Author Archives: shawnpt
Boom Boom Powwow From Nation II Nation c/o A Tribe Called Red
A trio of Ottawan DJs who go by A Tribe Called Red released a critically acclaimed album last year and have launched their followup, Nation II Nation. Their music unites elements of reggae, bhangra, various world beats, and electronic dubstep spiced up with Aboriginal chants and drumming. They refer to their genre as “powwow step”. This music is culturally rich, remarkably sophisticated, emotionally intense, and so good it will have you painting the town red (no pun intended). Each track features a guest vocalist. Given that their first work was nominated for a Polaris Prize last year and promoted them from hosting a weekly club night in Ottawa to travelling around the world with features in the international press, like Rolling Stone magazine, this grander work has the potential to really shake things up for the band. They are already being referred to by an acronym (ATCR). Apparently they were the first electronic act to ever play the New Orleans Jazz Festival where they garnered a tremendous reception. A Tribe Called Red is Dee Jay NDN, DJ Shub, and Bear Witness. Do check out the new album!
Nation II Nation on iTunes A Tribe Called Red’s Facebook CBC Feature
2013 MuchMusic Video Awards Announce Nominees
Billy Talent in a Sherman tank, Katy Perry in an ice cream truck, Marianas Trench in a hot tub, Simple Plan in a pink limo, the MuchMusic Video Awards (MMVAs) are known for their over-the-top red carpet arrivals. Held in a metropolis that, of 2.6 million capable citizens, chose Rob Ford as its leader, this outdoor spectacle will have crowds lining Toronto’s Queen Street West and the MuchMusic parking lot. South Korean gentleman rapper Psy will serve as co-host and performances will include United States pop princess Demi Lovato. It all happens on June 16.
Nominees for selected categories lie below. Some of the categories are open to public voting. For a full list, visit the official website – LINK.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Classified ft. David Myles – “Inner Ninja”
Drake – “Started from the Bottom”
Marianas Trench – “Desperate Measures”
Serena Ryder – “Stompa”
The Weeknd – “Wicked Games”
INTERNATIONAL VIDEO OF THE YEAR BY A CANADIAN
Justin Bieber ft. Big Sean – “As Long As You Love Me”
Carly Rae Jepsen – “This Kiss”
Avril Lavigne – “Here’s to Never Growing Up”
Tegan and Sara – “Closer”
Walk Off the Earth – “Red Hands”
ROCK/ALTERNATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Bill Talent – “Surprise Surprise”
Matt Mays – “Take It On Faith”
Metric – “Youth Without Youth”
Serena Ryder – “Stompa”
The Sheepdogs – “Feeling Good”
POP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Shawn Desman – “Too Young to Care”
Down with Webster – “One in a Million”
Hedley – “Kiss You Inside Out”
Marianas Trench – “Desperate Measures”
Kardinal Offishall ft. Karl Wolf – “Turn It Up”
DANCE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Anjulie – “You and I”
Deadmau5 ft. Chris James – “The Veldt”
Dragonette – “Live in this City”
Grimes – “Genesis”
Mia Martina – “Heartbreaker”
Canadian Hot 100, 22 May 2013
The first single from a Canadian artist to top the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 after it debuted in mid-2007 was Avril Lavigne’s ”Girlfriend”. “I Believe”, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics promotional song by Nikki Yanofsky was the second. Third was Young Artists for Haiti “Wavin’ Flag”. Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” was 4th and Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” was 5th. Last August, Carly Rae Jepsen’s collaborative tune with Owl City, “Good Time”, topped the chart. And this week, we have another tune by a Canadian reach #1 on the Hot 100, though he is partially Canadian having a dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship. We’re speaking of Robin Thicke whose “Blurred Lines” is now the biggest song in Canada.
Another highlight from this week’s chart is that Vita Chambers has joined the big leagues; “Fix You” is now a Top 40 single. New on the Hot 100 is Jerome Couture’s “Comme on attend le printemps”. Jerome is from the Canadian version of televised talent show “The Voice”, “La Voix”. He is not to be confused with Jean-Marc Couture who won Star Academie last year and released his debut album yesterday. The Hot 100 kicks tunes off the chart that have spent over 20 weeks and rank below #50; thus, Tegan & Sara’s “Closer” has departed. Their new song “I Was a Fool” however moves 16 positions up the chart from last week, now in the Top 40 at #39. Heavy metal band Headstones are tops on the Albums Chart at #7 with their new release Love + Fury.
NOTES:
Nielsen compiles weekly data on sales and radio airplay of singles and ranks them in the Canadian Hot 100 which is published by Billboard. Here we list all entries from the chart that are in whole or in part by Canadian artists.
RK = Rank. OR = Provincial origin of the artist. PS = Position on the Canadian Hot 100. CG = Change from last week’s position. WC = Weeks on the chart. PP = Peak position. Foreign artist in grey. RE = Re-entry. Most impressive numbers in last 3 columns appear in red.
Note: The date of the chart corresponds to the release of Nielsen Music’s Canadian Update newsletter which is normally 10 days less than on the online Billboard chart.
Got Myles to Go In the Nighttime
In 2011, Fredericton’s David Myles, put on a hat and travelled into the sun, tanning his talents, and cooked up a storm of inspired reggae on his award-winning album. Hooking up with fellow Atlantic Canadian, Classified, they found their inner ninja and wrote a tune together which became a Top 5, platinum single and won this year’s JUNO award for Rap Recording of the Year. Having now become a fairly high-profile Canuck recording artist, Dave has released a new work, In the Nighttime. This is literally an album and a half in the sense that it is a package of an LP and an EP. The EP contains the more upbeat Classified-produced material which decks the night sky like the looming moon. The LP houses the more romantic stripped-down ditties that dot the black ceiling like shimmering stars. In total are 16.5 exquisite new tracks (one comes in two versions) composed by one of our finest singer-songwriters.
“Can’t Take My Eyes Away” is perhaps the track that links this record to his last. “Be with You” is a beautiful gem that comes at you like soothing crickets as you kick back on the porch after the summer sun sets. Myles does something all Canadian recording artists ought to do if capable—he includes a French track, “En Decembre”. “Change My Mind”, with a touch of honky tonk and doo-wop, would sound great coming out of the speaker of a large wood-framed radio in a checker-tiled kitchen with a screen door. “What Would I have to Do” comes in two versions; you will like both of them. “So Blind” continues the fun of “Inner Ninja’s” grand Atlantic collaboration. Let us not forget to mention amidst the music what a pleasure it is to listen to David Myles’ vocals, easygoing yet spirited, sincere yet frisky. In the Nighttime is available now.
In the Nighttime on iTunes David Myles’ Official Website
Malajube’s Drummer Raises the Bar on Solo Project Oothèque
Francis Mineau, the drummer of JUNO winning progressive rock band Malajube, has released an album under the moniker Oothèque. While a discothèque makes you wanna dance, I suppose Oothèque is a venue that makes you say, “ooh”. This brilliant solo project was recorded within the capable hands of Pascal Shefteshy (Rufus Wainwright, Fanny Bloom, Peter Peter), and it is definitely worth a purchase. Through these colourful tracks, you will hear ever so subtly the sweeping synths of The Cure, the theatrical rock of Prism, the perky new wave guitars of the Go-Go’s, and even the alternative thrashes of The Smashing Pumpkins.
Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau is on the prowl, but whether the panther is pink or black, it is a happy camper, bouncing around playfully as the opening bass-carried tune would suggest. We are certain that FM, Canada’s founders of electronic rock, would be pleased with the next track and its sweet synths. Sometimes the robot is in need of therapy, and yet again, some therapists are in fact robots. Be careful. The grizzly reflects on its position among the animals who seem pretty content. The jazzy laid-back electro ballad “Secrétaire” yields to a sparkling power burst in its chorus, and “Spiegelbild” tips its toque to post punk sensibilities and dials up the party hotline, “Ligne ouverte,” which takes us to the funky fun of “Lycanthrope”. Going downtown, things get harder, faster, and alas we discover the whole time, we have been strolling through the shimmering thoroughfares of Kuala Lumpur. What a great album!
Ootheque on iTunes Official Website
Team Canada Wins Half a Dozen at the Billboard Music Awards
The 2013 Billboard Music Awards was held tonight. No judges, no critics, just the reality of music sales determined democratically by the general public (and voting in the case of a few categories). While the Americans footed the bill for the show, two Canadian recording artists snowboarded in to collect big, winning three apiece. Justin Bieber who’s been busy travelling thousands of kilometres around the globe on tour as of late won the Milestone Award. He won the award for Top Social Artist and for Top Male Artist, performing twice on the MGM stage. His labelmate Carly Rae Jepsen also won three awards: Top Digital Songs Artist, Top Pop Song, and Top Digital Song. Carly had commented on performing at the awards show last year pointing out that it was the first time ever she performed her song “Call Me Maybe” on TV. “I can just remember feeling a bit like Alice in Wonderland,” she said. How fitting then that the latter of the three awards she won tonight was presented by her Canadian sister who had written the theme song for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Avril Lavigne!
A Blues for the New World Has David Clayton-Thomas on Top of His Game
In 1968, American band Blood, Sweat and Tears recruited a Canadian lead singer and songwriter: David Clayton-Thomas who had grown up in the Toronto suburb of Willowdale. Clayton-Thomas took the reins and rode the group into the arena of superstardom, thanks in part to his brilliant composition “Spinning Wheel”. Blood, Sweat and Tears’ second, eponymous album topped the Billboard charts, was the third biggest of the year, sold 10 million copies and won the U.S. Grammy Award for Album of the Year beating out The Beatles’ Abbey Road! David was inducted into the Music Hall of Fame in 1996 and received a star on the Walk of Fame in 2010.
Dave’s conduit to success was not an easy one. A tumultuous relationship with his father had him run away from home when he was 14. Living in abandoned buildings, mixing it up with street hooligans, and stealing supplies to survive led to several arrests and overnight stints in the slammer. On one of these stays, he claimed a beat up guitar left behind by a cellmate and in his spare time taught himself to play. In 1962, he began performing at the seedy venues on Toronto’s Yonge Street. Honing his skills and attracting crowds, he eventually caught the attention of Ronnie Hawkins who mentored him, and the rest is, as we say, history.
After the success, disbanding and reformation of BS&T, David Clayton-Thomas assembled his own band of 10 highly skilled musicians in Toronto and began releasing new material. His latest work is entitled A Blues for the New World.
Although this is at the foundation a blues album, the steel-blue eyed crooner, whose voice sounds as good as ever, has raised up a superstructure from constituents of rock, jazz, reggae, and gospel decked with remarkably clever lyrics. Thrilling satire takes bites out of weighty subject matter including the invasion of privacy, a brush with death, the misery of unemployment, and the sleaze of politics. “It’s just politics. It’s a grand charade. The only way to love the law is to not see how it’s made. … Everything gets nasty in the heat of the debate. And you got to be so careful ’cause a word can seal your fate.”
It used to be that instrumentation served as the backdrop, complementing the singer and his poetry. Because the bulk of modern music does the opposite, we are grateful to DCT for reminding us that it doesn’t always have to be that way. A Blues for the New World is available now.
A Blues for the New World on iTunes David Clayton-Thomas’ Website
Jim Guthrie Takes Time But Always Delivers
JUNO-nominated Canadian singer-songwriter Jim Guthrie is from Guelph, Ontario, known for its low crime and unemployment rates. The man is a storehouse of creativity, consistently manufacturing many quality albums since his debut in 1995. He also involves himself in side projects working with several indie bands, collaborating with other solo artists, and scoring films and video game soundtracks (million-selling Sword & Sworcery for example). His album Now More Than Ever received a JUNO nomination in 2005. Jim’s latest release is entitled Takes Time and it was five years in the making and produced by Mark Lawson who has worked with the Arcade Fire.
This album is instantly likeable. Part of Guthrie’s appeal lies in his gentle, easy-going, and youthful voice, somewhat of a cross between Vae and “Weird Al” Yankovic. “Taking My Time” opens the work with a crowd cheering as if it were recorded live. High pitched horns flicker like a flock of birds chirping overhead and flying away. “Difference a Day Makes” gets the electricity flowing, the sentimental “Before and After” makes use of vocal harmonies, and “Never Poor” feels like riding a row boat in the moonlight.
Jim turns up the charm on “The Rest Is Yet to Come” with monophonic piano hammers, bubbly guitar strums, and even bells. “Bring on the Night” softly trumpets in afterwards with shuffling drums and appears to be the album’s most popular track. Cheeky yet dreamy “Don’t Be Torn” would make for a great number in a music theatre show. “The Sound of Wanting More” has the geese honking, strings jittering, and perhaps the album’s catchiest melody.
What makes any work of art great is its painstaking inclusion of intricate detail which alienates none but the flouters of intelligence. This is why artists like Jim Guthrie are such treasures. And, of course, accomplishing this … takes time.
Takes Time on iTunes Jim Guthrie‘s Official Website
Canadian Hot 100, 15 May 2013
NOTES:
Nielsen compiles weekly data on sales and radio airplay of singles and ranks them in the Canadian Hot 100 which is published by Billboard. Here we list all entries from the chart that are in whole or in part by Canadian artists.
RK = Rank. OR = Provincial origin of the artist. PS = Position on the Canadian Hot 100. CG = Change from last week’s position. WC = Weeks on the chart. PP = Peak position. Foreign artist in grey. RE = Re-entry. Most impressive numbers in last 3 columns appear in red.
Note: The date of the chart corresponds to the release of Nielsen Music’s Canadian Update newsletter which is normally 10 days less than on the online Billboard chart.
Certification Gold Rush March-April 2013
It’s been a while since we listed certifications of Canadian works by Music Canada. These past couple of months have not seen anything hit platinum, but a number of singles and albums have struck gold (40,000 units sold in Canada). Check them out below. Have you purchased any of these gems?
Cafeine Gives Us a Shot of New Love
Composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist (Xavier) Caféïne has launched his latest bilingual Brit-style punk / new wave album entitled New Love. Single “Lettre d’amour” has vaulted up to #3 on the Franco chart. The music reminds us a little bit of very early Ultravox. He released material in his band from 1997 and his first solo album, Gisèle, in 2006. Song “La fin du monde” received a SOCAN award. Bushido followed in 2009. For this, his third solo album, Cafeïne teamed up with producer Gus Van Go (The Stills, Priestess) and played all the instruments on the record himself! Caféine has left out the cream and sugar and brewed the bitter blend to a potency that has us wired for sound, and we’re grateful for that. Check out the album teaser below.
New Love on iTunes Caféïne’s Official Website
The MMVAs Welcome Demi Lovato
Canada’s premier music video awards will take place June 16 in Toronto. The first performer to be confirmed for the MuchMusic Video Awards (MMVAs) is none other than Demi … that’s Lovato, not Moore. Actually, her real name is Demetria. The American singer and actress, with a finely crafted chin, is doing very well in her music career and we are no doubt blessed to have her join the party. It’s always nice to have international artists attend and contribute. Three of the nomination categories have wild card spots open to voting from the public. You can vote every day until May 20 for the wild card spots in Favourite Video, Favourite Artist, and Favourite International Artist categories. To vote, go to the MMVA website HERE. The nominees for these three categories are:
Avril Lavigne’s “Here’s to Never Growing Up” Official Music Video
Avril Lavigne is a multiple Juno winning, diamond recording artist, and one of Canada’s finest contributions to worldwide rock. She has sold nearly 35 million records. Two of her songs made the Billboard Top 100 of the entire decade (2000-2009). She launched her career as a teenager, writes her own songs, plays instruments, all of her performances are live, and she is an exceptional vocalist to boot. Anticipation is running high for her fifth studio album, scheduled for release in the fall. Lead single, “Here’s to Never Growing Up” debuted at #1 on the iTunes charts of 17 countries and at #3 at home here in Canada. The music video was launched today and shows a high school party. We love to see Avril skateboarding down the school halls in her classic tank top & tie combo. Check it out:
“Here’s to Never Growing Up” on iTunes Avril Lavigne’s Official Website
Canadian Hot 100, 8 May 2013
This week…
Two newbies land on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, both tunes from Albertan artists. A rap group from Ontario climbs up 16 positions entering the Top 30 while an R&B number from the son of a famous Canadian actor enters the Top 20. A song from a Québec band re-enters the chart at a new peak position. And the acoustic version of an album by one of Canada’s finest electronic rockers lands on the album chart at #7.
TEGAN AND SARA
The first single released from Tegan and Sara’s outstanding album Heartthrob, “Closer”, has done very well, spending 31 weeks on the charts thus far and reaching a peak position of #13. As it begins its gradual descent, it was no doubt time for the Calgarian sisters to launch their second single. We are delighted that our favourite track from Heartthrob was selected, a swaggering melodic tune called “I Was a Fool”. It is one of our favourite songs of the year so far, simply beautiful. It has debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 at #73.
AUDIO PLAYGROUND
One of Edmonton’s finest contributions to the Canadian music scene, the concoction from Audio Playground, “You Never Know (Could You Be Loved)” debuts on the Hot 100 at #92. The track features Snoop Lion.
DOWN WITH WEBSTER
The Ontario rap group has enjoyed the greatest gain on this week’s chart, as their fantastic tune “One in a Million” moves up 16 positions surpassing the Top 40 landing in the Top 30.
ROBIN THICKE
“Blurred Lines” is definitely a hit, and it is now into the Top 20! We are blessed to have Alan’s son Robin as a part of Team Canada.
FINAL STATE
The super talented band from Québec has re-entered the Hot 100 at a new peak position of #82 with their delicious tune “Make Up Your Mind”.
LIGHTS
The acoustic version of LIGHTS’ masterpiece of electronic rock, Siberia, debuts on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart at #7.
NOTES:
Nielsen compiles weekly data on sales and radio airplay of singles and ranks them in the Canadian Hot 100 which is published by Billboard. Here we list all entries from the chart that are in whole or in part by Canadian artists.
RK = Rank. OR = Provincial origin of the artist. PS = Position on the Canadian Hot 100. CG = Change from last week’s position. WC = Weeks on the chart. PP = Peak position. Foreign artist in grey. RE = Re-entry. Most impressive numbers in last 3 columns appear in red.
Note: The date of the chart corresponds to the release of Nielsen Music’s Canadian Update newsletter which is normally 10 days less than on the online Billboard chart.
