We covered so much ground in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show, we just had to do a two-parter. This week we visit the “Apple Store of Weed” for insight into what Canada can expect when stores open April 1st, we played a modern-day Pinball machine made by industry guru Gary Stern, and talk [&hellip.. more
In 1952, composer John Cage starting thinking about creating a truly different musical piece. The result was “4’33“” (pronounced “four minutes and thirty-three seconds”), a three-movement composition consisting of exactly…nothing. When performed live, the musicians just sit at their instruments and play nothing. The purpose is for the audience to listen to.. more
If you’re a music fan–and really, who isn’t?–make plans to come to the 2019 Music Fan Expo happening on Saturday, January 26 at the Mississauga Convention Centre from 11:00 am– 4:00 pm. I’ll be there talking to people about–well, whatever you want to talk about. Plus Geeks&Beats partner Michael Hainsworth will join me for a live [&hellip.. more
Friends, fans, and family came together in Los Angeles last night to honour the memory of Chris Cornell. Guests included Chris’ Soundgarden and Audioslave bandmates Daughter Toni Cornell Melvins Chris Stapleton Foo Fighters (and Dave Grohl solo) Josh Homme Members of Pearl Jam (but no Eddie Vedder or Mike McCready) Maroon 5 Miley Cyrus Perry [&hellip.. more
I’m fascinated with isolated vocal tracks because they show the true talent of the singer. We get to hear the decisions they make when it comes to phrasing, breathing, emphasis, as well as experience the purity of their singing talent. Laughing Squid dug up this vocal track of Siouxsie Sioux singing on the Banshees’ “The [&hellip.. more
Once upon a time, The Glorious Sons were another hard working rock band from blue collar Kingston, winners of a radio station contest with dreams of stardom. Now that band is topping the Billboard charts, not just in Canada but in the U.S. The second single off the band’s second full-length album, the multi-layered “Sawed [&hellip.. more
Back in 1978, the Grateful Dead played a gig for Egyptian Deadheads (and those willing to travel to Giza) near the Sphinx. It was pretty trippy. More than 40 years later, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are going to do the same thing. Here’s the official Facebook announcement.. more
I know that headline looks like I banged my head against the keyboard, but trust me when I say that I spelled everything correct. XAVLEGBMAOFFFASSSSITIMIWOAMNDUTROABCWAPWAEIIPPOHFFFX is actually an abbreviation (sort of) for the band’s full name, Acidic Vaginal Liquid Explosion Generated By Mass Amounts Of Filthy Fecal Fisting And Sadistic Septic Syphilic Sodomy Inside The [&hellip.. more
Artist: Adia VictoriaSong: Different Kind Of LoveAlbum: Silences A distinct blend of roots, blues, and rock with enticingly sharp vocals and undeniable groove and energy. Listen: Artist: Grey ft. LÉONSong: Want You Back This collaboration between grammy nominated production duo grey and Swedish singer LÉON is full of punchy synths, big beats, and satisfying dynamics. [&hellip.. more
Today is the 90th birthday of Popeye the Sailor Man. As for music news on January 17, 2019… I’m glad to see that I’m not the only person who thinks the whole cassette revival thing is total rubbish. See? HMV UK just might have found a savior. The Great Toronto AirPod War. Wait–what? Rihanna is [&hellip.. more
Tonight’s the night for I Am the Highway – A Tribute to Chris Cornell, and some details are starting to emerge in the hours before the show like last-minute performers that have been added. Unfortunately it does not appear that it will be streamed live, although I’m confident there will be tons of video footage [&hellip.. more
After launching a blended whiskey last year, Metallica is ready for a wider roll out of their beer. Enter Night pilsner had been available in a limited number of establishments, but distribution is being expanded internationally. Here’s the full story.. more
This is day 26 of the government shutdown in the US. Some 800,000 federal workers, including TSA screeners at airports, missed their paycheques on Friday. But because they’re an essential service, they keep showing up for work (minus those calling in sick) otherwise civil aviation would grind to a halt. This, however, doesn’t mean they [&hellip.. more
[Mike Carr has put together a massive volume on Canadian music history entitled Canadian Alternative & Indie Reference and Collector’s Guide. It’s an incredible discography of hundreds of bands. This is the latest excerpt from his book. – AC] Avril Ramona Lavigne (born 27 September 1984) is a singer-songwriter and actress from Napanee, Ontario. By the age [&hellip.. more
John Mann, the frontman for Spirit of the West, continues to battle early-onset Alzheimer’s. He was diagnosed at 51 and at 56, this cruel, cruel disease continues to ravage his brain. John and his family need more support than ever, so friends and fans are coming together for a special benefit at The Phoenix in [&hellip.. more
Winter is a time of essays, exams, courses, and other brain-intensive learning situations. This article from My Audio Sound offers some tips for using music to help you absorb more. Something that has always been quite fascinating is the fact that music is a universal language. No matter where we are from or what we [&hellip.. more
January is half over. That’s the kind of thing I’m holding onto right about now. The average Spotify users pays US$5.50 per month. That average is dropping, too, which is bad news for labels and artists. Celine Dion has pulled her duet with R Kelly, just like Lady Gaga did. Travis Scott apparently consulted with [&hellip.. more
It was one year ago today–January 15, 2018–that news came of Dolores O’Riordan’s death in a London hotel room. It was death by misadventure: a combination of prescription drugs and Champagne caused her to pass out while in the bathtub. She slipped below the surface of the water and drowned. Today, January 15, 2019, the [&hellip.. more
Let me declare upfront that I was born and raised in Manitoba and spent the first 23 years of my life within 20 miles of Winnipeg or living and working in the city itself. Yes, it’s cold in the winter. Yes, we have mosquito season. But as an incubator for interesting people, Winnipeg has cranked [&hellip.. more
Steve Albini is well-known for producing and engineering albums for Nirvana, The Pixies, the Breeders, Iggy & The Stooges and dozens and dozens more. He’s a studio god to many. But he’s also something of a diety in the world of poker. Last year, Albini competed in the World Series of Poker and ended up [&hellip.. more
I found this on a website called Fatherly. Read and discuss. We live in an age of endless distraction. From our phoneto our smart speaker, to tablet games for children and kid-friendly YouTube our world is defined by attention-grabbing devices and streaming shows, podcasts, movies, and interactive thingamabobs. It’s anxiety-inducing, sure, but for the most part, adults are used to [&hellip.. more
Let’s indulge in a little fantasy. What if you could put together the greatest Canadian version of Coachella of all time? Who would you book, living, dead, or dormant? Cameron Gordon over at Completely Ignored came up with this. Damn, what a weekend&#.. more
Geeks and Beats podcast, episode 2014: The Geeks at CES, part 2
January 16th | by
Weirdest. Box Set. Ever(?)
January 17th | by
Coming next weekend: The Toronto Music Fan Expo (You gotta come to this)
January 17th | by
Watch all five hours of last night’s Chris Cornell tribute
January 17th | by
More fun with isolated vocals: Siouxsie Sioux and “The Killing Jar”
January 17th | by
A Glorious milestone for Kingston’s Sons
January 17th | by
The Music Technology MeetUp is for anyone who is interested in connecting with veterans in the Music and Technology industries and those who simply love music and want to learn more about how technology has shaped the way we consume, create, and monetize music. Check out the video from one of our events below.
