CMAO Awards – Hot Night In Markham

CMAO Awards – Hot Night In Markham
It was a picture perfect night at the lovely Markham Theatre, a most appropriate setting for what turned out to be a very successful Country Music Association of Ontario Awards Show. Based on this inaugural show, the CMAO’s should serve as the model for every other awards ceremony out there. It was well paced at just over two hours and... Read More

Working Men… and Women

Working Men… and Women
On his Twitter page, Bryce Pallister calls himself the ‘Singing Farmer’ which is a pretty good fit considering he obtained his degree in agriculture from the University of Manitoba and works his farm by day, and takes to the stage to croon his traditional country tunes at night. Pallister’s new record is called Down Dusty Roads and it comes four... Read More

Sharp Inks Publishing Deal With Dundurn

Sharp Inks Publishing Deal With Dundurn
Music Express editor in chief Keith Sharp is happy to announce that Dundurn Publishing Company has agreed to publish his Music Express book. The title will be previewed to potential retailers and libraries in Dundurn’s Fall catalogue and will be at retail by early 2014. “I am totally excited by the news that Dundurn will give my book full national... Read More

How to make a rock ‘n roll record! – Headstones

How to make a rock ‘n roll record! – Headstones
My first reaction on listening to The Headstones’ new recording “Love + Fury” was “What the hell! Nobody makes records like this anymore?” A record that contains 13 incendiary rockers in the two-to-three minute time range, all punk energy, snarling lyrics, raw, in your face arrangements with the allowance of one more melodic tune (Midnight Of This Life) tacked on... Read More

Just Like Family – Stampeders

Just Like Family – Stampeders
Imagine yourself at a family barbecue, where everyone’s been fed and the drinks are plenty, as three of the family’s more colourful members–the eccentrics that everyone loves, but aren’t quite sure what to make of–pick up some music instruments and begin to play, cheered on overwhelmingly by everyone attending and you’ll have a sense of a Stampeders show. Enter Rich... Read More

Shaken But Not Stirred – The Rebirth Of Coney Hatch

Shaken But Not Stirred – The Rebirth Of Coney Hatch
By all accounts, the person sitting across from me, chowing down on a mid-day brunch at Chew Chew’s restaurant in mid-town Toronto should not be on this planet today. On April 15th 2008 , Coney Hatch lead singer Carl Dixon was involved in a horrific head-on car crash near Melbourne Australia. It took rescue crews over 100 minutes to extract... Read More

Mr. Customer Service – Kim Mitchell

Mr. Customer Service – Kim Mitchell
“I’m a customer service performer,” declares Kim Mitchell, the master of the electric guitar who has tantalized concert audiences since the mid-70s initially with Max Webster and then as a solo artist. Though many people didn’t understand Max, the few that did always got what they asked for: complex music with curiously surreal lyrics and a stage performance that balanced... Read More