This past week over 16 million people watched former Olympic medalist Bruce Jenner ‘come out’ (air quote theirs, not mine) on national television to answer questions about his gender transitioning from male to female – an issue that has been the subject of salacious tabloid fodder ever since Jenner’s public profile was reignited as the husband of Kardashian matriarch Chris Jenner.
After a long month of music legend deaths (which included Pinky Dauvin of Lighthouse and Richie Havens this week) and global tragedy it’s great to finally get back to listening to the new breed of musical innovation.
“KRIS + DEE “Bloom”
I have to admit that I have a music crush on this dynamic duo. They lured me in and hooked me with last year’s debut effort ‘Still Here’ – setting the tone of their thoughtful songs of solitude and introspection. On the sophomore follow-up ‘Bloom’ they explore these themes and more and add musical dynamics with the assistance of resident bass/piano/organ mandolin player Wil McGonegal plus Colin Cripps (Crash Vegas, Junkhouse), Tim Welch (National Velvet), Ron Hawkins (Lowest of the Low) and the seriously skilled drum work of Mauro Sepe and Al Cross.
Apparently, it was Canada Music Week this week. As you read this there are dozens of bands taking the stage all around Toronto hoping to attract the attention of the music industry. Sadly, music industry people don’t go to bars featuring virtual unknowns at 1AM on a Monday thru any-day-of-the-week. They’re at the lounge in the Marriott Downtown Eaton’s Centre Hotel trolling for a gig and/or drowning their sorrows in what continues to be the capsizing of the S.S. Musonic.
Not since the great Napster clap trap a decade ago has music – specifically the people making that music – been under such vociferous attack. For those that missed the multi-pronged brouhahas over the last 10 days, let us review: 1a) National Public Radio intern Emily White confessed in a blog that her personal collection of 11,000 songs have never been paid for. She excused this behaviour as a modern cultural construct – having been raised in an environment where the acquisition of music has never involved the exchange of money. She actually ripped these tracks from NPR’s library which had been given to them as promotion-only releases from record labels and independent musicians. She was unapologetic and closed her statements by saying that moving forward she, and her friends, would only ever pay for access to the music…not the music itself. Her support for musicians begins and ends with buying concert tickets and T-shirts.
Bullseye Records of Canada
Segarini: Don't Believe a Word I Say 