On November 25, 2018, SaskMusic presented the winners of the 2018 Saskatchewan Music Awards with a live event held at The Exchange, Regina. A capacity crowd was in attendance for the debut event. The awards kick off the week designated as Saskatchewan Music Week in the province by the Government of Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Music Awards were created to honour excellence and celebrate the achievements of our music industry members.

Award show hosts Kris Alvarez and Jayden Pfeifer led the evening, with performances by artists Andino Suns, Megan Nash, Eekwol and T-Rhyme, Chris Henderson with Poor Nameless Boy, Natural Sympathies, and Factor Chandelier.

There are entertainment legends, and then there is Tom Jackson, a triple-threat actor, musician, and activist whose achievements in each discipline are downright head-spinning. Jackson’s career is unparalleled, not to mention wildly acclaimed, abundantly decorated, and almost ridiculously interesting. Heck, Jackson could be a pub night trivia category all by himself.

Tom Jackson will be performing at Harbourfront Centre on December 4 as part of his cross-Canada Huron Carole tour, benefitting Feed It Forward and The Stop.

The Huron Carole is a seasonal music tradition spanning  3 decades touring from coast to coast to coast. Expect an evening of contemporary and signature Christmas music along with stories creatively crafted by Tom Jackson and his ensemble of musicians. The tour travels to 15 cities raising funds for local food banks and family service agencies. Many remark that it’s the perfect way to begin their Christmas season and get into the spirit of the holidays.

Roy Clark has left the stage and has gone on to his next appearance, joining an illustrious group in heaven that includes Chet Atkins and his buddy Glen Campbell. The  multi-leveled entertainer died at his Tulsa, Oklahoma, home due to complications from pneumonia. Roy Linwood Clark was born April 15, 1933, in Meherrin, Virginia and was the oldest of five children. He was 85 years old.

Scott Cushnie, known as Professor Piano, went missing in August 2018, and for months his close friends, family and musical peers all executed search parties, plastering much of the area that he went missing a King and River Street to no avail.

Around the same time another family was trying to find a missing relative and in the bizarre case of mistaken identity, that family was subsequently contacted by the authorities regarding an elderly man who had died in hospital, after falling and injuring himself while walking downtown. The family identified the deceased as their missing relative and a funeral was held. But this past month, the man they believed they had buried reappeared — alive — leaving the police and chief coroner to determine the true identity of the body in the grave. With a strange twist, it was determined it was actually the beloved Professor Piano who was buried in error.

Ottawa’s Tribe Royal have had an incredible 2018, and what better way to be closing out a successful year than by performing in your hometown with family, friends and fans.

November 30, 2018, Tribe Royal is set to take the stage with special guests Drae & Six Points North.

The year was definitely one that had this local Canadian band garnering attention worldwide. First on the agenda was going to the legendary Muscle Shoals, Alabama studio, The Nutthouse (engineered by Jimmy Nutt himself) work with legendary producer, Norbert Putnam. Putnam, who has a credit list a mile long brought out the best in the band, producing a Double A side release of Holding On listen here https://youtu.be/uNRGrysoPq0 and Good to Me listen here https://youtu.be/qz_LraJXxf0).

The multiplatinum-selling recording artist, actress, producer and entertainer JENNIFER LOPEZ shares a new anthem entitled “LIMITLESS” from her forthcoming film, Second Act from STXfilms – HERE via Sony Music Masterworks.

Second Act opens in theaters nationwide on December 21 with “Limitless” emphasizing the powerful message of the movie – the only thing stopping you is you.

“LIMITLESS” spotlights Lopez’s instantly recognizable show-stopping voice and undeniable charisma. Penned by Sia, “Limitless” is song with soaring vocals and music that delivers a timely, empowering, and inspiring message.

Sarah French, a long-time supporter of Canadian blues & roots artists is pleased to announce that she will be awarded the Keeping the Blues Alive Award from Memphis-based, world-renowned Blues Foundation in January 2019. French is the 13th Canadian recipient of the KBA since the award’s inception in 1981.

French, 40, started her boutique publicity agency, Sarah French Publicity as a part-time venture a decade ago with one client, a handful of contacts and the support of her mentor, Richard Flohil. Since then she has grown the company to become one of the busiest blues & roots publicity agencies in Canada. “I am honoured and extremely grateful to The Blues Foundation and all involved for this award,” she says. “I am also eternally thankful to Richard Flohil, Derek Andrews, Holger Petersen, The Toronto Blues Society, my friends & family, and the scores of musicians and record labels who have supported me and given me the opportunity to do what I love for a living.”

From The Blues Foundation:

Taking Back Sunday has unveiled the track listing and format details for their 20-year anniversary compilation, Twenty. The 21-song collection will be released on January 11, 2019, and spans all seven of their full-length albums; 2002’s Tell All Your Friends, 2004’s Where You Want To Be, 2006’s Louder Now, 2009’s New Again, 2011’s Taking Back Sunday, 2014’s Happiness Is and 2016’s Tidal Wave.

The set also features two new studio recordings, All Ready To Go and A Song For Dan, tracks which hint at the direction that Taking Back Sunday are heading in the coming years. Available via Craft Recordings, Twenty will be released on CD, digital, and a 2-LP gatefold vinyl package. The album can be pre-ordered now, with an instant grat of All Ready To Go available on November 19th.

Sony global recorded music revenues surpassed $2.87bn in the first nine months of 2018 – up by $158m, or 5.8%, on the same period of 2017.

That’s according to MBW’s calculations based on Sony Corp’s newly-published results for its fiscal Q2 (calendar Q3), converted into USD at constant currency.

As well as that 5.8% overall rise in revenues, streaming revenues were up $300.1m (+26%) year-on-year to $1.46bn during the Jan-Sept 2018 period.

Physical revenues dropped $114.4m (-14.6%) to $669m in the nine-month period, while download sales dropped $58.8m (-16.6%) to $295m.

On the same USD constant currency basis, Sony’s recorded music revenues in the past quarter (to end of September 2018) fell slightly year-on-year, down 3.8% to $945.9m.

That was partly due to an accounting adjustment made by the company versus 2017, and partly due to growth in streaming not quite offsetting double-digit declines in quarterly physical and download revenues.

He had a cult-like following and a sound like none other. Now, legendary Canadian “anti-star” Nash The Slash also has a documentary about him.

Toronto- and Ottawa-based filmmaking and production studio Side Three Media today launches a crowdfunding campaign in support of the 2019 release of And You Thought You Were Normal: A Documentary Film About Nash The Slash.

Through extensive interviews, archival footage and exclusive, rare imagery, audiences journey through Nash’s inimitable contribution to Canadian culture, including how and why this outsider artist commanded such strong international appeal, and why his work remains relevant to today’s new generation of music lovers.

LyricFind seals deals with Brazil’s main publishers and PRO creates new legally licensed market for Brazilian lyrics.

Brazil is Latin America’s largest music market, and now its writers and publishers will be paid for lyric displays online thanks to LyricFind. These partnerships embrace major publishers like Som Livre and MK Music, as well as UBC, Brazil’s largest Performing Rights Organization, and finally Brazil’s biggest digital distributor, ONErpm. In the near future, these publishers will also have the opportunity to see their lyrics licensed on shirts, mugs, and other wares through LyricFind’s direct-to-fan platform, LyricMerch.

New York, October 24 - Find a van. Drive to upstate New York. Record a new album in two days. Eat tuna sandwiches. Swap the tuna with hummus. Too spicy. Throw away expired half and half. Come back to New York. Enjoy the fruits of your labor. Wait, no, that’s not right. Wait a year to release the record. The perks of being an indie band.

Your favorite indie queens T-Rextasy are back with Prehysteria, ten bangers that are the result of that fateful trip upstate. The much-anticipated follow-up to their critically acclaimed Jurassic Punk debut, Prehysteria is out 1/3 on the digital maze we call the internet. Everything and nothing has changed: their songs are still pop-punk empowering anthems, blistering with unhinged humor and quirky lyrics, mixing theatrical smarts with a streetwise attitude. Hints of ska, reggae, and pop-punk powered by Lyris Fanon’s idiosyncratic voice and impeccable riffs make for a high energy, hard-rocking but sugar-coated new record about growing up and realizing high school never ends.

With the recent attendance of Cashbox Canada at Live at Heart Newfoundland, Cashbox Canada realized the importance of covering all the great stories and talent that are just waiting to be heard around the world.

With the emergence of Great Big Sea to the recent success of the Broadway hit, ‘Come From Away’, Newfoundland has been garnering attention far and wide.

It is with great pleasure we have Kevin Kelly join the ranks as a contributing journalist for Cashbox Canada.

"I'm very excited to be joining the Cashbox Canada team and spotlighting the tremendous talents present in Newfoundland & Labrador," Kelly told Cashbox Canada. "To be working for such a prestigious online national music outlet like Cashbox Canada is a special thing, but writing about Newfoundland & Labrador musical talent makes the job extra special."

The Country Radio Broadcasters/Country Radio Seminar has announced long-time radio and industry veteran, RJ Curtis as the incoming Executive Director of the non-profit organization. Curtis, who currently serves as the Nashville Editor for All Access Music Group, will start his new position on Nov. 12 and until then, can then be reached at rjcurtis@allaccess.com.

Curtis fills the position most recently held by Bill Mayne, who has served as Executive Director of the organization for nearly a decade. This past April, Mayne announced that he would be leaving his position following the 50th Anniversary year of Country Radio Seminar. Curtis will work alongside Mayne through the end of his term, which is May 2019.

Music industry pundit Bob Lefsetz and outspoken veteran music industry executive Jason Flom have joined forces for a live show set to hit the road for a limited run of dates this October.

Lefsetz, who is known across the music industry for his regularly published “Lefsetz Letter,” which is always packed with colourful and often illuminating music biz commentary, as well as his podcast “The Lefsetz Podcast,” has described the show as a an opportunity to “get up close and personal with personalities who refuse to hold back and will speak the truth about not only the music business, but politics and law.”

Country singer Brad Paisley and his wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, have teamed with Belmont University to open The Store, a modern version of a food pantry that is set up like a free grocery store.

“This is a grocery store with dignity for people who have fallen on hard times,” said Paisley, president of The Store’s board of trustees. “All of us are one unforeseen disaster away from rock bottom. It’s nice to think about a place where when that happens to someone, they can use it to get back on their feet.”

Located at 2005 12th Ave. S. next to Belmont University’s Ministry Center, The Store will partner with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and other organizations to provide both fresh and nonperishable groceries to individuals and families in need for one year. Customers will be referred by nonprofit and government agencies. The nonprofit has an initial goal to serve 3,000 people per year.

There are legendary days in every band’s history, and nothing could be truer than Saturday, July 28th, 2018 and its resulting 12-hour ‘one-take’ recording session for New Jersey-based rap garage rock collective Foster & The Pranksters.

The results produced the group’s freshest single, “Live As It Gets [Prankster Remix featuring Royce Da 5’9]”, as well as their newest EP, La Honda — available now!

Equally influenced by hip-hop heavyweights like Kanye West and The Roots, and rock icons like The Strokes, Jimi Hendrix, and The White Stripes, Foster & The Pranksters — including Foster the Prankster (vocals), Mike Chowanec (guitar), Steve Padelski (bass), and Chris Stadler (drums) — create a sound that feels familiar, yet completely original, all at once.

Montreal producer, singer & songwriter, Genevieve Ryan Martel, who performs under the moniker, RYAN Playground, has released her highly-anticipated debut album titled, 16/17, today on Secret Songs/Last Gang Records. The album includes stunning singles, Pie In The Sky (feat. Robert Robert) and Empty Pool, featuring acclaimed New Zealand artist, Lontalius.

Toronto-based alt-rock outfit, Birds of Bellwoods, are thrilled to announce the release details of their highly-anticipated debut LP, Victoria. Out on October 19^th via eOne, Victoria invites listeners to join the band’s high-energy musical parade built on honest, emotive songwriting and laced with sweet, sticky hooks. Listeners can pre-order/pre-save the album digitally here. CD and Vinyl copies of the album will be available for purchase as well.

“In a lot of ways, when we finished Victoria we saw for the first time the combined weight of our lives so far,” the band reflects. “Years of love, fear, hope, and doubt made into a celebration. I'm moving on. I love you. I'm getting older and I'm scared. Some of these songs started more than five years ago. Some were created much faster, late in the recording process. Victoria is a time capsule, as all albums are. A span of youth. And we are excited to share it with you.”

“One amazing message: Empowering girls to become the best versions of themselves.”

The girls stuck to their Canadian roots with the video for“Stronger Than Yesterday” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UolYm0SnbH0). It was filmed in 6 different Ontario locations and the girls toldCeleb Secrets (http://celebsecrets.com/girl-pow-r-spreads-self-confidence-with-new-son…) exclusively; “Filming our music video was a very fun and amazing experience. We had multiple clothing changes, performed our choreography that we do when we are on tour, did a live performance where we played our instruments and sang, used this really cool white bridge that connects two parts of the city, and more!”