Nardwuar vs. David Byrne

As you might expect, Nardwuar had a few questions ready that David Byrne has never been asked in an interview – ba-boom! 

Brian Eno biopic "Eno" screens at Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, Monday

"Eno," Gary Hustwit's new look at musician/producer Brian Eno is presented by the director tonight at 6:30 pm. Watch a chat below.

Here's the scoop...

Famed producer, musician, and artist Brian Eno (Talking Heads, David Bowie) is no ordinary creator. To tell the story of his 50-year career, acclaimed director Gary Hustwit had to do something different. Using generative technology, Hustwit constructs the film on stage, live in real-time. This groundbreaking new technology constructs an evergreen performance and a different cinematic experience at each screening, Eno reveals new, previously unreleased music and artworks from over 500 hours of archive to track a creative evolution from art student to ambient music pioneer. Eno is principled, engaged and playful as he guides us through a life that uses art as its guiding principle.Join this original documentary filmmaking process underlining the relationship between technology and creativity. 

Accompanying the new film is a soundtrack that serves as a companion audio journey touching on Eno’s output throughout his rich career. The 17 tracks included on the album feature work from Eno's early solo outings such as 1974’s ‘Taking Tiger Mountain’ and 75’s ‘Another Green World’, acclaimed collaborations with the likes of David Byrne, John Cale, Cluster and more recently, Fred again… all the way through to music from his latest album, ‘FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE’, and a live recording of "By This River" from his 2021 appearance at the Acropolis in Athens with brother, Roger (watch a clip below). Eno: The Official Motion Picture Soundtrack is available right here. Check out the new Brian Eno recording "All I Remember" which closes the film following a chat with director Gary Hustwit below.  

Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema

Monday, April 29, 6:30 PM

Guest: Director Gary Hustwit

For more info, visit the Hot Docs site right here.

Happy Birthday Mavis Staples!

Cheers to Mavis on her birthday! Here's her soulful spin on "Slippery People." Catch her at Toronto's Koerner Hall on October 28.

R.I.P. Seymour Stein of Sire Records, 1942-2023

Remembering Sire label boss Seymour Stein – who signed The Ramones, Talking Heads and Dead Boys – with a few interviews.

While record man Seymour Stein – who sadly died of cancer at age 80 – will undoubtedly be remembered for his foresight in signing The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Dead Boys, discovering" Madonna and releasing important early recordings by Radio Birdman, The Saints, The Undertones and others on his Sire Records imprint, one of my favourite recordings he released probably won't get any attention at all.   

Seymour's numerous contributions to the music business began with stints at King Records under boss Syd Nathan, serving as a clerk at Billboard Magazine where he helped develop the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1958 before getting hired as an assistant to producer/promoter/label owner George Goldner of Red Bird, Blue Cat, Gee, Roulette, Tico, End, Gone, etc. It was while Seymour was working with Goldner at the Brill Building that he connected with producer Richard Gottehrer (The Strangeloves, Angels, The McCoys, etc) which led to their joint venture Sire Productions in 1966 which later became Sire Records. 

Among the indie label's earliest productions was a one-off single released in March 1968 by a group from Spokane, Washington called The Jam which had nothing to do with Paul Weller's group of the same name. Hidden on the the flip of the throwaway A-side "Loving Kind Of Way" is The Jam's timeless power pop gem "Something Gone" penned by band member Terry Smith, arranged by Dexter Foote (also responsible for The Mickey Finn's freakbeat classic "Garden Of My Mind")  and produced by Seymour Stein. Well, at least that's what how the label credit reads. When I asked Seymour about the mysterious Sire recording by The Jam some 30 years later, he had zero recollection of the session that resulted in Sire S-5001, the band or even the fantastic tune. Go figure. 

In any case, have a listen to Seymour's greatest production, The Jam's largely overlooked classic "Something's Gone" followed by a few interviews – including a hilarious exchange about the Sex Pistols with Steve Jones for Jonesy's Jukebox in which it soon becomes apparent that Seymour has no idea that he's speaking with the group's guitarist – and keynote addresses. Check out a fond recollection of Seymour's famous love of fine food penned by former Barenaked Ladies manager Nigel Best right here. 

That time the Talking Heads played NYC's The Kitchen in 1976

The first band that The Kitchen's musical director Arthur Russell booked was David Byrne and Tina Weymouth's new group.

Happy Birthday Tina Weymouth!

Cheers to Tina Weymouth on her birthday! Here's the story behind Tom Tom Club's classic "Wordy Rappinghood."

Remembering 1980's Heatwave Festival in Toronto

CITY-TV's New Music reporter JD Roberts was determined to find out whether or not Heatwave attendees were "hardcore new wavers"

Happy Birthday Brian Eno!

Happy Birthday Tina Weymouth!