Music world

New Yorkers MGMT are set to winner the Future Music Festival with their psychedelic sound. By Craig Mathieson.

Most days now, it’s far easier to be in MGMT. The panic-stricken highs and unforeseen lows of 2008, when the New York duo of Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden were alternately celebrated and savaged as the future of pop music, have dissipated.

Their much-scrutinized debut, 2007′s Oracular Spectacular, now has an heir, last year’s gladly eccentric Congratulations, and the pair can now enjoy the prospect of a long-term career making music.

”We never determined that this is what we’re going to do,” Goldwasser says, calling from Manchester in Britain the morning after a sold-out gig. ”But something occurs and one thing leads to another and one day you realise this is your career.”

The band, who play the Future Music Festival on Saturday next last night’s show at the Enmore Theatre, are comfortable in their own communal skin. Their three on the road musicians – bassist Matt Asti, drummer Will Berman and guitarist James Richardson – are now fully fledged band members, lightening the communal burden.
”We’d have driven each other wild if we hadn’t added some more people to the band,” Goldwasser sighs. ”They add to the nature of the band and we’re all on the same page imaginatively.”

”One of the hardest things is that at this point in my life, I don’t have that many things I feel that way about – you lose that sense of the supernatural,” Goldwasser says.

”One of the things we do again to ourselves is that kids really do know what’s going on in so many ways.

”We didn’t really appreciate what Oracular meant when we put it out, or even when people started act in response. But from meeting people at shows, particularly younger people, it was clear what it meant to them.”

Award winning entertainment company, Paulist Productions, is pleased to announce its new venture in the rapidly expanding world of internet television with the brand new web series, Tyler’s Ride. Acclaimed Christian singer, Jeremy Camp joins the cast in his acting debut, as Jesse, an aspiring Christian musician and mentor to Tyler, the lead character.

“Jeremy Camp is a natural for the role,” says Father Frank Desiderio, Executive Producer of the series and President of Paulist Productions. “Jeremy was our first choice of all actor/musicians we looked at for the role.”

Also starring Grant Alan, Natalie Wachen and Ker’in Hayden, Tyler’s Ride is the story of 23 year-old Tyler, super-cool, super-senior in college, who is living the dream life in LA. Tyler shows up for his birthday party expecting the keys to a new car; instead, his Dad, “Mr. Tough Love”, kicks Tyler out of the house and cuts off his credit cards. Reality soon hits him square in the face. Then he meets Jesse, a musician with a dream, courage and convictions.

“It was a joy to work with people in the film industry whose purpose is to share their Christian faith and really make a difference in the world,” exclaims Camp. “Tyler’s Ride was a blast!”

Web TV is on the rise with hit shows such as Quarterlife, Prom Queen and Roommates grabbing the attention of teens and parents across the globe. With this market virtually untouched by faith-based producers, Paulist Productions moved into the void and created the Tyler’s Ride series aimed at this demographic.

Desiderio explains, “I’ve been convinced since starting to work in Hollywood that there are lots of creative, Christian artists and a large audience for their work; but, the problem in the past has been connecting the two. Broadband media allows us to bridge the gap between them. Paulist Productions creates entertainment to reveal the presence of God in the human experience. We share God’s good news with new media; we aspire to lead the way in producing internet entertainment that helps people meet life’s challenges.”

YouTube and Axiom TV, a platform that is both family-friendly and technologically sound, will host the program.

Tyler’s Ride will premiere April 22 on YouTube and Axiom TV with new webisodes each week. The series will also appear on the show’s website at www.tylersride.com.

About Jeremy Camp
With sales of over 2 million units, three Gold records, 13 back-to-back No. 1 radio hits, American Music Award nominations and five Gospel Music Association “Dove” Awards, Jeremy Camp’s career is on a steady climb. He has been featured in nearly all major Christian media outlets and has also garnered consistent coverage from publications such as Pollstar, Billboard and R&R. In 2007, Camp branched out of his comfort zone of music and stepped into the world of television, hosting the Gospel Music Channel’s Christmas At Union Station concert series, and is set to make his acting debut on Tyler’s Ride. Camp is currently on the road with the “Boomin’ Beyond Measure Tour” with TobyMac.

About Paulist Productions
Since its inception, Paulist Productions has created projects for film and television that are incisive, illuminating and faith affirming. The company was founded in 1960 by the late Father Ellwood “Bud” Kieser to produce the syndicated series, Insight, which went on to win five Emmy Awards® in its 23 year run. Throughout its history Paulist Productions has won numerous other awards including the Christopher Award, five Gabriel Awards, the Toronto International Film Festival Award, International Film and Video Festival Certificate for Creative Excellence, the Aurora Gold Award and a Special Achievement television that are incisive, illuminating and faith affirming. The company was founded in 1960 by the late Father Ellwood “Bud” Kieser to produce the syndicated series, Insight, which went on to win five Emmy Awards® in its 23 year run. Throughout its history Paulist Productions has won numerous other awards including the Christopher Award, five Gabriel Awards, the Toronto Award in 2002 from CineMedia. Additionally, Paulist Productions has worked with a stellar line up of talent including Carol Burnett, Rod Sterling, Walter Matthau, Ed Asner, Martin Sheen, Jane Seymour, Ron Howard, Michael Crichton, Patricia Heaton and Blair Underwood to name a few. Continually striving to stay cutting edge with today’s media and technology, Paulist is pleased and excited to enter into the world of web-based television with Tyler’s Ride.

For more information about Tyler’s Ride and to preview the trailer, please visit www.tylersride.com.

Toronto citizen Marian Cheney has received the teacher of the year award from MusiCounts, a musical education charity.

For the past 20 years, Cheney has taught at Queen Victoria Public School in the Parkdale neighbourhood in Toronto’s west end. Her policy is that children should be able to join band or choir regardless of musical aptitude or financial situation.

She’s also credited with co-writing the school’s current theme song. Hard-rockers Billy Talent presented Ms. Cheney with the award at an occasion on Thursday.

Ms. Cheney and her school each received $10,000, sponsored by the band.

“Having lived in the west end of Toronto … this is extra special,” Billy Talent singer Ben Kowalewicz said in a release. “Having teachers like Marian gives us all hope that the kids of tomorrow are in good hands.

“Our music class in high school [where we met 17 years ago] had a huge impact on the band as we got to meet like-minded people and start the creative process of learning our instruments.” 
Said Ms. Cheney: “Music has the power to change lives.”