Category Archives: Blog

Michael Tearson’s “Mortality” debuts on RTDS.ca today at 9a/3p/9p and 3a Wednesday!

warren zevonThis week’s show appearing on www.RTDS.ca is the long awaited MORTALITY show in which Michael Tearson plays music from albums and sessions artists did knowing it would be their final work. The idea started with Warren Zevon, George Harrison and Jesse Winchester and grew to include Freddie Mercury, Mick Ronson, Steve Goodman, John Hartford, Eric Lowen of Lowen & Navarro, The Singing Brakeman Jimmie Rodgers in 1933, Townes Van Zandt, Dan Fogelberg, Pops Staples of the Staple Singers and a couple more. Instead of 60-70 minutes this one’s a double length show of 140 minutes. It really became a show MT is am most proud of.

freddie mercury

Debuts on RTDS stream Tuesday 9a/3p/9p/3a ET then to on demand and always free Wednesday.

#mortality, #finalalbum, #queen, #warrenzevon,

Canadian Music Week (CMW), May 1 – 10, 2015 in Toronto, Canada. Music, Film, Comedy they have it all, so get registered!

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For our recap of LAST YEAR’S event click HERE ==> http://bit.ly/1DgCOkr  It’s back and bigger than ever!

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May 1 – 10 2015, Canadian Music Week is happening again at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen Street W. Toronto.

Whether you are a music fan, a music label, a media conglomerate or an artist, this is the place to be to make solid connections and advance your career!  Here are the details for all 3 festivals:

Music – http://cmw.net/music/

Film – http://cmw.net/film/

Comedy – http://cmw.net/comedy/

As well, the Conferences portion of the week is filled with amazing speakers, can’t miss information and plenty of opportunities to network with industry heavyweights!

Digital Media Summit
Radio
Music

And don’t miss the Mentor’s Cafe, where you can book time one-on-one with producers, songwriters, labels, media, etc.  The Tradeshow is the place to find CD manufacturing/music placement, swag, books, gear, and more!

AppStay up to date with the CMW app, available in the Apple Store and Google Play:

 

Todd Miller profiled in November’s Post City Magazine, North York Edition!

post cityIf the November 2014 issue of Post City Magazine arrived on your doorstep in the North York area of Toronto, you’ll find RTDS founder and Chief Creative Officer Todd Miller profiled inside!  And if you live outside the delivery area, feel free to read the article below or clicking on it for a larger version, and we’ll also publish a link to the article online when it’s available.

Todd was profiled as part of the Post’s ‘Graduates’ section, and talks about where his interest in radio began, how it’s changed over the years, and where it’s headed in the future.

Find out more about Post City Magazine HERE

 

Post City Article

Larry Green’s “Out Of The Blue” returns to the airwaves on RTDS! Coming September 8th…

larrygreenHeeeeeeeeeee’s baaaaaaaaack!  The highest rated jazz host is now on RTDS!  Larry Green, formerly of JAZZ-FM in Toronto now hosts “Out Of The Blue” heard Mondays from 1-3 pm on RTDS, starting September 8th, and will be re-rolled Tuesday – Friday in the same time slot.  The sprit of jazz. A touch of everything and then some…”  Once broadcast from the top of the CN Tower, Larry will now be heard from the top of Willowdale 🙂

It seems that doing a Jazz radio show was meant to be part of Larry Green’s life. Growing up in Toronto’s multi-cultural Kensington Market area, music was part of the culture and community.

After many years of studying music, including Toronto’s Oakwood Collegiate, Larry began working delivering mail at CBC Toronto. Del Mott, a CBC host of many national radio shows, had befriended Larry at the corporation as well as hearing him play at various venues. He helped this fledgling radio voice get hired at CHVC- Niagara Falls, Ontario, his first radio job. This rude radio awakening was followed by on-air performances in Guelph Ontario; Vancouver and Penticton, British Columbia; and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Toronto and several other Canadian stations.

Larry eventually ended up doing the afternoon drive show on the then experimental CHUM-FM in Toronto. During his stay at  CHUM, he was also appointed creative director of the entire group of CHUM stations at that time, and was the first Canadian recipient of the coveted Armstrong Award, “for excellence in FM broadcasting”, given out by Columbia University.

Larry hosted the first music show on Toronto’s CITY-TV, and co-hosted a national children’s show on CBC-TV (After Four), with Jan Tennant.

Eventually, Larry moved into the music business as the marketing director for GRT Records, and then the National Promotion Manager for WEA Music ( Warner Bros. Elektra and Atlantic Records ).

He was approached by CFNY-FM Toronto, and asked to do their weekly jazz show. That show produced great ratings for the station, and soon after, Larry syndicated his Out of The Blue show nationwide with the same results.

Always expanding his horizons, Larry moved into program management for Telemedia Broadcasting. He assumed the responsibilities of Program Director/Operations Manager, and was a front-line contributor at their CRTC FM hearing.

Larry continued his association with CBC radio, firstly as the jazz host of Catherine O’Hara’s Later The Same Day, and later on, producing and hosting a 13-week national series using the Blindfold Test theme.  All of his work was celebrated and well-accepted by audience and management alike. Some of the shows included musicians like Ahmad Jamal, Ernestine Anderson, Chuck Mangione, Joey DeFrancesco, Oliver Jones, Phil Nimmons, Rob McConnell and others.

An international opportunity also arose, and Larry created, produced and voiced a successful jazz show on the web at theiceberg.com.

Although Larry has consistently acted as a mentor, and consultant, he augmented that part of his career by creating a program for the Learning Annex called Putting Your Voice To Work. This very successful program ran for two years, and was designed to teach techniques for developing voice talent for commercials, animation and announcing.

He also was an instructor for Humber College’s Broadcasting Program.

Larry joined JAZZ FM91 April 1st, 2002, and could be heard Monday – Friday, 2 – 6pm. Larry was consistently at the top of the stations ratings, continued to interview dozens of international and Canadian  celebrities and  was the Winner of The National Jazz Broadcaster of the year, .( 2006 ), and was nominated for this same award in 2007.

As part of his duties at JAZZ FM 91, Larry took a program idea, named it JAZZOLOGY, and developed a format for this extremely successful, accredited program that incorporates jazz students from four Toronto area Colleges and Universities. Larry hosted, produced and directed this show. As a result of the success of Jazzology, Larry was nominated for an honourary degree at the University of Toronto.

To get in touch with Larry or find out what he played, email him: larrygreen AT rogers.com

Out Of The Blue can be heard live Mondays from 1 – 3 pm, and previously enjoyed on Tuesday – Friday from 1 – 3 pm, or heard on demand at anytime below:

[button link=”http://rtds.ca/library/index.php?id=lg&show=Out%20Of%20The%20Blue%20″ size=”medium” variation=”teal” target=”blank”]Out Of The Blue On Demand[/button]

THE SPRIT OF JAZZ. A TOUCH OF EVERYTHING AND THEN SOME…

Canadian Music Week (CMW) 2014 Recap…

CWM2014Wow, what an incredible week at CMW!  Paul Williams interviewing Nile Rodgers?  Check!  Ross Porter interviewing Quincy Jones? Check!  Jian Ghomeshi interviewing DeadMau5? CHECK!  Gary Vaynerchuk educating media folks aboRTDSut social media and pulling NO punches? Yup.  David Shing, The Digital Prophet?  He was there and he had some hard statistics to back up his views. And RTDS was there to cover as much as we could!

 

 

 

 

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In The Fireside Chat, renowned musician, composer, arranger, and guitarist, Nile Rodgers, considered one of the most influential music producers in the history of popular music, sat down with legendary songwriter and performer Paul Williams. A hitmaker in every sense of the word, his career spans multiple decades shaping the style and works of some of the industry’s greats – from Madonna to Diana Ross, and David Bowie to Daft Punk. In a Q&A session – and accompanied by The Hitmaker (his trusty Fender Stratocaster) – the music legend discussed his illustrious calling and how “Get Lucky” has become the most significant song of his career. The effervescent and effusive Nile Rodgers dished on his incredible career with CHIC, the start of his music career, the trials and tribulations of working with others, and his incredible relationship with Bernard Edwards.

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In a sit down, career retrospective, 27 time Grammy winner Quincy Jones, know as “Q” to all in the industry, chatted with Ross Porter at length about his stellar career, and producing the new LP from Nikki Yanofsky. He talked about having Steven Speilberg direct Q’s first movie; meeting Igor Stravinsky; working with Michael Jackson; Marlon Brando teaching Q’s child to act; and how Tupac almost became his son in law.  And Q took questions from the audience too!  An incredible chat that you just had to be there to experience, but I’m sure if you head over to YouTube you can find parts of the interview online.  Ok, we made it easy for you, check below for the YouTube interview, but next year you gotta promise to be there yourself and not wait for the vid, ‘k?!

 

 

 

The Radio Interactive Summit was an eye opener for radio and artists alike.  Everyone knows that AM/FM listening has been slowly declining, which means that artists have lost a good channel for exposure, as more and more listeners are connecting their smartphones to their cars, either through cables or BlueTooth.  But there is good news – 83% of people that drive STILL listen to AM/FM in the car, and the longer they drive the more likely they are to listen, and the number one reason they still listen is for the MUSIC.  So radio and DJs need to find creative ways to keep listeners tuned in during breaks from the music.  Finally, by 2020 likely all cars will offer connectivity to smart devices, so many more choices will be available at listeners fingertips.

shingDavid Shing talked about how much digital overload there is on a daily basis. On average, people receive 1900 media messages come in, as text, email, phone, social media, advertising, etc. Many important messages from friends and family are missed, but where does that leave radio and artists trying to get more attention?

Artists and radio need to get more people to advocate for your brand, get them to be fans and spread the work organically.  Ask fans and listeners to send selfie videos and pics, offer content that is contagious, stuff that people care about.

vayner vaynerGary Vaynerchuk talked about the various social media platforms, how they varied, how they were similar and that not all people need to be on all platforms.  His no holds barred opinions and choice use of f-bombs was refreshing and disarming at the same time.  I’m sure a lot of the attendees were taken aback by this approach, but he certainly knows what he’s talking about, and has stayed current with all platforms and how they can help artists and brands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

mau5 mau5And, Deadmau5 was in the hau5 talking about his incredible career so far, #EDM, taking control of his career including subscription based services, DRM and more.  Artists need to check out the vid below…

Looking forward to CMW 2015!  For more info about CMW, head over to CMW.net

Radio Interactive Summit at CMW2014 – the ultimate venue for connecting to radio, May 7-8

radio interactiveRadio Interactive 2014, featuring two days of the finest Radio networking and education, is the ultimate venue for connecting with Radio. There’s no better place to interact one-on-one with hundreds of radio professionals – from station management and CEOs to program directors and radio consultants.
Radio Interactive has been a part of Canadian Music Week for 32 years and draws together the top names in both Canadian and International broadcasting annually for an incisive look at the present and future of broadcasting and related platforms. Our event is respected worldwide, and has been the best opportunity for broadcasters and those in related fields to interact not only with each other, but with the movers and shakers from all aspects of the entertainment industry.The list of the industry’s most important players who have spoken to our delegates far exceeds the list of those who have not simply because of the opportunities we offer for knowledge to be shared and for business to be done in the friendliest, most positive atmosphere of any other conference anywhere.
For more info, go HERE or click the logo above!
Follow @RadioSummit

 

THE LAST POGO JUMPS AGAIN – Review by Jaimie Vernon

Last PogoWith recent media attention focused on the biopic ‘CBGB’ about the New York punk explosion in the mid-1970s and the recent release of a new comprehensive boxed set about England’s The Clash, it seems perfect timing for filmmakers Colin Brunton and Kire Paputts’ exhaustive documentary ‘The Last Pogo Jumps Again’ to shine the spotlight on Toronto’s simultaneously evolving punk/new-wave/alternative music scene scene circa 1976-1978.

Using Brunton’s iconic and legendary 1978 documentary film ‘The Last Pogo’ as a jumping-off point, the three hour and twenty minute film delves into the literal overnight upheaval of Toronto’s staid and conservative pop culture where Rhythm & Blues and Country dominated the musical landscape on Yonge Street. It was also a time when disco and Cock Rock were battling against these genres and yet still playing by commercial and morally acceptable rules of engagement. It left zero room for outcasts, disenfranchised kids from broken suburban homes and rebels without a clear future as doctors or dentists. Toronto was locked in a Utopian past and something needed to be done about it. At least according to those that invaded an otherwise broken down part of Toronto’s manufacturing district.

Through hundreds of hours of interviews, film clips and photos Brunton and Paputts began principle filming in 2006 and have seemlessly captured the microcosm of the art and punk movement that erupted on Toronto’s Queen Street Circuit as the 1970s waned. They not only return to the scenes of the crimes – mainly following promoter Gary Topp (and later co-partner Gary Cormier as The Two Garys) and his vision of alternative entertainment within a few blocks of the more vibrant Yonge Street strip – but to the people that created a loose fitting dystopian collective that played loud music, engaged in violent anarchy, took drugs, had sex and accidently created a fashion sensibility.

The filmmakers have left no stone unturned having put the stories of each of the scene’s shakers on screen to give their perspective on the tornado that was swirling only steps away from Toronto’s Bay Street business district.

Gary Topp runs us through the evolution of the clubs that he convinced to allow him to hold alternative nights – basically booking bands he liked from his record collection. The action begins with booking the Ramones at the New Yorker Theatre in 1976 through Teenage Head getting shut down by Toronto Police on stage during the ‘The Last Pogo’ concert in 1978; Margarita Passion’s New Rose clothing and accessories boutique where The Viletones sprang to life; Ralph Alfonso and The Diodes’ opening of their own punk club The Crash ‘n’ Burn; Steven Davey and The Dishes turning The Beverley Tavern into a community hangout for Ontario College of Arts students; The Colonial Tavern and its basement of near death (several key figures like Frankie Venom, Star Records’ Paul Kobak, and others were beaten by bouncers one night); Club David’s and its gay burlesque cohabitation with punks which would suffer a horrific scene ending fire one New Year’s Eve followed soon after by the murder of its owner; The Horseshoe Tavern plus The El Mocambo, The Turning Point and other clubs that created a new look west of University Avenue.

The evolution of the bands and their part in building the wave of new music are all represented here in full glory through Gail Bryck, Ralph Alfonso, Dan Huziak and Don Pyle and other photographers, Peter Vronsky’s restored ‘Crash ‘n’ Burn’ movie footage, Johnny Garbagecan’s ‘Toranna Punk’ fanzine, Gary Pig Gold’s ‘Pig Paper’ fanzine, Rick Shambles’ cartoon map of the scene, TV coverage from the shocked mainstream media, newspaper and magazine clips and personal memorabilia from original fans and supporters.

The biggest attraction here is watching the creation of a new music culture unfold as both historical document and current oral history – particularly from the musicians who were in the eye of the storm: Steven Leckie, Freddy Pompeii, Chris Haight and others who got caught in the vortex of The Viletones; Paul Robinson, John Catto, Ian MacKay and John Hamilton from The Diodes; the late Frankie Venom and Gord Lewis from Teenage Head; all four members of the Curse; the three surviving members of The Ugly; The Forgotten Rebels; The Cads; Michael Dent of the Dents; David Quinton of The Androids, The Mods and Stiv Bators Band; Rude Van Steenes (aka Rudi Tuesdai) of Arson; Cleave Anderson of The Battered Wives; all of The B-Girls and so much more.

Here’s your chance to see what the rest of Toronto was doing while Ronnie Hawkins was trying to hold onto to his legacy and Goddo was occupying The Gasworks.

The film runs this week starting November 1st through November 6th at the Big Picture Cinema (on Gerrard Street East between Pape and Jones Ave in Toronto).

http://vimeo.com/72787764

 

JAIMIE VERNON
Author of The Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia

CDN POP MUSIC

We’re Here To Stay!

Give us a shout, suggest some music for us to play, perhaps your favourites or something new that you just got turned on to…either way, feedback AT radiothatdoesntsuck.com 🙂