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 who are rooted in, Soul, Funk, Reggae, Beats, House, Breaks and all that afro-Jazz… and where to check them out in your favorite Canadian city! Pack your bags! We’re going on a road trip!
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.
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.
In the heart of Canada’s largest city, Forest City Lovers — Kat Burns (vocals/guitar/piano), Kyle Donnelly (bass/guitar/vocals), Mika Posen (violin/piano/vocals) and a string of drummers — have strived to tame the urban wilderness and add some melody to the chaos.
Forest City Lovers, burst onto Toronto’s music scene with the release of their 2006 album, The Sun and the Wind. Released independently with the help of some talented friends, The Sun and the Wind a ten song journey through landscapes of cities and summer days, was a breath of fresh air and exposed the talent of emerging songwriter Kat Burns. Chart called the record “delightfully engaging” while Exclaim proclaimed Burns “enigmatic and subtly inventive.”
Marie-Josée Houle was born in Val d‘Or, Quebec and raised in Edmonton, Alberta and celebrates her dual cultural roots through music. She sings and writes fluently in both English and French, she brings the Townships to the Prairies and beyond. This lady scores major points with me personally for having been classically trained on the accordion at age five. But, like yours truly, her musical history is as varied as her hair colour. In 2000, she took up the electric bass and saxophone in order to form two very eclectic projects in Edmonton: “Pangina”, an all-girl punk band and “The Elevators”, a post-modern muzak band. Her reconnection with the accordion coincided with a move to Ottawa in 2003 and culminated in the world music collaboration known as “Casadore.” The success of that project – including a performance at the 2005 Ottawa Folk Music Festival – served as a springboard for her solo work. Continue reading ‘Marie-Josée Houle in profile: Yes, accordion can be sexy’
Once a not-so-well-kept secret in their hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba - where they acted as house band for visiting blues legends Hubert Sumlin, Louisiana Red, Paul “Wine” Jones and others - The Perpetrators kicked things up a notch in 2006. A European tour capped off a Juno nomination and a win at the Western Canadian Music Awards. 2007 saw the band continue to expand and grow with the release their third album, Tow Truck - an uncompromising expression of their varied musical influences that never loses sight of their blues roots - followed by the recording of a soon-to-be-released live album and a very successful second European tour which including the recording of live radio specials in Germany and Belgium.
“Blues for people who hate blues,” 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.
Buy their albums!
Now… go see them!
28 Mar 2008 21:00 The Bristol Place London, ON
29 Mar 2008 20:00 The Horseshoe Tavern Support for Luke Doucet’s CD Release Toronto, ON
30 Mar 2008 20:00 The Boathouse Kitchener, ON
4 Apr 2008 22:00 The Bristol Place London, ON
8 Apr 2008 22:00 Pepper Jack Cafe Hamilton, ON
10 Apr 2008 20:00 The Dakota Tavern Toronto, ON
11 Apr 2008 21:00 Loplops Sault Ste. Marie, ON
12 Apr 2008 21:00 The Apollo Thunder Bay, ON
18 Apr 2008 02:00 Ryerson Elementary School Winnipeg, MB
19 Apr 2008 22:00 Brunkild Bar & Grill Brunkild, MB
9 May 2008 20:00 Ozzy’s Winnipeg, MB
10 May 2008 20:00 Ozzy’s Winnipeg, MB
18 May 2008 20:00 Private Party Vancouver, BC
18 May 2008 20:00 Private Party Vancouver, BC
24 May 2008 22:00 Lydia’s Pub Saskatoon, SK
8 Aug 2008 20:00 Trout Forest Music Festival Earfalls, ON
9 Aug 2008 20:00 Trout Forest Music Festival Earfalls, ON
10 Aug 2008 20:00 Trout Forest Music Festival Earfalls, ON
anitoba - where they acted as house band for visiting blues legends Hubert Sumlin, Louisiana Red, Paul “Wine” Jones and others - 
