This year a slew of musical stars put down their guitars and picked up a pen, among them Neil Young, who wrote the idiosyncratic Waging Heavy Peace and Pete Townshend, who bares all in Who I Am. Some rockers trusted someone else to do it -- the definitive Mick Jagger bio comes from Philip Norman and there is more on Joni Mitchell from Katherine Monk. CBC's Laura Thompson looks at the top memoirs of the year.
Memoirs that look behind the music
Categories: Books, Celebrities
Rockstar Hotel bangs to '80s beat in Toronto
Tags: '80s, concert, music, Rock of Ages, Rockstar Hotel, Ryan Malcolm, Toronto
A so-called Rockstar Hotel arose in Toronto on Saturday, smack dab in the middle of a music-filled weekend. Promising "unabashed dirty rock 'n' roll fun," the well-attended homage to the '80s turned out to be a Rock of Ages launch event that brought the film's soundtrack to life, though it's a shame about the movie itself.
Bonnaroo: a musical education
Categories: Live Performance, Music
Surviving sweltering heat and rain storms alike, dusty crowds as well as friends gone M.I.A., Laura Thompson concludes that attending the Bonnaroo festival gives one an invaluable musical education in just a few days. She outlines personal highlights from the latter end of the fest and thoughts about her experience in Manchester, Tenn.
Decisions, decisions at Bonnaroo
Categories: Live Performance, Music
Taking in Radiohead's wild, two-hour sonic journey at Bonnaroo is a no-brainer, but how to decide what else to see in the festival's jam-packed slate of amazing acts? Will it be Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings or Two Door Cinema Club? The Avett Brothers or Fitz and The Tantrums? Then, there's also Feist to consider. Arts journalist Laura Thompson tackles this musical dilemma.
Bonnaroo's rappers and shakers
Categories: Live Performance, Music
Arts journalist Laura Thompson reports from the 2012 Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tenn. She's inside, has her tent up and is ready to hear some tunes. Up first: rapper Kendrick Lamar and things just get better with Alabama Shakes.
Bonnaroo, here we come!
Categories: Live Performance, Music
Tags: Bonnaroo Festival, festival, live, Manchester, music, outdoor, Tenn.
What started as an innocent idea between friends -- a trek down to Tennessee to camp out at the 2012 Bonnaroo music fest -- quickly revealed itself as an enormous undertaking. Arts journalist Laura Thompson outlines her prep, last-minute concerns and the musical acts she can't wait to see.
Navigating Canadian Music Week: Day 1
Categories: Music
Canadian Music Week presents so many choices -- and so many organizational hurdles -- it can be hard to navigate. CBC music correspondent Laura Thompson talks about her approach on Day One, what works and doesn't work, and new finds such as Samantha Savage Smith and Craig Stickland.
Sugar Shack cuisine from Quebec's Martin Picard
Categories: Books
Tags: beaver, martin picard, quebec, quebec chef, squirrel, sugar shack
"It would be best not to open your interview with ...the squirrel", I was advised by Martin Picard's publicist. "It just might set the wrong tone."
Jason Mraz gets "Freak"ed by teen Aussie band
Categories: Music
Tags: aussie, cover, freak morice, gotye, i won't give up, jason mraz, walk off the earth
In the vein of Canadian band Walk Off the Earth's beautiful and distinctive cover of Somebody That I Used to Know, we offer up another similarly positioned five-piece crammed together to give a great web video performance. This time around, it's an adorable Aussie outfit singing Jason Mraz's new single I Won't Give Up.
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About the Authors
Deana Sumanac (10)
CBC News arts reporter, lit lover and music geek.
