The Mandevilles: A little bit country. A whole lotta rock n roll.

September 22, 2014October 28, 2014 Keith Sharp

Mike Denney’s MDM logo on any record usually means just one thing – country music. Yet check out “Hangovers”, the first track on The Mandevilles’ `Windows And Stones’ release and you will know instantly that this isn’t your Mam And Dad’s usual country music album. Instead you have a straight out anthemic rocker with the band’s lead singer Serena Pryne’s... Read More

Ginger St. James. Honky Tonk Woman

September 22, 2014October 7, 2014 Roman Mitz

Ginger St. James is apologetic for being late for our phone interview, and the fact that she is tardy is a might surprising as she grew up an early riser during her formative years on her family’s farm in the small community of Binbrook in south-east Hamilton. Once she relocated to Toronto she dropped the pitchfork and cow pies for... Read More

EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT AND CONVEYOR CANADA TO RELEASE THE JEFF HEALEY BAND LIVE AT THE HORSESHOE TAVERN RECORDING ON OCTOBER 7

September 18, 2014September 21, 2014 Keith Sharp

TORONTO, ON – Eagle Rock Entertainment and Conveyor Canada will release a recording of Live At The Horseshoe Tavern from iconic Canadian jazz and blues group The Jeff Healey Band on October 7, 2014. Available on CD and Digital Audio, the 1993, hometown recording from The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto’s historical west end brilliantly captures the power of The... Read More

BRYAN ADAMS’ RECKLESS TO BE RE-RELEASED WITH SEVEN PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TRACKS TO CELEBRATE THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ICONIC ROCK ALBUM

September 16, 2014September 23, 2014 Keith Sharp

(Toronto, ON – 15 September 2014) – Almost 30 years since the debut of one of the most iconic albums in music history, Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company is set to re-release Bryan Adams’ game-changing record Reckless on 24 November 2014. The re-release features a lavish four-disc super-deluxe edition of Reckless housed in a DVD case-sized hardback book that will include the 2014 re-mastered audio and seven bonus tracks, the BBC in... Read More

THE TEA PARTY

September 16, 2014November 18, 2014 Keith Sharp

The Ocean At The End (Anthem/Universal) Yes it has been 10 years since guitarist Jeff Martin, bassist Stuart Chatworth and drummer Jeff Burrows last released a Tea Party studio recording (2004’s Seven Circles). Yet the announcement that they had put all personal differences aside and re-appeared at the Sarnia Bayfest Concert in 2011 sparked a creative resurgence, triggered initially... Read More

New Faces: EMILIA

September 12, 2014September 12, 2014 Keith Sharp

The Artist: Emilia: The Fruits of An Education If her Flying Colours four-song EP was her entrance test, Emilia’s full length 10-track `E’ release serves as the final exam project for the 22-year-old Toronto native who is just completing her final credits of her Bachelor of Arts degree at York University’s Honours Music Program. “If that’s the case, what an... Read More

GINGER ST JAMES & THE GRINDERS

September 11, 2014October 28, 2014 Keith Sharp

Diesel and Peas (Fletcher Records) At a time when the debate rages as to what actually constitutes a `country music record’, a flame-haired young lady from Hamilton Ontario has released a record that definitely puts the C back in country. Ginger St James and her Grinders is certainly one of the hardest working country acts in this country and... Read More

THE BOX – A TIMELESS INSPIRATION

September 8, 2014September 9, 2014 Music Express

Montreal-based band, The Box, brought their sensational six-member collective to Ottawa’s Brass Monkey this past Friday night. The room was filled wall-to-wall with friends and fans, who were there to celebrate the on-going power of this band…and those who heard them for the first time, were no doubt blown away with the rest of us. We were treated to a... Read More

Thacker’s return ends Gob’s four-year hiatus

September 2, 2014September 5, 2014 Keith Sharp

Gob fans will be ecstatic to know that after four years of interrupted production, the Langley B.C-based punk rock band has finally crafted a new record, `Apt.13’ on Dine Alone Records’, New Damage label and will be following this up with an extensive Canadian tour in October. Calling in from New York City, lead vocalist and guitarist Tom Thacker acknowledged... Read More

Sturgis Canada Music Fest – What Went Wrong?

August 31, 2014September 4, 2014 Keith Sharp

Organizer Ray Sasseville with partner Joan Hansen meet Burton Cummings It’s 9.am inside room 207 at the Intown Suites motel in Merritt B.C on Sunday August 24th. Waking up in anticipation of attending the final day of the Sturgis Canada Music Festival which began on Thursday August 21st, I am greeted at the door by my Word Travels Fast Consulting... Read More

SLAIGHT MUSIC’S – “IT’S YOUR SHOT 4” CANADA’S PREMIERE SONGWRITING AND ARTIST DEVELOPMENT COMPETITION KICKING OFF SEPT 1ST

August 30, 2014September 7, 2014 Keith Sharp

Derrick Ross and Gary Slaight Toronto, ON (August 29, 2014) – Slaight Music – champion and prime supporter of the Canadian music industry – announced the September 1st kickoff of “It’s Your Shot 4”, Canada’s premiere songwriting and artist development competition. The contest, which is open to all musical genres, encourages artists to submit a song and/or video to www.itsyourshot.ca... Read More

April Wine. Toronto CNE Bandshell.

August 28, 2014August 29, 2014 Keith Sharp

If April Wine was really a bottle of wine, it would be featured in the VQA section of an up-scale Liquor Control Board outlet, encased in a special display. Rolling into their fifth decade as a live recording act, 2010 Juno Hall of Famers, April Wine still maintain an energetic spark that carried them through a hit-filled two-hour set before... Read More

THEORY OF A DEADMAN

August 26, 2014August 27, 2014 Keith Sharp

(604 Records) Theory of a Deadman may not be everyone’s cup of tea (or shot of Jägermeister for that matter) but you can’t deny the Vancouver band’s record of North American success over their past four recordings. Yes, music critics chew them up and those, supposedly in the know, discard TOAD as dated Nickleback clones. Yet the majority of rock... Read More

Rock N Roar Succeeds Despite Inclement Conditions

August 22, 2014August 26, 2014 Music Express

Not even the threat of inclement weather could dampen the spirits of attendees at the 5th annual Come Rock N Roar festival staged Friday August 15th and Saturday August 16th at the scenic Four Seasons Waterfront Park in Spanish, Northern Ontario. With Helix and Trooper commanding the headline spots on Friday and Randy Bachman (with The Sadies) and Honeymoon Suite... Read More

Big Wreck: Moving The Yard Sticks Forward

August 20, 2014August 26, 2014 Keith Sharp

Look up the band Big Wreck on Wikipedia and they are described as Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Post Grunge and Progressive Rock – in other words, Wikipedia doesn’t have a clue what they are! Interrupting his morning bike ride to chat on the phone about his band’s new CD release, `Ghosts’, Big Wreck front man Ian Thornley is amused at... Read More

LOVERBOY: A DNA For The Ages

August 18, 2014August 26, 2014 Keith Sharp

It’s no coincidence that when a movie director or advertising executive wants to capture the quintessential musical mood of the 1980’s, there’s one band that instantly comes to mind. Soundtracks to key movies which reflected that period; Zoolander, Charles’ Angels Full Throttle, Crank, The Pepsi Cola commercial with the drinker dreaming about recapturing his youth by pining for his long-lost... Read More

Warner Music Canada and Blue Rodeo sign on to extend relationship

August 18, 2014August 18, 2014 Music Express

Warner Music Canada and Blue Rodeo are thrilled to announce that they have extended their recording agreement to include new releases by the band that will extend the relationship deep in to their fourth decade together. Blue Rodeo first signed with Warner Music Canada in the mid-80’s, releasing their debut, Outskirts in 1987. Since then they have released 13 studio albums, sold... Read More

Sturgis Canada: Mounting A Musical Invasion

August 13, 2014August 15, 2014 Keith Sharp

Above: Ray Sasseville with the Premier of BC – Christy Clark Imagine living in a small, sleepy town in Sturgis South Dakota, regular population 6,627, when annually, one week in August, upwards of 500,000 bikers descend on your location to stage the annual Sturgis Bike Rally. As scary as that spectacle may be, the Sturgis town council welcome this influx... Read More

Come Rock N Roar – Little Festival – Big Noise

August 11, 2014August 13, 2014 Keith Sharp

Ron Stolar is facing a serious problem as he prepares to execute the fifth annual Come Rock N Roar music festival Friday August 15th and Saturday August 16th at the scenic Four Seasons Waterfront Park in Spanish, Northern Ontario, located on the northern shore of Lake Huron. Things are so well organized, the local concert promoter doesn’t know what to... Read More

Slaight Music – New Talent Incubators!

August 8, 2014August 11, 2014 Keith Sharp

Pictured Above: JESSICA MITCHELL, DERRICK ROSS, GARY SLAIGHT, ALI SLAIGHT, TOMI SWICK, JILL GODIN, JAMES CAMPBELL A group of music industry types gather around a stereo, listening to a new demo by Hamilton Ontario artist Tomi Swick. Only this isn’t your ordinary A&R session and these individuals listening intently to the new track aren’t your current record company reps. Yes... Read More

Year: 2014