We would of course love to say that it all began 2021 at Lilla By Festivalen, our own little festival in the south of Sweden. But that wouldn't be the truth. 

Lost and Found is the new video off the album Walking Through the Fire by Sultans of String. Ts’msyen Elder Shannon Thunderbird wrote and sings the song. She is originally from the Pacific Northwest coast of British Columbia: Gilut'sau Band of the Royal House of Niis'gumiik, Gispudwada (Orca) Clan. The music is arranged and supported by Sultans of String, and the epic strings of the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

“On May 27, 2021, the bones of 215 Indigenous children were found in a mass grave on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, BC” says Shannon. “I wrote 'Lost and Found' several days later to acknowledge the fact that with tangible evidence Canadians could no longer deny what we have been saying for over a century”

The wind raced through the trees,
Dying children on their knees
Where have you gone, I love you,
Please come home to me.

Author David Junk, former CEO of Universal Music Russia, reveals never-before told stories about signing Alsou and t.A.T.u. and taking them to Eurovision

Plus: Alla Pugacheva, Philipp Kirkorov, Verka Serduchka, Sergey Lazarev, Tina Karol, ABBA, Tvorchi and Mumiy Troll

Available at Amazon and Indigo

Rockin’ The Kremlin: My Incredible True Story of Gangsters, Oligarchs, and Pop Stars in Putin's Russia (Rowman & Littlefield; July 2), the new book by David Junk with Fred Bronson that details Junk’s exciting and dangerous time in Moscow, would not be coming out on July 2 if it were not for the Eurovision Song Contest.

I first met Meredith Moon about seven years ago when we shared a stage at a fundraiser in downtown Toronto, Ontario. As she sat there picking on a banjo I was instantly drawn to her authenticity and her connection to roots music. It was refreshing to see someone so young keeping that music alive.

At that time i had no idea that her Dad was Gordon Lightfoot, not that it made a difference to her obvious talent, but the music lineage was being carried on in fine fashion.

I asked Meredith how she got into Appalachian banjo music she said, “I was really drawn to that music with it’s raw honesty and generic sound. During the Folk revival I went down the rabbit hole and started getting into the origins of this music and was captivated by it. I started listening to Odetta and Elizabeth Cotton and all those field recordings. I’d been playing guitar since I was about 14 and at around 20 I decided to teach myself banjo and got into that whole Appalachian roots feel.”

Winterfolk Music Festival is proud to announce its inaugural Spring Edition event taking place on June 8th, 2024 at Toronto's historic Redwood Theatre, 1300 Gerrard Street E. This special edition of the festival promises to be a celebration of local talent, culture, and community, showcasing the incredible diversity and creativity of Toronto's music scene.

For more than 20 years, Winterfolk has been a February staple, but they’re now adding a spring edition to the mix. This lively event continues to celebrate folk, roots, blues, and world music. From its inception, Winterfolk has been dedicated to showcasing local talent and fostering a robust mostly local musical community across different generations. Over time, the festival has contributed over $750,000 to its performers, with more than 80% of its revenue directly supporting the artists.

WALK OFF THE EARTH, TESTPILOT, CHARLOTTE DAY WILSON, DALLAS SMITH, JAUZ, FINGER ELEVEN and more

We are thrilled to announce the programming for our 42nd festival. Scheduled for June 1-8, 2024, the festival promises a dynamic range of music with over 250+ acts in over 25 venues in Toronto. Tickets and wristbands are on sale now.

Celebrating more than four decades of musical innovation and showcasing, CMW 2024 will blend iconic and groundbreaking headliners with fresh, emerging talent, continuing its legacy as a launchpad for the next generation of stars.

2024 Canadian Music Week headliners include:

Universally-acclaimed singer/songwriter/guitarist Bruce Cockburn continues his worldwide tour in support of his latest album, O Sun O Moon,with the upcoming announcement of a new series of dates in the U.S. throughout the month of November. The new dates will be announced May 6th, with tickets going on sale May 10th.

Check out “Us All: on YouTube here:

In other Bruce Cockburn news, the master musician will be getting yet another new Honorary Doctorate of Music Degree on June 14. More information on that here.

Richard Todd, singer/songwriter/guitarist for Toronto band Redpath Traffic, accepted a Community Service Award in the Arts & Culture Leaders category for spearheading his ensemble project, Artists Against Homelessness. The award was presented by Chris Glover, MPP, Spadina Fort-York, at his annual Community Recognition Ceremony. 

“This award acknowledges the work we’re doing to help end homelessness in our communities,” Todd says. “But it also underscores how much work there is still to do.”

At the center of the project is Todd’s song, “The Forgotten Homeless”, which tells the heart-wrenching stories of people struggling while living on the street. Twelve all-star indie singers appear with Todd on this “We are the World”-style production, including Anna Goldsmith, Shari Tallon, Chris Birkett, David Moses, Michael Quattro, Sarah Siddiqui, Luciana Santaguida, Chatrisse Dolabaille, and Signe Miranda, along with singers Osaze Dolabaille, Esmaeel Abofakher, and Rahaf Alakbani. Watch it on YouTube here:

Since he was five years old, Simon Roosé wanted to be a musician. Coming from a musical family, music was already in his blood. What started out as an interest became at the age of thirteen a complete obsession with listening to, playing and creating music.

For the past nine years, he has experimented with many musical genres, everything from pop, rock, indie all the way to hip-hop, jazz, funk, and fusion.From singing in choirs to attending Christian 4:s Gymnasium in Kristianstadto study songwriting and production in Stockholm, Blekinge and Skåne. (Sweden). At the same time, he also studied a variety of instruments to finally fall in love with the guitar which has been his main instrument since.

Ken Tizzard has released his debut album “The Dagg Sessions” and has some insight on the background of this new offering:

"I am once again looking to release another album of original music with the current line-up of Music For Goats; Neil Lucy (guitar) Ken Grant (bass) and Dave Lawrence (drums) and Steve Dagg (RIP - drums). This album titled “The Dagg Sessions” celebrates the songs created before our original drummer Steve Dagg was diagnosed with Cancer. After a year-long battle of treatments Steve passed away in the winter of 2023. We had recorded the drums for the entire record in September before Steve’s illness was terminal".

Check out the first single "Barstools And Broken Hearts" here:

It’s one thing for a couple to stay together for decades while plying their trade in different corners of the same business. It’s another for them to collaborate on a project that celebrates the durability of their bond with the deepest sincerity. And it’s still another thing entirely for them to sit on that document for a quarter century, then have it feel as fresh and honest as a newly written wedding vow when it finally does come out.

Toronto TD Music Hall - October 10th, 2024 6:00pm
$20 Adults, $15 Student Tickets Now Available Here
Sudbury Grace Hartman Amphitheater - July 21st, 2024 7:00pm (tickets are free)

Some of the best, most innovative musical acts ever started out when they were merely teens – The Runaways, The Strokes, The Arctic Monkeys, to name just a few – and Canada’s Teen Jam, a first-of-its-kind performance showcase, is aware of the immense talent and creativity that can be developed during that wonderful time of life. 

Canada's Teen Jam’s Discovery Program has proven hugely successful in uniting undiscovered musical teens and providing high-level opportunities such as performing on the same concert stages used by iconic Canadian music stars, and absorbing the professional world that surrounds them!

Back in July, Canada’s Teen Jam hosted its inaugural launch at the Wayback Festival in Kitchener ON, receiving a whopping 300 submissions in their search for teen talent.Now, Canada’s Teen Jam has acquired a major Sponsor, United Van Lines Canada, for a multi-year deal!

The first-ever musical episode of the CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries was a hit with just about everybody. The fans loved it. Bill Brioux of Brioux.tv called actor Thomas Craig’s big number, “Bloody Hell,” “bloody marvelous.”

And on March 25, the night before the episode aired, JUNO Awards host Nelly Furtado even gave this melodic milestone, a special shout-out from the stage of Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre. The episode subsequently premiered on Alibi in the U.K. on April 4 and on Ovation in the U.S. on April 6. It will also air on Acorn in the U.S. soon.

Check out The Making of

Burton Cummings & his Band are set to headline opening night at the PNE (Vancouver) Sat, Aug 17th, 2024, with special guest Colin James.

Join Burton Cummings, the unmistakable voice of the original The Guess Who’s classic hits, and his band playing the songs you know, sung by the voice on the records and the writer/co-writer of the hit songs such as “American Woman”, “These Eyes”, “Laughing”, “No Time”, “Star Baby”, “Albert Flasher”, "Clap for the Wolfman", “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature”, “Share the Land” and from his solo career, “Stand Tall” and “My Own Way to Rock”.