The re-jigging of Dan MacDonald’s Cape Breton fiddle
Out of the thousand or so MacDonalds living on Cape Breton Island, probably only half of them are fiddlers. Dan MacDonald settled in Toronto “for the duration” sixteen years ago, so now there is one less. But they do proliferate. ...
El Coyote, Kevin Closs, Kim June Johnson, and more
Folks, if you know the moose, you know that nothing makes me happier than checking out great new Canadian roots music, so ya’ gotta know I’ve been laying on my back with my hooves in the air and the headphones ...
Collette Savard & The Savants – “Cecil Street” (Video)
Roots Music Canada is proud to premiere the whimsical new video for “Cecil Street,” one of the standout tracks from Collette Savard & The Savants‘ self-titled debut album. The song was inspired by Toronto’s Kensington Market, and anyone familiar with ...
Happy re-birthday Hugh’s Room Live! Revived Toronto venue turns ...
It was an earthquake that first rocked Toronto, and then the shockwaves rapidly expanded outwards across Canada. The legendary Hugh’s Room had closed, apparently without warning, in early January of 2017. The media was on the story in a flash; ...
Elk Run & Riot embrace the great outdoors on new ...
Since forming in 2013, Elk Run & Riot have made it their priority to write songs that reflect who they are and where they live. For the alternative folk outfit, that environment is Alberta’s Bow Valley in the Rocky Mountains, ...
Six songs to set you up for the Vancouver World ...
“Do you know that buzz you get after you spend a weekend at a festival?” Tom Landa asks me over Facebook messenger. “For example, I always feel amazing and inspired and happy when I go to the Van Folk Fest. ...
Teaching songwriting … in Nashville: Linda McRae opens her ...
If you read Linda McRae’s weekend series about teaching writing in prisons, you might’ve found yourself strangely jealous of the inmates at New Folsom over their access to such an obviously great creative experience. Well, the good news is, you ...
Weekend Read: Teaching songwriting in prison, Part 3
In the first parts of this article I talked about how our work with inmates began and our first visit to New Folsom Prison. The last part will focus on how our workshops have evolved and where they have taken ...
Ashley Condon launches new album at her new brewery. ...
In my years of reviewing music events, this was perhaps the most difficult assignment I’ve received. Gordy the Moose: Ashley Condon is launching her latest album, Can You Hear Me. She also owns her own microbrewery, Copper Bottom Brewing, which ...
David Francey, the painter, goes on tour
Beloved Canadian singer-songwriter David Francey is embarking on a different kind of tour to launch his brand new album, the Broken Heart of Everything — which comes out tomorrow, by the way. He’s travelling with an exhibit of his paintings. ...