TRANSCANADARADIO is proud to celebrate Canada’s Current Cultural artists and their locations! Traveling across Canada’s vast surface and finding the best of the under and above-ground artists, and where to check them out in your favorite Canadian city! Pack your bags! We’re going on a road trip!
Between time on tour through the US, her Shadow Songs project with visual artist Shary Boyle spanning Canada, and creating compositions for television, film, and contemporary dance, Winnipeg’s Christine Fellows produced her fourth full-length album, Nevertheless (Six Shooter Records 2007), a stunning collection of songs celebrating spinsters, pigeons, the apocalypse and the power of art.
Spin Magazine, Pitchfork, and noted musicians like John Darnielle (of The Mountain Goats) hailed her 2005 album, Paper Anniversary, and Fellows’ song cycle/score for The Spinster’s Almanac was nominated for a 2007 Dora Mavor Moore Award.
She is currently dividing her time between her work as composer-in-residence at Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers (2007-08), building a pigeon coop, and touring in support of Nevertheless.
Upcoming shows:
3 Aug 2008 20:00 Sappyfest with Leanne Zacharias
From somewhere beneath the swelling strings and synths, the angular guitars and pulsating beats, cleaves the voice of Jamie Fooks of Jane Vain & the Dark Matter. In early 2003, Fooks started writing songs by her self in her basement apartment, to deal with the remaining demons of a reckless adolescence. Somewhat deterred by an open mic night that ended in tears, Fooks was encouraged to continue performing by the support of friends, and the interest of current guitar player Dillon Whitfield (of Raccoon). With the addition of Whitfield’s haphazard guitar playing, the foundation of Jane Vain & the Dark Matter was laid.
The duo played a string of shows, accompanied by only drums beats and bass, programmed by Fooks. These shows attracted attention from fans, promoters and other musicians.
Now, accompanied live by a rhythm section, (Shawn Dicey of Ox on drums, Markus Lake of The Incandescence on bass) Jane Vain & the Dark Matter have released their first full length, Love Is Where The Smoke Is, on Edmonton’s Rectangle Records, and are embarking on another national tour in support of their record. The record features contributions by local musicians Mark Hamilton, Foon Yap, and Annalea Sordi of Woodpigeon, Jesse Locke of SIDS, and Matt Flegel of The Cape May. Inherent in the music is a kinetic energy, as if Jane Vain & the Dark Matter are aiming for anxious chaos, but achieving a careful clarity.
Cameron Latimer – Empty Saddles Cameron Latimer has been a singer/songwriter from the time he first picked up a guitar sixteen years ago. Since then, he’s written over a hundred songs and recorded over a third of them professionally. He attended Malaspina University College where he studied Jazz Music. Here, he met musician Adam Dobres who was to become Latimer’s long-term collaborator. Together, along with Rueben Degroot, they formed The Seams, a band with a perpetual personality disorder perhaps best described as an alternative-pop-country-jazz band. They released their debut album Castaway Motel in 2004 and followed it up with several Western Canadian tours. Simultaneously, Latimer contributed significantly to the projects of other local artists such as Ridley Bent, Dustin Bentall, and the Grand Cariboo Opry alongside Barney Bentall.
Culling what he learned through these collaborations and drawing on such varied inspirations as the work of Elliot Smith, Django Reinhardt, Lyle Lovett and Jeff Tweedy, Latimer has been writing and recording songs for his solo debut, Fallen Apart. Featuring producer Johnny Ellis (Barney Bentall, Dustin Bentall, Ridley Bent), drummer, Pat Steward (Bryan Adams, Matthew Good) bassist Rob Becker (Colin James), and lead guitarist Adam Dobres (Daniel Lapp, Outlaw Social), Fallen Apart melds a vast wealth of experience, skill and emotional depth.
Osheaga music and arts festival kicked off for the first time in 2006 with a mind blowing line up of artists from Amon Tobin to Dinosaur Jr., Wolf Parade to Kid Koala, Final Fantasy to Sonic Youth, a list I shiver to utter. It is safe to say that every year, Osheaga has taken over Montreal with a last expressive outburst before winter’s hibernation. This August marks the festival’s third year and Osheaga is on no road to disappoint, from big names to indie underground the two day festival will be an event one would dread to miss. Check back here on TransCanada Radio for updates and videos on the artists who will be rocking it August 3rd and 4th, and who are putting Montreal and Canada on the map.
Dragon Fli Empire is on the rise. The Calgary based duo, comprised of Cosm (DJ, producer) and Teekay (emcee, producer) have quickly become one of the city’s more popular groups, gaining respect from a wide variety of music lovers for their upbeat, melodic and positive sound.
It all started in May 2002. What was originally supposed to be a side-project for both of the Dragon Fli Empire members grew into something bigger than ever dreamed, largely due to the popularity of the track “Mount Pleasant” (which has become a Calgary anthem). The crew enjoys heavy rotation on campus radio across Canada and have also appeared on CBC (Radio, ZeD and The National), plus MuchMusic’s Going Coastal. The group has performed across Canada and parts of the United States, and have shared the stage with many top acts, including De La Soul, Mos Def, Pete Rock, Del the Funky Homosapien, and The Beatnuts.
With so much hype surrounding the acoustic guitar/sunny beach vibe emanating from south of the border, it would be easy at first glance to overlook western Canada’s Jon and Roy, if not for the sheer strength of their music and growing legion of fans. Leading the charge like a modern day Bobby D is Jon Middleton and his prolific songwriting coupled with the rhythmic flare of Roy Vizer.
The Jon & Roy collaboration began in 2004 amidst the buzz of a cluster-house centurion. Upon repeated requests from those who had seen Jon Middleton perform around Victoria before, Jon picked up his vintage L’arrivé, closed his eyes and let loose. Having crossed the Georgia Straight earlier that day to visit the island, Roy tuned up his bongos and added some rhythm. Warming up to the sound of one and one, the room quieted and found a lull. People listened. People laughed. People smiled.
The music? A blend of folk, hip-hop and reggae with an island tinge.
It is Catherine MacLellan’s voice that strikes you first. Pure and haunting, it caresses softly, insinuating itself into your heart, and just won’t let go. Then, the subtle strengths of her deeply confessional, powerfully poetic songs emerge, revealing hidden layers with every listen. It is this combination that makes Church Bell Blues, MacLellan’s sophomore album, a bona fide roots music gem. The disc was released independently on the East Coast last year, but Catherine’s recent signing to True North Records will bring it much wider exposure. “It’s great that this one is being given more life,” says the P.E.I.-raised, now Halifax-based songstress. “I really respect Bernie [Finkelstein] and all the artists he’s signed, so I feel very lucky.”
Arriving fully formed, Brent Randall & His Pinecones released the expertly crafted debut EP, Quite Precisely, in late 2004 (Charting 34 on Earshot). The seven songs on the album showed a style of song and depth in writing rarely seen since Brill Building era pop. Randall quickly became a enigmatic yet renowned character throughout the East Coast. Along with His Pinecones, made up of Laura Peek, David Ewenson, Joel Goguen, Brian O’Reilly and Jess Lewis, he played several legendary shows in the years that followed, previewing new songs from an ever forthcoming LP that never seemed to materialize.
Neferiu is a record label driven on supporting fresh, unique music within the hip hop & electronic spectrum.
Based in Calgary, Canada, Neferiu consistently release cutting edge music & throw quality live shows. Neferiu also offers free monthly album downloads via their website.
Neferiu’s active talent roster includes Mantrakid, Ricca Razor Sharp, Cinister Cee & Tetrix. In addition, Audible Intelligence, Dirty Sample, Pete Meadows, Impirical, Shep, Sense & others have released material through Neferiu.
For a full release history complete with audio samples – and in some cases, complete album downloads – check out www.neferiu.com
One of Ottawa’s longest running DJs, Trevor Walker, made the front page of the Ottawa XPress today and boy, does he deserve it!
He’s been blending beats in Ottawa’s top nightspots since the late ’80s, witnessing the birth of new wave, acid jazz, Hip-Hop, House and Techno from the disc jockey’s pulpit.
