20
Carlton Street, Suite 1032, Toronto, ON
M5B 2H5
(416)
677-5883
langfieldent@rogers.com
www.langfieldentertainment.com
LE
NEWSLETTER
September 13, 2007
So much to share with you this week including many pics in my PHOTO GALLERY
from film festival festivities. Also of note is that the one and only Chaka
Khan is releasing her first CD in 10 years!
And don't forget two special showcases coming up - Morley, an
amazing vocalist signed to Universal France, is going to perform two shows
while in Toronto. Trust me, not to be missed!
After some thought and reflection, I have written a piece in JUST
MY OPINION about the recent uproar about tickets for the Planet
Africa Party this year. Feel free to weigh in on the subject.
::HOT EVENTS::
New York's Own MORLEY Hits Toronto with Two Shows!– NEW YORK TIMES EMERGING ARTIST –
Source:
Langfield Entertainment
September 4, 2007 (Toronto) -
Universal France artist, Morley, who was recently named "New York Times Emerging Artist”, is coming to Toronto to celebrate
her latest musical offering Seen. Morley performs with a full band on Wednesday,
September 19th at Revival (College and Shaw). Morley is coming to Toronto to enjoy some of the Toronto
International Film Festival and has decided to bless us with a local gigs while
she’s here. "Toronto is one of my favourite cities on the planet because
of its international community. I see my reflection here in so many different
faces, it's a city that holds evidence that we can cohabitate in harmony . . .
makes me want to become an ex-patriot," says Morley.
The plight of Toronto’s homeless hasn’t
escaped New York songstress Morley. In town to perform two live shows,
Morley has chosen Sistering as the charity that will receive partial
proceeds from all ticket sales. (See full press release below.)
Click HERE
to listen to Morley music.
|
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 |
ABOUT MORLEY:
Singer/songwriter Morley is soulful, sensual, and down-to-earth, and her sultry
voice and socially conscious lyrics fused with deep grooves attract an audience
as diverse as her influences. Compared to a range of artists from Nina Simone
and Sade to Annie Lennox and Joni Mitchell, with a sound that is all her own,
Morley carries on their legacy. Her self-produced album Days Like These,
licensed to Universal France and released in the U.S. on Circular Moves,
garnered stellar reviews and has led to sharing stages with superstars Dave
Matthews, Amadou et Mariam, Simply Red, Rodrigo & Gabriela, and Raul Midón,
to name a few. She is the artist in residence at NYC's famous "Joe's
Pub" where she regularly sells out and wows her audiences!
Morley recently completed her
new CD Seen slated for release late-Fall 2007. Co-produced by Jay
Newland, Jean-Philippe Allard, and Morley, Seen features an array
of stellar musicians, including Larry Campbell, Gil Goldstein, Richard Bona,
and others. Morley's evocative, alluring voice can also be heard on the current
national Ralph Lauren Polo ad campaign for the fragrance "My
Romance".
WHAT THE
PRESS SAYS ABOUT MORLEY:
"This
jazz minded pop chanteuse, soul sister, cosmopolitan home girl from Jamaica
Queens embodies modern-day NY femininity in all its multicultural finess."
-The New York Times
"Somewhere
between Sade and Portishead, there's Morley" -Time Magazine
"Morley's
urban folk is smooth and powerful and proves she knows love is the only way."
- Time Out New York
http://www.myspace.com/morleymusic — Morley's official MySpace
page which has several songs from her soon-to-be-released CD Seen, co-produced
for Universal France by Jean-Philippe Allard, who is also the president of
Universal France, Jay Newland, and Morley.
http://www.morleymusic.org/ — Morley's official website,
which is currently being updated, and has the songs from her last CD, Days Like
These, co-produced by Jay Newland of Norah Jones fame.
New York’s Morley to donate proceeds from Toronto shows to
Sistering
Source: Deborah Bowers
Toronto – Sept. 13 – Even though she’s American, the plight of Toronto’s
homeless hasn’t escaped New York songstress Morley. In town to perform
with a full band at Revival (783 College Street West) on Wednesday,
September 19th – Morley has chosen Sistering as the charity that will receive partial proceeds from all ticket
sales.
Morley’s social and political awareness came at a very early age. Today,
she has loaned more than just her voice to several causes around the world –
from protecting the environment to ending child poverty. She has
performed for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela in Capetown, South
Africa, and at Carnegie Hall with David Amram for Eco-Fest. Morley participated
in the Tribute to Joni Mitchell at Symphony Space and sold out the Thalia
Theater there. She’s toured Europe in the musical, The Temptations of St.
Anthony, and sang alongside Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon on the soundtrack
for the HBO special, Beah Richards, A Black Woman Speaks. Morley was the 2005
recipient of the Abe Olman scholarship for excellence in song writing,
representing ASCAP and performed at the 60th anniversary of the UN.
“Toronto is one of my favourite cities on the planet because of its
international community. I see my reflection here in so many different faces,
it’s a city that holds evidence that we can cohabitate in harmony,” says
Morley.
Empowering ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances
Sistering has been providing services to homeless, under housed,
socially isolated and low-income women for 23 years. Sistering includes a
Drop-In Centre on College Street, an Outreach Program in Parkdale, and two residences where women are
permanently housed – one for adult single women and the other for single
mothers and their children.
In a safe, social space for women, Sistering provides hot meals, clothing,
laundry and shower facilities, access to health care professionals, a mailing
address, informal counselling, housing assistance and support, life skills
workshops and support groups. Two self-employment programs – On The
Path, a sewing program and Inspirations Art Studio, an arts based
micro-enterprise initiative – enable women to enhance their incomes.
“Women like Morley
realize the importance of women supporting each other – the sisterhood.
It is what we have based our organization on and we are both proud and excited
to be partnering with such a strong and wonderful person. Morley’s music
is both conscious and uplifting – her strength comes from within and shines
through,” says Sistering’s Executive Director, Angela Robertson.
Known for her socially conscious lyrics and deep, soulful grooves, Morley
combines her unique experiences as a former teacher in New York City’s shelters
and public school system and as a choreographer (Alvin Ailey, Max Roach) to
create songs that have attracted diverse audiences all over the
world. With influences that range from Bob Marley to Bob Dylan, her
music is informed by real life and has been compared to the likes of Joni
Mitchell, Nina Simone, Sade and Annie Lennox.
::SONY/BMG SCOOP::
Chaka Khan To Release First New Studio Project In 10 Years
Source: Sony/BMG Music Canada
Celebrating over three decades of milestones, Chaka Khan will release her
first new studio album in over 10 years. Khan’s music and celebrity have
influenced generations of fans and contemporary recording artists setting standards
across every music genre: Pop, Rhythm & Blues, Rock, Disco, Soul, Jazz, Hip
Hop and even Classical. Chaka Khan is a musical Icon. FUNK
THIS produced by the Grammy Award winners Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis embodies
the funky soul of her musical roots with Rufus and her signature
passionately-honest vocal styles that make Chaka Khan timeless. “The
album may remind people of my early Rufus albums because I’m in a similar ‘soul
space.’ I’ve been on a little journey in the last few years, finding
Yvette again.” (Referring to her birth name) “I went through a period of being
insecure. I’m walking a different path now. I’ve changed.
This album is different from any other album I’ve recorded because it reflects
what I’m about, who I am now. The album is called, ‘Funk This!’ because
it’s funky!” The thoughtful work ranges from original copyrights,
collaborations with superstar artists, to adding her signature stamp on
important contemporary classics.
The collection includes fresh renditions of Prince’s “Sign ‘O’ the Times”; a
duet
with Michael McDonald on “You Belong To Me,” a song he co-wrote with Carly Simon,
Joni Mitchell’s “Ladies Man,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Castle Made Of Sand,” the soul
classic “Foolish Fool” and Rufus medley of “Pack’d My Bags,” and “You Got
The Love.” FUNK THIS original’s include “Disrespectful,” the
tour-de-force duet with powerhouse Mary J. Blige, a poignant poetic ballad,
“Angel,” the acoustic “One For All Time” penned by Chaka and Terry Lewis, the
deeply beautiful and soulful “Will You Love Me?” and self affirming “Superlife”
among others. Eight-time Grammy Award winner singer, songwriter and
community advocate – Chaka Khan has been active in lending her support to the
community for many years. The Chaka Khan Foundation, founded in
1999, raised over $1.4 million through its funding raising efforts last year
alone. The Foundation assists women and children at risk and
benefits Autism research, awareness and therapy. For more
information, please go to www.chakakhanfoundation.org.
Track List:
1) Back In The Day
2) Foolish Fool
3) One For All Time
4) Angel
5) Will You Love Me?
6) Castles Made Of Sand
7) Disrespectful (Featuring Mary J. Blige)
8) Sign ‘O’ The Times
9) Pack’d My Bags/You Got The Love (Featuring Tony Maiden)
10) Ladies Man
11) You Belong To Me (Featuring Michael McDonald)
12) Hail To The Wrong
13) Superlife
www.chakakhan.com
www.burgundyrecords.com
www.sonybmg.ca
::JUST MY OPINION::
Open Letter to Cameron Bailey, Founder, Planet Africa
I have to address this issue with you, Mr. Bailey, as someone who is
evidently responsible for the ticketing and invitation fiasco with the Planet Africa party this year. Have
you heard the outcry from many industry professionals in film and entertainment
about the lack of communication with respect to invitations and tickets?
I'm sure that you have and thus, I would like a response, as I am speaking for
at least 100 people that reached out to me with requests for tickets and/or any
information. Regardless of how this situation came to be – perhaps with
reasoning we are not aware of – I still think that those excluded deserve an
explanation as to why they were left off the invite list this year. On a
proactive, I do offer my hand in getting contact information to you for those I
know that were excluded this year so as to avoid this happening in the future.
I understand that in the big picture of things, that perhaps this is just not
all that important - but rarely have I heard such a heated discourse from those
of us in the industry over one invitation. This implies that your event
is embraced and anticipated every year. It is where the Black community
and those that support the Black community can come together and enjoy each
others’ company with less schmooze than other film festival events. It’s
a party – it’s a celebration of achievements. It is where actors,
filmmakers and festival-goers alike can come together and let their festival
hair down.
Having been pegged as ‘one of the hottest parties of TIFF’ by many, it only
stands to reason that when folks that have been invited to this event since its
inception did not get invited this year, it led to a massive
response of resentment and disappointment.
The biggest issue was that no one knew how to get tickets. Someone said
Cameron Bailey is the only one with tickets, another offered a phone # to call
to get tickets (with no phone call returned), another offered another name to
call to get tickets - who was out of tickets almost as soon as he received
them. I spent way too much time on the hunt for tickets – but felt
compelled to for all those in my weekly distribution and friends that by rights
of their accomplishments alone, should have been invited yet again.
Having said that, I did attend the Planet Africa party this year
- with no ticket in hand, no way ‘in’. Since I was at
another festival event that evening and the venue, Phoenix, is close to where I
live, I decided to step to the door to see what would happen. We were not
asked for anything and told to go right in. Huh? If
I’d known it was going to be that easy, I would have told the hundred people
that asked me about tickets and the whereabouts of venue to just show up.
But apparently, many were asked for tickets and denied entrance
if they were not ticket holders (as I had phone messages to that effect).
And these are very well-known and respected Canadian ‘industry’ people being turned
away at the door. Yet some were eventually let in.
In any case, the party was great as usual with bumpin’ music, happy attendees,
open bar and celebs alike. I just wish all those deserving were there to
enjoy it with me.
I understand that this letter could keep me off the invite list forever but I
am humbly writing for those legitimate industry folks that expressed their
concern to me.
Regards,
Dawn Langfield
PS Feel free to contact me to weigh in on this issue HERE.
::TOP STORIES::
Charges Laid In Jacksoul Singer’s Traffic Collision
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Ashante Infantry
(Sept. 11, 2007) A 20-year-old Toronto man has been
charged in the collision that landed Jacksoul frontman Haydain Neale in hospital with head
injuries. Kyle Samuel will appear in court at Old City Hall on Oct. 25 to
face allegations of making an unsafe turn. Meanwhile, Hamilton-born Neale
who resides in east Toronto with his wife and teenaged daughter remains in
critical condition in hospital where he was induced into a coma. “The
family is cautiously optimistic,” said Toronto Police Detective Paul Higgins.
“The progress is slow (and) there is still a level of unconsciousness.”
Neale, 36, was riding his motorized scooter south on Kennedy Rd. near Eglinton
Ave. about 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 3 when a car turned into his path. Neither
alcohol, speed, mechanical failure, nor intent were factors, police said. And
the singer was wearing a helmet. The five-member band Neale leads is best
known for the hits “Can’t Stop” and “Still Believe in Love.” Their latest
effort, mySOUL, garnered a Juno earlier this year for R&B/Soul Recording.
Brian Melo Wins Canadian Idol
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Tim Lai, Entertainment Reporter
(September 12, 2007) On a night when Canada tipped its hat to
Hamilton's Brian Melo, he reneged on an earlier
promise to show off his head if he won. "Yeah, that's a lie,"
the 25-year-old former construction worker said last night with a big grin as
he addressed reporters as the new Canadian Idol. "If I do that, then there's no more surprise."
Hamilton's hat lovin' alt-rocker edged out Alberta's teenage country
crooner Jaydee Bixby in what executive producer John Brunton described as a
"flip of the coin." Melo beat 10,000 would-be Idols who auditioned
this year and captured the majority of more than five million votes cast after
Monday’s final performances. "I wasn't nervous. Once (host Ben Mulroney)
called my name, there was that sense of satisfaction, so it was definitely
gratifying," Melo told a press conference following a contract signing
with Sony BMG. The humble Melo said he has been preparing to make a name
for himself in the music business, but he didn't think it would be so soon. He
added that he wants to parlay his success around the world as well.
The raspy-voiced singer from Steeltown who delivered one of the most memorable
moments in the Idol history earlier this season with Radiohead's
"Karma Police" repeated the performance last night and cemented his
musical status. "That may be one of those memorable moments for me of the
whole Idol experience for the past five years," said judge Jake
Gold. Melo capped off the night with his new single "All I Ever
Wanted," which is set to hit radio today Judge Sass Jordan said the song,
penned by Chris Perry and Nicole Hughes, sounded as if Melo wrote it himself
since he served up such a resounding performance. "When I first heard the
single, I thought it was catered to myself and other artists like Dwight
(d'Eon). Even though I didn't write it, I could really relate to the
lyrics," he said. "I just want to lose myself in that song. It has
all the great things for a great song and great single." He said he's
ready to head to songwriting camps and have as much input as he can on his
upcoming disc. While Melo and Bixby's singing styles could not be any
more different, the two were neck and neck going into the final week. Only 2
per cent of the vote separated the pair when Mission, B.C.'s Carly Rae Jepsen
was sent home last week. Bixby, the boy with a voice of Elvis, was very
gracious in his second-place finish. Despite being more critical of his
singing on Monday's show, all the judges said the kid with the innocence the
country fell in love with would have a big career, and Bixby has the country
capital in sight. "I'd really like to go out to Nashville – if I
have to hitchhike I'll get there," Bixby said. "For me, just to go
out and do what I like and be involved in the music I'm into, that's my
goal." He added that the critical comments throughout the competition didn't
phase him.
"I just came from high school and kids can be cruel, so what the judges
said was nothing," he told reporters, who burst into laughter. Monday 's
show drew 2.23 million viewers – about three per cent higher than last year.
The season's final tally reached more than 37.3 million votes, a million more
than last year's competition. Idol officials pointed out that 2007 total
was 62 per cent higher than the 2006 federal election. Bon Jovi, Avril
Lavigne and last year's winner, Eva Avila, performed on last night's two-hour
finale, capping off a star-studded season that featured Rihanna, Enrique
Iglesias, Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, Paul
Anka and Kalan Porter. Brunton said the decision to allow hopefuls to play instruments
brought Canada's emerging singer-songwriters like the two finalists. Bixby and
Melo both brought acoustic guitars to their audition. To the consensus of
the Idol officials, they said the right guy won. "Brian
needed to win for his career," said Gold. As for Melo, he knows the
promotion juggernaut now begins and he's ready to hit the studio and make a
stop in his hometown on the Idol tour in December. But he's not sure
what he'll do with the new fame, and especially fortune. "I haven't
even opened the cheque, so I don't know how much I'm getting," he said
with a chuckle. Hats? Maybe, but he got about 50 by being on the show.
Toronto Filmmakers Make Pitch-Perfect Play
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Jennifer Fong, Special To The Star
(September 12, 2007) Toronto filmmakers Jim
Goodall's and Paul
Lenart's cheque might be too big for the ATM, but it will fit in just fine
in Giantland. Goodall, 32, and Lenart, 39, ended up with an oversized
photo-op cheque for $10,000 after beating out five other contestants in a pitch
showdown yesterday for their proposed film Giantland. Before a crowd of more than 250 at Telefilm Canada's Pitch
This! competition, each finalist had only six minutes to explain their film's
plot and convince a jury of industry veterans that their project would be a
worthy investment. With so much on the line, and so little time, the pressure
was on. But producer Lenart and writer-director Goodall got the job done
with their animated family film about two kids who fall through a sink into
Giantland, a world that human interference has put at risk. The tale, which
Lenart likened to Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia,
will be told through a combination of CGI, puppetry, live action and painting.
While Lenart and Goodall explained their vision for Giantland, rough
scenes from the project screened next to them – a strategy that jury member
Jane Tattersall said helped the team. "I think in the end why Giantland
was chosen was because there was a very strong visual component," she
said. "You knew what the story was, you could see from the animation they'd
done what it was going to look like."
Afterwards, Lenart confessed: "We actually didn't get around to writing
our pitch until a week ago." Still, Lenart and Goodall managed to give a
polished presentation at Pitch This!, where previous winners include two films
currently screening at TIFF – Richie Mehta's Amal (2005), part of this
year's Canada First! program, and Chaz Thorne's Poor Boy's Game (2001),
a Special Presentation. Lenart and Goodall are excited to see where their win
will take them. "This will allow us to actively start looking for money
and conducting some more tests," said Lenart. They hope to see a
theatrical release for Giantland in two or three years. For now though,
their main concern is how to get their cheque to the bank.
Jennifer Fong was chosen for TIFF's inaugural Sid Adilman Mentorship
Program, writing for The Festival Daily and blogging at tiff07.ca. The program
was established in memory of the Star's veteran entertainment journalist Sid
Adilman through a family endowment.
Chris Brown Gets Candid In Giant Magazine
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 11, 2007) *You saw his show-stopping
performance at Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards. Now, get up close and personal
with singer Chris Brown
through a candid interview in Giant Magazine. The artist, who graces the
publication’s Sept. 2007 cover, opens up about childhood family drama, his
early crush on Ciara, his desire to fill Michael Jackson's shoes and the
pressure to stay on top. Below are excerpts from Laura Checkoway's exclusive
conversation with Brown, entitled: "Most Likely to Succeed."
• ON HIS ABUSIVE STEPFATHER "(I told my mother) 'I just want you to
know that I love you, but I'm gonna take a baseball bat one day while you are
at work, and I'm gonna kill him.' He used to hit my mom...He made me terrified
all the time, terrified like I had to pee on myself. I remember one night he
made her nose bleed. I was crying and thinking, 'I'm just gonna go crazy on him
one day...' I hate him to this day."
• ON HIS CRUSH ON CIARA "When Ciara came out, I looooved her. This was
before her and Bow Wow and before anybody knew me at all. I met her at a show
and was just really intrigued. I remember talking to her like, 'Yo, I'm
attracted to you and all that.' But I was too young for her. I didn't get the
time of day!"
• ON THE PRESSURES OF SUCCESS "With a second album, there's a lot of
pressure to maintain status. It's like if you're popular in high school, you
gotta keep it up - keep the fresh gear on, keep saying the right things. The
whole music industry is like high school. I guess prom was the
Grammys."
• ON MICHAEL JACKSON "Michael Jackson sold twenty-five million albums, so
I wanna get to at least twelve. Michael (Jackson) said to me, 'being able to
dance and sing; that's rare. Nobody can do it - only you, me and a couple of
others. Keep working and dream big.' Michael Jackson told me to dream
big!"
.jpg){kind=link}
::MUSIC NEWS::
50
Cent, Kanye Both Winners In CD Battle
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com - Pop & Jazz Critic
(September 09,
2007) Ideally, this week's Kanye West-50 Cent
showdown would be a story of good vs. evil: a politically conscious
MC going head to head with an unrepentant gangsta rapper. But it's not that
simple. West's shine has been tarnished by his
narcissistic tendencies and public boastfulness, while 50 Cent's
entrepreneurial flair garners grudging admiration. Both have shown
themselves adept enough at marketing to make this "battle" – West's
new disc, Graduation, and 50 Cent's Curtis come out on
Tuesday – seem more like a scheme, at a time when record sales are at a
historic low. Especially with West telling Rolling Stone the pair met
three months ago to listen to each other's albums. "50 said 'Can't Tell Me
Nothing' was his favourite song (on West's Graduation), so I said
'Okay, that's my first single,' " West told the magazine. "We push
each other." West's record label subsequently threw down the gauntlet by
moving Graduation's release date, putting it in direct competition
with Curtis. "I don't think it was preplanned," said
Erik Parker, director of content for hip-hop site SOHH.com, of 50 Cent's early August interview
with the website in which he declared he "won't put out any more solo
albums" if West's Graduation outsells his Curtis.
"He's very savvy, but I think he went off the cuff on that one," said
Parker of the entertainer's videotaped exchange with senior correspondent Carl
Chery. "He was very matter of fact and really trying to make his
point that there's no way he's going to lose. This is absolutely a campaign.
They each are vying to be the people's champ here." 50 Cent is the
incumbent, so to speak, having sold 11 million albums to West's measly 6
million. But they're both iconic fixtures at the top of the hip-hop food chain.
50 Cent – alias Curtis Jackson, Teflon Don and Fiddy – is the tough guy, a former
drug dealer who survived being shot nine times to successfully debut in 2003
with Get Rich or Die Tryin' under the tutelage of Eminem and Dr. Dre.
Since then the 32-year-old Queens, N.Y. native has diversified with movies, books,
video games, clothing, beverages, and a stable of performers called G-Unit.
He's No. 2 (behind Jay-Z) on Forbes' list of "Hip-Hop Cash
Kings" with earnings of $32 million (U.S.) last year.
Chicago-born West, 30, also overcame adversity – a near fatal car accident and
the assumption that producers can't rap – to issue the critical and commercial
smash The College Dropout in 2004. On records and on the record, the
Louis Vuitton Don grapples with weighty issues, such as materialism, conflict
diamonds and Hurricane Katrina. That's why there's a lot more than sales at
stake, said industry veteran and Canadian Idol judge Farley Flex.
"It's also about whether the public is willing to support social
commentary in music and make artists accountable for the lyrics they
write," Flex said. "Kanye is trying to influence minds and he has
shown that he's not afraid to compete with the lowest hanging fruit. I don't
think 50 is dissing conscious rap, he just writes the music he thinks will
sell. But if Kanye continues to be successful he will influence other rappers
to do what he does." So far, West leads at every juncture – advance orders
on iTunes, lead single charting and polling at SOHH.com, the biggest and longest running
hip-hop website. He was also the favourite in an informal survey of New
Jersey students by Rider University professor Mickey Hess, author of the new
book Is Hip Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America's Most
Wanted Music.
"Stylistically and content-wise they find 50 Cent to be simplistic,"
said Hess of the students in his Hip Hop and American Culture class. "And
he's also inconsistent. A few years ago he called out Ja Rule for singing on
one of his tracks and now he's doing the same thing. He's seen to follow
whatever is trendy." But listeners, record labels and the artists all win
regardless of the outcome, posited Parker. "We get to see a good game and
they get to make a lot of money off of it. That’s what showmanship is all
about. "If you get this rising tide that is going to lift 50 and
Kanye and people get excited about buying albums, then it may help the next
(Houston rapper) Chamillionare, or whoever else comes out after." Outside
of a good ol' freestyle battle, which would be the icing on the cake of their
upcoming joint appearance on BET's 106 & Park on Tuesday, this is
the healthiest kind of rap "war," said Parker. "It gives
everybody a chance to get out their bravado and macho hip-hop stances, yet it
doesn't go so far where it needs to be something where people are going to get
hurt, or have to do anything illegal."
Visit sohh.com
to have your say in Kanye West vs. 50 Cent Decision '07.
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Genesis: Big Things Never Arrive
Excerpt
from www.globeandmail.com
- Brad Wheeler
(September 8,
2007) The skies threatened a storm, but mustered only wind
and a few sprinkles. Likewise, a performance by a reunited British rock act
stayed poised for big things that never fully arrived. On a spectacular
behemoth of a stage and in front of a mature, ready crowd that was not wildly
expressive, Genesis kicked off the
North American leg of its world tour, at a venue where kicking is nothing new.
BMO Field, a soccer-pitch stadium, played host to its first concert – a show
that had plenty of classic hits and musical precision, but nothing for the
highlight reel. I'm not sure anyone or anything is to
blame. Fans faced long line-ups getting into the place, but, after a stop at
one of the many concession stands once inside, most were in their seats by the
time the field lights lowered (late) at 9 p.m. Following the proggy
instrumentals Behind the Lines and Duke's End, the driving, synthesized Turn it
On Again began the concert in earnest. “We're Genesis,” said sociable frontman
Phil Collins after, “and we're gonna try and entertain you this evening.” They
did try, in their way. But the thing of it is, Genesis is not really a stadium
band – even if the stadium is a relatively small one (at some 20,000 seats),
and even if the LED-panelled Water World backdrop dazzled with lights, live
video and set-closing fireworks. The feeling was that the touring unit –
Collins and charter members Tony Banks on keyboards and Mike Rutherford on bass
and guitar, with longtime associates Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer on
drums and guitars, respectively – was playing to divided loyalties. The
percussive and politically-minded 1986 hit Land of Confusion roused some of the
fans; others applauded earlier, artier material.
“Are there any old people here tonight? Apart from us? Collins asked,
rhetorically. “This is your moment then, it's time for us to play some very,
very old songs.” And so the introduction went for a medley that began with the
whirling, swirling In the Cage, from 1974's conceptual (some-say) masterpiece,
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The concert ended with the anthem Carpet
Crawlers, also from Lamb. Collins, 56, was the workhorse of the bunch, working
160 of 160 minutes. Bald, grizzled and hammy (whipping out a small camera for
snapshots), the showman either doubled-drummed with Thompson (both beating on a
vinyl chair at one point) or fronted on the eerie Mama or the middle of the
road Throwing it All Away Collins's voice has lost nothing. The set list
was honed, blending together slow-dance ballads with melodic rock and more
progressive works. Medleys and epic tunes ebbed and flowed. But the
performance, professional as it was, just never took off. Before the sprawling
Domino, Collins grandstanded, literally, by directing separate audience
sections to cheer on his command. That's the way it was all night, really
– a big crowd disconnected from itself. First encore tune I Can't Dance – “what
a silly song,” Collins quipped – must have bewildered the right-brained
faction. And a gorgeous, swaying number from 1973's Selling England by
the Pound should have had everyone together on the chorus. Hey, maybe they
were, in their heads, singing to themselves “I know what I like, I like what I
know.” Genesis plays Montreal's Olympic Stadium, Sept. 14, and Ottawa's
Scotiabank Place, Sept. 15.
Randy Gill, Johnny's Brother, Readies CD
Source: Kristal Miller, kristalmiller@bbrbr.com
(September 6, 2007) Randy Gill, brother
of Johnny Gill and member
of the group II D Extreme, is bringing back R&B music in more ways than
one! For starters, he's been in the studio recording songs for his
upcoming solo CD entitled "Gillology." The three songs he's
previewing on his MySpace page
(www.myspace.com/gillology)
indicate this CD will give R&B lovers plenty of that good music we've been
missing. "Ready 4 Me" is a sensuous ballad that promises
"bathing, touching, tasting, anything you like." In this song, Randy
not only shines as a songwriter and producer, but his vocal performance is
emotionally and dramatically near perfection. "Marry Me" is a
heartfelt declaration of love and appreciation that is appropriately composed
on the guitar. The simplicity of the composition and sincerity of the message
make this song the ultimate background music for a romantic proposal. A song
he recently added, "Radio," may prove to be the most commercially
successful of the three. Featuring the vocals of Remedy, Jermaine Mickey (from
II D Extreme), and Dujour as the DJ, this song will appeal to anyone who enjoys
good music and good singing.
In addition to his solo CD, Randy has also been in the studio with II D
Extreme working on a project celebrating the group's 15th Anniversary. II
D fans are anxiously awaiting preview music from this CD and you can be
assured it will include that great composing, lyrics, singing, and harmony that
we've come to expect from II D. As if that isn't enough, Randy is the
host of a monthly R&B radio program called the BBRBR Listening Party.
BBRBR stands for Bring Back R&B Radio. This program features a fan
critique of three recently released R&B songs and is currently being
broadcast on over a dozen online radio stations, including regular rotation on
World Vibe Radio on Monday-Wednesday-Friday at 12:30 p.m. CST (www.worldviberadio.net).
Randy Gill can't single handedly bring back R&B to a place of
prominence, but he sure is doing his part. Check out his preview songs and let
him know how you like them. (www.myspace.com/gillology)
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Videos Embrace No-Budget Revolution
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Jake Coyle, Associated Press
(September 07, 2007) NEW YORK–The music
video is shrinking. With the music
industry in crisis from falling sales and file sharing, labels have less cash
to subsidize elaborate videos that will mostly be seen in miniature on computers.
The result has been a major shift in the art form, as artists increasingly
embrace the YouTube aesthetic with cheap, stripped-down, low-production videos.
The shrinkage of the video will be obvious Sunday at the MTV Video Music
Awards, where grandiose, ambitious videos will seem like an exotic species
facing extinction. "The business is changing radically. It does feel
smaller, cheaper," says veteran music video director Samuel Bayer, whose
many clips include Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Blind Melon's
"No Rain" and Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams,"
which won six awards at the 2005 VMAs. Even Kanye West – one of the most
video-conscious artists in music – experimented with a small, quirky clip for
his new hit "Can't Tell Me Nothing." Instead of the flamboyant
rapper, the video stars the bearded, dishevelled, unmistakably white comedian
Zach Galifianakis. Pimping an orange tractor on a country farm, he lip-synchs:
"Homey, this is my day." When MTV's award show kicked off 24 years
ago, the network was ushering in a new era where the video was king: a branding
tool and an art form rolled into one. Today, the channel broadcasts mostly
reality shows while YouTube, iTunes, MySpace and various other online
destinations have become the dominant viewing platform for videos.
Directors are gradually adapting to the smaller-sized medium. Chris Applebaum's
video for Rihanna's "Umbrella" is nominated for five VMAs, including
Video of the Year and Best Director. It's a sleek, beautiful creation, and Applebaum
was conscious of where it would be most watched. "I had a lunch with
Rihanna and Jay (label head Jay-Z) and we talked about the fact that most
people are going to watch things on their laptop," says Applebaum.
"It's important to be bold and simple and to find the elegance in
simplicity." Bayer's video for Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around
... Comes Around" is nominated for numerous VMAs, including Best Video and
Best Director. Starring Timberlake and Scarlett Johansson, the video has a
distinctively cinematic feel, complete with a car chase and end credits. In
this way, "What Goes Around" feels old-school – like a rebellion
against the new aesthetic. Instead, Bayer aimed for an experience more like
Michael Jackson's landmark 1983 "Thriller" video, directed by John
Landis. "I said, `We gotta go big,'" says Bayer. "If I'm going
up against an OK Go video with four guys on a treadmill that plays millions of
times on YouTube, how can I do something that is the opposite of that?" In
the late '80s and through the '90s, budgets and ambition ran high. Mark
Romanek's 1995 video for Michael and Janet Jackson's "Scream" is
considered the most expensive ever, at an estimated $7 million (figures U.S.).
There have been many videos in the $2 million range, including Brett Ratner's
"Heartbreaker" for Mariah Carey, Hype Williams' clip for Busta
Rhymes' "What's It Gonna Be?!" and David Fincher's "Express
Yourself" for Madonna.
"What Goes Around" cost approximately $1 million, but Bayer thinks it
could be one of the last big-budget videos. "A comet hit the Earth and the
dinosaurs are dying," says Bayer. "There's a new age coming. I think
those days are over." Many artists and directors are now creating videos
knowing they'll have to compete for eyeballs on YouTube. OK Go's famous
treadmill-choreographed video for "Here It Goes Again" was perfectly
suited for viral distribution, but the power pop band is far from alone in its
reconsidered methods. The Decemberists and Modest Mouse both asked fans to fill
in the background to a video shot in front of a green screen. Jessica Simpson
did a version of "A Public Affair" composed entirely of fans dancing
and lip-synching to the pop song. "The new aesthetic is that it's very
low-budget, lo-fi, very do-it-yourself, not at all dedicated to the old style
of music video, which was always bigger and louder and more explosions and more
money," says Saul Austerlitz, author of Money for Nothing: A History of
the Music Video. "This is more a punk-rock aesthetic," he
adds. "It's very exciting."
Thank Bjork and M.I.A. (but not the
organizers)
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Robert Everett-Green
Virgin Festival
At Toronto Island Park on Saturday
(September 10, 2007) Only a churl would accept a lovely
present and complain about the wrapping. Bjork's performance at the opening night of the Virgin Festival was so transporting that I
forgive the festival its glaring faults as an event (more on those below).
Bjork has been making strange and beautiful music for a couple of decades, and
she's still exploring a frontier that nobody else can find. Her dynamic
show seemed to exist in three tenses at once: present, future and primeval
past. Her music from ten years ago (she played several items from 1997's Telegram)
sounded as fresh and original as the things she pulled from last spring's Volta.
The show was impeccably planned and produced, yet she romped around the stage
in her Pierrot-as-baroque-angel outfit as if making everything up on the spot.
No one else could tour with a brass band and make it seem like the coolest
sound on earth. The 20 women of the Icelandic band Wonder Brass, and a battery
of live percussion, grounded the music in organic tones that gave new point to
the boldly synthetic sounds of synthesizers and drum machines. Songs such as Declare
Independence and Earth Invaders were wildly spectacular, but for me
the most mind-blowing thing was her performance of Cover Me, which with
its clotted organ accompaniment sounded like high-church contemporary music of
a kind that would never otherwise transfix 25,000 pop fans standing in a dark
field.
The day's other big revelation was M.I.A, who tore up the mainstage with a
mid-afternoon set of gangsta rap from some extra-territorial party zone of fun
and social combat. I've been stuck on this British Sri Lankan's music for
two years, but was unprepared for the flirty authority with which she hurled
her deeply ambiguous music at the audience. Sheathed in black and pink, she
invited everybody to get carnal while contemplating the global cultural mash-up
represented by her pungent collage of world music, street sounds and dance
beats. When the world is in flames, she seemed to say, the disenfranchised
dance on the battlefields. K-os
started my afternoon with a free-flowing set of funky hip-hop, with a mixed
ensemble that proved it's possible to swing and rock out simultaneously. He
free-styled, he let loose with some messy invigorating jazz-rock fusion, he did
a brief a capella of the Wayne Newton (!) classic, Danke Schoen. He was
completely himself, and didn't seem at all bothered with whether that fit
anybody's expectations. Hard to believe he and his strong recent album were
stiffed for a Polaris Prize nomination. Other boys on the main stage did their
jobs and left me feeling only a shade warmer than indifferent. I like the
Arctic Monkeys on record, but after three live exposures I can't get excited by
their living-jukebox approach. They delivered, but Lord, they must be bored
doing the same tunes the same way every time. I've never quite got the deep
hold Interpol has on some people, and came no closer to penetrating the
mystery on Saturday. Yes, they have a distinctive sound, but they're awfully
parsimonious about what they do with it. After half a dozen songs that all
treaded the same narrow ground musically and emotionally, I wanted to shout:
What are you guys afraid of?
The mainstage went blank for about an hour in the late afternoon, after Kid
Koala abandoned his DJ set when the hot sun began melting his vinyl. He was a
last-minute replacement for Amy Winehouse (who cancelled three weeks ago),
though why the festival thought a DJ set would work on the main stage is
baffling. People drifted around during the hiatus, checking out the side
stages, whose offerings generally paled in comparison to what was happening
simultaneously at the Osheaga Festival in Montreal. As an event, the
two-year-old Virgin Festival still lacks personality. The thing felt utterly
corporate, and displayed a rats-in-maze approach to crowd control. Saturday was
like a day-long exercise in docility training. I counted eight uniformed cops
patrolling the small DJ tent, as if club music + alcohol = guaranteed mayhem.
Gee, officer Krupke, we only came to have fun.
Don't Mention The F-Word To This Saxist
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Ashante
Infantry, Pop & Jazz Critic
(September 10, 2007) Initially, Brooklyn-based saxist
Rudresh Mahanthappa balked at the invitation from a couple of
young Toronto musicians to participate in a unique event kicking off at Hugh's
Room tomorrow. "They were calling it an Indo-Jazz Fusion Festival and I
told them that I wasn't going to be a part of it unless they dropped fusion,
because I think of fusion as the f-word," he explained by phone from New
York. "It connotes so many terrible, superficial projects that I
don't want to have anything to do with." However, the 36-year-old musician
finds it appropriate that Toronto is showcasing the successful merger of
Eastern and Western styles with a two-day line-up comprised of his group,
Indo-Pak Coalition, Indian classical vocalist Shantanu Bhattacharyya, and
Toronto's Monsoon and Tasa. (All profits from the event will fund a scholarship
for underprivileged music students in India). "I think the South Asian
population there is huge and very connected," he said. "And I feel
there are more Indo-Canadians that are actually out there playing music –
forget about even jazz, but hip hop and deejaying. I can count on one hand the
number of Indian jazz musicians in America who are actually on the scene."
That elite group includes pianist Vijay Iyer. He and Mahanthappa play in each
other's quartets and also perform as a duo, Raw Materials, which debuted in
1996 at Toronto's defunct South Asian arts festival Desh Pardesh.
Though Mahanthappa performs in six different ensembles, he called his work with
Iyer his "most significant and influential collaboration," owing in
part to their mutual heritage. "There are definitely lots of Indian
influences in what we do sonically and rhythmically, but when we go to play I
don't want anybody expecting something Indian, because that's kind of an
unrealistic expectation, because we're Indian American. I grew up listening to
the same '80s rock as anybody else my age." His trio Indo-Pak Coalition is
rounded out by Pakistani American guitarist Rez Abbasi and Jewish tabla player
Dan Weiss. Mahanthappa said the group's moniker is meant to spoof a common name
for South Asian businesses in North America. "We have two South Asians
playing Western instruments and the white guy playing the Indian instrument.
When I look at it sometimes it just make me laugh, it's so hilarious."
The Indo-Jazz Music Festival takes place Sept. 11 and 13. For schedule and
ticket information visit hughsroom.com, or call 416-531-6604.
Bleary-eyed Britney kicks off MTV Video
Music Awards
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Associated
Press
(September 9, 2007) LAS VEGAS — Somewhere, Kevin
Federline is laughing. An out-of-shape, out-of-touch Britney Spears delivered what was destined to be the most
talked about performance of the MTV
Video Music Awards — but
for all the wrong reasons. Kicking off the show Sunday night with her new
single, “Gimme More,” Spears looked bleary and unprepared, much like her recent
tabloid exploits on the streets of Los Angeles. She walked through her dance
moves with little enthusiasm. She appeared to have forgotten the art of
lip-synching. And, perhaps most unforgivable given her once-taut frame, she
looked embarrassingly out of shape. Even the celebrity-studded audience
seemed bewildered. 50 Cent looked at Spears with a confused look on his face;
Diddy, her new best friend, was expressionless. Some comeback.
Breathlessly hyped by MTV as the evening’s most anticipated performance, it
became the most shockingly bad of the night. Jive Records might want to push
back that Nov. 13 album release date. The VMAs had better luck with their
own reinvention on Sunday. After suffering poor reviews and a decline in
ratings over the last few years, MTV moved the show to Las Vegas’ Palms Casino,
shortened the show from three hours to two, and changed the show’s setup to
focus more on performances than awards. Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, Kanye
West, Fall Out Boy and the Foo Fighters each hosted separate suite parties,
where much of the show’s performances were held.
Thankfully, after Spears’ dismal start and an awkward, off-colour intro by
comedian Sarah Silverman, the show rebounded with several exciting
performances. (There was even more drama in the audience: an off-camera fight
broke out between Pamela Anderson exes Kid Rock and Tommy Lee, leading Diddy to
remark: “It’s not just the hip-hop artists that sometimes have a
problem.”) Timberlake’s suite was packed with revellers, alcohol and
eight lingerie-clad stripper types on raised platforms. Before he accepted the
Quadruple Threat of the Year award at his suite, the DJ summoned the partygoers
to watch the monitor and go crazy if Timberlake won. He did, they did,
and Timberlake said: “I want to challenge MTV to play more videos!” Then he was
whisked away by bodyguards and disappeared. Timberlake was the night’s
big winner, with four trophies. After accepting the award for Male Artist of
the Year, he jabbed at MTV again: “We don’t want to see the Simpsons on reality
television” — apparently he’s not a fan of either Jessica or Ashlee’s MTV
shows. Meanwhile, Rihanna won the coveted Video of the Year for her
metallically inspired “Umbrella,” and Monster Single of the Year for her ubiquitous
hit “Umbrella,” and Beyonce and Shakira won Most Earthshattering Collaboration
for “Beautiful Liar.” Beyonce’s shimmering gold dress barely contained her top;
immediately after she picked up her trophy, she asked an assistant backstage to
help fix her dress, apparently to prevent a wardrobe malfunction.
Other performers were appearing on the show’s main stage, in front of an
industry-only audience seated at tables, like at the Golden Globes. Chris Brown
gave one of the evening’s most extravagant performances — a dance-centric,
eye-popping spectacle that channelled Michael Jackson, right down to a brief
“Billie Jean” imitation. Alicia Keys had the evening’s most rousing
performance, debuting her new song “No One” and then an inspired, choir-backed
cover of George Michael’s “Freedom.” While performances like Keys and
Spears were delivered on the main stage, others were delivered in snippets:
Akon crooned a bit of his “Smack That” before an award was announced, while the
cameras zoomed in on performances from Fall Out Boy and the Foo Fighters
mid-performance in their suites, giving viewers the sense that they had
happened upon an intimate concert. Cee-Lo delivered a rocking version of
Prince’s naughty classic “Darling Nikki” in the Foo Fighters suite; Soulja Boy
was showing Kanye West his “Crank That” dance in West’s suite. Though the
suites appeared to be chaotic parties, the MTV-cast revellers were carefully
organized and strategically placed for the cameras. In another suite, the MC
encouraged everyone to drink and keep the energy up. Choreographed or
not, Timberlake and Timbaland’s joint suite looked like the most exciting —
T.I., buffeted by pole dancers, delivered a rousing version of “Big Things
Poppin”’ while 50 Cent stopped by to perform “Ayo Technology” with Timberlake
and Timbaland.
Not to be outdone, T-Pain and West danced high atop Las Vegas in one of the
Palms’ balcony suites as they celebrated “The Good Life.” And Lil Wayne, doing
double duty in the Fall Out Boy suite after opening the pre-show with Nicole
Scherzinger, was particularly animated. But the TV audience never got
full views of those shows, though MTV promised viewers more via its website and
other “remixed” versions of the show. That might have been the purpose: to whet
appetites for repeat viewings by promising glimpses of what they missed during
the traditional broadcast. And unlike in recent years, there was plenty reason
to come back for more.
Emerson Drive In Top Gear
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Tim Cook, Canadian Press
(September 11, 2007) REGINA — Pop-country band
Emerson Drive steered its way to the Canadian Country Music Awards Monday night and left with a trunk full
of hardware. The smooth-sounding quintet — which recently lost a member— took
home song and video of the year awards for their hit “Moments,” which they
performed to kick off the show, as well as for group of the year. “The last two
and a half years, there have been so many people who have put in a ton of
effort to put out the countrified CD,” said lead singer Brad Mates, as he
accepted the award for group of the year, which they also won in 2002 and 2003.
“First and foremost, obviously the fans that have really jumped on board this
year. Thank you so much.” The ballad “Moments” hit No. 1 as a single on the
Billboard country music charts south of the border earlier this year. The song
peaked at No. 4 in Canada for the band that got their start in Grande Prairie,
Alta.
The group also includes guitarist Danick Dupelle, drummer Mike Melancon, David
Pichette on fiddle, Patrick Bourque on bass and Dale Wallace on keyboards.
Veteran Canadian country act Brad Johner impressed fans in his home province,
picking up the first award of the night for male artist of the year. Johner,
who got his start with his brother Ken as The Johner Brothers, was born in
Midale, Sask., about 150 kilometres southeast of Regina. “Well, that makes for
a good beginning doesn't it?,” Johner said as the crowd screamed. Johner told
the crowd about how he wrote an acceptance speech when he and his brother were
nominated for an award in 1992 and he has kept it in his wallet ever since. But
he ended up forgetting his billfold in the dressing room back stage. “I'm going
to wing it again after all those years,” Johner joked. Alberta
singer-songwriter Carolyn Dawn Johnson — a perennial winner at the annual
awards show — won female artist of the year honours, but was edged out for the
fan's choice award by another Alberta songstress, Terri Clark. “I must be
really tired because I'm feeling very emotional,” Johnson said holding back
tears. “I love music so much,” she said as someone in the crowd yelled back:
“We love you!” Clark accepted the award via video from Toronto, where she is
recording her next album.
“We're just going to keep doing what we do,” she said. Mitch Merrett, Aaron
Pritchett and Deric Ruttan won the songwriter of the year award for the
irreverent hit “Hold My Beer,” which Pritchett recorded himself. Pritchett
called the tune — which features the refrain “hold my beer, while I kiss your
girlfriend” — a “killer fun song” that everyone can sing along to. “I swear to
God, I didn't think we were going to win this at all,” he said. “Listen to my
voice, I am so nervous ... big crowd too, it's kind of weird.” Album of
the year honours were taken home by the Manitoba group Doc Walker for its
self-titled release. The Corb Lund Band won the award for roots group of the
year, while Shane Yellowbird of Hobbema, Alta., took home the rising star
honour. Yellowbird, whose debut album is “Life is Calling My Name,” was
nominated for five awards overall. Nova Scotia's George Canyon was also
nominated from five awards, but failed to take home any hardware. Awards show
host Paul Brandt, whose long-awaited new album “Risk” comes out Tuesday, was
also shut out in the four categories in which he was nominated.
Winners at the 2007 Canadian Country Music Association awards
Fans' choice: Terri Clark
Single of the year: Moments (Emerson Drive)
Album of the year: Doc Walker (Doc Walker)
Songwriter of the year: Mitch Merrett, Aaron Pritchett, Deric Ruttan (Hold My
Beer, Aaron Pritchett)
Video of the year: Moments (Emerson Drive)
Female artist of the year: Carolyn Dawn Johnson
Male artist of the year: Brad Johner
Group of the year: Emerson Drive
Roots artist or group of the year: Corb Lund Band
Rising star: Shane Yellowbird
MUSIC TIDBITS
98.7 Too Close To 99.1: CBC
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Greg Quill
(September 12, 2007) A would-be commercial Toronto radio station aimed at
600,000 black listeners is blaming CBC Radio for the expiration of its
temporary licence. Owners of fledgling CARN (Caribbean and African Radio Network) at 98.7 FM are under the gun to find a
new frequency within three months. CARN wants to test its signal on 98.7
under its temporary licence, but CBC says 98.7 is too close to its 99.1
location on the FM dial and that testing will interfere with CBC Radio One's
signal. "We're hoping public and political pressure will help CBC
see reason," said Delford Blythe, vice-president of the upstart station,
which was granted a partial licence by the federal broadcast regulator in 2006.
In its decision to grant the licence, the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission gave CARN three months to find a frequency other
than 98.7 FM. But suitable FM alternatives are not available and the AM market
is diminishing, Blythe said. To operate on 98.7, CARN needs CBC's approval
before being issued a technical licence by Industry Canada. CBC has no issue
with the CARN, other than the proximity to its own signal, said CBC
spokesperson Jeff Keay. "CBC carried out its own internal tests on the
98.7 frequency for its French-language service and we don't agree with (CARN's)
determination that it's interference-free."
Staggered Crossing To Play One More
Show, Then That's It
By: ChartAttack.com
Staff
(Sept. 7, 2007) Toronto pop/rock quartet Staggered Crossing are
calling it quits after 13 years, but will go out with a bang at a Nov. 2
hometown show at the Horseshoe Tavern. "As our lives have changed and
evolved individually we have found it increasingly difficult to devote the time
and energy to the band that it deserves," says a statement posted on the
group's website.
"Out of respect for our fans and for the excellence we demand from
ourselves we will be hanging up the proverbial skates. "While it would
certainly be more fun to announce a break up because of 'creative differences'
or because of some monumental and catastrophic fight between bandmates, neither
is the case. We simply cannot continue to commit the time, energy and
enthusiasm to this band that we love so much. We are still great friends and
this change is not the end of our musical collaborations. We continue and will
continue to support each other in our various endeavours as fervently as we
supported each other through the years in StagX." Staggered Crossing are
comprised of high school friends Julian Taylor (vocals, guitar), Dan
Black (bass), David Marshall (guitar) and Jeremy Elliott
(drums). They signed with Warner Music Canada in 1999 and released their
self-titled debut two years later. Their second album, 2002's Last Summer When
We Were Famous, was produced by former Wilco member Jay Bennett.
Their third and final LP, Burgundy & Blue, was issued in 2004.
Kanye West Is GQ’s ‘Man Of The Year’
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 6, 2007) *As Kanye West prepares for the Sept. 11
release of his new album, “Graduation,” the rapper-producer was honoured by GQ magazine as its chosen “International Man of the Year.
West was presented with the honour by actress Rosario Dawson at GQ’s 10th
Annual Awards ceremony, which took place Tuesday night at Covent Garden's Royal
Opera House in London and was hosted by music legend Elton John. A panel
of GQ experts selected West for the award, won in previous years by Jay-Z, Sir
Paul McCartney, director Pedro Almodovar and Jennifer Aniston. Other
winners at the award ceremony included actor Michael Caine (Lifetime
Achievement Award), singer James Blunt (Solo Artist of the Year), modern artist
Tracey Emin (Woman of the Year), while stars like Madonna, Naomi Campbell, Lily
Allen, Jude Law and others were in attendance. Meanwhile, Kanye appears with 50
Cent on the cover of Vibe magazine’s new September issue. The photo shows
profiles of their heads as they stare each other down to symbolize the joint
release date of their albums on Sept. 11.
New Maxwell Album Due Next Year
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 10, 2007) *Maxwell fans
were thrown a bone
on Friday (Sept. 7) when the singer uploaded a snippet of his new song, “Pretty
Wings,” on his MySpace site.
The track will appear on his forthcoming album, “Black Summer’s Night,” which
was originally due in February 2008, the singer announced in October.
"Maxwell's still working with Sade's band, his tried-and-true team,"
new Columbia urban music exec Kyambo "Hip-Hop" Joshua tells
Billboard. "He took some time off and now he's
ready." "He's recorded so much
material that he's got a couple of albums done," he continues. "So,
he might be going out on the road touring for this album soon. I won't say the
album will drop first-quarter 2008, but [next] summer sounds good."
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Wu-Tang Previews New Album
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 10, 2007) *Billboard.com got a chance to
preview eight unmastered tracks from the new Wu Tang Clan album, “The 8 Diagrams,” due Nov. 13 via Wu Music
Group/Loud/SRC/Universal. The group’s first studio album in six years includes
"My People Gently Weeps," an interpolation of the Beatles'
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" featuring input from Dhani Harrison,
son of late Beatle George Harrison. Funk legend George Clinton appears on the
fast, old-school-sounding "Wolves," a showcase for group member
U-God, says Billboard. On the tracks "Weak Spot" and
"Thug World," producer RZA provides his trademark dark, symphonic
samples, while Method Man is showcased on the soulful head-nodder "They
Want To Stick Me for My Riches." In “Watch Your Mouth,”
Raekwon spits: "I'm from a boulevard where ni**as get jacked and peed on.”
The group attempts to re-establish its presence in hip hop with "Take It
Back," which features Method Man stating: "Before you even had a
name, you was screaming Wu-Tang." The album includes a tribute to the late
Ol' Dirty Bastard, "Life Changes," highlighted by heartfelt verses
from GZA: "Now I'm in the booth 10 feet from where he lay dead / I think about
him on this song and what he might have said."
Joe Zawinul, 75: Jazz Legend
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Associated
Press
(September 11, 2007) VIENNA, Austria –
Jazz legend Joe Zawinul, who soared to fame as one of the
creators of jazz fusion and performed and recorded with Miles Davis, has died,
a hospital official said. He was 75. Zawinul died early Tuesday, a spokeswoman
for Vienna's Wilhelimina Clinic said, without giving details. Zawinul had been
hospitalized since last month. Zawinul, who turned 75 on July 7, won widespread
acclaim for his keyboard work on chart-topping Davis albums such as "In A
Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew," and was a leading force behind
the so-called "Electric Jazz" movement. In 1970, Zawinul founded the
band Weather Report and produced a series of albums including "Heavy
Weather," "Black Market" and ``I Sing the Body Electric."
After that band's break-up, he founded the Zawinul Syndicate in 1987. Zawinul
is credited with bringing the electric piano and synthesizer into the jazz
mainstream. This past spring, he toured Europe to mark the 20th anniversary of
the Zawinul Syndicate. He sought medical attention when the tour ended, the
Viennese Hospital Association said in a statement last month.
Grandmaster Flash To Drop New Book And
CD
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 11, 2007) *Hip Hop pioneer Grandmaster
Flash is set to release a new book chronicling
his historic career, as well as record music for a new album due in 2008. The
DJ will team with author David Ritz for “The Grandmaster Flash Story,” a memoir
about his rise to fame with rap group The Furious Five and pioneering various
turntable techniques that helped to define the hip hop genre. His
upcoming album, “The Bridge,” will be released via his own Adrenaline
Entertainment label. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were recently
part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 2007 class of inductees. The
turntablist hosts The FlashMash, a weekly radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio,
and has a DJ gig at New York City’s China Club every Friday night.
The Four Tops Return With New Release
Source: Jenice Smith, Jenny Jenny Records, jennyjennyrecords@yahoo.com, www.myspace.com/jennyjennyrecords
(September 12, 2007) (DETROIT/LOS ANGELES) - Jenny
Jenny
Records is delighted to announce The
Four Tops long-awaited release, "East Coast
West Coast." In early 2008, Jenny Jenny Records will also
release a full-length album of new Four Tops music - the first new music from
the Hall-of-Famers in two decades. The classic R&B group, known for its
vigorous touring and exhilarating stage show, has thrown its peerless energy
into these new studio recordings. The first single, "East
Coast West Coast," was co-written by original Tops member Duke
Fakir, current Top Lawrence Payton Jr., (son of original member Lawrence Payton),
and Paul Hill, who also produced the track. Performing along side
Fakir and Payton Jr. are Theo Peoples (Grammy nominated as lead singer of The
Temptations, best known for "Stay" and "Promise) and Ronnie
McNeir, whose story is the stuff of music legend. When original
lead singer Levi Stubbs became ill at a sold-out concert in 2001, the group was
ready to cancel the show. Saying "Put me in a tux!," Ronnie
strode out onstage and proceeded to finish the sold out concert to rave
reviews, securing his spot as a permanent member of the group. "East Coast
West Coast" will be available on CD in selected retail outlets and
directly from Jenny Jenny Records September 18, with digital distribution to
follow. The company plans to release a second single in October 2007, and
full-length CD in early 2008. Jenny Jenny Records was founded in 2002 in Los
Angeles by entrepreneur and industry insider Jenice Smith. The label
focuses on artist-driven projects from legendary acts like The Four Tops.
The company differs from other labels, relying on time-tested expertise to
control costs and create efficiently, producing great new records, happy
artists, and thrilled fans.
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::TIFF NEWS::
Paul Haggis: Big Film, Small Ego
Excerpt
from www.globeandmail.com
- Leah Mclaren
(September 7,
2007) ‘I've only done two movies, so what the hell do I
know?” Paul Haggis responds with a laugh after he is asked to compare the
Toronto International Film Festival with others across the world. The
self-deprecating Canadian director is on the phone from New York when he starts
to recount what it was like when his first film, Crash, played TIFF a
few years back. “Toronto was the place we took Crash to sell.… I
remember walking in the first night and seeing the screen, which was 50 feet
tall. I was horrified because all through the screening I had to watch all of
my 50-foot-tall mistakes.” Haggis is back at TIFF this week, just days after a
triumphant visit to the Venice Film Festival, where his new film, In the Valley of Elah, received a 10-minute standing ovation. But the
54-year-old filmmaker won't necessarily be out on the town here. “It's very
hard to go places these days – I can hardly get in the door because my head is
so large now. “The truth is, I'm literally only going to be in town for a day
and a half, so I won't get to do much on this trip, which is a shame because
Toronto is my favourite festival. I'd love to stick around and go to all the
parties and see movies and old friends. “But there'll be no rest for the wicked
– or the wildly successful.”
Haggis's Iraq war drama will have its gala premiere at Toronto's Elgin Theatre
before moving on to a Washington premiere and the rest of the international
festival circuit. The director's self-critical perfectionism has served him
well in the years since working on the hit Canadian drama Due South. Like
so many ambitious Canadian screenwriters, he fled to Hollywood in his early 20s
to pursue success in showbiz. While things worked out well for Haggis, it's not
a route he recommends to aspiring filmmakers today. “It's not really
important where you are any more,” he says. “It's not about ‘How do I get to
Hollywood and get an agent?' It's about telling a great story, defining
something you're passionate about, and writing it or making it. Too many people
spend too much time wondering what Hollywood wants. I myself wasted many years
doing just that. Then I wrote Crash on spec, a movie about an issue that
troubled me greatly, and everything changed. “My advice to young filmmakers is
to ask questions we don't have answers for. And you can do that in Toronto or
Halifax, or anywhere.” While back on his native turf, Haggis says he'll be
seeing a few friends from his hometown of London, Ont., including his father,
who attended the Venice premiere. If time permits, he says, he'd love to catch
up with Atom Egoyan and Norman Jewison – two of his peers whom he admires most,
and maybe even grab a bite to eat at Prego or Sotto Sotto.
“I usually stay at the Four Seasons,” he adds, “but they were too busy to take
me this year, so I'm staying somewhere else.” Asked if he would ever consider
working with a Canadian creative team again, as American director Brian de
Palma chose to do on his latest film, Redacted (also about Iraq and set
to open at TIFF), Haggis is playfully circumspect. “Don't be silly, I'm much
too big for that,” he says, and then becomes serious. “Actually the truth is, I
tried to lure a great DP [director of photography] down to the States a few
years ago, but he was just too busy to work with me.”
