Canadian Music Week (March 19-24, which is NOT a full week by my calendar) kicks off in three short weeks, with a whole whack of events, such as the Canadian Music Fest, a film festival, a comedy festival, a massive conference, a trade show, and some awards shows. Essentially, the Canadian Music industry gets drunk for 6 days.
On the final day of Canadian Music Week the Prism Prize will announce the winner of its inaugural award for Best Canadian Music Video. As one of the jurors, I’m excited to have all of the 10 shortlisted videos screened at the exclusive Soho House, as well as getting kicked out of the exclusive Soho House for being ‘that guy’.
I have also just found out that I have been nominated for Music Journalist / Blogger of the Year in the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards! To say that I am floored, stunned, and honoured (all at once) is a massive understatement. Thanks for the nominations – you will be getting an erotic Christmas card from me this year.
It’s great that Canada’s music industry is progressive enough to include lowly bloggers in this category – we’re people, too! We just happen to live in our parents’ basements. The nomination criteria for the category notes “In order to be considered for final nomination in this category, nominator must take into consideration the journalist’s overall music coverage as well as support of Canadian talent during the eligibility period.” I guess those cats featured in all the hilarious cat videos we post are Canadian after all.
I have read many articles by some of the other nominees, such as Ben Rayner (Toronto Star), Jane Stevenson (Toronto Sun), Karen Bliss (Billboard, Rolling Stone), and Frank Yang (Chromewaves), to name a few. Since it is widely known that they all kick ass, to be mentioned as a peer with them is a high honour. The awards gala is Thursday March 21 at the Kool Haus, and hopefully I don’t have to sneak in through a back door to witness my crushing defeat, but I’m prepared to.
That being said, any online or print music magazines or papers looking for a freelance writer, email me since I’m apparently one of Canada’s best*.
*Note: Oh, I’m supposed to write something next to this asterisk?
Category Archives: News
Leeds and Reading Festivals Announce Bank Holiday Weekend Line Ups for 2013
The twin August Bank Holiday weekend festival that is UK’s Leeds and Reading Festivals have announced their line up for August 23-25. The headliners are Green Day (Friday Reading / Saturday Leeds), Eminem (Saturday Reading / Sunday Leeds) and Biffy Clyro (Sunday Reading / Friday Leeds). I went to this festival in 2003 in Leeds and it was one hell of a good party.
Also announced: Nine Inch Nails (who are NOT headliners?!), Phoenix, A$AP Rocky, Deftones, Alt-J, System of a Down (who I saw play Leeds 10 years ago – holy fuck!), Azealia Banks, Tame Impala, Major Lazer, Foals, Haim, Fall Out Boy, Swim Deep (who we are running an interview with later this week), and City and Colour (who just dropped a new song today). And many more, of course – check Reading’s website.
Weekend tickets will set you back £202.50 plus applicable booking fees ($370ish Cdn) and it’ll likely be worth the money.
Check Out the Line Up for the 2013 RBC Royal Bank Ottawa Bluesfest
Last year, PeteHatesMusic took in many, many days of the always excellent Ottawa Bluesfest (final thoughts here). Today, the line up was announced for this July’s edition of the RBC Royal Bank Ottawa Bluesfest. Before some readers are turned off, the ‘bluesfest’ name can be a bit misleading – for example, Skrillex is playing Bluesfest for the second year in a row (and he was AWESOME last year).
Not many festivals can feature Dixie Chicks, followed by Wu-Tang Clan, followed by RUSH – in the same headlining slot, but that’s what the festival does this year. The line up features acts such as B.B. King, Dixie Chicks, Wu-Tang Clan, RUSH, Fun., The Tragically Hip and Skrillex Full Flex Express Tour as the bigger acts. Other big name and indie performers include Tegan and Sara, Great Big Sea, Weezer, Belle & Sebastian, Grand Funk Railroad, Baauer, Animal Collective, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Passion Pit, and She & Him. I needed to end the sentence somewhere, so why not on Zooey Deschanel? Other stand out acts in my final sentence include Solange, Killer Mike, El-P, Sharon Van Etten, Stars, Matthew Good, Atlas Genius, Ra Ra Riot, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Diamond Rings, Bahamas, and Cold Specks. Check out the website for full details.
As Rich aptly pointed out last year, Ottawa Bluesfest is a marathon, not a sprint – it’s a lengthy outdoor festival from July 4-14 in the Nation’s capital. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10am, with a whole variety of price points. Nothing sounds more cultured than a ‘bluesfest’ so be sure to check it out.
How Did This Happen?! I’m Nominated for Music Journalist / Blogger of the Year for the 2013 Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards!
Canadian Music Week (March 19-24, which is NOT a full week by my calendar) kicks off in three short weeks, with a whole whack of events, such as the Canadian Music Fest, a film festival, a comedy festival, a massive conference, a trade show, and some awards shows. Essentially, the Canadian Music industry gets drunk for 6 days.
On the final day of Canadian Music Week the Prism Prize will announce the winner of its inaugural award for Best Canadian Music Video. As one of the jurors, I’m excited to have all of the 10 shortlisted videos screened at the exclusive Soho House, as well as getting kicked out of the exclusive Soho House for being ‘that guy’.
I have also just found out that I have been nominated for Music Journalist / Blogger of the Year in the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards! To say that I am floored, stunned, and honoured (all at once) is a massive understatement. Thanks for the nominations – you will be getting an erotic Christmas card from me this year.
It’s great that Canada’s music industry is progressive enough to include lowly bloggers in this category – we’re people, too! We just happen to live in our parents’ basements. The nomination criteria for the category notes “In order to be considered for final nomination in this category, nominator must take into consideration the journalist’s overall music coverage as well as support of Canadian talent during the eligibility period.” I guess those cats featured in all the hilarious cat videos we post are Canadian after all.
I have read many articles by some of the other nominees, such as Ben Rayner (Toronto Star), Jane Stevenson (Toronto Sun), Karen Bliss (Billboard, Rolling Stone), and Frank Yang (Chromewaves), to name a few. Since it is widely known that they all kick ass, to be mentioned as a peer with them is a high honour. The awards gala is Thursday March 21 at the Kool Haus, and hopefully I don’t have to sneak in through a back door to witness my crushing defeat, but I’m prepared to.
That being said, any online or print music magazines or papers looking for a freelance writer, email me since I’m apparently one of Canada’s best*.
*Note: Oh, I’m supposed to write something next to this asterisk?
Trent Reznor Reforms Nine Inch Nails, Is Sick of Being in a Band With His Wife
He’s baaaaaaaaaaack! Well, Trent Reznor really never left us (“us” somehow being the music scene). He formed another project (How to destroy angels_) with his wife, Mariqueen Maandig and Atticus Ross. However, he has re-branded Nine Inch Nails, and now they’re going out on tour. The band will consist of Eric Avery of Jane’s Addiction, Adrian Belew of King Crimson, and Josh Eustis of Telefon Tel Aviv, plus former Nine Inch Nail’ers Alessandro Cortini and Ilan Rubin (via Pitchfork).
We even get a note from Trent
handwritten in blood:“Nine Inch Nails are touring this year.
I was working with Adrian Belew on some musical ideas, which led to some discussion on performing, which led to some beard-scratching, which (many steps later) led to the decision to re-think the idea of what Nine Inch Nails could be, and the idea of playing a show. Calls were made to some friends, lots of new ideas were discussed, and a show was booked – which led to another, which somehow led to a lot of shows.
The band is reinventing itself from scratch and will be comprised of Eric Avery, Adrian Belew, Alessandro Cortini, Josh Eustis, Ilan Rubin, and me. The first shows will begin this summer, followed by a full-on arena tour of the US this fall, and lots of other dates worldwide to follow through 2014.
Lots of details and dates to come. See you soon.
TR”
Can you say Lollapalooza?
Juno Awards Announce 2013 Nominees
The American Juno awards (aka The Grammys) might have just passed, but now the real excitement begins (right?). This morning, the Juno Awards announced the nominees for the April 21st showcase in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Junos are the highest awards for the music biz in Canada.
Ms. Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen – leads the way with five Juno nominations. Justin Bieber, shut out of Grammy nominations, got some Canuck love with some Juno nominations. Maybe Patrick Carney will stop making fun of him now. Other acts with multiple nominations include Metric, Drake, Leonard Cohen, Vegas performer Céline Dion, Hedley, and Marianas Trench.
Now how is this for a diverse category – artist of the year nominees include Leonard Cohen, Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen, Johnny Reid, and Deadmau5. You’ll need to get three generations of your family around the table to know all five artists.
Check out the full list of nominees over on the Junos website, and feel free to bitch in the comments section or on Twitter @PeteHatesMusic. Let me start – no love for Godspeed You! Black Emperor? For shame!
Prism Prize for Best Canadian Music Video Announces Shortlist
We recently told you about the Prism Prize, the new award created to celebrate Canadian music videos. The Prism Prize awards $5,000 to the Best Canadian Music Video for 2012, and will be announced on March 24. As you might know, I am one of the Prism Prize jury members, alongside other music folks such as Alan Cross (radio / music historian), Ben Rayner (Toronto Star), Aaron Brophy (Spinner/Huffington Post), Eric Alper (CTV Music / eOne Music), and others from CBC, MuchMusic, The Globe and Mail, and so on.
Today, the shortlist of 10 videos has been announced. You can view all 10 of them over at the Prism Prize website and check out the list below. I can tell you that my submission list of 5 included 1 of these 10 (and nearly included 2 others). The other jurors and I now have to submit our top 3, with the winner announced on the last day of Canadian Music Week – March 24.
Shortlist of 10 Videos for Prism Prize (Best Canadian Music Video)
Mother Mother – The Sticks (Director: Chad Van Gaalen)
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan – Hoshi Neko (Directors: Emily Pelstring / Ruby Kato Attwood)
Grimes – Oblivion (Director: Emily Kai Bock)
Young Rival – Two Reasons (Director: John Smith)
Drake – H.Y.F.R (Director: Director X)
Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Director: Vincent Morisset)
Rich Aucoin – Brian Wilson Is A.L.I.V.E (Director: Noah Pink)
Maylee Todd – Baby’s Got It (Director: Reynard Li)
Grimes – Genesis (Director: Claire Boucher)
Metz – Wet Blanket (Director: Scott Cudmore)
New Album News from MGMT and She & Him
Two pieces of new album news from two duos. Favourites at PHM, psychedelic and all around wacky music makers MGMT, are preparing their third album for release this June. It will be self-titled, which is disappointing given the ability for them to make up some strange words or phrase. There are rumoured influences from Aphex Twin to house music, so expect another awesome, yet strange adventure. (via Consequence of Sound)
The second duo are about the polar opposite in terms of music experimentation that MGMT is. The group is the
love of my lifeZooey Deschanel and M. Ward act, She & Him. Their latest album will follow the naming convention of two of their other albums and simply be called Volume 3. Check out the tracklisting below, and watch out for them on their summer tour. Volume 3 is out on May 7. (via Stereogum)Tracklisting for She & Him – Volume 3
1 “I’ve Got Your Number, Son”
2 “Never Wanted Your Love”
3 “Baby”
4 “I Could’ve Been Your Girl”
5 “Turn to White”
6 “Somebody Sweet to Talk To”
7 “Something’s Haunting You”
8 “Together”
9 “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me”
10 “Snow Queen”
11 “Sunday Girl”
12 “London”
13 “Shadow of Love”
14 “Reprise (I Could’ve Been Your Girl)”
The Postal Service Are Most Likely Back Together
We touched on the volatile world of internet rumours earlier this morning. The Rolling Stones are playing Coachella. An insider source says they’re definitely not. Someone is right and someone is wrong, and a lot of media people are going to waste a lot of words dissecting the ‘clues’ to form an opinion.
Another band has provided near definitive proof of their status – The Postal Service. After commenting how they are likely not playing together again, and a random rumour that surfaced about them playing Coachella, the band has somewhat clarified their status by posting their name and 2013 on their website.
So the Ben Gibbard / Jimmy Tamborello band either they are aware what year it is, or they will be reuniting this year. I’m not a betting man – HA, who am I kidding – but bank on seeing them at a festival near you. Dare I say it – could new material be in the works?
(via Consequence of Sound)
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Rapper Wale, Together At Last
Rapper Wale has a lot more in common with comedian Jerry Seinfeld than you may know. The obvious starting point is his 2008 album, The Mixtape About Nothing. This album uses audio samples from the legendary 90s show, Seinfeld, and the song titles are based on Seinfeld episode names. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine!) also had a cameo. Hmmm, pay homage much?
How does one take this Seinfeld obsession a step further? You’ve got to collaborate with the man himself, and bizarrely, that’s just what’s going to happen. Yes, middle aged comedian Jerry Seinfeld is going to be on the new Wale album.
Apparently Seinfeld’s wife is big into Wale, and Wale is big into Seinfeld, and it’s just one big confusing love triangle, as Jerry explains in the video below. “Hip-hop’s words, right? And I do words.” You also rep the thug life quite well, so you’re set!
Ticketfly Comes to Canada, and Toronto Venues Start Giving Ticketmaster the Boot!
Ticketmaster is a horrible monopoly in the eyes of many people. Spending your hard earned money on a $30 ticket, only to have close to $10 tacked on for ‘service and convenience fees’ makes you want to kick something (except cute, fuzzy cats). Over a year ago, we showcased ticket company Ticketfly, and their integration with Facebook and artist fan pages. Fans of innovation and hated monopolies within Canada can rejoice – Ticketfly has begun teaming up with promoters Union Events and Collective Concerts to help halt Ticketmaster’s dominance within this great country (via Hollywood Reporter).
The U.S.-based independent ticket company has Bruce Morrison installed as the general manager of Ticketfly Canada. He issued a statement, saying “Ticketfly, as they have in the U.S., is offering (Canadian) venues and promoters who need a ticketing system another alternative to what has been until now a closed system.”
Because of Ticketfly’s integration with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, there is a lower service fee for venues and promoters. This means cheaper tickets for fans, and more happy people in general (which this city could use at times). You will have noticed something similar in terms of loooow service fees if you have been to record shops such as Rotate This or Soundscapes in Toronto.
Will it cause a shift in the ticket scene in Toronto? It has already started. Lee’s Palace and the Horseshoe Tavern, which are both run by Collective Concerts, is ditching Ticketmaster (via blogTO). Like all good announcements, this one comes with a video. Check it out below, and get ready to slowly phase Ticketmaster out of your life.
Ticketfly Comes to Canada