Bywater Call: Hub City Hat Trick
by“A lot of people say, how do you get to play at Hub City Vinyl? And the first time is maybe a crapshoot, but…
Archive
2025 Canadian Folk Music Awards: Songs & Stories Songwriter Concert
byWith plans to be back in Ottawa during the latter half of the first week in April (tickets purchased back in July for a…
Review: Andrew Moore, “Bold Lies” EP
byI first encountered Andrew Moore during last year’s Harvest Music Festival when we shared a bill at Fredericton’s Par 94 Bar and Golf Lounge….
Martin Noakes: 2024 Fave 20 Albums List
byAs 2024 winds down, I am happy to share what I consider to be 20 of the finest Canadian album releases over the last…
2024 Year-End Roundup: 10 Memorable Live Moments
byAs another year winds to a close, it’s always fun to look back at the GDW concert-going adventures over the last twelve months to…
Bywater Call: Live In Hagerstown, MD – Take Two
byIt was only this past June when Toronto seven-piece band Bywater Call brought their stunning brand of southern soul and blues music to Live…
Lloyd Spiegel: Live In Fredericton, NB
byThey say it takes roughly 10,000 hours to master a particular skill. Australian artist Lloyd Spiegel has undoubtedly exceeded that. His trusty Cole Clark…
Bywater Call: Live in Hagerstown, MD
byLong time readers may recall many mentions made in our earlier blogging days to The Thought Lot – a local music venue that brought…
Snappy Singles: Musical Summer Sizzlers
byWe’re into our sixth Snappy Singles of the year, which can only mean one thing – the summer season is upon us! Normally I…
Snappy Singles: New Month, New Releases
byThe arrival of new singles into the GDW email inbox shows no signs of slowing down, making it extra tough to select four tunes…
Single Release: Bywater Call, “Roll”
byNot that we need any excuse to feature new music from this fabulous seven-piece Toronto based southern soul, roots rock band – but having…
Snappy Singles: Early Spring Surprises
byHey, maybe the groundhog(s) were not misleading us after all – aside from a quick blast of snow here in mid-February, it has been…
2023 Year End Review: 20 Memorable Singles
byYou know how this works – picture the scene: you’re lost in thought, perhaps working through another 9-5, with a radio on in the…
2023 Year-End Roundup: 10 Memorable Live Moments
byAs we prepare to kiss goodbye to 2023, it’s time once again to look back at the GDW concert-going adventures over the last twelve…
Ariel Posen: Live in Vienna, VA
byWith an extensive international fall tour to promote the release of his latest “Reasons Why” album, Winnipeg, MB soul-roots rocker Ariel Posen made a…
Review: Emily Burgess, “Arrow”
byPeterborough, ON singer-songwriter/guitarist Emily Burgess releases her third studio album, “Arrow,” out into the world today, and it’s a real cracker. Taking time to…
Jeremie Albino & The Rosehall Band: Live At The Kennedy Center
bySince discovering The Millennium Stage earlier this year, an intimate space that brings in such a diverse mix of artists to perform within the…
Singles – Random Artist Algorithm Discoveries
byWe’re bringing you something a little different today. The original intent was to focus on a specific recent single release from a Canadian artist…
Madison Galloway: Live At The Skol House
byAfter plenty of music related adventures recently, Team GDW had plans to return to Southern Ontario over the Labor Day weekend with no specific…
Video Vault: Summer Sizzlers
byIf, like us, you were raised on an unhealthy dose of MTV, VH1, and CMT, the ‘music video’ is surely etched into your DNA…
Matt Andersen: Live in Columbia, MD
byYou’ve all heard and are familiar with those popular culture questions that immediately connect your own personal memory to a historic moment in time,…
Essential New Releases: Summer Shorts
bySummer shorts – the kind you wear to the beach, or some light reads sat out on the deck at a backyard BBQ? It…
Mia Kelly: Live At Home County Music & Art Festival
byWe kick off another exciting week of Home County Fest recaps today, and turn our attention to Gatineau, QC folk-blues artist Mia Kelly –…
The Bros. Landreth: Live at Jammin’ Java
byWith the 2022 release of their highly anticipated latest album, “Come Morning,” we were more than eager to snap up tickets to see Winnipeg,…
Matt Andersen and the Big Bottle of Joy: Live At The Aeolian
byWe’ve shared many recaps of the concerts enjoyed during our most recent adventures in Southern Ontario (4 concerts in 3 days), and wrap up…
Video Vault: March Movie Marathon
byTo the college basketball faithful, March is all about the Madness. Here at Team GDW HQ, the onslaught of amazing new music videos arriving…
February Femmes: Fresh Tunes From Emerging Female Artists
byNew music releases are not slowing down! We are overwhelmed by the volume of submissions arriving daily here at GDW – not to mention…
Commonwealth Connections: Joanne Shaw Taylor, “Nobody’s Fool”
byBeing the British half of GDW, I may have long since severed ties in the physical sense from my geographical place of birth, but…
Martin’s Favorite Four Canadian Albums Of 2022
byFollowing the feature from earlier this week that chronicled what I consider to be my 20 favorite Canadian albums released across 2022 (28, if…
Martin Noakes: 2022 Fave 20 Albums List
byAs we prepare to close out another outstanding year for Canadian music, I am happy to share what I consider to be 20 of…
2022 Year-End Roundup: 10 Memorable Live Moments
byBefore I jump into this feature, I really MUST state for the record here that for us live music junkies, the return of in-person…
Review: Bywater Call, “Remain”
byFor serious music fans, sometimes our expectations can be a little too demanding. We’ve all encountered bands that create magic in the confines of…
The Trainwreck Two: Live at Home County Music & Art Festival
byWe continue our coverage of live music enjoyed recently in London, ON from the 47th Home County Music & Art Festival, with another set…
Review: The Redhill Valleys, “Travel Well (Pt. 1)”
byI fondly recall an enjoyable evening of live music with Hamilton, ON country-rockers The Redhill Valleys back in May 2019 (in the Steel City…
Matt Andersen & Terra Lightfoot: Live In Vienna, VA
byThere is no denying that placing our lives on hold these past two years has been profoundly tough for all of us, and applies…
Martin Noakes: 2021 Top Twenty Album List
byAs we approach the final week of 2021, my mind has a flashback to March 2020, when our lives were turned upside down. Daily…
Steve Murphy: 2021 Top Ten Canadian Album List
byWhat a crazy year 2021 has turned out to be. Perhaps because of shipping delays, or perhaps because of the reviews for this site,…
Single Release: Ivan Hartle, “Shine”
byVancouver, BC soul/funk/blues artist Ivan Hartle is gearing up to release “Shine,” his latest single which drops onto your favorite streaming platforms tomorrow. Following…
Single Release: Joce Reyome, “Cross My Heart”
byDo you ever hear a new tune from an artist with whom you have no familiarity, and literally stop dead in your tracks when…
2020 Team GDW Miscellaneous Honors
byAs this crazy year comes to an end, should we banish forever the popular phrase, “Hindsight is 2020?” Should these words be outlawed? Struck…
2020 Year-End Roundup: 20 Memorable Singles (Pt. 2)
byFollowing our look yesterday at the singles we deemed to be some of the finest releases from artists previously unknown to us, the spotlight…
2020 Year-End Roundup: 20 Memorable Singles (Pt. 1)
byI always enjoy revisiting our annual concert-going adventures, and typically use this feature to look back at the 10 most memorable concert moments we…
Review: Robert Connely Farr, “Country Supper”
byWhere there’s smoke there’s fire. Where there’s fire there’s light, comfort, and warmth. Where’s there’s comfort and warmth, there can often be found supper…
Video Release: Michael Martyn, “Bad For You”
byIf you are hoping to wind down early from the work week, and looking for a great Friday ‘pick-me-up’ tune to unofficially start the…
Find A New Favorite: Gina Horswood, “Bare Bones”
byAt its heart, “Bare Bones,” Australian country blues artist Gina Horswood’s fourth album, is a courageous self-portrait of an artist taking stock of herself…
Positives From The Pandemic
byPrior to the arrival of Covid-19 here on our North American shores, this half of Team GDW would only find time to listen to…
Review: Shirley King, “Blues for a King”
byListening to Shirley King’s new album, “Blues for a King,” one is reminded how vast and rich the American Songbook truly is. Armed with…
New Single: SOLA, “Finding You”
byOne advantage of social distancing and working remotely from home right now is the opportunity granted to hear plenty of the new music that…
Review: Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, “King Of This Town”
byIf you told me that you’d be providing me with the following names to collaborate with on my next recording, I’d say, “Thank you very much, we’ve got…
SPEAK Music Be Kind Festival – Part 2
byWrapping up my visit to the SPEAK Music festival this week has given me time to really reflect on the inaugural event held from…
SPEAK Music Be Kind Festival – Part I
byMy January got off to a flying start this year with a visit to the inaugural SPEAK Music Be Kind Festival held from 17-19…
Review: Durham County Poets, “Hand Me Down Blues”
byThe Durham County Poets, who have recently been nominated for a Maple Blues Award, are a lively and soulful group, who write and perform…
Emily Burgess & The Emburys, “Never-Ending Fling”
byExactly two years since the release of her outstanding “Are We In Love” album, Peterborough, ON, singer-songwriter Emily Burgess (guitar/vocals) returns with her latest…
Review: Mike Biggar, “Live at the BMO Theatre”
by‘Mike Biggar & Band – Live At The BMO Theatre ‘ is the much anticipated follow up to ‘Go All In’ which received both…
Matt Andersen & Erin Costelo Bring the Music of the Maritimes to Virginia
byTeam GDW spent another weekend taking a road trip to Jammin’ Java in VA, eager to enjoy an evening of music from Nova Scotia’s…
Highlights from The Sound of Music Festival, Burlington, ON
byHaving enjoyed catching up with The Once during their Friday evening performance at the Sound Of Music Festival, Team GDW took delight in seeing…
Review: Riot and the Blues Devils, “The Roxboro Sessions”
byI have spent time with so many good albums recently, that it has been quite a challenge to pick just a few to feature…
Interview: Steve Dawson, “Lucky Hand”
byEver since a chance encounter with Leo Kottke many eons ago at a festival in Alabama, I’ve been a huge fan of fingerstyle guitar…
“The One-Man Blues Rock Band” – Interview With Steve Hill
byI would suspect that the first response that a listener might make to Steve Hill’s new album, “The One-Man Blues Rock Band,” would be…
Interview: Emily Burgess, “Are We in Love”
byWith her new album, “Are We in Love?,” Toronto-based blues guitarist Emily Burgess has stormed onto the scene with a vengeance. This absolutely phenomenal…
Interview: Steve Sainas, “Simple as This”
byAfter nearly twenty years with the Vancouver band Mud Dog, blues guitarist and educator Steve Sainas has stepped out into a solo career with…
Take A Chance On Me: The Mississippi Kings
byIt was during one of the last excursions to Ontario in late 2017 that we stumbled across a ‘local music’ section within a used…
2017 Year-End Roundup: Favorite Jazz and Blues Albums
byAs our regular readers know, we most frequently focus on Canadian roots and folk music. But we are eclectic listeners here, and we’ve started…
Interview: Petunia and the Vipers, “Lonesome Heavy and Lonesome”
byI first discovered the awesome uniqueness that is Petunia and the Vipers’ music when exploring last year’s album releases from British Columbia. Their last…
Interview: Jason Buie, “Driftin’ Heart”
bySometimes here at Team GDW, we’re a bit slow to pick up on great music that we should have heard ages ago. “Driftin’ Heart,”…