Summer shorts – the kind you wear to the beach, or some light reads sat out on the deck at a backyard BBQ? It doesn’t matter – interpret as you wish – but for Team GDW, we’re discovering so much good music from many of the artists that we follow, and simply have to share some of these tunes with you. As always, we’ll let the music do the talking, and keep our musings ‘short,’ promise.
The East Pointers, “Best Surprise (Acoustic)”
Even if the summer sunshine alone is not enough to put smiles on faces, discovering new music from PEI’s The East Pointers should always do the trick. This contemporary trad-folk pairing of Tim Chaisson and Jake Charron share another fabulous tune, whilst paying tribute to the memory of their late cousin and friend, Koady Chaisson. Captured on the Rollo Bay Fiddle Grounds in PEI, this stripped-down tune is a stunner – Tim and Jake just announced a few tour dates around parts of Canada soon.
Melissa Marchese (ft. Tomi Swick), “We Can Be Together”
Thanks to a sporadic social media post from Hamilton, ON blues-rocker Tomi Swick, we learned of this great collaboration with Melissa Marchese, an emerging blues artist from the same Steel City. Being a long-time fave here at GDW, we trust Tomi to never lead us astray – and this AOR-style duet between two powerhouse vocalists is nothing short of outstanding. It’s good to see Tomi active online again – and better still that he’s introducing folks to yet more fabulous talent from The Hammer.
Sean Burns, “Destroy Me”
Another artist considered a long-time fave here at GDW – with his unique flair for vintage country, Sean is as authentic as they come when recreating this time-honored sound. Many times, we’ve listened to new music from Sean and have been left contemplating whether this truly is ‘new,’ or secretly some long-forgotten record discovered in somebody’s old vinyl collection out in the rural backwoods. No matter what impression you generate, this Winnipegger once again delivers – phenomenal stuff.
Beams, “Take Back Ten”
Toronto, ON six-piece band Beams just surprised us all with a digital EP, sharing three tunes written during the pandemic and putting smiles on our faces with their guitar, violin, and vibraphone focused sound. “We have every right to be angry and sad. If we live in a constant state of reaction to all of the fear-mongering, then the powers that spread those messages around are winning,” shares vocalist Anna Mernieks. “We have to fight isolation, [and] fight being driven into despair.”
Tennyson King, “Rubber Tramp”
When west-coast singer-songwriter Tennyson King shares news of a new release, not only do we take notice, we shuffle it to the top of our playlist. Landing in our inbox just as this article was being wrapped up, we’re sneaking in a bonus tune. “A Rubber Tramp is someone who nomadically travels and explores in their car,” Tennyson shares. “More and more Canadians are living out of vans and discovering a new way of life. It’s the ultimate freedom and the song shares that sentiment.”
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
