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Colin James celebrates 25 years with live album, hall of fame nod

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It’s a big week for one of Saskatchewan’s favourite sons, as Colin James releases his first ever live album, Twenty Five Live, and is inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame.

Twenty Five Live, on the street March 19, follows less than a year after James’s last studio album, Fifteen. It appears to be the year of the numbered titles for the blues-rock guitarist, songwriter and bandleader.

The Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver was the chosen venue for this foray into live recording. When your career has gone from unknown to the top of the heap, you’ve likely played virtually every size and shape of music venue in the country. But as performing goes, James has a special place in his heart for the Commodore. The joint that once would not allow the underage music fan through the door deserves that nook in James’s heart, if only for the memory of seeing Stevie Ray Vaughan metaphorically hover above its stage.

James was gushing about the Commodore when he spoke to Saturday Night Blues host Holger Petersen during a tour stop in Edmonton in November 2012, and with good reason. The Commodore is at the core of a growing number of great rock ’n’ roll memories for James.

AUDIOListen to this interview clip with James as he talks about his personal history with the Commodore — there is no substitute for the enthusiasm in his voice.

As James noted, there are not many acts that have sold out five nights in a row at the famed Vancouver establishment, which holds just shy of 1,000 people.

As if the first ever live album is not enough to keep him busy, James will also be inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame on March 21, during Canadian Music Week. The Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, which recognizes the contributions of musicians, music producers and people in the industry, is different from the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, which focuses on musicians alone.

In addition to the six Juno Awards and millions of albums sold, James has been at the forefront for not one but two notable shifts in Canadian music.

His self-titled debut, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, was one of the pivotal blues releases in 1988, along with Jeff Healey’s See the Light. Together, James and Healey injected a solid blues base into the pop and rock music of the day. The blues-infused sound would continue to propel the careers of both artists for the decades that followed.

Not five years after his debut disc, in 1993, James made a dramatic turn toward swing music with the release of Colin James and the Little Big Band. It was only his third release, yet James showed remarkable personal and career confidence. Unquestionable success of his chameleon-like talent has given him a marketable career spanning pop, rock, blues and jazz.

James will show just how much he loves to play live with a rare concert at Lee’s Palace in Toronto on March 20.

Related:

Colin James Band in concert for the Saturday Night Blues 25th anniversary

Uncut video interview: Colin James on songwriting with Canadian greats, and more

Colin James, Colin Linden, Big Dave McLean name their fave Canadian guitar players


Nordic music: more than just quirky pop and death metal

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Nordic music often gets pigeonholed for being either a) quirky, weird pop and rock (Björk, Sigur Rós, Shout Out Louds) or b) Satan-worshipping death metal (everything else, apparently).

But those long, dark days in the winter also create the perfect backdrop for some truly excellent folk music, although it's rare that a Nordic artist in this genre will gain a serious North American following.

Perhaps in hopes of changing that, Canadian Music Week has invited some of the biggest folk artists from Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden to play a few concerts between March 19 and 24 in Toronto.

Whether you're already a fan or just looking for something new, here are some of the best Nordic folk artists you should see.

Antero Lindgren

Hometown: Helsinki, Finland.

Antero Lindgren’s debut album, Mother, received rave reviews in Finland when it was released last year, with the singer-songwriter being given "next best thing" status. After listening to his moody and somewhat depressed brand of folk, it's no wonder why. Raised in the '90s during Finland's depression, you can hear the darkness and destitution in his voice. 

For fans of: Chris Isaak, Ryan Adams.

CMW performance: Wednesday, March 20, 9:30 p.m. at the El Mocambo (Upstairs); Saturday, March 23, 8 p.m. at Wrongbar.

Efterklang

Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark.

Efterklang sounds like the Danish National, right down to the striking baritone of singer Casper Clausen (what a great stage name!). The band has recorded four albums, with their most recent, Piramida, being released on 4AD, the influential label behind bands such as the National, Bon Iver and Purity Ring. It's the perfect fit for their ghostly sound, and it just seems a matter of time before they grow a larger North American audience.

For fans of: the National, Bon Iver.

CMW performance: Thursday, March 21, 10 p.m. at the Virgin Mobile Mod Club.

Esben Svane

Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark.

Esben Svane is a singer-songwriter who knows how to write a catchy hook while still keeping things quiet and simple. It's just him, his guitar and some chorally "oohs" and "ahhs" in the background. Svane has a unique voice in that it's easy to imagine it better suited to fronting a punk-pop band, but it grows on you, especially when he hits his falsetto.

For fans of: Badly Drawn Boy, Billie Joe Armstrong's inevitable acoustic record.

CMW performance: Wednesday, March 20, 8 p.m. at the Cameron House back room; Saturday, March 23, 7:30 p.m. at Lounge Bar (inside the Marriott Hotel).

Esther Maria

Hometown: Aarhus, Denmark.

Esther Maria took elements of folk and country and merged them into a cinematic, debut album, The Abyss. On "Love Hasn't Found Me Yet," her voice acts like another instrument, enveloping the ethereal symphony of guitars and reverb effects with a distinct sense of melancholy. It's music to get lost in.     

For fans of: PJ Harvey, Laura Marling.

CMW performance: Saturday, March 23, 8:30 p.m. in the Tranzac back room; Thursday, March 21, 11:15 p.m. at the Lounge Bar (inside the Marriott Hotel).

Ásgeir Trausti 

Hometown: Iceland.

I have no idea what "Heimforin" means in English, but my hope is that it means "Hallelujah," because the song instantly reminds me of Jeff Buckley's iconic take on Leonard Cohen's song. Ásgeir Trausti's falsetto soars and undulates in a song best described as acoustic gospel. For those who like to listen to lyrics closely, an English version of his record, which received six nominations at the 2012 Icelandic Music Awards, including best album, is in the works.

For fans of: James Blake, Jeff Buckley.

CMW performance: Friday, March 22, 9 p.m. at the Drake Underground; Saturday, March 23, 9:45 p.m. at The Hoxton.

 

TomLevin

Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden.

It's hard to pin down Tom Levin's sound, as he seems to vary between folk, pop and even a bit of gospel. That said, whatever kind of music he's singing, he's doing it with a great baritone. He sounds like the National's Matt Berninger if he drank less and sang more upbeat love songs.

For fans of: Neil Diamond, Nick Cave.

CMW performance: Wednesday, March 20, 12 a.m. at the Free Times Cafe.

SoilWork

Hometown: Helsingborg, Sweden.

Oh wait, this is totally death metal. Enjoy.

For fans of: Scar Symmetry.

For more information, visit CMW's Focus on Nordic Regions page.

Related:

Canadian music label legend Bernie Finkelstein on 50 years of folk

5 world artists to discover on CBC Music

CBC Music's Deep Roots page

5 Canadian R&B acts to watch

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As R&B leaps back into critical and pop favour, artists and producers from Canada are being touted as part of a wave of indie or alternative acts that are providing a new perspective to the genre. Red Bull Music Academy, an incubator for progressive young musicians, recently explored the "renaissance in contemporary R&B" and included a few Toronto musicians in their roundup. From Vancouver's Evy Jane to Toronto's Rochelle Jordan, here are five homegrown acts that are part of the next wave of Canadian R&B and soul.

Rochelle Jordan, Toronto

After last year's excellent free mixtape PRESSURE, Rochelle Jordan (who often goes by Rojo) landed a dream gig opening for British singer Jessie Ware in the U.S. It would be too easy to say that she's working with in-house producer KLSH to craft a sound that picks up where Aaliyah left off because, though she's clearly indebted to the deceased icon (as well as Amel Larrieux, Kelis and others), the duo is bent on refining a more contemporary take that merges radio R&B with electronic music. Watch for collaborations with rising Canadian electronic producers Jacques Greene and Zodiac (formerly of the Weeknd).

 

Unbuttoned, Toronto

The boy-girl harmonies and bright, minimal arrangements of Toronto band Unbuttoned make us think of a more upbeat version of the xx. Unbuttoned's 2012 release, Electric Kingdom, is less playful than the band's previous easy-going singles, and puts an of-now spin on soul and pop.

Evy Jane, Vancouver

Pitchfork-sanctioned duo Evy Jane veers between glitchy electronic and sparse soul. What separates the pair from the self-serious dilettantes is the tinge of serious sadness behind singer Evelyn Mason's careful vocals on singles "SaySo" and "Nothing So Great." 

Ivanunknown, Toronto

There's not much information out there about Toronto singer Ivanunknown, but we do know that he prefers to lay his smooth vocals over unconventional production from Murr and Middlefield. The beat-focused approach to soul-pop is reminiscent of mid-'00s neosoul, but the futuristic instrumentals anchor his sound in the present.



Maylee Todd, Toronto

On April 1, Maylee Todd will release her second full-length album, Escapology. It's a record that reflects the singer's own curious and confident persona, slipping easily between bluesy, funky and boogie, all held together by Todd's effortless vocals.

 

Related:

Nuela Charles's alt-soul from Edmonton

R&B covers that surprise

A timeline of black Canadian R&B/Soul

Black History Month: Canadian musicians share their gospel roots

SHIFT on March 18th 2013

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Welcome to Shift, where Tom Allen takes you on a daily musical journey from the stalwarts of Classical music to the cutting edge of Contemporary tunes. Join us here on CBC music for a round-up of the stories of the day, some videos of music (or maybe just videos interesting to music fans) and a place to speak your voice.

Monday March 18th 2013  Tom Allen returns. Thanks to Katherine Duncan for studio sitting last week.

Today on Shift we celebrate the TV themes that stay with us not only because they remind us of the characters which we form an attachment to, but also because some music written for TV can be incredible beautiful or memorable, just like...

John Lunn's music from "Downton Abbey" 

That music stirs our feeling here at shift as does Thomas Newman's music from the TV show "Six Feet Under" 

Or just very memorable like the theme to the Canadian TV show the "Mighty Hercules" sung by a young Johnny Nash. 

Or this catchy theme for a great show called "George Shrinks" sung by Canadian musician Colin James. 

"The Mod Squad" Remember this funky gem? 

How about a Scandinavian take on the Lalo Schifirn theme from the show "Medical Centre" 

Covered by Patrik Kolar & his funky friends!!!!!

Which TV themes stayed with you, maybe even decades after the shows finished airing on television?

You can contact us at Shift with your ideas, questions or anything else by sending us a message on our Facebook page. Through email, you can reach show producers Alison Howard alison.howard@cbc.ca, Alex Redekop alex.redekop@cbc.ca or Pete Moreypeter.morey@cbc.ca  

From now on you'll be able to stream SHIFT at your convenience in its entirety. Click on the AUDIO tab on this blog to listen

Junk in the Trunk: Drive Stories Monday March 18

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Each day, Rich Terfry and Radio 2 Drive wraps up your day with music and stories about the interesting things going on in the world. Here are the stories we're talking about today.

DRIVE ON DEMAND

 Listen to Drive Hour 1 by clicking the play button.

 

 Listen to Drive Hour 2 by clicking the play button.

 

 Listen to Drive Hour 3 by clicking on the play button.

 

 

Listen to Drive Hour 4 by clicking on the play button.

 

FEATURES:

JUNK IN THE TRUNK:

Concerto for accordion and cat.

The how-to-solve-rubik's-cube rap.



Determined dog vs. slide.



Goats taking over the internet? Not so fast. Here the crown is reclaimed by its rightful owner - cats.



REAR VIEW MIRROR:Rich Terfry reaches into his record collection and takes a closer look at Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady."

 Listen to the audio by clicking the play button.




SHOWTIME:

4:10 p.m.

Is your marriage stifling? A Pennsylvania man wanted to get his wedding ring off his finger so badly, he decided to shoot it off. With a gun.

6:10 p.m.

The man who recently saved children from a shark is fired by his employer because he was on sick leave.

Whitehorse’s Luke Doucet & Melissa McClelland in Studio Q

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The musical husband and wife team of Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland join Jian at the desk in Studio Q to talk about their latest record The Fate of the World Depends on This Kiss.

The top 5 buzz bands of Canadian Music Week

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South by Southwest just wrapped up in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, and now it’s time for the music world to focus its attention on Toronto for Canadian Music Week, starting today.

Although it may not be as big as SXSW, the Canadian festival definitely holds its own, having some 1,000 Canadian and international acts coming to the city for the week. With so many artists it can all be a bit overwhelming, but we’re all about making your life easier so we’ve compiled the top 5 buzz bands of CMW. Check them out — and find out where to see them — in our gallery above.

Related:

Grant Lawrence's hits and misses from the first 2 rounds

Searchlight: Vote Now

Searchlight: Meet the national long list contestants

Kate Nash engages in "Girl Talk" in Studio Q

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British songstress, Kate Nash, trades in the polished folk-pop sound that made her famous, for a more in-your-face sound on her new record, Girl Talk - but the fine songwriting is still in evidence. Kate Nash joins Jian at the desk in Studio Q to talk all about it.


Meet our Searchlight Top 16 acts

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The Top 16 acts in our Searchlight contest have been revealed. These 16 contenders will now be paired off to compete for your vote starting 3pm ET/noon PT today until March 24 at midnight ET. Help determine which of these acts deserves the title of Canada's best new artist. The winning act will take home $20,000 in music equipment from Yamaha Canada Music, plus they'll be flown to Toronto to perform at our upcoming CBC Music Festival.

Follow the link below to learn more about each contender, or stream our "Sweet 16" playlist below:

ListenSearchlight Top 16
playlist



Good Ol' Goats (Kelowna)
Rosie June (Victoria)

Motel Raphael (Montreal)
Poor Angus (Hamilton)

I.no (Quebec)
Close Talker (Saskatoon)

Absolute Forever (Vancouver)
Dreamz (Toronto)

Elton Adams (Winnipeg)
Randi Boulton (Calgary)

Sarah Smith (Windsor)
Ambre McLean (K.W)

Sherman Downey and the Ambiguous Case (St. John's)
Shy-Anne Hovorka (Thunder Bay)

Henry Norwood (Ottawa)
Tristan Horncastle & Southern Drive (Fredericton)

Related:

Searchlight: Vote Now

Searchlight: Meet the national long list contestants

Grant Lawrence's hits and misses from the first 2 rounds

Meet your Searchlight Top 16

Easing your hangover with soothing tunes

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On Friday, you shared your favourite Canadian indie drinking songs in preparation for St. Patrick's Day. 

St. Paddy's has come and gone, in a green, Irish whisky flavoured blur... and for a lot of people, that means all they're left with is a nasty hangover. Plus, it was on a Monday, which makes the aftermath feel even worse.

So now, to ease your pain... share the songs that soothe you when you're dealing with a hangover! And, while you're at it, why not let everyone know YOUR favourite hangover cure.

Exclusive: Willie Nelson premieres new video, 'I Wish I Didn’t Love You So'

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On April 16, Willie Nelson & Family will release Let’s Face the Music And Dance, a new album of covers drawn from pop and country songwriters of the '30s and '40s.

The first single from the new album is Nelson's take on Frank Loesser's 1947 song, “I Wish I Didn’t Love You So.” You can watch the video above, exclusively in Canada on CBC Music.

The new record comes in a year of big days for the country legend. On April 30, Nelson will celebrate his 80th birthday. This year also marks the 40th anniversary since the formation of the Family, the band he formed with his sister, Bobbie Nelson. Willie's son, Micah, adds further family dynamics to the new album, playing percussion on selected songs.  We're assured that Willie, and his trusty guitar Trigger, appear on all the tracks.

Let’s Face the Music And Dance will be released on April 16. The tracklist is below, and you can pre-order the album via iTunes.

1. "Let’s Face the Music and Dance" (Irving Berlin, 1935)
2. "Is the Better Part Over" (Willie Nelson, 1989)
3. "You’ll Never Know" (Mack Gordon, 1943)
4. "Vous Et Moi" (Claude Francois-Jean Bourtayre)
5. "Walking My Baby Back Home" (Fred Ahlert-Roy Turk, 1930)
6. "Matchbox" (Carl Perkins, 1957)
7. "Twilight Time" (Al Nevins-Morty Nevins)
8. "I Can’t Give You Anything But Love" (Dorothy Fields-Jimmy McHugh)
9. "I’ll Keep On Loving You" (Richard Coburn-Vincent Rose)
10. "I Wish I Didn’t Love You So" (Frank Loesser, 1947)
11. "South of the Border" (Jimmy Kennedy-Michael Carr)
12. "Nuages" (Django Reinhardt)
13. "Marie" (The Dawn Is Breaking)
13. "Shame On You" (Spade Cooley, 1944)

Related:

Willie Nelson reunites with Sony, releases Heroes

Willie Nelson honoured with Kris Kristofferson prize

Johnny Cash to Marty Robbins: Story songs

Joanne Cash on growing up with Johnny

Marc-André Hamelin's Haydn: Piano Concertos Nos. 3, 4 & 11: partial album stream

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Pianist Marc-André Hamelin is taking his love affair with the music of Haydn to the next level with his latest release. Having recorded three volumes of the Austrian composer's sonatas for Hyperion Records, Hamelin's latest project sees him joining forces with Les Violons du Roy and conductor Bernard Labadie for a collection of three piano concertos by Haydn.

It's one of the most anticipated releases of the season, and Hyperion Records has selected it as its record of the month for April. CBC Classical is giving you the opportunity to stream one of the concertos before the album's official release on March 26.

[embed audio]

Haydn: Piano Concerto in D major, Hob. XVIII: 11
I. Vivace, II. Un poco adagio, III. Rondo all'ungarese: Allegro assai

The album contains Haydn's three most popular piano concertos. In fact, they are his only works for piano and orchestra whose authorship can definitely be ascribed to Haydn. Some shady publishers back in the 18th century used Haydn's good name to try to boost sales of their manuscripts, so there has always been some confusion about the authenticity of his piano concertos. But the three played here by Hamelin are the real deal.

By no means as familiar as Mozart's piano concertos, Haydn's nevertheless hold their own appeal.

"There's no question that Mozart tends to reach quite a bit deeper emotionally in his concertos," wrote Hamelin in an email to CBC Classical. "Though Haydn was just as capable of emotional depth, in his concertos he set out to write music that mainly aims to please, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that."

Hamelin, one of today's leading concert pianists, is known for his technical prowess, playing the most difficult music in the repertoire. So fans were surprised, in a good way, when he recently turned his attention to the relatively (deceptively?) simpler music of Haydn. While Haydn's music is unquestionably central to the classical canon, his piano music tends to be eclipsed by his sexier contemporary, Mozart.

We asked Hamelin if, Justin Timberlake-like, he was bringing Haydn back.

"Haydn has never been out of fashion!" he was quick to respond. "The symphonies are constantly performed (by orchestras of all calibres), the string quartets are an integral part of the repertoire, and a good deal of the sonatas regularly crop up on piano recital programs. My recordings of his music seem to have been both visible and appreciated, but I am by no means his only representative, nor would I want to be!"

"I think a good sense of humour is one thing," wrote Hamelin, as to what he finds essential for playing Haydn's music. "One also needs the right kind of pianistic articulation in order to convey the character of the music, as well as a good attention to detail. Incidentally, one facet of his music that I particularly enjoy is that fact that, since it's sometimes so sketchily notated, there's a good deal of freedom involved in making interpretive decisions. These decisions have to be somewhat informed of course, but still, the paucity of expression marks invite a certain kind of freedom I find very appealing."

That freedom of expression finds an outlet on this new recording, in Hamelin's collaboration with conductor Bernard Labadie and his Quebec City-based chamber orchestra, Les Violons du Roy. Says Hamelin, "I've known Bernard for many years, and though occasions to perform with him have not been that frequent, we seem to have very similar outlooks musically, which makes it relatively easy to find common interpretational ground."

Hamelin, who calls Labadie "a rather amazingly wonderful human being," describes the recording sessions, which took place at Quebec City's recently refurbished Palais Montcalm, as a satisfying experience.

"I really admire Bernard's rehearsal technique, by which he can usually get his intentions realized in a very short time."

Related:

Preorder Hamelin's new album of Haydn concertos

Marc-André Hamelin's exclusive videos show what's possible at the piano

Breathtaking: watch Hamelin play Debussy's Reflets dans l'eau

Meet D Major, Miss Congeniality (Signature Series)

Stream: Joshua Van Tassel’s Dream Date

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On March 26 Joshua Van Tassel releases his new album Dream Date (you can pre-order the album from Backward Music). We've been playing it for a couple of weeks and have fallen in love with it. So we thought we'd give you a chance to stream the whole album here to check it out. 


 

Play

Listen to Joshua Van Tassel's Dream Date

 

 


Joshua Van Tassel is from Nova Scotia and now lives in Toronto.  He is a multi-talented man.  Drummer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, his last album was one of our favourites and it looks like he's done it again with Dream Date.

Just the name of the album conjures up a mess of feelings doesn't it?  But this isn't your typical dream date scenario, for Joshua that dream date includes one very large gorilla.  

Here are two 'dream date' scenes shot and edited by Mitch Fillion for the launch of the CD.  That gorilla I mentioned appears in the videos as well:



Cool...and weird.  

Here's how Joshua himself described the concept and the album to me:

LB: Tell me about this thing you have with gorillas. 

JVT:  Ever since childhood I've had a fascination with them; there's something so knowing and super intelligent in their eyes and actions. Even as I child I remember being convinced that they could talk, and were just waiting to be asked a question that they didn't find completely ridiculous and under their intelligence level.

You've had other people talk about their dream dates - now you need to come clean.  Who is your dream date?  

Fair enough! I'm a lucky man and I actually have 2 dream dates that I get to live with and have dream dates all the time, my girlfriend Kate Holden who is a an amazing contemporary dancer, and my dog Samwise Gamgee. If you look closely at both album covers, you can see that both creatures have a double incisor, which is what she had when she was a puppy.   

One track is titled Daniel Craig -- do you think women think of him as the ULTIMATE dream date? What's the story here?

I think the Bond movies have definitely solidified him as a dream date for millions of women. His role is rugged yet sophisticated, and super charming. As I wrote each piece on the record, I tried to picture a really specific scene in my mind to score the music to. Daniel Craig got it's name because I was seeing a classic spaghetti western scenario with a futuristic twist; giant machines, holograms to confuse and deceive, explosions, and in the middle of it all was Daniel Craig, getting completely beaten and bashed in the most nonchalant and non cheesy way. 

Now that the album is all done - what surprises you most about it?

I was a bit worried about half way through that the songs were too stylistically varied to make sense together as a cohesive album, but upon listening through now that it's finished it feels like it makes total sense to me. I think I'm surprised that all the pieces fit into place as smoothly as they did. 

What have you done differently this time around?

The last album was done in my living room with a minimal amount of gear, and Dream Date was the first record I got to make in my new studio. I had the luxury of having all my instruments around me plugged in and ready, and access to some beautiful gear that sonically helped me raise the bar. I also involved my friends earlier in the process. Devon Henderson, Robbie Grunwald, Dean Drouillard, Jaron Freeman Fox, Justin Rutledge, and Kate Rogers were all a really important part of the sound of this album as collaborators. Having an album context and vision to score each tune to really helped things along as well and gave some focus whenever I'd get a bit lost in what I was making.

Is there a difference between songwriter brain and producer brain?  

I think it's a very subjective thing. For me they're definitely connected in a very large way. A lot of the songs I write are very dependent on the soundscape around them, and I'm definitely writing as I'm recording. I do my best to see where the sonics of a particular piece will lead the shape and form of it. Having my own studio and being my own producer gives me the freedom to work that way and make many, MANY mistakes along the way which the song ends up being all that much stronger for having survived through them. 

Two vocalist/cowriters on the album - how does working with words change things for you?

I'm a huge fan of lyrics and of vocals, but there's something liberating about instrumental music for the listener. I feel like it's easier for people to draw their own conclusions and create their own story around the song when there aren't words specifying exactly what you should be seeing/feeling/thinking. I'm a big fan of Kate and JR as along writers and lyricists as well, and I knew to trust them completely when it came to writing lyrics that would help enhance the overall feel of a tune without completely overshadowing it and being too direct in a storytelling way. I had a mental storyboard for each piece while writing, but in no way would I ever want someone to feel like that was the only thing story that could be told by that particular piece of music.

Also...if you could give me a line about each track - anything you want to say - that would be fantastic.

Come Home Safe To Me - this tune tells the story of the last of a long line of sea monster hunters who has defend his village from a terrible beast that has taken residence in the harbour. His wife begs him not to go, but it's his destiny and there's no on else left. Good news though, he survives!

The Sharpest Corner - Set in the future, we get to watch from birds eye view a chase scene. A man is pursued through a futuristic maze like metropolis on foot, hover board, and once even a mechanical horse.

The Warmest Heart - Sometime in the not a distant future as the previous, a young girl and her father are on the beach. He's preoccupied with with his cell phone and working, she digs up what looks like a strange mechanical fish skeleton. To her delight and his horror it starts to wriggle and move in her hands, and suddenly the water around them erupts with all sizes of terrifying cyborg type fish creatures. The girls eyes glow red, the father runs terrified away, and she takes her place as master of these creatures. (Justin was a huge help in the development of this story, he really came in to the studio and got weird with me)

Sentimental Health - a party scene in a nightclub of animals dressed in expensive suits served by human bartenders

Bottom of The Well - hundreds of years ago a commoner fell in love with the a princess, and because of their affair, he was cast into an abandoned well on the castle grounds to eventually die. In modern times, the castle is now a tourist attraction, but the ghost of the poor man still haunts the well and screams for help all through the night, every night.

Daniel Craig -  as explained above! 

I Think You're A Salesman - I left this one open for Kate's interpretation without telling her too much about what I was seeing. I had a very lonely yet hopeful landscape in mind when I was recording the music end, and I think her lyrics capture both vibes perfectly.

Companion -  the sound track to a hand in hand walk with your dream date. Perfect weather, sunset, psychedelic plant life, animals that don't exist saying hello. The usual date stuff. 

---

Enjoy the album!  And come out to the CD launches!

Joshua Van Tassel will be performing on April 2 in Toronto at Lula Lounge and April 3 in Montreal at Casa del Popolo. More dates can be found on his website: www.joshuavt.com

 

The Strokes’ Comedown Machine: full album stream

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Comedown Machine, the new album from the Strokes, will be released on Tuesday, March 26, but you can stream the album right now on CBC Music. It's the New York band’s fifth album, and the followup to 2011’s Angles.

The Strokes haven’t announced any tour plans and have avoided interviews, but bassist Nikolai Fraiture recently described the process to the BBC as being like “the good old days,” saying, "We got off tour and we had these songs, some left over and some new. We rehearsed in Electric Lady and it was working so we went with it. It was touch and go for a while but we finished up at Electric Lady (recording studio) in New York. We recorded ten or 11 songs and there is other stuff floating around."

Comedown Machine is available for pre-sale from iTunes. Fans in Canada can listen to it in the player below, and below that check out the brand new video for the album’s first single, “All the Time.”



Related:

The Strokes release new track, 'One Way Trigger'

New Strokes album on the way

HAIM on the influence of ‘Bootylicious’


Radio 2 Morning story round-up, Tuesday March 19

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Each day, Radio 2 Morning starts your day with music and stories about the interesting things going on in the world. Now, you can follow along at home. Here are the stories we're talking about today.

Winnipeg may be the friendliest city in Canada.

Do you like chips? You'll probably love at least one of these new flavours.

Raise money for the Red Cross while your "Red Heart" beats at a Hey Rosetta show.

Long distance pillow talk.

Have you ever wondered why Kraft Dinner looks so artificially orange? There's a movement to remove the artificial dyes from the classic food.

Check out the show Radio 2 Top 20, your votes count!

Come hang out with us on facebook. Lots of fun videos, stories and it's a great place for us to hear from you.

We'd love to hear your comments on any of these stories. Leave 'em below.

Seeking solace in sound

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One of the best things you can do when you're in the most joyous of jubilant moods is catch one of your favourite songs on the radio and just crank the thing up. (Don't worry: we definitely have several of such tracks on tap for the show today.) But what if you're feeling a little blue? Just as they complement you at your best, can the right songs comfort you, too?

For songwriters, there's undoubtedly a certain comfort that lies in creating these songs. Nowhere is this better reflected than in Julie Doiron's latest release, So Many Days, where the New Brunswick songstress has tucked whispers of sadness under warm guitars. She crafted the majority of the album while taking up temporary residence in Toronto -- she has since moved back to New Brunswick -- and you can't help but feel a little displaced, perhaps as she did, as you listen to tracks like "Can't Make It No More".



When you're feelin' down, which songs do you go to for comfort?

Former NHL great Theoren Fleury finds healing in 'hockey tonk'

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Native Hockey News editor-in-chief Philip Paul-Martin recently spoke with former NHL player Theoran Fleury.  Here is his story.

National Hockey League great Theoren Fleury’s take on his music is simple.

“We call it hockey tonk,” he says, laughing. “We’re creating our own genre. It’s a little bit of old mixed with new country.”

Fleury played in the NHL from 1988 to 2003, finishing up his professional hockey career with the Chicago Blackhawks. Now, the Olympic gold medalist takes voice lessons and sings lead for six-member band the Death Valley Rebels, based in Calgary. They rehearse twice a week, and have recorded a couple of tracks.

“I’m just learning guitar right now though,” Fleury admits.

The band's sound is unique — a little country mixed with some honky-tonk and a splash of blues. But as with all music, the hockey tonk roots have a predecessor: it was a Sunday afternoon tradition overlooking the Qu’Appelle River in St. Lazare, Man., that gave birth to Fleury’s genre of music.

“Every Sunday we’d go to my uncle’s farm and out would come the fiddles and guitars and we would be laughing and dancing and having a good time,” he says. “That’s Métis tradition.”

But it's the songwriting process that allows Fleury a creative outlet. “I have guys I write with in Calgary and Winnipeg," he explains. “It’s just ideas. The song ‘Walk With Thousands’ came from a single idea of trying to ignite the people that still haven’t found their voices. It’s my life story.”

“Walk With Thousands” is the theme song for a cause that is close to Fleury’s heart: Victor Walk. It is part of the Victor movement, which “was created to raise awareness for, and heal those who have been devastated by child sexual abuse,” according to its website.

The Stanley Cup champion drew national headlines in 2009 when his autobiography, Playing With Fire, revealed that he had been sexually abused as a youth by former hockey coach Graham James. Eventually, Fleury pressed charges and James was sentenced to two years.

This year, the Victor Walk will take Fleury and his team from the Child Abuse Monument in Toronto on May 14 to the steps of Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 23.

Music has been an outlet for Fleury on his healing journey.

“We’re trying to help people overcome abuse and addictions, dark stories,” he says.

Fleury also credits Winnipeg-based Phil Deschambault, a former hockey player turned musician, for his musical inspiration.

“My dad used to play with him,” Fleury says. “He was a good player but just picked up a guitar and quit hockey. After my book came out I called him up and asked him to help me write songs.”

The two spent five days together and came up with “As the Story Goes,” a song that Fleury and the Death Valley Rebels now perform.

As for reception, Fleury says he’s not concerned with what others think about his foray into music.

“Everyone knows me as a hockey player. But when you have a passion for something and put your mind to something what do I care what people think?” he asks, rhetorically.

“Guess what? They told me I would never play a game in the NHL and I played a thousand."

He reflects for a moment. “Whether we play one or zero concerts, music helps heal my soul that I lost a long time ago and it’s a part of my recovery.” He pauses again.

“The greatest gift I have is the gift of freedom that’s helped me move forward and get to where I need to be.”

Related:

Aboriginal 2013 Juno nominees deliver diverse musicality

#IdleNoMore: a look at Aboriginal protest music

Arctic Air's Adam Beach on his 5 favourite Aboriginal musicians

The Milk Carton Kids’ the Ash & Clay: advance album stream

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LISTEN The Milk Carton Kids' The Ash & Clay
Album stream to March 26, 2013
Tracklist


 

From the opening seconds of L.A.-based folk duo The Milk Carton Kids' new album, The Ash & Clay, it's obvious the pair deserves a spot tucked into our nostalgia pockets.

Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan have obviously taken cues from the great legions of ‘60s and ‘70s gentle men, like Simon & Garfunkel, who barely sang above a tender tickle, but whose voices rang out with a clarity that shook us to the core.

There's more here than just a walk down memory lane. Throughout the 12 tracks, we meet new friends and journey with them. Sometimes we're carried along, sometimes we're just floating over top as Pattengale and Ryan's voices meld over the dreamy, rambling rifts of the twin acoustic guitars.

Thanks to Anti- Records, you can stream this marvelous tangle of tunes exclusively on CBC Music in Canada until March 26 — a full week before its release.

Related:

Mount Moriah's Miracle Temple

The Lumineers' Neyla Pekarek: a cappella champ to folk rock star

Daniel Romano's Come Cry With Me

Inside the Archives: Experimental Music from John Cage to Pat Metheny

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As winter comes to a close, Inside the Music has been busy with spring cleaning. We're embracing the thaw by re-releasing old shows unavailable until now. Each week we'll release a batch of classic Inside the Music broadcasts, from popular music movements across the world, to bizarre experiments in sound. We'll even bring back some classics from our regular series My Playlist, and we'll recap the historic RPM series, which discussed 5 crucial albums in Canadian music. Join us every Tuesday for more and more episodes from the archives.

Tuesday March 19th 2013

Experimental music is somewhat difficult to define. It can mean new adaptations of old instruments, or it can mean a completely fresh form of music composition. It can be a bizarre visualization of music, or just bizarre music scores that accompany Hollywood box office hits. Inside the Music has unearthed documentaries that both challenge music convention, and the listener. They will open your eyes and your mind. From the archives this week, the best in experimental music documentaries.

John Cage


Try discussing contemporary music without referencing the music and mind of American composer John Cage. Contrarian to the core, Cage, who began composing during the Depression and continued right up to his death in 1992, helped define the sound of the last century by eschewing nearly every musical tradition put in front of him, including – much to the chagrin of his one-time tutor, Austrian serialist Arnold Schoenberg – harmony.

Traffic sounds, compositions written for amplified cactus, percussive pianos prepared with nuts and bolts, scores that instruct the performer to “make a deliberate action” or, if you’re a pianist sitting in front of Cage’s three-movement “silent” score from 1952, open the keyboard and perform the piece by sitting quietly for exactly four minutes and 33 seconds, the silence punctuated by the ambient noise of the concert hall.

Today's program came out of archival footage found mostly over 25 years ago, and most of it never aired except on Inside the Music. And in case it gets confusing, one side of the mushroom makes you smaller, the other makes you grow.

1Click to Listen to John Cage: Cage in the Woods

 

Pat Metheny and Linda Manzer

Pat Metheny may have more fans around the world than just about any other living jazz artist. What a lot of people don’t know is that his incredible acoustic sound heard on albums such as Beyond the Missouri Sky is the product not only of his fine playing but also the work of Linda Manzer, a world-renowned Canadian guitar builder. In fact, since 1982, she’s built over 20 guitars for Pat (including the amazing 42-string Pikasso).

It’s an amazing story about two incredibly creative people and their unique musical collaboration. The documentary is filled with Pat’s wonderful music and offers an inside look at one of the most productive and creative relationships in music history.

2Click to Listen to Kindred Spirits: Linda Manzer's 30 Year Journey with Pat Metheny

Unsettling Scores and Howard Shore


Watching a film can be an incredibly emotional and immersive experience. But without the proper score, a plot can fall flat on its face. Even those silent moments that grab your full attention are intentionally void of sound. The composers and performers behind these pieces of music have more of an impact on our emotions than we'd like to admit. The terror of Jaws came entirely from two notes played back and forth, slowly speeding up, not a fish.

This documentary features the haunted film music of Howard Shore, Bernard Herrmann, Miklos Rozsa, Denny Zeitlin, Black Sabbath, and others. From the films: PsychoDirty HarrySpellboundVertigoThe BirdsInvasion of the Body SnatchersThe FlyEd WoodThe Silence of the LambsUlysessTwilight Zone (TV), Taxi Driver and others.

3Click to Listen to Unsettling Scores: Horror and Suspense Film Soundtracks

R. Murray Schafer


When we think of orchestral music, it is played in a concert hall or church: a space designed to be quiet. But every August for decades, one of Canada's leading composers takes musicians and actors into the wilderness to stage an opera. R. Murray Schafer is celebrated around the world, not just for his music, but for the study of the sounds around us every day. He coined terms like "sound walk," and represents the highest echelon of Canadian modern composers. Leading Freelance producer Andrew O'Connor explores the musical evolution of one of Canada's foremost composers, R. Murray Schafer.

4 Click to Listen to R. Murray Schafer: The Soundscape Revolution

Seeing Sound


Heidi McKenzie offers this feature documentary exploring the world of synesthesia - the ability to experience more than one sense at a time. You may be surprised that the list of musicians that experience this include Billy Joel, Duke Ellington, Rich Terfry (Buck 65) and Franz Liszt to name a small few. With this documentary, you'll get a rare glimpse into the perspective of people who see shapes and colours when they hear music.

5 Click to Listen to Seeing Sound

 

Related

Inside the Archives: My Playlists featuring Robbie Robertson, Sarah Harmer and more

Inside the Archives: World Music, from Columbia to China, from Pagans to Popstars

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