This is a bit weird, but following the acclaimed release of Ziggy Marley’s first children’s album, Family Time, which the Wall Street Journal calls “instantly winning,” UMe/Island/Tuff Gong is set to release B is for Bob on June 23 (see details in press release below). B is for Bob is a collection of Bob Marley classics re-imagined for kids and executive produced by Ziggy Marley.
B is for Bob, a collection of Bob Marley’s most beloved songs re-imagined for kids, will be released June 23 by UMe/Island/Tuff Gong. The international musical legend’s eldest son, four-time Grammy winner Ziggy Marley, executive produced the album, which bridges the gap between the timeless Bob Marley and a new generation of kids.
Bob Marley’s music is known around the world for its powerful political and spiritual message that touches people of all ages. With children in mind, Ziggy has transformed some of his father’s songs for B is for Bob. Eight tracks—“Three Little Birds,” “Redemption Song,” “Bend Down Low,” “Jamming,” “Small Axe,” “Satisfy My Soul,” “Stir It Up” and “High Tide or Low Tide”—remove certain instruments while adding other sounds creates a feeling of hearing these songs for the first time. Meanwhile, four of Bob Marley’s other masterpieces are left untouched: “Could You Be Loved,” “One Love/People Get Ready,” “Lively Up Yourself” and “Wake Up and Live–Pt. 1.”
“Me is a common sense man,” Bob Marley once said. “That mean when me explain things me explain it in a very simple way, that mean if I explain it to a baby the baby will understand too, you know.” Ziggy continues, “My father’s music spans generations and with B is for Bob we give the youngest their very own Bob Marley record.”
Released in time for summer, the album features fun extras for kids and parents: the CD unlocks bonus online digital content including coloring book pages, a sing-a-long music video and audio stream previews of Ziggy Marley’s forthcoming Family Time album. Each CD also includes a free one-year subscription to Parents magazine. B is for Bob comes in a recyclable and biodegradable Eco-Pak, making the album kid-, parent- and Earth-friendly.
Ziggy’s own record for kids, Family Time, was released May 5 by Tuff Gong Worldwide. Ziggy produced the album with legendary producer Don Was. The album features a variety of family and friends including Rita Marley (Ziggy’s mother), Cedella Marley (sister), Judah Marley (daughter), Paul Simon, Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson, Toots Hibbert, Elizabeth Mitchell, Laurie Berkner, Paula Fuga and Jamie Lee Curtis (who narrates two stories). Please visit www.ziggymarley.com.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Island Records, which is celebrating the label’s rich history of music from the luminaries Bob Marley, U2, Traffic, The Cranberries, Cat Stevens, Melissa Etheridge, PJ Harvey, Fall Out Boy more. The Island 50th campaign will feature CD reissues, digital compilations, movie festivals and more. Visit www.islandrecords.com for more information.
Grammy-nominated artist Matisyahu will embark on an extensive summer tour beginning May 30, playing major festivals and co-headlining several shows in the South with Les Claypool and on the East Coast with Umphrey’s McGee, including Central Park Summerstage on July 9. (Please see reverse for a complete schedule of confirmed dates.)
Bass virtuoso Les Claypool is known for his seminal work with Primus, as well as a bevy of his own projects including Oysterhead (with Trey Anastasio and Stewart Copeland) and The Frog Brigade. Umphrey’s McGee, which has several critically acclaimed albums to its credit, is one of the most visible and successful improvised music bands in recent years.
In addition to his shows alongside Claypool and Umphrey’s McGee, Matisyahu plays a slew of major festivals this summer including Wakarusa Festival (June 5), Harmony Music Festival (June 14-15), Milwaukee Summerfest (July 2), 80-35 Festival (July 3), Rothbury Festival (July 5), Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest (July 11), Festival d’été de Québec (July 12), Mile High Music Festival (July 19).
Joined by a new backing band, the acclaimed dub-rock band Dub Trio along with Matisyahu band veterans Aaron Dugan (guitar) and Rob Marscher (keyboards), Matisyahu kicks off the tour May 30 in Florida. Dub Trio, whom The New York Times says “affectionately recall Bad Brains,” consists of DP Holmes (guitar & keyboards), Stu Brooks (bass & keyboards) and Joe Tomino (drums & melodica). Dub Trio played on Matisyahu’s cover of John Lennon’s “Watching the Wheels” for 2007’s compilation Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.
Matisyahu emerged in 2004 with his debut album Shake Off the Dust…Rise. With the release of Live at Stubb’s (2005), which reached #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, and Youth (2006), which debuted at #4 on Billboard’s Top 200 and reached #1 on the Reggae Albums chart, Matisyahu gained considerable critical acclaim. Both albums subsequently went Gold and Youth was nominated for a Grammy for Best Reggae Album.
June 1* St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
June 2* Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle
June 4* Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall
June 5 Ozark, AR Wakarusa Festival
June 7* Dallas, TX The Palladium
June 8* Houston, TX House of Blues
June 9* Austin, TX Austin Music Hall
June 11+ Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
June 13-14 Santa Rosa, CA Harmony Music Festival
June 16+ Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
June 18+ Ventura, CA Ventura Theatre
June 20+ Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
June 21+ San Luis Obispo, CA Pozo Saloon
June 23+ Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
June 24+ Seattle, WA The Moore Theatre
June 25+ Boise, ID Knitting Factory
June 27 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
June 29 Aspen, CO Belly Up
July 1 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
July 2 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest
July 3 Des Moines, IA 80-35 Festival
July 5 Rothbury, MI Rothbury Festival
July 7† Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion
July 8† Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
July 9† New York, NY Central Park SummerStage
July 11 Ottawa, ON Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest
July 12 Quebec City, QC Festival d’été de Québec
July 19 Denver, CO Mile High Music Festival
*—co-headline with Les Claypool
+ —with very special guest K’naan
†— co-headline with Umphrey’s McGee
The album’s second single, “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” featuring Frankie Paul, will be available exclusively through Rhapsody beginning April 7 and is currently streaming on their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/easystar
The Easy Star All-Stars will embark on a world tour this spring in support of their much anticipated reggae re-imagining of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The tour will continue through the summer including U.S. dates that begin in mid-May. Please see reverse for a complete list of tour dates.
The new album, Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, set for release April 14 on Easy Star Records, is generating buzz amongst fans and critics alike, as The Associated Press asks, “Could the Beatles have been Rastafarians at heart?” The album follows the widespread critical and commercial success of 2003’s Dub Side of the Moon and 2006’s Radiodread, and features guest vocals from an impressive list of reggae, dancehall and dub greats including Steel Pulse, Matisyahu, Michael Rose (Black Uhuru), Luciano, U Roy, Bunny Rugs (Third World), Ranking Roger (English Beat), Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Max Romeo and The Mighty Diamonds.
The album’s second single, “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” featuring Frankie Paul, will be available exclusively through Rhapsody beginning April 7. The first single, “With A Little Help From My Friends,” featuring Luciano, is available now on iTunes and is paired with a b-side dub version featuring the legendary U Roy. Both “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and Easy Star’s imaginitive reinterpretation of “She’s Leaving Home,” featuring Kirsty Rock, are now available for stream on the band’s MySpace page: www.myspace.com/easystarallstars
Of the decision to infuse reggae into the Beatles classic, producer Michael Goldwasser says “We’ve focused on re-envisioning concept albums as reggae and it’s really important that the source material works as a whole and is not just a collection of songs. So, what better to take on next than the mother of all concept albums?”
Goldwasser is once more the musical mastermind behind this album, having arranged and produced the music, assembled the musicians and guest artists and played guitar throughout. Goldwasser is joined by Victor Rice (bass), Victor “Ticklah” Axelrod (keyboards) and Patrick Dougher & Eddie Ocampo (drums, percussion). Members of the touring version of the Easy Star All-Stars also contribute, including Ras I Ray, Jenny Hill, Buford O’Sullivan, Ivan Katz, Kirsty Rock,
Tamar-kali, Junior Jazz and Menny More. In addition to producing six albums for Easy Star,
Goldwasser has produced albums for Corey Harris, Hatikva 6 and others, and has had compositions featured in the motion pictures Failure To Launch and Woody Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream.
For over a decade, Easy Star Records has been a trendsetting independent reggae label. Dub Side of the Moon and Radiodread form the backbone of a catalogue that includes progressive albums from John Brown’s Body and Easy Star All-Stars keyboardist Ticklah, reissues of classic material from Sugar Minott and Linval Thompson and new recordings from reggae legends The Meditations and Sister Carol.
EASY STAR ALL-STARS WORLD TOUR DATES
April 10 Chill City Festival Melbourne, AUS
April 11 The Corner Melbourne, AUS
April 13 East Coast Blues & Roots Festival Byron Bay, AUS
April 15 The Zoo Brisbane, AUS
April 16 The Metro/Sydney Uni Sydney, AUS
April 18 West Coast Blues & Roots Festival Perth, AUS
April 28 Koko w/ Ed Rome London, UK
April 29 Manchester Academy w/ Ed Rome Manchester, UK
May 1 Bergenfest Bergen, NOR
May 2 Festival Labadoux Inglemunster, BEL
May 4 Paradiso Amsterdam, NET
May 5 Liberation Day Festival Den Bosch, NET
May 5 Liberation Day Festival Groningen, NET
May 6 Birmingham O2 Academy w/ Ed Rome Birmingham, UK
May 7 Nottingham Rescue Room w/ Ed Rome Nottingham, UK
May 8 The Arches Glasgow, SCO
May 9 The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival Belfast, N. Ireland
May 14 Higher Ground w/ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Burlington, VT
May 15 Middle East w/ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Boston, MA
May 16 The Asylum w/ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Portland, ME
May 20 World Café Live w/ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Philadelphia, PA
May 21 BB King’s w/ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad New York, NY
May 22 Stephen Talkhouse Amagansett, NY
May 24 Summer Camp Fest w/ members of Umphrey’s McGee Chillicothe, NY
June 3 Ram’s Head Live w/ Gregory Isaacs Baltimore, MD
June 4 9:30 Club w/ Gregory Isaacs Washington, DC
June 5 IS Venue w/ Trumystic Charlottesville, VA
June 6 Soap Box w/ Trumystic Wilmington, NC
June 7 Cat’s Cradle w/ Trumystic Carrboro, NC
June 15 Belly Up Tavern w/ Blue King Brown Solana Beach, CA
June 16 The Key Club w/Blue King Brown West Hollywood, CA
June 17 Downtown Brewing Co. w/Blue King Brown San Luis Obispo, CA
June 18 Fishlips w/Blue King Brown Bakersfield, CA
June 19 The Catalyst w/Blue King Brown Santa Cruz, CA
June 20 Slim’s w/Blue King Brown San Francisco, CA
June 21 Sierra Nevada World Music Festival Boonville, CA
June 24 Stuyvesant Town New York, NY
Matthew McConaughey granted an exclusive interview with Myspace celebrity about his new record label jk livin and his first signing Mishka.
Mishka has just released his new unique, evocative, emotional album Above the Bones and has hit the road with dates all over North America.
Mishka’s biography has an almost cinematic sweep. He spent most of his early life on a boat in the Caribbean, sailing from island to island with his seafaring parents and older sisters. A child of the islands, it was almost inevitable that he’d be drawn to reggae, Rastafari, and the natural mystic that inhabits his music and his soul. Above The Bones is his third album and the debut release for Matthew McConaughey’s j. k. livin label.
“The music I heard growing up from my parents, sisters and the places we visited gave me a lot of musical and cultural flexibility.” “Everything I’ve ever heard blends together in what I do.” “I’m a huge reggae fan but there’s folk, soul, rock and other elements in the music.”
Mishka’s international outlook is a product of his unique upbringing. “My parents met in Bermuda” Mishka explains. “They always had dreams of living at sea and my father built a boat for the family to live on. I moved onto the boat when I was three.”
“We sailed all over the Atlantic and Caribbean” Mishka recalls. “We visited Brazil, all the Caribbean islands, even made a cross-Atlantic trip to Portugal and England.” Mishka and his sisters were home schooled until they went to boarding school for their higher education. “Learning how to read maps and chart a course was my math and geography class, going ashore in different countries and talking to people about their culture was my history class, reading books on board was my literary education, picking up French and Portuguese in the ports we visited was my language school.”
The boat had a small battery run cassette player and Mishka heard the music his parents loved: The Beatles, Jimmy Cliff, Dylan and Jimmy Buffett who was sailing the same waters as his family in those days. “My sisters turned me on to the Police, Cars and Roxy Music, but when I heard Burning Spear, Culture, and Bob Marley, I got addicted to roots reggae.”
Mishka moved to London and his debut, the self-titled Mishka, became a Top 40 hit in England. “Give You All the Love” cracked the charts in Britain and Japan where it went Top 10. While he was making Mishka, Swedish producer Martin Terefe (KT Tunstall, James Morrison) was working in the studio next door. Terefe produced Mishka’s second album, 2005’s One Tree, a blend of electronica, folk and reggae. While on tour, Mishka met Darryl Thompson a long time guitarist for Sly & Robbie. They were working on Above the Bones when Matthew McConaughey showed up and signed Mishka to his new label j. k. livin.
Mishka’s varied musical interests are evident on Above the Bones but his vocals may be the most captivating element of the album. His striking tenor is mellow and intense with a bluesy quality that gives every word an aching intensity. It’s a timeless voice, the familiar sound of a friend you’ve always known but never met.
“Higher Heights” opens the album with a roots reggae vibe. It’s a song of empowerment and encouragement to people who want to see more love and unity in the world, an invitation to let our better nature shine and heal the troubled world we live in. “3rd Eye Vision” is a rock steady groove. It’s a prayer for the planet that urges us to live in harmony with the earth and find peace of mind amidst a system that often forces us to be hypocritical to ourselves. “Peace and Love” is a simple three chord celebration of eternal values. Mishka’s vocal is full of sweet soulful fire. The title track for the album is essentially a folk song about honoring our ancestors, their memories, their tribulations and their joys and translating that into a prayer for the living.
Other stand out tracks include “Coastline Journey” with laid back conga lines and surfer style guitar licks this one is essentially a love song for the ocean; “Mountains Meet the Sea” a tender rock ballad and “Train Again” a tune that brings to mind the early Wailers with its funky Clavinet and rock guitar leads also features vocals by dancehall artist Lyrical Don.
The album started as an independent project produced by Mishka and Guitarist Darryl Thompson but was finished with the creative assistance of Matthew McConaughey. It was essentially tracked live with minimal overdubs. “Darryl has played for many years with Peter Tosh and Black Uhuru, but he has a background mainly in rock and blues” Mishka says of Darryl. “He could hear the folk, soul and reggae in the music and really helped bring the songs to life”. “Matthew (McConaughey) has a good ear for picking out the best elements of a song and really brought his positive energy and enthusiasm to the studio.”
With an album that fully realizes his multifaceted musical vision, Mishka and his band will take to the road, sharing his positive vibrations and his global musical vision with fans old and new.
Tour Dates:
Feb 24 2009 8:00P: Hawthorne Theatre Portland, Oregon
Feb 25 2009 8:00P: Nectar Lounge Seattle, Washington
Feb 26 2009 8:00P: The Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, British Columbia
Feb 27 2009 8:00P: Sugar Nightclub Victoria, British Columbia
Feb 28 2009 8:00P: Spice Lounge Nanaimo, British Columbia
Mar 1 2009 8:00P: Garfinkles Whistler, British Columbia
Mar 3 2009 8:00P: Communitea Cafe Canmore, Alberta
Mar 4 2009 8:00P: The Brixx Bar & Grill Edmonton, Alberta
Mar 5 2009 8:00P: The Gateway Bar - SAIT Campus Calgary, Alberta
Mar 6 2009 8:00P: Amigos Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Mar 7 2009 8:00P: Park Theatre Winnipeg, Manitoba
Mar 9 2009 8:00P: 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar 10 2009 8:00P: Schubas Tavern Chicago, Illinois
Mar 12 2009 8:00P: Revival Toronto, Ontario
Mar 13 2009 8:00P: Les Saints Montreal, Quebec
Mar 14 2009 8:00P: Harper’s Ferry Allston, Massachusetts
Mar 15 2009 8:00P: Sullivan Hall New York, New York
Mar 16 2009 8:00P: Jammin Java Vienna, Virginia
Mar 23 2009 8:00P: three20south Breckenridge, Colorado
Mar 24 2009 8:00P: Black Sheep Colorado Springs, Colorado
Mar 25 2009 8:00P: Aggie Theater Fort Collins, Colorado
Mar 26 2009 8:00P: Marquis Theater Denver, Colorado
Mar 27 2009 8:00P: Sandbar Sports Grill Vail, Colorado
Mar 28 2009 8:00P: Star Bar Park City, Utah
Mar 29 2009 8:00P: Whiskey Dick’s Saloon South Lake Tahoe, California
Mar 31 2009 8:00P: Blake’s Berkeley, California
Apr 1 2009 8:00P: Downtown Brewing Company San Luis Obispo, California
Apr 2 2009 8:00P: Cane’s Bar & Grill San Diego, California
Apr 3 2009 8:00P: Roxy Theatre West Hollywood, California
Apr 4 2009 8:00P: Galaxy Theater Santa Ana, California
For more information and to buy tickets go to: http://mishka.com/shows/
Following the tremendous success of Dub Side of the Moon and Radiodread, which earned praise from NPR, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, etc, the Easy Star All-Stars will now tackle the Beatles’ classic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The first single, “With A Little Help From My Friends,” features Luciano and is available here for download:
Easy Star All Stars - “With A Little Help From My Friends” (right click, save as)
The album, titled Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, is set for release April 14 and features guest vocals from reggae icons including Steel Pulse, Matisyahu, Michael Rose (Black Uhuru), Luciano, U-Roy and more.
More info on the project:
Following the widespread critical and commercial success of 2003’s Dub Side of the Moon and 2006’s Radiodread, Easy Star Records announces the Easy Star All-Stars’ complete reggae re-imagining of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The album, titled Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, is set for release April 14 on Easy Star Records and features guest vocals from an impressive list of reggae, dancehall and dub greats including Steel Pulse, Matisyahu, Michael Rose (Black Uhuru), Luciano, U Roy, Bunny Rugs (Third World), Ranking Roger (English Beat), Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Max Romeo and The Mighty Diamonds. The first single, “With A Little Help From My Friends,” featuring Luciano, will be released as an iTunes exclusive February 10. It will be paired with a b-side dub version featuring the legendary U Roy.
Dub Side of the Moon, (Easy Star’s reggae tribute to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon) is one of the most successful reggae albums of the 21st century and spent over five years on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart. Mojo selected the record as the second greatest cover album of all time. Radiodread, which tackled Radiohead’s OK Computer, spent over 18 months on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart and earned praise from Radiohead themselves.
Of the decision to infuse reggae into the Beatles classic, producer Michael Goldwasser says “We’ve focused on re-envisioning concept albums as reggae and it’s really important that the source material works as a whole and is not just a collection of songs. So, what better to take on next than the mother of all concept albums?”
Goldwasser is once more the musical mastermind behind this album, having arranged and produced the music, assembled the musicians and guest artists and played guitar throughout. Goldwasser is joined by Victor Rice (bass), Victor “Ticklah” Axelrod (keyboards) and Patrick Dougher & Eddie Ocampo (drums, percussion). Members of the touring version of the Easy Star All-Stars also contribute, including Ras I Ray, Jenny Hill, Buford O’Sullivan, Ivan Katz, Kirsty Rock, Tamar-kali, Junior Jazz and Menny More. In addition to producing six albums for Easy Star, Goldwasser has produced albums for Corey Harris, Hatikva 6 and others, and has had compositions featured in the motion pictures Failure To Launch and Woody Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream.
For over a decade, Easy Star Records has been a trendsetting independent reggae label. Dub Side of the Moon and Radiodread form the backbone of a catalogue that includes progressive albums from John Brown’s Body and Easy Star All-Stars keyboardist Ticklah, reissues of classic material from Sugar Minott and Linval Thompson and new recordings from reggae legends The Meditations and Sister Carol.
Grammy-nominated artist Matisyahu will release a new full-length album, Light on April 21 (Epic Records). On the heels of a sold-out, critically acclaimed national tour in support of the new Shattered EP, as well as the 3rd annual Festival of Light concerts in New York City, Matisyahu continues the creative momentum with his most adventurous and personal record to date. Further tour dates will be announced shortly.
Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor, Sublime), Light was recorded and mixed in Jamaica, New York, Los Angeles and Virginia. Several guest artists contribute to the record: son of legendary reggae artist Freddie McGregor and among Jamaica’s youngest and most innovative producers Stephen McGregor (co-producer, keyboards, drum-programming, “Smash Lies,” “Motivate” and “Struggla”—Remix), ground-breaking Jamaican reggae rhythm section Sly & Robbie (drums and bass, “Two Child One Drop,” “Temple,” “I Will Be Light” and “7 Beggars”), noted production team Eric Krasno & Adam Deitch of Fyre Dept. (co-producers and live instruments, “Struggla”) and Fish and Norwood Fisher (drums and bass, “We Will Walk” and “So Hi So Lo”) of the L.A. alt-punk-ska band Fishbone.
Also contributing to Light are Jamaican nyabinghi drummers Delroy Williams as Putus Roots, Samuel Count Ossie “Time” Williams and Nambo Robinson (“Escape” and “Temple”) and experimental turntablist Ooah from the Glitch Mob (co-producer, co-writer, drum programming on “Temple” and “Two Child One Drop”), among others. Long-time Matisyahu collaborator Aaron Dugan plays guitar on most of the record as well.
Matisyahu emerged in 2004 with his debut album Shake Off the Dust…Rise. With the release of Live at Stubb’s (2005), which reached #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, and Youth (2006), which debuted at #4 on Billboard’s Top 200 and reached #1 on the Reggae Albums chart, Matisyahu gained considerable critical acclaim. Both albums subsequently went Gold and Youth was nominated for a Grammy for Best Reggae Album.
Here he is performing the hit from his last album, “King Without a Crown”:
Following the widespread critical and commercial success of 2003’s Dub Side of the Moon and 2006’s Radiodread, Easy Star Records announces the Easy Star All-Stars’ complete reggae re-imagining of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The album, titled Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, is set for release April 14 on Easy Star Records and features guest vocals from an impressive list of reggae, dancehall and dub greats including Steel Pulse, Matisyahu, Michael Rose (Black Uhuru), Luciano, U Roy, Bunny Rugs (Third World), Ranking Roger (English Beat), Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Max Romeo and The Mighty Diamonds. The first single, “With A Little Help From My Friends,” featuring Luciano, will be released as an iTunes exclusive February 10. It will be paired with a b-side dub version featuring the legendary U Roy.
Dub Side of the Moon, (Easy Star’s reggae tribute to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon) is one of the most successful reggae albums of the 21st century and spent over five years on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart. Mojo selected the record as the second greatest cover album of all time. Radiodread, which tackled Radiohead’s OK Computer, spent over 18 months on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart and earned praise from Radiohead themselves.
Of the decision to infuse reggae into the Beatles classic, producer Michael Goldwasser says “We’ve focused on re-envisioning concept albums as reggae and it’s really important that the source material works as a whole and is not just a collection of songs. So, what better to take on next than the mother of all concept albums?”
Goldwasser is once more the musical mastermind behind this album, having arranged and produced the music, assembled the musicians and guest artists and played guitar throughout. Goldwasser is joined by Victor Rice (bass), Victor “Ticklah” Axelrod (keyboards) and Patrick Dougher & Eddie Ocampo (drums, percussion). Members of the touring version of the Easy Star All-Stars also contribute, including Ras I Ray, Jenny Hill, Buford O’Sullivan, Ivan Katz, Kirsty Rock, Tamar-kali, Junior Jazz and Menny More. In addition to producing six albums for Easy Star, Goldwasser has produced albums for Corey Harris, Hatikva 6 and others, and has had compositions featured in the motion pictures Failure To Launch and Woody Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream.
For over a decade, Easy Star Records has been a trendsetting independent reggae label. Dub Side of the Moon and Radiodread form the backbone of a catalogue that includes progressive albums from John Brown’s Body and Easy Star All-Stars keyboardist Ticklah, reissues of classic material from Sugar Minott and Linval Thompson and new recordings from reggae legends The Meditations and Sister Carol.
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http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette
Just don’t get too carried away with your iPod karaoke.
Published: Tuesday, April 29
Is it just me, or is everyone plugged in these days?
“Nine out of 10 people workout with an iPod or MP3 player,” said Melanie Shernofsky, group fitness coordinator at Montreal’s Mansfield Club.
The same could be said for the many runners and walkers who are tuned in to their own playlist while cruising the streets of their neighbourhood.
Yet despite the apparent spike in music appreciation amongst the fitness crowd, exercising to music isn’t new. People were skating around roller rinks to the tunes of Buddy Holly and jumping to the beat of the Pointer Sisters in aerobics classes long before Amy Winehouse took top billing on the iPod of most gym rats.
Why is music such an integral part of the exercise experience?
“Music takes us away from the physical discomfort and the process of exercise itself,” said Jim Gavin, a clinical health psychologist from Concordia University.
Indeed most exercisers will tell you that music is a pleasant distraction during a workout. Some even go as far as saying they can exercise longer and harder when listening to music than without. And while there is a general consensus that music can make the minutes go by faster when running on a treadmill, there is little data to suggest that you can workout longer or harder while listening to your favourite tunes.
Numerous studies have evaluated the heart rate and time to exhaustion among exercisers listening and not listening to music. The majority noted no significant difference between the two. Which means exercise duration and intensity weren’t affected by music. What was affected, however, was how hard the exercisers perceived they were training while music was playing.
Study after study notes that exercisers perceive their level of exertion to be lower when music accompanies their workout compared to those who exercise in silence. Also interesting to note is that the affect is greater the harder you exercise. In other words, the tougher the workout, the more music helps you hang in there.
“Music tends to separate us from what we are physically doing and leads us further away from how we are feeling,” says Gavin.
Not all music is equal in its distraction, though - at least where exercise is concerned. A 2006 study of 128 undergraduate students noted a preference for faster, more upbeat music as the intensity of the workout increased. No surprise there. Footloose beats out James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful every time when the going gets tough. Nike’s iPod sensor combo even allows runners to program their own “power” song that can be pressed into play when the feet need a little extra incentive to keep moving.
Yet as powerful as music is, not everyone appreciates the distraction. Yet another study noted that among runners, novices were more likely than veteran runners to benefit from listening to music during their training runs. The elite runners actually found music to be an unwanted diversion, which suggests that the disconnect between mind and body is not considered beneficial for runners who use their body’s feedback to continually gauge and modify their intensity.
Of course, there are other uses for music in the exercise field. Yoga instructors often play music as a form of relaxation, helping participants to de-stress and slow down their hectic pace in tune with the mindful approach of the practice.
Group exercise instructors have long been known to count on music not just to motivate, but also to keep everyone in the class moving in synch. In fact, the addition of music to group exercise classes is what characterized the aerobics boom in the 80’s - back in the day instructors spent hours choosing the right music to motivate and the right moves.
Interestingly, with personal MP3 players now all the rage, music lovers don’t need group exercise classes to supply musical motivation. In the age of self-selection, exercisers can create their own workout playlist with their favourite tunes that can be updated at will. This means they can find all the motivation they want on their own iPod, making a solo run on the treadmill just as motivating as a group exercise class.
Shernofsky thinks that’s a good thing.
“For people who don’t like to exercise, music can be a great motivator.”
It also means that anyone with two left feet or an aversion to a Madonna, Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey re-mix played at 150 beats a minute can now workout to the beat of their own drummer.
That being said, there are some rules that go along with plugging in during exercise. Don’t tune out to the extent that you aren’t aware of your surroundings. Keep alert and listen to your body and what’s going on around you. And whatever you do, limit your iPod karaoke to places where you aren’t likely to be overheard. Not everyone is a fan of Bat Out of Hell sung at full volume on a beautiful Sunday morning (don’t ask).
© The Gazette (Montreal) 2008
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24358965/wid/11915829?GT1=40006
By Jake Coyle
Mon., April. 28, 2008
NEW YORK - You’re sitting at home online and suddenly you get an irresistible urge. You absolutely have to belt out R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly” and share it with the world.
You now have that ability, thanks to the new MySpace Karaoke, to be launched Tuesday by the social networking site.
MySpace Karaoke (ksolo.myspace.com) debuts nearly two years after Fox Interactive, a division of News Corp., which owns MySpace, purchased the karaoke site kSolo.com. The combination of MySpace and kSolo allows users to upload audio recordings of them singing everything from R. Kelly to Richie Valens to their profile page.
MySpace co-founder and president Tom Anderson (known by many as the friend that comes automatically with a MySpace account) said MySpace and karaoke are a natural fit.
“It is in part because music is so popular on our site,” said Anderson. “But also because karaoke is such a fun and social thing, which is what we’re about too. It’s not as much fun to go to karaoke alone, but when you do it through the Internet or on your MySpace page, then you can share it with people.”
Recordings can be prominently displayed on one’s MySpace page and receive ratings from friends (and, presumably, fans). As of Monday afternoon, the most popular song to sing was Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel.”
MySpace Karaoke and kSolo — the first major karaoke site — are just two destinations of a small industry of online karaoke sites. SingShot, owned by Electronic Arts, and Bix, owned by Yahoo!, are also big names in karaoke on the Web.
And YouTube has, of course, been the largest repository of people dancing around their bedrooms and singing their favorite songs. While MySpace Karaoke doesn’t currently have a video option, Anderson says it’s in the works and that it will include a split-screen duet feature.
Users need only a microphone to sing into. MySpace Karaoke gives them the music to sing over (with vocals removed) with the lyrics scrolling across their computer screen. There are also numerous effects that users can play with to alter their recordings.
Right now, the site has between 2,000 and 3,000 songs available, all of them licensed from music publishers. The difficulty of managing those rights has been the reason for the delayed launch, Anderson said.
“It was quite difficult,” he said. “The rules and the licensing changed over time and became more complicated since MySpace is a global company. There’s different rights in different territories.”
But Anderson thinks having those rights puts MySpace at a distinct advantage.
“On MySpace, we actually filter and take down content (without licensing),” said Anderson. “At some point, YouTube is going to be forced to — or pay the rights holders because they’re breaking the law when they do that.”
As recordings have begun to pile up, there’s a wide variety of quality.
Said Anderson, “You’ll find equally horrible and equally good ones.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7329323.stm
MySpace in online music project
Networking site MySpace is to launch an online music service in partnership with three major music companies.
The new service MySpace Music is being launched with Universal Music, Sony BMG Music and Warner Music.
Users of the new service will be able to listen to music and watch music videos free of charge, while paying a fee to download music.
The website will also make money from advertising and selling merchandise like ring tones and concert tickets.
However, the exact terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The one major record firm excluded from the partnership was EMI.
The new music service is seen as a possible competitor to Apple iTunes Music Store, which has dominated the digital music market.
The music industry has been concerned about a lack of competition for iTunes in the digital music market.
Music firms see a new entrant in the music download market as a positive change.
“This gives a great new lease of life for the download market,” said Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG president of global digital business.
Page last updated at 17:19 GMT, Thursday, 3 April 2008 18:19 UK
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