri Apr 16 2021
Friendly Rich & The Lollipop People

This week we spotlight Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre 86 Blake Street, a member of the Daily Bread Food Bank that has been operating for over 40 years. Open Tuesday and Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Stepping in with the irrepressible Friendly Rich and what he dubs A Love Letter to Live Music from Friendly Rich

Friendly Rich & The Lollipop People unearthed a rare live recording of the band in their element, one Monday night in Toronto, September 2019.  This unique recording captures the distinct vibe of one of Canada's most important music venues on any given Monday night -- The Cameron House.

This new recording is available on all streaming platforms Friday April 16th.

"This recording is a love letter to live music and the people that it connects" professes Friendly Rich, who has been performing at The Cameron House regularly for the last two decades.  Although we all miss live music right now, releasing this buried treasure is bittersweet.” 

Musical Legends Immortalised in Video Games

Sat Apr 03 2021

The relationship between gaming and music has been underway more than a decade now. It’s only going to increase in scope and numbers so here’s some input from the gaming community as to how and why that is.

We love to celebrate our favourite musical acts in weird and wonderful ways. Here are some of the legends we have chosen to immortalise in video game form.

We don’t often think about the overlap between music and games. However, since music is a major inspiration for many people in a variety of industries, it is unsurprising to find that some have chosen to immortalise their musical heroes in video game form. Let’s take a closer look at three legends of the music industry who are the subject of their own video games.

Why Make These Games?

Why is Music Such an Important Part of Gaming?

Sat Apr 03 2021

The relationship between gaming and music has been underway more than a decade now. It’s only going to increase in scope and numbers so here’s some input from the gaming community as to how and why that is.

Music is a vital part of any game, there is no denying it. Here’s why music and gaming always go well together here.

We don’t go through life with music blasting at our every move, so why do we expect the same for gaming? There are so many games out there that are applauded for their soundtracks, and classic ditties and themes that we associate instantly with their games. It is clear that music is something that goes hand in hand with gaming, and always will.

Fortnite

Games Across All Genres

Global Artists Unite to Celebrate Earth Day 2021 with Heal the Earth Musical Offering

Fri Apr 09, 2021

Entertainment Music Group (EMG) has gathered legendary artists and young independent artists from around the world to create a virtual music-doc to be pre-produced and released on April 22, 2021 in honour of Earth Day. The project is headed up by Executive Producer Sandy Graham, a music industry veteran and owner of the legendary Cashbox Magazine Canada, joined by celebrity icon, Dr. Tom Jackson  C.C., LL.D, as Producer and Host for this music initiative.

Montreal JoJi Redback Drops Playful New Music Video for Funky French-Language Single, “Sa Mère”

Fri Apr 02 2021
Joji Redback

Less than a month after the release of his highly-anticipated sophomore EP, A Stranger Everywhere, French/Australian Montreal-based singer Joji Redback has released a brand-new music video for the project’s latest single, “Sa Mère”.

Check out “Sa Mère” on YouTube here:

Though he’s been releasing music since 2017, Joji began to blow up late last year after releasing the lead single off 2021’s A Stranger Everywhere, “Puerto.” The infectious tune was added to Spotify’s coveted Discover Weekly playlists and quickly racked up over 160,000+ Spotify streams alone, contributing to his 250,000+ total across all platforms.

The 24-year-old musician began making music at the mere age of six, but it wasn’t until his late adolescence that he began playing the drums and recording his vocals. Once he turned 19, music became Joji’s life.

BTW This Week-The Bloody Hell, Reid Jamieson, Julia Stone, Lal, Lil Berete, Peter Foldy, Justin Rutledge

Fri Apr 02 2021
The Bloody Hell

This week we spotlight Churches on the Hill Food Bank 230 St Clair Ave W, Toronto.
416-967-3842  
christchurchdeerpark.org
Tuesdays & Thursdays open at 10:30 a.m.

Support your local food bank. The need is dire.

 

Denizens of the history-strewn streets of Halifax, The Bloody Hell has a new full-length in the works to follow their award-nominated 2018 self-titled debut album (Loud Recording of the Year” - Nova Scotia Music Awards 2018), and as they currently work on the sophomore release, they’re sharing a new music video for the single "When You're Gone".

The band has teamed up once again with stop motion animator Diane Lindo who did their 2019 video "Out of Our Minds”, nominated for an Independent Music Video of The Year Award by Dropoutentertainment.ca.

The Black Crowes Present 'Shake Your Money Maker' – 30th Anniversary Album Release

Fri Apr 02, 2021

The Black Crowes Present: Shake Your Money Maker, the multi-platinum debut by the seminal rock n' roll band The Black Crowes, is being re-released in multi-formats sets on February 26, 2021, through UMe/American Recordings.

Band founders, brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, with original producer George Drakoulias, oversaw the creation of the re-release.  Most exciting are the  4LP and 3CD Super Deluxe versions, which includes the original album, remastered; 3 never-before-heard studio recordings; 2 unreleased demos from the band's early incarnation as Mr. Crowe's Garden;  B-sides; a spectacular, high-energy 14-song unreleased concert recorded in their hometown of Atlanta, GA in December 1990; reproductions of an early Mr. Crowe's Garden show flyer, setlist and tour laminate; a 4" Crowes patch; and a 20-page book with liner notes by David Fricke.

Get Your Story Right

Fri Mar 26 2021
Peter Åstedt

I recently saw an interview with the Swedish megastar Zara Larsson. It was some famous magazine that was getting the grand tour of her apartment. Then she was in various Swedish media coverage saying that she had been smoking a lot of weed lately but has now stopped doing that.  Strange thing is I first noticed that we haven’t heard from Zara for long while. I looked in both interviews but none said anything about new music.

Then just days later I saw an ad for her new album “Postergirl”. Of course Zara Larsson has great, smart teams working around her to get her exposure. The two interview looks like they are just taken out of the blue, that she just one day felt like showing off her apartment for a magazine or doing a “dark” confession. The truth is that in today’s media world the fact that you release new music is not good enough news.

Folk Legend Judy Collins Releases New Single, Announces Collection Of Hand-Picked Favorites

Fri Mar 26 2021
Judy Collins

When you’ve been making music for as long as folk music icon Judy Collins, songs become more than just familiar melodies, they’re treasured memories connecting you to people and places of your past. For her newest collection of recent recordings, White Bird - Anthology Of Favorites, Collins has hand-selected a number of songs that remain dear to her heart so much so that she can still remember exactly where she was the first time she heard them. Take for instance, this story Collins shares about one of her best-known, most beloved songs, “It was 1967 when I received a phone call at three in the morning from Al Cooper, the founder of Blood Sweat & Tears. He said he followed this girl home from a bar where she had told him she was a songwriter. She played him some of her songs and after she played him one particular song, he picked up the phone and called me. He put the girl on the phone and Joni Mitchell sang me her great song ‘Both Sides Now.’”

BTW This Week- Taylor Abrahamse, Art Bergmann, The Backstays, AV, Busty and the Bass, Mike Field

Fri Mar 26 2021
Taylor Abrahamse

This week we highlight ICNA Relief Food Bank 6120 Montevideo Rd. Unit #4
Mississauga, Tel: 905-858-1067
Email: mississaugafb@icnareliefcanada.ca Because of CoVid, please contact before going.

Support your local food bank. The need is real.

Spring has sprung

And this new death is still among Us. 

Please, mask up, keep your distance. The light is in sight but we’re still in the tunnel.

 

Stepping in with a soulful talent comes with a side of brash, Toronto musician Taylor Abrahamse has just released new single, “I Don't Care Anymore", a sunny ballad with a Seventies lyrical sweet spot between James Taylor and Randy Newman, on a bed of beautiful melodic instrumentation. "I Don't Care Anymore" dropped Monday, March 22nd.

Check the heart tugging falsetto of ‘I Don’t Care Anymore’ live

Tony Orlando Celebrates Six Decades with new Single “America Is My Hometown”

Fri Mar 26, 2021

I grew up in the era when Tony Orlando ruled the charts, so to say I was thrilled (and a little nervous) to talk directly to such an iconic legend would be an understatement.  I reached Tony Orlando at his home in Branson, Missouri and he was charming and wonderful to interview. I immediately felt like I was talking to an old friend.

His energy and excitement about his current life and career, along with the star-studded stories was like talking to a guy in his 20’s just starting out and his love of life shines through in his every word.

Tony Orlando was born Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis, in New York City, the son of a Greek father, (Leo) and a Puerto Rican mother (Ruth). “My parents didn’t always understand my need to entertain but they were so supportive of helping me with my dreams. My mom was actually with me when I signed my first record deal; I was only 15 so she had to be part of the signing due to my age. The lawyer in attendance was none other than Clive Davis!"

Shook Boys - Not Your Daddy’s Rockabilly

Fri Mar 19 2021
Shook Boys

Hell no. This Toronto foursome reaches way, way back to the Golden Era of rockabilly bad-asses like The Big Bopper, Link Wray, Gene Vincent, Carl Perkins and Sonny Burgess as inspiration for their surly and unruly brand of rockabilly.

Here’s how they see it. “Shook Boys are a wild rockabilly band. They don’t play music to fall in love to, they play nasty stuff that boils primitive urges to the surface - like when you’re feeling right but doin’ wrong.”

“ Distilled from the Toronto’s rockin’ scene and forming in the summer of 2019 they got Murry up front; making people scream before he opens his mouth, Paddy on drums just banging and yellin’, Steve beating out notes on the double bass, and Big Mark with the amplified guitar - not thinking,  just keepin’ the chords live. Always impeccably dressed, when the band hits the floor during their electrifying live shows, vintage clothing enthusiasts get squirrely at the sight of filthy stage grime being ground into gabardine… and they don’t treat their instruments any better.”

Check out Shook Boys Live here:

Agencies Needs To Shape Up

Fri Mar 19 2021
Peter Åstedt

Okay in Sweden the booking scene is kind of strange. It’s not working as the rest of the world since the agencies are often the promoters and also the bookers. Still, I can easily see what happens here might eventually happen to the rest of the world.

Of course, the COVID situation has left most of these companies in a tailspin. We don’t know how many they really laid off. And like the rest of the world,  some have jumped off and started new secret companies not yet to be seen in the light. What has been very evident is that the artist has been changing companies like crazy. The agencies have been more or less competing to get newsletters out with their latest signings. Still, it’s the same old artist-changing agency that probably won’t survive anyway when the whole system and network changes in a couple of months.