Hollerin' with joy

Hollerado is the winner of Live 88.5 FM's Big Money Shot contest in Ottawa, Ont. Live is one of two radio stations in Canada offering big paydays to up 'n' coming artists. The Big Money Shot awarded $250,000 to Hollerado last Friday, Nov. 27.

The Peak, a station in Vancouver, will award $150,000 to the winner of its contest -- the Peak Performance Project -- in January. The top three finalists will be announced Monday, Dec. 14. You can still vote for your favourite contestant until the end of today -- Monday, Nov. 30 (I can't believe December is just around the freakin' corner. Where did the year ... and the decade go? Do I really have to come up with lists of my fave albums, singles, and concerts for the '00s? It all feels like such a blur.)

As for Hollerado, the winning foursome flew to China only hours after collecting their cheque. Seriously -- they'll be performing in cities such as Shanghai, Wuhan and Yangshua over the next 19 days. (You'll be able to follow their exploits on Exclaim!'s site.) Their next Canadian tour is scheduled for February -- to coincide with the re-release of their debut, Record In A Bag, on Feb. 9. Juliette is the first single.

I'm 18 again ...

For more than 15 years, Elizabeth Fraser was the haunting voice of Cocteau Twins. The British trio broke up in 1998 and tried to reunite in 2005. (She initially agreed, then had second thoughts.)

Moses, a tribute to Echo & The Bunnymen's late keyboard player, is Fraser's first single in a decade. You can listen to a snippet of it on The Guardian's website and read the results of her first interview since the '90s.

Jammin' with Jann

Jann Arden's next album of covers? Reggae versions of all her hits. Here's a snippet of I Would Die For You, courtesy of vwayner, from Wednesday's show at the Jubilee Auditorium. (She did it again on Thursday.) Sweet, mon.

It was a treat to see Arden as just a fan, not a reviewer. For once, I wasn't thinking about leads, segues, or taking notes ... I was able to escape and lose myself in her music. Here's Fawnda Mithrush's Journal review of Arden's Wednesday show.

Out and about

Two members of Edmonton’s Shout Out Out Out Out are trying a little experiment this weekend. Nik Kozub and Jason Troock will be writing and recording a track while shoppers browse through jewelry, clothing and other doodads at the Royal Bison Craft & Art Fair.

The electro duo will be working in a makeshift studio for the duration of the fair, which runs Saturday, Nov. 28 and Sunday, Nov. 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre, 8426 Gateway Boulevard. The track will be available — for a small fee — at the end of the two days. Admission to Royal Bison is $2.

The fair, masterminded by designer/publisher/musician Raymond Biesinger, will celebrate with a little pre-party on Friday, Nov. 27 at Teddy's, 11361 Jasper Avenue. The event will feature vendors, DJs, bands and a fashion show. Tickets are $10 at Nokomis, $12 at the door.

In other Shout Out-related news, Kozub is working on a remix of one of Hawksley Workman's new songs, Snow Angel. Cool.

Reach for the Peak

One lucky musician — or band — from British Columbia is about to become $150,000 richer. Vancouver’s adult alternative radio station, The Peak 100.5 FM, is offering one of the largest cash prizes in the history of Canadian musical contests.

The winner of the Peak Performance Project will be decided by a mix of fan votes, performances, demos, work ethic, and a panel of industry experts. The contest “is designed to educate, promote, develop and hopefully launch the careers of some of BC’s top up and coming artists,” says the project’s website.

Nineteen artists are vying for the top prize, including indie-rockers Bend Sinister, house/reggae/hip-hop act Wassabi Collective, and pop chanteuse Adaline. Fans across Canada can vote for their favourite HERE until Monday, Nov. 30 at 11:59 p.m. (PST).

The top three finalists will be revealed, in no particular order, on Monday, Dec. 14. The $150,000 winner will be announced at a concert in January, but the first two runner-ups won’t leave empty-handed. They'll receive $75,000 and $50,000 for their efforts.

In comparison, the winners of the Polaris Music Prize for best Canadian album win $20,000, while the winners of the Verge Music Awards receive $25,000.

If selected as one of the lucky three, Adaline says she would use her winnings to record the follow-up to her debut, Famous For Fire. (The money must be used towards their music careers and not to buy cars or take vacations in Fiji.)

“The money is the carrot dangling in front of your face,” says the part-time Vancouver waitress. “I’m so ready to record a new album but I don’t have the money. To see it in your grasp and to know the money equals creative expression and the freedom to do that, I wouldn’t have to serve beef tenderloin for the next 10 years. It’s insanely motivating.”

As part of the contest, each contestant received $3,500 to show off their work ethic and drum up some buzz. Adaline used hers to shoot a snazzy ‘50s-style video for Whiter/Straighter, a sly and bouncy piano number (posted above). It looks like it paid off — both MuchMusic and Bravo added the clip to their playlists.

About 450 musicians and groups applied to take part in the Peak Performance Project. It kicked off with a boot camp, where 20 finalists spent a week writing songs, performing, and learning from industry experts.(One contestant ended up leaving the boot camp after only a few days.)

“There’s very little sense of competition between anyone,” says Adaline. “If it was all based on votes, it would be cut-throat. But because it’s not, it allows us to support each other, so we all kind of win in that sense.”

The Peak Performance Project is slated to run for the next six years.

An Ottawa modern rock station, Live 88.5 FM, runs a similar contest with an even larger payday — $250,000 for the winner. Five bands, including Hollerado, are in contention for this year's pot. Live's Big Money Shot winner will be announced on the evening of Friday, Nov. 27.

Consider this

Local cowboy Corb Lund will be on NPR's All Things Considered TODAY at 3:30 p.m. (MST). (Thanks to Zureen for the tip!)

Death to dark days

“It was a moment of revelation for me. I was really feeling a lot of darkness inside and it was my heart song, calling for help. It’s a pretty personal and spiritual song for me.”-- singer Becky Ninkovic talks about writing the lyrics to You Say Party! We Say Die!'s song, Dark Days. Listen to it HERE.

Read about Dark Days and the rest of YSP! WSD!'s new synth-punk album, XXXX, in the Edmonton Journal. The Vancouver fivesome will perform Friday, Nov. 27 at New City with Little Girls and Christian Hansen & The Autistics. Advance tickets are $10 at the New City Likker Box and Megatunes.