New tunes, new shows and new platforms for musicians to display their wares. All of which have one thing in common; art.
Please check out some of the new stuff happening right now.
On Monday, April 16th, 2x GRAMMY® Award winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra will be celebrating fifteen years with the release of their sixth album Anniversary on ArtistShare.
Manito Ahbee Festival Hosting Free Indigenous Music Conference For Native Musicians
Manito Ahbee Festival Music Conference May 17th and 18th at the Delta Winnipeg Hotel in Canada. Industry professionals will sit down with Native American and First Nations musicians
Iconic Canadian musician Jim Cuddy is among several musical talents who will grace the stage in London’s Victoria Parkduring this year’s Home County Music and Art Festival.
As part of Home County’s 45th year, The Jim Cuddy Band will be the headline the opening night of the festival on July 20.
The Boxhave released a new EP titled Take Me Home and are heading on tour to support it.
11/05 Oshawa – Music Hall 12/05 Seneca – Queens Theatre 25/05 Peterborough – Red Dog 26/05 Mississauga – Classic Bowl 13/07 Québec – L’Impérial 14/07 Sorel – Festival de la Gibelotte 28/07 Mattawa – Voyageur Days 04/08 Ste-Thérèse – Rendez-vous de Village
Michael Kaeshammer has a new album out April 20th. Something New features Randy Bachman, Colin James and Stones’ keyboardist Chuck Leavell.
The Savilles have a new album out – Something Strange.
Guitar great Steve Hill has a new album out May 11th.
Warner Music Group Acquires Data Analytics Startup Sodatone
Cœur de Pirate shares “Somnambule” single + acoustic live video
Fourth LP en Cas de Tempête, Ce Jardin Sera Fermé. out June 1 via Dare To Care Records
Les Productions Nuits d’Afrique has released the nine semi finalists for the 12e Edition of Syli d’Or de la Musique du Monde, to be held the 17th, 18th et 19th of April at 8:30pm at Club Balattou à Montréal.
The Semi – Finalists are;
Suzi Silva & Fad’azz, Bossa, Fado (Portugal)
Kenzow, Afro-urbaine (Burkina Faso)
Coro cênico, Samba, Bossa nova (Brésil)
El Son sono,Rythmes d’Amérique du Sud (Pérou)
Unik,Zouk, Kompa (Haïti)
Tokatanoka,Basque orientale (France, Qc)
Dakka, Reggae mandingue (Côte d’Ivoire)
Gaorampi Farah, World oriental (Pérou, Palestine, Chine)
Ramon Chicharron,Afro-Cumbia (Colombie)
Follow me on Facebook, Rock – FM.CA and Right Here for news, reviews, interviews and tunes !
Up Next ; Jean – Marc Pisapia from
The Box
Listen to a new tune from The Box and David Henman Below !
Tune in every
Thursday 7 – 10 pm on Rock FM.ca as I play Music That Matters
Sometimes, check that – most times, a music concert turns into noise at one point in the show.
There is always those one or two tunes the musicians love playing but the crowd doesn’t know very well. Or – the crowd loves the tune and it just does not parlay nicely from the studio to the stage.
The Jim Cuddy Band / one half of the Blue Rodeo songwriting tandem / Barney Bentall and Jim Cuddy’s two sons do not have that trouble.
The elder Cuddy was in town Friday night at the Corona Theater supporting his new album Constellations. Jim is towing Barney Bentall , his two boys and The Jim Cuddy band across Canada. Towing may be a bad choice of a word because the supporting players are in no way broken down. The entire cast are on the same page and that page is songwriting for the right reasons.
Bentall kicked things off with a short and sweet set. Setting the musical table for Cuddy’s family dinner.
While I was Waiting, Where You Gonna Run, Lonely When You Leave, Constellations, Cold Cold Wind and All I Need from The Jim Cuddy Band’s disc opened and closed the unknown section of the Cuddy supermarket. Familiar sounding Blue Rodeo tunes without Greg Keelor. A combination of Jim’s voice and songwriting could very well be on a Blue Rodeo disc. Nothing new but ineffably borrowed from Blue Rodeo.
Happy-go-lucky tunes bordering on Country with teary eyed ( where is the Kleenex?) ballads grabbing the mostly older audience by the neck and never letting go. Cuddy possesses that boy- next- door all Canadian guy persona and it’s hard not to like the guy. EH? Energetic songs with an equally energized supporting cast make The Jim Cuddy Band into a long Blue Rodeo song. A good thing.
Barney Bentall came and went adding his own tunes as did sons Devin and Sam Polley.
Polley displaying his songs from his first EP ( Surrender and Rude Girl) with an adequate voice and lots of passion. Both tunes upbeat and bordering on Rock n Roll. Devin ( on piano) played a cover and an original. Maggie’s Hardware Storeand Radio. Devin gravitating toward the kitchen party atmosphere on the former and his own songwriting talent and piano playing on the latter. Devin possessing keener vocals than his brother but in fairness, Devin has been doing this longer. Dad Jim has four reasons to be proud of his sons.
The supporting players made everything magical.
Bazil Donovan (bass), Colin Cripps (guitar), Anne Lindsay (violin), Steve O’Connor (keys) and drummer Joel Anderson did not need Jim Cuddy. The chemistry and dynamics were ear popping. Anne Lindsay on violin effectuating guitar parts for The Blue Rodeo ‘covers’ with intensity rarely seen in these parts. Rarely seen in any parts.
Bentall returned for his own song Don’t Wait For Me Marie, a showstopper ( according to Jim’s Mom) and Come Back To Me. Dressed like Gord Downie and with the same type of facial structure and hat – Bentall was ghostly in appearance but not in voice. Bentall one of this Country’s great songwriters and somewhat of a ‘cult’ figure.
The evening contained The Blue Rodeo hits. Five Days in May, Til I Am Myself Again and It Could Happen To You. All of them sounding just like Blue Rodeo which must make an absent Greg Keelor nervous. Capping off an evening that contained no noise – only songs.
The former front man of Max Webster and the current front man of Kim Mitchell is not dead or stunned.
At Petit Champlain in the heart of the old Quebec City on March 31st, Kim Mitchell was very much alive and a tad nervous.
Alive? Yes because a couple of years ago the nation almost lost this national treasure due to a heart attack. Nervous? Yes and even Kim did not know why as he started his show in the small confines of the historic room.
Perhaps the reason was because it was his first time to Quebec City as a solo artist. The last time he was in the city he ‘had hair and got girls …’ Max Webster was the room number.
Mitchell 2018 is fit in voice, fit in body and thankfully; not-so-fit in mind. Slightly ‘mad’ is what made Kim Mitchell the artist he is. Max Webster and the solo artist. Equipped with that instantly recognizable Canadian humor and an edgy sarcasm, Mitchell is a pleasure to watch and listen to. Think of Howie Mandel with a guitar.
Unlike Mr. Mandel however, Mitchell is on stage and not judging his performance. Although, given the perfection of the set- list and the musicality from his band; maybe Mitchell is the most critical judge of himself.
Mitchell is in his mid sixties and that age was mirrored within the crowd (which was a crime). Prancing through the Max Webster hits ( High Class in Borrowed Shoes, Diamond, Diamonds and The Party) and into the Mitchell solo stuff ( Go For a Soda, Patio Lanterns, I Am a Wild Party) – Kim’s two hour show puts most young rockers to shame. The absence of kids in the audience – not good for the future of Rock. The torch is being passed and the recipients had one foot in the grave.
Mitchell’s band ( David Langguth drums, Peter Fredette Bass and Sam Pomanti Keys) are a well oiled machine.The cogs are turning smoothly with just enough ‘noise‘ to indicate Rock n Roll. Real music from real people is flawed and that in itself creates a ‘ feeling ‘. The Kim Mitchell ‘experience’ is filled with feeling and then some …
Langguth is a beast behind the kit. A human metronome on speed. Hard hitting and feathery soft when needed. Pomanti ( his Father played with Mitchell once upon a time ) filled in the rhythm and added the leads with integrity. Intelligent and respectful of the catalog. Shining when ‘the nod’ came …
The surprise to many on this pre -Easter night was the vocals of Mitchell’s ‘Glimmer Twin’; Peter Fredette. The song All We Are took on an entire different meaning.
Fredette is chilling with his voice. Drilling deep into his soul and in turn, showering the punters in wealth. Seldom can any singer demonstrate the power and passion at the drop of a note ( Breen LeBoeuf another one). Vocalists get better as the show goes on as their vocal muscles start to work with each song. Fredette a welcome ‘freak’ of nature. The capacity crowd were on their feet with appreciation. The hairs on the back of the neck; on their feet with provocation.
Kim Mitchell is Kim Mitchell and his performance is a little toned down compared to his younger days. Not unlike most performers getting ‘ up there ‘ who realize that pacing goes a long way in a long race. Pacing goes a long way in life …
Kim Mitchell is not dead and the only ones stunned are the audience following the show.
A student out of Berklee College of Music – Tom learned from the best.
Following a stint with Aerosmith as a member of the touring band, Gimbel hooked up with Foreigner and has not looked back.
Please listen below to my chat with Tom as we talk about Foreigner working with an orchestra ( album out April 27th) , Mick Jones’ health and Tom’s advice to young musicians starting up.
Also – Chris Farley and Steven Tyler’sshouting match ?
Rarely do guitarists come along who let their talent take a side car on their ride through music. Officer, on his third album as a Blues solo artist, is a passenger once more on the long and historical trip called the Blues.
Please listen below to my chat with Jordan about his new album; Three Rivers.
Someone should not tell Garland Jeffreys he is seventy-three years old.
If he ‘realizes it’ – he may start acting the part.
The legend was in town last night at Club Soda along with a backing band who not only complimented Jeffreys; they were the icing on the guitar case.
Two songs into a very lengthy two set show, Jeffreys ( as he is known to do) – walked into the crowd. Jeffreys (as he is not known to do), stepped on an errant duffle bag. The sack, truthfully – not part of the act. Abandoned like an empty beer case – the bag became Jeffreys’ sole Nemesis among the loving fan base that packed Club Soda.
Garland went head first onto the floor.
‘That’s Rock n Roll baby !’
On his feet, back on stage – the fall never happened. In true professionalism, Jeffreys never missed a beat and never mentioned the incident, the bag or the unknown culprit. An insight into Jeffreys’ staying power of almost fifty years on stage. A testament to the man’s character.
Brian Justin “JJ” Jordan (guitar) , Charly Roth – keys, Brian Stanley ( bass) and Tom Curiano (drums) were the thieves on this night. Looting, pillaging the souls in the audience. Raping the songs and making them their own. Taking everything they had and delivering perfection within Rock, Pop, Reggae and Balladry. Curiano in particular, the ringleader – the co-ordinator of music bliss.
Including songs from the new album; ’14 Steps to Harlem’ – Jeffreys and his band traveled the catalog of covers and original tunes in a well oiled rusty car. No gimmicks, no light show – no fuss. ‘Coney Island Winter’ to the title track on the new disc ’14 Steps to Harlem’. From ‘?and the Mysterians’ ’96 Tears’ to ‘The Beatles’ ‘Help’ . Vintage playing by vintage guys. Vintage vocals by a vintage singer. The type of show every musician should attend to learn their craft. Garland Jeffreys and his band; top notch entertainment and top notch talent.
Within Garland Jeffreys and his fine line between partying on stage to singing – Lou Reedand The Velvet Underground are prominent. Lyrically, poetically and musically. That New York state of mind.
Reed’s ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’ – eloquently displayed in a slightly rockier version, gathering speed as the tune progressed. A heartfelt homage to Jeffrey old Syracuse pal.
Jeffreys is all New York. The attitude – front and center in his lyrics and his between song banter. No shyness in telling audience members to shut up when he is talking. Jeffeys is a Brooklyn – ite through and through.
Showstoppers included ‘Spanish Town’, ‘Dylan’s ‘She Belongs To Me’, ‘Reggae on Broadway’ and his big hit ‘Wild in the Streets’. Genres which make up the essence of music today. Latin flavors, Folk / Country, Reggae / Funk and Rock / Punk.
Someone should tell Jeffreys and his band of merry-men they delivered the goods. That way – they may act the part sooner than later in Montreal.
No need to sit around and do nothing. No need to listen to music on your ghetto blaster. Wake up the neighbors and call the kids! Or – better still, have the kids wake the neighbors with loud music !
Please have a listen below to some shows that are coming up. Listen to what interviews are coming up. Hear some fantastic tunes that have already come up !
Unless of course you are talking about ‘the band’.
‘Too Many Cooks’ exploded onto the Quebec scene in 1986 and their rise was meteoric. Mesmerizing. Monumental.
Fast forward to 2017, the band is no longer a working unit and Richard D’Anjou has been out of the music spotlight for ten plus years. The former ‘addict’ and current sober Father has returned with an album that could well be the best Rock album from Quebec this year.
Please listen below to my chat with Richard as we discuss ‘Too Many Cooks’, his thought process and the new album.
No need to sit around and do nothing. No need to listen to music on your ghetto blaster. Wake up the neighbors and call the kids! Or – better still, have the kids wake the neighbors with loud music !
Please have a listen below to some shows that are coming up. Listen to what interviews are coming up. Hear some fantastic tunes that have already come up !
With two Blues albums behind him, Jordan Officer has officially passed ‘hump day’.
All that lay ahead is weekend after weekend of fun as he digs further and further into the roots of Blues, Country and Rock music. Jordan is on an interesting journey and one that may not be as complete without the influence of Chuck Berry as Jordan records his third Blues album.
Please listen below as Jordan explains Chuck’s influence on not only his guitar playing – Rock n’ Roll guitar playing as well …
and
Find out his thought process thus far in the recording of his first two albums.
