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Eternity Now Makes A Positive Statement For Revamped Big Sugar

Eternity Now Makes A Positive Statement For Revamped Big Sugar
By Keith Sharp It would be an understatement to say that the past five years have not been kind to Big Sugar’s Gord Johnson. In that period of time, Johnson lost his musical partner and muse, Garry Lowe to cancer, (July 7th, 2018) and  saw the rest of Big Sugar virtually disband, terminating a project Johnson had been working on... Read More

Review: China Crisis, Rational Youth, Slave To The Square Wave – Revival Theatre Toronto

Review: China Crisis, Rational Youth, Slave To The Square Wave – Revival Theatre Toronto
China Crisis Rational Youth Slave To The Square Wave Revival Theatre Toronto Saturday, January 25th 2020 By Keith Sharp Thirty-seven years after they last performed together at Kingswood north of Toronto (1985 to be exact), Liverpool’s China Crisis hooked up again with Montreal’s Rational Youth, this time at Toronto’s Revival Theatre with local band Slave To The Square Wave opening... Read More

Death-Pop Rockers Skeleton Club’s Debut LP Death, Love & Money Hits 50,000+ Streams

Death-Pop Rockers Skeleton Club’s Debut LP Death, Love & Money Hits 50,000+ Streams
They say the only givens in life are death and taxes, but for death-pop rockers Skeleton Club and their debut album, those guarantees are more along the lines of Death, Love & Money. So goes the name of the trio’s 11-track LP, a number that wasn’t landed on with any sense of coincidence. “We only ever release music with an... Read More

Legendary Rush Drummer Neil Peart Succumbs To Brain Cancer

Legendary Rush Drummer Neil Peart Succumbs To Brain Cancer
Walking down Russell Hill Road in the tony Forest Hills area of Toronto, towards the impressive residence of Rush drummer/lyricist Neil Peart, I was reminded on several occasions by Anthem President Ray Danniels, to always be fully prepared for any inquisition with Mr. Peart. On hearing about his sad demise on Tuesday, January 7th in Santa Monica California following a 3½... Read More

Neon Dreams Release First New Song Of 2020 ‘Turn Back Now’

Neon Dreams Release First New Song Of 2020 ‘Turn Back Now’
Video Premieres On Billboard 2019 was life-changing for Neon Dreams. It was a year that saw the release of their debut album, Sweet Dreams till Sunbeams; tour dates with Tyler Shaw and Loud Luxury; and radio hits with “High School Dropout” and “About You.” 2019, more importantly, was the year Neon Dreams found their voice and found their purpose. They approached... Read More

Roxette’s Marie Fredriksson Succumbs To A Brain Tumour

Roxette’s Marie Fredriksson Succumbs To A Brain Tumour
Photo: Mattias Edwall roxette.se By Keith Sharp With the inevitable passing of major rock stars, it’s not surprising that the December 9th death of Roxette’s Marie Fredriksson would slide under the radar. Yet any fan of 90’s pop will readily remember hit songs like “The Look”, “Listen To Your Heart” “It Must Have Been Love” and “Joyride” made famous by Fredriksson and... Read More

Madison Kozak: The Next Big Thing

Madison Kozak: The Next Big Thing
Madison Kozak has had a terrific year. The budding country star signed a deal with U.S. record label Songs & Daughters (a subsidiary of Big Loud Records), made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry, recently released three radio-friendly singles and was selected by Nashville’s Country Music Network to be a member of CMT’s Next Wave of Country, Class of... Read More

The East Pointers Break The Rules With Contemporary Maritimes Sound

The East Pointers Break The Rules With Contemporary Maritimes Sound
The East Pointers is not the atypical band which normally performs at Toronto’s Lee’s Palace. On the surface, this trio of Maritime folk-rock musicians would seem alien to an environment that normally spotlights trendy, alternative artists and groups. But there was fiddle player/vocalist Tim Chaisson, banjo-playing brother Koady Chaisson and guitarist cousin Jake Charron on Thursday, November 14th ripping through... Read More

Rational Youth Re-Release Classic Cold War Night Life Package

Rational Youth Re-Release Classic Cold War Night Life Package
Rational Youth – Photo by Moira Law (2017) When Rational Youth’s Tracy Howe met China Crisis leader Gary Daly backstage at Belgium’s W Festival in August, they reminisced about a previous billing together at Toronto’s Kingswood Amphitheatre back in 1983. “We’ll be returning to Toronto to play a gig there in January”, noted Daly. “So will we” concurred Howe. Only... Read More

Jason Benoit – Country From The Rock

Jason Benoit – Country From The Rock
To coin one of Willie Nelson’s signature lines, Jason Benoit can’t wait to get on the road again. Actually Jason is already on the road, travelling from his home in Newfoundland to Southern Ontario then on to Alberta, where he is playing a string of dates with his fellow Canadian country troubadours and good buddies, The Washboard Union. Jason will... Read More

A Revamped Voting Process Ramps Up Music Hall Of Fame Inductees

A Revamped Voting Process Ramps Up Music Hall Of Fame Inductees
Allan Reid – CARAS President Scanning over the honour roll which constitutes artists inducted into Canada’s Music Hall Of Fame,  Allan Reid, President CEO, CARAS/The Juno Awards & MusiCounts claims he is full of pride at the vast array of talent who have previously been selected for this prestigious award. “I am proud of being a Canadian when I look at who has been... Read More

Rankin’s Songs From Route 19 Tour Recaptures His Musical Roots

Rankin’s Songs From Route 19 Tour Recaptures His Musical Roots
Jimmy Rankin has packed up his gear, hit the road down Route 19 and crossed the Canso Causeway out of his beloved Cape Breton to execute an extensive 29-date tour taking Rankin and his band right across Canada through late September and October before returning home for a five-date Christmas tour of the Maritimes. Purpose of this tour is to... Read More

The Evolution Of A Classic Rock Band

The Evolution Of A Classic Rock Band
On Saturday, September 21st, Kingston’s The Glorious Sons will unveil their latest studio release, `A War On Everything’ with a sell-out headline concert at that city’s Jack Richardson Stadium before 14,000 rabid fans. To band members Brett Emmons (lead vocals), brother Jay Emmons (guitar), Chris Koster (guitar), Andy Paquette (drums), Chris Huot (bass) and Josh Hewson (keyboards), the concert not... Read More