FM: Remastered Classic Keeps Band’s Spirit Alive

October 29, 2014November 4, 2014 Keith Sharp

Cameron Hawkins vividly remembers the first time he laid eyes on Nash the Slash. “He was performing at Toronto’s Ontario Place in this punk, prog rock band called Breathless. At one point he spits a flame into the audience and sets six people on fire. I looked at that as absolute garbage and I said to myself, I could never... Read More

YOU+ME’S (ALECIA MOORE (P!NK) and DALLAS GREEN (CITY AND COLOUR) LP rose ave. DEBUTS #1 ON SOUNDSCAN and #4 ON BILLBOARD

October 27, 2014October 27, 2014 Keith Sharp

(OCTOBER 22 – Toronto, ON) – You+Me’s debut album rose ave. has debuted #1 on the Top 200 SoundScan Chart in Canada with 23,500 units sold in its first week. The 10-track LP released last week on Dine Alone Records/Sony Music Entertainment Canada also enters the Billboard Top 200chart at #4 with over 49,500 units sold in its first week. Other notable chart debuts include #2 in Australia, #6 in Germany and #10 in the UK. You+Me... Read More

The Honeyrunners: Mapping Out Their Own Direction

October 24, 2014October 24, 2014 Keith Sharp

If you want a template on how to operate a new Canadian band in today’s social media environment, look no further than Toronto’s Honeyrunners. This four-man unit comprising of lead vocalist Dan Dwoskin, drummer Brandon Robins, guitarist Marcus Bucci and bassist Mike Bolton not only book themselves, manage themselves and fund their own records but are also quite happy to... Read More

My Les Paul. A short story of an old friend

October 21, 2014October 22, 2014 Music Express

I bought it brand spanking new in the fall of 1971 for $550. It was a Les Paul Custom Sunburst. My dream of many years to ﬁnally own. That dream turned to a bit of a nightmare when I discovered the frets were the tiny “fretless wonder” model. It was thrown across the stage at the El Mocambo club in Toronto in... Read More

LIGHTS Little Machines

October 20, 2014October 20, 2014 Keith Sharp

(Universal) The barren writing spell endured by Lights as she adjusted her personal life to deal with a new husband and a new baby, have been well documented but finally, her loyal fan base have something to celebrate with the release of Little Machines. The trademark techno dance beats are still evident yet Lights, a.k.a Valerie Anne Poxlietner, has also... Read More

Franklins Dealers: Playing With A Full Deck

October 16, 2014October 17, 2014 Keith Sharp

Franklins Dealers are not your average run-of-the-mill, snot-nosed kid, start-up rock band. Yes they’ve only been together less than three years. And yes, they have only just gotten around to releasing their first EP recording. But who else launches with their own record label, Greenstock Records, their own recording studio, their own rehearsal space, a spacious warehouse complex located in... Read More

BRYAN ADAMS Tracks Of My Years

October 14, 2014October 14, 2014 Keith Sharp

(Universal) Anyone who has ever attended a Bryan Adams concert knows he’s always good for a couple of cover tracks so it’s hardly surprising that his first studio album since his 2008 `Eleven’ release is an ambitious collection of 14 covers of radio classics from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s as well as one new collaboration with long-time co-writer Jim... Read More

MOIST Glory Under Dangerous Skies

October 14, 2014October 15, 2014 Keith Sharp

(Universal) The resurrection of Moist, kick-started by a brief tour at the end of 2013 has come full circle with the release of their first studio record since their “Mercedes 5 And Dime 1999 record, this one titled “Glory Under Dangerous Skies. It’s a new look Moist with Frances Fillion taking over the drummer’s seat from band original Paul Wilcox... Read More

Coalition Music Complex – Toronto’s Music Incubator For Emerging Talent

October 6, 2014October 28, 2014 Keith Sharp

Appearances can be deceiving. From the outside, a white-painted building which occupies 1731 Lawrence Avenue East in mid-town Toronto looks like a redesigned school house. Yet step inside the complex and you are confronted with what one music industry type described as “a Disney world for musicians”. Central to this three-storey operation is Coalition Music, a leading music industry management... Read More

Russell deCarle. Stepping Out Of His Shell

October 3, 2014October 7, 2014 Roman Mitz

“I’m right with you man,” Russell deCarle laughs with regard to the 30+ year-old tape recorder being used for this interview. This is the same recorder that was used to interview him several times over the years while he served as front man for the legendary Canadian country band Prairie Oyster. The old school unit would seem to be appropriate... Read More

Cowboy Junkies Announced as 2015 Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame Inductees

October 2, 2014October 28, 2014 Keith Sharp

Canadian Music Week is pleased to announce Cowboy Junkies as the 2015 inductees to the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. One of Canada’s iconic alternative country/blues/folk rock bands, Cowboy Junkies have been producing their signature brand of roots music for more than three decades, simultaneously playing a seminal role in building the foundation of Canada’s independent music sector. On... Read More

Month: October 2014