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!
Here’s an update for you: If you haven’t yet seen Royal Wood in concert, do yourself a huge favour and make sure to be at Hugh’s Room on August 14th (that’s Thursday, folks) or at the Peterborough Folk Festival on August 22nd. If you missed my glowing recommendation of Royal Wood the first time around, be sure to check it out. And, as further convincing – check out the video above. How can you resist that voice? (…and that pretty face? Heh.)
Upcoming shows:
14 Aug 2008 20:00 Hugh’s Room with Laura Barrett Toronto
22 Aug 2008 12:00 Peterborough Folk Festival Peterborough
Dyad came together to play traditional American Old Time music after delving into everything from indie-rock and punk to classical and traditional music of various cultures. The Vancouver-based trio of Kori Miyanishi (vocals, banjo, fiddle), Leah Abramson (vocals, guitar) and Mark Beaty (cello, vocals), digs deep into song and instrumental traditions of the Appalachian mountain region of the USA, while incorporating these varied influences and expanding traditional themes into modern arrangements of original, traditional and contemporary song.
The band’s most recent album, No Pedlars or Preachers, was released in 2006 to enthusiastic international reviews and a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for Best New/Emerging artist. With Be Good Tanyas bassist Mark Beaty returning to his first instrument, the cello, DYAD continues to pioneer onwards with their wholly fresh approach to traditional music and taking live shows into a more experimental stringband approach, blurring the line between old and new.
Hailing from Toronto, Jamesking brings the sort of fresh perspective on R&B that the genre has quite frankly been waiting for. Harking back to a time when popular R&B/Funk was a means of musical expression and not just a formula, Jamesking creates intricate, smooth, hip and relevant music. Songwriter/guitarist Duff Demirovic has crafted a unique sound, aided by first class musicians Ran Caspi, Ilian Iliev and Vlada Mladenovic. Add to all of this the heavenly vocals of Gyles and you have an explosive mix that will keep your feet tapping throughout.
Ghost Notes is the title of a stunning new record by acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Matthew Barber, his first since 2005’s Sweet Nothing. Produced by Barber and engineered by Ken Friesen, Ghost Notes departs from Barber’s most recent efforts in that it emphasizes the moodier, more stripped-down side of his songwriting. Recorded in six gray November days at the famed Bathouse studio near Kingston, Ontario, Ghost Notes is the culmination of almost two years of writing and demoing, and stands as Barber’s most mature record to date. It was released on the Outside Music label in Canada on March 4, 2008. Accordingly, Matthew teamed up with his sister Jill Barber for the much anticipated SIBLING REVELRY TOUR across Canada.
Upcoming shows:
8 Aug 2008 20:00 Theatre Centre @ The Great Hall Toronto, Ontario
10 Aug 2008 13:00 Me and Suzie’s Port Stanley, Ontario
16 Aug 2008 16:30 Fred Eaglesmith Picnic Aylmer, Ontario
Karma Controllers channel a wide breadth of influences into a cohesive blend of indie- rock and jazz. Their new album, Sirens, is the result of carefully crafting those influences into a focused whole. Ambitious, but never self-important, Karma Controllers have created a unique album that stands out from the crowded Canadian indie-music scene.
With Sirens, Karma Controllers draw upon their contemporaries like Stars and Nada Surf. Helen Kuan’s vocals are reminiscent of Jenny Lewis, Jack Jamieson attributes Sondre Lerche as an inspiration to his guitar playing, and Jesse Paul’s drums owe as much to big-band jazz as they do to modern rock styles. Those influences are combined with a love of classic composers like Cole Porter as well as modern Japanese jazz bands such as Soil & “Pimp” Sessions.
Begun three years ago as an antidote to spare time and money, Italian Edition has struggled to maintain a strong presence in their hometown of Victoria BC, as well as across Canada. Bound together by a love for live chaos and honed songwriting, Jay Bhattacharyya, Jack Derricourt, David Sponaugle, David Williams, and Joshua Sparrow have forged a unique strain of twenty-first century music; their sound comprises a collection of tastes, from classic guitar rock, to post-hardcore, to jazz. So far, their career has proven no less ecclectic–being featured on Much Music’s Going Coastal, playing alongside the likes of Tokyo Police Club and Three Days Grace, and receiving regular airplay on CBC Radio 3. With two albums under their belts–2007’s “The Fable of the Mouse and the Frog” and their newest full-length “Luddites”–the five spirited islanders show no signs of slowing down, with nothing but fresh enthusiasm paving their way.
Upcoming shows:
8 Aug 2008 21:30 The Cambie Nanaimo, British Columbia
9 Aug 2008 07:00 The Academy w/ Acres of Lions Port Alberni, British Columbia
22 Aug 2008 20:00 Sugar Victoria, British Columbia
23 Aug 2008 20:00 WEST COAST MUSIC FEST Port Alberni, British Columbia
5 Sep 2008 20:00 Lantzville Hall All Ages Nanaimo, British Columbia
“Soaring melodies, intricate riffs, skull-crushing drums.” “An assault of oddly precise, off-kilter grooves bathed in swirling, psychedelic guitars, undeniable hooks and delivered with intensity and conviction.” This is how Glory Glory Man United describe themselves.
Escape Goat Records and Bruce Peninsula proudly present a freshly-issued piece for your crates. A document of Bruce Peninsula’s earliest rally-calls, this 7″ record collects 3 traditional songs, as ingested and interpreted by the many heads and hands of a Toronto-based clubhouse band.
Katie resides in Toronto and makes music with her computer, heart and soul. In January 2008 she released her first record called “Join Us” with Blocks Recording Club.
She’ll be playing at Maverick’s in Ottawa on August 24th for the i heart music festival (put on by the fine folks at iheartmusic.net, so be sure to go check her out if you’re in the area!
15 Aug 2008 20:00 Fred Eaglesmith Picnic Aylmer, ON
22 Aug 2008 20:00 Peterburough Folk Fest Peterborough
24 Aug 2008 20:00 Mavericks – i heart music festival Ottawa
The Souljazz Orchestra describes themselves as a combination of “…blaring majestic horns, dusty vintage keyboards, and fierce earthquaking rhythms to create a potent new afrofunk sound.” Even with such a wild description, I’m inclined to agree. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself asking “What exactly is ‘afrofunk’?” And since I’ve heard it and seem to think I have all the answers, I’ll say “Good question!” Afrofunk is a synthesis of Afrobeat (jazz and funk fused with African vocals and percussion) and electronica, dub, R&B, and rap. So what it sounds like, basically, is orchestral funk… and it’s awesome! I mean, what’s better that orchestral funk?
