Jim Lauderdale & The Game Changers: Live in Hagerstown, MD
byWhile our primary focus remains Canadian folk-roots music here at GDW, when Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale is in the neighborhood, it would be foolish…
Archive
Single Release: The Redhill Valleys, “One Headlight”
byLong-time GDW readers know of our admiration for Hamilton alt-country rockers The Redhill Valleys, yet aside from a brief appearance as one of our…
February Francophone Finds
byWe have devoted our recurring Wednesday social media video features to Francophone music throughout February, offering a mixture of new tunes and some not-so-new…
Video Premiere: Johnny 99, “Just Like You”
byGrowing up as an impressionable kid in the UK during the 70s and 80s, your music choices were pretty much dictated by the family…
Essential New Releases: Rapid Fire Roundup
byPress releases and new music notifications took a while to get going as we progressed out of the holiday season and into 2025, but…
Review: Kailan McGee, “The Songstress’ Empire”
by“Oh, if ever you could hear me / Like winds sweep through the valleys / Like rain on the willow trees / Your voice,…
Single Release: Desiree Dorion, “Remember Your Name”
byWhen my daughter was in 8th grade, she had an assignment where she asked a parent for advice to be passed down to them. I recall expressing to her…
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…
Matt Paxton & the Pintos: Live at Warehouse Concert Hall
byLike most folks out there, having navigated our way through a global pandemic, the loosening of mandated travel restrictions and reopening of international borders…
(Very) Snappy Sleigh Bells: Festive Frolics
byWhile there were no plans in place to compile a holiday-themed feature this year with this final Snappy Singles article, we very quickly became…
Bob Sumner: Live at Mills Hardware
byOscar Wilde once wrote of the importance of being earnest. For this music fan, we’re adapting the line to the importance of being early!…
Snappy Singles: Catching Up With Some GDW Pals
byFor many years now, this monthly recurring Snappy Singles feature has focused on four (mostly) freshly released singles – covering many genres and artists…
Review: Brooks & Bowskill, “Blissful State Of Mind”
byWhen Cobourg, ON wife and husband duo Brittany Brooks and Jimmy Bowskill unleashed their debut “Too Many Roads” album upon the world back in…
Review: Zachary Lucky, “The Wind”
byCertain songwriters have a way of getting a song locked firmly in your thoughts and feelings as if they were singing straight into your…
Video Vault: Clinging Onto Those Summer Vibes
byOctober may be almost over! Outdoor temperatures may be plummeting as we deal with shorter days, darker nights, and all that. However, if you…
Review: Sadie Campbell, “Metamorphosis”
byBefore May of this year, the music of British Columbia born, and Nashville based roots rocker Sadie Campbell was completely unfamiliar to me. Indeed,…
Single Release: Aruna & the Sirens, “City Hotel”
by“And the laughs we had / Came from the watered-down beer / Watered-down beer at the City Hotel / And the laughs we had…
Essential New Releases: Rapid Roundup
byHaving reserved this slot on our posting calendar for a dedicated new album feature, once September rolled into October, selecting just one record from…
Single Release: The Bobby Tenderloin Universe, “Satan Is A Woman”
by“Satan is a woman, she tempted me away / From all the things that make me wanna do wrong in a day / I…
Snappy Singles: End Of The Summer Days
byWe’ve circled back around to the second Tuesday of the month, meaning another installment of our recurring Snappy Singles features. The summer season may…
Mariel Buckley: Live At Peterborough Folk Festival
byWhile much of the Saturday evening at the 2024 Peterborough Folk Festival would be heavily disrupted by a sequence of electrical storms passing across…
Video Vault: Canadian Summer Sampler
byTeam GDW have arrived back in central PA following a fabulous road trip that took us through both ON and QC. With our Wednesday…
Snappy Singles: Amazing August Anthems
byJust last month, the ladies dominated our recurring Snappy Singles feature with some outstanding new tunes – something probably not taken too lightly by…
Orville Peck: Live in Harrisburg, PA
byIt took a global pandemic to bring the music of South African born and (at the time, Toronto, ON-based) alt-country artist Orville Peck to…
Essential New Releases: BC Random Discoveries
byBack in September, we published a small article about tunes landing on our listening radar courtesy of the music streaming platform algorithms, recommending songs…
Alex Burger: Live at Francos de Montréal
byPerforming on the Scéne Spotify stage on Sunday night at the 2024 Francos de Montréal, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC alt-country artist Alex Burger was not originally…
Essential New Releases: Celebrating “Independents” Day
byWe don’t need to remind everyone that we observe a national holiday here in the US today – but hey, given that our primary…
Video Vault: Canada Day Mini Movies
byWith our adventures in Montréal last month, we lost track of the number of videos being dropped into our Video Vault – and upon…
Video Vault: L’Édition Française – Francos de Montréal Teaser
byHeading into the summer months means only one thing: Festival Season is upon us. Team GDW always loves a casual music festival – the…
Single Release: The Waverley Pickers, “#croptopnroll”
by“Lace up your boots / Let’s skate into a wonderland / Where sparrows fly, and stars are free to shine / The world is…
Video Vault: The Fellas Strike Back (Smokin’ Hot Country Edition)
byEven after our thorough spring clean of the GDW Video Vault just a couple of weeks ago, a cursory glance at the manifest shows…
Video Vault: Mini Movie Marathon
byThings were so hectic here last month at GDW HQ that we had no space for our regular Video Vault feature. Checking on the…
First Spin, First Impressions: Elliott BROOD, “Country”
byWhen Southern ON-based alt-country band Elliott BROOD released their “Town” album back in November (a GDW 2023 Top 20 Album), they announced that this…
EP Review: Julie Aubé, “Boiling Over”
by“Don’t think that I’m asking too much / That I ever complain / When it was time to grow up / When it was…
Corb Lund: Live At Algonquin Commons Theatre
byWrapping up our third and final consecutive evening of live music during our excursion to Ottawa, we took the short drive over to Algonquin…
Single Release: Amanda Keeles, “Can’t Stop Me Now”
byMost of us only dream about making big life changes in order to follow our dreams. As for Amanda Keeles, she took a leap…
Elliott BROOD: Live at Warehouse Concert Hall
byRemember the good old days, leading up to early spring in 2020 – you know, before the world came crashing down around us and…
Video Vault: Early Spring Finds
byAccording to the meteorological rodents both here and far, we’re being ‘promised’ an early spring. With that in mind, Team GDW are loading up…
Essential New Releases: GDW Jukebox Heroes
byTaking a week out to attend a family gathering overseas recently, it was quite overwhelming to open the GDW email inbox upon our return….
Video Vault: Duets – Francophone Style
byJanuary is here, and we’re dipping into the Video Vault early this year to bring you four stunning duets. And not just any old…
Martin Noakes: 2023 Fave 20 Albums List
byAs we enter this final week of 2023, I am happy to share what I consider to be 20 of the finest Canadian album…
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…
Video Vault: Annual Cleanout
byJudging from the dust that has accumulated on the safe here at Team GDW, it’s clearly been a while since we last punched in…
Snappy Singles: Holiday-Free Music Zone
byContrary to popular belief, there are plenty of non-holiday themed single releases to be discovered right now – they just seem to drown in…
Brittany Kennell: Live in Vienna, VA
byIt has been an amazing journey witnessing the emergence of Beaconsfield, QC artist Brittany Kennell. As Habs fans, we first discovered Brittany on our…
Single Release: The Redhill Valleys, “Steady The Wheel”
by“Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” I’m sure many of us are familiar with Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote made back in 1789, one…
Essential New Releases: Latest Vinyl Spins
byIn this new post-pandemic era, we’ve returned to our roots at GDW by devoting most of our editorial space to live music coverage, which…
Snappy Singles: Double Or Quits
byWe allowed ourselves a little time away to focus on our seventh anniversary pieces, followed by a long weekend in Ontario for a pair…
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…
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…
Snappy Singles: Alt-August Jams
byWith such an abundance of new single releases landing in our inbox regularly, selecting four tunes for this monthly feature has never been more…
Snappy Singles: Mainstream Country Jams
bySummer is officially here. Bars and restaurants have opened their patios for drinking and dining alfresco, and while I can’t speak for the tunes…
The Redhill Valleys: Live at Tall Pines Music & Arts Festival
byThe 2023 Tall Pines Music & Arts Festival brought eighteen Canadian acts to one stage over the course of two days, and we were…
Blue Rodeo: Live At Tall Pines Music & Arts Festival
byThe moment we saw the announcement about the second annual Tall Pines Music & Arts Festival when made public back in early December, just…
Single Release: Wolf Willow, “Marv & Stoneface Sing”
byFor me, country music is a gift that keeps on giving. Rooted in tradition, yet forever expansive as it takes its various diversions and detours on…
Essential New Releases: Under The Covers
byYou may recall seeing several Canadian artists releasing cover versions of popular tunes as summer arrived last year – we were very impressed by…
Snappy Singles: Summer Samplers
byAs the looming summer season knocks on our doors, we’re welcoming its arrival with a selection of tracks just perfect for helping your preparations…
Over The Moon: Live at the Moonshine Café
byIt was back in late 2017 when the music of Over The Moon – a folk-swing duo out of Longview, AB – travelled far…
Whitehorse: Live in Guelph, ON
byThe arrival of a global pandemic took most of us by surprise in early 2020, and brought plenty of trepidation as it uprooted life…
Video Vault: Smokin’ Hot Submissions
byTeam GDW are back in PA, following an extended weekend adventure in Ontario – catching up with friends, and of course, taking in some…
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,…
Julianna Riolino: Live at Club Café
byTouring the US east coast in support of The Sadies, Welland, ON singer-songwriter Julianna Riolino was excited to share her unique brand of indie-punk…
Snappy Singles: (An Almost) Canadian Country Compilation
byWe may be slowing things down a little as far as the frequency of our non-live-music related content, but many of you know just…
Essential New Releases: Five Songs You May Have Missed
bySpring is here! We’re enjoying these longer daylight hours, seeing the buds and blooms burst into life around us, and hearing a cacophony of…
Snappy Singles: Spring Is In The Air
byMarch is finally here. Winter is practically a fading memory now. We’ve adjusted the clocks again and we’re ready for some longer, warmer, lighter…
Brooks & Bowskill: Live at Massey Hall
by“Cicada on my window screen / He got baked in the heat / Looks like he’ll be sticking around / Much longer than he…
Blue Rodeo: Live At Massey Hall
by“Ain’t no mystery what I need / Is understanding / And your sweet sympathy / A steel string guitar and a little weed /…
February Finds: Five Songs You May Have Missed
bySo many new tunes, so little space to include them all – an all too frequent dilemma here at GDW. But, fear not, we…
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…
Single Release: Del Barber, “Still Got You”
byLeave it up to Del Barber to find the words to sublimely catch the mood of our times within a single, succinct catch phrase:…
Daniel Romano’s Outfit & The Sadies: Live At The Palasad Socialbowl
byA changing of the guard, a passing of the torch, whatever you want to call it, occurred last Friday night. London’s newest entertainment venue for…
Video Vault: Restocking The Safe
byWe cracked open the safe frequently in 2022 to share our Video Vaults contents with you – but fear not, the Audio/Visual Armoured Truck…
Lesley Carter: 2022 Fave 20 Albums List
byAlthough I unfortunately seldom have the opportunity to write full reviews for our site as Martin does, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been listening…
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 Review: 20 Memorable Singles
byCompiling a list of 20 memorable singles from the last twelve months originally came as an emergency replacement for our 10 memorable live concert…
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…
Snappy Singles: Winter Treats & Holiday Beats
byAs we wind our way through this last month of 2022, for many, the holiday season is in full swing. Seasonal music is everywhere…
November Nuggets: Five Songs You May Have Missed
byNovember is flying by, it seems. Why is November always that one month of the year that seems to get away from all of…
Snappy Singles: Nostalgic November Finds
byWe’ve turned the calendar over once again, meaning that it’s time to share yet more Snappy Singles, and we sure have some stunning sentimental…
Single Release: Maddie Storvold, “Long Time Gone”
byYou know you have found a good song when it comes to an end, and you hit repeat, jumping back to the start. Such…
Snappy Singles: October Essentials
byWithout sounding like a broken record here, the single releases from across Canada are coming at us thick and fast right now. So much…
Single & Video Release: Carter Felker, “The Bad Guy”
byConnecting with musicians through other artists, producers, and publicists, always puts a smile on my face, and has proven time and time again to…
Snappy Singles: Summer Heat, Summer Beats
byNew single releases show no signs of slowing down anytime soon – perhaps only musicians and music bloggers are exempt from taking summer vacations…
Video Vault: More Mini Movies
byOops, I got so excited with the last batch of videos that I forgot to lock up the Video Vault at the end of…
Review: Tami Neilson, “Kingmaker”
byTami Neilson’s latest album, “Kingmaker,” arrives at a particularly apt moment in time, a moment when women everywhere (but especially where I’m writing in…
Commonwealth Connections: Ali Neil, “Land Before Us”
byIt’s a Commonwealth Connection – Ali Neil, British singer/songwriter, has a new solo EP out (his debut). Check out Richard’s thoughts about it.
Video Vault: Month End Binge Watch
byThe music videos continue to accumulate, and some of these are blockbusters in their own right, just itching to be discovered. We’ll keep the…
Review: Meredith Lazowski, “Other Way Home”
byToronto-based alt-country/Americana artist Meredith Lazowski shares her highly anticipated debut album, “Other Way Home,” released just a week ago. Produced by talented Juno award-winner…
Snappy Singles: Early Summer Jams
byAs spring turns quickly towards summer, it’s not only the temps that are heating up, it’s the sheer volume of hot, hot, hot music…
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…
Steel Town Round: Live Music Event At The Mule Spinner
by“O Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love in all of us command…” Okay, while Lesley and I are not Canadians in…
Video Vault: Another Mini-Movie Marathon
byWhile we dedicate our usual midweek video slots to our month-long “May’s Matts” features, we refuse to discriminate against those with no references to…
Single Release: Justyn Thyme, “If It Takes All Night”
by“What is Prince Edward Island?” Okay, so this opening remark is not something you’d expect to find in one of my GDW articles, but…
Single Release: Meredith Lazowski, “Prairie”
by“Prairie straight lines of hay / Where the fields are flat and the skies give it away / No one knows how the beauty…
Video Premiere: Shaela Miller, “Tidal Wave”
by“Living in my hometown / It’s too late to leave / Feels like a tidal wave has come / Crashing down on me /…
Snappy Singles: Doubling Down For March Madness
byMarch is here, and with it, the knowledge that the long-awaited desire for the next season is just around the corner. But, while it…
Video Vault – Another Round Of Music Videos
byIt may have only been a few weeks ago when we last shared a Video Vault feature, but once again, we have so many…
Video Vault – More Audio-Visual Delights
byHere at Team GDW, we are always swamped with requests for album and single reviews, and it seems that we are now encountering a…
Snappy Singles: February Feels
bySure, we may already be into the second week of the second month, but I won’t lie to you – these four hand-picked singles…
Martin’s Top Four Canadian Albums Of 2021
byFollowing my list last week that chronicled what I consider to be my twenty favorite albums from Canada through 2021, this year proved difficult…