Our weekly roundup of books that should be on your radar.

Indian Hindi and Urdu poetry has time and again narrated horror stories of how the society turns a blind towards the dying poor. News18 has compiled a collection of ten such pieces of literature to depict the present condition of migrant workers.

Indian Hindi and Urdu poetry has time and again narrated horror stories of how the society turns a blind eye towards the dying poor. News18 has compiled a collection of ten such pieces of literature to depict the present condition of migrant workers.

In a sudden change in weather, Delhi witnessed a massive dust storm on Sunday morning. Pictures and videos showed dust storm enveloping Delhi and NCR.

There are six confirmed matches on Sunday's card.

Buy luxury fragrance sets from Chanel, Gucci and Hermès from $102, leather bags from Michael Kors from $145 or get a 58 percent discount on a one carat diamond ring in white gold.

The winning numbers in Saturday night's Powerball draw were 12, 18, 42, 48, and 65. The Powerball was 19 and the Power Play was 5X.

I had probably been in the same restaurants and grocery stores at the exact same time as my birth mother, without having any clue whatsoever.

Actors, writers, musicians and even former president Barack Obama will be taking part in virtual graduation ceremonies as the Class of 2020 is still under stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and on “Saturday Night Live’s” “At Home” finale, the NBC late-night sketch series got in on the ceremonial event as well. Alec Baldwin […]

Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kristen Wiig returned as the surprise host for the “At Home” finale, that also happened to be the late-night sketch comedy’s Mother’s Day episode, on May 9. After dancing around her home and flashing the camera (which was, of course, pixelated per broadcast standards), the actor and comedian slid […]

Nearly two years ago, “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris signed a $100 million overall deal with Netflix, placing him among a rarefied list of creators — which also includes Shonda Rhimes, Ryan Murphy and “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss — able to command a nine-figure production pact with one of the world’s […]

This takes 'dream home' to an all new level. Wow.

It's not a trick - each of these photos are completely real.

Of all the Halloween costumes out there, this guy and his girlfriend blew everyone away.

This is the most heartbreaking, important thing I've ever written about.

History has all but forgotten them.

No need to wait for the ice cream truck now.

Belgian series is based on 2015 novel by Polish science fiction writer Jacek Dukaj

Here are top stocks and sectors that created all the buzz during the week gone by.

The trade-off hidden in getting rid of CovidA big reset is coming in the relationship not just between you and govt, but also between you and businesses.

The Liverpool and England striker with the staggering sideburns explains how to outjump taller opponents and how he made it to the top of the game

The Observer football correspondent Leslie Duxbury spoke to Liverpool and England striker Kevin Keegan, ‘The most exciting player on the current soccer scene’, for a new coaching series for Young Observers starting on 21 January 1973 (‘What makes Kevin Keegan King of the Kop’).

The cover (which you could order as a poster for 25p) features those long locks and staggering sideburns before his famous bubble perm appeared. Keegan was my first footballing hero as a young kid until Kenny Dalglish replaced him as Liverpool’s No 7 in 1977 (when King Kevin made way for King Kenny). My most treasured item was the Grandstand Kevin Keegan electronic action game. Imagine a handheld football version of Pong – yup, that sophisticated.

The Producer's Lounge is an initiative designed to elevate female and non-binary-identifying music producers, engineers, and mixers from B.C. The program brings participants into some of the province's top studios to work with and learn from some of the industry's best and brightest audio pros, including internationally-heralded studio vet Sylvia Massy (Johnny Cash, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers), Alysha Brilla, Rae Spoon, Elisa Pangsaeng, and others.

Jane Aurora, the program's founder and an acclaimed musician, producer, songwriter, and engineer herself, joins us to talk about the initiative, some of the challenges these underrepresented groups face in launching their careers, and how they can be overcome.

Ahead of their set at NXNE 2019, Mike caught up with Darren "Young D" Metz and Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce of acclaimed hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids. Hailing from the Haisla Nation in Northern B.C., the Polaris Prize shortlisters are one of the most exciting groups in Canada, producing straight-up bangers that get crowds pumping while also going for the political jugular with impactful lyrics that shine light on the experiences of Canada’s Indigenous peoples. Here, the guys talk about finding their artistic and political identity, being a voice for Indigenous youth, and more.

Plus, Mike Schwartz - better known as The Rock Doctor - joins us to talk about how your physical and mental well-being can affect your creativity, ability to perform, and more. He dispels some myths of the "rock star lifestyle" and shares some tips on how to turn anxiety into excitement ahead of a performance and ensure you're always on your A game.

http://canadianmusician.com http://canadianmusicianpodcast.com

The Northern Pikes are one of the classic Canadian rock bands of the late '80s and 90s with iconic songs like “She Ain’t Pretty,” “Teenland,” “Things I Do for Money,” and “Girl with a Problem.” They’re back with a new LP, Forest of Love - their first new release in 16 years. Mike sat down with the full band, including newcomer Kevin Kane of Grapes of Wrath, to chat about songwriting, how making and releasing an album in 2019 compares to their past experiences, how age and maturity have altered their perspectives, and a lot more.

Then, we catch up with the multi-talented (and ever-busy) Miranda Mulholland to chat about the Sawdust City Music Festival, running from August 2-4, 2019 in Gravenhurst, ON. Leading up to its third annual edition, Miranda discusses the realities of organizing and delivering a music festival in 2019 (a particularly timely subject), the event's growth in both size and ambition in the past three years, and more.

Music Canada recently shared its latest report, “Closing the Value Gap: How to Fix Safe Harbours and Save the Creative Middle Class.” As the title suggests, the report examines the gap between revenues derived by online entertainment platforms - particularly YouTube - and the revenues returned to artists and labels, then offers five recommendations on how to address the issue.

On this week's podcast, Mike and Graham Henderson, Music Canada's President and CEO, dive into the report before getting into some important big picture conversations about philosophical shifts in how music is paid for, how the industry can make its case to the public and government, and even some politics.

Also, please visit www.friendsofjohncody.com and consider helping one of our own in dire circumstances.

For our feature interview, Mike catches up with Ben Rayner (22:40), the long-time music writer and critic at the Toronto Star. He’s easily one of the best music writers in Canada and it’s obvious that his love of music, and writing about it, is as strong as ever. As local newspapers disappear and even the big newspapers like the Globe & Mail and National Post diminish their arts coverage and move music journalists into other beats, Ben is among the last of a dying breed. Mike and Ben chat about changing nature of music journalism in Canada and the decline of music coverage in newspapers and then get into what impact this could have on artists and the country’s music industry.

But before we chat with Ben, we also meet up with Charlie Wall-Andrews (2:48), the executive director of the SOCAN Foundation. Charlie fills us in all the various grants and programs that the SOCAN Foundation has available to artists. Then she and Mike discuss the concept of corporate social responsibility, which is an area of particular expertise for Charlie, and how it applies to the music industry. www.socanfoundation.ca.

On today’s podcast, we have Sandy Graham, the woman who has had maybe the most diverse and interesting career in the Canadian music business. Sandy is currently the owner and editor-in-chief of Cashbox Canada, but over her roughly 40 years in the industry, going back to when she was a teenager, she has been involved in nearly every segment of this industry and has been a true trailblazer. She began in music retail, before being one of the first women to work at a major label in Canada. She’s been a radio music director, a venue owner – including of the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto – a music journalist, and she’s even a choreographer, having choreographed the first ever halftime show at the Sky Dome. Sandy is also an artist manager and festival organizer. Like we said, she’s been involved in everything and we’ve wanted to have her on the podcast for a while to tell her story and share some of the insights she has gained along the way.

Sarah Falzon, a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer with Taylor Oballa Murray Leyland LLP, joins us to chat about the recent slew of copyright infringement lawsuits hitting pop stars, including Drake and Katy Perry, as well as Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, and Ed Sheeran.

As Sarah says, it seems like the floodgates have opened in the wake of the infamous “Blurred Lines” conflict in which the estate of Marvin Gaye successfully sued Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copying the “feel” and “sound” of Gaye’s 1977 song, “Got to Give It Up.” We discuss the details of the newer lawsuits that make them interesting and whether we really have entered a riskier era for songwriters. Sarah also explains if the U.S. lawsuits have any bearing on Canadian songwriters and the relevant differences between Canadian and American copyright law.

Tim Moxam has partnered with Toronto's StopGap Foundation, which builds ramps for community spaces to increase accessibility, and launched StopGap on Tour. Moxam collaborated with some fellow songwriters and crafters to build a series of special-edition StopGap ramps, pre-ordered and spec'd to accommodate the needs of non-accessible venues, cafes, record stores, and other community hubs that Moxam would be visiting on his recent East Coast tour. Hear about this cool initiative, how you can get involved for the future, and some of the peripheral benefits that come with it.

We also chat with Michael "Wanz" Wansley, who spent his life as a working musician before a song he featured on from a local rapper blew up into a global phenomenon. The song was "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, with Wanz's distinctive voice featured prominently in the chorus. That led to a whirlwind couple years for Wanz, allowing him to fulfill a lot of his childhood dreams, before the song receded in the public consciousness and he had to figure out life after sudden and short-lived commercial success. In this inspiring conversation, Wanz discusses life before, during, and after "Thrift Shop" and how it changed his thinking about fame and success in music.

The healing power of music is at the heart of The Awesome Music Project Canada: Songs of Hope & Happiness, which features intimate stories from Canadians of all walks of life - including Sarah McLachlan, Michael Buble, astronaut Chris Hadfield, Olympian Madeleine Thien, and NHL star Theo Fleury - on how music changed their lives. Rounding out the book are descriptions of the neurological research confirming that music is good for us and why.

Robert tells us about the origins of the project, some of his favourite stories shared in it, the research the project will fund, and a lot more.

Proceeds from The Awesome Music Project Canada will go to music and mental health research, starting with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital and one of the world's leading research centres. www.theawesomemusicproject.com.

AEMCON - the Alberta Electronic Music Conference - is Canada's largest professional gathering of electronic music industry insiders, bringing together those who want to learn, teach, inspire, connect, and dance. Five days of panels, workshops, and night events will showcase 125-plus artists and speakers, with over 3,000-plus attendees expected.

The fourth edition of AEMCON takes place in Calgary from Nov. 13-17, 2019, and we've got Co-Founder Andrew Williams and Marketplace Coordinator Tyler Brown on the show to talk about the event and its unique programming streams like Addiction and Recovery, the DIY Feminist Resistance, and Dance Music as an LGBTQ Art Form. Then, we get into the state of electronic music in Alberta and Canada, identify some incoming trends that may inform future editions, and more.

Fresh from their panel at Indie Week’s Indie101 Music & Tech Conference, Mike sits down with Erin Kinghorn, the co-founder of playlist-pitching company Digital Promotions Group (DPG) Canada and founder of artist development company eEK! Productions.

Together, Mike and Erin chat all about streaming playlists and how songs find success on them. Erin explains how the playlist ecosystems works, the data and analytics that matter, the differences between the various streaming platforms, how a playlist-pitching campaign works, how to measure success in this quickly-evolving sector, and a bunch more.

http://dpgworldwide.com http://canadianmusician.com

We're thrilled to have both The Good Lovelies and Delaney Jane on this week's pod!

Heralded folk/harmony trio The Good Lovelies just dropped their second Christmas collection, Evergreen, and are now set to embark on their annual holiday tour. We catch up with Sue Passmore to talk about the evolution of their acclaimed holiday show, the art of writing a quality contemporary Christmas tune, their Good Lovelies Forest initiative, and more.

Then, the same morning that her debut LP, Dirty Pretty Things, dropped, Mike sat down with platinum-selling alt-pop singer/songwriter Delaney Jane. She discusses her journey from Toronto art school student to in-demand songwriter and rising pop star, recounts a chance meeting with a new neighbour that led to a very fruitful artistic partnership and high-profile writing gigs, and how that launched her career as a fully-independent artist.

http://canadianmusician.com

Ajungi – pronounced AH-YUNG-EE – is a Nunavut-based music collective made up of up-and-coming artists from across the territory. The concept was created by artist and entrepreneur Thor Simonsen, the creative director of Hitmakerz, an Iqaluit-based record label that delivers music workshops to remote communities across Nunavut and records, produces, and releases music by many Inuit artists.

Simonsen joins us to talk about the project's inception and goals, what the workshops and recording sessions entail, how they benefit the artists' careers and communities, and a lot more.

http://canadianmusician.com http://ajungi.ca

For today's episode, Mike had a chance to sit down for a lively, fascinating, and fun conversation with Daniel Tate and Rob Bowman, authors of the brilliant new book The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History. Covering from the mid-1800s all the way to 2000, the book offers a comprehensive and incredibly interesting history of Toronto’s live music scene, all illustrated with images from Daniel’s massive collection of concert flyers spanning over a century – from minstrel troupes to Notorious B.I.G.’s only Toronto show, which almost caused a riot.

If you have any interest in the history of popular music, you’ll love this fun conversation.

http://canadianmusician.com

Happy Holidays! We're switching things up for this special episode with an interview that originally aired on The Music Life Coach Podcast, featuring host Jo Janzen interviewing Canadian Musician Editor-in-Chief and podcast host Andrew King about his article "The Era of the Artistpreneur."

Andrew has valuable info for artists about what it means to be an entrepreneur in today's music business, how "do it yourself" doesn't necessarily mean "do it alone," how artists can assess risks and not let fear impede their decision-making, and a whole lot more. Plus, Jo offers some advice of her own, drawn from her experiences as an artist and those of some of her clients.

Check out Andrew's "The Era of the Artistpreneur" feature at: https://indepth.canadianmusician.com/the-era-of-the-artistpreneur/

Learn more about The Music Life Coach Podcast at: https://musiclifecoach.joannejanzen.com/templates/blog/podcast/

Holy F** frontman Brian Borcherdt joins us to talk about Deleter*, the band's brand-new record that dives further down the rabbit hole at the intersection of technology and humanity. We talk about the evolution of their hybrid sound, how the various members' work playing in and producing other projects advances what they do collectively, and a lot more.

Then, Mike has a fun and fascinating chat with Prism Prize Founder Louis Calabro about the industry and art of music videos. They talk about how the whole purpose of a music videos has evolved from the days of MTV and MuchMusic to the YouTube era, the democratization of video making, what makes for a good music vid, and more.

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Go to Bandzoogle.com to try it free for 30 days, and be sure to use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off the first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

http://canadianmusician.com

Severine Erickson is the president of the recently-launched Triple A Talent, a Vancouver-based artist management and booking agency specializing in the electronic music scene. Severine explains how negative experiences with agents inspired him and the other Triple A co-founders to start their own company with a plan to do things differently. Severine also discusses the unique aspects of being an agent in the EDM scene compared to other genres, the health of underground EDM in Canada, and more.

http://canadianmusician.com http://triplea.agency/

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Being a tour manager means being a logistics coordinator, accountant, event planner, human resources professional, crisis manager, and counselor. Everything that goes on during the tour - or leading up to it - runs through them. Really, it's one of the most important yet least-discussed jobs in the music business. That’s why Mike wrote a feature article for the March/April 2020 issue of Canadian Musician trying to make sense of tour managers’ responsibilities and share a few of their stories.

One of those interesting and fun conversations for the magazine was with Erika Duffee, the go-to tour manager for Canadian pop-rock star Scott Helman and arena-filling Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi, among others, which we share on today’s episode. You'll hear about the many facets of this odd role along with some great stories from the road and other insights.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

This week, we bring you a fun and interesting chat with Floyd Kane, the creator and writer of the CBC series Diggstown. Floyd and Mike chat about the use of music as a storytelling and emotional device in TV, how and when music comes into the TV writing process, how songs are chosen for the show, and some of the great independent Canadian artists whose music is featured in Diggstown.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Here's hoping everyone is holding up while holed up. On today's show, we bring you a candid conversation with Erin Benjamin, the president and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association, discussing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the association's members and wider concert industry in Canada.

Let's be clear: the situation is dire, and there's up-to-date data to prove it; however, the CLMA is working hard by advocating the government to recognize and help the industry through these hardships and has been making inroads. We get into these and other efforts the association is spearheading, including collaborations with fellow music industry stakeholders, and share tips on how anyone listening can take action.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

This week, we bring you a special conversation with rap innovators Cadence Weapon, aka Rollie Pemberton, and Hua Li, aka Peggy Hogan, from the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The two were part of the 20-day Banff International Songwriter Residency as a mentor and participant, respectively, and we dive into their experience, talk about the value of collaboration and idea-sharing, wax on the concept of "Canadian music," and more.

Plus, shortly after Canada started taking COVID-19 seriously in mid-March, a group of Toronto creatives launched a livestreaming initiative called URGNT. The idea was to broadcast sessions with a diverse array of artists from empty Toronto venues, ensuring every stakeholder would receive some compensation for their work at a time they'd really need it. We speak with co-founder Mark Marczyk about how everything came together.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

They're one of the greatest musical trios this country has ever produced. Tom Wilson, Stephen Fearing, and Colin Linden - aka Blackie and the Rodeo Kings - join us on today's show. Mike had the pleasure of sitting down with the guys in those glorious days before physical distancing became the new normal. In 2020, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are celebrating their 25th year together, so of course we discuss that longevity and the unique chemistry they share, as well as the making of their new album, King of This Town. Tom also discusses the incredible personal journey he’s been on over the last seven years, and Colin and Stephen ponder it from their unique vantage point.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Veteran concert promoter, writer, broadcaster, artist manager, and TV producer Steve Warden joins us to discuss and flesh out some of the ideas he proposes in an open letter published by FYI Music News. The piece ponders on how musicians and the music industry can move forward during and after the COVID-19 shutdowns. We chat about the flood of free virtual concerts and subsequent concerns about devaluing artists’ performances, what a virtual tour could look like, what the industry needs to start putting in motion, and more.

http://canadianmusician.com

This week, we’re sharing the full conversation Mike had with musician and artist advocate Miranda Mulholland as part of his research for a new article on how the COVID-19 crisis is impacting the music business and what lies ahead. Miranda - who, in addition to being an artist advocate that works closely with all levels of government, is also one-half of the duo Harrow Fair – offers a revealing perspective on how artists are being professionally and personally impacted by the loss of live shows, gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of how government has dealt with the crisis, and discusses her own experience of releasing an album in the midst of all this.

Read Mike's article, "Behind the Scenes as the Canadian Music Industry Copes with an Unprecedented Crisis," at: https://indepth.canadianmusician.com/its-impossible-to-imagine-behind-the-scenes/

http://canadianmusician.com

"Considering a pandemic, the flower industry has rebounded like crazy. All the floral shops that I know are super busy and sold out."

In the time of the novel coronavirus, it's anything but normal for one part-time florist as Mother's Day approaches.