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Canadian Folk Music Awards in Ottawa

Vanessa Baker — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:23:23 +0000

The fifth annual Canadian Folk Music Awards were held Saturday in Ottawa, reports CBC.

Awards were given in 19 categories, and the ceremony was co-hosted by CBC’s Shelagh Rogers and La Bottine Souriante musician Benoit Bourque.

Halifax’s Joel Plaskett’s triple album Threeearned two awards, although the singer-songwriter was not present at the ceremony. Chris McKhool’s Toronto-based band Sultans of String also won two trophies in McKhool’s hometown.

Another Halifax-native, Susan Crowe, was given the honour of English Songwriter of the Year for Greytown. “A gal like me flies under the radar most of the time, and sometimes you wonder if anyone is listening. This makes it clear that someone is listening.”

AMAs Get Stars Competing for Spotlight: Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Adam Lambert

Emma Renda — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:41:59 +0000

The American Music Awards had all the ingredients for success this year: Taylor Swift beating out a pop mogul for a major award, lots and lots of Michael Jackson shout-outs, a Whitney Houston comeback performance and both Lady Gaga and Rihanna wearing next to nothing.

The major shock of the evening was Taylor Swift’s award for Artist of the Year, snagging the posthumous nomination from the King of Pop himself.

“I just want to say that music has never been ultimately about competition,” Swift said in her acceptance speech via video from London, England. “To even be mentioned in a category with Michael Jackson, who will be missed and loved forever, is an unimaginable honour.”

Swift won four other awards, of six nominations, including Pop/Rock Female Artist, Adult Contemporary Artist, Country Female Artist, and Favourite Country Album.

Jackson did pick up a few awards in the end, including Favourite Pop/Rock Male Artist as well as Soul/R&B Male Artist, and set the record most American Music Awards won by any artist with a whopping 23 awards.

Jermain Jackson was present to accept the awards, and Janet performed the show’s opening number.

“We love you, Michael,” Jermaine Jackson said as he accepted one award. “It’s not just about winning the award; it’s mainly the message. The message Michael had will live on forever and that’s that he saw good in everyone.”

Whitney Houston’s performance was another emotional moment, receiving a standing ovation for her rendition of “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength”. Samuel L. Jackson presented Houston with the International Artist Award of Excellence.

As per usual, Lady Gaga’s performance made a splash. Sporting a vulcan-inspired headdress and a vest filled with lights, Gaga burst on stage, shattering the class case around a grand piano with her microphone. When she sat down to perform a medley of songs from her new album, The Monster Show, the piano burst into flames.

Rihanna didn’t need to do more than strut around on stage partially naked to garner as much of a reaction. Performing her new singles from Rated R, “Wait Your Turn” and “Hard” ft. Young Jeezy, Rihanna wore nothing more than a body suit made of strips of white fabric and heeled white leather boots. The performance kept with the theme of the morbid videos she has released lately, Rihanna started her performance with a video of a masked woman on a medical table being electrocuted to life.

Adam Lambert, the most recent American Idol winner, closed the show with his performance of “For Your Entertainment” in which he shoved a male dancer’s face into his crotch.

The full list of winners at the 37th Annual American Music Awards:

Artist of the Year: Taylor Swift
Pop-Rock (Male): Michael Jackson
Pop-Rock (Female): Taylor Swift
Pop-Rock (Band, duo, group): Black Eyed Peas
Pop-Rock (Album): Michael Jackson Number Ones
Soul-R&B (Male): Michael Jackson
Soul-R&B (Female): Beyonce
Soul-R&B (Band, duo, group): Black Eyed Peas
Soul-R&B (Album): Michael Jackson Number Ones
Rap-Hip-Hop (Artist): Jay-Z
Rap-Hip-Hop (Album): Jay-Z Blueprint 3
Country (Male): Keith Urban
Country (Female): Taylor Swift
Country (Band, duo, group): Rascal Flatts
Country (Album): Taylor Swift Fearless
Adult Contemporary: Taylor Swift
Alternative Rock: Green Day
Latin: Aventura
Contemporary Inspirational: Mary Mary
Soundtrack Album: Twilight Soundtrack
T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist Award: Gloriana
International Award of Excellence: Whitney Houston

Taylor Swift Cleans Up at AMAs

Vanessa Baker — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:26:25 +0000

Country singer Taylor Swift topped the American Music Awards leader-board with five wins, including Artist of the Year, reports E! News. However, the 19-year-old was not present at Sunday’s ceremony in Los Angeles because she was rehearsing for a show at London’s Wembley Arena .

Michael Jackson received four posthumous awards, rounding out his career total to 25. His brother, Jermaine Jackson, was present to accept on his behalf.

“We love you, Michael,” said Jermaine, who sported a sequined glove for the event. “It’s not just about the winnings, the awards, it’s mainly the message. The message that Michael had will live on forever and he saw good in everyone and he wanted them to do good. To start with love and let’s love each other.”

When Swift accepted her win for Artist of the Year, she gave tribute to the King of Pop. “I just want to say that music has never been ultimately about competition and to even be mentioned in a category with Michael Jackson who we’ll miss and love forever is an unimaginable honour. And I just want to say I’m sending my love to the Jackson family and Janet.”

American Idol’s Adam Lambert, Lady Gaga and Janet Jackson were among the many artists to perform at the show.

Michael Jackson and Swift received the honours for male and female artist, respectively, while the Black Eyed Peas picked up the award for band, duo or group. Michael’s album Number Ones was named Album of the Year.

Taylor Swift Doll

Vanessa Baker — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:30:11 +0000

American toy company Jakks Pacific has created six Taylor Swift dolls, reports Perez Hilton. Three of the dolls sing either “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Our Song” or “Picture to Burn.”

The other three do not sing, instead focusing on the songstress’s fashion. The “Red Carpet Ready” doll sports a dress similar to the one by Reem Acra that Swift wore to last week’s Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, Tennessee.

Miley Cyrus’ Tour Bus Accident Leaves One Dead

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:16:46 +0000

In a fatal road accident last night involving one of Miley Cyrus tour buses, it seems the show must still go on for the ‘tween popstar.

TMZ reports that the accident has left one person dead and several more injured, though Cyrus herself was not on the bus that was involved in the accident on the Virginia highway. It seems the group of people injured are the singer’s lighting crew, so it will be interesting to see how the singer will manage on her scheduled show (that is still happening) on Sunday evening.

According to dose.ca, there were eyewitness reports stating that the bus drifted off the road before being led to flip. Apparently, the roads were slippery due to a previous bout of rain, and there is an ongoing investigation into whether the bus driver died previous to, or after the crash.

Cyrus tour has not been cancelled as of yet, and she is touring through the U.S. during the first week of December.

Billboard Changes Rules

Vanessa Baker — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:07:04 +0000

Billboard will now be including catalog releases when calculating the best-selling albums, which were previously decided based on record sales from the past 18 months, reports Perez Hilton. The Nov. 25 chart will be the first to reflect these changes.

Taylor Swift is the only artist who sold more albums this year than Michael Jackson. Rihanna previously held the record for digital songs, selling 9.9 million, but Swift, Jackson, Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas have all broken that this year.

Justin Hines – An Inspiration

Jordan Bortolotti — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:35:17 +0000

You can’t help but help and admire this guy. Not only is he a great musician who has received a ton of critical acclaim, he has done it all with a severe physical disability. We had the privilege to speak with the charming Justin Hines before a recent performance.

Theory of a Deadman Win at WCMAs

Vanessa Baker — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:00:50 +0000

Theory of a Deadman won recording of the year for Scars and Souvenirs at the seventh annual Western Canadian Music Awards, reports CBC. The awards, held Sunday at the Manitoba Centennial Auditorium, featured 22 Western-Canadian artists nominated for 14 awards in different musical categories.

Marianas Trench’s Masterpiece Theatre won pop recording of the year, while Manitoba trio Doc Walker won country recording of the year. The band was also named group of the year last week at the Canadian Country Music Awards in Vancouver.

Celtic singer Loreena McKennitt received the Hall of Fame award.

Jessie James Makes Her Mark In The Country/Pop World

Eva Lam — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:22:15 +0000

She’s worked with some of the biggest songwriters in Nashville, contributed a song to the soundtrack of a hit movie and was personally sought out for collaboration by none other than Katy Perry – all before releasing her first album.

Clearly, Jessie James is not your average “new artist.” “I’ve been performing on stage since I was 9 years old,” the singer-songwriter, now 21, tells andPOP. “So it’s definitely something I’m used to. . . . I’ve been doing this forever.”

It’s all coming to a head with the impending release of James’s debut album via Mercury Records/Island Def Jam. Due in stores July 14, the album is a genre-hopping fusion of country, pop, rock and soul, driven by James’ powerhouse vocals. Lead single “Wanted” (co-written by “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi) is already playing on more than 60 stations across the U.S., and its music video was featured by iTunes as a “Video of the Week” last month.

For the performer born Jessica Rose James, the rise to stardom was a slow but steady process that began with a decidely atypical upbringing. A self-described “military brat,” James spent her childhood living in a number of different places in the U.S. and abroad – 14 in all. Looking back, she sees the constant uprooting as having been both a crutch and a blessing for her musical ambitions.

“I would move within six months or a year, so it took a long time to finally stay somewhere long enough so I could really get my music out there,” says James, who performed at events like the Republican Convention and the opening of Sea World as a youngster.

“But it also influenced me so I’m able to adapt in different situations, and I’m great with meeting lots of new people. It’s easy for me to visit different places and be comfortable.”

James finally landed in Georgia, where she lived for seven years. From there, she commuted back and forth to Nashville, working at the age of 15 with a string of top songwriters. The early experience taught James some valuable lessons about songwriting.

“I learned how organic it actually is,” she says. “I’m so glad I started in Nashville, because Nashville is the most traditional way of songwriting. It’s just you and the guitar and writing a song and a melody, and that’s that.”

The back-to-basics approach to writing is something James continues to take with all her songs, from the sassy “My Cowboy” – which received a shout-out from Perez Hilton on his blog last summer – to the no-holds-barred ballad “Guilty.”

“If I’m upset about something or angry, I tend to write it down – it’s my therapy,” she says. “I’ve never written anything that I didn’t mean. Everything that you hear me saying or singing is something that has happened to me and it’s a real situation.

James says inspiration can hit at any time. “My songwriting is very natural and I’m influenced by every day or anything that I’m doing. I could be on a plane and I could be crying about missing my mom or missing family, and I could just write out lyrics immediately. And it comes quick, ’cause I mean it and it’s real.”

Take “Guilty,” for example. The song, which James co-wrote with Josh Kear (a Grammy winner for Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats”) and Mark Irwin (Garth Brooks), details the turbulence of James’ relationship at the time with an unidentified famous rocker.

“He was on tour all the time, and I was in Nashville by myself,” she says. “I was just waiting for him and I pretty much told myself he’s got to be cheating if he’s on tour – ‘I mean, he’s cheating, so –’ and in turn I cheated on him. And so that’s pretty much what the song is about.”

James says “Guilty” is her favourite song to perform. “It was a real story, and I think you can feel it when you hear me singing it and any time I play it.”

Not that James’ entire album is drawn from such an emotionally gut-wrenching place. One track that keeps things light and playful is “Blue Jeans,” a hip-hop-flavoured ode to the clothing staple buoyed by such empowering refrains as: “Don’t matter what ya wearin’ (hey hey)/It’s about the way you wear it (hey hey).”

The tune certainly caught the attention of the producers behind this year’s “Confessions of a Shopaholic.” The big-screen adaptation of Sophie Kinsella’s bestselling novel featured “Blue Jeans” on its soundtrack, much to James’ delight – and surprise.

“I didn’t even know it was going to be in the movie!” she says. “I’d been told that they had an interest in using the song ’cause it was obviously about shopping, but I didn’t know until I kept getting text messages on Christmas Day from people saying, “Oh my gosh, I heard your song in the movie trailer for ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ when I went to see ‘Marley and Me.’ I couldn’t believe it. . . . It was very exciting.”

Something else James is excited for is the release of her second single, “Bullet,” on which she shares writing credits with current princess of pop Katy Perry. James reveals that the collaboration actually came about two years ago, when a pre-chart-topping Perry got wind of the then-teenager’s work.

“She emailed me – and this was before she even blew up – (and) she was like, ‘I want to work with you, I think you’re great,’” says James. “And so we had our labels set us up together and we had a writing appointment.”

Besides writing together, Perry also played James two songs she had previously penned, “Bullet” and “Girl Next Door.” Both tracks will now appear on James’ album – “Bullet” features background vocals from Perry, while “Girl Next Door” is a poignant reminder about staying “that down-home girl” in the face of burgeoning stardom, says James. “I cried when I first heard it,” she recalls about the latter tune. “It’s so beautiful.”

So what was it like working with Miss Perry? James has nothing but high praise.

“She is just like you see her. She is a real artist; if I can say anything about her – she is real. She’s not phony and superficial or fake like a lot of these celebrity girls you see out there,” says James.

“She loves music and, you know, you hear a lot of the stuff that she sings on the radio and they’re really great radio songs. But deep down she is a deep, deep person and she writes deep music and real lyrics. . . . She’s worked hard her entire life and I really appreciate that from her. She’s never given up, and I think that’s a good lesson out there to a lot of people.”

Katy Perry’s not the only music heavyweight James is hob-knobbing with these days. In the run-up to her album’s release, she’s lined up several high-profile shows where she shares the bill with “American Idol” winner David Cook, including an upcoming June 20 date at the Red White and Boom Festival in Kansas.

It’s just the beginning of what James envisions as being a long, wide-ranging career. “I see myself doing this forever. If you look at Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn . . . they’re doing it still, they’re still making music, and that is what my plan is,” she says.

“And if for some reason I get too old, then I’m going to start producing artists myself. I want to produce artists and I want to have a label and I want to have my own publishing company. I plan to make a business out of my career.”

For the time being, James plans to keep putting out her personalized brand of tell-it-like-it-is music. She draws inspiration from her music idols including Janis Joplin, Bobbie Gentry and Shania Twain, whom she lauds for being “ballsy,” strong women.

“I get so frustrated when I turn on the radio and there’s a girl singing, ‘Please come back to me’ – I mean, you’ve got to be kidding me!” she says with a laugh.

“I think it’s so important to empower women. You can be confident and you can be single, or you need to have your man earn the respect or the guy will walk all over you. You do the walking.”

Kris Allen Wins American Idol

Ilan Mester — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:40:14 +0000

The two hour finale of “American Idol Season 8” was filled with surprises, including an awards ceremony, special guests and duets.

But the ultimate surprise was left for the end: the crowning of the winner. Kris Allen who was deemed the “dark- horse contestant” and an “underdog” by some of the “Idol” judges emerged as the winner of season eight.

“It feels good, man, but Adam deserves this,”Allen said as he was crowned the “American Idol”. “I don’t know what to feel right now, this is crazy.”

He was referring to Adam Lambert, the glam rocker runner-up of the competition. But there were also plenty of surprises during the beginning of the show, like the many celebrity performers, including Queen Latifah, Fergie, The Black Eyed Peas, Jason Mraz, Kiss, Carlos Santana, Cyndi Lauper, and more.

The show has set a record in voting after 100 million votes were cast to decide who would win “American Idol”.