11/13/2001
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Well today is the day. BNL releases there much anticipated Greatest Hits. BNL, Backstreet Boys, Madonna and Green Day have all released Greatest hits, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Michael Jackson, DMX, Smash Mouth and a slew of other new music albums have just been released in the past 2 weeks. Most critics say Garth Brooks should be the big winner and should have a first weeks sales well over the 500,000 mark. Michael Jackson is currently #1 but failed to break 400,000 in his first weeks sales. Britney Spears releases her new album next week which estimates say should break at least 750,000 (probably more like 1,000,000). BNL will hopefully break the top ten, but with far less airplay these days they may only break the 100,000 mark. I for one think they will have a much bigger turn out as some newer fans(one weekers) who have been reluctant to buy there older albums will go get this one to sample various "hits"(hits with long term fans) from previous albums. I expect sales to hit the 200,000 mark(I'm an optimist) and hopefully a top 5 spot in the charts. I already have the new album(got it yesterday afternoon from a friend at MediaPlay) even though I have every album, single and unreleased song known to BNL fans. I definitely like the 2 new songs. I am anxiously awaiting a rarities album to be release (hopefully by next summer) and a new album may start to be recorded by the end of next year. BNL management are asking them to slow down so fans don't get sick of them. I agree somewhat. I don't want them to release another album if it's only gonna have a few good songs. Ideally I think they should release the rarities album (for the true fans) mid next year and hopefully put out a great album come March/April 2003. For those that don't know the rarities album may/should include a few cover songs(When Doves Cry by Prince), a few made up songs(Then there was me and the Hokey Pokey) and songs that BNL did a long time ago but never released on a major release(IE: Joseph Brown and McDonalds Girl). .
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(Katrillion) -- Barenaked Ladies keyboardist Kevin Hearn is following the lead of Ben Folds by setting out to become a superstar in his own right. .
Hearn is set to release "H Wing" on Nov. 6 with his new group, Kevin Hearn and the Thin Buckle Band. .
The singer, who recently battled leukemia, said the music is darker than BNL's lilting melodies like "If I Had a $1,000,000," "Pinch Me," and "Too Little Too Late." .
"It's like psychedelic alternative country," he said. .
The first single, "The Good One," was inspired by his bout with cancer. .
"It's about going through things that are not pleasant for a good ending," he said. "I wrote the record when I was going through cancer treatment and it helped me get through it." .
Don't worry, Barenaked Ladies fans. The band's not breaking up just because Hearn has a new project. .
The Canadian crooners, who release a greatest hits album Nov. 13, plan to record a new album next summer. .
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Thanks to Edsplec of the Chatter for this tidbit: .
You can see 19 minutes of Live BNL at RollingStone.com http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/playvideo.asp? cid=1076&stream=11&vidurl=http://metahost.digisle.tv/digitas/barenaked ladies_28.asx .
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Thanks That Was Fun was #29 on the MuchMusic Countdown. To my knowledge it is not being released to MTV unless something dramatic happens (like they sell 200,000 copies of the GH) .
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BNL's Intimate and Interactive will be shown on MUCHMOREMUSIC tonight at 9pm. It is NEW and will be recorded today. .
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Skates from the chatter posted this: bnlmusic.com has been updated...it has a different look and is quite snazzy...has a few new pics of the guys and even a message board... go check it out, its rather lovely... .
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The Thanks That Was Fun video is up on the web. Check it out http://bnl:bnl@128.138.3.174:3000/Files/ .
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Looking for BNL Ringtones??? Search no more. Go to http://www.popex.com/profiles/barenaked_ladies/ringtones.html It's called PopEx and it has a bunch of different BNL related things. It's pretty neat actually. .
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Thinbuckle CD review: .
KEVIN HEARN AND THIN BUCKLE H-Wing (Nettwerk/EMI) .
While battling leukemia, Barenaked Ladies keyboard player Kevin Hearn spent a month in isolation in the H-Wing of Toronto's Princess Margaret Hospital. The appropriately titled H-Wing is the product of his songwriting therapy during this tumultuous time. Emerging cancer- free, Hearn teamed up with former Look People bandmates Great Bob Scott (drums) and Chris Gartner (bass), Rheostatics singer-guitarist Martin Tielli and multi-instrumentalist Derek Aardy Orford. The resulting band, Thin Buckle, add alt.country twang and oddball funk and jazz touches to Hearn's maudlin vocals. Members of Barenaked Ladies, By Divine Right and the Rheostatics add instrumental and vocal support. Hearn's quirky lyrics range from humorous asides, he feels like "Nick Rhodes without his gel" on "Driftwood" to direct confrontations with his illness. "Mouth Of A Shadow" offers his most enlightening lines: "Don't give in they'll say/ There's nowhere to run anyway/I have decided to stay/And take on the shadow/That darkens the day." While others would drown these lyrics in melodramatic song arrangements, Hearn and company opt instead for minimal instrumentation, letting the words carry their own power. It's this Spartan aesthetic that makes H-Wing such an engaging listen. .
Darrin Keene .
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CTV's Open Mike show with Mike Bullard will have BNL as guests on the 14th. It is billed at the Barenaked Ladies Special and will air at midnight. .
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Article on Kevin Hearn: .
http://www.chartattack.com/damn/2001/11/0801.cfm .
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This is from Nic's www.pieceofsky.com/bnluk/ : .
• Impulsive Compulsive Insane has the low-down and dirty on who did what to whom on the latest Lilac Time album, which Steven Page, Kevin Hearn and Tyler Stewart all appear on. Wannt to know more? Weellllll... ... OK then. I've always been a rubbish tease! This info comes from a very reliable source... • Steven Page sings on both Entourage (the song he co-wrote with Stephen Duffy) and Jeans and Summer. • Kevin Hearn plays piano on Dance Out of the Shadows (beautiful song), Foglights and Entourage. (Possibly on Jeans and Summer too, but I'm guessing that.) • Tyler Stewart drums his little heart out on Dance Out of the Shadows, Forest Brown, Jeans and Summer and Entourage. There you go. Don't say I don't get you the fullest, funkiest, fastest, reliable-est (OK, I know) updates. Well, you can say it if you like, obviously. I'll just be all upset and go and sulk or something... .
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Other stuff: .
• I came across this interesting history of Page Music (http://www.radiomoi.com:8080/rm/info/?showkey=labels&label_id=1945) - Steven's Dad and bro's (here's his bands website: http://www.boycesroad.com/) record label/distribution company while I was avoiding work today (didn't you realise that I could easily procrastinate for England?). • Also, I can't remember if I've mentioned this before, but there's a Close Up: Barenaked Ladies TV special running on the Canadian Specialty Channel Star TV on 16th November at 9 pm and 17th November at 12 pm (EST). • Something else that I can't remember if I've mentioned (I'm completely shattered today - too many late nights!) is a cute interview (http://tibbysbowl.com/html/music.html) with Kevin that appeared a couple of weeks ago. .
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Heres some info on Steve's brothers band, Boyces Road. Straight from there website at www.boycesroad.com: .
About the band: .
A catchy melody has never come hard for the multi-talented power-pop trio, Boyce's Road. Every song leaves a listener singing along for hours. Heavily influenced by guitar rock of the 60's, and 70's Boyce's Road fuse their own melodies with sounds reminiscent of such bands as the Beach Boys, Beatles, Police, The Knack, and The Who. Boyce's Road is made up of two brothers, Eric and Bryan Prince and friend, Matthew Page. Together, they have been writing and performing for just over a year and a half, however Eric and Bryan have been playing, singing, and writing music together from their early teens. Like the 'brother' bands of the past (The Everley's, The Bee Gees, The Jackson's) Eric and Bryan's voices blend and compliment each other beautifully. Eric moonlights as a teacher assistant for the Toronto District School Board during his days, while Bryan is an accomplished chef. Recent addition, Matthew Page was brought up in a very musical family. His father was a drummer who also worked in the music business in the late 60's and early 70's running the Mariposa Folk Festival. His older brother Steven is an accomplished singer and songwriter in the band, Barenaked Ladies. Taking influences from both his brother and father, Matthew has developed into a solid pop drummer with strong vocal capabilities. When Matthew is not drumming, he runs a respected independent record label/distribution company with his father called Page Music. Each of the guys are multi-instrumentalists. Bryan plays bass, guitar, sings, and occasionally plays drums. Eric is a guitarist that also sings, plays bass and can hold his own on keys. Matthew plays drums, guitar, keys, and also sings. Bryan, Eric and Matthew all write songs individually and collectively which so far has proven to be a very successful process with over 18 songs written in the last year. Boyce's Road have a list of over 50 cover tunes that they can add to their sets. These days, Boyce's Road have just released their debut CD, "Sunnyday". The CD was recorded in Hamilton, Ontario at Catherine North Studios with Glen Marshall at the helm. Glen has produced recordings by, Junkhouse, Chris Whitely, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, By Divine Right, Dave Rave and engineered projects with fellow Hamiltonian, Daniel Lanois amongst many others. The CD is titled, "Sunnyday" and will be released in Canada on Matthew Page's own record label, Page Music. .
Their new album "Sunnyday" is available at: http://www.hmv.com/ or http://www.chapters.ca/ or http://www.cdplus.com/ .
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