http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MJio3s2wFI

JUST ANNOUNCED
We’ve got some great spring/summer shows to tell you about.

Bonnie Raitt returns to Massey Hall on Saturday May 26 hot on the heels of releasing her upcoming album Slipstream. In her words the album has her “in the slipstream of those who came before me…holding up the traditions of the music that I love”.

Amelia Curran, JUNO Award winner in 2010 for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year, will play the Glenn Gould Studio on Tuesday, May 15. Amelia’s also appearing as special guest at the upcoming Whitehorse show we’re presenting at the Winter Garden on February 24.

And the Good Lovelies, also JUNO Award winners (and newly nominated for a 2012 JUNO), perform at the Glenn Gould Studio on Saturday, June 16. Expect witty banter, instrument swapping and beautiful three part harmonies from this Folk/Roots trio.

Tickets for all three of these shows are available to FriendFirst members starting Wednesday February 8 at 10am and to the general public on Saturday February 11 at 12pm.

Low has been announced as the support act for the upcoming Death Cab For Cutie tour, including a stop at Massey Hall on April 19. Low, in fact, previously played Massey in support of Wilco back in 2007. For the uninitiated Low plays mellow beautiful music that couldn’t be a more perfect fit for the venue. We’re flattered to be one of the “beautiful theatres” they’re playing on this tour. Also, check out the Massey / Toronto specific show poster on their site with the Death Cab tour info. Pretty cool. Have a look.

AUDIO FILE
Joel Plaskett is 4 weeks into his “10 songs in 10 weeks” project. The concept great – it’s fresh, a little gimmicky yet hearkens back to a different musical era. Have a listen to first 4 tracks and read more about the project here and get ready for the remaining 6 tracks to follow in the coming weeks.

Feist has a video out for her Metals album opener The Bad In Each Other. There’s a lot going on in the video and it looks great. This just might be my favorite Metals track partly because Bry Webb (former Constantines member) sings. Some of you may recall Bry having opened for Feist at her Massey Hall show back in December. His new record Provider is excellent and he is crediting Feist for his return to songwriting.

Here’s a bonus treat for any Bry Webb fans out there – a live recording of Ex-Punks from the first of 2 back-to-back shows Bry performed this past Saturday at the Music Gallery.

On a related note, Bahamas (whom you’ll remember we presented at Glenn Gould Studio last season and featured in our Listening Booth awhile back), releases his sophomore album today, titled Barchords. Exclaim.ca has it streaming in its entirety in their Click Hear section or check it out on CBC Radio 3.

ACCOLADES
The JUNO Award nominations were announced this morning and we’d like to congratulate all of the artists who received well deserved acknowledgements. Specifically, a number of artists we have recently presented or are welcoming to our stages in the coming months. Congrats go to City & Colour, Feist, Sam Roberts Band, Jim Cuddy, Jimmy Rankin, Diana Panton, Sophie Milman, Phil Dwyer (who performs with Liala Biali at Glenn Gould Studio this Friday), Bruce Cockburn, and the Good Lovelies. Some of the best music in the world is being created here in Canada and we’re proud to support such great Canadian talent. For a list of all the nominees, go here.

WEB WATCH
On a final note, last time I wrote the Buzz I mentioned The Kitten Covers, a site dedicated to the pursuit of recreating classic album covers with kittens.

Well, I’m back with MS Paint Album Covers, a collection of album covers recreated by fans using the ever-so-sophisticated MS Paint program. This extensive and wide-ranging (everything from The Beach Boys to Nirvana) collection includes a lot of duplicates. But that’s what makes this collection so fascinating – comparing each amateur’s interpretation of the original artwork. Check out the flickr album here.

Wes Doerksen is Assistant Ticketing Services Manager at Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkk5wViJo-I

JUST ANNOUNCED
We’ve had lots of exciting new Massey Hall show announcements in the past week or so. Daughtry will be stopping in at Massey Hall with their Break the Spell Tour on March 24. The band will be showcasing tunes from their latest album Break the Spell including “Crawling Back To You” and “Renegade.”

Then in April Death Cab for Cutie hits the Massey Hall stage on April 19. The concert should be pretty special as the band will be performing on stage with members of The Magik*Magik Orchestra. Magik*Magik Orchestra is, in fact, a modular orchestra who love collaboration and whose mission it is to “attract new listeners and participants to the orchestral experience.” As you can imagine, we think this is pretty cool – and obviously so does Death Cab For Cutie. You can get a feel for the kind of activities the Orchestra gets up to by checking out the “Watch and Listen” section of their webpage here.

At the end of April, Just for Laughs brings us the hilarious John Pinette to the Hall with his show Still Hungry. If you can’t wait ‘til April, check out his YouTube feed here.

And Snow Patrol will be at Massey Hall for not just one show as previously announced but for two shows – both with rising star Ed Sheeran as special guest. Snow Patrol perform on April 17 and 18 – you can get all the details and buy tickets here.

An important announcement regarding two highly anticipated recitals at Roy Thomson hall. Firstly, due to the recent announcement of German bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff’s retirement from the concert stage, Mr. Quasthoff will no longer perform as part of the duo recital planned for Friday, March 30, 2012 with Michael Schade. At the recommendation of Mr. Quasthoff and Mr. Schade, the duo recital will continue as scheduled with the Canadian debut of Italian bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni as replacement. In addition, due to scheduling difficulties the piano recital from YUNDI for March 23, 2012 has been postponed and a new date will be announced once the tour has been rescheduled.

PERFORMANCES
Chicago (Tonight – Tuesday and Saturday): It’s finally here – our two-night-stand with superband Chicago. Some quick (mind-boggling) facts about the band – Chicago have enjoyed an astonishing 11 number one hit singles, 5 consecutive number one albums, and sales in excess of 100,000,000 copies worldwide. On the bands blog, they’re offering fans a free download of the track “Hard Habit to Break” recorded live on their 2011 tour. You can check it out here.

WEB WATCH
To start, we’ve got two seriously creative music videos for you this week. The delightful and utterly charming Jenn Grant has a new video for “Baby’s Been Away” from her current album Honeymoon Punch (via Chrome Waves) featuring fun times with split screens. And as you may have seen on the SoundboardTO Twitter feed, Wilco has a raucous new video which also, incidentally, is the first Popeye cartoon in thirty years. You’ll have to check it out over on AUXtv to see what we mean.

And, as you know, the Buzz loves when the worlds of science and music intersect (recall our wee dissertation on robots) so we were ecstatic to read about Feist and her band making their way to the McGill music lab to learn about and participate in some experiments. You can read all about their adventures from the perspective of Daniel Levitin on the McGill Reporter.

Finally, Rolling Stone magazine is reporting that Massey Hall fave Neil Young is recording a new album with Crazy Horse. Apparently, the time between their last play in 2004 (in Massachusetts) and their current recording project is the “longest time Young has gone without performing with the group since their formation.” They also report that “[t]here’s word of a spring release for the album.”

AUDIO FILE
Tracks from the legendary Aretha Franklin are available for your listening pleasure over on Spinner’s First Listen – they have available for streaming her album Knew You Were Waiting: The Best of Aretha Franklin. And National Post is pointing us to Leonard Cohen’s latest album Old Ideas streaming in its entirety over here.

Stefania Paterak is Programming Associate at Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdqIpYhM6PE

PERFORMANCES
Jim Gaffigan (Saturday): Jim Gaffigan hits the Massey Hall stage this weekend in what’s sure to be a very funny evening. You may know Gaffigan from his appearances on late night shows with David Letterman and Conan O’Brien but my personal fave was his guest appearance as the loveable, if odd, best friend to Murray on Flight of the Conchords (recall his initial introduction to Murray’s “newly added friends” Bret and Jermaine over barbeque). Check out the embedded video above for some of Gaffigan’s more classic stand-up, this time on the topic of camping from his perspective (he notes that he is “what you would call indoorsy”).

Spencer Wells, Deep Ancestory: Inside The Genographic Project (Monday): The third presentation in this year’s new National Geographic Live series, Spencer Wells is a Population Geneticist who is currently taking it upon himself to create a “detailed, genetically-based map of human migration.” Seriously impressive stuff, right? (Makes your victory dance about the accomplishment of finally cleaning the attic this weekend seem a bit lacklustre, doesn’t it?). You can read all about the project here and learn about how you can participate by doing a cheek swab to “reveal your deep ancestry” here.

WEB WATCH
As you may have read on our Twitter last week, David Myles has a new music video. You can check out the video on the theme of being on the road here and check out his performance in person at Glenn Gould Studio on March 24.

If, after experiencing Myles’ life on the road, you want to nestle in to your hometown, check out The Grid’s look at music inspired by and about Toronto neighbourhoods. Groups like Metric, Rush, Lowest of the Low, and the Barenaked Ladies are covered giving shout-outs to Parkdale, North York, Leslieville, and the Danforth, respectively plus more. [And thanks Mr. Kiggins, we now see a]  Sadly, no mention of the Spadina Bus.

And just for fun, check out this article in The Toronto Star about how the Beatles’ Abbey Road was once again the highest selling vinyl album in the U.S. More interesting perhaps, is why it’s the highest selling Beatles vinyl recording (hint: it’s probably not why you think). And for an evening celebrating the music of the Fab Four, check out Classic Albums Live taking on both Revolver and Rubber Soul at Roy Thomson Hall next weekend.

AUDIO-FILE
The good folks over at NPR Music have been kind enough to share Rodrigo y Gabriela’s latest, Area 52, via First Listen. The Mexican-born, Ireland-based duo hit the Massey Hall stage April 16.

And CBC Concerts on Demand also has some good stuff for your ears this week. The 2011 Women’s Blues Revue (which took place at Massey Hall this past November) is now available and features Shakura S’Aida, Suzie Vinnick, Kat Danser, Ada Lee, Emma-Lee, and Treasa Levasseur.

ACCOLADES
The BRIT Awards nominations came out last week and we are delighted to see that Feist made the cut with a nomination in the category of International Female Solo Artist. Additional shout-outs go out to recent Massey Hall performers Bon Iver (for nominations in International Male Solo Artist and International Breakthrough Act) and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (for a nod in the category of British Male Solo Artist) as well as to Ed Sheeran (who performs with Snow Patrol at Massey Hall in April) for his mega-sweep with nominations in British Male Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act, British Single, and Mastercard British Album of the Year. You can check out the full list of nominations here.

Stefania Paterak is Programming Associate at Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwTXwJg6_VE

JUST ANNOUNCED
We’re thrilled to relay that multi-platinum, Grammy nominated UK band Snow Patrol will perform their first Toronto headline gig in over 3 years when they play at our very own Massey Hall on April 17. The band will be in town to support their new album Fallen Empires which is available from your favourite music retailer beginning today! Tickets for the concert go on sale Friday, January 13 at noon and to FriendsFirst members tomorrow at 10am. Special guest is the fantastic Ed Sheeran. If you haven’t yet heard him, watch “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You” or the Rupert Grint approved video for Sheeran’s song “Lego House” here.

WEB WATCH
Speaking of new albums, RollingStone.com recently posted that digital music sales have surpassed physical album sales for the first time in history, making up 50.3% of all music sales in 2011. With that in mind, here is a nice healthy list of new releases we can look forward to in 2012.

We’ve talked a few times over the past months about concerts live streaming (be it on YouTube with Coachella or Lollapalooza or the 73-hour uStream of Chilly Gonzales‘ World Record solo-piano-a-thon). This week, we’re excited about the potential as Twitter confirmed they’ll host and stream a live concert on one of their branded pages. The cool thing will be to see how they accomodate the discussions that no doubt will ensue not only leading up to the event but during, in real-time. This could be a whole new way to experience live music online and it will be fun to see how it goes and where it goes next!

This was kind of a neat story courtesy of the New York Times about how Peter Frampton (whom you’ll recall we presented last season at Massey Hall) reunited with his favourite guitar after 31 years (which he thought burned in a plane crash!). This, the very guitar he used not only with Humble Pie but to record his infamous Frampton Comes Alive album.

AUDIO-FILE
Lots to flag for you this week in music listening, so I’ll cut to the chase:

CBC Concerts on Demand are streaming new full concerts including The Jim Cuddy Band recorded live from Halifax. Jim Cuddy, who performs at Massey Hall on Valentines Day also graces the cover of our current issue of Performance Magazine (with a nice photo taken by our friend Lorne Bridgman).

Herbie Hancock in Calgary with Calgary Philharmonic is posted here. Featuring a similar repertoire to what we presented recently to kick off our Jazz @ Massey Hall series.

In addition, a Soundboard favourite, Doug Paisley recorded live during our presentation of him with his band from Glenn Gould Studio this fall. You may also remember last season, Doug Paisley was special guest to Massey Hall’s presentation of Bahamas at Glenn Gould Studio – Bahamas (aka Afie Jurvanen) is back with a new album called Barchords due February 7 and he recently posted a glimpse into the making of this album, in video form. You can watch it here or on PasteMagazine.com

Kathleen Edwards‘ gorgeous new album Voyageur is streaming in its entirety at NPR.

And with all this Audio-Filing, how can I not link to the new Jay-Z track posted on his website titled “Glory” – The track, reportedly celebrating “the child (he) made with the child from Destiny’s Child” was posted shortly after the birth of his new daughter Blue Ivy Carter (whose voice is also heard on the track). As a father myself, I can appreciate the sentiment and the creative birth announcement.

And finally, in one last look back at 2011, I thought it would be a good idea to check in with the (now annual?) Stereogum Bands We Lost in 2011 memorial video which sadly, to some of us, includes R.E.M., Sonic Youth, The Stills, White Stripes, among others. Given last night’s Coachella 2012 announcement (including a reunited Pulp and At the Drive-In) Stereogum perhaps could put together a resurrection video too!

Let us know what you think if you check out any of the above links. Have a good week everyone.

Stephen McGrath is Media Relations Manager at Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall and Soundboard Editor. Follow along and talk to us on FB and Twitter @soundboardTO

JUST ANNOUNCED
Just yesterday afternoon we announced that comedian Ron “Tater Salad” White will be heading to Massey Hall on April 12, 2012 as part of his Moral Compass Tour. Ron White has been a busy fellow with a New York Times Best Seller, I Had the Right to Remain Silent… But I Didn’t Have the Ability, two Grammy Award nominations, and three of the top-rated one-hour TV specials in Comedy Central’s history. Tickets for FriendsFirst members are on sale today and for the general public on Friday.

PERFORMANCES
In addition to Justin Bieber’s hugely anticipated Home for the Holidays TV special being taped tomorrow at Massey Hall, Toronto’s own The Canadian Tenors bring their own, Home for the Holidays Tour to Roy Thomson Hall for two nights this week (Thursday, December 22 & Friday, December 23): The Canadian Tenors, who were recently called by the Washington Examiner “a perfect partnership of classical and pop,” perform two shows this week in celebration of the festive season. For a taste of the music of which these four gentlemen are capable, check out this CBC Concert on Demand from their 2009 benefit concert in Vancouver for the Bulembu Foundation. The concert included a version of their now-classic take on “Hallelujah” made famous in their performance of the tune on this year’s Emmy Awards. And to get an idea of the Tenors feeling festive, here’s a video for their “O Holy Night.”

The Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto’s 22nd Annual Christmas Eve Service (Saturday, December 24,2011): This past August – which seems like both a lifetime ago and no time at all – Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes, C.M. and the Choir of this church played critical roles in the State Funeral honouring Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democratic Party. The Church now returns to Roy Thomson Hall for its annual Christmas Eve Service. This year’s special concert features guest singer, Julie Michels, noted jazz/r’n’b/Brazilian samba singer.

New Year’s Eve Comedy Extravaganza! (Saturday, December 31, 2011): This year marks the 11th annual edition of our New Year’s Eve Comedy Extravaganza! at Massey Hall and we are counting down the days in excitement. The evening, which starts at 7:30pm (leaving plenty of time to get to where-ever you may be ringing in 2012), features some pretty serious talent including the delightful Andrea Martin as host. The evening will also feature the host of CBC’s The Debaters and Canadian Comedy Award winner, Steve Patterson as well as Ryan Belleville, Claire Brosseau, Trixx, Jay Brown, Graham Chittenden, Kyle Radke, Darrin Rose, and the return of musical guests Bonzai Suzuki.

Bravissimo! Opera’s Greatest Hits New Year’s Eve 2011 (Saturday December 31, 2011): Bravissimo! Returns to its annual slot on New Year’s Eve here at Roy Thomson Hall and we are delighted to welcome a cast of international stars including Canadians Wallis Giunta (mezzo-soprano) and David Pomeroy (tenor).

Salute to Vienna (Sunday, January 1, 2012): An annual tradition here in Toronto, welcome the new year with this special concert based on the famous Viennese “Neujahrskonzert.” The concert features 75 musicians, soloists from Budapest and Vienna, and dancers from the Kiev – Aniko Ballet of Ukraine. Once again, the program features favourite Strauss waltzes (of course) as well as polkas and famous Operetta pieces. What a beautiful way to welcome 2012. For a taste of what you are in for, check out the video on our event page.

WEB WATCH
The rumours are true! The Beach Boys are reuniting! Just in time for the legendary group’s 50th anniversary, Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Brian Wilson (fun fact: Wilson performed at Massey Hall this past June) will be touring together starting in February (via CBC News).

And this week from the bureau of Arcade Fire related news, the supergroup has just come out with two versions of a music video for their track, “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” (one of my personal faves from The Suburbs). You can check out all the details on Pitchfork including both the standard version of the video and an interactive version (which is optimized for web camera but still works with your mouse).

Somehow I missed this fun feature on NPR Music’s site: “Talk Like an Opera Geek” Giving you the Coles’ notes on all things opera starting with vocal ranges. This week’s edition explains the plight of the baritone (so often typecast as villains) but you can check out the entire “Confessions of an Operaholic” section for more.

SAD NEWS
As you have likely heard by now, writer Christopher Hitchens died last week. Hitchens recently appeared at Roy Thomson Hall as part of The Munk Debates who had made the video from his debate with Tony Blair available over the weekend in tribute to Hitchens’ lifetime. If you didn’t get a chance to see it, the opening statements of both Hitchens and Blair are still available here. For more on Hitchens, British novelist and screenwriter Ian McEwan shares his thoughts and appreciation for him in the Globe and Mail.

Singer Césaria Évora passed away over the weekend. Evora, who had performed at both Roy Thomson Hall and Massey Hall in years past, had retired recently from performance after having suffered strokes in 2008 and September of this year, according to the Globe and Mail, which has a lovely article on her life and great success here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsH4qe_Dwjc

Stefania Paterak is Programming Associate at Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07feeZIGkqQ

PERFORMANCES
Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Creole Christmas: (Thursday): Preservation Hall Jazz Band returns to Roy Thomson Hall on Thursday night with their special holiday concert, Creole Christmas. The legendary band is celebrating its 50th anniversary in style in the new year with a special concert at Carnegie Hall featuring the likes of My Morning Jacket, Allen Toussaint, Blind Boys of Alabama, and Mos Def (via Consequence of Sound) – that’s some fine company. Check them out at Roy Thomson Hall this week and also be sure to read this LA Times article on the musical influences of band leader Ben Jaffe.

Toronto Children’s Chorus: A Chorus Christmas – Mystery of the Season (Saturday): An annual tradition at Roy Thomson Hall, the voices of the Toronto Children’s Chorus fill the Hall to the brim with joy this weekend. This year’s concert features the premiere of a Maori song with percussion and special guests True North Brass accompanying the chorus. You can hear (and see) a group of 35 of the 300 singers this Thursday afternoon at 4:20pm when they perform live (and video stream) at The New Classical 96 FM.

JUST ANNOUNCED
Last week we announced two shows coming up in the spring. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings will perform at Massey Hall on Wednesday March 21, 2012 in their show titled, Kings and Queens Live. The show will include appearances from and collaborations with a variety of women (or “Queens”) including Holly Cole, Amy Helm, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Serena Ryder and more. The Rodeo Kings new album, Kings and Queens, released in June 2011 features duets from the likes of Lucinda Williams, Roseanne Cash, Serena Ryder, to name a few. You can stream the tracks on the band’s site.

Also announced last week is a performance from Dala (in celebration of their forthcoming album, Best Day) with special guest Kevin Fox. Dala, comprised of duo Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine, are JUNO Award nominees and winners of the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year. Tickets for this one are on sale right now – you can pick some up and check out the video for the duo’s song “Horses” on our site. And don’t forget to check out Kevin Fox’s website too which includes all sorts of good stuff not least of which is this stellar cover of Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”.

WEB WATCH
I think my most favourite thing that I have read on the internet this week is this headline: “Want a career in opera? There’s an app for that.” In the Globe and Mail, Robert Everett-Green reviews the app that London’s Royal Opera House has available through iTunes: The Show Must Go On. Everett-Green reports, “For $1.99 at the iTunes Store, anyone with an iPad or iPhone can play, solving a series of backstage crises at the ROH. There are four shows to save, or make worse, depending on your skills: The Marriage of Figaro, Swan Lake, Carmen, and The Nutcracker. Each is harder than the last. All require you to do a series of jobs under strict time limits, from costuming dancers to dashing over rooftops in search of missing sheet music.” Fun!

And a PSA from the world of online music journalism: as the year-in-review lists start to roll in (Rolling Stone and Stereogum) so too do the year-end readers polls. You can check out Pitchfork’s reader’s poll here and Exclaim!’s version here.

And finally, just for fun, the CBC Radio 3 Bucky Awards were recently announced which brought to my attention a music video for Said the Whale that I somehow missed along the way. NXEW has a summary of the awards bestowed including the award for Best Video going to the aforementioned video for Said the Whale’s track “Lines.” Back to the Future fans take special note: totally worth checking out.

AUDIO-FILE
The annual Women’s Blues Revue took place at Massey Hall last month and once again was a fantastic evening of entertainment. CBC Concerts on Demand now has the live recording of the concert featuring tunes sung by Treasa Levasseur, Emma-Lee, Suzie Vinnick, Kat Danser, Ada Lee, and Shakura S’Aida.

Stefania Paterak is Programming Coordinator at Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0_h3AAn7Pk

PERFORMANCES
Brian Skerry, Ocean Soul: Photographing the Underwater World for National Geographic (Tonight-Tuesday): National Geographic Live returns to Roy Thomson Hall for the second in this series of four speaker events. Canadian photographer Brian Skerry, has spent more than 10,000 hours underwater learning and photo-documenting this mysterious world. Like the last presentation at Roy Thomson Hall from National Geographic (by photographer and filmmaker, Mattias Klum), the evening features prepared remarks and a showcase of the speaker’s work as well a Question and Answer session. Just last month, Boston Magazine had the opportunity to ask some questions and get some answers in this interview – check it out.

Bon Iver (Tonight-Tuesday & Wednesday): Bon Iver, who was just nominated for no less than four Grammy Awards (see Accolades, below) returns to town this week with two shows at Massey Hall. Lianne La Havas also performs on these nights – if you’re one of those do your homework in advance types, check out her website for a snapshot of her lovely music. We’re very much looking forward to a proper introduction (i.e. from the stage of Massey Hall) tonight and tomorrow.

Tori Amos (Thursday): Tori Amos performs at Massey Hall this week and we’re excited to see and hear what she’s been up to with her latest recording, Night of Hunters. You can read all about the project, a bit of a departure from the pop world and into the classical, in this weekend’s Globe and Mail. Rolling Stone has a review of her December 3 performance at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan which enthusiastically declares, “The new arrangements, which Amos devised with longtime collaborator John Philip Shenale for the Apollon Musagète quartet, skipped the bombast and schmaltz typically associated with adding strings to pop songs. Instead, the group provided subtle texture and unlikely rhythmic flourish to numbers “Suede” and “Cruel,” while casting the strong melody of her Boys for Pele ballad “Hey Jupiter” in a new light.”

WEB WATCH
So my holiday list (the one where my beloved friends and family buy stuff for me, not the one where I have to trudge through the snow shopping for same) has just grown exponentially with this fantastic list curated by Rolling Stone magazine. Send your rich uncle this link and dream of sugar plum fairies, Bluetooth speakers, gramophone iPod docks, box sets, e-readers and iPads – you know, the usual stuff.

And just for fun, check out this exploration from The Grid where “Glenn,” the 1999 statue outside of Glenn Gould Studio at the CBC building is explained as “a fitting tribute to one of the city’s most beloved and respected icons.”

AUDIO-FILE
The lovely concert we presented at Glenn Gould Studio by Diana Panton is now available for your listening pleasure over at CBC Concerts on Demand. If you missed it or want to re-live all the good times, the link is here.

ACCOLADES
It’s a big week for the Accolades section. Both the Grammy Award nominations and the Canadian Folk Music Award winners were announced. Here’s a quick round up on both.

Congratulations to all those superstars nominated for Grammy Awards. Special kudos goes out to:

- Bon Iver (see Performances, above) for their four noms for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, and Best Alternative Music Album

- Dream Theater (who hit Massey Hall in October) for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance

- Jeff Beck (who also performed at Massey Hall in October) and Wilco (who paid a visit to Massey Hall for two shows in September) are both up for Best Rock Album

- Levon Helm and Lucinda Williams (who were at Massey Hall in March) each receiving nominations for the Best Americana Album

- Fleet Foxes (who took to the Massey Hall stage in July) for their nomination for Best Folk Album

- Ladysmith Black Mambazo (who performed at Roy Thomson Hall in February) for being nominated in the category of Best World Music Album

- And Weird Al Yankovic (who was at Massey Hall in July) for two nominations – Best Comedy Album and Best Short Form Music Video.

And congratulations as well to the following winners of Canadian Folk Music Awards:

- Bruce Cockburn (who was at Massey Hall in March) for both Contemporary Album of the Year and Solo Artist of the Year

- And Suzie Vinnick (who performed as part of Women’s Blues Revue just last month) for her win in the category of Contemporary Singer of the Year

Stefania Paterak is Programming Associate at Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kG5JoKSnpc

JUST ANNOUNCED
We have three exciting announcements for you this week in the Buzz! Deep Purple will pay a visit to the Grand Ol’ Lady of Shuter Street on February 12, 2012 as part of their Smoke on the Nation tour. Canoe.ca has the details of the full tour if you won’t be in Toronto, but if you are, tickets go on sale to FriendsFirst members this Thursday and to the public on Saturday.

And we’ve also just announced two shows coming up in March. On March 9 and 10, Jann Arden returns to Massey Hall with friends for two concerts coinciding with the release of her eleventh album, Uncover Me 2. Check out her recent feature chat on CBC Q here (just click on “listen” under the listing for November 18). Then on March 16 funny-man Danny Bhoy hits the Massey Hall stage in a show presented by experts on funny, Just for Laughs. To get yourself ready for the big show, you might check out Danny Bhoy’s DVD from his live show at the Athenaeum which includes his theory on accents in Adelaide  or you could check out his full YouTube channel here (fair warning: much of the content is NSFW).

PERFORMANCES
Feist (Thursday): The lovely Feist returns to Massey Hall this week in support of her new album Metals and everybody is talking about the special occasion, including the fact that the opening slot features one Bry Webb (former lead singer of indie darlings, Constantines): Chromewaves recently posted a stream of the Constantines/Feist cover of “Islands in the Stream” (alongside the classic Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton version), Exclaim! reports on the special musical relationship the pair have (as well check out the Exclaim TV clip of Bry Webb performing the song “Undertaker”, embedded above), and the National Post features an article about Leslie Feist’s involvement in the creative process with Webb. Looking for some Feist-specific material out there in advance of the gig? Vancouver’s Georgia Straight has a recent interview with Feist about Metals, and don’t forget about her special concert from October at Glenn Gould Studio, available for your listening pleasure at CBC Concerts on Demand.

Daniel Okulitch (Sunday): The second concert in our new Canadian Voices vocal recital series, bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch performs at Glenn Gould Studio in a matinee performance this Sunday. The program for the concert can be found on our website here. Fun Fact: Not many folks can claim to be the voice behind Brian Mulroney, but Daniel Okulitch has the distinct honour of providing the singing voice to the character of the former prime minister in the recent film, Mulroney the Opera (trailers for which can be found here). If you missed it when it premiered in cinemas last spring, you’re in luck because the Globe and Mail is reporting that it is set to appear on television in the New Year.

Larry King (Cancelled): Show One Productions regrets to announce the cancellation of Larry King: Standing Up on November 29 at Roy Thomson Hall, due to a recently developed scheduling conflict for Mr. King. All tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase.

WEB WATCH
There is lots of news in brief this week about recently or soon-to-be released recordings and films! The Chieftains (who appeared at Roy Thomson Hall last St. Patrick’s Day) are set to release a 50th anniversary album entitled Voice of Ages with the likes of The Civil Wars, The Decemberists, Imelda May, and Bon Iver (who appears next week in two shows at Massey Hall), among others. You can read about that release over on Stereogum.

And in film news, Chilly Gonzales (who rocked Glenn Gould Studio last season – check out the CBC Concert on Demand) is releasing his cinematic effort, Ivory Tower, on DVD on December 7, 2011. You can read all about the chess-themed film here  and pre-order it here.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, NME is reporting that New Zealand folk-parody duo Flight of the Conchords (who performed live at Massey Hall a few years back) are working on their own cinematic effort. One half of the duo, Bret McKenzie, recently worked on music for the just-out-in-theatres film, The Muppets.

AUDIO-FILE
This week we turn your attention to a few tasty dishes. Over on Spinner, John Prine’s album The Singing Mailman Delivers, is streaming for your listening pleasure (Prine played Massey Hall just this past October). CBC Concerts on Demand has recent live recordings from David Myles (who hits Glenn Gould Studio on March 24) and Sophie Milman (who performs as part of our Jazz @ Massey Hall series in June). Finally, head on over to NPR Music to listen to an episode of Piano Jazz featuring a Herbie Hancock program recorded in 1987 including his “Dolphin Dance” and “Still Time,” among other tunes.

Stefania Paterak is Programming Associate at Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rKlkR0B5aw

PERFORMANCES
Classic Albums Live, The Band: The Last Waltz (Friday): If you haven’t yet had the chance to see a Classic Albums Live show, what a fantastic time to start! Classic Albums Live presents albums, “note-for-note, cut-for-cut” live, each show with a fantastic hand-crafted band for that recording. This Friday brings to Massey Hall an aural re-creation of The Band’s epic concert recording (and film) masterpiece, The Last Waltz, on the evening of the original event’s 35th anniversary.

Justin Rutledge (Friday): We’re delighted that one Justin Rutledge will appear on the Glenn Gould Studio stage this Friday night and you should be too: his latest album, The Early Widows, was produced by Hawksley Workman and one of the tracks was co-written by canonized Can-lit icon Michael Ondaatje. For a complete Justin Rutledge-themed evening, check out CBC Radio 3 to try your hand at Mr. Rutledge’s Pear and Gorgonzola Linguine recipe. Saturday Saints start the night as Special Guests – you can check out their MySpace page here.

Women’s Blues Revue (Saturday): This weekend also brings to Massey Hall the Toronto Blues Society’s 25th annual Women’s Blues Revue. As usual, the performers on the bill are top notch – this year the show features Shakura S’Aida, Suzie Vinnick, Kat Danser, Ada Lee, Emma-Lee, and Treasa Levasseur. The Women’s Blues Revue Band backs the evening and includes, among other talented folk, Brandi Disterheft, who also performs solo at Glenn Gould Studio this February. Can’t wait until Saturday? Watch Ada Lee discuss why she is looking forward to the event, here – and check the live recording from last year’s event over on CBC Concerts on Demand.

WEB WATCH
It’s been a big week for music technology. On Thursday, Google Music launched. Check out the Google Blog for all the details. It seems you can now upload 20,000 tracks to the proverbial cloud so you can stream your music from any device through Google. Perhaps most interesting is the introduction of the “Artist hub” as part of the launch. Says Google, “any artist who has all the necessary rights can… build an artist page, upload original tracks, set prices and sell content directly to fans.” Check out the video promoting this aspect of the launch, featuring some DIY artists here.

And speaking of the new world order when it comes to how music is found by fans, Rolling Stone magazine has a fascinating and comprehensive article entitled, “The New Economics of the Music Industry” which includes a breakdown of how – in theory – artists are getting paid through each of the major subscription services, iTunes, internet radio, YouTube and Vevo, and CD sales.

What’s a CD you ask? You’re not alone, apparently, as some folks are predicting, according to the National Post, that 2012 “might be the last year that CDs are even pressed.” For more on the topic, the Post has a Culture Club Panel on the life and death of the CD featuring an artist, a music industry professional, and an academic.

And finally, does the fall of the CD make way for the rise of the app in the music world? Sting thinks so or at least he says, in the wake of releasing his app, that it’s possible he’ll never make another conventional album  (via NPR Music).

Stefania Paterak is Programming Associate at Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o-u4IwXkbE

JUST ANNOUNCED
We just announced yesterday that Just For Laughs is bringing to Toronto the hilarious Jim Gaffigan. Gaffigan, whom you may recall was the outlandish best friend of one Murray Hewitt on Flight of the Conchords, is one funny guy. Evidence: check out this video  from his website which includes a frank discussion on one of my favourite topics, cake! Gaffigan performs at Massey Hall on Saturday, January 21, 2012. Tickets go on sale to FriendsFirst today (Tuesday) and to the general public Friday.

PERFORMANCES
Jamie Oliver’s Food Escapes (Wednesday): Jamie Oliver returns to Roy Thomson Hall this week for his talk, Jamie Oliver’s Food Escapes, promising a discussion on food from around the world and the fact that anyone can make and enjoy delicious meals in their own homes. Jamie Oliver will also participate in what we expect will be a lively Question & Answer session on the night of the show. Can’t wait until Wednesday to have your question answered? Don’t you fret – check out this Soundboard post from last week. You can send your question for Jamie by emailing “soundboard(AT)rth-mh(DOT)com” and he’ll answer questions right here on Soundboard. Cool beans! Also worth noting: purchasing a ticket to the show also earns you a copy of Jamie Oliver’s new book (included in the ticket price!)

Lang Lang (Thursday and Saturday): Lang Lang finishes his Toronto residency this week concluding with the final two of Beethoven’s concerti – No. 2 on Thursday and No. 5 on Saturday. In addition to performing the three other Beethoven concerti last week, Lang Lang also brought 100 pianists together to perform with him on the Roy Thomson Hall stage in his 101 Pianists. You can check out the CBC News coverage of the special event here (including Lang Lang telling the folks at home who his first piano inspiration was – and it’s probably not your first guess.)

8th Annual Ontario Economic Summit – President Bill Clinton (Monday): Bill Clinton will appear on the Massey Hall stage next Monday to speak at this event entitled “Embracing our Common Humanity.” As the event page notes, “Clinton served the United States for eight years during a time of unprecedented prosperity and change.” At this very special event, Clinton will share with the audience his experiences, thoughts, and observations as well as his hope for a “common future based on shared goals and values.”

The Priests (Rescheduled): The Priests, which was originally scheduled for November 18, has now been rescheduled to take place on Friday, May 4, 2012. Check out the event page for all the details.

WEB WATCH
This week from the department of candy music videos comes Kina Grannis’ video for her track “In Your Arms” filmed using stop-motion and 288,000 – wait for it – jelly beans. CBC’s got the story including the seriously impressive video and the eye-opening making-of video. I didn’t see a recipe for “music video” beside Jelly Belly’s instructions on making “lemon meringue pie” and “strawberry shortcake” but am ever so amazed, and hungry.

Exclaim! is reporting that the reissue of the book Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995 has inspired an album featuring contemporary acts covering tunes from the renaissance. The album drops today exclusively through Zunior and includes some serious talent including Great Lake Swimmers, Jill and Matthew Barber, Kevin Drew, and The Hidden Cameras performing songs by Skydiggers, Rheostatics, Sloan, and more. Even better: all proceeds go to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health here in Toronto.

Stefania Paterak is Programming Associate at Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall