Esteemed singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot returns to Hamilton for a performance at the FirstOntario Concert HHall on Thursday, November 15, 2018.Tickets for this one-night only performance go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 9, 2018.

The Junos have announced this year’s nominees, with the awards to be handed out in Vancouver on March 24, 2018.
2018 Juno Nominations Announced

de Fire led with nominations for Group of the Year, Album of the year and alternative album of the year for Everything Now. The group will vie in the single of the year category for the title track, while the artwork for the album is also up for a Juno.

The past year marked a breakthrough for Toronto singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez, who will vie in multiple Junos categories: fan choice, breakthrough artist and best R&B/soul recording for her debut Kiddo. Her music video for the powerful song Gatekeeper is also nominated for video of the year.

It was also a significant year for R&B star Daniel Caesar (born Ashton Simmonds) is nominated for Artist of the Year, the Oshawa, Ont.-raised singer-songwriter's Freudian is up for best R&B/soul recording. The album's artwork, producers, and recording engineer are also up for Juno nominations for their work on the independently released Freudian.

The 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 28, 2018. The CBS network broadcast the show live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was the first time since 2003 that the ceremony was held outside Los Angeles (where the Staples Center had been the home of the Grammys since 2004). James Corden returned as host.

The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which ran from October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017. The nominations were announced on November 28, 2017.
And the winners are…..

ole, the world's fastest-growing independent music publishing and rights management company, is pleased to announce that it has concluded an exclusive deal with one of Country Music's hottest singer/songwriters, Chris Janson. The deal includes the purchase of Janson's publishing share of his existing catalogue (including his most recent album, "Everybody"), and extends ole's existing publishing agreement with Janson for future albums.

"I'm proud to extend my partnership with ole. I am proud to be a songwriter, and thankful for the success it has brought my family and I," commented Janson. "I'm passionate about songwriting and look forward to the future with the ole team."

John Ozier, ole's Vice President, Creative, added, "We're incredibly proud to have extended our deal with Chris Janson. Not only is Chris an amazing artist and performer, Chris is a prolific songwriter. We look forward to building on the success and momentum that we have and cannot wait to see what this year brings for Chris and ole."

‘Gettin’ Together with Tommy James’ is now airing on SiriusXM’s ‘60’s on 6 Channel!

SiriusXM presents a new show with Tommy James, the 1960’s hitmaker and leader of the rock band, Tommy James and the Shondells. Gettin’ Together with Tommy James will feature Tommy playing ‘60s hits and some eclectic surprises too while sharing his personal memories of the stars and the music of the era.

Tommy James, singer, songwriter, producer and musician, will host a new weekly series, Gettin’ Together with Tommy James, on Sunday nights on SiriusXM’s ‘60’s on 6 channel. This is the latest guest-curated show to be added to 60’s on 6, with other popular programs including Something Good, hosted by Peter Noone, singer and founder of Herman’s Hermits.

Celebrating 10 years, MDM Recordings Inc. is pleased to announce it is scaling up its recorded music operations internationally with dedicated distribution and partner services globally for the first time.The development comes via an innovative partnership with leading edge technology centric company FUGA, that specializes in building smart industry-predictive solutions and offers a variety of services to some of the world’s leading independent labels.

Additionally, MDM is happy to enter into an inventive partnership with Zooby Media’s Adria DeLaune, who will represent the label and its robust roster in Nashville.

Hugh Masekela, who has died aged 78, was one of the world’s finest and most distinctive horn players, whose performing on trumpet and flugelhorn mixed jazz with South African styles and music from across the African continent and diaspora. Exiled from his country for 30 years, he was also a powerful singer and songwriter and an angry political voice, using his music and live performances to attack the apartheid regime that had banished him from homeland.

Even when he had returned to the country of his birth under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, after having lived and worked in the US and in Botswana, Masekela continued to comment fearlessly on political events in South Africa and around the world, enjoying his status as an international celebrity, playing for presidents and royalty and concert audiences, and often collaborating with other musical greats.

Long before they were a band, Montreal duo, The Beat Escape, took a small first step towards a longer journey at a university video class. “We made a short oddball work; a video piece that followed two characters through a psychedelic waking dream,” say Beat escapists, Addy Weitzman and Patrick A Boivin, of their founding collaboration. Many other projects and outside collaborations later, the duo have crafted a debut album their younger selves would be proud of: released through Last Gang/Bella Union on April 27th, the sublimely immersive Life Is Short the Answer’s Long plays like a waking dream of near-psychedelic electronic pop, moving to its own beat in the push-pull of forward motion and submerged reflection.

With ten multi-platinum albums and sixteen Top 30 hits, Foreigner is marking their milestone 40th anniversary with the 40thAnniversary Tour stopping in the SONY CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS on THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018 with special guests and Canadian legends Chilliwack. Universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world, Foreigner’s formidable musical arsenal continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 75 million. Responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems including “Juke Box Hero,” “Feels Like The First Time,” “Urgent,” “Head Games,” “Hot Blooded,” “Cold As Ice,” “Dirty White Boy,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” and the worldwide #1 hit, “I Want To Know What Love Is,” Foreigner continues to rock the charts almost 40 years into the game.

In 1960’s, when music had become immersed in drug related songs (Magic Carpet Ride, Itchycoo Park, Kicks, Inna Gadda Da Vida) Edwin Hawkins hit the charts with ‘Oh Happy Day’. An unlikely hit  for 1969.

“Oh Happy Day” paved the way for seismic changes in gospel music. An exuberant paean to the spiritually cleansing powers of Jesus.  It was a hymn written in the mid-18th century, but it was Edwin Hawkins  who popularized it and turned it into a global standard.

The song became a hit in 1969, credited to the Edwin Hawkins Singers, and reached No 2 in the UK and No 1 in France and Germany, as well as No 4 on the US’s Billboard Hot 100 chart. It sold more than a million copies in two months, and would eventually sell 7m internationally.

Dolores O'Riordan, whose urgent, powerful voice helped make Irish rock band The Cranberries a global success in the 1990s, died suddenly on January 15, 2018, at a London hotel. She was 46.

The singer's publicist, Lindsey Holmes, confirmed she died in London, where she was recording,"No further details are available at this time," Holmes said, adding that the singer's family was "devastated" by the news. London's Metropolitan Police force said officers were called just after 9 a.m. Monday to a hotel where a woman in her 40s was found dead. The police force said the death was being treated as "unexplained."To all those who follow and support Irish music, Irish musicians, and the performing arts, her death will be a big loss," Higgins said in a statement.

O'Riordan was born on Sept. 6, 1971, in Ballybricken, southwest Ireland. In 1990, she answered an ad from a local band in nearby Limerick city — then called The Cranberry Saw Us — that was looking for a lead singer.

Beginning Monday, January 22, 2018, The Shift with Drex will hit the airwaves on talk radio stations across Canada.

Hosted by Justin "Drex" Wilcomes, this late-night program will offer a fresh take on the day's biggest headlines and the untold stories that matter to listeners. Packed full of interviews with newsmakers, columnists and celebrities. The Shift with Drex will be a go-to source for late night banter and lively debate with content driven by its audience. From listener calls to comments online, Drex will interact with audiences every night, to get them involved in the conversation.

"It’s stories, it’s opinion, it’s culture, it’s irreverent and it’s Canadian," said Troy Reeb, Senior Vice-President, Global News and Corus Radio. "The Shift with Drex will tap into the common humour, pride and honesty that pulls our country together."

“I’m looking forward to a fun ride ahead hosting a show where the phone lines are always open," said Wilcomes, Host of The Shift with Drex. “My goal is to challenge the status-quo by delivering a program that's both entertaining and thought-provoking."

Blues Hall of Famer/“Godfather of British Blues” John Mayall will release an album of live recordings titled Three for the Road on February 23 via the Forty Below Records label. Produced by John Mayall and Forty Below Records president Eric Corne, the new album was recorded live in Dresden and Stuttgart, Germany, in March of 2017. The nine tracks on Three for the Road include fan and personal song favorites played by his trio: John Mayall (vocals, keyboard, and harmonica), Greg Rzab (bass) and Jay Davenport (drums).

The Fugitives are a modern folk group based out of Vancouver, BC. They have released three full length albums and two EPs, with a new full length, “The Promise of Strangers”, released last fall. Recent highlights include touring to twelve countries, being nominated for multiple Canadian Folk Music Awards and a Western Canadian Music Award for Best Roots Album, opening for Buffy Sainte-Marie across Western Canada, and playing UK’s Glastonbury Festival.

When not touring as musicians, current frontmen and songwriters Brendan McLeod and Adrian Glynn are active in other artistic pursuits. McLeod is an award winning novelist and former Canadian SLAM poetry champion, while Glynn is a working actor who received rave reviews for his role in Chelsea Hotel, a play based on the songs and poems of Leonard Cohen. Their band is similarly eclectic, boasting prominent former members like Mark Berube and CR Avery, and current violinist/vocalist Ali Romanow, a singer-songwriter in her own right, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Charles.

The Manitoba country music industry has suffered the devastating loss of artist manager Janice Starodub on New Year’s Eve at the age of 49. Janice Anne Starodub passed away peacefully at the Selkirk Regional Health Centre surrounded by her family, husband Phil and three children, after a yearlong battle with cancer.

Janice began her career as a teacher whose creativity led her to songwriting, which in turn took her to Nashville, where networking introduced her to connections within the publishing community. It was also the place where she discovered where she fit in with the music industry. Her teaching experience, can-do attitude, and patience made her an ideal fit to fill the much-needed role of advising and developing young artists, initiating imaging and media training sessions, working on grants and arranging successful songwriting trips and showcases in LA, Nashville, and domestically.

Now in its 15th year, Indie Week Canada (IWCAN) is one of Canada’s top emerging artist festivals hosting 300+ artists, 25+ venues in 6 days. Indie Week puts industry and artists together, acts have made connections and have built new business furthering their career. Along with artist showcases, Indie Week hosts the Indie101 Music + Tech Conference with industry leaders and over 80 speakers – artists have the opportunity to participate in mentorship, classroom and 1-on-1 sessions along with the regular industry panels. Indie Week is a great launch pad for artists wanting to enter into the North American and Canadian markets and make the connections that can help take your band to the next level.

Indie Week Canada has become one of Canada’s premiere indie music festivals showcasing 300+ acts from all over the world in front of music industry professionals.

Indie Week offers 6 nights of showcases, late last call after parties serving until 4am, 25+ venues, music industry panels, industry mixers, demo listening sessions, mentorships, sponsored stages and more.

On March 9th, Stax Records will release Tearing at the Seams, the highly anticipated new album from Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. Tearing at the Seams follows the band’s critically and commercially lauded, self-titled debut album, which is certified Gold in the U.S., Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands, Platinum in Canada, and Silver in the U.K.

You Worry Me, the lead single from the new album, has premiered worldwide today, In addition to the 12-track standard edition, Tearing at the Seams will be available in a 14-track deluxe edition that features two bonus tracks and exclusive photos. Vinyl editions include the (2-disc, 180gram) 12-track standard edition and the (2-disc, 180gram) 14-track deluxe edition, which features an exclusive photo book and special 7” single. Initial writing and recording sessions for Tearing at the Seams took place in Rodeo, New Mexico, where Rateliff & The Night Sweats re-established their dynamic off the stage and in the studio.

On the heels of a transformative and ultra-productive 2017 (releasing five studio albums) Melbourne's King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard will return to the U.S. and Canada this spring for a major cross-country tour hitting nineteen cities including Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. The band will play their largest venues to date such as LA's Hollywood Palladium, San Francisco's Warfield Theatre, and NYC's Brooklyn Steel.

As promised at the beginning of the year, King Gizzard successfully released an unprecedented five studio albums in 2017 with the release of Gumboot Soup arriving this past New Year's Eve. 2017's other previous four records - February's Flying Microtonal Banana, June's Murder of the Universe, August's Sketches of Brunswick East and November's Polygondwanaland - have all received critical acclaim and contributed to a whirlwind year for the band. Some benchmarks include their first Coachella performance, their worldwide TV debut on Conan and headlining sold-out shows at landmark venues including two nights at Chicago's Lincoln Hall, two nights at New York City's Webster Hall and San Francisco's The Fillmore.

Marlene (Joan) Palmer, who worked with some of the biggest names of Canadian music, died of ovarian cancer on Saturday, December 30th, at the Victoria Hospice in Victoria, British Columbia, according to husband Phillip Hurst.

She was 62.

Unfailingly cheerful, a valued colleague, friend and confidant to all, Palmer was a much sought-after publicist and a tenacious advocate for her clients. She had an incisive wit, great creative instincts, and came from a PR tradition that the media was to be treated with respect.

At one time or another during her nearly four-decade publicity career, her client list included: Anne Murray, Bryan Adams, Loverboy, Rita MacNeil, The Rankin Family, Steve Smith (aka Red Green), Tommy Hunter, Frank Mills, and George Fox.

She also oversaw the national media surrounding the historic “Tears Are Not Enough,” the all-star charity single recorded in 1985 by leading Canadian artists, under the name Northern Lights, raising funds for the relief of the famine in Ethiopia.

Nashville’s own alt-rock-five-piece band, Moon Taxi, has released their new song, Good As Gold off their highly anticipated fifth studio album, Let The Record Play, which is set for release on January 19th via RCA Records. The feel-good anthem will have everyone ready to dance for days with its use of upbeat horns and keys. The band also released a lyric video for the track. Click here to listen/buy/watch.

Good As Gold, as well as Let The Record Play, and single, Two High, are available as instant-grat tracks when fans pre-order the upcoming album. Pre-order is available at all digital retailers here. Good As Gold, the most recent instant-grat track, has already become a fan favorite with over 1.5 million streams on Spotify in less than a month, available here.

“Good as Gold is a song about empowerment. It’s about reaching that moment, that place where all your hard work pays off. It’s no coincidence that we wrote it as the Nashville Predators were fighting for the Stanley Cup last season. Team colors inspired the lyrics for sure,” says Wes Bailey (keyboardist).