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

“Blues for people who hate blues,” as I’ve praised before. They distill rock ‘n’ roll, punk and country into their heady house-rockin’ punch. Give them a stage, any stage and they’ll put on the best show they can for whoever’s there. Each one is a seasoned pro on their instrument of choice but, never afraid to take chances, the boys are fond of switching it up in an on-stage game of musical chairs. To quote a much used and abused cliche, The Perpetrators have to be seen to be believed.

So go see them!

Upcoming shows:
Sep 26, 2008 9:00 PM Queen’s Hotel Station Dryden, ON
Sep 27, 2008 8:00 PM House Concert Red Lake, ON
Oct 16, 2008 1:00 AM Starlite Room Edmonton, AB
Oct 19, 2008 8:00 PM Western Canadian Music Awards Edmonton, AB
Oct 24, 2008 10:00 PM High & Lonesome Club Winnipeg, MB
Oct 25, 2008 10:00 PM High & Lonesome Club Winnipeg, MB

She’s back with more concert dates and a new album! Monsters is set to be released on October 16th at Ottawa’s NAC!

Be sure to get out and show your support for fiery red heads and accordion music at one of the following shows!

13 Sep 2008 21:00 London Music Club London, Ontario
14 Sep 2008 20:00 Gladstone Toronto, Ontario
25 Sep 2008 20:00 with Meredith Grant, Carden Street Café (CD release tour) Guelph, Ontario
4 Oct 2008 15:00 Hair of the Dog @ Black Dog Edmonton, Alberta
16 Oct 2008 20:00 release of ’Monsters’ @ NAC! Ottawa, Ontario
18 Oct 2008 20:00 w/Jordi Rosen & Raylene Campbell @ St-Ambroise Montreal, Quebec
21 Oct 2008 19:00 Bywords Fifth Annual John Newlove Award Reading 2008 Ottawa, Ontario

Wintermitts are Lise Monique, David Thomas Manzl, Shane McMillan, Swann Barrat and Trevor Dunnett, a force of unique musical talent you cannot help but love. Wintermitts have a bilingual set list and a full length album “Cascadia Fault”. The recording took place in the wet Vancouver Winter of 06/07. They recorded all the music on this lovely little compact disc huddled in the dry warmth of Shane’s living room, the Lise Monique Manor, the Sullivan family basement and producer Christian Chaumont’s bedroom.

Wintermitts have opened for such acts as Julie Doiron, You Say Party! We Say Die! and Laura Barrett amongst other great local Vancouver talent. The ‘mitts self released a full album July 2007, co headlined a cross Canada tour with Portico in August 2007, including a stop at Sappy Fest in Sackville NB.

Fall 2008, the five ‘mitts, will be putting out a little cd with much love called “Heirloom”. The cd produced by Shawn Cole (You Say Party! We Say Die) and co-produced by Futcher (the be good tanyas) has songs that will make you shake that ass of yours and maybe cry a little while you’re doing that. mom approved, we can’t forget that one. fuck there are even handclaps.

13 Sep 2008 21:00 WM CD RELEASE – w/ Hannah Georgas Vancouver, British Columbia
16 Oct 2008 21:00 Railway club w/ greenbelt collective, lala Vancouver, British Columbia
17 Oct 2008 21:00 WCMA Showcase -The Artery w/ GBC and others Edmonton, Alberta
18 Oct 2008 21:00 The Distellery w/ GBC and Axis of Conversation Calgary, Alberta
19 Oct 2008 21:00 Lydia’s w/ GBC and a gentle forest Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
20 Oct 2008 20:00 tba w/ GBC Winnipeg, Manitoba
21 Oct 2008 21:00 Apollo w/ GBC Thunder Bay, Ontario
23 Oct 2008 20:00 tba w/ GBC Sudbury, Ontario
23 Oct 2008 21:00 The Boat w/ GBC and guests Toronto, Ontario
24 Oct 2008 20:00 tba w/ GBC Guelph!, Ontario
25 Oct 2008 20:00 Le Cagibi/ acoustic styles with GBC + more Montreal, Quebec
26 Oct 2008 21:00 Le Divan Orange w/ GBC and the Unsettlers Montreal, Quebec
29 Oct 2008 20:00 Mondragon Winnipeg, Manitoba
30 Oct 2008 20:00 O’hanlons w/ Thee Hoolies Regina, Saskatchewan
31 Oct 2008 21:00 Wunderbar Edmonton, Alberta
7 Nov 2008 20:00 WISE HALL – Saint.Pierre cd release show!!! Vancouver, British Columbia

Olivier Jarda was born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1984 to Haitian immigrants. He began playing piano when he was five, and picked up a few more instruments before settling on the guitar.

After high school, Olivier moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia to attend Saint Mary’s University. There he co-hosted the student open mic for a few years with Jon Mckiel (of Jon Mckiel fame) and Matt Whiston, playing mostly originals but covering artists including Elliott Smith, Neil Young, Bob Marley, Feist, Wyclef, Ryan Adams, and Wilco.

Throughout university, the band released the first LP in 2006, Thirteen Telephone Towers. The band toured the country from coast to coast and has gone as far north as Whitehorse, Yukon, and can be heard on Canadian radio from time to time.

21 Aug 2008 20:00 Black Pirates Club Thunder Bay, Ontario
22 Aug 2008 18:30 Music Trader Winnipeg, Manitoba
22 Aug 2008 22:00 Mondragon Bookstore Winnipeg, Manitoba
23 Aug 2008 20:00 Remedy Cafe (all ages) Edmonton, Alberta
28 Aug 2008 22:00 New City Likwid Lounge w/ Doug Hoyer Edmonton, Alberta
30 Aug 2008 20:00 Bar Bar Kenosee Lake, Saskatchewan
2 Sept 2008 20:00 Mercury Lounge Ottawa JUST ADDED!

Mark Berube – Flowers On The Stone

Alright all you Mark Berube fans – I’ve got a special treat for you: a previously unreleased track! That’s right – Mark Berube’s given me a copy of his soon-to-be-released album, What The Boat Gave The River, and I’m going to give you a sneak peek!

Don’t thank me… buy the album on September 16th!

21 Aug 2008 21:00 L’inspecteur Epingle – Solo Montreal, Qc
26 Aug 2008 21:00 Divan Orange with Orillia Opry Montreal, Qc
29 Aug 2008 21:00 Sala Rossa Montreal, Qc
25 Sep 2008 17:00 Cabaret Juste Pour Rire – 5 a 7 Montreal
25 Sep 2008 21:00 Cabaret Juste Pour Rire – CD Release Montreal
26 Sep 2008 20:00 Mercury Lounge – Ottawa CD Release Party Ottawa, ON
8 Oct 2008 21:00 Divan Orange – Cross Canada Tour Kick Off Montreal, Qc
9 Oct 2008 20:00 King’s College Lounge London, ON
10 Oct 2008 21:00 Maxwell’s Music House Waterloo, ON
11 Oct 2008 21:00 Cervejaria – Toronto CD Release Party Toronto, ON
14 Oct 2008 21:00 Lo Bar – Winnipeg CD Release Party Winnipeg, MB
22 Oct 2008 20:00 The Old Firehall Rossland, BC
24 Oct 2008 21:00 The Biltmore – Vancouver CD Release Party Vancouver, BC
1 Nov 2008 20:00 The Art Space Prince George, BC

Taking its name from a religious tract, The Burning Hell has been slithering around in the muck in one form or another since the dawn of the millennium. Fronted by the moderately agoraphobic songwriter and occasional history teacher Mathias Kom on electric ukulele, The Burning Hell currently features between one and twelve people, depending on the night.

The variable lineup promises a very different show every time: sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, sometimes rock, sometimes roll. Always folk, never anti. Quirky? Maybe. Cute? Never.

The latest Burning Hell album, ‘Happy Birthday’, celebrates the beauty of age, the joys of decay, the possibility of dating after death, and the inevitable repetition of mistakes. Combining happy little melodies and depressing Old World fatalism, the music of The Burning Hell is sure to make you smile and want to give up.

(and if you want a good laugh, check out these boys doing an impromptu cover of Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya’)

Upcoming shows:
31 Jul 2008 21:00 Ampersand Charlottetown, Prince Edward
2 Aug 2008 20:00 Sappyfest Sackville, New Brunswick
15 Aug 2008 21:00 Rancho Relaxo Toronto, Ontario
21 Aug 2008 20:00 The Montreal House Peterborough, Ontario
25 Aug 2008 21:00 Solo at Bread & Circus Toronto, Ontario
27 Aug 2008 21:00 The Apollo Thunder Bay, Ontario
28 Aug 2008 21:00 Times Change(d) Winnipeg, Manitoba
1 Sep 2008 21:00 The Club (at The Exchange) Regina, Saskatchewan
2 Sep 2008 21:00 Ottoman Lounge Medicine Hat, Alberta
3 Sep 2008 21:00 The Slice Lethbridge, Alberta
4 Sep 2008 20:00 Tubby Dog Calgary, Alberta
5 Sep 2008 21:00 Little Mountain Studio Vancouver, British Columbia
6 Sep 2008 21:00 Hermann’s Victoria, British Columbia
9 Sep 2008 21:00 Deux Soleils Vancouver, British Columbia
10 Sep 2008 19:00 Meow Records Prince George, British Columbia
11 Sep 2008 21:00 Likwid Lounge Edmonton, Alberta
12 Sep 2008 21:00 Amigos Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
14 Sep 2008 21:00 The Apollo Thunder Bay, Ontario
16 Sep 2008 21:00 Solo at The Spill with Al Tuck and Black Molly Peterborough, Ontario
18 Sep 2008 20:00 The Montreal House Peterborough, Ontario
10 Oct 2008 20:00 Aufsturz Berlin
13 Oct 2008 20:00 Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival Nancy
14 Oct 2008 21:00 Le Sirius Lyon
16 Oct 2008 20:00 Mistral Palace Valence
17 Oct 2008 20:00 De Nieuwe Anita Amsterdam
19 Oct 2008 15:00 DB’s Utrecht
28 Oct 2008 20:00 West Germany Berlin
31 Oct 2008 20:00 The Montreal House Halloween Party Peterborough, Ontario
1 Nov 2008 21:00 The Black Sheep Inn Wakefield, Quebec
11 Nov 2008 20:00 Gus’ Pub Halifax, Nova Scotia
12 Nov 2008 20:00 Struts Sackville, New Brunswick
13 Nov 2008 21:00 Baba’s Charlottetown, Prince Edward
15 Nov 2008 21:00 Grumpy’s Montreal, Quebec

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.

Upcoming shows:
24 Jul 2008 20:00 The Apollo Thunder Bay, Ontario
26 Jul 2008 20:00 The Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, Ontario
27 Jul 2008 20:00 Alex P. Keaton London, Ontario
29 Jul 2008 20:00 The Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, Ontario
30 Jul 2008 20:00 Zaphod Beeblebrox Ottawa, Ontario
31 Jul 2008 20:00 The Jupiter Room-Pop Montreal Music Series Montreal, Quebec
7 Aug 2008 21:00 O’Hanlons Regina, Saskatchewan
8 Aug 2008 21:00 Amigos Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
9 Aug 2008 21:00 New City Likwid Lounge Edmonton, Alberta
15-17 Aug 2008 20:00 Salmon Arm Roots and Blues festival. Salmon Arm, British Columbia
20 Aug 2008 21:00 The Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, British Columbia
11 Sep 2008 21:00 Broken City Calgary, Alberta

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.

Click Here to sample DFE.

Upcoming shows:
19 Jul 2008 22:00 ">HiFi Club Calgary, Alberta
30 Jul 2008 20:00 Velvet Underground Edmonton, Alberta
5 Aug 2008 14:00 Credit Union Centre (Warped Tour) Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
6 Aug 2008 15:00 Race City (Warped Tour) Calgary, Alberta
10 Aug 2008 20:00 Suede Lethbridge, Alberta
06 Sep 2008 20:00 Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Calgary, Alberta

MacLellan’s immense vocal and songwriting talents are no secret to music lovers in the Maritimes. Her potential was first displayed in the group The New Drifts and then on her 2004 solo debut Dark Dream Midnight, but Church Bell Blues ups the ante considerably. It is a sparse and intimate record, one that gently fuses folk and country strains with graceful ease. The disc is clearly focused on Catherine’s compelling voice and expressive acoustic guitar, and both are neatly framed by the empathetic production of longtime collaborator James Phillips. “He’s a guy I pretty much started playing music with when I started trying to do this for a living, back in 2000,” Catherine recalls. “We were musical partners in The New Drifts, and James helped on my first solo album. I think it is really important to be close to the people you’re working with, and this is definitely a team effort.” This dynamic duo arranged the songs together, with Phillips adding fluent electric guitar and background vocals.

The track “The Long Way Home” typifies their musical kinship, via vocal harmonies and the lovely interplay of electric and acoustic guitar. “I love the sound of the two instruments together, and James is such an amazing player,” says Catherine. On Church Bell Blues, the pair were, in her phrase, going for “a living room kind of feel,” a mission neatly accomplished here. Such a sonic setting allows the potent poeticism of MacLellan’s lyrics to breathe and bloom. The opener, “Dreams Dissolve,” tells of “a long year of trying to stay afloat,” and it sets the tone for an album infused with a mood of wintry melancholy, but devoid of self-pity. These are songs written during a period of personal turmoil, as Catherine candidly acknowledges. “With this album I was just finding a way to communicate my sadness and my feeling that I couldn’t necessarily express directly to people. I wrote most of these songs in the winter or the fall, when everything is dying and really quiet. It definitely represents that mood.” The title tune sports a jaunty melody while addressing her anxiety over getting married with customary eloquence. “I’d just found out I was pregnant [with daughter Isabel] and I had all these thoughts; ‘Are we doing the right thing, are we headed down the right path?” So I guess it seemed to be the whole theme of the album, or the theme of my life at that time.”

After high school and a year in Australia, Catherine moved to Toronto, and began following her muse, playing open mic nights in folk clubs. On relocating back to Prince Edward Island, the passion gradually became a vocation. “That was facilitated by a folk club that had started up at the same time. There was a whole crew of people my age or a little bit older, and we all wanted to share what we’d written. That’s where I met James and other people I’ve played with, so I just started doing it, working part time jobs and playing gigs.” Through The New Drifts and then old-time country group Saddle River (also with Phillips), Catherine honed her skills as a performer. With the release of Dark Dream Midnight, she ventured into the Quebec and Ontario markets, to a very positive response.

She has certainly been embraced by the Atlantic Canadian audience, as shown by the two 2005 PEI Music Awards (and East Coast Music award nomination) she received for her solo debut. MacLellan is highly supportive of her regional peers. “There’s a community of singer/songwriters here all running in the same circles, and it’s nice to feel we’re colleagues and friends.” In turn, she has earned the deep respect of her fellow songsmiths. In Church Bell Blues, Catherine has delivered a record worthy of fervent devotion.

Upcoming shows:
19 Jul 2008 12:00 Home County Folk Festival London, Ontario
20 Jul 2008 12:00 Home County Folk Festival London, Ontario
27 Jul 2008 20:00 Harmony House Hunter River, Prince Edward
3 Aug 2008 20:00 Harvey Hall Alma, New Brunswick
8 Aug 2008 12:00 Edmonton Folk Music Festival Edmonton, Alberta
9 Aug 2008 12:00 Edmonton Folk Music Festival Edmonton, Alberta
10 Aug 2008 12:00 Edmonton Folk Music Festival Edmonton, Alberta
15 Aug 2008 20:00 Ottawa Folk Festival Ottawa, Ontario