Amidst the hip-hop party excellence of Chancellor Warhol, last week’s episode of Less Than Kind also featured the sweet, soulful voice of singer/songwriter Matthew Mayfield. Matthew’s not without buzz of his own – his first full-length studio album “Now You’re Free” broke the Top 20 charts in the iTunes rock category last year, and he was ranked number 6 in the top ten SXSW artists to watch by Next Big Sound in 2010. His captivating vocals simply can not be ignored, and we’re excited to share them with you. Sit back, relax, and take a good long listen to Matthew Mayfield.
About:
“It’s enticing when an album goes from soft and acoustic to sharp and electric. It’s even more enticing when it fits. This is what singer/songwriter Matthew Mayfield does… and he does it with originality… The songs are delivered with sincerity and a sense of yearning… [and] have a piercing quality that grabbed me by the shirt and forced me to listen. The vocals convey the kind of pain that can only be born of experience… Nearly every song had a hook that drew me in. Mayfield’s deftly played acoustic/electric guitars doubled with the jagged and soulful vocals his fans have come to love produced a personal and more confident sounding album.” – The Owl Mag
“Known for gut-ripping lyrics, raw emotion, and the simplicity of his acoustic guitar, Mayfield isn’t afraid to turn up the dirty guitars and crank the drums up. Now You’re Free is a satisfyingly rare experience that will leave you spinning for days.” – Radio Potato
March 6th is Michelangelo’s birthday. Had he lived, Il Divino would be well over 500 years old, which would be amazing, in and of itself. But the truly astonishing fact is that, though he only lived for 88 years, he was arguably the most prodigious and multitalented artist in history – his only rival being Leonardo Da Vinci.
A stone cutter’s stepson, Michelangelo was first swept into the heart of the Florentine art scene, when Lorenzo de Medici became his benefactor. From that period until Medici’s death, the young Michelangelo delivered commission after commission, honing his crafts of stonework, architecture, drawing, painting, frecos etc. to artistic levels rarely seen, before or since… all before he turned 21!
After Medici’s death, Michelangelo was invited to Rome, where he created his legendary Pieta, not to mention many other artistic ones-of-a-kind. He subsequently returned to Florence, where he carved the colossal Statue of David, one of the most renowned works of the Renaissance, along with countless other now-priceless works of art.
The following year, Pope Julius II brought him back to Rome, initially to have him create the Pope’s tomb, which never was completed to Michelangelo’s satisfaction. The Pope next commissioned ol’ Mickey to paint (yes, paint… his least favourite medium) the ceiling of The Sistine Chapel. He was originally commissioned to paint the 12 Apostles against a starry sky, but lobbied Julius for a very different and more complex scheme, representing creation, the Downfall of Man and the Promise of Salvation through the prophets and Genealogy of Christ.
For four long years, Michelangelo stood on a scaffold, 60 feet high, and painted between three and four hundred, larger-than-life figures on the ceiling – paint dripping in his eyes – neck “nailed to his back”, as he himself described his stance in one of his sonnets… yes, he was an accomplished poet, too.
It would take a book to detail his lifetime’s many other achievements: The Last Judgement, which covers the entire wall behind the Sistine Chapel altar; the design of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica; Palazzo Farnese; Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore… the list goes on and on.
Michelangelo’s vast output was the work of tireless genius, for sure. But many artists or art lovers today seem to know little about the man behind the legend. In fact, many artists – whether painters, sculptors, architects and, most of all, musicians, seem to strive these days for ‘good’ over ‘great’…’timely’ over ’timeless’.
One or two hit wonders dominate the various global art disciplines, as nearly everyone, it seems craves a bit of the fruits, before they actually even labour. Celebrity is the new religion. Gaga, Bieber, Lana Del Boring etc are only a few of the current gods and goddesses… Jackass and other reality series have set new lows in cultural import, appealing to the mindless and easily amused.
WHERE ARE TODAY’S MICHELANGELOS?
Happy 537th birthday, Mickey. Long may your legend live and grow.
John St. and the brands they represent really are unignorable, and it looks as if TED agrees. At the recent TED conference held in Long Beach, California, an advertisement and app developed by John St. for the Rethink Breast Cancer campaign entitled “Your Man Reminder” was named one of the top 10 global Ads Worth Spreading. We are not surprised.
The Challenge, which attracts submissions from 39 countries worldwide, exists to recognize and celebrate, among other things, innovation and brilliance in storytelling for online advertising.
The ad, which is an instructional video meant to promote the app, allows viewers and users to choose between a gaggle of male hotties, who exist to remind women to give their breasts the TLC (Touch, Look, Check) they deserve.
This inventive spin on breast cancer awareness created by the talented minds at John St. really does prove that “In a commoditized world, unignorable brands win”: A great mantra from a great company.
Your Man Reminder has been posted for your viewing pleasure below and to check out the full story head over to Strategy Online.
When the story on Less Than Kind calls for a house party, we at Vapor know it’s time to bring in the big guns. This Sunday’s episode of the Gemini winning series features our favourite Winnipeg kids soundtracking their evening with seven tunes from the debut album of Nashville rap artist Chancellor Warhol. Since the album’s release in 2010, Chancellor Warhol has toured with Kid Cudi, N.E.R.D, ?uestlove of the Roots and Ying Yang Twins, among others, playing such festivals as Bonnaroo, Sundance Film Festival, Austin City Limits and Nashville’s Soundland.
Things aren’t slowing down for Chance any time soon. He released his sophomore album, The Silver Factory, in September of last year and just recently released the free mixtape Playlist for Edie (available to download here), an album of his interpretations of the hottest songs of the moment (including Coldplay’s “Paradise” and Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games” – video below!). He’s also set to perform at SXSW, Rites of Spring, and Lollapalooza this coming spring.
Learn more below, and I have no doubt that Chancellor Warhol will soon become the soundtrack for your next party!
About:
“Warhol is an energizing force in the booth, and is certainly a joy to witness live. He is an artist that is steadily growing into his own sound, blending the genres that have inspired him to help define who he is as an artist. Warhol’s The Silver Factory is a great step forward into the glossy aesthetics of his urban art form.” – Brite Revolution
“There is just enough quirkyness to sound original while staying true to the hip-hop creedo of MCing to pounding bass. Chancellor Warhol is a surprise find… We would not have guessed a hip-hop artist from Nashville could sway us, but there it is.” – Examiner
“Chancellor Warhol is dope, fly & fresh… blazing a trail to your iPod.” – brokehipster.com
Classic Song 44 – Steely Dan “Kid Charlamagne” from Let’s Talk About Classic Music
Synonymous with the term ‘classic music’, the name Steely Dan conjures up memories of my touring days in the 70s, especially with Rhinegold, since our master soundman, Bob Shindle, used to ‘tune’ our PA to each club environment by playing various great sounding records through the board, including The Royal Scam.
I remember being in Halifax, setting up at the infamous Zapata’s (where our dressing room was, in fact, the men’s restroom), and hearing the jazzy opening strains of Steely’s ”Kid Charlamagne” signal that our PA was ready for action. But before the band began our full soundcheck, Bob and I listened to KC a bit closer, noticing just how rich and unadorned every instrument and vocal sounded. In particular, the drums had that dry, in-your-face clarity that Bob was able to effectively cop for our drummer, Danny Bourne’s massive kit.
Though Steely Dan and Rhinegold shared little, stylistically, we did both aim for greatness: of song; of performance AND of sound, and even though Larry and I parted ways about a year after we played our hearts out in Halifax, I will always remember his huge musical influence on me, not to mention the huge musical influence Steely Dan had on me and Bobby and pretty well the rest of the world, methinks.
So, for your bucket listening list, folks, may I suggest Steely Dan’s 1976 release, “The Royal Scam”, which features “Kid Charlamagne”, as well as “Haitian Divorce”, “Sign In Stranger” and many more classic songs.
The real countdown for Bonnaroo finally commenced this Valentine’s Day when the 2012 lineup was revealed, although my countdown began this past June 12th, the last day of the 2011 festival.
Bonnaroo is a feast for the ears, eyes, body, and soul. I decided to attend last year’s whirlwind festivities on a whim and it was one of the best decisions I have made to date. Thousands of music loving hippies descend upon a massive acreage of farmland in Manchester, Tennessee to collectively enjoy four full days worth of live music and magic. I truly have never seen anything else like it.
Center Roo is the hub, the enclosed area where all the performances and related activities take place. It boasts five stages amusingly named This, That, Which, What, and Other (confusion certainly ensued), a massive Ferris wheel overlooking the thirty-plus surrounding campgrounds, a water fountain to calm and cool the masses, a microbrewery beer tent, an “air-conditioned” (yeah right!) cinema tent, pop-up food emporiums, art galleries, and shops, and a silent disco where DJ’s spin and deliver wicked sets through headphones as opposed to speakers until the wee hours of the morning.
The temperature in Tennessee in June often peaks at a sweltering 40 degrees, the air so hot and thick that the only thing left to do is open your mind and sway, trancelike to beautiful music. Sleeping was out of the question – it was too hot, so naturally I watched the sun rise and set almost everyday. You curse your discomfort at the time, but when the festival comes to an end you can’t wait to do it all over again; mud covered, dusty, exhausted and all.
This year I am very excited for a number of reasons, but mainly the stellar lineup. I am pumped to see The Antlers perform live, a band that actually came to my attention while working here at Vapor. We licensed their track “Kettering” for Carl Bessai’s Canadian thriller Repeaters. The three man band fronted by singer-songwriter Peter Silberman accompanied by drummer Michael Lerner and instrumentalist Darby Cicci, should provide a nice chill-out indie session to juxtapose some of the dirtier, heavier acts I also look forward to. Excuse me, Major Lazer and Skrillex?
Check out an amazing fan-made video for “Kettering” below, and the full Bonnaroo line-up here. Better yet, buy a ticket to the madness and see them live with 10,000 other music lovers just like you!
This week, we’re thrilled to feature one of our favourite Canadian bands as our Artist of the Week: The Acorn. If you’re a fan of HBO Canada’s Less Than Kind you will already be familiar with the Ottawa band – their song “Hold Your Breath” was in the premiere episode of Season 2, and “Dents” aired in Sunday’s most recent episode of the award winning series, in no small part because of the raw honesty behind their music. Year after year, they remain a perfect fit alongside Less Than Kind‘s episodes.
The Acorn is making waves outside of the TV world too – in 2008, they were nominated for Canada’s prestigious Polaris Prize, and have since toured with the likes of Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and Elbow. We can’t wait to hear what happens next!
About:
“There’s a freshness and spontaneity to the recordings that’s honest and organic, and suggest the band is happy to be moving on to fresher themes…the failings of the human heart and soul wind their way through them, always with compassion… At the same time, the performances flow with a simple but palpable joy; the Acorn fill the arrangements with a variety of instrumental textures but leave enough open space to prevent the material from sounding cluttered, and the interaction of the five musicians feels fresh and confident at once, as the players explore their spaces and like what they find…the interaction and emotional enthusiasm of the Acorn stretching their boundaries clearly informs the recordings…it does allow the Acorn to cast a significant glance into their own hearts, minds, and creative processes, and the finished product is an album of genuine beauty and intelligence that merits careful listening.” – Allmusic
“The Acorn have a knack for accretion of tiny, engaging details: marimbas, horns, organs, and other colorful elements will often slip fluidly into the background halfway through a song, adding warmth, texture and atmosphere on an almost subconscious level..” – Pitchfork
“One of those rare bands that deals exclusively in mystery, where everything is at once both familiar and oddly strange: like Talking Heads bumping into Fleet Foxes in dreamtime.” – Uncut
Today Vapor is pleased to present the first edition of My Day Friday with our very own Gerry “The Mozz” Mosby: Vapor Partner, Composer, and our resident classic music expert. We’re excited to begin sharing his musings each week on any and all things musical and enter the mind of a true music connaisseur. Enjoy!
When Vapor Music was first conceived in 2004, it was with the notion that we could provide a service to both our clients and the artistic community at large. Vapor would be a place for artists and ad agencycreatives alike to get to know one another, on an integral level, and morph their specialties into magic.
Our two-Gold Lion win at Cannes in ’07 spoke volumes about the great results we were having with ouroriginal creative and artistic manifesto. Subsequent awards and accolades have confirmed that we’restill striving for – and achieving – greatness, day in and day out, here at Vapor.
Our hunger for new and exciting music is bottomless, and we’ve forged and strengthened our own identity with each and every project we’ve completed. Personally, I’ve been active in this crazy business for a very long time now, and while I may have grown a bit more cynical and demanding as the years have rolled by, I still crave - and constantly search for – examples of artistic greatness, whether as diamonds-in-the-rough or as shiny and slickly polished, world class phenomena. I’ve always wanted Vapor to be a leader in the business - and highly specialized art form – of either composing or licensing just the right music for just the right project. I’ve also wanted, more than anything, to help expose new or less than top-of-mind artistry to our friends and family, through a timely Vapor search for timeless music.
Seeing as this is My Day Friday, I’d like to shine a light on an artist that I’ve been following for some time:
Jon Gomm
Jon Gomm is a supremely talented UK guitarist/singer/songwriter that has been toiling away for at least the past decade or so, and came to my attention a couple of years ago, via his Youtube video posts. His singularly unique guitar playing style literally first made me guffaw OUT LOUD, truth be told. His ability to play multiple melodic and rhythmic guitar parts simultaneously, all the while singing with a road-worn smokey voice, completely floored me when I first saw and heard one of his online video offerings. It still does, to this very day.
His 2009 release, Don’t Panic was my number one recommendation last December, when Vapor shone a light on new and/or slightly used music and musicians of all genres, with our 2011 Vapor Holiday Music Picks. So imagine my delight when yesterday, I received my latest instalment of critic, Bob Lefsetz’ blog, and read about HIS discovery of Jon Gomm, via an online, three letter exclamation from one of Jon’s new fans, British comedian, Stephen Fry:
“Wow!”
Here’s an excerpt of an email sent by Dave Cool to The Lefsetz Letter, detailing Gomm’s very recent surge in global popularity:
Subject: Guitarist Jon Gomm turns down Britain’s Got Talent: “Simon Cowell can kiss my ass”
Hi Bob, A video by UK guitarist Jon Gomm recently went viral thanks to a tweet from British comedic legend Stephen Fry.
Here’s the story, the video that went viral, and the tweet:”‘Wow!’ Stephen Fry’s one-word tweet catapults guitarist from obscurity to an audience of 2 MILLION listeners”:
Jon is now getting a lot of attention in British media, and even got a phone call from Britain’s Got Talent. Here’s what Jon’s manager told them:
“To all those dreamers and wannabes who may somewhat foolishly believe in the integrity of shows like The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent: A producer from BGT just called me to ask if Jon Gomm would like to take part in the show. I happen to know for a fact that the open auditions took place months ago and there are anxious hopefuls all over the country waiting for their phones to ring to see if they’ve made it to the TV stage of the audition process. In the meantime, producers are calling musicians who have shown zero interest in appearing on the show to invite them to take part and groom them for victory. As a long time loather of all reality/talent shows I told them where to shove it in no uncertain terms. These programmes are exploitative bollocks. Don’t believe the bullshit people. Simon Cowell can kiss my ass.”
Thought you might enjoy that, you don’t see independent artists saying no to the establishment like that (and turning down “instant fame”) very often…
Needless to say, that email got Lefsetz’ interest, and he quickly researched – and fell in love with – Jon Gomm, himself. Just so you all know, Lefsetz has a been a major critic of the established recording industry, exposing wanton insider graft and inequity at every turn. He’s also predicted for years that the old, record label model of garnering radio airplay – and instant riches – for each label’s artists’ music would soon be replaced or verily supplanted by online access – for their fans and newcomers alike – of free or iTunes-posted music.
He’s also acknowledged that, from time to time, a cleverly licensed and synced piece of music in an ad or movie or TV show can help popularize an artist’s musical catalog, in ways that a radio single no longer can.
Which is what I’ve always said about the power of advertising to help position music in its best light.
I remember – and still bristle at the thought of – trying to get approval from a major label honcho for one of his up-and-coming artists to be the voice-over talent for one of my 90s company’s biggest clients. After leaving many messages – over a two week period – for said honcho, with detailed ad information for his consideration, I finally received his eleventh hour reply, “Mozz, if I relented and let my artist be your voice-over talent, you and your ad business arrogance would cause great damage my artist’s street credibility!”
My reply was “If you don’t start to do SOMETHING for his career, your artist will be ON THE STREET before you know it!”
Well, the honcho refused my entreaties, and I found someone else to be the voice-over. Within a year… one short year… the ads were all over North America, and the replacement voice-over talent bought a house with his performance royalties.
Meanwhile, the honcho’s formerly protected artist was summarily dropped from the label, and ended up on the street… driving a van for a film company!
Thank goodness, that old honcho’s been retired to semi-obscurity for years, and the record business has morphed into a new, artist-and-fan driven beast, capable of not only promoting, but sustaining greatness.
Likewise, the ad and film businesses have proven themselves to be two of the BEST places for artists – and their music – to find new fans around the world.
And I’m proud to say that Vapor has been – and will continue to be - the BEST place for artists to gather and exchange their ideas, both with our amazing Vapor crew, AND with our amazing clients.
So go check out Jon Gomm, folks, and be sure to stay tuned for new updates from Heather, Leah and me!
Tetley’s newest campaign for their line of green teas blends viral advertising with honest feel-good content that everyone should take a moment to view and share.
A 4 spot campaign spearheaded by the creative minds at John St. in Toronto, Tetley’s Green Tea Renewal Party showcases that everyday individuals have the ability to bring about positive change in our communities.
Tetley Green Tea has become synonymous with the ideas of overall health and wellbeing, concepts that translate insightfully through this do-good campaign. Each “Renewal Party” begins with the team at John St. seeking out a noteworthy nominee that is doing something charitable for those around them. The campaign allows for real people to meet real goals; candidates are filmed for what they believe is to spread awareness about their cause, only to be surprised at the end with a grant from Tetley.
Good deeds and Tetley Green Tea, a match made in heaven.
The most recent spot “Courage In Sight” can be viewed below and the first two spots can be found here and here.
Although we have a soft spot in our hearts here at Vapor Music for Canadian music, sometimes an international band hits us hard and it’s love at first listen. This was the case when we heard Hong Kong indie folk sextet noughts and exes for the first time. With gorgeous vocals, harmonies and an emotional, intimate sound complete with strings and bells, we knew they’d be perfect for our favourite comedy series Less Than Kind. The team behind the show agreed wholeheartedly, and not one but *two* of their tunes ended up Season 3 of the show (“Everything” in Episode 304 and “The Madness I Make” in Episode 307). We can’t get enough of their most recent album ‘The Start Of Us’, and anxiously anticipate album number three.
Enjoy!
About:
“Their songs are stylistically varied… filled with warm, rounded layers of multi-instrumental colour, rich harmonies, and vocal lines that regularly threaten to float away into the stratosphere – qualities that seem to bind the album. Bits and pieces of Damien Rice, Mumford and Sons, Andrew Bird, and Elliott Smith pop out from left, right and centre. Perfect for someone looking for a domestic answer to Belle & Sebastian. On songs such as A Time For Love, they approach the razor-sharp pop rock of Spoon, while dabbling in the flavours of alt-country elsewhere.” – Time Out Magazine
“Their set was heartfelt and honest, especially Joshua’s vocal performance. Their set became an intimate affair as he the strain of his vocals revealed him laying bare his feelings through the songs, and the interaction with the audience felt sincere. The rest of the band was also lost in the music when they played, showing their utter commitment and faith in the music they were making” – Melissa Ng, Power of Pop
“Art, music, visuals and performance are all integral to the Noughts and Exes vision, and the band aims to bring that vision to the world stage in a way never before seen by a Hong Kong band. The band is working on new videos and also a unique project which aims to explore the story-telling aspect of their music in a compelling way.” – Bite Tone
Vapor Interactive
Sound Design
Original Composition
Licensing
Radio