JIM VANCLEVE

Israel also stresses the importance of finding and connecting with a mentor, but only if you are fiercely committed to working on your craft at the highest level. Still getting regular advice from his mentor, Doug Messenger (producer and Van Morrison guitarist), Israel reveals that he learned most of what he knows about music from him (as well as recording many projects at his studio).

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has penned a vivid memoir that conveys both the ordinary and the extraordinary moments and events of his life. Standouts include some harrowing incidents with Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain as well as heartfelt moments with Grohl’s wife and kids. Experiences with Pantera, John Fogerty, Tom Petty, Iggy Pop, John Paul Jones, Paul McCartney and others make this autobiography a satisfying read.

Looking to expand beyond the transportation topic, publisher Zack Miller and executive editor Dennis Pernu launched a dedicated music program in 2021, drawing on Pernu’s prior experience in music book publishing under Quarto’s Voyageur Press imprint. Under their creative, visionary leadership, they have built on the success of their first book the authoritatively written (by Dave Hunter) and lavishly illustrated Fender 75 Years, the officially licensed celebration of the legendary instrument company to publish a series of dynamic works celebrating some of rock’s greatest artists and albums.

Go-Go’s drummer Gina Schock takes fans behind the scenes for a look at her personal photos documenting her band's wild journey to the heights of fame and stardom. Featuring posters, photographs, Polaroids, and other memorabilia from her archives, Made In Hollywood also includes stories from each member of the band, along with other cultural luminaries like Kate Pierson, Jodie Foster, Dave Stewart, Martha Quinn and Paul Reubens.

By Marc Myers

The Anniversary Aesthetic: According to Pernu, Motorbooks’ goal with the line of heavily illustrated upscale coffee-table music books is to merge unique text with archival artist and memorabilia images from agencies, individual photographers, and collections. He works closely with the company’s talented art department to bring the books to life.

“All of our favorite artists wrote a song that resonates, makes us run faster, makes us sad, makes us hug our loved one, makes us fly, makes us drive really fast or really slow. It changes our state because it’s not the artist’s song.” Continues Israel, ”Your audience has to feel understood. It's my story. When I listen, when I sing along, when I see my favorite band, they're singing my song. That's it that kind of sharing is the root of it.”

(hardcover) $30.00

Moving to Manhattan after graduation, she wrote songs on her guitar nonstop. When an o er came through for a photography job, she knew she couldn’t stay in New York. Back in California, she o icially adopted her childhood nickname as her moniker (Delacey), with friend Eddie Park becoming her manager and helping to secure her first publishing deal. Paying just $10,000 00 up front, it landed her first co-writing opportunity, and opened her eyes to songwriting as a profession. “I came home with some of the songs I'd written in New York,” she says. “I had no idea if they were good, but I cried when I wrote them and they were really real to me.”

After placing “New York City” for the Chainsmokers (which she wrote on the trip to Manhattan), her lyricism began to build momentum. A new manager took over from Park and got Delacey into bigger rooms, where she worked hard for five years. “I was getting so many album releases with artists and it was really great, but I was so broke that it felt like I was not legit,” she confesses. “it was hard to believe that I was actually in the industry, even though I definitely was.”

There’s plenty of fascinating information to glean from Myer’s oral history examination of the evolution of the rock concert business, from the wild west ‘50s to the corporatized ‘80s. Myers does it with insightful statements from prominent insiders (Seymour Stein, George Wein, Henry Diltz, Marshall Chess, Michael Lang), performers (Ian Anderson, Todd Rundgren, Alice Cooper) and the fans in the stands, with special attention to milestone events such as Woodstock, Altamont and Live Aid.

The Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin frontman delivers an engrossing memoir about the challenges and triumphs of his childhood and career, as seen through the lens of his personal connection to three pianos. McMahon not only recounts his grueling efforts to make it as an indie artist, but also how he dealt with––and prerailed over––a bout with leukemia at age 23.

Delacey says she just needs chords and something to say in order to begin her process, and sees herself as a vessel. “I feel like when I write music that it's not me writing it I become possessed,” she reveals. “If that thing doesn't happen to me, I don't pursue writing it.” She is ba led at the idea of songwriting with A.I. saying, “there’s no heart in that. You're asking your computer to tell you your feelings. I just think that's so sad generating other people's feelings, collecting them together in such a programmed way. It's so weird. It's so creepy.”

By Mike Cidoni Lennox & Chris May

(hardcover) $35.00

“We want to approach these artists and historic recordings from different angles than those published previously,” he says. “The @50 and @75 concepts offer a fresh way of telling the stories and allow our authors some leeway in curating the high and low points of a career. We created a list of artists, bands and albums that have anniversaries and birthdays approaching. Our criteria included which are still touring, their popularity overseas, cross-generational appeal and album sales over the course of their careers. We’re also starting to branch away from the anniversary concept, but that’s been a strong starting point for this program.”

Proud of standing up for herself and getting credit, Delacey feels she brings something unique to songwriting and hopes that she can continue being brave, emphasizing that it remains di icult for women to carve out a space as producers in the music industry.

Her latest project took three years and involved a lot personal and professional challenges. “I cry when I hear most of it still (even though I've heard it a million times) because of what I was going through when I made it,” admits Delacey. “So much of what we do isn't making music. When I was growing up, it was all about making music—but no one heard it. I was just playing it in my bathtub for acoustics, and it was so di erent than what I make it for now. It's hard to remember that person, but I feel like this album was a lot of me trying to get in touch with her again. I feel like I did that [and] I am really excited for it to be out there and for it to belong to other people.”

Celebrating Iconic Artists: In September 2022, Motorbooks kicked off their current slate of titles with Elton John @ 75 (by Gillian G. Gaar) and Bowie @ 75 (by Martin Popoff). Their early 2023 titles include Alice Cooper @ 75 (by Gary Graff), Pink Floyd and The Dark Side of the Moon (by Martin Popoff), and AC/DC @ 50 (by Martin Popoff). Coming this fall are Ozzy @ 75 (by Daniel Bukszpan), KISS @ 50 (by Martin Popoff) and The Who and Quadrophenia (by Martin Popoff). Also in 2023, Motorbooks will be marking the 75th anniversary of the LP with a broad, illustrated history.

2020’s Black Co ee accrued over 32 million Spotify streams for “Cruel Intentions” and 24 million for “The Subway Song.” Delacey’s sophomore solo project, The Girl Has A Dream, is out now.

Contact Motorbooks, 612-344-8186

The story of one of the most enduring and endeared recording artists in history—the Carpenters—is told for the rst time from the perspective of Richard Carpenter, through more than 100 hours of exclusive interviews and some 200 photographs from the artist’s personal archive. This nicely illustrated book takes you through the multimillion-selling, Grammy-winning duo’s formative years right up through their 1970s stardom and Karen’s unfortunate end.

The Elephant 6 Recording Co a documentary that explores the story of the indie musicians behind such groups as Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, The Apples in Stereo, Elf Power, Of Montreal and more is out Aug. 25. The film was directed by C.B. Stockfleth and produced by Lance Bangs whose credits include videos for Nirvana, Odd Future and Neutral Milk Hotel, plus films and documentaries for Jackass, Pavement and more. It features never-before-seen footage of the bands shot by Bangs, as well as interviews with Elephant 6 members Robert Schneider, Bill Doss, Will Cullen Hart and more, as well as with fans like Elijah Wood, David Cross, Danger Mouse, and James Mercer. Contact Matt Hanks at mhanks@shorefire.com.

Aug. 29 is the release date for The Sandman soundtrack on vinyl by David Buckley. Based on the award-winning dark fantasy DC comics series written by author Neil Gaiman, The Sandman is a tale about the dream world that takes place over 10 chapters. The vinyl release includes 2xLP 180 gram black and gold swirled vinyl, an insert and heavyweight gatefold jackets with matte satin coating. For more information, contact kyrie@whitebearpr.com.

Grandfathers of college rock R.E.M. partnered with FX’s The Bear to release a video for “Strange Currencies (Remix),” which can be found on YouTube. The band’s music is featured heavily in Season 2 of the award-winning hit television series, which premiered in June on Hulu. The EP, Strange Currencies, is available for streaming, including a previously unreleased live version of the song. Craft Recordings will release vinyl reissues of the long out-of-print R.E.M. albums Reveal and Accelerate, both out Aug. 25. Email jacob.mask@craftrecordings.com for more information.

Kino Lorber has announced the release of Soundies: The Ultimate Collection, a four-disc set featuring 200 short musical subjects that entertained Americans during the World War II era. Newly restored from archives preserved by the Library of Congress, these were originally made to be viewed on movie jukeboxes in neighborhood bars and showcases a wide range of musical artists and genres, including Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole,

Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Doris Day, Dorothy Dandridge, Merle Travis, Fats Waller, Spike Jones and more. Soundies dropped digitally and on Blu-ray on July 25. Contact mbarry@kinolorber.com for more.

In July, Movie Score Media released Green Space Dark Skies (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) with music by Nainita Desai. The six-track album, which soundtracks the film showcasing some of the U.K.’s most beautiful landscapes, is available now digitally and on Movie Score Media’s website. Emmy and RTS award-winning composer Desai was World Soundtrack Awards 2021 winner for Discovery of the Year and has recently received MPSE Golden Reel, ASCAP, SCL, GANG and Develop nominations for her score for acclaimed video game Immortality. Learn more by contacting Kyrie Hood at kyrie@whitebearpr. com.

A new video is now available in Queen guitarist Brian May’s Star Fleet Sessions YouTube miniseries about his solo endeavor Star Fleet Project. In addition, the Star Fleet Project Special 40th Anniversary Edition Gold Series box set was released July 14. This newly assembled and expanded box set includes 2 CDs, a vinyl single and LP with 23 previously unheard takes from two legendary days of sessions at Los Angeles’ The Record Plant in April 1983. In the new YouTube episode, May discusses working with Edward Van Halen. Get more information by contacting everyone@reybee.com.

Rocky III’s hit double Grammy-winning theme song, “Eye of the Tiger,” which spent six weeks at No. 1 back in 1982, has done it again. 18 months after signing over a majority stake of Jim Peterik’s publishing catalog to Primary Wave, the song has passed one billion streams on Spotify. Writing/co-writing all tracks on their first seven albums as a founding member of Survivor, Peterik also co-wrote for 38 Special, Sammy Hagar and The Beach Boys.

Following the Peterik deal, Primary Wave has purchased a portion of the publishing catalog, writer’s share and writer’s performance share for

As a founding member of Kool & The Gang, Brown was one of their main songwriters, with two Grammy awards and seven American Music Awards. With a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and having sold over 70 million

albums, they were also honored by the Living Legends Foundation in 2008. The acquisition with Primary wave includes hits, “Hollywood Swinging,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Cherish,” “Ladies Night,” and “Celebration,” and their music has been featured in numerous films and sampled by Mase, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, and more.

The Los Angeles Women in Film Festival will be held this year Nov. 29-Dec. 3 with the final deadline of Sept. 29 to submit your work for consideration.

All films must be produced by female identifying filmmakers and feature female-driven storytelling. Categories include feature, short, documentary, web series, TV pilot, animation and music video. Learn more at lafilmfestivals.com/la-womenin-film-fest.

Aug. 29 is the early entry deadline and Oct. 3 is the final deadline for submissions to the SXSW Film and TV Festival 2024. See a full list of application criteria and deadlines at sxsw.com/deadlines/.

Registration is open for GameSoundCon

2023, which will take place Oct. 17 and 18 in Burbank, CA. Details about this year’s game music and sound design conference and how to register can be found at gamesoundcon. com/registration.

Submit your work by Aug. 26 to the annual San Francisco Short Film Festival, set for Oct. 12-22 this year. Best Music Video and Best Dance Film are included among the categories. Learn more and submit your work at filmfreeway.com/ SFIndieShorts.

A study by Slot Tracker revealed that the music from Hamilton, the 2015 hit production by Lin-Manuel Miranda that took Broadway by storm in 2015, is the most streamed musical album with more than 5.6 billion streams. That’s three times the amount of Mamma Mia!, which came in second place at 1.5 billion streams. Not only does Hamilton have the most streamed album, but the hit “Alexander Hamilton” is also the most streamed song, with more than 260 million streams on Spotify almost twice the streams of Mamma Mia!’s most streamed song, “Lay All Your Love on Me.”

See more at slottracker.com.

According to theJasmineBrand, a biopic on Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige is reportedly in the works, with the renowned, multiple Grammy-winning artist collaborating with BET+ on the project and a release date to be determined. This comes on the heels of Blige’s release of an inspirational children’s book, Mary Can!, last year, about a young girl who pursues her dreams and inspired by Blige’s own experiences. Blige also produced two Lifetime Original Movies that premiered this year, including Mary J. Blige’s Real Love and its sequel, Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman. Learn more at thejasminebrand. com/2023/06/26/exclusive-mary-j-bligebiopic-reportedly-inthe-works.

Dirty Heads’ viral single “Vacation” was recently certified platinum by the RIAA and the band were presented plaques from their label Better Noise Music. The band also performed live on the TODAY Show July 17 and were presented a plaque from hosts Hoda & Jenna. The RIAA platinum certification of "Vacation," acknowledging sales of more than 1 million digital downloads since its release, marks a career first for Dirty Heads. “Vacation” exploded when the #VacationTransition challenge went viral on TikTok, amassing over 378 MILLION streams and over 6 BILLION consumption plays across all social media platforms.

Hip-Hop Til Infinity, an immersive trip across 50 years of hip-hop, opened at Manhattan’s Hall des Lumières on July 26. The digital installation shows viewers the history of hip-hop music and culture, and its di erent eras and regions, from skate parks to stages, using state-of-theart audio-visual technology. The exhibition also includes interactive programming, including virtual concerts, live panels and conversations, listening parties, artist meet and greets, and more. Hip Hop Til Infinity is the latest announcement from Mass Appeal’s Hip-Hop 50 initiative, which is a massive cross-platform effort to celebrate hip-hop as both a music genre and cultural movement. For more information, contact maria.malta@sonymusic.com.

JESSICA PACE is a music journalist-turnednews-reporter based in Durango, CO. She is from Nashville, where she started a writing career by freelancing for publications including American Songwriter and Music Connection. Contact her at j.marie.pace@gmail.com.

Composer

Website: joyngiaw.com

Contact: kate.twilley@impact24pr.com

Most Recent: Glamorous

Award-winning composer Joy Ngiaw’s music can be heard in Blush, Short Circuit: Jing Hua, Rescued by Ruby, and now, Netflix’s Glamorous, starring Kim Cattrall and non-binary performer Miss Benny. For the latter, Ngiaw forewent her usual orchestral style for more contemporary, pop influences and experimenting with plug-ins.

Drawn to projects that prompt nostalgia and connection with characters, the classically trained Ngiaw said Glamorous is a “very special show” that focuses on a wide range of LGBTQ+ experiences and pushed her out of her musical comfort zone. “I’m deeply fascinated by the complexity of human emotions and the range of experiences we can have. It’s beautiful to remember something, whether it’s good or bad, because that shapes who we are. I want my scores to represent a very diverse range of human experiences,” Ngiaw says.

“In Glamorous there’s lots of light-hearted and comedic moments, but also emotional and tender moments. What drew me to the show was each character has their own storyline, and so often LGBTQ+ characters are side characters or fit a certain mold. This show is really unashamed of showcasing their wide range of experiences: finding their identity, exploring work relationships, family dynamics, love interests. I got excited to write music that humanizes those experiences.”

Glamorous was also Ngiaw’s first foray into composing for television, which introduced her to a more fast-paced environment. “I think a piece of music is done when I watch the scene, and I’m not noticing my music only the storyline or characters. When I can just watch it and am completely engrossed.”

Ngiaw says it’s important for aspiring composers to find films, shows and other projects that speak to them. “Remember, it’s something you’ll work on for a while, so find the project you’re passionate about,” she says. “At that point, let your passion and inspiration take over. And make sure you have a good team I’ve realized the importance of having a music editor, assistant and additional writers you can count on. They’ll be there when the deadlines are coming close.” •

Rising modern powerhouse blues vocalist/keyboardist Eliza Neals is nominated in three categories for the Independent Blues Awards 2023, which are "Best Female Artist," "Best Blues Rock Song" ("Queen of the Nile"), and "Best Blues Rock Album" (Badder To The Bone). Detroit- born, blues-rock star on the rise honors the gut-wrenching, soul splitting intent the American roots/contemporary blues represents, with inspired songwriting and critically-lauded live performances.

2023 Class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees The Spinners’ Henry Fambrough returned to his Detroit roots to make a donation on behalf of the group to the city’s Motown Museum. Fambrough one of the founding members of the iconic R&B group participated in a ceremony that included the gifting of 375 outfits and 200 pairs of shoes that the 6x Grammy-nominated group wore throughout their career.

Canadian Music Week was proud to present Kardinal Offishall with the Social Justice Award at the CMW Music Summit recently at the Westin Harbour Castle. Canadian media personality Master T hosted a keynote interview with Kardinal Offishall, followed by the presentation of this second annual award.

LOCASH Preston Brust and Chris Lucas became the first Country act named Honorary Guardians of the United States Space Force during an induction ceremony at Patrick Space Force Base recently.

Eric Clapton hosted a sold–out, star–studded, two–night tribute concert honoring the memory and artistry of the late Jeff Beck at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall. Clapton brought together an unforgettable group of music legends to honor his longtime friend. Performers include: Derek Trucks, Johnny Depp, Kirk Hammett, Joss Stone, Gary Clark Jr. and more. Pictured (l-r): John McLaughlin, Clapton, Billy Gibbons

Ringo Starr and wife Barbara Starkey were joined in Los Angeles July 7 , his 83 rd birthday, by family and friends to deliver his “Peace and Love” exclamation at noon local time. Notable contributors include Joe and Marjorie Walsh, Edgar Winter, Gregg Bissonette, Sheila E., Richard Marx, Jim Keltner, Benmont Tench, Mike Campbell, Ed Begley Jr., Diane Warren, Roy Orbison Jr., and others. The Beverly Hills event also featured performances by the Silversun Pickups, Blake Mills, King Tuff, and more.

In an issue chock-full of content, including in-depth interviews with artists Jermaine Dupri, Sheila E, SheDAISEY’s Kristyn Osborn, Saliva, and Caribbean Pulse, Music Connection’s cover-story artist Lenny Kravitz clued us all in on his Grammy-winning music-making process: “I never do any pre-production,” he revealed. “I write in the studio by laying down tracks and building them.”

Grammy-nominated and Dove award-winning country artist Ty Herndon and the world's largest LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization, GLAAD, joined forces once again to present The Concert for Love & Acceptance. Held at the esteemed Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, the star-studded event featured an exceptional lineup of talent, including Ty Herndon, Chrissy Metz, Maddie & Tae, Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, Sam Williams, Brooke Eden, Chapel Hart, Desmond Child, Billy Gilman, Jamie Floyd, Brandon Stansell, Bryan Ruby, Wendy Moten, Shelly Fairchild and more.

Songwriter/producer trio The Matrix was our focus in this cover story, discussing everything related to their creative process and their day-to-day life in music. “I still go out and hear bands in coffee shops,” said the trio’s Graham Edwards.” It’s amazing the talent out there that hasn’t had the break.” The issue also contains an interview with KROQ radio deejay Rodney Bingenheimer and producer Bjorn Thorsrud (Smashing Pumpkins, Marianne Faithful, Toad The Wet Sprocket).