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Coney Hatch’s UK Tour 40 Years In The Making

Coney Hatch’s UK Tour 40 Years In The Making
By Keith Sharp The invitation came right out of the blue. When Coney Hatch bassist Andy Curran touched base with Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris during his band’s Toronto and Hamilton dates (as part of Maiden’s global Legacy Of The Beast tour), Harris mentioned he would be taking his British Lions’ side project on a brief but intense 11 dates... Read More

Blakk Turns Traumatic Childhood Experience Into Moving Emotional Vignettes

Blakk Turns Traumatic Childhood Experience Into Moving Emotional Vignettes
By Keith Sharp Considering Forest Blakk’s traumatic childhood upbringing, it would have come as no surprise if his musical influences had been Thrash Metal or Gangsta Rap. Yet his third EP, ‘Every Little Detail’ contains eight emotional introspective compositions which rank highly on wedding musical theme lists, an image which belies his gruff, tattooed physique. Blakk grew up in Montreal,... Read More

Workaholic Hugh Dillon Balances New Album And Tour With High Profile TV Roles

Workaholic Hugh Dillon Balances New Album And Tour With High Profile TV Roles
Sound Of Music 2019 – Photo by Corey Kelly By Keith Sharp The big question is where the Headstones’ Hugh Dillon finds the time to record a new album,`Flight Risk,’ and plan a 17-date Canadian tour (with two dates in Buffalo) while at the same time completing the second season of The Mayor Of Kingstown TV series with season five... Read More

Madeline Merlo Rides High With ‘Slide’  

Madeline Merlo Rides High With ‘Slide’  
by Roman Mitz for Open Spaces. Raised in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, near Vancouver, Madeline Merlo has been on a fast track after being discovered on YouTube and signed to a record label at only 18. Radio success, tour dates and awards quickly followed, and she was honoured with the Canadian Country Music Association’s Rising Star Award in 2015. In... Read More

Love Of Spaghetti Westerns Spawn Novel Single

Love Of Spaghetti Westerns Spawn Novel Single
By Keith Sharp On Saturday November 26th at Toronto’s El Mocambo Tavern and on Sunday November 27th at Mississauga’s Classic Bowl venue, Boys Don’t Cry will open for Spandau Ballet saxophonist Steve Norman. Most musicologists may not recognize the name Boys Don’t Cry or its principal member, Nick Richards but possibly the band’s debut 1986 single; “I Wanna Be A... Read More

CARAS to induct Nickelback into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at The 52nd Annual JUNO Awards, live on CBC

CARAS to induct Nickelback into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at The 52nd Annual JUNO Awards, live on CBC
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and CBC announced today that globally renowned rock band Nickelback will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame as part of The 2023 JUNO Awards. The news was shared during a press conference at Rogers Place in Edmonton, where next year’s award show will be held.  Taking place in Nickelback’s home province of... Read More

Barney Bentall’s Cariboo Express Puts A New Twist On Fundraising

Barney Bentall’s Cariboo Express Puts A New Twist On Fundraising
By Keith Sharp It was one of those eureka moments. Barney Bentall and his son Dustin were watching a YouTube episode of The Grand Ole Opry when they heard the MC say, “and the next song by Mel Tillis is sponsored by Gillette.” Songs sponsored by corporations, what a novel concept! “It was 2006, we were planning on doing a... Read More

Crown Lands Unleash Ferocious Cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together” at The Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022

Crown Lands Unleash Ferocious Cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together” at The Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022
Juno Award-winning powerhouse rock duo Crown Lands – Cody Bowles (vocals and drums) and Kevin Comeau (guitar, bass, and keys)—reveal a raw rendition of The Beatles’ quintessential rally song, “Come Together,” released in partnership with TSN as part of a campaign for the Canadian Men’s National Team as they gear up for the FIFA WORLD CUP QATAR 2022™ starting November 20. Starting today,... Read More

Canadian indie-rock royalty Sloan releases their remarkable 13th studio album ‘Steady’

Canadian indie-rock royalty Sloan releases their remarkable 13th studio album ‘Steady’
Canadian indie-rock royalty Sloan releases their remarkable 13th studio album ‘Steady’ through Murderecords/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. Steady follows Sloan’s 2018 record 12 and marks the 30th anniversary of their beloved debut record, Smeared, which came out in October 1992. Sloan are one of the rare bands to make it to their 13th album, with all four original members who are equally prolific songwriters and all still working at the... Read More

Bedouin Soundclash Returns To Their World Beat Roots With New Release ‘We Will Meet In A Hurricane’

Bedouin Soundclash Returns To Their World Beat Roots With New Release ‘We Will Meet In A Hurricane’
By Keith Sharp Like most musicians, the Bedouin Soundclash duo of Jay Malinowski and Eon Sinclair found themselves with time on their hands as they waited out the COVID pandemic, with Sinclair travelling to Malinowski’s Victoria B.C residence to see if they could recapture the World Beat spirit of previous releases. Their previous `Mass’ release in 2019 had seen Bedouin... Read More

Gord Downie (The Tragically Hip) and Bob Rock (Metallica’s Black Album) release “Lustre Parfait”

Gord Downie (The Tragically Hip) and Bob Rock (Metallica’s Black Album) release “Lustre Parfait”
More than a decade in the making, Gord Downie, the iconic late frontman of The Tragically Hip, and Bob Rock, the legendary producer perhaps best known for Metallica’s Black Album, today share “Lustre Parfait” – the first song of their long mythologized collaboration.  Inspired by their brotherhood in rock n’ roll, “Lustre Parfait” is electrified and resplendent, created in reverence to the magnitude of music itself. Blending poetry and... Read More

Lights Brings Her PƎP Tour Across Canada

Lights Brings Her PƎP Tour Across Canada
Lights has announced a 13-date Canadian tour that will bring the alt-pop icon to fans from Victoria, BC, through to Montreal, QC, in Winter 2023. The tour supports her critically acclaimed new album PƎP, which arrived earlier this year via Fueled By Ramen. Joining Lights as support on the run will be world-class drag performer Tynomi Banks.  Fresh from a headline run... Read More

33rd SOCAN Awards: Canada’s Music Creators and Publishers’ Road to Gold

33rd SOCAN Awards: Canada’s Music Creators and Publishers’ Road to Gold
SOCAN Cultural Impact Award winner Tom Cochrane celebrated with a star-studded tribute performance. Lighthouse members were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Drake, OZ, Boi-1da, Allison Russell, Murda Beatz, Keith Power, La Zarra, and High Valley were also honoured. – More than 500 of Canada’s most accomplished songwriters, composers, music publishers and industry leaders gathered tonight for... Read More

Bryan Adams Premieres “Kick Ass” Official Music Video Featuring Comedy Legend John Cleese

Bryan Adams Premieres “Kick Ass” Official Music Video Featuring Comedy Legend John Cleese
“John was amazing on set; I’ve never worked with someone so woke.” – Bryan Adams Acclaimed singer/songwriter Bryan Adams has launched the new official music video for the song “Kick Ass” off his new studio album, So Happy It Hurts, released earlier this year via BMG. Directed by Adams, the video features an opening monologue by legendary British actor/comedian John Cleese (Monty Python’s Flying Circus). WATCH... Read More

Michael Bublé Expands Higher With Deluxe Edition Out Now On All Streaming Platforms

Michael Bublé Expands Higher With Deluxe Edition Out Now On All Streaming Platforms
Continuing another banner year, Michael Bublé unveils the Deluxe Edition of his unanimously acclaimed 2022 album Higher on all digital platforms via Reprise Records. Listen to Higher Deluxe Edition HERE. Building on this worldwide blockbuster, the Grammy-winning, multi-platinum superstar entertainer expanded the original Higher with three new songs. Illuminating his versatility, he puts his signature spin on “Pennies From Heaven,” “Quizás Quizás Quizás,” and the self-penned “We Pray.”  To celebrate the arrival of Higher Deluxe Edition, Bublé launches a full-scale television takeover. On October 17th,... Read More

Birds Of Bellwoods Release Brand New Single Videotape

Birds Of Bellwoods Release Brand New Single Videotape
Toronto alt-rock anthem-makers, Birds of Bellwoods share Videotape, the first taste of new music from their forthcoming long-awaited sophomore album. Fuelled by earworm melody, high-energy rhythm and raucous harmony-drenched vocals, Videotape is a tongue-in-cheek ode to bad habits and the mistakes that seem just a little too hard to stop making.  “This song is one of the more frenetic and hard-hitting on the album,”... Read More

Jully Black – R&B Queen Still Reigns  

Jully Black – R&B Queen Still Reigns  
by Roman Mitz for Open Spaces Long live the Queen, Jully Black, Canada’s Queen of R&B and Soul.  A true icon, and long-time advocate of female empowerment through her music, spirit and activism, Jully champions important causes and uses her career as a platform to celebrate and inspire greatness. Along the way the multiple Gemini and Juno award winner has... Read More

Monster Truck’s Warriors Spearhead Arena Rock Revival

Monster Truck’s Warriors Spearhead Arena Rock Revival
Photo by James Heaslip Interview By Keith Sharp Suggest to Monster Truck bassist/guitarist Jon Harvey that classic arena rock music is virtually extinct, and he’ll invite you to listen to his band’s latest release titled `Warriors.’ At a time when Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Patient Number 9’ sits atop Billboard’s North American album charts and even Nickleback has released an incendiary new... Read More

Big Sugar Announce Heated 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Set to Release October 14

Big Sugar Announce Heated 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Set to Release October 14
Platinum-selling band Big Sugar announced the 25th Anniversary deluxe edition of their iconic album, Heated, set to release October 14, 2022, through Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. The deluxe album has been remastered and expanded to feature four additional tracks, including an acoustic version of “Better Get Used To It,” “Je Suis Cool,” and “Alka Lights” ft. Whitey Don. The... Read More

The Headstones Share Video + New Track “Psychotropic” Announce Fall Tour Dates 

The Headstones Share Video + New Track “Psychotropic” Announce Fall Tour Dates 
The Headstones are back with their highly anticipated new full-length album Flight Risk, out October 14 via Cadence Music/Known Accomplice. Ahead of the release, the band shared the title track and radio single “Tangled,” and today gives fans another dose of new music with the track “Psychotropic.” Last week the band announced they’ll be back on the road this November and December with concert tour dates from Vancouver to Toronto,... Read More