Monthly Archives: May 2022

Feature

The Small Glories touch down at the Rogue Folk Club ...

Roots powerhouse duo the Small Glories is Cara Luft and JD Edwards, a musical partnership planted on the Canadian Prairies. Thrown together purely by accident for an anniversary show at Winnipeg’s venerable West End Cultural Centre, the Small Glories could ...
Feature

When James Gordon had a hit song at the International ...

If you ever want to experience a true microcosm of rural Ontario farm life, you must go to the International Plowing Match. (I’m not sure why it’s called ‘international’ – it’s always held in southern Ontario but in a different place each year.) ...
Feature

How Tragedy Ann incorporates empathy in songwriting

“Narrative songwriting is an exercise in empathy,” said Braden Phalen of the Guelph Ontario duo Tragedy Ann. “Whether we’re speaking from personal experience or experience close to us, at our best we’re trying to understand what that must feel like ...
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Oxlip – Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies

The Sadies meets Shirley Collins on Oxlip’s fifth album, Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies, an album dedicated to some of her favorite traditional folk songs. Like Fairport Convention or Steeleye Span, these versions have their own psychedelic twist, ...
Feature

The Slocan Ramblers have a new bass player and a ...

The past couple of years have been filled with highs and lows for the Slocan Ramblers. In 2020 they were named “Momentum Band of the Year” by the International Bluegrass Music Association, a huge honour for a Canadian bluegrass band. ...
Feature

How musicians got creative to record music during COVID lockdowns

From blanket forts to cardboard boxes and even oversized dog crates, artists have found many creative ways to record music in their homes during the global pandemic. And the transition has been a learning experience for many, judging by the ...
Opinion

We need to talk about the Estelle Klein Award

We’re getting toward the time of the year when Folk Music Ontario typically puts out a call for nominees for the Estelle Klein Award – and before it does that, I hope we can have a conversation. FMO needs to ...
Album review

The Gold Rush is now: Neil Young’s Official Bootleg Series ...

It’s a good time to be a Neil Young fan. Since the 2009 launch of his Archives project, each ensuing year has unearthed new live and studio recordings. Throughout his 50-plus year career, he has added revealing new perspectives on his famously ...
Feature

Ally Corbett and Richard Garvey are playing Vancouver Island this ...

Canadian folk musician and occasional Roots Music Canada contributor Ally Corbett is joining forces with Richard Garvey for a heart-warming combination of indie folk, fiddle, and banjo tunes that is sure to leave your toes tapping and your heart smiling!  ...
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Kyle McKearney announces tour dates and shares new single ‘Grandfather’

Kyle McKearney has emerged as one of the leading Canadian voices within the Americana scene since the release of his 2021 debut solo album Down-Home. Recently named one of SiriusXM’s Top of the Country Semi-Finalists, the Calgary-based singer-songwriter also took second ...