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

Sturgis Canada Music Fest – What Went Wrong?

Keith Sharp
Sturgis Canada Music Fest – What Went Wrong?
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

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

Keith Sharp
April Wine. Toronto CNE Bandshell.
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

Keith Sharp
THEORY OF A DEADMAN
(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

Music Express
Rock N Roar Succeeds Despite Inclement Conditions
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

Keith Sharp
Big Wreck: Moving The Yard Sticks Forward
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

Keith Sharp
LOVERBOY: A DNA For The Ages
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

Music Express
Warner Music Canada and Blue Rodeo sign on to extend relationship
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

Keith Sharp
Sturgis Canada: Mounting A Musical Invasion
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

Keith Sharp
Come Rock N Roar – Little Festival – Big Noise
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!

Keith Sharp
Slaight Music – New Talent Incubators!
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

The Box – Painting a New Canvas

Keith Sharp
The Box – Painting a New Canvas
Those of you planning a late summer’s vacation jaunt to the Laurentian Mountains, just north of Montreal, may find yourself in the scenic village of Mont Tremblant. Should you decide to stick your head inside the quaint 806 (Rue de St Jovie) Art Studio you may discover a familiar face manning the cash register. That familiar face belongs to Jean-Marc... Read More

BIG WRECK – Ghosts (Anthem)

Keith Sharp
BIG WRECK – Ghosts (Anthem)
Big Wreck’s Ghosts isn’t your typical download track 6 and then track 3 iTunes package. To fully appreciate Ghosts requires you to pay attention to the entire disc. More thematic than conceptual, Ghosts takes you on a 13-track aural journey through Ian Thornley’s lyrical prose and Brian Doherty’s sonic guitar instrumentals, supported by additional guitar work from Paulo Neta and a rhythmic bottom end... Read More

Gloryhound – New Record Attracts Superstar Production Support

Keith Sharp
Gloryhound – New Record Attracts Superstar Production Support
Think of rock bands that have emerged from the Maritimes and April Wine immediately springs to mind.  Then you have the Sloan-inspired 1990 Halifax grunge movement – but beyond that, not much! However, if Falls River’s Gloryhound have their way, there is a new four-piece rock outfit about to make their mark across Canada. To say Gloryhound is new is... Read More

Alias Reunion Gig Sparks Possible Reformation

Keith Sharp
Alias Reunion Gig Sparks Possible Reformation
It’s September 2012 and Alias guitarist Steve DeMarchi has agreed to meet with myself to discuss a “Where Are They Now” spotlight feature to run in the debut issue of the newly launched Music Express online magazine about Alias and what has happened to himself, lead vocalist Freddy Curci and the former Heart trio of guitarist Roger Fisher, bassist Steve... Read More

Sunny Skies the Key to Festival’s Success

Keith Sharp
Sunny Skies the Key to Festival’s Success
Hamilton Ontario’s TD Festival of Friends concert event, set to run August 8-10  scheduled in amongst other major festivals like Mark Higgins’ recently staged Big Fest in Kitchener and Brad Jones’ upcoming Rock the Park in London Ontario July 23rd-­26th, yet competing against big name artists like Aerosmith, Bryan Adams and Burton Cummings isn’t the festival’s biggest problem. “Our only big competition is... Read More

HELIX – Bastard of The Blues

Keith Sharp
HELIX – Bastard of The Blues
(Helix Records) Give Brian Vollmer credit. When it seems every other established rock band is questioning the validity of releasing new product, Vollmer drags his Helix band mates together – and with substantial song writing, and performance assistance from former lead guitarist Sean Kelly, has fashioned a record that reflects back on the band’s past glories. Yes rock records may... Read More

Astrid Young: Emerging From The Shadows

Keith Sharp
Astrid Young: Emerging From The Shadows
Having to deal with the deaths of both her parents; Scott Young and Astrid Mead, just three months apart in 2005, Astrid Young faced a severe self-examination about what motivated her to continue to be creative. Now ensconced in the Prince Edward wine region centred around Picton, Ontario, Neil Young’s half-sister needed time to revive that creative spark she thought... Read More

Ray Sasseville – Easy Rider Brings Sturgis Spirit To Merritt Bike Fest

Keith Sharp
Ray Sasseville – Easy Rider Brings Sturgis Spirit To Merritt Bike Fest
Gangster or entrepreneur? — that’s the question Ray Sasseville poses as the title of a soon-to-be-published autobiography of the White Rock B.C motorbike enthusiast who is about to introduce the Sturgis motorbike rally concert concept to the Merritt B.C Music Grounds on Thursday August 21st to Sunday August 24th. A glance at the book’s front cover depicts a menacing looking... Read More