Avril Lavigne to Release First Ever Greatest Hits Album
Dee Lippingwell – Award-winning Photographer succumbs to Cancer
Jim Cuddy Announces New Solo Album and Coast to Coast Canadian Tour
Shawn Desman Announces Headlining Show at Toronto’s HISTORY

WHITEHORSE – An Engaging Evening of Orchestral Enchantment

Music Express
WHITEHORSE – An Engaging Evening of Orchestral Enchantment
Luke Doucet & Melissa McClelland. A drum kit, a collection of guitars and amps, bass, keyboards, and a series of mics on stands, stood in a tight formation in the center of the NAC’S Theatre stage. Naturally, one would have thought such a set-up was to be manned by several band members, but instead, a man and woman emerged from... Read More

Chalk Circle: Retaining That Adrenalin Rush!

Keith Sharp
Chalk Circle: Retaining That Adrenalin Rush!
Chalk Circle’s Chris Tait and Brad Hopkins can relate to the adrenalin boost that occurs when they step on stage to perform their set list. Yes it’s been 25 years since the band initially broke up but nostalgia is a cyclical entity and every so often Chalk Circle’s songs are back in vogue and Tait and Hopkins find a warm... Read More

RON SEXSMITH – LIVE! AT OTTAWA’S NAC THEATRE

Music Express
RON SEXSMITH – LIVE! AT OTTAWA’S NAC THEATRE
When you listen to the music of Canadian recording artist and multi-Juno Award winner, Ron Sexsmith, be prepared to slow down your life for a moment, and slip into a world of easy-paced melodies and earnestly written songs you’ll find yourself quickly identifying with. His natural songwriting ability has earned him a long list of accolades and tips of the... Read More

Local Talent Shines At Music Express CMW Showcase

Keith Sharp
Local Talent Shines At Music Express CMW Showcase
Music Express Showcase- Canadian Music Week Wednesday, May 6th 2015 Rivoli Nightclub Toronto. Eight of Ontario’s up-and-coming bands proved there is talent galore in this province by marking Canadian Music Week with an appearance at the Music Express Music Showcase  May 6th at the venerable Rivoli nightclub. The Rathburns, Beautiful Nothing, The Cocksure Lads, Honeyrunners, Suns Of Stone, 40 Sons,... Read More

Canada’s music community rallies to support Unison initiative

Keith Sharp
Canada’s music community rallies to support Unison initiative
Canada’s music community rallied to show they do support each other by staging a charity concert Wednesday May 6th at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre which helped reach the charity’s target goal of over 1 million dollars for the Unison Benevolent Fund – a charity launched in 2011 to provide emergency funds for musicians in need. An impressive lineup of star... Read More

NATALIE MACMASTER + DONNELL LEAHY. ONE-FINALLY!

Keith Sharp
NATALIE MACMASTER + DONNELL LEAHY. ONE-FINALLY!
When two become ONE, musical magic happens. That is most certainly the case with this new album from Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy. These two award-winning fiddle virtuosos have each enjoyed phenomenally successful careers on their own, but ONE marks their recording debut as a duo. To fans of fiddle music, Natalie MacMaster needs no introduction. Over a recording career... Read More

THE HIGHWAYS KEEP ROLLING – BACHMAN

Music Express
THE HIGHWAYS KEEP ROLLING – BACHMAN
Deerfoot Casino, Calgary – April 10, 2015 How many shows has Randy Bachman performed through his numerous guises with groups The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Bravebelt, Bachman Cummings, Bachman & Turner, and his latest enterprise Bachman? Thousands, and he probably has a story for every show. The band Bachman is a return to his beginnings, to the sound of guitars,... Read More

DANIEL LANOIS – AN AMBIENT JOURNEY AT OTTAWA’S NAC

Music Express
DANIEL LANOIS – AN AMBIENT JOURNEY AT OTTAWA’S NAC
Ottawa’s NAC Presents, featuring an all-Canadian series of shows, has set out to highlight a genre-hopping array of some our nation’s finest talent from coast to coast this year. On this particular night, two such performers took to the grand stage of Southam Hall, whose acts perfectly complimented each other — Basia Bulat, and Daniel Lanois. Ottawa’s world class NAC... Read More

MUSIC EXPRESS CMW SHOWCASE

Keith Sharp
MUSIC EXPRESS CMW SHOWCASE
Wednesday May 6th 2015 @ THE RIVOLI It is our pleasure to present to you a total of eight hot new artists who will be performing at this year’s Music Express CMW Showcase. You are invited to check out the amazing talent provided by the bands listed below: THE RATHBURNS (8:00 – 8:40) Fresh off appearing on Rock 94.9’s Gen... Read More

COWBOY JUNKIES – Being Understated Is The Key To Longevity

Keith Sharp
COWBOY JUNKIES – Being Understated Is The Key To Longevity
It is March 1988 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles and members of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers have gathered together for their annual convention. This high-profile event allows all the major U.S record companies to hook up with key U.S record retailers to promote and hype that year’s new releases. It’s a given that if... Read More

Born To Be Wild!

Keith Sharp
Born To Be Wild!
Think of Kelowna and you think of an idyllic central British Columbia vacation hotspot blessed with stunning Okanagan lakes, vineyards, fruit trees and that dodgy Ogopogo monster – but classic blues rock! – Not so much. But here’s a warning!, hide your daughters people because Kelowna rock band, The Wild! are about to invade your neighbourhood. Don’t believe me! Ask... Read More

The Cocksure Lads – Bringing The British Invasion Back To Life

Keith Sharp
The Cocksure Lads – Bringing The British Invasion Back To Life
One of the running jokes between Murray Foster and Mike Ford as they rode in a van with their group, Moxy Fruvous, in the 1990’s was to write songs in the genre of the 1960’s British Invasion. Throughout the 90’s and into the 2000’s they amassed about twenty-five of these British Invasion-style songs, yet did little with this material as... Read More

SHAWN MENDES

Keith Sharp
SHAWN MENDES
  Handwritten (Universal/Island) With the release of Mendes’ first full-length CD, there are going to be the inevitable comparisons between Mendes and Justin Bieber. Both are from Ontario (Mendes from Toronto suburb Pickering and Bieber from Stratford), both made an initial impact posting videos that went viral, both signed with Island Records, where they earned chart success with debut EP’s... Read More

ROCK & ROLL LIFE – THE MOHRS

Music Express
ROCK & ROLL LIFE – THE MOHRS
The Gateway, Calgary – April 2, 2015 The rock and roll life: hauling gear from the farthest depths of a strange building to the concrete bunker of a campus bar; getting little assistance from anyone save the one techie who may or may not be all that interested in life that day; assessing a stage that may fit aforementioned gear... Read More

Steve Kane: In Search Of The 10 Foot Record

Keith Sharp
Steve Kane: In Search Of The 10 Foot Record
Steve Kane with Neil Young “It’s absolutely clear to me that they’ve ran out of people to induct.” That was the bemused reaction of Warner Music Canada’s President, Steve Kane on learning he had been inducted into this year’s Canadian Music Industry’s Hall of Fame – an induction that take’s place at Toronto’s Sheraton Centre, Thursday May 7th during Canadian... Read More

Trapper: It Helps To Have Contacts

Keith Sharp
Trapper: It Helps To Have Contacts
Think of famous rock music duets from the 1980’s and both Britain’s Eurythmics and Sweden’s Roxette come quickly to mind…but Trapper! Never heard of them? Well you wouldn’t have because Trapper consists of a Canadian duo; Emm Gryner and Sean Kelly who are about to celebrate the launch of their new project by opening for 80’s rock icons Def Leppard... Read More

Twin Kennedy: Double Barrel Country

Roman Mitz
Twin Kennedy: Double Barrel Country
Things can become a little confusing when you’re interviewing country singing twins over the telephone. In this case it’s Carli and Julie Kennedy, the siblings that front Twin Kennedy who are calling to talk about their hot new country platter “It’s A Love Thing”. Because of the similarity of their voices we devise a method to ensure that quotes are... Read More

Calling Gen Next: Discovering Canada’s New Rock Talent

Keith Sharp
Calling Gen Next: Discovering Canada’s New Rock Talent
Doug Elliott and Brett Emmons of the Glorious Sons When CKGE-FM radio’s program director Doug Elliott checks out his station’s play list, he notes the usual suspects you’d expect to find being programmed on the Oshawa Ontario-based rock station, known regionally as 94.9 The Rock. But as equally prominent as the Foo Fighters, AC/DC, Pink Floyd and yes, Led Zeppelin... Read More

The Glorious Sons: With A Little Help From Their Friends

Keith Sharp
The Glorious Sons: With A Little Help From Their Friends
There’s nothing like a bit of quality assistance from seasoned professionals when you’re a young band, practising in a non-descriptive garage located in an obscure, industrial area of Kingston Ontario, harbouring aspirations of being the next big thing in Canadian music. Five youngsters from the Limestone City; vocalist Brett Emmons, his guitarist brother Jay Emmons, guitarist Andrew Young, bassist Chris... Read More