It's time again for DISCOVERIES, a showcase series that brings four artists together, have each one work to bring out as many family members, friends and fans as they are able and then the room fills up to give each of the four artists attention and support. This year's lineup:
Ezra Jordan started piano lessons at five, and drums at nine. He shifted focus to singing and writing songs while studying music at the University of Guelph, and while playing keyboards in Warner Bros. artist Scott Helmans band. He continued his studies at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, where he graduated from the Independent Artist Program. He is now working on writing and recording his first solo project, which is a blend of Alt. Pop and R&B. Ezra can currently be seen playing with his band in clubs around Toronto. 

Not at all Christmassy but bright fun all the same is “St Lucia”, newest video from artpop crew Bernice, pairs soulful vocal melodies with playful sonic tripouts. Bernice vocalist/songwriter Robin Dann says artist Sonia Beckwith-Cole, who directed the “St Lucia” video, was the clear choice – “Her animation felt completely right to me, and I knew she would make something so beautiful for the song's world.”

“When I first heard the song I imagined pinks and blues, a lot of textures and water, water, water,” director/animator Sonia Beckwith-Cole says of her inspiration for the video. “The song talks about how as a woman you are connected to a lineage of women that are a part of you, and contribute to who you are, while somehow still being distant. The verses bring up these complicated feelings and the chorus brings us escape from these worries to be present in a moment of joy. The woman in my story starts out in a confused wandering state surrounded by dark, obscured imagery. When she finally dives off the edge of a waterfall the imagery becomes bright, colourful and full of movement and she finds solace with friends in the water.”

Earlier this year, rapper, radio host, and now soft rock singer, Shad released a surprise album, Adult Contempt, under the name Your Boy Tony Braxton. He is preparing to hit the stage with Tokyo Police Club for three nights at The Mod Club on December 8, 9 and 10 in support.

Recently Your Boy Tony Braxton shared the music video for album track “Good (Enough).” The video, directed by Justin Broadbent, takes us on a trip back to the 90s and features Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning trying to rent a copy of Speed 2 on VHS.

"So, this is a song about a man who's just beginning to understand what's behind his loneliness, insecurity, and rage," explains Shad. While Broadbent added "I wanted to make a video that affirmed it was ok to like things like Speed 2. We often get in our heads about our futures or art making and need to take a step back and truly enjoy things for what they are."

While Holger Petersen’s best known for his blues-based radio programs, he’s just as interested in artists who work in other roots music genres — Cajun musicians Zachary Richard and Bobby Charles, Allen Toussaint, Sam The Sham, Van Dyke Parks, Rory Block, Mose Allison, Billy Boy Arnold, UK singers Maggie Bell and Maddy Prior (together), guitarists James Burton and Albert Lee (together) and songwriters Chip Taylor, Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham (together) and Tony Joe White are among those whose interviews are included.

Each of the conversations is introduced by Petersen’s personal recollections of the artists he’s meeting, and the book’s foreword is contributed by Grammy-winning musicologist Rob Bowman. As Bowman explains, “Talking Music 2 is an important collection, as interviews with the majority of the artists included are not common and certainly do not get included in question- and-answer format interview anthologies such as this.

“The strength of these interviews is Petersen’s conversational tone and the ease he has with the artists he is talking to.”

Like a real-life character out of Bruce McDonald’s classic film Hard Core Logo, Scott Earl Hardy has played the same dives across Canada more times than he’d care to mention, been on the wrong end of too many bad deals, and survived his share of near-death experiences. Yet, through it all, he never lost his passion for writing and performing rock and roll in its most dangerous form.

Hearing Hardy’s new album, Love Kills Slow, without knowing any of this, one could easily assume that its go-for-broke arrangements and no-holds-barred lyrics were the work of an artist at least half Hardy’s age. But deep within these grooves lies punk rock’s original promise, fulfilled by music only someone with Hardy’s credentials could create.

Love Kills Slow is a collection of the best tracks Hardy has recorded over the past few years at producer John Dinsmore’s Toronto studio, Lincoln County Social Club. Dinsmore also contributed scorching lead guitar, after laying the foundation on bass with his NQ Arbuckle rhythm section mate Mark Kesper on drums.

Cashbox Magazine Canada is proud to announce the lastest recipient of its legacy award. The honour is awarded to a Canadian music personality who has paved roads and through dedication and hard work earned a spot in Canadian music history. Previous honourees have been entertainers Teen Idol Bobby Curtola, Legendary Singer/Radio Personality Robbie Lane, Record Store owner pioneer Fred Ramsperger (International Music-Montreal) and the well-loved blues performer/radio/TV personality Danny Marks.

The decision of choosing the person is done carefully by committee with contributions weighed and then voted upon. Not surprisingly Lori Yates was a unanimous choice.

Jam meisters Phish is dropping new studio album, Big Boat  Friday, October 7th and everywhere bongs are being loaded to the hilt. Big Boat was announced last week with an exclusive album trailer, viewable now at phish.com. The album was produced by Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, KISS), his second collaboration with Phish following 2014's Fuego.

Fall is here and the time is right for finding new music strewn like acorns in the street. Ottawans The Peptides is a nine-member band with a larger-than-life pop sound. Five vocalists and four instrumentalists draw on funk, electronic and disco influences. Described by the Ottawa Citizen as “the B52’s crossed with The Manhattan Transfer backed by Arcade Fire.” They claim to be a  snapshot of Canadian diversity, The PepTides is made up of  English, French, Ukrainian, Mexican,Guyanese, Cree, Acadian, Armenian, Scottish and LGBTQ players. The group is noted for its extravagant live performances featuring thick vocal harmonies, theatrical choreography and colourful visuals. The PepTides’ songs juxtapose upbeat music with lyrics commenting on deep themes like love, hate, revenge, sex, religion, war and getting ready for dates.

In 2013, The PepTides garnered national attention by producing a full-length album in collaboration with Stuart McLean of CBC Radio’s Vinyl Cafe. A 2014 release Love Question Mark was lauded by Exclaim! as “an ambitious collection of fun, daring, unadulterated, true blue art.” 

To know more about who Ron Chapman is and what he’s currently up to – here’s is a bit of bio about the producer/director, musician. Chapman recently appeared as a guest on my CIUT 89.5 interview show, The Bill King Show and we dug back into his history and talked about his passion for film making and affection for Cuba.

Ron Chapman is a lifelong musician, producer, director and entrepreneur. Early in his career he was a musician, managed musical artists, produced albums, and produced and directed rock videos. He owned and operated the legendary, ground-breaking Toronto music club “The Edge”, bringing an eclectic mix of some of the day’s most exciting international acts and artists to the scene. For decades, he has been producing and directing television commercials, working with some of the world’s leading brands.

As a filmmaker, Chapman’s first documentary, “Who the F**K is Arthur Fogel” - CEO of the Global Touring division of Live Nation Entertainment and long time Canadian music promoter – Arthur Fogel – Chapman follows the impresario behind the scenes.

Weather's warming so all kinds of bands are hitting the road. Fans of Canadiana will be happy to know that one of the genre's paramount practitioners will be touring the land starting Mar.31.

Photo Credits: Pat Blythe, A Girl With A Camera "The Picture Taker"
Photo at right: Tim Tamashiro, Reg Schwager, Don Thompson, Ben Heppner

It's been a rather exceptional week for music....jazz, folk, blues, touch of rock....an absolutely stellar week and it puts me right over the top. To say I'm delighted is a gross understatement. So let's begin....

Saturday night found me at the Glenn Gould Studio as the guest of Jane Harbury. The show....well, it was not what I expected.....at all. What a wonderfully entertaining evening. Full of music, stories and laughter, host Tim Tamashiro and tenor Ben Heppner kept us all in stitches and our ears full of beautiful, toe tapping, finger  snapping music. Sam Taylor, you would have been right at home!

You hear a lot of loose talk about stepping away from success and getting back to the roots of it all. Of the few who actually walk that walk, put T.Dot's enduringly hot folk eminence Jane Siberry at the top of the list. Early in 2006, Siberry closed her music label and sold or gave away nearly all of her possessions, including her Toronto home and her musical instruments. She changed her name to “Issa” and retained one traveling guitar. “I felt I had to change or die.”Three years of spartan living later, she began using the name “Jane Siberry” again and resumed international touring and recording in 2009.

A disinclination to follow fads, trends and fashions has been Siberry’s signature from the earliest days of her musical career. An unending desire to find and describe the essence of human experience has led her through numerous musical inventions in a multitude of forms, earning her the passionate loyalty of music-lovers world-wide. Siberry is known for her original, adventurous musical vision and her independent journey has contributed to new models for operating as a musician.

Fall is prime time for sweater-folk music and the perfect time to release the mucho anticipated debut album 'Songs In The Dark' from The Wainwright Sisters, out Nov. 13, 2015.

Although they're sisters, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche didn't grow up together.

Aside from genetics, their true bond was a musical one, both growing up in families steeped in songwriting. Both their mothers would sing them lullabies (Kate McGarrigle to Martha and Suzzy Roche to Lucy). Now to honour that, 30 years later, Martha and Lucy are singing many of these same songs, some penned by their mothers and father (Loudon Wainwright III) on 'Songs In The Dark.'

The record also includes songs that shaped their childhoods, made famous by the likes of Woody Guthrie and Jimmie Rogers. When Martha and Lucy grew up and become songwriters of their own, they discovered their physical separation was trumped by their shared musical DNA. On 'Songs In The Dark,' this is captured in its elemental essence: dark, mysterious, and beautiful.

Canadian Music Week is pleased to announce Andy Kim as the 2016 inductee to the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. Andy will be honoured for his achievements and longstanding career in the music industry at the annual Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awards Gala Dinner in the Grand Ballroom at the Sheraton Centre on Thursday May 5, 2016.

"Andy Kim's contributions to the Canadian and international music community are truly remarkable in his 50+ year career. As a former recipient of the Indie Award for Favorite Solo Artist during Canadian Music Week, we are so proud to have him as part of the CMW alumni and are thrilled at his induction into the Hall of Fame", says CMW President Neill Dixon.

Continuing on a string of fall tour dates that took him through the US and out to Canada’s west coast, Kalle Mattson has added more stops, including Toronto, Ottawa, Guelph, Kingston, and Peterborough, before heading overseas. It's all in support of Mattson’s latest mini-album, Avalanche, out now via HOME Music Co. Written over the course of March 2015 it picks up where the previous full length left off. Someday, The Moon Will Be Gold was released in 2014 to widespread critical acclaim, listed for the Polaris Music Prize and led to Mattson playing more than 160 shows across nine countries, including dates with Hozier. As a sneak peek at what Kalle Mattson and his band sound like live you can watch them perform “A Long Time Ago” live at Cherry Beach Studios, a song which Stereogum rates as “fearless in vulnerability.” Mattson 's shared a new video for the title track, “Avalanche”, via NPR’s First Watch.

Robbie Lane, Canadian music pioneer, was honoured at his place a work, on stage, where he has spent the majority of his adult life. Rarely will you see an entertainer more at home, under the lights and performing for the crowd than Robbie Lane.

Robbie received the Cashbox Canada Legacy Award of Merit on Sunday October 18, 2015 from none other than Canadian legend and old friend Bobby Curtola. “What an honour it was for me to be the one to give this award to my old friend Robbie Lane,” said Curtola after the event. “He truly is a pioneer and the Canadian music industry owes a lot to guys like Robbie. And he’s still doing it!”

Robbie Lane’s career spans six decades, 1960’s through to 2015 and a brief history of how he got here is awe inspiring.

Here's an overnight success that's only taken a decade. That's how long female-fronted hard rockers Diemonds have been bashing it out, playing every venue they could plug into across Canada and the US. The quintet, fronted by the commanding presence of Priya Panda is having a helluva 2015. The hard-working posse have played such notable festivals as Heavy MTL, SXSW, NXNE, Vans Warped Tour, Seattle Hempfest and most recently The KISS Kruise with KISS and Cheap Trick. Just out is third and most heavy hitting album so far, Never Wanna Die, which gets release in the U.S. on prestigious Napalm Records. A personal highlight for Pryia was opening for hard rock heroine Lita Ford in Toronto, which was followed by their Infest The West last August.

Oldies don't come anymore golden than Bobby 'Fortune Teller' Curtola, master of the pop single, former teen idol, current Order of Canada holder and all-round smooth dude. Curtola pulled a Prince and played a private gig at the Musideum which quickly became a love-in. The sold-out house was treated to finger poppin' hit after hit, reeling in the years from 1962 onwards. That's the year Bobby dropped "Fortune Teller" and shot immediately to international fame at age 17. In between "Hand In Hand With You," "Three Rows Over", "Sandy," "Destination Love" and the other singles, he painted insightful, funny and warm portraits of life as a teen idol at the dawning of rock'n'roll.

Cashbox Magazine Canada, aside from promoting mainstream artists and their careers, has a mandate to promote the indie artists as well as the legacy artists who paved the way.

Last weekend they took that mandate one step further by presenting the first Legacy Award to Bobby Curtola. CEO & Editor in Chief Sandy Graham, herself a veteran of decades in the music business said “I firmly believe that there are a lot of good folks out there who have made outstanding contributions to the Canadian music landscape that, even if they have been recognized in the past, deserve another moment in the sun. Our plan over the next few years is to make sure these people get their due. And it won’t just be artists  it will include record people, industry insiders and the ones behind the scenes who paved the path to create a Canadian music industry.”