Museum of Canadian Music

"The bastard offspring of the early punk scene in London Ontario were everywhere. Fans were forming bands that would take the music in new directions. The musicians who had already been part of the local alternative scene and those who wanted to stick around a while, were plotting their next move. Such was the case of '63 Monroe, one of London's hardest working bands. A blend of musical influences and a desire to incorporate image into their vision of a great band quickly set '63 Monroe apart from all other local bands."

Here's the skinny on '63 Monroe. The band originally started out as NFG back in late 1978, early 1979 playing mostly covers, and opening up for their hero's local giants the Demics. The man that started that band is still the driving force behind them, Steven R Stunning.

Soon they were writing and recording their own material, to date the band has officially released three vinyl albums, two singles, and two CD packages. There have been numerous...

'63 Monroe is a story all by itself. Success, tragedy... it was all there. I'd write a book if I had the time. They were more than just another sex drugs and rock n roll story. To their credit they never gave in to the music industry.

The band's name derived from the obvious; that being the beginning of a new legend. It is also a statement showing the member's feelings towards the insanity, excesses and stupidity of the jet set celebrities and of their own demise. Although influences on the band had included the New York Dolls, The Ramones as well as early London (Canada) bands such as the Demics, they were aware of the importance of finding their own niche. The sound was raw, but enjoyable to the punk/metal crossover generation...and for those who understood that the band was approaching alternative music from a different angle, they were a breath of fresh air.
-Danny Napalm

In 1985, the band released their second album, the highly praised Stinkin’ Out the...

A Brief Moment of Glory are an indie rock outfit based out of Montreal, Quebec. Give them a listen. I think you will agree that they have a great sound and the album is definitely a worthwhile listen.

Jordey Tucker: guitars, vocals
Michael Thomas: drums, vocals
Frank C-Gain: lead vocals, guitars, keys

buy the physical copy from the band here: http://abriefmomentofglory.com/

join their mailing list and receive three tracks for free..

It may surprise more than a few listeners to learn that "Feminine Endings", the title of D.G. Adams debut album, is a Shakespearean reference. Those who know that Adams has spent the past thirty-three years as a classically-trained actor and Shakespeare teacher will not be surprised. (For the curious: a feminine ending refers to the eleventh, unstressed syllable in a line of iambic pentameter! In poetic terms, the presence of the feminine ending indicates that there is too much emotion in the line to be contained in ten syllables.) In the acting world, D.G is known as Donald Adams, and he now plays leads in films and television.

Since the age of fifteen, Adams has quietly been writing music and lyrics, but only sharing his work with a handful of friends. Fast forward to the year 2000 when he met his best friend Torquil Campbell (of the Montreal band Stars) at Bard on the Beach Shakespeare festival in Vancouver, where both were working as actors. Campbell listened to one of...

Amos The Transparent's Debut Release Aug 2007. Named number 1 Album of the 00's by iHEART Music, Everything I've Forgotten To Forget is no mere collection of singles (assuming bands even record albums of singles anymore). It's also a very good album. It flows from one song to the next; it creates and sustains a mood from beginning to end; it just sounds great as a singular, cohesive whole. http://www.iheartmusic.net

Jonathan Chandler: guitar, vocals
Christopher Wilson: drums
Mark Hyne: guitar, Keys, vocals
James Nicol: bass, vocals
Dan Hay: guitar
Kate Cooke: vocals

For any long time reader of herohill, you'll know are quite smitten with Ottawa's Amos the Transparent. We gave them the distinction of #2 on the 2007 Canadian album of the Year list and asked them to open up for The Inbreds reunion show at the herohill Pop Explosion last year. The way Chandler and Wilson melded bedroom pop with anthem ready classic rock was pretty breathtaking, but the thing that made Everything I've Forgotten to Forget stick in my brain was quickly the got to the point and how powerful their statements were.

"The songs are tight, the arrangements crisp and succinct. In most cases, too many cooks spoil the broth and too many guitars spoil the sounds. Huge crescendos are all well and good, but endless meandering that is all too common in today's indie scene is another thing. AtT never wastes a note."

So when Jonathan sent over the songs from the new Amos EP, I was a wee bit excited. My, What Big Teeth You Have is the first new material to surface...

Western spaghetti meets swingjazz and doowop inflected voices, Armistice is a keeper. The EP's first single, "Mission Bells" (available on 45tours.ca), showcases the undeniable magic between Martin and Malinowski's voices. Michael Maxxis directed the video, aptly filmed in the California desert in December (available soon). "City Lights Cry", which begins with Martin's wispy melancholy vocals is driven by El Bronx's fast getaway in the middle of the night percussion beat. "Neon Lights" brings the harmonies in flashback to Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra fashion. The album also includes Armistice's version of "Jeb Rand", a song originally recorded by Bedouin Soundclash. It finishes off with the haunting strings and piano driven tale of "God Will Get His Man".

Armistice Featuring Mariachi El Bronx

Joby J. Ford - Vihuela, guitar, ukulele, percussions, back ground vox
Jorma Vik - drums, percussions
Ray Suen - Violin
Brad Magers - Horns
Karla T...

On Monday, February 6 at La Tulipe, Marie-Pierre Arthur will present songs off her second album to be released via Bonsound Records. The album launch will be open to the public!

Aux alentours is the awaited follow-up to her critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, which led the singer to France. Until then, she offers radio stations a first single, titled Si tu savais, while they patiently wait for the rest.

Si tu savais tackles the subject of relationships: how much of our own selves can we sacrifice on the alter of love without betraying ourselves? Co-written with Gaële, the song finds Marie-Pierre Arthur renewing with the allusive and fascinating songwriting style that made her previous album so wonderful. Produced by François Lafontaine (Karkwa), this first single reveals an album infused with a current indie-folk sound. Promising, indeed!

buy the album here: http://bonsound.com/en/artists/marie-pierre-arthur-54

Marie-Pierre Arthur was probably my favorite straight-up (albiet in French) rock act of the whole weekend. [...] a very good songwriter and a skilled musician. I left humming more than a few of her songs.
Bill Pearis, November 2009, Brooklyn Vegan, M for Montreal review

Whatever the style, her vocals are sincere and passionate, her melodies are strong and her songs are tastefully and simply arranged.
Darryl Sterdan, November 2009, Sun Media, M for Montreal review

LA révélation de l'année au Québec, peu importe ce que l'ADISQ en pense.
Olivier Boisvert, décembre 2009, 33mag

Chansons rondelettes et airs caressants, paroles à déguster et mélodies à rêver la tête en l’air, production pointilliste et voix acrobate, Marie-Pierre Arthur est sans doute, tout le monde l’affirme au Québec, l’une des têtes à suivre de plus près ces tous prochains mois. Et l’une des têtes d’affiche les plus évidentes de M Pour Montréal.
Thomas Burgel, 17 novemb...

Artok were a Waterloo, Ontario, Canada rock prog metal trio who recorded this three track 12" EP, pressed privately on Kanvas Records JM 8359, in a pressing of 1000 copies.

The band featured Rob Taylor on drums, percussion, vocals; Robi Banerji on guitar, bass pedal Synthesizer, keyboards, vocals; and Chris Tristram on bass.

The album was produced by Bill Mather & Artok at Elora Sound in January, 1983.

The cover artwork was by Rob Taylor.

The band is still selling sealed copies of this album for $55 on their website:
http://www.artok.org/#/vinyl-records/4524819370

The band has recently re-grouped and are working on a new recording 'Above Ground'.
-Robert Williston

It ain’t easy to put raw, heartfelt, broken-hearted vocals into a moving, vital union with sophisticated architectures of string arrangements, found sounds and electronic wizardry; still less easy to deliver the whole as a pyrotechnic and cohesive pop package in live performance. But Axis of Conversation, an experimental sextet who have been steadily building their reputation for several years as one of Calgary’s strongest bands, make it all look easy.

A band that takes clear joy in performing – and in performing with each other – their pleasure in the music is infectious, and ensures that experimental flights of fancy are always fresh and always in the truest sense of the word, never deteriorating into mere exercise or cerebral posturing. They deliver their songs as ethereal, frenetic, controlled whirls of sound and energy, walking a tightrope of tension between wistful neo-Romantic sensibility and ballsy dance-funk swagger with aplomb worthy of a veteran act.
-from 2...

Axis of Conversation are a unique experimental pop band from Calgary, Alberta. They are one of Calgary's best emerging acts. "Enemies is a quick snippet of what the band does best. Side A, the title track, is a three-minute burst of sound that recalls anything and everything from The Talking Heads to The Strokes. Lead singer Chris dela Torre’s hushed, high-pitched voice is the perfect complement to the frantic energy that swirls around him, singing conspiratorially, “We did it all for the failure of love.” Side B is a clever remix of one of the band’s earlier songs, “The Pull.” Originally a quiet acoustic piece, Morgan Greenwood’s remix inserts a fractured electronic beat and some spacey strings that lend the song a brand new personality. Enemies is a notch in the belt of another promising local band and Axis of Conversation have proven themselves worthy of the early attention."
-from Fastfoward Weekly by Nathan Atnikov
http://www.ffwdweekly.com

You can download "...

Take a look at this album. No one before has accomplished such a feat as telling the history of the Westcoast in song in such a exciting and thrilling way. Stories in song about Emily Carr, ships and trains and a small touch of the First Nation's history. You wont' want to miss adding this timeless album to your collection.

For nearly forty years Dave Baker has been writing and singing songs about his native Westcoast. Raised on Vancouver Island in Nanaimo and Duncan, Dave is eminently qualified to write about the characters, places, and icons that are a part of the history of Canada’s Westcoast. Along the way, Dave has lived in Port Alberni, Squamish, and Sechelt, and now resides in Maple Ridge.

A "Portrait of the Westcoast in Song" is a fitting conclusion to Dave’s long career in music production and song writing. Always keeping his activities in music as an avid hobby, Dave has produced, over a span of thirty years, four CDs and three vinyl albums from which...

Dave Baker, born and raised in Nanaimo and Duncan, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, recorded this, his first album of West Coast folk, in 1973 on Stamp Records.

“It is the ambition of every songwriter to put into words and music his emotions, his experiences, and his way of life. Dave Edmund Baker, a native of Vancouver Island, reveals, in this his first album, a personal sensitivity towards life itself yet at the same time captures the spirit of the West Coast. From the haunting melody of “Kettle Valley Line” to the uptempo strains of “Now and Then”; from the reflective mood of “The Pain Lingers On For Awhile” to the driving rhythm of West Coast Logger Saga – this is Dave Baker…And it is my pleasure to introduce him to you.”
-Gerry Massop, Country Music News

Dave has lived in Port Alberni, Squamish, and Sechelt, and currently resides in Maple Ridge. He continues to record music about the West Coast and Railways.

Recorded at Studio 3, Vanc...

This album in music industry terminology is a concept album featuring some of the best known and loved Canadian railway songs from the pens of several great Canadian songwriters. It has been created for the 'railway buff', the enthusiast who is emotionally moved by the haunting wail of a steam locomotive whistle.

For nearly thirty years, West Coast songwriter and recording artist Dave Baker has been writing and singing songs about his homeland, and many of the characters who played a role in it's history.

His Kettle Valley Line song, recounts a childhood experience that occurred in 1952, when a double headed steam passenger train stopped to take on water late one summer evening, and turned a wide eyed seven year old boy into a lifetime rail buff.

An album for 'rail buffs', history enthusiasts, and great listening.

Emilie-Claire Barlow’s 7th vocal jazz CD the positively stylish “Haven’t We Met?” is an engaging collection of songs. Self produced in Toronto at Doane Leblanc Studios, the 13 track album which was released on March 10 2009 (via her own Empress Music Group imprint and KOCH distribution) is filled to the brim with musical conversations; some reflective, some intimate and some cheeky. Joined by a vibrant cast of Canadian musicians, the disc features Reg Schwager on guitar Ross MacIntyre on bass, Dave Restivo on piano and Davide DiRenzo on drums. What makes “Haven’t We Met?” a record of prominence is its simple beauty. Songs of lust and longing sit side by side songs rushing with pure exhilarated joie de vivre. It’s a collection that snapshots spontaneous dreamers who yearn to fall desperately in love. Emilie-Claire’s dexterity in her pitch perfect rollercoaster vocalese is at its height, surely inspired by an unlocked stream of consciousness that is almost apologetic in its truth. There...

When one is analyzing jazz or jazz-influenced pop, it is important to know the difference between sweet and saccharine. Lester Young, Jo Stafford, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, the Ink Spots, and Glenn Miller were quite capable of sweetness; Kenny G, Najee, and Dave Koz, on the other hand, have often epitomized saccharine -- they are masters of artificial sweetness. So where does Emilie-Claire Barlow fit in? The Canadian jazz vocalist is definitely sweet -- very sweet -- but there isn't a trace of saccharine on Like a Lover. Barlow brings an enjoyably girlish charm to this self-produced bop CD, although she isn't a girl.

Born in 1976, she was in her late twenties when Like a Lover came out in 2005 -- and for Barlow, girlish doesn't mean wimpy, thin-voiced, or unswinging. Barlow has an impressive vocal range, and she definitely swings -- she swings whether she is favoring high-speed exuberance on Bob Dorough's "(I've Got) Just About Everything I Need" or getting into...

Emilie-Claire Barlow - Canada's incomparable vocal-jazz jewel - is dazzling the world! Her energetic live performances and exquisite recordings thrill sold-out audiences from Tokyo to Montreal! Emilie-Claire leads her stellar band through innovative arrangements of American-Songbook treasures, rhythmic bossa novas and elegant ballads. Emilie-Claire continues to endear herself to critics, peers and audiences everywhere with her relaxed, polished demeanour, her charming humour, and A VOICE OF UNFORGETTABLE BEAUTY!

The stunning new release, The Very Thought Of You may be Emilie-Claire's most personal album to date. There is an up-close and intimate tone that starts with the gorgeous cover art, and continues throughout this entire recording. The arrangements are fresh and focused, and all her own. Joined by an all-star band (Reg Schwager, Nancy Walker, Kieran Overs, Mark Kelso) and some fabulous guest soloists (Kelly Jefferson, Kevin Turcotte, Bill McBirnie, Alan Hetherington) ...

This is Emilie-Claire Barlow's fifth album and her tone is just gorgeous. Clear diction, impeccable tuning, great scatting; this is my kind of jazz singer. Highlights include her great up-tempo bossa take on "Sleigh Ride". Barlow delivers a killer vocalese lyric on that one. Marc Jordan guests on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and her "Christmas Time Is Here" is lovely. A winner!

You could say that The Beat Goes On finds Emilie-Claire Barlow going back to the future. You see, the Toronto jazz chanteuse’s acclaimed previous two albums, 2007’s The Very Thought of You and 2009’s Haven’t We Met? (both nominated for Juno Awards) drew upon the Great American Songbook and tunes from the ‘30s and ‘40s. Here, she looks forward to the ‘60s for her repertoire, and the result is a charming album that does real musical justice to that most colorful of decades.

The Beat Goes On is the eighth album in a recording career that now spans 12 years, and it is a record of which she is justifiably proud.

The Beat Goes On, Emilie-Claire Barlow’s 8th studio album, finds Barlow diving into new territory as she draws inspiration from one of the most inspired and colourful decades – the 1960’s. The result is a wonderfully varied collection of classic songs given new life by Barlow’s inventive arrangements and signature vocal style. The Beat Goes On is set for relea...

Yank Barry was a touring member of the Kingsmen. In 1969 while performing with The Footprints, he shared the stage at a concert in Long Island, NY with Jimmy Hendrix. In 1970, he produced the first quadraphonic album at Regent Sound Studios in New York. A year later, he recorded his own rock opera “The Diary of Mr. Gray” to raise money for drug awareness, prevention, and rehabilitation. Known as a rock play set in the 1920's, the story revolves around a psychiatrist who is reading the diary of Mr. Gray, presumably his patient. Mr. Gray had gone mad as a result of drug use. Through the diary, we see the world through the eyes of a madman. The album covered 50 years of nostalgia in the recording industry, including a 78 rpm, a stereo recording, and a quadraphonic recording. The album is now a cult classic.

Yank Barry went on to become one of the world's leading philanthropists, along with his friend and partner Muhammad Ali. Together they have fed over 330,000,000 meals to t...

If you’ve ever been to Vancouver and spent any time in Stanley Park or on any of the beaches, you’ve probably been forced to side step faux-rastafari, professional sack hackers and devil stick twirlers. God help you if you hang out too long after fireworks or any free concerts.

Thankfully, the tribal percussion and pulsating electronics of Basketball more than make up for all the drum circles and the psychedelic tracers, chanting vocals and Indian influence make the band’s 12″ debut — Maw — a much more spiritual occurrence than the Ras Trent inspired bongo sessions can ever hope to be.

Maw isn’t weed and wasted days; no, the debut 12″ miraculously manages to replicate the band’s underground live sets and capture a moment in time fueled by MDMA, but the songs connect with and inspire the people. This isn’t just about carefree movement, Maw wants to fuel a movement. “Andika” is gritty and the low end is perfect for any of the dank, sweat soaked caves Basketball...

During the 1990s, Barney Bentall's music was a staple on popular radio stations nationwide. With two platinum and four gold albums, a Juno Award and a string of top ten singles to his credit, Barney Bentall and his band The Legendary Hearts were renowned for their standing-room-only live shows. By 1997, seeking a change in perspective, he bought a cattle ranch and walked away. He continued performing, but felt the pull back to a simpler, stripped-down acoustic approach to songwriting. 2007 brought the solo release of Gift Horse, followed by The Inside Passage in 2008. Barney also formed The Grand Cariboo Opry with a variety of musicians as a way to help raise funds for needy residents in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. He is known for his intimate, warm and entertaining performances and storytelling.

In all, Shari Ulrich has released 17 albums – as a solo artist and as part of various groups – which have garnered her two Juno Awards, several award nominations and an ind...

Big Hank Lionhart and the other members of A Fist Full of Blues, Duane Smith, Ken Kirkwood, Barrie Nighswander, Bill Hobson, and Dennis Meneely have a relationship that goes back to their roots in Stettler, Alberta, having all grown up there in the 60's and 70's.

The members of the band also have been and continue to be members of the legendary Edmonton band Tacoy Ryde. They slip into the Blues and R&B as easy as you please and bring along an edge and special sound that make A Fist Full of Blues much more than your average blues band. The combination of their exceptional musicianship and Big Hank's powerful blues voice provide for a collection of tunes that have you up and dancing from the get go. Big Hank's roots go way back, having cut his teeth on the blues with Hot Cottage back in the seventies and with RCA recoding artists Uncle Wiggly's Hot Shoes Blues Band from the West Coast in the 80's.

The opportunity to work together as a band is the fulfillment of...

Originally released circa 1968 in an edition of 500 copies, the lunacy contained within the grooves of this Canadian mindfuck is perched somewhere midway between the outwardly bound trajectories of their contemporaries in both The Nihilist Spasm Band and Intersystems, with intuitive and screw-loose outsider psych improv moves crashing headlong into lividly blurted sound poetry in a way that also calls to mind the touched-in-the-head maneuvers of Fire & Ice, Ltd (not to mention a raft of contempo freak folk practitioners...). Bissett is far better known as a poet (phonetische and otherwise) than musician and his spew here is what really tugs this in the direction of the aforementioned head cases in Intersystems.

In the entertainment industry, it has become all too common to replace one’s given name with an alluring alias. One artist who is in no need of a sizzling pseudonym is Calgary native Matt Blais. Blais has one of those names that is tailor-made to be lit up on a rock ‘n’ roll marquee as it rolls smoothly off your tongue and sticks in your head, much like he anticipates his latest tunes will. As he gears up to release his first full-length album, this is one musician who is ready to set the local scene ablaze.

“It’s going to be called Let It Out. I thought it was appropriate. I don’t know how other people write songs, but I try to hold in a song as long as I can and I won’t put it down on paper until it has to come out. I’m also a huge fan of Feist and hers is Let it Die. There is a lot of good ‘Let It…’ records and I hope this makes the rank or at least comes close.”

Just how did Blais begin his musical career? It is a whale of a tale – a whale named Willy, to b...

One of our favorite bands from north of the border, Canada's The Blue Voodoo, are back with a solid slab of irresistible party blues with the release of "Back To The Shack." It's a cool amalgam of blues, roots-rock, and a little bit o'soul in the mix. These guys have a unique sound forged from playing together for quite some time, and writing all their own material. They consist of Ted Tosoff on guitar and vocals, brother Bryon on keys, Rick Dalgarno on slide, dobro, and vocals, Kelly Stodola on drums, Gerry Berg on bass, Dave Hoerl on harp, and horns courtesy of Paul Wainwright.

Check out the rockabilly-ish tale we can all relate to, those "Monday Morning Blues." "Suitcase Blues" is a lowdown slice of life concerning a lover who's leaving, with a really cool slide break and a vocal reminiscent of vintage Johnny Winter. "Somewhere Else Instead" is driven by the funky horn section, giving it an old-school Stax feel. We had two favorites, too. More great slide work and solid ...

The latest album from the Blue Voodoo is "Outside Looking In" 12 smoking tracks of "Multi Genre" Blues/Rock.

Recorded in the first half of 2011; the Blue Voodoo line up is:
Rick Dalgarno: Songs, guitar, vocals
Ted Tosoff Songs: guitar, vocals
Gerry Berg: bass
Mike Michalkow: drums

Guests:
Paul Wainwright: sax
Dave Hoerl: harp
Dan Ross: guitar, keys, strings
Kelly Stodola: drums.

The range of music goes from the Son House Style of "Hightailing" (track 6); The Gary Moore tribute of "Blame"(track 11); to the uptempo harp and horn fueled Chicago Blues of "Can't stay here no More". This CD has something for every music fan.

Turning To Wave

The new album, Turning to Wave, was recorded in Edmonton, Alberta once again and features some of the city’s best musicians: James Murdoch adds the ear candy; Nathan Carroll strums and plucks the catchiest of guitar hooks; and F&M lends some golden background vocals. Alberta native turned Nashville resident Chad Melchert plays solid yet emotive drums, and from Deon’s current home (Calgary), Jon Nordstrom adds his soft touch on bass.

The way most romantic men fall in love with a girl after the first kiss, Deon seems to have fallen in love with cities over the past 3 years; while listening to this album you will find yourself yearning for a vacation “if for only two days”. His enthusiasm for New York, Vancouver, Toronto, and Sausalito is infectious, to say the least.

Much of the album was co-written with James Murdoch (who also acted as producer) and when comparing Deon’s earlier albums to this one, it’s safe to say Murdoch’s presence a...

You'd think that moving from small-town Alberta to big-city Edmonton to pursue music would be enough to steel your resolve, would be proof positive that you have what it takes to step out of your comfort zone—a necessary trait if your aspirations are bigger than campfire crooner. But life has a one-step-forward-two-steps-back quality, and the things that we learn about ourselves are often by repetition.

Although singer-songwriter Deon Blyan managed to carve his name into the Edmonton scene within a couple years of moving here in the mid-'90s, it wasn't until he moved to Calgary a couple of years back that he was able to see the world of possibility.

"I moved to Calgary because I felt kind of like a chapter of my life had ended in Edmonton and I kind of wanted a change," Blyan explains over the phone from Calgary. "Edmonton is a great cocoon where you can play and get a lot of support and really hone your skills. I look back on it now and I see that if I hadn't m...

Bone Orchard were a very short-lived band from Coquitlam, British Columbia that played a few local gigs in the early 90's. They recorded a few tracks on tape and shortly thereafter seemingly vanished. Their big tune was Mind Pollution, written by Kevin Williston. Those fortunate enough to see them play at the Starfish Room were lucky to get out of that place alive. hard loud grunge. heavy bass. long live Bone Orchard.

Kevin Williston: bass, lyrics, music
Clayton Leopkey: vocals
Juan Kent: guitars
Tim Chudyk: drums

Borealis recorded the album ‘Sons of the Sea’ at MUN Radio in St’ John’s, Newfoundland. It was the first album recorded in any of the Atlantic Provinces and the first all-original material by any Newfoundland group. There were likely only 500 copies of this album pressed. Currently changing hands at $600 for near mint copies, the album also represents the most valuable commercial recording by a Newfoundlander artist or group.

The album features some great keyboards and great guitar riffs throughout, with hints of fuzz guitar, psych and garage – all in all an outstanding listen start to finish.

Thanks went out to “Mighty Mouth Mac Bareftoot, Doc Feeney (recording genius par excellence), Memorial University Security Guards, Len White, Nelson Squires (and his dark room). Tony Kent (yet another Newfie genius).

The album “Sons of the Sea’ was re-issued on Void Records VOID 23 on blue marble wax in 2001 and again on CD on Beatball Merry-Go-Round Records BMR...

les Breastfeeders nous font le coup de la maturité sur Dans la gueule des jours. Enfin... Si on entend par «maturité» le fait de comprimer l’ensemble du chemin parcouru sur 13 titres endiablés et accrocheurs, de ne jamais abdiquer ni faire de compromis et de trouver le moyen de se renouveler fiévreusement dans la plus totale cohérence, on peut le dire comme ça.
J.P. Tremblay, Nightlife Magazine, Février 2011

English Canada prepare to meet Quebec's best-kept rock'n'roll secret. No matter what language you speak, Les Breastfeeders' tight musicianship and magnetic stage presence cannot be denied...
Sofi Papamarko, Exclaim

... Thankfully, attention-grabbing bands like French-Canadians Les Breastfeeders make one forget one's foreign language purgatory. Despite the communication barrier, these Montreal-rooted miscreants succeed with ceaseless energy, blendin mod-punk, yeye and lusty garage-pop to yield a bouncy, guitar stroked throwdown. Not since the '80"s ...

"…Les Breastfeeders pourraient bien avoir signé leur Hard Day's Night avec Les matins de grands soirs. Roche et roule!"
André Péloquin, Ici

… ce sont les Breastfeeders qui m’ont jeté sur le cul... Complètement allumés, Les Breastfeeders se sont lâchés lousse, nous balançant avec furie et pas mal de plaisir leur rock n’roll garage teinté de pop 60’s et de yéyé franco.
Patrick Baillargeon, Ici

…ce premier compact prend des allures de greatest hits.
O. Robillard-Laveaux, Voir Montreal

Les Breastfeeders c’est l’incarnation du rock‘n’roll.
Philippe Renaud, La Presse, Montréal

…ce disque se laisse écouter du début à la fin et on en redemande.
Jonathan Tabib, Longueur d'Ondes

Véritable bouffée d’air frais dans une culture de puristes, le sextuor montréalais prend le rock garage des années soixante par la nuque et lui fait avaler de grandes gorgées de pop des années 80 et de punk, sur ce premier album réussi...

It was amidst a dizzying flurry of questions on the nature of Time that the third opus by Les Breastfeeders, Dans la geule des jours, came into being. In stores March 8th via Blow The Fuse, the album grafts philosophical inquiry onto a backdrop of hard-hitting rock’n’roll. The band has envisioned the 13 tracks as tableaux representing each of them in the face of temporality, a concept developed by humans that brings with it a great many questions – is Time a fabrication of the mind, or is it intrinsic to nature? Here we have a pulsating rock album laced through with an elaborate and expanding idea; an album in which, as always, Les Breastfeeders shuffle the deck of their influences in an attempt to distance themselves from the clichés that bedevil certain musical genres.

Dans la gueule des jours has, beneath an avalanche of decibels, a strikingly literary lyrical content. Written for the most part in the early morning, the album’s lyrics comprise a joyous and poignant hymn ...

Vancouver area-based quartet The British Columbians are a breath of fresh air. While their music is an incomparably unique union of very diverse backgrounds that results in a mixture of old school blues-influenced stompy rock ‘n’ roll songs (heavy emphasis on the roll), with songs that are haunted, wooden and pastoral, one must understand how their outlook and passion fuels this creativity and originality. It is their grassroots approach to making music for music’s sake that is seeing them blossom as one of Canada’s few truly authentic acts.

“We’re passionate about there being integrity in music,” states Moran matter-of-factly. “I feel like if you have a gift to play music, you should use it and it should be sincere. Those are the bands that we gravitate towards and love: the ones who are genuine. And the first time you hear those bands, you connect with them.”

For The British Columbians, those connections have been coming fast and strong thanks to their heartfel...

Founded in the mid-'60s by vocalist Fraser Loveman, guitarists Greig Foster and Mike Gorgichuk, bassist Joe Colonna and drummer Robbie Jeffrey, the Ontario-based British Modbeats played covers of British Invasion groups such as the Rolling Stones and Spencer Davis Group and posed as true Englishmen. Red Leaf Records signed them and released their 1967 album, Mod Is the British Modbeats.

As their name suggests this Toronto, Ontario, outfit were heavily influenced by the British mod movement and dressed in the latest fashions set in London's Carnaby Street. This is largely explained by the fact that the band's vocalist and leader Fraser Loveman was British. A professional dancer, he had previously choreographed mod dance routines for himself and two Go-Go Girls. They started out in Ste. Catherine, Ontario, in 1963 and were discovered by Ronn Metclafe who was the managing director of a night club there. By 1966 they had become the house band at the Castles Club in Ste. Catheri...

Here are two previously unreleased tracks, recorded at the time the original album "Mod Is" was released, but were not included on the album. "Frustration" was written by Howard/Blaikley (Alan Blaikley & Ken Howard), the UK songwriting team who composed numerous British Invasion hits. "Love of the Loved" (Lennon/McCartney) was originally recorded by The Beatles in 1963.

After the Modbeats, Fraser Loveman formed The Fraser Loveman Group. "They were the most advanced musically with Dave Burt (Merryweather/Cano), Jhn Ord (The Paupers), and Doug Cartet (King Bisquit Boy). It was like a first super group. Metcalfe wanted that band so badly. That was one reason he wanted The Modbeats plus Fraser Loveman. They refused him.", says Loveman. Loveman went on to form the short-lived The Village S.T.O.P. with Paul Marcoux, Jim Hall, and Nick and Steve Urech. The Village S.T.O.P. produced only one single, recorded in 1969 on Ruby Records. There are other unreleased tracks. "Niagara bands...

History has been ravaged by the destructive force of war, and those who left their footmarks on scattered battlefields are anonymous whispers of dust.

But through discovered newspaper clippings, hysterical round-the-clock television sound-bites, and one-on-one meetings with their living lineage, Jon Brooks gives voice to Canadian soldiers and their experiences abroad.

“Ours and the Shepherds,” named for a passage spoken by Dorothy Day (founder of the Catholic Worker Movement) is a peaceful collection of folk compositions with a heart that weeps for the pain and loss that war leaves in its tragic wake.

The album opens and closes with the two-part, “Jim Loney’s Prayer.” James Loney was an activist with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq who was kidnapped along with three others and became the subject of a widely known hostage crisis.

An anti-violence advocate, Loney did not have any ill will towards his captors, and refused to testify ...

Jon Brooks' latest CD features an ominous title - "Moth Nor Rust" - a phrase taken straight from new testament scripture - and equally ominous artwork entitled "Out of the Cave: Series III". These touchstones point to a serious disc, indeed. But like so many a biblical phrase, there are hints of horror and damage but also hope and joy. Brooks elegantly rails against the injustices of our times, but this is no easy cynical blast of anger. Brooks' music features pretty melodies and soft picking guitar which are set against a gruff gravelly voice and syncopating guitar beats. Black and white, good and evil, love and hate, yin and yang - it's all there. Brooks is clearly a fan of contrast, and this disc does a fantastic job of capturing these elements.

"War Resister" sets the stage for this dynamic tension: the first person narrative comes from a soldier, proud and mighty: "...Yeah we don't know why we do what we do, it's just breathe, trigger, squeeze. And I was trained to ki...

'Political' songwriting is all too often assumed to be shouty simplistic protest, and all too often it is and therefore tends to be ignored by those who should take the most notice of it. Canadian Jon Brooks knows this and his songs are songs first and messages second. The result is a powerful set that cuts to the heart of all that matters, and one that Brooks, a man with a powerful and at times brutally clear-sighted vision, has created armed only with an acoustic guitar, a harmonica, and a gritty ragged voice.
-Maverick Magazine

All songs written and performed by Jon Brooks
Recorded by Scott Dibble
Mixed by Scott Dibble, Pat Simmonds, and Jon Brooks
Engineered and edited by Scott Dibble and Pat Simmonds
Technical consultation by Pacy Shulman
Mastered by David Travers-Smith
Produced by Scott Dibble and Jon Brooks

Original cover artwork by Sean Yelland
Lynn Miles appear courtesy of True North Records
Carrie Elkin appea...

Looking a bit like a young, wirey on-the-road Neal Cassady, and a scruffy on-the-beach Dennis Wilson, Tim Buckley was raised in the “non-posh” part of Lakeview, Calgary, Alberta. Under his well-worn corduroy jacket, he’s a wearing a Neil Young Zuma Beach t-shirt, close to his heart.

Buckley first started strumming a guitar at 14, picking on some of his dad’s campfire tunes. At 20, he and a friend wandered off to New Zealand and Australia, bought a couple “little shitty guitars” and played them everywhere they went. Four years later he’s an aspiring songwriter, steeped in country-folk, while finishing off a degree in history at the U of C. He’s also set to release his debut CD, backed by a handful of Calgary’s tastiest pickers and pluckers.

BeatRoute: Before we get to Tim Buckley the troubadour, what area of history is your focus at university?

Tim Buckley: Canadian history. History of the west, of Alberta and the fur trade, which was really rugged....

If T. Buckley’s (nee Tim) songwriting prowess is an untapped secret, it won’t be for long.

His first work as a solo artist — with his regulars in Tim.buck.two — hinted at that quality. Derek Pulliam and Ironwood regular Tim Leacock supported his solo work, developing a sound, which, as Buckley describes it, is “country with attitude.” While his earlier work has earned him plenty of accolades — he’s won a Calgary Folk Music Festival songwriting award — he decided to beef up his instrumentation for Roll On, his latest disc.

The trio is now called Tim, and has expanded to up to five regular performers, enhancing Buckley’s work with guitars, bass, drums, lap and pedal steel, keyboards and harmonized vocals. Roll On, released in November, has the group re-creating a live setting, looking back to traditional country with some mighty fine pedal steel solos and a tribute to Hank Williams Sr.

“A lot of guys coming out now doing (similar music) are calling th...

Song Credits:
The Big Tump: Kevin Blackmore
Partridge Bery Jam: Wayne Chaulk
Let Her Go: Kevin Blackmore, Ray Johnson
Longer Than Time: Wayne Chaulk
Flowers of Strabane: Traditional, (arr. by Ray Johnson)
Brothers Jig: Emile Benoit
'Tis Good to See You: Arch Doody & Wayne Chaulk
Never Pack Your Woman's Suitcase: Kevin Blackmore
My Only Sweetheart: Traditional (arr. Ray Johnson)
Kango Rhino Hippy Puss: Kvin Blackmore
Just Who You're Going to Meet: Traditional (arr. Ray Johnson)
Some Cold Tonight in Yellowknife: Wayne Chaulk
Angels in the Snow: Philomena & Kevin Blackmore
Lake St. John Reel: Traditional (arr. Ray Johnson)
Da Mower: Kevin Blackmore with Chaulkie support

Production Credits:
Recording Engineers: Scott MacLean - live shows
Corner Brook Arts & Culture Center, Rick Hollett - Studio Recording

Producers: Wayne Chaulk, Kevin Blackmore, Ray Johnson

Live Recording:...

Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers, Canada's most famous, longest-running, most prolific and funniest traditional comedy trio are making their entire catalogue available here for digital download. Look for more albums posted in the coming weeks. This is their fourth album.

Kevin's notes:

Miracle Cure - this is a very spiritual song for people who, having searched, can't find happiness!
Men of the Bay - Previously titled "Bloody Bay Men" for men from my area, but townies misinterpreted it.
Spring on the Island - Chris Lorne Elliott, whom I worked with in a duo called "Free Beer" is a brilliant song-writer as well as comedian
Me Car - Deeply evocative of the wonderful drive from Toronto to Nfld., especially at times when the automobile presents less than perfect service.
Rum Ri Row - We, the trio, are noted for bringing many old classic traditional folk songs to new audiences. This one is different only that we wrote it a month ago.
Read More »

Freddie Mercury, Frank Zappa and Willie Nelson: These are the names that came to mind as I listened to the title track of Buaffaloswans new album, The Body Electric. Four minutes into the song, the band explodes into a two-minute, Zappa-inspired instrumental jam. This came as a surprise, considering that the remaining ten tracks find the Vancouver quintet emphasizing the warm twang of psychedelic country.

The melodies are saturated with a well-written mystical lyricism, conveyed through a ‘70s vintage folk feel. The band recorded their sophomore album at Afterlife Studios in Vancouver, producing a mature listening experience. It is almost impossible to not sway to Jobi Mihajlovich’s keys, the soft vocals of Scott Bell or the string sounds of guitarist James Lamb and bassist James Green. The nuance is painted through reoccurring themes of simple love, faith and friendship. Buffaloswans have bravely attempted and valiantly conquered the undone. They repaired the relationship ...

In his debut CD, Memory Lane, Lee Burke's folk awareness emanates throughout the 12 new deep-reaching songs of triumph and hardship. His songs are written and delivered in a way that captures the raw emotion of the every day life and the human experience.

Recorded at Moose Bay Audio, Guysborough county, the project also spotlights the many talents of Steve Wright, Greg Favaro, as well as Halifax's Kevin Roach, and also includes special guest appearance of Antigonish's own, singer Darren Murphy.

If in the past ten to fifteen years, gospel’s lyrical content hasn’t strayed too far from its origins, its musical foundation sure has. North of the U.S./Canada border, it seems to have shed even more of its musical modesty, fraternizing openly with worldly sounds that church folk would have considered off limits back in the day.

Proof positive: House of Refuge from St. Louis-born and now Vancouver resident Jim Byrnes sounds like the Fairfield Four meets the Marshall Tucker Band over tumblers of Schwab’s Memphis mojo. Byrnes whips gospel, jazz, blues, country, and soul into such a divine froth that the listener can’t wait to savor the next track. Here Big Bill Broonzy’s “Big Bill’s Blues” is joined by Dorsey’s “Today,” and Robert Johnson’s “Last Fair Deal Gone Down” conjures the ghost of Nashville’s legendary disc jockey John “John R.” Richburg, a reminder of Byrnes’ earlier warning that we are “Running Out of Time.”

The finest moment on the album comes right at...

All of Jim Byrnes’s long-simmering interests blend perfectly in My Walking Stick, an album that finds deep blues, rough gospel, playful swing, and dreamy-eyed country getting along like distant relatives swapping tales at a well-oiled family reunion.

The Vancouver veteran’s association with young guitar god Steve Dawson bears especially fine fruit here, in a Dawson-produced set that has Byrnes growling, crooning, and finessing his way through tunes as varied as the bluesy “Drown in My Own Tears”, the doo-wop-ish “Lookin’ for a Love”, and a version of Robbie Robertson’s “Ophelia” that turns the Band’s brassy original into a pensive country ballad.

Similar wonders are worked on the gospel staple “What Are They Doing in Heaven Today?”, one of several cuts featuring a stellar vocal trio called the Sojourners (Marcus Mosely, Will Sanders, and Ron Small) in delightfully different settings. Dawson offers tasty support on slide guitar and other six-string permutations,...

"The American dream has always been about moving west, and I've gotten about as far west as I can; I live across the street from the Strait of Georgia," blues icon Jim Byrnes told the North Shore News from a tour stop in Alberta. His new album, Everywhere West, is as bluesy as it gets, and even the title Byrnes came up with is steeped in Americana.

"I've got a great photograph that was taken in a railroad yard. I come from a railroad family -- my uncle and my grandfather -- and I worked on a railroad as a kid. The Burlington Northern railroad slogan used to be 'Everywhere West of Chicago.' And I've got this picture of a freight car that I kind of love and the logo is painted across there, "Everywhere West," and I thought that sums things up in cool way. And I've got a buddy that always says 'Man, it just be that way sometimes movin' west.'"

Originally from Missouri, Byrnes has been a fixture in the American and Canadian blues scene for decades. Having rea...

Hailing from the East Coast, Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers is a soulful and engaging band that has a very exciting album, In the Time of Great Remembering.

The 10 tracks on the album are all introspective ballads that depict different intriguing stories. Ben’s unique and powerful voice is extremely engaging and has often been compared to that of Tom Waits.

Throughout the record, many instruments are brilliantly used to accompany Ben’s distinctive voice. The instruments – which vary from bass, violin, cello, flute and sax – are often played all together to harmonize the soulful melodies. In the Time of Great Remembering is an interesting compilation of different musical genres, from traditional folk to soul and jazz. This album is filled with diverse melodies and it sure has what it takes to please everyone’s tastes.

My favorite tracks off the new record are “Southbound” and “Beautiful,” as those two smooth ballads confirm to me that this bohemia...

....coming soon to this website.

I'm an unapologetic Tom Waits fanatic. Everything about the man - from his music, to his persona, and even his eye for photos - just strikes a chord with me, so much that hearing anyone with a gruff voice described as Waits-y or some hybrid thereof (the ole whiskey worn or gargling glass voice) turns me off an artist before I even hear them. I usually turn to the terrific line from Matt Arbogast of The Gunshy, "this fucker sounds just like Tom Waits, Do we need another Tom Waits?”

The thing is, Waits trademark voice is only part of the equation. The music that accompanies his gruff delivery is of equal importance. That's why when you find an artist talented enough to deserve the comparison - like Halifax resident Ben Caplan - you start to look past the powerful voice and fixate on the notes that accompany it.

Caplan and his talented band - The Casual Smokers - will undoubtedly garner review after review build around on ...

Buy Stan's music here: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/StanCayer

buy Stan's music here: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/StanCayer

Winnipeg’s Class Info released this lone 12” EP in a limited run of 500 copies back in 1983 on the indie Classified label, and though few outside Manitoba took notice at the time, the stunning new wave synth sounds contained herein have made the record highly sought after, with sealed copies fetching close to $700. The multi-talented Jay Willman handled vocals, guitar, synth, bass and drum machine, as well as writing all five tracks here, including the quirky guitar/synth workout “Come for Me”.

The associate producer was Randy Booth. It was Engineered by Robin Griffin. It was recorded at Peter Daemon Studios in 1983.

J Willman - vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, drum machine; Greg Gardner - drums; Randy Booth - Bass, chanting, clapping; Donna Henry - chanting; Doug Antoine - clapping; Robin Griffin - sound design.

The delightful models on the front are Kathi McCall and Marie Sater. Their hair was done by Celia Pauls. Their make-up was applied by Ka...

Raised in a rural Alberta home by their loving and warm mother and father, and discovered musically by U22 Productions http://U22.ca, Charlotte and Sarah Command are exceptionally talented and captivating musicians who are about to take this country by storm. We know that because they have been lighting up engagements from one end of Alberta to the other. Aged 15 and 12, they call themselves the Command Sisters. As one of Canada's premiere up and coming acts, these talented and genuine sisters were chosen as the headline act to play at the CKUA Fundraiser at Teatro on November 18, 2010. They write all their own music and play a wide range of musical instruments including the fiddle, mandolin, keyboards all backed up by amazing vocals. They have an engaging stage-presence and we look very forward to watching this talent flourish.

The Command Sisters are selling their album for $10 here: http://charlotteandsarah.com/. It will be worth $50-100 in 5-10 years.
-Robe...