New Releases this week:

Chad Brownlee - Love Me or Leave Me
Hey Rosetta! - Sing Sing Sessions
Tribes - Baby (Deluxe Edition
Lee DeWyze - What Once Was
Seether- Remix EP
Amos Lee - As The Crow Flies
Bryan Ferry - Olympia (Remixes)
Bric-a-Brac - Death by Chocolate 

hmv digital remembers Whitney Houston

Win A Trip To The 2013 Grammy Awards. Enter by clicking here

hmv icons: SWOLLEN MEMBERS

hmv featured artist: Enter Shikari

Artist Spotlight - Chad Brownlee

hmv Free Track of the Week: Morgan Page feat. Tegan & Sara - Body Work (Club Mix Edit)

Until next week…happy listening!

After a relatively light release schedule this summer, it seems that the record companies are slowly gearing up for the holiday shopping season. I think it’s safe to say that from this point forward, New Release Tuesdays are going be full of gems as we make the run up to the holidays.

This week, the band SuperHeavy releases their self-titled debut album. If you haven’t heard of Superheavy, they are a supergroup (pun intended) consisting of Mick Jagger (Rolling Stones), Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Joss Stone, Damian Marley and A.R. Rahman. Jagger has described the SuperHeavy project as a showcase of different musical styles, with music ranging from reggae to ballads to the Indian genre.

Also out this week is Duets II from legendary crooner Tony Bennett. This album contains collaborations with artists such as: Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Canadians Michael Buble and KD Lang, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Mariah Carey and the recently deceased Amy Winehouse. At the age of 85, Bennett still proves he can hold his own with some of today’s hottest artists.

At this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), there was a lot of attention paid to the upcoming documentary by U2 called From The Sky Down, which opened this year’s festival; But another documentary that also played at TIFF was the film Pearl Jam 20 directed by Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous), which chronicles the band’s 20th anniversary. The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for Pearl Jam 20 contains 29 tracks of live recordings and demos of Pearl Jam favorites – a definite must-have for any fan. Just don’t call the film a ‘rockumentary’ please!

Alternative music fans will be happy to finally hear a new album called Velociraptor! from UK indie-rockers Kasabian. Ever since the release of their eponymously-titled debut album in 2004, the band have received critical acclaim for singles such as “Processed Beats”, “Reason Is Treason”, “Club Foot” and “Empire” and have received numerous awards including Best Album (West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum) at the NME Awards and Best Group at the Brit Awards in 2010.

As for Canadians, Juno Award winning Country artist Paul Brandt releases Give It Away and songstress (and relative newcomer) Victoria Duffield releases her debut album Shut Up and Dance. I say ‘relative newcomer’ because many of you might know Duffield from Season 3 of the reality television music contest The Next Star, where she placed in the Top 6. And that brings me to the album The Next Star Season 4, also out today featuring songs from the hit television show sung by the show’s contestants.

Lastly, hmvdigital followers should know Australian teen popstar Cody Simpson, who did an autograph session at the hmv store in Square One Mall, Mississauga, Ontario where about a million screaming fans showed up. Okay, maybe not exactly a million, but if you were there, it felt like it. Judging by his ever-growing fan base, there’s no question his EP called Coast to Coast which is also out today, will be a huge seller.

Happy Listening!

Greetings!

For most provinces in Canada, this past weekend was a long weekend with Monday being a Civic Holiday (except for Newfoundland, P.E.I., Quebec and the Yukon). This August long weekend marks the unofficial halfway point of the summer and usually means big plans and big events for most people.

Here in Toronto, there were two shows I really wanted to go to – Death Cab For Cutie (July 29th) and Ellie Goulding (August 1). I didn’t manage to get tickets for either show but from what I hear, both were amazing. I’m sad to have missed them but hopefully both artists will be back soon.

As for the new releases this week, there are some key album and single releases from major alternative rock bands. For albums, alt country rockers Drive By Truckers release Ugly Buildings, Whores & Politicians, which is a greatest hits package of songs released by the band between 1998-2009. Another collection that is out this week is The Complete BBC Recordings by legendary band Joy Division, who continues to gain new fans despite the bands demise in 1980. Lastly, one of my favorite bands Fountains of Wayne, release their fifth studio album called Sky Full of Holes. I haven’t heard it yet but if I am to go by their past four albums, it’ll be full of melodic pop songs that the band is masters at writing.

And for Singles, look no further than Radiosurgery, the brand new single from the forthcoming album by New Found Glory. The single is a little ‘poppier’ than some of their past releases, but still edgy enough to appease their growing fan base. Another single to download and listen to is from Orange County, California rockers Jack’s Mannequin with the first single titled My Racing Thoughts from their forthcoming album People and Things, which is scheduled for release October 4th. Both New Found Glory and Jack’s Mannequin have been crowd favourites at past Warped Tour Festivals so these singles should have some pretty good buzz behind them.

Lastly, my hmvdigital Choice of the Week goes to Greyson Chance – Hold On ‘Til The Night. By now, you must have seen this 14-year old’s cover version of Lady Gaga’s Papparazzi on YouTube. If you haven’t, just search YouTube for it – it currently has over 45 Million views. Greyson Chance is the first person signed to Ellen DeGeneres’ eleveneleven record label and has appeared many times on the Ellen show. He most recently toured with Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) and tween sensation Cody Simpson. This is Greyson Chance’s first studio album.

Well that’s it for now…I hope you’re enjoying your summer.

Cheers,

Allan

Hello Everyone,

Sorry I’ve been a little late updating my blog, last week was super crazy but I think we’re back on track this week.

First off, Warped Tour came to Toronto on July 15th and it was awesome!  Although I only got to see half of Paramore’s last song of their set (I had a meeting), the overall experience was great…and I have to thank Tonni from Epitaph Records Canada for taking good care of me.

Anyways, onto this week’s releases.  We have a few BIG RELEASES out this week.  Kaiser Chiefs are back with a new album called “The Future is Medieval”.  Also out, Vanessa Carlton returns with “Rabbits on the Run” and ex-Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland has a new album out called “Here I Am”.

As for hot singles, we here in Canada (especially in Toronto) love hometown boy DRAKE.  He has a new single out called “Marvins Room” which is really good.  Another Canadian act The Jayhawks have a single called “She Walks In So Many Ways” out today, and, Nicole Scherzinger teams up with 50 Cent to release a collection of all the remixes for their track “Right There”.  Lastly, Martin Sloveig & Kele release “Ready 2Go” - another sure-fire anthem.

My hmvdigital Choice of the Week is the band Falling in Reverse.  If you haven’t heard them, go to hmvdigital.ca and listen to the preview streams of the album.  It rocks! The video for their track The Drug in Me is You already has over 1.5 Million views on YouTube!!  To say that ‘they are blowing up in a big way’ is a bit of an understatement.

So as you can tell, it’s a big week for releases here at hmvdigital.ca and we’re only half-way through summer.  So exciting!  

I hope you’re all enjoying the sunshine!!

Cheers,
Allan