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The Return Of Small Festivals Provide Economic Lifeline

Keith Sharp
The Return Of Small Festivals Provide Economic Lifeline
Lucknow’s Music In The Fields – Summer 22 By Keith Sharp As COVID restrictions are lowered sufficiently enough to allow for concert festivals to be re-introduced this year, many smaller communities can once again benefit from the influx of spectators to attend these events and, in doing so, provide a much-needed injection into local economies and the charity foundations which... Read More

The Sheepdogs Find Favourable European Response To New Release

Keith Sharp
The Sheepdogs Find Favourable European Response To New Release
By Keith Sharp When the pandemic ground the entire global music scene to a screeching halt, Saskatoon’s The Sheepdogs were in advance preparation for another major European tour. So, according to the band’s lead vocalist/guitarist Ewan Currie, the band did what comes naturally to them, record another album! Now amid a major makeup tour of Western Europe which is responding... Read More

High Valley – Way Back & Way Cool.

Roman Mitz
High Valley – Way Back & Way Cool.
Have a little faith. This may well be the signature catchphrase of High Valley, the country band which originated in a small Mennonite community in Alberta and is now based in Nashville. Family values have always been an integral part of the band’s music and this remains an important underlying theme on their latest album ‘Way Back’.  Lead singer Brad... Read More

Stampeders Continue To Roll

Keith Sharp
Stampeders Continue To Roll
By Keith Sharp One thing you cannot say is that The Stampeders take themselves seriously. On stage on April 8th at Oshawa’s Regent Theatre, guitarist, vocalist Rich Dodson, drummer, vocalist Kim Berly, and bassist/vocalist Ronnie King cheerily announced themselves as being “Seventy From The Seventies” about their ages. During their entire 90-minute set, the former Calgary trio poked fun at... Read More

It’s All About Persistence – An Interview With Strange Advance

Keith Sharp
It’s All About Persistence – An Interview With Strange Advance
Strange Advance Releases 4 2022 By Keith Sharp “Just like getting back on a bike, it was so great to play in front of a live audience again,” enthused Strange Advance keyboardist/vocalist Drew Arnott after finally getting to parade his reconstituted line up which now features six musicians; including vocalist/guitarist Sean Dillon, keyboardist Rob Bailey, guitarist Ian Cameron, drummer/vocalist Russ Friesen... Read More

A Call To Arms – Jesus Jones in Toronto, May 15th.

Keith Sharp
A Call To Arms – Jesus Jones in Toronto, May 15th.
By Keith Sharp Even those of you who are not familiar with the progressive British rock band, Jesus Jones, will identify with their mega 1990 hit “Right “Here, Right Now” which was written as an acknowledgement of the ending of the Cold War in Europe and the breaking up of the Berlin Wall. Some thirty-three years later and lyrical message... Read More

Rough Trade’s El Mo Performance A Practice Run For Future Stage Production

Keith Sharp
Rough Trade’s El Mo Performance A Practice Run For Future Stage Production
By Keith Sharp If Carole Pope & Rough Trade‘s sold-out performance at Toronto’s El Mocambo Tavern Friday, April 29th seems to take the form of a Broadway musical, that’s because the concert is being set up, partially as a dry run for the music that will eventually form the basis of a new musical which is being created by Pope and... Read More

Advice Chat Turns Into Envy OF None Album Debut.

Keith Sharp
Advice Chat Turns Into Envy OF None Album Debut.
The Envy of None features singer-songwriter Maiah Wynne, guitarist Alex Lifeson of Rush fame, bassist Andy Curran formerly of Coney Hatch, and multi-instrumetalist Alfio Annibalini. Photos by Jaden D, Richard Sibbald, and Troy William Dunn By Keith Sharp As an A&R rep for established Canadian Record Label Anthem Entertainment, Andy Curran was asked to be an online judge for an Alabama songwriting contest four years... Read More

Eighties’ Techno-Pop Renaissance Allows Men Without Hats To Flourish

Keith Sharp
Eighties’ Techno-Pop Renaissance Allows Men Without Hats To Flourish
By Keith Sharp It started out as a vocal/piano exercise with Men Without Hats’– Ivan Doruschuk utilizing time off during the COVID-19 pandemic, and deciding to re-record an EP of some of his favourite songs. “It was when I was recording a version of The Tragically Hip’s “Blow At High Dough” as a vocal/piano track that I thought, `what would... Read More

James Faces Liberating Challenge With Buddy Guy U.S. Tour

Keith Sharp
James Faces Liberating Challenge With Buddy Guy U.S. Tour
By Keith Sharp Think of Colin James and you focus on the Regina native being the consummate Canadian blues artist. Someone who has won a staggering 27 Maple Blues Awards and no less than seven Juno Awards while releasing a total of 20 studio albums during his 34-year career. So, it’s strange then that James finds himself in a position... Read More

Our Lady Peace Embraces Music and Tech Intersection with New Album Release

Music Express
Our Lady Peace Embraces Music and Tech Intersection with New Album Release
“We just had 500 fans lean into the future of web 3.0 with us and be the first to purchase our forthcoming album, Spiritual Machines 2, as an NFT,” says Raine Maida, lead singer and co-founder of Our Lady Peace. “We have firmly embraced this critical intersection between music and tech and are leveraging the power of the blockchain to build better communities and... Read More

HARKNESS Stirs Up A Creative Concoction

Keith Sharp
HARKNESS Stirs Up A Creative Concoction
HARKNESS By Keith Sharp Take a scan at the bio shot of HARKNESS and what springs to mind is one of those costumed assassins from The Squid Game. Now maybe this Toronto musician does not kill people for playing a game of marbles but his ubiquitous 11-track debut album, `The Occasion’ is certainly designed to create a stir with anyone... Read More

Many A Mile Tour/Album Presses Blue Rodeo’s Reset Button

Keith Sharp
Many A Mile Tour/Album Presses Blue Rodeo’s Reset Button
Photo by Dustin Rabin Photography By Keith Sharp Recent announcements suggest that Blue Rodeo have put their pandemic break to good use by utilizing their downtime to produce a new album `Many A Mile’ (Warner Music) and are set to head back on the road for a leisurely 27-date national tour which launches December 10th and 11th at Kitchener’s Centre... Read More

Aussie Acceptance Has Created Tea Party Long-Distance Relationship

Keith Sharp
Aussie Acceptance Has Created Tea Party Long-Distance Relationship
The Tea Party – Photo by Francesca LudikarBy Keith Sharp Literally from day one, the country of Australia has embraced the music of Canada’s Tea Party. Their 1993 major label release, Splendor Solis was equally embraced by the Aussies and through numerous tours of the country (Wikipedia says 12 tours but lead vocalist Jeff Martin swears it has been many... Read More

EXTC Rekindles Classic Band’s Legacy

Keith Sharp
EXTC Rekindles Classic Band’s Legacy
By Keith Sharp The advent of social media allows music fans to rediscover bands and artists which may have been ignored during their prime yet have been totally revived as new audiences discover the depth of their musical catalogue. England’s XTC is one such band. North American audiences may be familiar with key singles like “Making Plans For Nigel and... Read More

Arrive, Raise A Little Hell, Retire – Trooper Original Duo Call It A Day.

Keith Sharp
Arrive, Raise A Little Hell, Retire – Trooper Original Duo Call It A Day.
Trooper’s Lead Singer Ra McGuire and Bassist Doni Underhill – Photo by Hope Photography By Keith Sharp  The announcement on Trooper’s November 8th Facebook post that original band members; vocalist Ra McGuire and lead guitarist Brian Smith have chosen to retire from the band, may have caught many fans by surprise, but the reality is that the ongoing COVID19 pandemic... Read More

Adams ‘Happy’ To Release New Album Despite COVID Setback

Keith Sharp
Adams ‘Happy’ To Release New Album Despite COVID Setback
By Keith Sharp Bryan Adams was all set to fly down to Cleveland to assist in the induction of Tina Turner into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s Class of 2021 on October 30th at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse when he took the mandatory COVID-19 test before boarding his flight. The test showed he was positive! “The officials there... Read More

Johnny Reid Lifts Doom And Gloom With Positive Lyrical Messages

Keith Sharp
Johnny Reid Lifts Doom And Gloom With Positive Lyrical Messages
By Keith Sharp As Johnny Reid sat in his Nashville recording studio pondering how to address the enforced pandemic lay-off, he decided to delve into material he had previously written and decided he had enough to record a new album. Yes, he could have written lyrics that reflected the doom and gloom of current global affairs but that’s not Reid’s... Read More

Styx’s New Concept Opus Reflects Current Global Turmoil – From A Personal Perspective

Keith Sharp
Styx’s New Concept Opus Reflects Current Global Turmoil – From A Personal Perspective
Styx – (left to right: James “JY” Young, Chuck Panozzo, Lawrence Gowan, Tommy Shaw, Todd Sucherman, Ricky Phillips) – Photo Courtesy of Todd Gallopo and Styx  By Keith Sharp Chicago’s Styx are famous for their thematic concept albums, so it’s hardly surprising that their latest opus, Crash Of The Crown would reflect the current state of global affairs with the COVID-19 pandemic, political unrest... Read More