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

The Story Of Anvil – Crazy Enough To Be A Movie!

Keith Sharp
The Story Of Anvil – Crazy Enough To Be A Movie!
Heavy metal rock band Anvil are on an all-time high as they assaulted Toronto’s Rockpile East nightclub on Saturday October 19th in preparation for further European touring activities in early 2014.With a brand new record, “Hope In Hell” produced by Bob Marlette to hawk, and fresh off a gig opening for Metallica in Singapore, lead vocalist/guitarist Steve (Lips) Kudlow agrees... Read More

The Douce Is Still Loose

Keith Sharp
The Douce Is Still Loose
It’s inevitable. Turn on your local classic rock radio and within a short period of time you are going to hear it, that unmistakable guitar riff into to Jerry Doucette’s `Mama Let Him Play’. Even though it was recorded in 1977, the song still rates as a bona fide Canadian classic rock track. Yet until very recently, that song `Mama... Read More

Mushroom Records Vaults Reveal Missing Treasures

Keith Sharp
Mushroom Records Vaults Reveal Missing Treasures
With the release of three titles from the vaults of Mushroom Records, Vancouver’s Bill Henderson finally has most of his band Chilliwack’s key releases out on compact disc. His 1977 record “Dreams Dreams Dreams (containing such killer tracks as `Fly At Night’, `California Girl’ and Rain-O’), the 1978 release “Lights From The Valley” (featuring `Arms Of Mary’) and the until... Read More

REEL Indie Film Fest bringing film and music together for IndieWeek

Music Express
REEL Indie Film Fest bringing film and music together for IndieWeek
The Reel Indie Film Festival (RiFF) launched this week with it’s lineup of six features, six shorts and six music videos, for the inaugural music-themed film festival. RiFF is an extension of the international music festival Indie Week  and seeks to cover the gamut of musical inspiration, from the teenage dream of following in the footsteps of the Rolling Stones, to using music... Read More

Matt Minglewood – Knowing How To Play The Game

Keith Sharp
Matt Minglewood – Knowing How To Play The Game
So far, 2013 has been a very eventful year for Glace Bay, Nova Scotia’s Matt Minglewood. Honoured by the Toronto Blues Society in January, he has kept busy performing with a heavy schedule of band dates, solo performance dates, primarily in the Maritimes, with a slew a festival dates tossed in. The tragedy of mourning three departed Maritime recording artists;... Read More

Days Of Future Past – Burton Cummings Continues To Shine

Keith Sharp
Days Of Future Past – Burton Cummings Continues To Shine
Burton Cummings is asked why he’s always being questioned about his past, the Deverons, The Guess Who, his past solo hits. No one it seems cares too much what he’s doing at present. “It’s people like you who keep asking those questions so I feel obliged to answer them,” he laughs chatting on the phone from his Los Angeles home.”... Read More

A Rock Music Epiphany Comes To Life – The First Anniversary of Music Express Digital Magazine

Keith Sharp
A Rock Music Epiphany Comes To Life – The First Anniversary of Music Express Digital Magazine
Call it an epiphany if you will, a moment when that imaginary light bulb flashes above your head. That moment of inspiration came to me late August 2012 while working as a security officer for G4S, one of the world’s biggest security companies. It was that single moment of clarity which lead to the re-birth of Music Express as a... Read More

Killer Dwarfs Officially Open Rockpile East

Keith Sharp
Killer Dwarfs Officially Open Rockpile East
It’s always a good sign when the club runs out of beer! Bar staff were at panic stations Friday October 4th as the newly recreated Rockpile East (formerly the infamous Knob Hill Tavern) opened its doors with a headline concert by the newly revived Killer Dwarfs – and a dwindling stockpile of suds! Led by Russ Graham (who had been... Read More

Goddo at Rockpile East

Keith Sharp
Goddo at Rockpile East
The Pretty Bad Boys are back in the house, reliving past glories formerly generated at their Scarborough home base of The Knob Hill Tavern. Now reconstructed as Rockpile East and reopened the previous evening with The Killer Dwarfs doing the honours Friday October 4th, lead vocalist/bassist Greg Godovitz, guitarist Gino Scarpelli and drummer Doug Inglis made a poignant return to... Read More

Fantasy To Reality – Sean Kelly’s Metal On Ice Book

Keith Sharp
Fantasy To Reality – Sean Kelly’s Metal On Ice Book
Growing up in North Bay Ontario, Sean Kelly fantasized about being a rock star. He dreamed about escaping to Los Angeles, cracking the lineup of an aspiring rock band playing on Sunset Strip and getting scooped up by the A&R guy of a major record label. Then young Sean attended a rock concert in his home town featuring two Canadian... Read More

Keeping The Faith – Power Executes Goddo Rejuvenation

Keith Sharp
Keeping The Faith – Power Executes Goddo Rejuvenation
John Power is determined to set the record straight. Thirty Four years ago he was recruited to be the tour manager of Goddo, hired by the band’s management to help execute two major national tours in support of their “Act Of Goddo” (1990) record release “Goddo was at the peak of their popularity at that time,” noted Power, head of... Read More

Renaissance What Renaissance? – Helix

Keith Sharp
Renaissance What Renaissance? – Helix
Brian Vollmer doesn’t quite buy the observation that there’s a retro rock ‘n roll renaissance currently taking place in Canada. Yes there’s lots of classic 70’s and 80’s rock bands currently back on the circuit but as lead vocalist and sole surviving original member of hard rock band, Helix, Vollmer notes that it’s still a struggle keeping his band operational.... Read More

Rush announce Clockwork Angels Tour DVD!

Keith Sharp
Rush announce Clockwork Angels Tour DVD!
Legendary rock trio Rush have unveiled details for their first new recording since being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. RUSH: Clockwork Angels Tour will be released on November 19. The DVD was filmed and recorded last November at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, during Rush’s highly successful Clockwork Angels Tour. The... Read More

D.O.A – Welcome To Chinatown

Keith Sharp
D.O.A – Welcome To Chinatown
(Sudden Death Records) Vancouver hard-core punkers, D.O.A are celebrating their 35th year anniversary with a new live CD and a farewell tour! Yes, after numerous records and numerous personnel changes, lead vocalist/guitarist Joey (Shithead) Keithley, bassist Dirty Dan Sedan and drummers Jesse Pinner (who performed on the first 12 tracks) and Floor Tom Jones (who did the rest) are wrapping... Read More

Susan Jacks – Against All Odds

Keith Sharp
Susan Jacks – Against All Odds
Ever tune in to one of those classic pop stations that play golden oldies  when they start playing a song from Vancouver’s Poppy Family, either `Which Way You Going Billy’ or `Where Evil Grows’ and you think to yourself, “I wonder whatever happened to Susan Jacks?” Well, Susan Jacks is alive and well… barely, and appreciates your concern. To say... Read More

Heading for the T.Dot – Part Two

Keith Sharp
Heading for the T.Dot – Part Two
My first interview with Red Rider’s lead vocalist Tom Cochrane provided a source of confrontation. Red Rider; comprising of Cochrane (guitarist/lead vocalist) Jeff Jones (bass), Ken Greer (guitar) Peter Boynton (keyboards) and Rob Baker( drums) were a hotly sought after Toronto band in 1979. Both Capitol’s Deane Cameron and Anthem’s Ray Danniels were vying for them but Cameron was concerned... Read More