Hey all,
My apologies for being away for a while there. I have recently began writing for the SMU Journal as a weekly contributor. Last week's issue was on Halifax rock band Stone Mary, and this week would be on Ryan MacGrath (Halifax) and Ashley Condon (PEI). If you're in the Halifax area, pick up a copy of the SMU Journal to see it in print, or if you can't get to one or don't live in the vacinity, you can check out my articles every week at http://www.smujournal.ca/. Feel free to email me at amandah.turner@gmail.com if you want to pitch me a music-based article :)
Keep on checking in on this end, however, as I only have one article I can write a week there, which means plenty of others could make an appearance on the blog!
Cheers,
A
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
ECMA Media Release, Jan 5/11: ECMA Announces Artists Performing at Atlantic Brand Confabulation
Sending a big congratulations out to Alice Stops Time, Andy Brown, The Sidewalks, and Richard Wood for earning the opportunity to play in front of Kiss's Gene Simmons! Underneath this is the media release that the East Coast Music Association put out on the 5th. Check it out!
Atlantic Brand Confabulation Website: http://www.thebrandedtour.ca/
East Coast Music Association Website: http://www.ecma.com/
-A
"(Charlottetown) - The East Coast Music Association (ECMA), in conjunction with the Atlantic Brand Confabulation, announced today that Andy Brown, Alice Stops Time, The Sidewalks and Richard Wood will perform at the Atlantic Brand Confabulation at Casino New Brunswick in Moncton on January 14. Legendary Kiss band member Gene Simmons will be the keynote speaker.
“This is an incredible opportunity for artists to play in front of influential music industry and brand experts,” says Su Hutchinson, executive director of the ECMA. “Our goal is to really provide additional year-round opportunities for our artists and we are thrilled to be part of incredible event.”
Interested ECMA artists submitted a short video as part of the application process and final selections were made from an experienced jury of industry professionals from the ECMA and Brand Confabulation. These artists will play in front of Gene Simmons and the crowd of 850 at the event.
East Coast artist Dave Carroll of the widely- popular United Airlines video will also be sharing the stage with Gene Simmons. "Gene Simmons is an undisputed master of branding and self-promotion and so I'm really looking forward to meeting him and honoured to share his stage in Moncton,” says Dave. “My story is first and foremost a „music story‟, so the fact that I will be able to add some performance to my presentation is an added bonus."
The greatest marketers, branders, and leaders will be united at the first Atlantic Brand Confabulation at Casino New Brunswick, in Moncton on January 14th. The Confabulation is above all else an amazing learning and networking opportunity with people from across the country joining to celebrate and learn even more about the world of personal and business branding.
The event is presented by Moncton's The Momentum Group who feel the unrivalled line-up of speakers have walked the talk and shattered traditional marketing strategies to create their own super-brands. “From social media and visual marketing, to merchandising and self-branding, this one-night dinner event will be the most intense and educational three hours that Atlantic Canada‟s brand community will ever see."
The ECMA is a not-for-profit organization whose mandate is to foster, develop, promote and celebrate East Coast music locally and globally. East Coast Music Week is an annual event organized by the East Coast Music Association as a critical part of its mission statement. The 2011 event will take place in Charlottetown, PEI from April 13-17
Visit the Atlantic Brand Confabulation for more details.
Selected artists’ videos:
Alice Stops Time (NS) - http://www.youtube.com/alicestopstime
Andy Brown (NB) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-FGYBQi6ow
The Sidewalks (PE) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHzkxQSs3Q0
Richard Wood (PE) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vES7QjOF8ms
-30-
ECMA Media Contact:
Lori Lancaster
Manager, Marketing & Communications
(902) 860-4330
lori@ecma.com
Brand Confabulation Media Contact:
Brad LeBlanc
brad@gainmomentum.ca"
Atlantic Brand Confabulation Website: http://www.thebrandedtour.ca/
East Coast Music Association Website: http://www.ecma.com/
-A
"(Charlottetown) - The East Coast Music Association (ECMA), in conjunction with the Atlantic Brand Confabulation, announced today that Andy Brown, Alice Stops Time, The Sidewalks and Richard Wood will perform at the Atlantic Brand Confabulation at Casino New Brunswick in Moncton on January 14. Legendary Kiss band member Gene Simmons will be the keynote speaker.
“This is an incredible opportunity for artists to play in front of influential music industry and brand experts,” says Su Hutchinson, executive director of the ECMA. “Our goal is to really provide additional year-round opportunities for our artists and we are thrilled to be part of incredible event.”
Interested ECMA artists submitted a short video as part of the application process and final selections were made from an experienced jury of industry professionals from the ECMA and Brand Confabulation. These artists will play in front of Gene Simmons and the crowd of 850 at the event.
East Coast artist Dave Carroll of the widely- popular United Airlines video will also be sharing the stage with Gene Simmons. "Gene Simmons is an undisputed master of branding and self-promotion and so I'm really looking forward to meeting him and honoured to share his stage in Moncton,” says Dave. “My story is first and foremost a „music story‟, so the fact that I will be able to add some performance to my presentation is an added bonus."
The greatest marketers, branders, and leaders will be united at the first Atlantic Brand Confabulation at Casino New Brunswick, in Moncton on January 14th. The Confabulation is above all else an amazing learning and networking opportunity with people from across the country joining to celebrate and learn even more about the world of personal and business branding.
The event is presented by Moncton's The Momentum Group who feel the unrivalled line-up of speakers have walked the talk and shattered traditional marketing strategies to create their own super-brands. “From social media and visual marketing, to merchandising and self-branding, this one-night dinner event will be the most intense and educational three hours that Atlantic Canada‟s brand community will ever see."
The ECMA is a not-for-profit organization whose mandate is to foster, develop, promote and celebrate East Coast music locally and globally. East Coast Music Week is an annual event organized by the East Coast Music Association as a critical part of its mission statement. The 2011 event will take place in Charlottetown, PEI from April 13-17
Visit the Atlantic Brand Confabulation for more details.
Selected artists’ videos:
Alice Stops Time (NS) - http://www.youtube.com/alicestopstime
Andy Brown (NB) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-FGYBQi6ow
The Sidewalks (PE) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHzkxQSs3Q0
Richard Wood (PE) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vES7QjOF8ms
-30-
ECMA Media Contact:
Lori Lancaster
Manager, Marketing & Communications
(902) 860-4330
lori@ecma.com
Brand Confabulation Media Contact:
Brad LeBlanc
brad@gainmomentum.ca"
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Book Review: "Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain" by Charles R. Cross
For Christmas, I was lucky enough to have received a copy of Kurt Cobain's biography, Heavier Than Heaven, and needless to say I was excited to read about this rock icon the second I unwrapped it. I started reading the book, and I was quite honestly surprised by what I read. It's been over 15 years since Cobain died, and it had been a huge game of telephone in regards to what had actually happened to him, what his life was like, and the like. Having not researched Kurt Cobain on my own, I was under the impression that he was a drug addict from day one and was murdered by his widow, Courtney Love. The book, however, told a different story.
The author of the book, Charles R. Cross, conducted over 400 interviews to write this biography. I was utterly amazed at how thorough he was when it came to getting all of the information he could. The way the book was written made the story flow well, and though there were many details and facts thrown in there, it didn't bog down the writing. Cross told of a young boy afflicted with the trauma of a divorce, who desperately wanted the attention and affection of his parents. The way his brain worked was dark, and unlike anything I've read before (the author made sure to put in excerpts from Cobain's journal). I always assumed the dark and confusing writings were caused by drugs, but turns out they were present since before he became a hard drug user. Cross continues to talk about the many faces of the band, the dysfunctionality of the group, the climb to the top, and the people involved on his way. Then, comes the drug problems, the rehab, and ultimately his last day on Earth.
By reading this book, I have come to the conclusion that Kurt Cobain was a man with a dark past that loved his family and friends, but didn't love himself. I give Cross kudos to really bringing his life to light in that sense, however, there are things I'd criticize about what he wrote, particularly the ending. I really don't think that Cross should have written about the last day Cobain was alive, as nobody but Cobain himself actually knows what happened. At that point in the book, the story went from a truth to a tale in my opinion. Others criticized Courtney's accounts, but I've got to say that I do believe them, and that Cobain did kill himself. Of course, that's my opinion on the then 27 year old's death, and there are tons of theories out there on the matter.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves music. The journey through the story was unreal, and you learn a lot about Cobain and his family and friends. Not to mention, there are details about his songs and his music videos/interviews that come to light in the book that really make you see them all in a different light. Pick it up, check it out, you won't be disappointed.
The author of the book, Charles R. Cross, conducted over 400 interviews to write this biography. I was utterly amazed at how thorough he was when it came to getting all of the information he could. The way the book was written made the story flow well, and though there were many details and facts thrown in there, it didn't bog down the writing. Cross told of a young boy afflicted with the trauma of a divorce, who desperately wanted the attention and affection of his parents. The way his brain worked was dark, and unlike anything I've read before (the author made sure to put in excerpts from Cobain's journal). I always assumed the dark and confusing writings were caused by drugs, but turns out they were present since before he became a hard drug user. Cross continues to talk about the many faces of the band, the dysfunctionality of the group, the climb to the top, and the people involved on his way. Then, comes the drug problems, the rehab, and ultimately his last day on Earth.
By reading this book, I have come to the conclusion that Kurt Cobain was a man with a dark past that loved his family and friends, but didn't love himself. I give Cross kudos to really bringing his life to light in that sense, however, there are things I'd criticize about what he wrote, particularly the ending. I really don't think that Cross should have written about the last day Cobain was alive, as nobody but Cobain himself actually knows what happened. At that point in the book, the story went from a truth to a tale in my opinion. Others criticized Courtney's accounts, but I've got to say that I do believe them, and that Cobain did kill himself. Of course, that's my opinion on the then 27 year old's death, and there are tons of theories out there on the matter.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves music. The journey through the story was unreal, and you learn a lot about Cobain and his family and friends. Not to mention, there are details about his songs and his music videos/interviews that come to light in the book that really make you see them all in a different light. Pick it up, check it out, you won't be disappointed.
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