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 well aware of the immense talent and creativity that can be developed during that wonderful time of life. 

Canada’s Teen Jam will allow finalists to perform on a massive concert stage as an opener to this year’s Wayback Festival in Kitchener, Ontario, on July 22 featuring JUNO Award winners Kim Mitchell and Sass Jordan. The performance will allow teen artists to explore their natural musical talents in front of both their peers and industry heavyweights.

Teen Jam counts Premier Doug Ford, as well as Kitchener Councillor Bil Ioannidis, as supporters. “Music and the arts have the power to engage and inspire young people,” Ford said. “Music gives our youth a chance to express themselves, develop discipline, and excel.”

The festival is expanding into the Sanderson Center for the Performing Arts 1100 seat theatre in Brantford for their main event concerts. Buy tickets for Saturday Aug 12 on southcoastjazz.com or direct from the Sanderson Center.

The festival has multiple venues, a diverse line-up and is very accessible for everyone. This includes our affordable prices! Note: FRIDAY and SUNDAY are CASH ONLY EVENTS.

"10 Years, 10 Decades of Music" will take you on a musical journey from the 1930's with Canadas's sweetheart of swing Alex Pangman, through to the 50's -70's with Le Trio Parisien featuring Juliet Dunn into the 80's with 12X platinum selling artist Mark Holmes of Platinum Blonde, into today with 2X Juno nominated Mark Kelso and the Jazz Exilesand award winning, internationally acclaimed songwriter Charu Suri and more.

“Mating Cry,” the new single from Toronto-based Maple Blues Band goes into the jazz world for this and is exactly what its name suggests – a sexily strutting tune that announces its grand entrance with bright horns and a fun, cocky confidence. And its tenor sax solo by Alison Young adds just the right amount of sultriness to seal the whole deal.

Check it out on YouTube here:

 With crossover appeal in both jazz and blues, Maple Blues Band reached No. 1 on the Roots Music Report’s Canadian Album Chart for a fifth week total for their album Let’s Go, consisting of 12 of the instrumental compositions the band compiled during their association with The Maple Blues Awards. Their release of a full-length album of instrumental music is part of a master plan to launch the group into the performance market of festivals and concerts.

Herb Alpert signed Quincy Jones, Gino Vanelli, and Williams D. Smith (Motherloade) and Brenda Russell ( Brian and Brenda ), Joan Armatrading, Melvin Van Pebbles, Paul Williams, Garland Jeffreys (Herb Alpert played trumpet on “Matador” on Garland’s “One Eyed Jack”), Bryan Adams, The Tubes ,Supertramp, Cats Stevens and the Carpenters.

Making Music history by putting the artist and music first…

 As a kid I grew up on Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass, but had never seen them live except on television, I was really looking forward to this!

The live show, a beautiful retrospective of a wonderful life lived artistically, always leaving spaces for improvisation, kindness and more music… Musically he was outstanding; the Band was killer, Lani Hall (The Sundown Lady) one of the iconic voices of Sergio Mendes Brazil 66. Herb Alpert tells a story about an early fan letter which said thank you for transporting me around the world with your music.

Founding member of April Wine to be celebrated during the 2023 East Coast Music Awards, May 4

In 2003, acclaimed songwriter and April Wine frontman Myles Goodwyn received the ECMA Lifetime Achievement Award for his impact on the music industry of Atlantic Canada. Exactly 20 years later, he’ll return to the East Coast Music Awards to accept his latest distinction as the newest Inductee to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF). Considered by many as one of Canada’s greatest rock n’ roll songwriters, the CSHF will celebrate Goodwyn’s catalogue of songs penned for April Wine, spanning more than five decades.

A classic April Wine hit, You Won’t Dance With Me:

The 23-year-old alt-pop artist formerly known as velours has changed her name to Vikki Minor. The name change comes as Minor embarks on a new chapter in her career, preceding the release of her upcoming E.P., Call Me Vikki.

"I'm so excited to share this new chapter in my life with my fans," comments Minor. "I've felt for some time that I've outgrown the artist name 'velours', and I'm finally able to embrace this new era as Vikki Minor."

The new name is just one of many changes Minor has made in recent months. She has also been honing in on her new sound, as heard on recent releases, which she describes as "Neo-'90s Alternative Pop." Additionally, moving from Saskatoon to Toronto has placed Minor at the epicentre of Canadian music.

"I'm really psyched about continuing to develop this sound under my new name," adds Minor. "The music I'm working on is my best so far and I can't wait to share it!"

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band - Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Edgar Winter, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart, Gregg Bissonette - have added 4 dates to their upcoming Spring 2023 tour which begins May 19 and concludes June 17. The new dates are: May 23 Long Beach, CA Terrace Theater; May 30 Prescott Valley, AZ Findlay Toyota Center; June 4 Woodinville, WA Saint Michelle Winery and June 10 Jacksonville, OR at the Britt Festival.

 “The joy for me about touring is playing live to an audience with the All Starr Band - so I’m always happy when we can add some more dates. See you in May!” said Ringo. 

Ambient music is typically defined by soothing, psychedelic beats that have the goal of relaxing the listener. In producer Kutiman's newest single "Sun Don't Shine", he urges the listener to sit with their feelings before moving on from them. Check it out on YouTube here:

When it comes to the production, a looped electronica beat with a smidge of hip-hop evokes a feeling of stagnancy. Supplementing the beat are a line of lyrics droning like a desolate chant: "Why, why the sun don't shine when I'm down."

At the same time, the song also urges the listener to move, to try and stop being stuck. The hip-hop portion of the song combines with a more frantic electronica beat to convey someone taking a more active role in their life despite their hopelessness.

Ontario country artists are coming together to share untold stories about mental illness and mental health in a benefit concert for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

May 24, 2023: Moonshine Café, Oakville

More info and tickets at countrytalks.eventbrite.ca

Country Talks: Mental Health, taking place on Wednesday, May 24 at the famous Moonshine Cafe in Oakville, will feature a lineup of top Canadian independent country artists, all with a history of living with mental illness, addiction, and mental health challenges, sharing stories about their struggles, obstacles, and using music to overcome them. All proceeds from the benefit will be donated to the CAMH Foundation.

The lineup features Maddie Corinne, Taylor Wilson, Broadtree, Caves, Jessica Towler, and Katy Topham performing in a writers’ round format. The event will be hosted by Nicole McCafferty and Armand Antony, who will also be performing in the show as Broadtree.

With a lineup focusing on gender representation, LGBTQ+ representation, cultural diversity, and emerging artists, JazzInToronto’s College Street Jazz Festival will showcase some of the best and most exciting talent Toronto has to offer.

Only a few more days until the first-ever Arctic Music Conference and Arctic Music Awards! These online events are created to celebrate and support artists, music industry professionals, and other participants from the Arctic region.

The Keynote Speaker for the 2023 Arctic Music Conference and Arctic Music Awards will be multi-award winner Susan Aglukark. There will be virtual performances from Twin Flames, Beatrice Deer, Uyarakq, Tarrak x Peand-eL, Aasiva, and Jacob Okatsiak. Learn more at hitmakerz.com/blog/lineuppart1

Workshops for the 2023 Arctic Music Conference & Arctic Music Awards include: 60 Things to Post on Social Media in 60 minutes - Eric Alper, Performance and Stage Presence - K.ÓLA, Songwriting - Anna Fauske, Fundraising for Music Projects - Nunavut Music (Thor Simonsen), Entertainment Law for Artists - Edwards Creative Law (Byron Pascoe), and Music Distribution and Marketing with CD Baby - CD Baby (Darryl Hurs & Kevin Breuner). Learn more at hitmakerz.com/blog/lineuppart2

The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) is pleased to announce its first Inductee to the Class of 2023 – celebrated Celtic fusion singer-songwriter Loreena McKennitt. Her masterful songwriting, ethereal soprano voice, and imaginative arrangements that combine her passion for traditional Celtic music with world music influences, have forged her own distinctive genre of ‘eclectic Celtic.’

Check out The Mummers’ Song on YouTube here:

Global critically acclaimed singer-songwriter who has sold more than 14 million albums worldwide will be recognized at the Inaugural Women in Music Canada Honours event on International Women’s Day, March 8^th, 2023.

LASSO Montréal, presented by Bell in collaboration with Coors Original, is back after a hugely successful first run in 2022. Last year's inaugural edition of the country music fest surpassed all expectations, creating a massive buzz in the city, and proving that Montrey'all is a country music Mecca! Right out of the gate, LASSO Montréal has proven to be a bonafide phenomenon, offering a state of the art festival experience with all the country fixins you'd expect, on a beautiful island in the St Lawrence River, overlooking the stunning Montreal skyline, and with all that momentum from last year's kickoff edition, the 2023 edition is shaping up to be incredible! With the warm weather just around the corner, Canadians and Quebecers are already gearing up for those long summer days and nights, hanging out with friends and family, eating and drinking to their hearts’ content, while being serenaded by that golden country twang - that is the raison d’être of LASSO!

As International Women’s Day 2023 draws closer, Women In Music Canada excitedly shares the long list of nominees for the Women In Music Canada Honours. The Honours event will take place on March 8 at the Opera House in Toronto, where the recipients will be recognized and celebrated, alongside a reception-style dinner and showcase of incredible performances.

“I have been told often over that last few months that this recognition program has been needed for a long time,” says WIMC Executive Director, Robyn Stewart. “On behalf of the WIM Canada board, we couldn’t be more excited to recognize the long list today, and to bring the Canadian music community together to celebrate March 8^th, on International Women’s Day. Thank you to all jury, all applicants, sponsors and funders for helping us bring this dream to reality. And above all, congratulations today to all of our long list.”

Women In Music Canada has announced their special programming that will take place in March in celebration of International Women’s Day. Through March 7 and 8 in Toronto, ON, artists and industry professionals will be able to take part in workshops, speaking engagements and networking opportunities, followed by the inaugural Women In Music Canada Honours, where the 2023 recipients will be recognized for their outstanding success and contributions to the music industry. Tickets to the WIMC Honours are available in advance along with more information about the categories. Full event details can be found below.

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 well aware of the immense talent and creativity that can be developed during that wonderful time of life.

Canada’s Teen Jam will allow finalists to perform on a massive concert stage as an opener to this year’s Wayback Festival in Kitchener, Ontario, on July 22. The performance will allow teen artists to explore their natural musical talents in front of both their peers and industry heavyweights, and counts Kitchener Councillor Bill Ioannidis as a supporter.

Teen Jam was created by Mark Higgins, producer, and founder of Big Music Fests, which has featured A-listers including Aerosmith, Bryan Adams, Soundgarden, The Tragically Hip, Slash, ZZ Top and many more legendary acts.

Shirley Eikhard, writer of the Grammy-Award winning "Something To Talk About" as well as a two-time JUNO and multi-BMI Award winner and inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame, had died. She passed away at the Orangeville Hospital surrounded by wonderfully caring staff and dear friends at age 67.

Born in Sackville, New Brunswick, Eikhard loved her Canadian roots and over the past 43 years, has travelled the world both as a performer and writer.

Eikhard’s songs have been covered by the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Cher, Anne Murray, and Ginette Reno to name but a few of the incredible artists who have enjoyed success with Eikhard’s writing and she had written well over 500 songs to date.

Raitt’s recording of Eikhard’s composition “Something to Talk About” proved a spectacular success. The single, off Raitt’s Luck of the Draw album, peaked on Billboard’s Hot 100 and adult contemporary charts at #5 in October 1991, and at No. 8 on Cashbox. It placed even higher in Canada, at #3 on the RPM Top 100 chart and #4 adult contemporary and made the top 20 on RPM’s 1991 year-end chart.

Dan McCafferty, an original member and longtime lead vocalist of the Scottish rock group, Nazareth, died today (Nov. 8, 2022) at age 76. The news was shared by their bassist Pete Agnew, also a founding member, on the band’s Facebook page calling it “the saddest announcement I ever had to make.”

Nazareth originally formed in Dumfermline, Scotland in 1968, by McCafferty, Agnew, guitarist Manny Charlton and drummer Darryl Sweet, all members of a local band the Shadettes. The new band took their name from the Pennsylvania town referred to in The Band’s song from earlier that year, “The Weight.”

After releasing their eponymous debut album in 1971, the band broke big when, after supporting Deep Purple on tour, they released the Roger Glover-produced Razamanaz album in early 1973 to critical and fan acclaim. They then released a string of singles including “Broken Down Angel,” “Hair of the Dog,” and “Love Hurts.” The power ballad, released in 1975, reached #8 on the Hot 100 in early 1976, and hit #1 in several territories. The band has continued to release albums and tour the globe since.

Jeff Cook, a co-founding member of the trendsetting Country Music Hall of Fame band Alabama, died Monday at age 73.

For a decade, Cook battled Parkinson’s disease, a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement and causes tremors. He publicly disclosed his diagnosis in 2017.

A representative for the band confirmed his death Tuesday afternoon to the Tennessean. Cook died at his beachside home in Destin, Florida.

Singer/Songwriter/Square Dance Caller/Early Childhood Musician Hannah Shira Naiman has released her 3^rd full length album out now on all major platforms. She’ll be celebrating the release with a concert on November 6^th at 7:00 pm at the Tranzac Club in Toronto. Opening set will be with Nathan Smith (Barrel Boys) and Alan Mackie (Vinta) All proceeds (after expenses) will go towards the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative: an important advocacy group lobbying for a national maternal mental health plan. www.cpmhc.ca Tickets $18 Advance/ $20 Door. For more information please visit any of the links below or Hannah’s website. 

Official Album Release Party