Sparks Music

Spoons Nova Heart 30th Anniversary CDs Now Available

It's been 30 years since the release of Nova Heart, and this 30th anniversary special release celebrates the innovation of the original track, with a look back at what it was, where it came from, and a look forward, to two brand new versions of this iconic song, completely re-envisioned for the new millennium. This Nova Heart 30th Anniversary EP is now available on the Sparks store as both a digital download and CD. Only $4.00 for a high quality 320 kbps MP3 and $6.00 for the CD. Listen to the EP and pick up a copy from our ONLINE STORE.

This EP includes the quintessential 1982 album version from "Arias and Symphonies", the moody, ethereal "Dark Before Dawn" mix, the driving, electronica/dubstep influenced "Singularity" mix plus a live recording of Nova Heart capturing the band, and the song, at their height (recorded at the Barrymore's Theatre in Ottawa and broadcast on CHEZ-FM). Also included is the rare pre-release demo recording from 1981 (which first garnered the Spoons major label interest ) and the 12" extended mix from the Nova Heart / Symmetry single (mixed by John Punter at Air Studios in Montserrat).

Canadian Model Tara Gill Shines in New Morgan Cameron Ross Video

Morgan Cameron Ross has just released his 4th video from his self-titled release. The video is for the song "Storybook Romance" and stars Morgan and 22 year old Toronto born model Tara Gill.

Tara has graced the covers of such international magazines as Marie Claire and French Revue de Modes and has walked the runway for the likes of Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Dior as well as appearing in Flare, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and Amica. She is the face of Alexander McQueen and is currently in Paris shooting for the cover of Elle.

The video was shot in New York by John Kelly, a new up-and-coming American director.

Check it out below.

Ireland's Fred Perform To Over 1 Million Canadians During Cmw!

FRED descended on Toronto last week for an action-packed week of shows and activities during Slacker Canadian Music Week. From video shoots, to live performances, to appearances on some of the country's top rated radio and TV shows, FRED left no stone unturned in their quest to convert new fans and spread the word about their newest release, Leaving My Empire. The band played to full houses at both the Mod Club and Rivoli plus also managed to do performances on CBC'S Q, Canada AM, Metro 14 [CJNT-TV], Naked News, CIUT and CFRE, the Slacker Lounge with Alan Cross, iTunes Canada and Southern Souls.

Canadian musicologist and famed interviewer, Alan Cross, says: "...if you have room in your heart for one more band then you may find yourself smitten with FRED very quickly."

CBC Television/CBC Radio 2's Jian Ghomeshi, host of Q says: "...pop rock with effortless authenticity, FRED are a rewarding listen."

And the McGill Tribune says Leaving My Empire has "...poignant melodies, poetic lyrics and unique chord progressions..."

Canada's own Joel Plaskett is also a fan, saying: "Fun, groovy, melodic and Irish. The right ingredients. Love 'em."

If you missed their interviews and performances, you can catch them here:
Fred on CTV's Canada AM:
FRED on Canada AM

Fred on CBC Radio 2's Q:
FRED on CBC's Q

Fred on Montreal's Metro 14
FRED on Metro 14

Leaving My Empire was released in Canada via Sparks / Universal Music on March 20th. The first single, "We Are the City Now", is the musical bed behind the new T-Booth commercial. The retail chain's national T.V. campaign was launched 2 weeks before Christmas and will continue throughout 2012.

If you haven't heard this amazing new album, make your way over to FRED's page and stream the entire new album NOW!!!

New FRED Album, Leaving My Empire Released Today

FRED, our pals from Cork, Ireland have just released Leaving My Empire, their brand new album today in Canada. This, just in time for their Canadian dates as part of Canadian Music Week. You can catch FRED live tonight at the Virgin Mobile Mod Club (located at 722 College St) at 8pm handling the opening act duties for The Saw Doctors. For their second CMW appearance, join us on Thursday, March 22 at the Music From Ireland Showcase at The Rivoli (334 Queen St. W) at 11pm.

Now go listen to the new album and get a copy directly from our store - or get it on iTunes

Spoons To Release 30th Anniversary Digital EP of "Nova Heart"

In 1982, Spoons released their iconic album "Arias and Symphonies" to critical acclaim. The album spawned three radio hits: "Arias and Symphonies", "Smiling in Winter", and their breakthrough track "Nova Heart". "Nova Heart" had a major part in defining the sound and spirit of the 80's New Romantic period.

Analog synths and an off-beat drum machine pattern were very much "up front" in John Punter's unique production style, and combined with memorable hooks, Sandy Horne's ethereal vocal textures, and Gord Deppe's lyrical poignancy, "Nova Heart" proved itself to have staying power long after the eighties were over.

It's been 30 years since the release of Nova Heart, and this 30th anniversary special release celebrates the innovation of the original track, with a look back at what it was, where it came from, and a look forward, to two brand new versions of this iconic song, completely re-envisioned for the new millennium. This Nova Heart 30th anniversary digital EP is set to be released via Sparks/Ready Records on March 26, 2012.

The EP includes the quintessential 1982 album version from "Arias and Symphonies", the moody, ethereal "Dark Before Dawn" mix, the driving, electronica/dubstep influenced "Singularity" mix plus a live recording of Nova Heart capturing the band, and the song, at their height (recorded at the Barrymore's Theatre in Ottawa and broadcast on CHEZ-FM). Also included is the rare pre-release demo recording from 1981 (which first garnered the Spoons major label interest ) and the 12" extended mix from the Nova Heart / Symmetry single (mixed by John Punter at Air Studios in Montserrat).

Sparks/Ready Records are currently working with Spoons members Gord Deppe and Sandy Horne on a special 30th Anniversary "Arias and Symphonies' CD with new liner notes, rare photos and bonus tracks.The album will be released this fall on the original Ready Records imprint and will be distributed in Canada by Sparks/Universal Music.

Spoons will be performing in Toronto on March 30, 2012 at Revival Bar [783 College Street] to celebrate the release of this special 30th Anniversary EP.

Check out the original music video from 1982!!!

Ireland's Fred Set For Release March 20, 2012

In an age of internet newness and obsession with the next-big-thing, it's easy to forget that there's merit in slow-burn. FRED (the band) has been together, in various line-ups, since 1999 and their experiments with style and sound has directly affected their skill in the craft of song-writing.

In January 2011 FRED travelled to Montreal to start recording their fourth studio album. The recording duties would be given to Howard Bilerman at his renowned Hotel2Tango studio. As well as recording and playing on Arcade Fire's breakthrough record ‘Funeral', Howard has worked his magic with an array of great artists including Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs and British Sea Power.

The band initially brought 14 songs to Bilerman and whittled the final album down to 11. What emerged was eclectic, exciting, and a contrast to the musical associations people have had with the band. There are crests and troughs of tempos and dynamics, multiple vocals, a slew of strings and introspection themes versus the brasher pop approach of the past. Back home, they tweaked the songs themselves, before handing them over to Ben Hillier (Elbow, Blur, Editors) to mix. The result is 'Leaving My Empire' - their finest record to date. Eleven songs written with heart; rhythms and melodies that are willing to take risks and a band who have finally made the album they always wanted to.

The album will be released in Canada via Sparks / Universal Music on March 20th. The first single, "We Are the City Now", is the musical bed behind the new T-Booth commercial (watch it below). The retail chain's national T.V. campaign was launched 2 weeks before Christmas and will continue throughout 2012.

FRED will be in Toronto in March for several media appearances and live shows. Watch for their performance on Canada AM at 8:50 a.m. March 20th, on CTV nationally. You can also catch them live March 20th at the Mod Club (722 College St., Toronto) or March 22 at the Rivoli (334 Queen St. W.) Both shows are part of Slacker Canadian Music Week.

Brand New Morgan Cameron Ross Video Debuts On MusiMax

Musimax in Montreal have just added the new Morgan Cameron Ross video for the single "Johnny". The video will debut this Wednesday February 15^th in Quebec. Morgan also has a Montreal show coming up at La Sala Rossa on February 19th and the following day he's been invited for a live performance on Musimax's show "Musimag", hosted by Mike Gauthier.

Morgan recently opened for Nick Carter at the Metropolis in Montreal, then returned to perform a solo show with great crowd response and just this past Monday handled the opening act duties for Rumer at the Mod Club in Toronto.

Morgan's second video "My Brother Went to Prison" was pulled off the air in Quebec and received limited play at other commercial TV outlets, it has just been added to VH1.COM in the U.S.!

With this new video, Quebec is once again embracing Morgan's music and we could not be happier. Do not forget to vote daily for the video on the Musimax Top 5 videos at http://www.musimax.com/emissions/top5-musimax-com-1.6314

In the meantime, here's a sneak peak at the brand new video from Morgan Cameron Ross!

Alanna Cherote New Single Featuring Ron Sexsmith

Today marks the release of Australian singer/songwriter Alanna Cherote's new single, All In Good Time, a divine cover of the Ron Sexsmith song. You can purchase this single on iTunes or directly from our store.

The story of how this recording came about....In the latter part of 2010 during the final stages of recording her debut album "Paper Flower" Alanna decided to do her own interpretation of one of her favourite Ron compositions. As fate would have it when Alanna visited Canada in 2011 she met Ron at one of her shows! Upon returning home to Australia she and Ron kept in touch. A few months passed and Alanna decided to go back into the studio and do a brand new version of the track. After sending it off to Ron he agreed to add some vocal parts and we present to you the final version of that collaboration!

Morgan Cameron Ross Too Sexy For Quebec

Viewer complaints at Quebec's music video channel Musimax were responsible for "My Brother Went to Prison" a music video by Morgan Cameron Ross, being pulled from the airwaves just before Christmas. The sexually explicit nature of the video has resulted in very little on- screen time at Canadian television outlets. Online viewership has increased of course and the early part of 2012 will see MTV.com adding the video into rotation. Seven edits to the 'uncensored' version were requested by the U.S. network where the video has now been approved.

Morgan and his friend Remi Rybicki created the video for a mere $800 without help from any government assisted grants or loans. Alan Cross famed Canadian broadcaster and blogger wrote "too sexual for Quebec?...have these people never been to Club Supersexe?" Video director Rybicki summed up his feelings about the reaction to the video by saying "I find this all a bit humourous!"

After successful shows right across Canada in 2011, Morgan justl began 2012 with a series of shows at The Supermarket in Toronto. Morgan will perform every other Wednesday at the club concluding on February 22nd.

The video is available now as both 'censored' and 'uncensored' versions - you can decide for yourself if it's just too hot....

Complicate Things - The Brand New Papermaps Video

"Complicate Things" is the follow-up to Papermap's first single and band-made video "Reunion" from their 2011 self- titled debut album.

This video was directed by Sammy Ray Welch and filmed in Toronto. Papermaps are fronted by singer/songwriter/engineer/producer Dean Marino who has worked with such acts as Tokyo Police Club, C'Mon, and the Black Keys. Papermaps recently played at CMJ and Halifax Pop Explosion. Watch for new dates in Southern Ontario soon!

Download the single directly from our store or get it on iTunes

Sparks Music and Universal Music Canada Strike Distribution Deal

Sparks Music and Universal Music Canada, the country's leading music company have recently struck a deal that will see the Sparks Music catalogue plus their new releases distributed exclusively through Universal as of January 2, 2012.

"We are very happy about our new arrangement with Randy Lennox and his team," says Larry Macrae, President of Sparks, "our initial meetings withe the Universal staff show us that Randy has put together an exciting team of young and aggressive marketers and A+R music people!"

The Sparks Music roster includes CHIN (Chin Injeti), Papermaps, Morgan Cameron Ross (Birds of Wales), Australian singer/songwriter Alanna Cherote, Bill Priddle and Irish hitmakers FRED. Sparks Music also distributes Ready Records which includes the Spoons catalogue and the very first recording of Colin Linden at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern.

In the fall of 2012, Sparks/Ready will be releasing a special 30th Anniversary version of the Spoons "Arias and Symphonies".

Vote for Morgan Cameron Ross and Papermaps for the Top 50 New Canadian Songs of 2011

Morgan Cameron Ross's "Hey There Darlin'" and Papermaps "Reunion" and "Angela" have made it into the Top 50 New Canadian Songs on The Verge XM/Sirius Radio but we need your help. The Verge / SiriusXM want you to vote for your favourite 5 songs so they can figure out the top 50 songs of 2011 therefore we encourage you to vote for Morgan Cameron Ross and Papermaps !

VOTE HERE (and as often as you like)

Just choose your top five favourites (the first three being Morgan and Papermaps) and submit your votes for the Top 50 New Canadian Songs. Then tune in New Year's Eve and New Year's Day to hear the results on The Verge XM 151 and Iceberg on SIRIUS 151, hosted by Leake.

Morgan Cameron Ross Returns To Montreal Plays Il Motore December 8th

It has only been three weeks since Morgan Cameron Ross opened for Nick Carter at Club Metropolis! With one band member sick that evening back in Toronto Morgan decided to play solo and drove to Montreal with his guitar in hand. Turning on his usual charm and having some fun with the on stage interpreter and his broken French, he won over a mostly female crowd of 1700 Carter fans and even had a chance to meet Nick back stage where they discussed future gigs they might play together! 'Back by Popular Demand' may be a bit of an exaggeration but the truth is that by the time Morgan returned home to Toronto that weekend he had well over 300 new friends on Facebook and Twitter asking him when he was going to return!

The wait is over, Morgan will be returning to Montreal, performing at Il Motore (179 Rue Jean-Talon West) on Thursday December 8th @ 9pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance for this show as well as his upcoming Ottawa and Vancouver dates - just follow the links below.

December 06 - Elmdale House Tavern - OTTAWA - BUY TICKETS
December 08 - Il Motore - MONTREAL - BUY TICKETS
December 21 - The Railway Club - VANCOUVER - BUY TICKETS

Morgan Cameron Ross Montreal and Vancouver Shows Now On Sale

Morgan Cameron Ross will be performing a headlining show in Montreal on December 8th at Il Motore. He had so much fun at Le Metropolis show last week handling opening act duties for Nick Carter that he's been asked to come back! Then on December 21st, he'll be in hometown of Vancouver playing his annual Christmas show at The Railway Club. You can purchase advance tickets for both shows. Show info and buy links are below or check the Tour section of the website.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 8th
Il Motore
MONTREAL
$12 Advance (Buy Your Tickets Now)
Doors 7:30pm

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 21st
Railway Club
VANCOUVER
$10 Advance (Buy Your Tickets Now)
Doors 9pm

Lonesome Heroes Launches At Lula Lounge

Lonesome Heroes Launches At Lula Lounge: Songwriter Circle Series Begins November 8, 2011.

Six Shooter Records presents Lonesome Heroes, a new Tuesday night series highlighting the sheer force of emerging talent in Canada's singer-songwriter community. Lonesome Heroes will feature artists, including our very own Morgan Cameron Ross in workshop-style performances, showcasing songcraft and fostering artistic development, held at Toronto's Lula Lounge.

The 6-week songwriter circle series runs from November 8 to December 13, 2011. Tickets are $10 advance, available at www.sixshooterrecords.com and at Lula Lounge. All shows start at 9pm. Doors at 8pm. Lula Lounge is located at 1585 Dundas St. W., Toronto.

Lonesome Heroes Lineup:

November 8: Graydon James, Josh Cockerill, Kayla Howran, Pigott Brothers
November 15: Andrea Ramolo, Devin Cuddy, Lee And Billie Strange, Morgan Cameron Ross
November 22: Charles Tilden, Erin Costelo, Jadea Kelly, Terra Lightfoot
November 29: Bryce Jardine, Emma-Lee, Joel Sweet, Samantha Martin
December 6: Danielle Duval, Don Brownrigg, Kendel Carson, Sam Cash
December 13: Ariana Gillis, David Baxter, Julie Fader, Whitney Rose

Check out Lonesome Heroes on Facebook

New Single from Morgan Cameron Ross

Discover "Johnny", the brand new single Morgan Cameron Ross. You can download it on iTunes or get it directly from our store.

Papermaps Heading To CMJ

Papermaps will perform in New York city next week as part of the annual Canadian Blast! Showcase at the CMJ Music Marathon. This showcase is sponsored by SOCAN, CIMA and Heritage Canada. If visiting New York or attending CMJ, just make your way over to Arlene's Grocery on Oct 19th at 9pm sharp.

FRED To Perform At CMJ

The highly anticipated new album from Ireland's FRED will be released in Canada on Sparks Music in the early part of 2012. The album was produced by ex-Arcade Fire drummer Howard Bilerman in his Montreal studio. Howard's credits now include the likes of The Dears, Basia Bulat and Handsome Furs.

The band's new album is entitled Leaving My Empire and has received rave reviews in their homeland! If you are attending CMJ or in New York city next week, make sure to go see FRED who will be performing on three different occasions during this year's CMJ Convention.

Papermaps Announce New Band Member & New Tour Dates

Lots of news from the Papermaps camp this week as the Toronto band proudly announces the addition of Betty Dimo to the line-up as their new bass player. Betty will take over on bass, as her brother-in-law Todd Harrison moves to additional keys and guitars. Band members Wendy Leung [keys/vocals] and Bobby Lee [drums] remain as key members of Papermaps, along with frontman Dean Marino.

In addition to fronting Papermaps, Marino is also renowned as a Toronto-based recording engineer who has spent years behind the scenes, manning the console for artists as varied as Tokyo Police Club, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Born Ruffians, Sweet Thing, C'MON and the Black Keys.

There are also have several exciting Papermaps tour dates coming up – lots of opportunities for fans to catch them live:

Oct. 13 - Toronto, ON - El Mocambo

Oct. 19 - New York, NY - Arlene's Grocery (Canadian Blast at CMJ)

Oct. 21 - Halifax, NS - Music Room (Halifax Pop Explosion)

Oct. 22 - Halifax, NS - Grand Parade Square (Halifax Pop Explosion)

Oct. 29 - Toronto, ON - Rancho Relaxo

Nov. 19- Windsor, ON - Phog Lounge

On October 19 when Papermaps performs in New York, they will be part of the annual Canadian Blast! Showcase at the CMJ Music Marathon. This showcase is sponsored by SOCAN, CIMA and Heritage Canada.

Alanna Cherote's New Music Video

New single and video taken from Alanna Cherote' s full length debut album, Paper Flower. Alanna covers a song originally written and performed by Toronto singer/songwriter Michael Zee. Digital single now available now on iTunes and Sparks Music. This music video was directed by Darrin Klimek.

Alanna Cherote Returns To Canada

Sparks Music recording artist Alanna Cherote (sher-oh-tee) will be returning to Canada this fall from her native Australia. Alanna will be performing several tour dates across the country, supporting her spring 2011 CD release, PAPER FLOWER.

Upcoming Tour Dates:
October 15           Vancouver, BC           Railway Club
October 19           Calgary, AB                 Ironwood [tbc]
October 20           Edmonton, AB           Haven Social Club
October 22           Winnipeg, MN           Garage Cafe [tbc]
October 26           Toronto, ON               Hugh's Room
October 27           Ottawa, ON                Elmdale Tavern
November 1           Kingston, ON           The Mansion
November 3           London, ON               London Music Club

Papermaps Brand New Official "Fan-Made" Video

Reunion is the "official" first video from Papermaps. It's totally homemade (or rather fan-made) except for the stuff the band did in their rehearsal space. The concept - they asked fans to send video clips of themselves answering the question: "If you could send a message back in time to yourself at age 16, what would you say?"

Enjoy!

Chin To Join The 10th Annual Music Therapy Ride

The Music Therapy Ride Committee is pleased to announce Chin Injeti and Colin James as celebrity guests for the 2011 Music Therapy Ride on Saturday, September 17, 2011.

Chin is an award-winning producer, artist and writer for his work on Eminem's Recovery (2011 Grammy for Best Rap Album) and the Young Artists for Haiti single "Wavin' Flag" (2011 Juno for Single of the Year). He is no stranger to music therapy, having spent six of his childhood years in hospital after being diagnosed with polio. Confined to a wheelchair for many years, Chin spent that time listening to everything from Motown to hard rock and discovered hip-hop to be his true love.

Chin says, "Music therapy saved my life – physically and spiritually. It all started for me when I was in kindergarten. I went from a wheelchair to a walker to crutches and learned how to walk because of it. I would not be who I am without it."

For more information on how to join this year's ride or to make a donation, please visit www.musictherapyride.org

Tin Star Orphans Featured in Call of Juarez Online Trailer

If you're watching the new internet trailer for Ubisoft's game, "Call of Juarez", you might recognize the sounds of those post apocalyptic surf guitars...yes indeed that's an instrumental version of Tins Star Orphans' "Men With Guns" cranking out in the background.

Makes sense in a way! You can hear the music in the opening sequence of this video.
NOTE: Contains some strong language which may be inappropriate for a young audience.

New Papermaps Single & Toronto Show This Week

The good news this week is that the remix of "Complicate Things", the latest single from Papermaps is now available on iTunes. The better news is that Sparks Music is also offering this new single but as an added bonus, we are including the album version and the remixed version by producer Harry Hess (known for his work with bands like Die Mannequin) for the low low price of 89 cents!!!

Order It Here or visit our store page. For more information, visit the Official Papermaps website at www.papermaps.net

And do not forget to make your way to The Horseshoe Tavern this Thursday September 8th. Doors are at 8pm, Papermaps are on at 11pm. Cover charge is $6. This is a 19+ event. Hope to see you there!

Canada Can't Get Enough Of Alanna Cherote

Canada loves Alanna and Alanna loves Canada just as much! The Australian singer/songwriter Alanna Cherote just found out that a song of hers, "Don't You Think That We Should Be Together" was selected for an upcoming German feature film entitled "Festung", which just happens to be premiering this week at the Montreal Film Festival!!!

Seems that Alanna and Canada have a growing love affair that just keeps heating up. This is why Alanna will be heading back this way to for a national tour this Fall.

Details to follow.

Morgan Cameron Ross Heads Out East

Vancouver native and frontman of Birds of Wales, Morgan Cameron Ross, will be venturing to the Maritimes for three live performances in Halifax (he's performing at the Halifax Folk Festival), one in Sydney and one in Moncton later this month. For complete details visit our Tour page

Morgan's East Coast shows are:

August 30 - Moncton, NB – Plan B Lounge
August 31 - Halifax, NS - The Carlton **
September 1 - Halifax, NS - The Seahorse **
September 2 - Sydney, NS – The Govenor
September 3 - Halifax, NS - The Foggy Goggle **
** Halifax Folk Festival

The "Uncensored" version of My Brother Went To Prison Video Now Online

You can now watch the UNCENSORED version of "My Brother Went to Prison", the new (and very sexy) new music video from Morgan Cameron Ross RIGHT HERE. This new video and single (available now on iTunes) is a departure from the upbeat track like the first single "Let It Go" and shows the darker side of Morgan's storytelling.

The video for 'My Brother Went to Prison' was conceptualized by Morgan and and his long-time friend, Remi Rybicki, who also directed the video. This is a story of a man who is not living up to his potential...a wanderer.

MORGAN CAMERON ROSS - My Brother Went To Prison (Uncensored Version)

You can watch the "CENSORED" version on the Sparks Music YouTube Channel or the Morgan Cameron Ross YouTube Channel.

New Morgan Cameron Ross Single & Exclusive Bundles Now Available

The new Morgan Cameron Ross single "My Brother Went To Prison" is now available on iTunes and on the Sparks Music store. In fact, we are offering this new single as part of a really cool bundle which includes a high quality MP3 of the new single, two alternate covers and iPad & iPhone/iPod ready versions of the "uncensored" or "censored" video. This yet-to-be-released video comes in two flavours - "uncensored" and "censored" - you can purchase the bundle you feel is right for you.

CLICK HERE - My Brother Went To Prison UNCENSORED BUNDLE - Only $1.29

CLICK HERE - My Brother Went To Prison CENSORED BUNDLE - Only $1.29

Or purchase the song on iTunes

Papermaps and Morgan Cameron Ross on the Charts!

Two new releases on Sparks Music are showing signs of early success!

Papermaps recently hit the Top 20 simultaneously on both of the national campus radio charts [Earshot and chartattack]. The first single "Reunion" has also jumped onto the Mediabase Alternative Rock chart at #46 being driven by early airplay on XM and Sirius satellite radio plus CBC Radio 1 and 3.

Morgan Cameron Ross's debut solo album has seen good initial radio support at XM The Verge where it went Top 10 on their 'Grocery List' plus the video for the first single/video "Let It Go" landed at #8 on the MuchmoreMusic fan based countdown.

A new video for his song "My Brother Went to Prison" will be ready for release shortly.

Morgan Cameron Ross Vancouver CD Release Show

Morgan Cameron Ross' Vancouver CD Release show is taking place on Friday August 12th at the Media Club!

The Birds of Wales' frontman, just released his first solo album and will be playing tunes off the new, self titled disc. The first single off the album, "Let It Go" features Daniel Welsey and is available as a FREE download at morgancameronross.com.

Tickets can be purchased at Zulu, Scratch, Red Cat or online at www.imuproductions.com. Other acts on the bill include The RACKET, QUICKNESS & The POST WAR. Tickets are only $10. Doors at 8pm. Hope to see you there.

Morgan Cameron Ross CD Release Party Today!!

For all of you living in the GTA, make sure to come on out this evening. Show your support and come encourage Morgan Cameron Ross as he celebrates the release of this brand new self-titled solo album. The festivities take place this evening at The Rivoli (334 Queen St. W). Doors at 8pm and tickets are only $10 advance and $15 at the door. You must be 19+ to attend.

Here's a video invite from Morgan himself explaining the release party!

Be In The Papermaps Reunion Video!

Papermaps are putting together a video for their song "Reunion," and they need your help. The idea for this music video will be comprised of a series of short clips of people holding up signs that answer the following question:

If you could send a message back in time to yourself at age 16, what would you say?

The answer could be anything. It can be funny/serious/deadpan/crazy/sexy/goofy/cute — anything! Just make sure it's something you're comfortable sharing publicly.

So break out your iPhones/Androids/Webcams, etc and get shooting. All the band needs is a good 20 to 30 seconds. All the details and guidelines are listed below.

- Please make the videos 20 to 30 seconds long — the clips will display in the final product for about a quarter of that time, but 20 second clips will give us more flexibility during the editing process.
- Make sure there's enough light that we can see your beautiful faces!
- Landscape orientation only, please (not portrait).
- Record in HD if you can, but it's not necessary. work fine — just use the highest res and show your best side!
- Try to choose an interesting background. Maybe on the streetcar, or at a show or a party. Or anywhere. You can get another friend involved too, as long as we can see your smiling faces and your messages.
- Write your message in thick black marker on an 8.5?x11? sheet of paper. Make sure the writing is nice and big, so people can read it.
- When you're done, you can send the clip (10 meg or smaller) to me as an attachment ex.po.dean (at sign) gmail (dot com). Or you can send it to me via yousendit.com

You can also upload the video to the following FTP site:
ftp://ftp.filmhouserecordings.com/incoming
user name: anonymous
(no password)

Please rename the file with something useful (like your name) so that it's not MVI_65764.avi or some junk like that.

Deadline is May 27th, 2011.

If you know someone who likes the music and might be interested, please pass this along! Questions? Write the band at ex.po.dean@gmail.com

We hope you'll take part! — Follow this link to view a sample video of what the band is looking for.

Today Marks The Start Of A New Canadian Era!

Today marks the start of a new Canadian era!!!

That's because Sparks Music is please to release the new solo record from Morgan Cameron Ross! You can listen to the entire new album right on our home page and to celebrate let's all take a moment to vote for his current video, "Let It Go", which is making its way up the Top 20 MuchMore charts- VOTE HERE. Every vote counts...

You can download his new album directly from our website for only $8.00 or order an autographed CD for only $10.00 (and download the album while we ship the CD). Of course, you can also get his new record from iTunes, MapleMusic or wherever you shop for music.

Morgan Cameron Ross Returns With Eagerly Anticipated Self-Titled Solo Album

Morgan Cameron Ross has taken a break from recording with his critically-acclaimed band, Birds of Wales, to release his self-titled debut solo album on the Sparks Music/ EMI imprint on May 3, 2011.

Following the release of Birds of Wales 2010 album, Belgravia Hotel, the band felt it time to go on hiatus, and Morgan decided to take the opportunity to write and record an album that was completely his. "This album is everything I wanted it to be. For me, it was therapeutic. I just needed to get away from the con- trol of everyone else," Morgan explains. "I chose all the songs. It was produced the way I wanted it to sound. "

Working in Vancouver with hand-picked producer Jon Anderson, the result is a collection of tracks from the poppy, fun "Let it Go" (Daniel Wesley guests on vocals), with a video starring the most adorable puppy in the world (you can check out the video on his YouTube page or catch it on MuchMusic where it's in Heavy rotation), to "I'll Hold On To Your Heart" (featuring Holly McNarland), about loving someone long after the break up; to the Sexsmith co-write " We've All Had Broken Hearts". Two other uptempo songs (Hey There Darlin and Johnny) were added to the collection when Morgan hooked up with songwriter/producer Ian Smith in Waterloo Ontario to write and record at his studio The Whitehouse.

Morgan's self-titled album will be released on May 3, 2011.

The track listing is as follows:

Hey There Darlin
Let It Go
Johnny
I'll Hold On To Your Heart
My Brother Went To Prison
A Few More Days
13C
Every Mile and Passing Year
We've All Had Broken Hearts
Storybook Romance

Tour dates will be announced soon starting Spring 2011.

Papermaps Out Today - Get A Free Download

Today marks the release of Papermaps' self-titled debut album. You can listen to the entire new album right here on the Sparks Music website and download a free MP3 of the track entitled "Reunion" from our good friends at Explore Music who picked it as "The Indie Track of the Day". Head on over to Explore Music to get your free download. After you've done downloading the track and checking out the tunes, you can purchase the new album via our store or on iTunes, if so inclined.

Also check the upcoming Papermaps tour dates and official CD release party coming at the end of this month in Toronto.

Papermaps Eponymous Debut Due On April 19

Sparks Music is pleased to announce that the self-titled album from PAPERMAPS will be released on April 19, 2011. The four members of Toronto band Papermaps: Dean Marino, Wendy Leung, Todd Harrison and Bobby Lee, share a love for making "picture-perfect indie power pop," influenced by bands such as Spoon, Big Star, Television, the Beatles and MGMT.

Dean Marino, the band's founder and leader, has worked behind the scenes in Toronto since 2003, manning the console at Chemical Sound Recording Studio as Assistant Engineer, then Head Engineer and eventually co-owner. He has worked with acts including Tokyo Police Club, The Black Keys, Born Ruffians and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. However, Dean had always been a songwriter and performer at heart. Working off-hours, while climbing the ranks at Chemical, he pieced together his debut album and in 2008 released Central Meaner Street (under the band name EX~PO ).

Beginning in mid- April, Papermaps will play in Ottawa, Guelph, Windsor, Waterloo, St. Catharines and London [see dates below] before returning home for their official CD release party at Sneaky Dee's on Friday, April 29.

Check out what the critics are saying about Papermaps:

"A distinctly pop-driven sound...fleshed out by experimental flourishes and satistyingly fuzzy shoe-gazey bits," – NoDepression.com

"Upbeat, structured indie-pop,"- InYourSpeakers.com

"Traverses borders, bringing music that is fresh, brave and insightful,"- AWMusic.com

Papermaps Tour Dates:

April 15   Ottawa, ON - Zaphod's
April 20    Waterloo, ON - Maxwell's
April 22    Guelph, ON - Jimmy Jazz
April 23    Windsor, ON - Phog Lounge
April 26    St Catharines, ON - Mansion House
April 29    Toronto, ON - Sneaky Dee's
April 30   London, ON - Alex B. Keaton

Paper Flower In Stores Today

Paper Flower, Alanna Cherote's debut full-length album is out today. You can get it on iTunes or pick up a high quality 320MP3 version directly from Sparks Music. Visit our Store page or Alanna's Artist page to listen to the entire new album.

Paper Flower features 14 beautiful songs influenced by contemporary artists such as Sheryl Crow, Bon Iver, Ron Sexsmith, Feist and Brandi Carlisle. The album was co-produced with Australian producer Chris Vallejo (Empire of the Sun/Katie Noonan). Three Canadian songs appear on this project including "All in Good Time" by Ron Sexsmith and "(Make Me Do) Anything You Want" by A Foot in Cold Water. The album will be released in her native homeland of Australia/New Zealand on the independent label Other Tongues on April 1, 2011.

Sparks CMW Showcases

It's that time of year again when Canadian Music Week is upon us. This year Sparks Music is proud to showcase Alanna Cherote and Morgan Cameron Ross, two new label signings who are just about to release new records. Paper Flower, Alanna's upcoming new album will be instores as of Tuesday March 15th and Morgan Cameron Ross's new album is scheduled for a May 3rd release.

Both artists are performing this weekend, you can catch them as follows:
ALANNA CHEROTE
Thursday, March 10 - Library Bar (inside Royal York Hotel), onstage @ 11:30 PM
Friday, March 11 - Free Times Cafe, onstage @ 11:00 PM

MORGAN CAMERON ROSS
Saturday, March 12 - Supermarket, onstage @ 9:00 PM

For more complete details, see the Tour listings and enjoy Morgan's video on why you should attend his upcoming show.

Two For Tuesday - CHIN and Morgan Cameron Ross Have New Releases Today.

CHIN's Re'tach EP is now available on iTunes. This 5-track digital only release features 4 reworked tracks plus a previously unreleased track called "Stay f. Moneca Delain". Listen to the new tracks at CHIN's artist page and check out the stunning video for the Re'tach Radio Version of "Fiya Fiya".

Morgan Cameron Ross also have a new single available on iTunes today.. In fact, this remixed version of "Let It Go" features Daniel Wesley on backing vocals. You can get a copy on iTunes, purchase a high quality MP3 from us directly or download it for FREE from www.morgancameronross.com. Also check out the video for the single featuring his new puppy. Make sure to head on over to his Facebook page afterwards to enter the "Name The Puppy" contest.

Chin Celebrates Grammy Nomination Alongside Eminem

Eminem's multi-platinum album Recovery received a nomination in the coveted ALBUM of THE YEAR category at last night's 53rd Grammy Awards. Eminem led the nomination pack this year, with a total of 10 nods.

The nomination announcement marked a big day for Sparks Music's Chin Injeti as he contributed to two songs which appear on Recovery: he has writing and performance credits on "Almost Famous" and "Talkin' 2 Myself". These songs are 2 of 4 that were produced by DJ Khalil, CHIN's production partner.

CHIN and DJ Khalil have worked together for the past 4 years and have produced and worked with some of hip-hop's biggest stars including 50 Cent (with R. Kelly) and Clipse (with Kanye West).

In addition to lending their production talents to some of today's top Rap superstars, the two just recently re-recorded CHIN's current single "Fiya Fiya" from his 2010 CD D'tach. CHIN has also remixed several other tracks and recorded one new song all of which will be included on a 5 track digital EP, entitled Re'tach. Re'tach will be released on iTunes via Sparks/EMI on February 15.

A new video for "Fiya Fiya" was serviced to television outlets across Canada on January 31. You can watch it right here.

Alanna Cherote's New Single Now Available

PAPER FLOWER, the debut full-length album from Australian born Alanna Cherote features 14 beautiful songs influenced by contemporary artists such as Sheryl Crow, Bon Iver, Ron Sexsmith, Feist and Brandy Carlisle.

This album was co-produced with Australian producer Chris Vallejo (Empire of the Sun/Katie Noonan) and features a reworked rendition of the Canadian classic, "(Make Me Do) Anything You Want" by A Foot in Cold Water as well as two other Canadian songs. This song is now available on iTunes and while you're at it, check out the music video.

The album will be released through Sparks/EMI in Canada on March 15, 2011 and in Australia/New Zealand on the independent label Other Tongues.

Vancouver Comes Together For Shaun G Celebration Concert

CHIN and a cast of Vancouver's best local musicians and Djs have come together for a special concert & fundraiser. The "100G For Shaun G Celebration Concert" is a tribute to Shaun G, and to raise funds and awareness for cancer.

About the 100G For Shaun G Celebration Concert:

Shaun G was one of Vancouver's most genuine and positive people. The proceeds from this party are going directly to the newly created Shaun G Foundation. The goal for the night is to break $100,000. The Shaun G Foundation will distribute funds to all types of cancer research in Canada, including much needed research for Angiosarcoma, the rare type of cancer Shaun had.

For more information, visit the Facebook Event page and if you live in the Vancouver area, show your support tonight and tomorrow by attending the show at The Commodore Ballroom.

Sparks Signs Australian Singer Songwriter Alanna Cherote

Sparks Music/Gutenberg Songs are proud to announce the signing of Australian singer/songwriter Alanna Cherote to an international deal outside of Australia and New Zealand. Initially Alanna's debut album "Paper Flower" will be released in Canada, New Zealand and Australia in the early part of 2011. Alanna comes from a large musical family. She was the eldest of five children and it was her mother a singer and guitarist who encouraged the children to seekout their musical aspirations.

But it was Alanna who decided to chase her dream and at an early age won Best Song of the Year at the Music OZ Awards!

Her confidence boosted she released a four track EP entitled "Universal Need" and independently booked and promoted her own tour throughout Europe.

She later hooked up with Australian producer Chris Vallejo and began working on the creation of her debut album "Paper Flower".

Most recently Alanna spent time in both Montreal and Toronto working on two videos and doing a photo shoot for Sparks Music as they prepare to launch her first single "[Make Me Do] Anything You Want" a track that originally hit the top of the Canadian charts by 70's rockers A Foot in Cold Water!

Sparks Music Presents -Morgan Cameron Ross & Alanna Cherote

Morgan Cameron Ross, singer and songwriter from the Toronto band, Birds of Wales, is playing a solo show at The Rivoli on Thursday November 11th. This is your chance to hear some great new music from Morgan Cameron Ross as well as a young lady from Sydney, Australia named Alanna Cherote, whose first full length album entitled Paper Flower will be released in Canada via Sparks Music in the Spring of 2011.

For this special evening, Alanna will be performing alongside Morgan (he will also be playing his own set later that evening). Sparks Music also has plans to release his solo record in March 2011. But you do not need to wait to get a taste - download a FREE MP3 of "Let It Go", the first single at www.morgancameronross.com

You can purchase tickets to this special show RIGHT HERE. Tickets are only $8.00. You must be 19 & Over to attend. Hope to see you all there.

Brand New Single From CHIN Now Available

Brand new single from CHIN has just been released from CHIN's new album entitled, "D'Tach". This song was re-recorded and re-arranged by CHIN and his production partner DJ Khalil in CHIN's Vancouver studio and mixed in Atlanta by Phil Tan, who has worked with Rihanna, Fergie and Usher!!!

CHIN who co-founded Toronto's ground-breaking group Bass is Base has been busy over the last few years with his L.A. based production partner DJ Khalil working with such acts as Dr. Dre, Clipse, Zaki Ibrahim plus such Canadian artists as Bedouin Soundclash, Drake, K'naan and Hot Hot Heat!

Check out the new version of 'Fiya Fiya'. This uplifting and anthemic song is sure to pleas and is now available on iTunes - follow this link to check it out.

The Days Of Blinding Fear Is Here

We've been busy gearing up for the "official" release of the new Tin Star Orphans disc, entitled, The Days of Blinding Fear,. It's available digitally today on iTunes and of course on the Sparks Music store! If you purchase from the band's website or from our store, we'll throw in an exclusive bonus track and a deluxe digital booklet - both of which cannot be found anywhere else! Not a bad deal for $8.00.

You'll be able to pick up the physical version in all it's glory starting Tuesday, September 21st. If you're in the Toronto area, look for a series of shows coming this September and October. The band will be celebrating with a CD Release show on September 17th at The Rivoli.

You can always stream the album free at: http://thedaysofblindingfear.com and come join us at the following TSO shows:

September 17 @ The Rivoli, Toronto, ON
September 22 @ Supermarket, Toronto, ON
October 5 @ The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON
October 14 @ The Rivoli, Toronto, ON - Indie Music Week

Chin Plays A Role in Eminem’s Road to Recovery

In 2009 singer/songwriter/producer Chin Injeti found himself amongst some impressive company having worked on and co-produced tracks for the Clipse, 50 Cent, and Drake.

Chin continues in 2010 to collaborate with superstar artists having just worked on the new Eminem record, "Recovery" releasing this week, June 22nd. On "Recovery", Chin found himself sharing writing and performance credits on the tracks "Almost Famous" as well as co-production on "Talkin' 2 Myself" featuring Kobe, both produced by his L.A. based production partner DJ Khalil.

Adding to this, Chin's group The New Royales (along with DJ Khalil, Liz Rodrigues and Erik Alcock) also made major contributions with production, performing and writing on two other Eminem's songs: "25 to Life" and "Won't Back Down" featuring Pink.

Alongside his increasing profile as a songwriter and producer, Chin continues his solo career as an artist with the release of his own album D'tach (which was released on April 6, 2010 via Sparks/EMI). D'tach features some big names of it's own with a guest appearance by K'Naan on the song "Mask on my Face". Check out the album, visit the Chin's artist page for more info and to listen to the album.

Lots To See At NXNE

Sparks Music will be busy this weekend as both Birds Of Wales and Chin will be performing at this year's NXNE Music Festival. You can catch Birds Of Wales at The Supermarket on Friday, June 18 @ 10pm. Then on Sunday June 20, make your way over to Yonge-Dundas Square to see Chin and De La Soul. show starts at 5pm and it's free.

Birds of Wales New Music Video & Tour!
Birds of Wales are excited to announce their brand new music video for the single, "Uninteresting", as well as a Ontario mini tour, supporting their new album, Belgravia Hotel. The new album is now available in record shops and online and of course, you can pick up a copy directly from us right from our store

Without further delay, here's is the new music video for "Uninteresting", directed by Remi Rybicki.

BOW Tour Dates!
May 12th @ The Casbah, Hamilton
May 13th @ Red Hot Chilli Peppers, St. Catharines
May 14th @ Maxwells Music House, Waterloo
May 18th @ The Townhouse, Sudbury
May 19th @ Victory Tavern, Timmins
May 20th @ The Garrison, Toronto
May 21st @ Merchant Tap House, Kingston
May 22nd @ Cafe Dekcuf, Ottawa

Listen To The New Tin Star Orphans Album
You can now listen to the entire new Tin Star Orphans album online! Visit www.thedaysofblindingfear.com to check out the new songs. Take note that the band will be performing these new songs at The Horseshoe Tavern on Tuesday May 15th at 9pm. Join Tin Star Orphans for the "Limited Edition" release of their sophomore album! You'll be able to purchase these special exclusive Cds at the show. It's only $10.00 to attend. For more information, visit the TSO's Facebook Event Page.
Hope to see you there.

Belgravia Hotel In Stores Today
Belgravia Hotel, the long awaited new album from Birds Of Wales is out today. You can order the CD for $10 or download a digital album for $8 directly from Sparks. As an added value, our version includes a digital booklet and our MP3s are high quality DRM-free 320kbps. In fact, if you order the CD, you instantly receive a link to the digital download. Visit our Store Page to order.

As Morgan, the lead singer from Birds of Wales explains in the video below, you can also purchase from these other fine retailers - iTunes, Zunior and MapleMusic or wherever you buy music.

D'Tach In Stores Today
The wait is over, CHIN's latest CD "D'tach" was officially released today. You can pick up a CD for $10 or download a digital album for $8 directly from Sparks. As an added value, our version includes a FREE bonus track - a remix of "Mask On My Face" + a digital booklet. In fact, if you order the CD, you instantly receive the download. Visit our Store Page to order. Alternately, you can also purchase from these other fine retailers - iTunes, Zunior and MapleMusic or wherever you buy music.

You can also see CHIN perform this month as follows:
April 06 @ Fortune Sound Club, Vancouver, BC -"CD Release Party"
April 16 @ The Junction, St. John's, NL - JunoFest
April 21 @ The Drake, Toronto, ON

CHIN Album Release & Birthday Party
Join us on Tuesday April 6th at Fortune Sound Club (147 East Pender Street) in Vancouver's Chinatown district to celebrate the release of CHIN's new album. CHIN will kick off the evening with a live performance, which you will not want to miss. Tickets are only $8.00 and $15.00 gets you into the party and a copy of D'Tach, the new CHIN CD.

Birds Of Wales On Tour With Dragonette
What perfect timing. Just as Birds Of Wales are getting ready to release their long awaited new album, Belgravia Hotel (coming April 13), we are happy to announce an Ontario tour with Dragonette at the end of March and one show in Sarnia, ON with 54 40. Check out the dates below and see you at the upcoming shows!

Birds of Wales Ontario Tour Dates
March 25 @ Starlight Room, Waterloo, ON **
March 26 @ Studio Theatre, Hamilton, ON **
March 27 @ Industry Theatre, Sarnia, ON *
March 28 @ Issac's Pub, St. Catharines, ON **
March 31 @ The Ale House, Kingston, ON **
April 01 @ Babylon, Ottawa, ON **
April 03 @ Call The Office, London, ON **
* w/ 54 40
** w/ Dragonette

Plenty To See At CMW This Year
Sparks is pleased to announce that Birds Of Wales, CHIN and Tin Star Orphans will be showcasing at this year Canadian Music Week. This will be your chance to hear some brand new tunes from all three acts. Both Birds of Wales and CHIN will be releasing new albums in early April and a new TSO album is expected in the late summer/fall. See you there!!!

Upcoming Sparks Music/CMW Shows:
TIN STAR ORPHANS - Wednesday March 10th Cadillac Lounge (12am) - find tickets
BIRDS OF WALES - Friday March 12th @ Supermarket (11pm) - find tickets
CHIN - Friday March 12th @ Mitzi's Sister (12am) and Saturday March 13th @ Czehoski (10pm) - find tickets

Chin Gets Grounded In Vancouver
Chin performs on the streets of Vancouver for GROUNDED TV. It's a raw and emotional performance shot just across the street from his studio space on Hastings St.

Birds Of Wales Take Flight
Sparks Music is proud to announce a worldwide licensing deal with Toronto based act Birds Of Wales. Their debut album entitled Belgravia Hotel will be released in Canada on April 13 through Sparks/EMI. The album was produced by Jeff Dawson (Daniel Powter), mixed by Jeff Dawson, Mike Fraser (Aerosmith, Franz Ferdinand) and Mike Gilles (Bryan Adams, Metallica).

Additionally, Birds of Wales have just been confirmed as the opening act for Jully Black's upcoming Canadian tour! Birds Of Wales's line up consists of singer/songwriter Morgan Cameron Ross, guitarist Mike Caputo, drummer Ben Standage and basset Dan Taylor. For more information, visit www.birdsofwales.com

Upcoming Tour Dates with Jully Black:
Feb. 21 – Vancouver, BC – Railway Club (Birds Of Wales only)
Feb. 25 - Canmore, AB - Cornerstone Theatre
Feb. 26 - Edmonton, AB – The Starlite
Feb. 27 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Ballroom
Feb. 28 - Saskatoon, SK - Odeon Events Centre Tues.
Mar. 02 - Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick
Mar. 09 - Kitchener, ON - Conrad Centre
Mar. 10 - Niagara Falls, ON - Greg Ferwin Theatre
Mar. 12 - London, ON - The Music Hall
Mar. 13 - Toronto, ON - The Great Hall
Mar. 18 - Ottawa, ON - Centrepoint Theatre
Mar. 19 - Belleville, ON - Empire Theatre
Mar. 20 - Hamilton, ON - Studio Theatre
Mar. 27 - Halifax, NS - Halifax Casino
Mar. 28 - Sydney, NS - Membertou Convention Centre
Mar. 30 - Saint John, NB - Imperial Theatre
Mar. 31- Fredericton, NB - The Playhouse Theatre

Chin ends 09 With Big Tracks For 50 Cent and The Clipse!
The Clipse, Kanye West, 50 Cent and Drake - what do all of these rap stars have in common besides selling millions of records?
In 2009 each one of these artists had tracks featuring production from Vancouver-based producer Chin Injeti! Along with his production partner DJ Khalil, CHIN co-produced The Clipse's first single *"Kinda Like a Big Deal" *featuring* Kanye West *and* "There Was A Murder". Just weeks before that, CHIN landed co-production credits on 50 Cent's latest platinum record *Before I Self Destruct *with the track *"Could've Been You", featuring R.Kelly.
That's not all either, earlier in September CHIN shared co-production credits with DJ Khalil on a song called "Fear" *by fellow Canadian and recent Grammy nominee, Drake, off his *So Far Gone" EP.
With all this momentum CHIN shows no signs of slowing down in 2010. Along with more production work CHIN will be releasing his own solo project, D'Tach this March. CHIN's first single "Mask on my Face" (featuring K'Naan) is available for free download via his website - www.chinschunes.com.

CHIN Signs with Sparks Music!
Sparks Music is pleased to announce the signing of CHIN who co-founded the groundbreaking and award winning Toronto band BASS IS BASE. CHIN in recent times has been bouncing back and forth between his home in Vancouver and L.A., where he has been writing and producing with the likes of Dr Dre,
Busta Rhymes, Clipse and Kinnie Starr...to name a few.
His new solo project D'TACH will be released through Sparks/EMI in March 2010. The first single "Mask On My Face" features K'naan and is available as a free download directly from CHIN's new website - www.chinschunes.com

Spiral Beach On MTV Live
Head on over to MTV (888 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON) on Monday, December 14th @ 5:3pm to be part of the live audience to cheer on Spiral Beach. The band will be dropping into the MTV studios to perform a few tracks from their brand new album, The Only Really Thing. For FREE TICKETS simply send a request to emailliveaudience@mtv.ca or call the number listed on the poster below.

The Lovely Feathers Featured on Musique Plus
Our friends at Musique Plus are showing The Lovely Feathers some Quebec love - the band's video for Lowiza is featured on their new website today. Do us a favor and give the video the "thumbs up" at www.musiqueplus.com

Spiral Beach Take Flight To Ireland
Since the September 22nd release of their new album The Only Really Thing – Spiral Beach have been a very busy young band indeed!
Having just drifted off of a tour with Two Hours Traffic, danced barefoot at the TIFF Canadian Cafe showcase and crashed though a high-energy set at Arlene's Grocery at CMJ, Spiral Beach are ready to continue the insanity!
November will see the band touring Ireland with Sparks Music label mates and Irish hitmakers FRED. Then after a quick stop-over for a yet to be announced U.K. show, they are off to Germany to play the on3radio Festival in Germany! Check out the complete list of dates on our tour page.
In December before they close out the year, Spiral Beach will launch a new video for their first radio single "May Go Round (in a mania)" and are sure to announce another one of their self promoted, circus-like all night parties in Toronto.

CMJ Here We Come
Spiral Beach and The Lovely Feathers are in New York City this week showcasing at CMJ. If you're visiting NY, live in the neighborhood and wish to cheer on your fellow Canadians, make your way over to Arlene's Grocery (95 Stanton St.) tonight at 9pm.
Then on Friday evening, head on over to Fat Baby (112 Rivington St.) to check out The Lovely Feathers. The band is on at 7:45pm sharp.
We're not done yet. How about a digital sampler featuring 41 FREE songs from Canadian artists who are performing at this year's CMJ (includes tracks from both Spiral Beach and The Lovely Feathers). Follow this link to download your free sampler.

Spiral Beach In Store This Friday
Come join Spiral Beach at Sonic Boom (located at 512 Bloor St. West) for a FREE in-store performance tomorrow - Friday October 16 @ 7pm sharp. Then make your way across the street to Lee's Palace to see the full show with The Danks and Two Hours Traffic. Tickets for the show are only $15.00 and can be purchased at the door.

Video Of The Day On Spinner.com
Domino, the latest video from Spiral Beach is today's featured "Video of the Day" on AOL Spinner! Check it out.

Get 5 Free Spiral Beach Tracks
ExploreMusic.ca is giving away one song a day from soon to be released Spiral Beach release, The Only Really Thing all this week for free! Check it out at www.Exploremusic.ca

Vote for The Lovely Feathers on MTVu
Help out The Lovely Feathers by voting for their video on mtvU. Vote for Lowiza and feel better about yourself knowing you participated. Click here to VOTE NOW!

TSO Live At Yonge And Dundas
Tin Star Orphans will be appearing live at Yonge and Dundas Square (Friday Sept 11, at 6pm) in celebration of TIFF and in support the theatrical release of, Suck. The film, which makes use of TSO's single, Let You Down, stars Malcolm McDowell and Dave Foley and includes onscreen appearances by such musical luminaries as Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Henry Rollins and Moby (to name a few). Also appearing will be LA's Burning Brides and Toronto's own, Blue Peter.

Spiral Beach Announce New Album and National Tour
Spiral Beach will be releasing their latest effort The Only Really Thing on September 22 both in Canada (Sparks/EMI) and in the U.S. (Sparks/Tommy Boy). This new album was produced by Michael Olsen, of The Hidden Cameras and The Arcade Fire.
A pre-sale campaign will be set up on the band's website that will include CD and vinyl versions of the album plus various additional items created by the band including a comic book created by Maddy Wilde, photo album and handwritten lyric book and t-shirts.
The band has also just confirmed the opening slot for Two Hours Traffic's Canadian tour that starts in mid September. Before they head out on the road with Two Hours Traffic, the band has been selected to perform at The Music Café at this year's TIFF festival.
Spiral Beach is constantly pushing the boundaries of contemporary music. With The Only Really Thing, this daring and exhilarating band's appeal is ready to take over new territory.

Lowiza Is Too Hot For TV
The Lovely Feathers made two versions of the video for "Lowiza," and one was a little too steamy for TV and all-ages sites but just right for Playboy.com, which are premiering this "too hot for tv" version in its unedited glory. Check it out.

Spiral Beach To Perform At TIFF
It's official, Spiral Beach have been invited to perform at this year's Canadian Music Cafe, taking place September 15th to 17th, which runs in conjunction with the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.

You can check out the entire Canadian Music Cafe lineup and find out more about this initiative which showcases Canadian music at ChartAttack.com

The Lovely Feathers MTV Performance Now Online
The Lovely Feathers performance on MTV Live is now available online. Check out live performances of Lowiza, Ossified Homes and Long Walks. Enjoy! Watch it now.

Download The New Spiral Beach Single For Free
Here it is, the very first taste of the new Spiral Beach album! Just follow the link below for a FREE download of “DOMINO”, a new track from the forthcoming new album coming this September.

This song has its’ own website that lets you help spread the word, pass it on to friends, etc - just press SHARE and send the link to your friends on Facebook or MySpace, or by email.

CHECK IT OUT HERE

The Lovely Feathers on MTV
The Lovely Feathers will be performing 3 songs on MTV LIVE on Monday July 13th in Toronto. If you live in Toronto come on down to the Masonic Temple.

The Verge Music Awards
Some great news to share. Spiral Beach have been nominated for Artist Of The Year and Son of Dave's Wild Wild West has been nominated for Album Of The Year for The Verge Music Awards.

This year’s awards will be held at The Mod Club in Toronto, on September 22nd, 2009 and will be broadcast live-to-air across Canada. For more information and to cast your vote online please visit www.thevergeonline.com. Online voting is open until August 31st.

The Lovely Feathers - Victoria, BC Show Change
The Lovely Feathers show in Victoria has been moved to Lucky's Bar instead of Logan's and is now Saturday August 1st instead of the Wednesday July 29th. For our US friends, stay tuned for details as we confirm a series of US shows for the Fall

NXNE Report Cards
Check out CHARTattack's NXNE Report Cards for The Lovely Feathers &Spiral Beach - both bands got high praise for their live shows. Infact, Spiral Beach was picked the #3 best performance with one ofthe highest scores during NXNE 2009.

The Lovely Feathers - http://www.chartattack.com/reviews/71328/the-lovely-feathers-nxne-2009
Spiral Beach - http://www.chartattack.com/reviews/71217/spiral-beach-cmw-2009

CHARTattack's Top 10 list - http://www.chartattack.com/news/71450/band-of-skulls-tops-nxne-2009-report-cards

Power Up Your Cellphones
Attention all Spiral Beach fans - power up your cell phones, video cameras or other photographic gear and come out to film the band at these upcoming Toronto shows this weekend. Your footage may end up in their new video for "DOMINO"!!!

Thursday June 18 - Dundas Square - 6pm
Friday June 19 - Whippersnapper Gallery (587A College) - 7pm
Saturday June 20 - Rolly's Garage (124 Ossington) - 3:45pm / After Party at La Casa Muerte

Tin Star Orphans Triple Play
Tin Star Orphans are going to be up all night at NXNE. The band is playing two late-night sets on two different stages in three hours at NXNE this year. Dubbed, the Extended Last Call Celebration Tour of Queen West.

Two shows are on Thursday, June 18th (though, technically, it’ll be early Friday morning). The band first plays the Cadillac Lounge (1296 Queen St. W.) at 1am and then head down the street to the Horseshoe (368 Queen St. W.) for a 3am set. If that wasn't enough, TSO are also performing at Supermarket (268 Augusta Avenue) on Wednesday June 17th @ 9:30pm.

Fantasy of The Lot Out Today
After many months of anticipation, Sparks Music is pleased to announce the release of Fantasy Of The Lot, the brand new album from The Lovely Feathers. If you haven't yet discovered their unique brand of frantic pop, there's no time like the present.

The Lovely Feathers have also announced a national tour, check the Tour page for all the latest dates and cities near you and also head on over to their new website at www.thelovelyfeathers.com.

The Lovely Feathers Update
Fantasy of the Lot, the brand new album from The Lovely Feathers is coming out on June 2 in Canada and will be released in the US in mid-August. To celebrate, the band is planning a series of shows in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa next month. Then they head out on a Canadian and US tour during summer and the fall. Stay tuned for the finalized route. In the meantime, the debut single, Lowiza is currently available as a free download on their website, www.thelovelyfeathers.com- get it, share it and enjoy!

Tin Star Orphans Out Today
Tin Star Orphan's new disc is now officially available in Canada. Yonder features string and horn sections, pedal steel, banjo, harmonium, and even a musical saw! This album is a blend of acoustic-driven romps and sonically gripping love songs. "Let You Down" is the current single. Check back soon to view a stunning video for this single.

SLAVE to the SQUAREwave live on CBC Radio
SLAVE to the SQUAREwave will perform live on CBC Radio across Canada on GO! Hosted by Brent Bambury. Tune in on Saturday April 25th at 10:00 A.M. (10:30 in Newfoundland). Listen live via radio or Internet. You can also be part of the live studio audience, get your free tickets at www.cbc.ca/go/tickets.html

Spiral Beach Announces National Tour
Fresh out of the studio and into the van, Spiral Beach will be packing their bags for a 25 date national tour! They will be hitting the road with one of their very own favourite acts, Hey Ocean! Check out tour dates for all 25 stops in Canada!

As Spiral Beach disappear down the highway, Michael Olson (Hidden Cameras) finishes the final mixes for the band's next album for Sparks Music which will be unleashed in Canada this August.

Meanwhile...south of the border Tommy Boy and Sparks are lighting a fire under the band's current CD Ball which will be released in the U.S. on May 5th.

Brown Bottle Sessions On XM
Canadian Music Week (CMW) has officially kicked off and XM Radio are showing their support by opening their Toronto studio for live-to-air sets by some of Canada's hottest up-and-coming bands. Dubbed the Brown Bottle Sessions, you'll get to hear over 30 bands perform live on March 12th and March 13th between 12pm and 3pm ET each day. This of course includes Sparks Music's very own The Priddle Concern, Spiral Beach and Tin Star Orphans. All three bands will be performing, back to back to back as of 1:30pm on Thursday, March 12th.

To catch the Brown Bottle Sessions live on XM, tune into The Verge – XM 87.

The Irish Are Coming
Fred (from Cork, Ireland) are set to grace our lovely shores next week in order to celebrate the release of their fabulous new album, Go God Go, which comes out on March 10th, 2009 via Sparks Music. The band will perform in Toronto, Waterloo and Montreal during their visit to Canada. You can catch Fred as follows:

Thursday March 12th @ The Hideout, Toronto (CMW Showcase)
Friday March 13th @ C'est What, Toronto (CMW Showcase) - Free Show
Saturday March 14th @ The Green Room, Montreal
Tuesday March 17th @ The Starlight, Waterloo
Wednesday March 18th @ Tattoo Rock Parlour, Toronto (St. Paddy's Day Hangover Party)

Sparks Signs U.S. Deal
Sparks Music is pleased to announce a deal with Tommy Boy in the United States. Tommy Boy is widely recognized for its significant contribution to the development of new music around the world. Over the years their roster has included everything from the groundbreaking Afrika Bambaataa to acts like De La Soul, Queen Latifah, House of Pain, Naughty By Nature and Everlast plus more recent successes like Bob Sinclar and Plushgun. Tommy Boy has always been committed to finding and supporting groundbreaking new music and culture.

With this new US deal, Sparks Music have plans to simultaneously release Spiral Beach and the newly signed, The Lovely Feathers in both Canada and the U.S. this coming spring.

Sparks Signs Two New Bands
Sparks Music is pleased to announce that we've signed The Lovely Feathers and Tin Star Orphans to our ever growing roster! Spin Magazine recently picked The Lovely Feathers as one of the top 5 bands to watch from Montreal! Tin Star Orphans have been compared to grandiose indie-rockers Arcade Fire to alt-country veterans Wilco.

Both bands are currently putting the finishing touches on their respective new albums, which will be coming out in the early part of 2009.

Welcome To Sparks Music
Welcome to the new Sparks Music website. Please have a look around and feel free to send us your comments or suggestions about the site, our roster and music. In fact, if you are a musician, we want to hear from you. Just click on the button at the top left side of the website entitled "Submit Your Music".

As part of our new website offerings, we will soon begin selling high quality 320kbps MP3 digital downloads, complete with print quality artwork at a very attractive price. So check back soon for all the details.