Photo Credit Francesa Ludikar
Fri Mar 09, 2018

Kinda rootsy, kinda folk-rocky, Toronto-based band Johnson Crook have released their latest single "Mr. Nobody" to coincide with tour dates in Ontario this March. The song, from Johnson Crook's 2017 full-length debut The Album, released by Coalition Music, features guest vocals from Canadian music legend Tom Cochrane, The quartet—Noel Johnson (rhythm guitars/vocals), brothers Nathan (lead guitar/mandolin/vocals) and Trevor Crook (drums/vocals) and Jared Craig (bass/vocals), have forged their sound out of a love of pure, honest music stemming from their small-town backgrounds. Drawing inspiration from groups like the Eagles and the Avett Brothers, each member of Johnson Crook contributes equally, injecting their unique personalities into an overall sound built on four voices.

Teaming with acclaimed producer Bill Bell for The Album, Johnson Crook began shaping a collection of songs laid down at his home studio and at Metalworks near Toronto. In encapsulating "Mr. Nobody," its writer Noel Johnson adds, "That song came from being tired of writing music I thought others wanted to hear. When our producer Bill Bell brought Tom Cochrane over to the studio for a visit we were beyond excited. not only to meet one of our heroes but also excited about his reaction to 'Mr. Nobody.' Since there's no Canadian artist who has been truer to himself through his long career, we found it fitting to ask Tom to sing on it."

On the subject of their current touring schedule with Joey Landreth, Nathan Crook says, "The Bros Landreth took over the Manitoba scene back when I still lived there. Joey blew me away with his unique voice on guitar. Since then we’ve watched the rest of the world realize and appreciate his raw talent both as a collaborator and solo artist. I feel very fortunate that we get to share the stage with this gem through March.”

Johnson CrookTour Dates:
Thursday March 8 :: Hamilton ON :: Mills Hardware ^
Saturday March 10 :: Toronto ON :: Dakota Tavern
Tuesday March 13 :: Collingwood ON :: Crow Bar ^
Wednesday March 14 :: Oshawa ON :: Moustache Club ^
Friday March 16 :: Burnstown ON :: Neat Coffee Shop ^
Saturday March 17 :: Ottawa ON :: National Arts Centre ^
Sunday March 18 :: Corbyville ON :: Signal Brewery ^
^ w/ Joey Landreth

Caveboy Photo Credit Ryan Lague
Caveboy
Photo Credit Ryan Lague

Montreal’s alternative dream-pop trio and non-boy band Caveboy have released their new single, Landslide. “This is a song about desire;” shares lead vocalist Michelle Bensimon. “It’s the urgency that comes with wanting something, and the willingness to make it happen - keeping the lust alive.” The group has also announced their first ever Western

Tour kicking off March 15th and hitting up all the major markets including Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary before landing in Vancouver for their JUNO moment, with the 2018 Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class prize.

“Touring across Canada has been a dream of ours for a long time, it’s sort of a right of passage for a Canadian band, and we’re so excited to get this one under our belts. This will be the first time we play in these cities and we can’t wait to finally connect with fans who have been supporting us since the beginning. And having that finish line at the Juno Awards ain’t half bad either.”

Caveboy Tour Dates
Thursday, March 15 - Thunder Bay, ON - Crocks
Friday, March 16 - Winnipeg, MB - The Good Will Social Club
Monday, March 19 - Regina, SK - The Exchange
Tuesday, March 20 - Edmonton, AB - The Almanac
Wednesday, March 21 - Calgary, AB - The Palomino
Thursday, April 19 - Montreal, QC - PHI Centre

Margaret Glaspy Photo Credit Ebru Yildiz
Margaret Glaspy
Photo Credit Ebru Yildiz

Singer/songwriter and ex frontlady for Boston's The Fundies, Margaret Glaspy is something of a will'o'the wisp about being in the spotlight. Hence the surprise release of new EP, Born Yesterday and lead single "Before We Were Together" .

"I wrote these songs on the road, in my hotel, on the plane, and at soundcheck," says Glaspy. "They were the product of the little time that I had to myself - three songs about different sides of love: love gone wrong, love gone right, and love at a distance." Born Yesterday is a bookend to Margaret's lauded debut, Emotions and Math.

"In releasing it, I feel set free to sink deep into my new inspirations while taking a break from the road and make something entirely new," Glaspy continues. "These songs are the end of this chapter and mark a new beginning!" The way to get the goods on Glaspy is live, so good to know Glaspy live and intense is touring this spring with Julian Lage.

Margaret Glaspy Tour Dates:
3/30 - Savannah, GA - Savannah Music Festival
3/31 - Decatur, GA - Eddie's Attic
4/1 - Nashville, TN - Basement East
4/2 - Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
4/3 - Evanston, IL - SPACE
4/4 - Milwaukee, WI - Back Room at Collectivo Coffee
4/5 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
4/6 - Iowa City, IA - Mission Creek Music Festival
5/11 - Pittsburgh, PA - Warhol Museum
5/12 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge
5/13 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
5/15 - Toronto, ON - The Drake
5/16 - Montreal, QC - L'Esco
5/18 - Fall River, MA - Narrows Center for the Arts
5/19 - Northampton, MA - Parlor Room

David Kitt
David Kitt

Genre-hopping Irish msician/producer David Kitt has dropped his first solo album in nine years, Yous. It's a finely wrought and elemental piece of work, folding in electronic hisses and beats that ground carefully finger-picked guitars and stirring violin, weaving between glorious pop-kissed melodies and stark, immersive, poignant compositions, the sort of sonic shape shifting Kitt does so well.

Describing the new album as“the most free I’ve felt making a record since my debut 'Small Moments”, David Kitt’s sense of freedom is bound up in themes of renewal, movement, and a constant reshaping of his musical preoccupations.

The last number of years have seen him touring and recording as a member of Tindersticks, producing other musicians’ work, exploring techno, disco, and house under his New Jackson moniker, remixing everyone from Shit Robot to The XX, and producing intriguing, eclectic DJ sets and radio shows.

All of these experiences have been brought to bear on this album, which mingles a sense of freedom and calm reflection with an independent impulse, “There was no pressure whatsoever with this record,” he says. “No label or manager, or anyone breathing down my neck. I was happy to wait as long as it took to have the right 10 songs. The intention was to release it very low-key via Bandcamp and do a small vinyl run, but when it was done and mastered I had a feeling I had something special on my hands, and for the first time in a long while all my friends were chiming in saying it was their favourite thing I'd done. So I played it for Olan at All City(Records) and he convinced me to give it a proper release".

In the spirit of J.J. Cale, Love is Overtaking Me-era Arthur Russell, and Ronnie Lane, the relaxed nature of the album was intentional, “I'm getting my electronics fix from New Jackson, so I wanted to leave room for all the live instrumentation on this, and keep the backing as simple as possible, to let every element have room to breathe, and be heard, and have a strong personality.”

The record was largely done by Kitt at his Dublin home, in a “teeny attic room” although old friend and collaborator, Karl Odlum, pops up, and Margie Lewis’s violin plays a crucial role throughout the record, as does Ireland, and more specifically, Dublin. The city, surrounding countryside, and its inhabitants, are a constant thread throughout, giving the album the feel of a personal travelogue that spans two decades.

“Like Lightning” explores a night of adventure after a missed bus back home from Galway on the West Coast.

Kitt On Tour
Cork, AMP venue – March 10th
Debarras, Clonakilty, West Cork -March 11th
Galway, Roisin Dubh – March 23rd
Limerick, Dolans, Upstairs – March 31st
Dublin, Button Factory – April 6th
Dundalk, Spirit Store – April 8th
London, Borderline – April 18th
Manchester, Eagle Inn – April 19th

Avery Raquel
Avery Raquel

BITS'N'PIECES- On her new single, "Come Right Back To You", rising Canadian soul artist Avery Raquel updates classic sounds for contemporary ears.

The song is a preview of Avery's third full-length album, My Heart Away, due in spring 2018. Produced once again by Juno and ECMA winner Greg Kavanagh, the new original collection finds her moving from contemporary jazz into vintage Motown and Stax sounds. However, what remains constant is Avery's sultry voice and the emotional depth within her lyrics. While many singers of her generation naturally gravitate toward pop, Avery Raquel has been a soul singer from day one, as her latest effort proves beyond a shadow of a doubt.

My Heart Away, the album, presents the evolution of a relationship," she says. "‘Come Right Back To You’ is near the end, when things aren’t quite working out. Its general message is 'I’m done with your games, but I’ll give you one more chance to explain why ‘us’ is a good idea,' all the time knowing exactly what the answer will be."

LISTEN TO "COME RIGHT BACK TO YOU" HERE

The media artist known as Moby is streaming his upcoming album, Everything Was Beautiful, And Nothing Hurt, via CBC Music , and unveiling a stunning new video for This Wild Darkness”. Speaking to the urgent beauty of “This Wild Darkness”, Moby says, “The world is a baffling place, full of confusion and darkness. ‘This Wild Darkness’ is essentially an existential dialog between me and the gospel choir – me talking about my confusion, the choir answering with longing and hope.”

Moby has encouraged fans to create their own remixes for previously released tracks Like A Motherless Child” and Mere Anarchy”. Would-be remixers can download the stems for the respective songs via Splice . The first place fans can hear new Moby music is via a playlist that he has curated of artists that influenced the recording of the album.

Moby EWBANH
Moby EWBANH

Everything Was Beautiful, And Nothing Hurt – a glowing tapestry exploring spirituality, individuality and the brokenness of humanity – finds Moby returning to his orchestral, soul, trip-hop and gospel roots.

When he’s not recording music, Moby continues to champion animal rights and sustainability via his activism and vegan restaurant Little Pine.

Peter Asher, music producer and performer, and Jeremy Clyde, accomplished actor and musician, both from the UK, perform at Hugh’s Room Live for an evening of music that will span both of their brilliant careers. We came to know Peter Asher via 10 Top 40 hits with Peter & Gordon, whose debut “A World Without Love” topped the charts in the U.S., U.K., and over 30 other countries. His days as A & R Director for the Beatles’ Apple Records made history, and he became a legend as Producer and Manager of James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt and a host of others. He remains the only Artist Manager to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, and his studio work has led to two Grammy Awards for “Producer of the Year”.

During the 1960s, Jeremy Clyde was one-half of the folk duo Chad & Jeremy, who delighted American audiences as part of the British invasion. Singles such as “Yesterday’s Gone”, “A Summer Song”, and “Willow Weep for Me” earned them a spot on music charts and in the hearts of fans in the USA. Jeremy went on to record three solo adult contemporary albums: “The Bottom Drawer Sessions, No.1”, “The Bottom Drawer Sessions, No.2”, and “The Bottom Drawer Sessions, No.3”. He is working on “The Bottom Drawer Sessions, No.4” with plans for the creation of seven in total.

Peter Asher & Jeremy Clyde play Hugh's Room Live Mon. Mar.19. Music 8.30 PM.
Live Kingston, ON Fri. Mar.16 Mike Brown Riverhead Brewing Company. Music 8.30 PM
Live Victoria B.C. Tues. Mar.13 Pennywise/Strung Out Capital Ballroom. Music 9 PM.
Live Saskatoon, SASK. Tues. Mar.13 An Evening with Santana Saskatel Centre. Music 7.30 PM.
Live Wakefield, PQ Fri. Mar.16 Maggie's March/ Double Magnum. The Black Sheep Inn. Music 8.30 PM.

Support Live Music. Everywhere.