HOWARD STERN ANNOUNCES FREE ACCESS TO FULL SIRIUSXM

NEW YORK – March 31, 2020 – SiriusXM and Howard Stern today announced that starting today through May 15, SiriusXM will start offering free access to its full lineup of Premier Streaming content to listeners in North America. Howard kicked off the unprecedented Stream Free access this morning while hosting The Howard Stern Show, on channel 100, from his home.

SiriusXM Select and All Access subscribers already have access to this great content included with their subscriptions. Anyone who is not already a SiriusXM subscriber can download the SiriusXM app or go to SiriusXM.com/streamfree, and start listening free of charge, with no credit card or commitment required.

“With so many people asked to stay at home, we are making our full streaming lineup of music, entertainment, news, and information easily accessible to everyone,” said Jim Meyer, SiriusXM CEO. “In the days ahead, we hope it's a valuable source of information or diversion, a generous mix of fresh live content, and a source of companionship that comes from the hosts on our many shows and channels. And there was no better way to launch the Stream Free content than with Howard this morning.”

Listeners will have free access to more than 300 channels of dynamic programming, featuring the acclaimed The Howard Stern Show, hundreds of exclusive ad-free music channels, and vital news and information sources. SiriusXM is also adding entirely new curated content, and bringing back some beloved music channels by top artists.

#StayHome Radio, a feel-good, ad-free music channel, will launch April 1 on the streaming platform and channel 179 on most SiriusXM radios. The channel will feature happy and uplifting songs from artists like Lizzo and Coldplay to P!nk and Bob Marley.

And as people spend time at home, SiriusXM is bringing back The Billy Joel Channel, Dave Matthews Band Radio, and a new channel full of the Top 1000 songs across multiple genres, all available on the SiriusXM app, connected devices, as well as most SiriusXM radios, beginning the 1st of April.

Billy Joel’s exclusive SiriusXM channel, The Billy Joel Channel, features music spanning his decades-long career, including songs from his live and studio albums, and Billy telling exclusive stories about his music and career. Throughout the month, the channel will also air Billy Joel: An Evening of Questions and Answers…and a little music too, which was recorded last year in Miami at the Faena Theater. It can be heard on the SiriusXM app in the Rock category and on SiriusXM radios on channel 30.

Dave Matthews Band Radio will include music from the band’s extensive career, along with exclusive, never-before-heard interview content, and encore airings and highlights from Dave’s recent Pay It Forward: Live performance streamed from his home and simulcast live on SiriusXM. Dave’s “live from home” performance can be heard in full Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, Thursday at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT, Friday at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, and through the weekend.

The channel will also bring back the Friday Night Concert Series, featuring a complete show from the archives every Friday night at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. While the band is off the road, the Friday Night Concert Series will feature standout shows including the band’s 2018 and 2019 tour, originally heard live exclusively on SiriusXM. Dave Matthews Band Radio can be heard on the SiriusXM app in the Rock category and on SiriusXM radios initially on channel 176.

The Top 1000 Channel will bring a new genre countdown every two weeks, kicking off with the top 1000 Classic Rock Songs and followed by the top 1000 Oldies songs, Alternative Rock songs (80s to today), Country songs, RnB songs, Hard Rock songs and Hip-Hop songs. It can be heard on the SiriusXM app and on most SiriusXM radios on channel 177.

SiriusXM’s ad-free music channels offer a wide variety of choices, from favorites The Highway, SiriusXM Hits 1 and our decades channels, to artist-backed channels such as The Beatles Channel, The Garth Channel, Pearl Jam Radio, Grateful Dead Channel, LL COOL J’s Rock The Bells Radio, Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Radio, and Eminem’s Shade 45.

There are also many additional online-only music channels, including more than 100 Xtra music channels, curated for any mood, occasion or activity, as well as music channels geared toward “relaxing-at-home” listening, such as SiriusXM Chill, Watercolors, and SiriusXM Coffee House. SiriusXM music channels are home to more than 200 channel hosts who serve as trusted companions to millions in North America currently in their homes.

Listeners also get live news from major outlets such as CNN, FOX News, CNBC, MSNBC and BBC World Service, and valuable information from channels such as Doctor Radio powered by NYU Langone Health, and Business Radio. There are also inspirational and faith-based channels, multiple channels of comedy, dynamic sports talk such as Mad Dog Sports Radio, and more.

SiriusXM’s entertainment channels include Radio Andy and SiriusXM Stars, featuring daily live shows covering the latest in pop culture, celebrities, lifestyle, and more. Listeners can tune in to hear live shows from SiriusXM hosts including Andy Cohen, Jenny McCarthy, Jess Cagle, Jeff Lewis, Bevy Smith, Michelle Collins and more.

The SiriusXM app also offers additional features such as SiriusXM video, Personalized Stations Powered by Pandora that listeners can curate themselves, and an On-Demand library with more than 10,000 hours of archived shows, exclusive music performances, interviews, and audio documentaries.

The SiriusXM app is available on mobile phones, tablets and computers, as well as on a wide variety of connected devices in the home including smart TVs, devices with Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant, Apple TV, PlayStation, Roku, Sonos speakers and more.

STINGRAY MUSIC STREAMING UNLOCKING FREE CONTENT FOR 30 DAYS

Stingray is unlocking free content for 30 days in three of its popular apps: Stingray Karaoke, Stingray Qello, and Stingray Classica

 Stingray wants to do its part for families and individuals in quarantine or voluntary self-isolation during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Starting today, Stingray will give one-month access to free content in three of its popular apps: Stingray Karaoke, Stingray Qello, and Stingray Classica. This offering will provide much-needed entertainment for the whole family from the comfort of home.

The Stingray Karaoke app’s entire catalog of over 50,000 songs will provide hours of fun for those looking for ways to pass the time and lift their spirits during work and school shutdowns. For concert-lovers, Stingray Qello will unlock popular titles of full-length productions with a special focus on artists who have canceled or postponed their shows.

Viewers can relive Madonna’s Confession Tour, Miley Cyrus’s Bangerz Tour, or watch the documentary Sensation: The Story of Tommy, featuring The Who, amongst many others.

For classical music aficionados, the Stingray Classica app offers hours of breathtaking shows that will delight both young and old. Viewers can tune into Verdi’s La Traviata from the Teatro Real Madrid, concerts from the London Symphony Orchestra, as well as fascinating documentaries about legendary musicians, such as Maria Callas and Yehudi Menuhin.

“Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed heartwarming acts of solidarity and kindness. It was a given that Stingray had to do its part for those whose routines are disrupted by being thrown into close quarters for weeks, especially families with young children,” said Eric Boyko, President, Co-founder, and CEO of Stingray. “One only has to witness Italians singing in solidarity from their balconies to understand the healing power of music.

By offering the Stingray Karaoke, Stingray Qello, and Stingray Classica apps free for the next month, we want to give individuals and families under lockdown moments of joy and levity in these times of anxiety.”

Stingray Karaoke App at a Glance

• 50,000+ songs from today and decades past in many languages and genres including pop, rock, R&B, hip-hop, country, Latin, and more
• Disney favorites including Frozen, Moana, Beauty and the Beast, and The Descendants
• Songs in the style of today’s top-charting artists (Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons) and yesterday’s legends (Elvis, The Beatles, Bon Jovi, Queen, ABBA)
• Pre-made party mixes in a variety of themes including “Party Time,” “Karaoke #Hits,” “Totally ‘80s,” “Disco Party,” and “Motown Classics”

Stingray Karaoke can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play. Unlimited access to the entire song catalog is available until April 18, 2020.

Stingray Qello App at a Glance

• Full-length concert films and music documentaries in all genres: rock, pop, country, hip-hop, jazz, and more
• Features recent releases and must-see iconic performances
• Option to build customized setlists with tracks from your favorite concerts
• VIP access to live-streaming of festivals, shows, and music events

Stingray Qello can be downloaded from the App Store, Google Play, Amazon and the Roku Store, and it is also available directly on the web at www.qello.com. Limited access to selected titles is available until April 18, 2020.

Stingray Classica App at a Glance

• Breathtaking orchestral performances, operas, ballets, and music documentaries
• New titles added every month
• High-quality audio and stunning visuals
• Prestigious productions from all over the world
• Features a wide variety of genres: popular, romantic, contemporary, and more

Access to all titles on Stingray Classica is available for one month by visiting www.stingray.com/freemonthclassica and entering the gift code freeview.

About Stingray
Montreal-based Stingray Group Inc. (TSX: RAY.A; RAY.B) is a leading music, media, and technology company with over 1,200 employees worldwide. Stingray is a premium provider of curated direct-to-consumer and B2B services, including audio television channels, more than 100 radio stations, SVOD content, 4K UHD television channels, karaoke products, digital signage, in-store music, and music apps, which have been downloaded 150 million times. Stingray reaches 400 million subscribers (or users) in 156 countries. For more information: www.stingray.com.

NINE OF PENTACLES: FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL!

Nine of Pentacles »
Today could prove particularly financially successful - yeah!

You may feel like celebrating on you own, or perhaps the opposite and wishing you had someone to share your news with.

You'll probably just chill out at home.

LITTLE VILLAINS: NEW LP CELEBRATES MOTÖRHEAD DRUMMER PHIL TAYLOR

Los Angeles, CA - Phil Taylor put the motor in Motörhead for 13 incredible years, recording drums for that iconic band on 11 studio albums as well as 4 live albums. His stage presence became the stuff of rock legend and the ferocity with which he attacked his kit (as well as offstage antics) earned him the moniker Philthy Animal.

Underappreciated in his later years, Taylor continued to play hard-driving rock n’ roll in various outfits, including the superb Little Villains project, formed with producer/musician James Childs of Airbus fame. The group made several studio recordings overseen by Childs, some of which were released in 2019 as the album Philthy Lies.

And now a new Little Villains album is hitting the streets, this time featuring the talents of former Hawkwind bassist and Lemmy prodigy, Alan “Boomer” Davey, who joins Childs on this celebration of the life and talents of Phil Taylor.

Featuring the remaining studio recordings Taylor made prior to his passing in 2015, the album Taylor Made bursts with the power and energy of those early Motörhead albums. Childs expresses his enthusiasm for the project saying “I grew up on Motorhead and Hawkwind and to actually work with key members of each group is a milestone in my lifetime that I never could have imagined.”

Taylor Made will be available on digital, CD and limited edition RED vinyl beginning April 3 courtesy of Cleopatra Records!

Taylor Made



Track List:
1. Taylor Made
2. Model B
3. Aeroplane
4. All The Flak
5. We All Toil
6. Melony Blue
7. In A Mess
8. Over The Moon
9. Control Yourself
10. Soon

3RD EDITION OF THE STRAWBERRY BRICKS GUIDE TO PROG ROCK OUT TODAY

The 3rd Edition of “The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock” by Charles Snider To be Released March 27, 2020

The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock, 3rd Edition
• Reviews of 510+ albums from 1967 - 1982
• 572 pages
• Fully edited, proofread and fact-checked

Back in print for 2020! The definitive record guide to the progressive era of rock music, Strawberry Bricks presents a comprehensive discography with reviews of 500+ albums, with band histories, musical synopses, key tracks, and critical commentary, all presented in the historical context of a timeline.

Beginning in 1967 and continuing through 1982, a generation of musicians took rock music in directions unforeseen as they charted what would become known as progressive rock. From art rock to krautrock, from England to Germany to Italy and all across Europe, Strawberry Bricks offers a candid reappraisal of rock’s most cerebral genre. Also for this edition, Matt Howarth has revisited his original artwork from the first edition of the book.

Says Charles, “The newly written Prologue offers a historical perspective of the pretext to the progressive era, beginning post-WWII, while the Epilogue offers a current perspective on progressive rock since the early '80s. I've also spent a good deal of time fact-checking every detail in the book, including song titles and artist names.

Further, this edition has been professionally edited and peer-reviewed, all to make this as exacting and rewarding a book as the music it covers. Strawberry Bricks is another narrative on the classic era of progressive rock, one with hopefully a novel and candid outlook on the genre, its albums and the men that made it one of the most interesting chapters in rock's history.”

With 212 more reviews, 210 more pages, completely fact-checked and professionally edited, and with a full index, the third edition is a substantial upgrade to owners of the first edition of the book. For owners of the second edition, Matt Howarth once again revisits his original artwork for Strawberry Bricks. Enjoy the music!

“Charles Snider has an encyclopedic knowledge of progressive rock and has accrued one of the world’s most formidable record collections. No one is better equipped to write the definitive discography of this rich genre of music.” - Jonathan Schang, District 97

The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock: Third Edition

About the Author:

Charles Snider has been collecting records since the early 1970s, amassing one of the most complete archives of progressive rock. “One of my earliest memories of vinyl was The Beatles' 'Paperback Writer' b/w 'Rain.'

Musically, my love for British music and everything thereafter starts with The Beatles. My daughters are even named after Beatles’ songs!” Snider's self-professed passion for the music “archaeology” continued over the decades, branching out to many other genres of music. “In the early 90s, Kevin Eden and I curated the WMO label, with the cooperation and support of Wire.

The CD was a new format, and we released a lot of hard to find records, as well as unreleased archival material and two very good tribute discs.” Upon moving to Chicago in 2000, he began writing the first edition of The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock. “I've always loved record guides. Certainly, Ira Robbin’s Trouser Press was the prototype, but growing up in the 70s with magazines like Circus, Creem and of course Rolling Stone, I've always enjoyed the passion writers convey about music.” While not listening to prog rock in his man-cave, Snider can be found blogging about personal technology or cheering on the Chicago Blackhawks.

The 3rd Edition of “The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock” will be released on March 27th, 2020. Available directly from http://strawberrybricks.com/the-book, and from Amazon.com

JIM BAD BOY BAADE: FLINT ROCK JOCK / ROCK FILMMAKER GUEST POSTS TODAY!

Photo: 1983 at WWCK goes to Michelle LaRose

We have a guest post today from the best looking DJ in retro rock history! Jim "Bad Boy" Baade who is also a superb Rock Radio filmmaker. 

We thought my readers and fellow retro music fans would love to see all of Jim's historic rock history films! Hopefully, many more to come!  Kick em Out Bad Boy!

Photo of Jim with Greta Van Fleet holding up a copy of Local DJ (Left to Right Sam Kiszka, Me, Jake Kiszka and Josh Kiszka. Photo Credit Sophia Baade

Flint’s Best Rock was a passion project I made while taking a filmmaking class at Mott Community College in 2012. I didn’t realize the movie would resonate with so many people, but it did and that just blew me away. The film recounts the glory days of WWCK, an Album Rock powerhouse in the ’80s that went to become the Best Rock Station in America according to Billboard Magazine!!

It wasn’t corporate radio, but true radio- when radio had a lot of power! I wanted to be as honest and intelligent as I could in telling the story about something I loved and was a big part of... and it kinda sent shockwaves both locally and nationally to an extent. It won Best Doc at the Flint Film Festival and was elected to be in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Photo Credit Sophia Baade

Local DJ was a tribute to my mentor and true Rock n’ Roll Hero - Peter C Cavanaugh!! It was my highest professional honor to have Pete endorse and love my film.

The group photo is of a small reunion of WWCK DJ’s (left to right: Jim, Randy Stephenson, Tim Siegrist, and Randy Bhirdo)

Local DJ is 101 minutes of an immersive experience connecting key elements of a half-century of radio, Rock n’ Roll and Culture featuring Michigan’s significant contributions. A microcosm of our shared experience to Rock music in American with non-stop throbbing, pulsing and pulverizing red hot Rock seen through the life and times of Rock n’ Roll Hall Fame DJ Peter C Cavanaugh.

https://vimeo.com/330236501 (Flint’s Best Rock 2012) - Password 1234

https://vimeo.com/330230347 ( Local DJ The Story of Michigan Story) - Password 1234

https://vimeo.com/331733752 (Local DJ The Story of Michigan of Rock Trailer) - Password 1234

RAY PARKER JR NEW DOCUMENTARY "WHO YOU GONNA CALL!

(Photo left to right) - Ola Strøm, Ray Parker Jr and Fran Strine host private screening of the new Ray Parker Jr documentary "Who You Gonna Call?" at the ArcLight Hollywood. #whoyougonnacallfilm

(Hollywood, CA) - Power Chord Films held a private screening of their new Ray Parker Jr documentary "Who You Gonna Call?" which chronicles Parker's rise from the racially charged streets of Detroit, to writing and recording the global smash hit song Ghostbusters, an Oscar-nominated pop culture classic. The single went platinum in eight countries and won Parker Jr a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

You know Ray Parker Jr. as the artist who wrote and recorded Ghostbusters, but what you don't know his back story and what it took for him to get there. From the streets of Detroit to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Parker's journey is one you won't believe.

Described as one of the baddest guitar players ever to hit this earth, the multi-talented songwriter, producer, and musical phenom, gigged with the legendary Funk Brothers at age 13 and quickly became one of Motown's most in-demand studio musicians. Music mogul Clive Davis brought him to frontman, solo artist status.

"Who You Gonna Call"? is the first film under the new Power Chord venture, a production company dedicated to telling the unknown stories of iconic music artists. It is helmed by global financier Ola Strøm; 2020 Kodak Documentary Award winner Fran Strine, and Parker Jr. with plans to hit the film festival circuit later this year. Fran Strine