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One of my local favourites, Meredith Luce has got some new upcoming concert dates!

Check out the video above and when you absolutely love it (like I know you will), be sure to check out one of her upcoming shows!

14 Nov 2008 22:00 ** CD RELEASE *** IRENE’S ** Ottawa, Ontario
15 Nov 2008 20:00 Town Hall (opening for Rob Lutes) Almonte, Ontario
13 Dec 2008 20:00 The Branch Kempville, Ontario

Growing up in Taber, Alberta, Lund’s lineage boasts over a century of cowboys. And thanks to his keen lyrical pen, Lund’s Alberta is ready to take its place in a long line of immortal locales lucky enough to have their own poet laureates who paint vivid pictures, spin mythologies and create memorable characters. Think of any of the following: Bruce Springsteen’s New Jersey; Stan Rogers’ Maritime provinces; John K. Samson’s Winnipeg; Lou Reed’s New York City; Stompin’ Tom Connors’ small town Canada; Lucinda Williams’ Louisiana.

And yet voices like those are increasingly rare. Mainstream pop music of all stripes—rock, country, R&B, even hip-hop now—ignores regional specifics, to the point where even as gifted a storyteller as Corb Lund once questioned his lyrical outlook.

1 Nov 2008 8:00 Last Exit Tempe, Arizona
3 Nov 2008 8:00 Bash Riprock’s Lubbock, Texas
6 Nov 2008 8:00 Knuckleheads Saloon Kansas City, Kansas
7 Nov 2008 8:00 The Bottleneck Lawrence, Kansas
8 Nov 2008 8:00 Bob’s at Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, Oklahoma
10 Nov 2008 8:45 Newberry Opera House Newberry, South Carolina
12 Nov 2008 7:00 9:30 Club Washington DC, Washington DC
13 Nov 2008 8:00 Ramshead on Stage Annapolis, Maryland
14 Nov 2008 8:00 Trocadero Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
15 Nov 2008 8:00 Toad’s Place Richmond Richmond, Virginia
16 Nov 2008 8:00 Lincoln Theatre Raleigh, North Carolina
17 Nov 2008 8:00 White Water Tavern Little Rock, No State
2 Dec 2008 8:00 Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre Bonnyville, Alberta
4 Dec 2008 8:00 WCMA (Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium) Brandon, Manitoba
5 Dec 2008 8:00 Conexus Arts Centre Convention Hall Regina, Saskatchewan
6 Dec 2008 8:00 Cadillac Hall Cadillac, Saskatchewan
7 Dec 2008 8:00 Key Stone Theatre Cranbrook, British Columbia
9 Dec 2008 8:00 Interior Savings Centre Kamloops, British Columbia
11 Dec 2008 8:00 CN Centre Prince George, British Columbia
12 Dec 2008 8:00 St. Patrick’s Highschool Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
8 Jan 2009 8:00 Bear River Steamboat Springs, Colorado
9 Jan 2009 8:00 Steamboat Grand Ballroom Steamboat Springs, Colorado
28 Jan 2009 20:00 Western Folklife Center Elko, Nevada
29 Jan 2009 20:00 Western Folklife Center Elko, Nevada
30 Jan 2009 20:00 Western Folklife Center Elko, Nevada
31 Jan 2009 20:00 Western Folklife Center Elko, Nevada

Ookpikk makes synthesizer-driven music that fuses the precision and technicality of self declared “Intelligent Dance Music” or “Electronica” with the direct physicality and sensuality of dance music, framing it with a humour seldom found in either style of music. By combining these aesthetics, Ookpik overcomes the academia of the first, and the mindlessness of the second.

Following the success of the Ookpikk’s Total Home-Job EP on the radio waves, it shall be released into the wild on Socalled Recordings on Nov 18th.

A banjo songster like Old Man Luedecke is a rare type of musician. A songwriting one of such hopeful goodness, rarer still. In the tradition of solo banjo men and women of days gone by like Dock Boggs, Bascom Lunsford and Roscoe Holcomb, Old Man Luedecke sings his songs accompanied only by his loving five string, foot stomps and the occasional yodel. His songs are melodic gems blending old time sensibilities with an unusual vision and poetic sense. His music belies someone more than slightly ill at ease with modern life. This is a bizarre type of music Dock Boggs might have made if he’d studied poetry.

Old Man Luedecke left the big old city of Toronto, met a girl in the Yukon, fell in love, bought a banjo and fell in love again. After a couple of years of love and banjo and the makings of a brilliant performing career in sunny Halifax, he returned to the Yukon with his sweethearts. There he woodshedded. He wrote a tone of songs over the next year and a half. He held regular gigs playing banjo in a gambling hall with can-can girls and in a honky tonk called the Snakepit accompanying piano barnacle Bob. Even made an appearance at the Dawson City Music Festival. After a time, he left again for Halifax to renew musical acquaintances and record his debut CD Mole in the Ground. That CD has become a smash on college radio, was featured on CBC’s Atlantic Airwaves and is a hot item in stores and at shows. He continues to live in Halifax and perform there and around the country to ever-wider acclaims. His stage show blends hokum and inspiration into powerful and fun entertainment that will delight young and old. He’s still sweet on the girl he met up there in Yukon, and the banjo.

Oct 31 Yukon Arts Centre, Fri Oct 31 Whitehorse, YT
Nov. 2 St James Hall, Sun Nov 2 Vancouver, BC
Nov. 3 Salt Spring Island Folk Club, Salt Spring Island, BC
Nov. 9 Music Nova Scotia Awards, New Glasgow, NS
Nov. 15 Northern Lights Folk Club Edmonton, AB

Toronto’s Sheltered in Sound, the musical guise of Sean Nilsson, plays starkly intimate 21st century independent folk music. The economy of words, mixed with acoustic guitar, harmonica, and looped percussion, has garnered comparison to Hayden, Mark Kozelek and Nebraska-era Springsteen. Sheltered in Sound has received national Canadian airplay on CBC Radio 2, and also airplay support from U.S. college radio.

Grab a free copy of their digital EP here: http://www.shelteredinsound.com/

The Waking Eyes were among the bands busking for change on October 2 in Toronto. Here they are outside the Horseshoe Tavern performing a cover of The Weakerthans – One Great City. All money raised went to War Child Canada. Other bands included Our Lady Peace, Finger Eleven, and Die Mannequin.

The Waking Eyes are Rusty Matyas, Joey Penner, Matt Peters and Steve Senkiw. The group formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 2001 as more of a musical collective and recording project than a band proper. From the beginning they have refused to be one-dimensional and predictable, with the only constant in their sound coming from their distinct songwriting style. Their debut album Combing The Clouds is a rich tapestry of neo-psychedelic and orchestral pop recorded in various basements, garages and bedrooms in Manitoba. It was released to critical acclaim on Endearing Records in 2002.

Soon after they signed with Coalition Records and recorded the rock album, Video Sound, in Toronto. After extensive touring over the next couple of years and finally solidifying their membership, The Waking Eyes went home to work on something new. From the fall of 2005 until the summer of 2007 they wrote and recorded far too many songs to count. After the dust had settled they were left with a 3-CD set of B-sides and rarities (Operation Walter Prychodko), two side projects (Rusty’s Terrier and Matt’s Royal Canoe) and the real prize – a full length album called Holding On To Whatever It Is. The album was recorded and co-produced by John Paul Peters in Winnipeg and will surely be something completely unexpected. The group is currently preparing for the release of this new record in the coming summer. Matt and Rusty contribute their voices and accompany them with melodies and chords played on guitars and keyboards. Steve counts from 1 to 4, sometimes to 6, and hits things precisely with sticks and feet. Joey makes his bass sound like a soul singer.

30 Oct 2008 20:00 Power 97 Power Ball Winnipeg, MB
5 Nov 2008 20:00 LiVE Lounge Ottawa, ON
6 Nov 2008 20:00 El Mocambo Toronto, ON
13 Nov 2008 20:00 El Mocambo Toronto, ON
20 Nov 2008 20:00 El Mocambo Toronto, ON

Eppiphane began as a four piece act that performed periodically around the city of Ottawa. Fusing jazzy progressions with pop-rock hooks, the band’s schedule began to fill up, and their supportive fan base began to grow.

In 2004 the band released You Won’t Be Judged, a four track teaser album which was recorded with Peter Gilroy (Pebble Studios). With more exposure and experience, the band’s reputation grew, and they began touring, as well as participating in many festivals, including Ottawa Bluesfest ‘05.

June 2, 2006, the band played their official album release party to a sold out crowd at the New Capital Music Hall.

By this time, the band had become a five piece ensemble. Their debut album This Plastic World, produced by Jason Fee from Sound of One Hand Studios, caught on quickly, receiving a great amount of air play.

They began a year of extensive touring and promoting in September of 2006, playing throughout Ontario and saying a few ‘hellos’ to Quebec. The band was excited to be reaching out further and further.

Eppiphane was just settling down from the first leg on the tour when on November 4th of that year, they lost their beloved Craig Cameron, guitarist / keyboard player and friend to cancer. They held a tribute show at ‘The Capital Music Hall’ for Craig and once again, the tickets sold out. Proceeds from the show were donated to a charity fund in Craig’s memory.

After a year and a half of personal down time, Adam Kavanagh and Alex Mastronardi have begun reforming the band. Since May 2008, Adam asked Andre Doucette (rhythm/lead guitar/vocals), Tom Svilans (Keys), and Ryan Macintyre (Drums) to join the band. Over the summer they enjoyed showcasing their newly written material at Bluesfest and Canada Day in Kanata. At the end of the summer, Eppiphane again went through some member changes. Tom and Ryan were replaced with Eric Disero (keys), and Dylan Roberts (Drums). Currently the band is writting, rehearsing, and playing shows!

Be sure to go and check them out!

31 Oct 2008 8:00 LiVE Lounge Ottawa, Ontario
5 Dec 2008 8:00 Capital Music Hall Ottawa, Ontario

Once in a lifetime comes a band so awesome… Darn, my Don LaFontaine voice just does not come through via text. I promise to try harder next time, good readers. But in all seriousness, the hottest Canadian band of the week goes to Nothing. Not no one… but Nothing.

The band Nothing is unpretentious in nature but its growing fan base and enthralling songs are making it a name to remember.

Drawn from Buddhist ideology and a line from Bob Dylan’s classic Like A Rolling Stone – “When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose” – the band’s mission is not just to entertain with pleasant sounds and melodies but also go beyond the ears and straight to the heart where the strongest currents flow.

Backed by a solid team of friends – Ben Larabie on drums, Paul Pettinella on bass, Christian Barrette on flute, and Luke Levandusky on vocals, keyboards & guitar, Nothing has a unique sound that builds each song into a big plush sofa that has fans crawling in and never wanting to leave.

These guys come very highly recommended by yours truly. And, as always, be sure to stay tuned to TransCanada Radio for the latest show listings for Ottawa’s Nothing and go ahead and get excited – soon I’ll have some video, audio, and more photos for you straight from Nothing.

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.

22 Oct 2008 21:00 The Carleton House Halifax, Nova Scotia
23 Oct 2008 21:00 The Capital Fredericton, New Brunswick
24 Oct 2008 21:00 UPEI Charlottetown, Prince Edward
27 Oct 2008 20:00 Zaphod Beeblebrox Ottawa, Ontario
28 Oct 2008 21:00 L’Escogriffe Montreal, Quebec
29 Oct 2008 21:00 The Montreal House Peterborough, Ontario
30 Oct 2008 21:00 The Montreal House Peterborough, Ontario
31 Oct 2008 21:00 The Merchant Ale House Kingston, Ontario
1 Nov 2008 21:00 Black Dog Bayfield, Ontario
4 Nov 2008 21:00 Club Vinyl Guelph, Ontario
5 Nov 2008 21:00 PepperJack’s Hamilton, Ontario
6 Nov 2008 21:00 The Phog Lounge Windsor, Ontario
7 Nov 2008 21:00 The Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, Ontario
8 Nov 2008 21:00 The Townhouse Sudbury, Ontario
12 Nov 2008 21:00 The Lo Pub Winnipeg, Manitoba
13 Nov 2008 21:00 The Exchange Regina, Saskatchewan
14 Nov 2008 21:00 The Gateway Calgary, Alberta
15 Nov 2008 21:00 The Pawn Shop Edmonton, Alberta
17 Nov 2008 21:00 Doc Willoughby’s Kelowna, British Columbia
18 Nov 2008 21:00 The Media Club Vancouver, British Columbia
22 Nov 2008 20:00 The Capital Theatre Moncton, New Brunswick