Lee Harvey Osmond: Live at The Mule Spinner
byHello Canada. We’ve not seen you for a while. Blessed with some decent weather conditions for our first trip to Southern Ontario this past…
Archive
Suzanne Jarvie: “In The Clear”
byA new year can only mean one thing; more new music. And from the announcements we’ve seen just through these first two weeks of…
New Music for #WonderfulWednesday
byIf you’re like us, you’re thoroughly disheartened at the prospect of a full week of work with no holiday in sight. Music can be…
2018 Year-End Roundup: Martin and Lesley Choose Their Final Four
byFrom Martin: Following up from my list earlier this week of my favorite 20 album releases in 2018, with so many fantastic albums to…
Top Albums of 2018 by Province – Lesley Carter
byWith the quantity of excellent music that comes out of Canada each year, it’s always a challenge to select a few favorites. As regular…
2018 Top Twenty Album List – Martin Noakes
byIf I thought that selecting my top 20 Canadian albums in 2017 was a daunting task, it completely pales in comparison to the time…
Documentary, “Sweet Marie: In Studio With Erin Costelo,” to Air on CBC in January
byCBC will air a new documentary focused on the recording of Erin Costelo’s recent album “Sweet Marie” on 5 January at 1 pm. (We…
Snappy Snippets: Lofi Uppercut, Alex Mason, The Hope State, Madeleine Roger
byGot room for a few more musical treats? Team GDW receive LOTS of music to review, and while we cannot get to everything that…
2018 Top Ten Album List – Steve Murphy
byBetween my two writing gigs and my own personal record collecting, I’ve probably listened to a hundred albums released this year. 2018 has been…
2018 Year-End Roundup: 10 Memorable Live Moments
byBefore we go ahead and tear down that old 2018 calendar from the wall, it’s time once again to look back at some of…
Random Record Revival: Neko Case, “The Tigers Have Spoken”
byPicture the scene: Team GDW’s Martin in a group therapy session for those with a predilection for the live music experience. “Hi, I’m Martin…
Video Premiere: The Old Salts, “Mall Store Santa”
bySome months ago, we spoke with singer/songwriter Derek Harrison about his excellent solo album “Blossington.” Now, we’re delighted to offer you the exclusive debut…
Erin Costelo Makes Her Philadelphia Debut
byHaving enjoyed the concert in Toronto with Erin Costelo, who launched her brand new “Sweet Marie” album at The Dakota Tavern in October, a…
Interview: The O’Pears, “Stay Warm”
byAmidst the deluge of new holiday music this year (much of which has been truly excellent), one album has stood out from the rest…
Special #ThursdayTunesday Edition
byAnd why, may we ask, can’t Thursday be a Tunesday just like Tuesday? In addition to the holiday music filling our inbox, we’ve recently…
Bonus Holiday #TuesdayTunesday Edition, Redux
byAfter posting a selection of holiday songs last week, we realized that we’d missed new holiday music from some of our favorite artists, so…
New Single and Video: Phöenix Lazare, “Under the Light”
byCanadian singer/songwriter Phöenix Lazare is releasing her new single “Under the Light” today. The song is an atmospheric reflection; velvet vocals glide gently, yet…
New Single and Video From Ryan Hicks: “All the Love You’ve Shown Me”
byTomorrow, singer/songwriter Ryan Hicks will release his new Christmas single, “All The Love You’ve Shown Me (2018).” This song was written as a tribute…
Blue Rodeo: Live at The Sanderson Centre
byFor our third and final night of our annual Thanksgiving weekend adventure in southern Ontario, we found ourselves back at The Sanderson Centre in…
#TuesdayTunesday, Holiday Edition
byWith the impending holiday season comes a treasure trove of new seasonal music. As you’re preparing for the holidays ahead, crank some of this…
Jeremie Albino: Live at The Dakota Tavern
byHaving spent our Black Friday in downtown Toronto (indulging in just a wee shopping spree ourselves), we arrived at The Dakota Tavern, one of…
New Single From Marlon Chaplin: “Take Me There”
byMarlon Chaplin today announces the release of the third single off of his debut album “The Circle” which is accompanied by a captivating music…
Review: Daniel Romano, “Finally Free”
byA cohesive collection, Daniel Romano’s latest album “Finally Free” is best enjoyed like a film, in one complete sitting. Welland, Ontario’s Daniel Romano is…
#TuesdayTunesday, 27 November 2018: Jean-Michel Blais, Jennah Barry, Lee Harvey Osmond, Mr. Goshness
byEven though most of us are ramping up for the holidays, ramping down for the end of the year, or a little bit of…
Royal Wood Returns to the Burlington PAC
byJust twenty four hours after an enjoyable evening in Guelph with Jory Nash, we were back seated in a concert venue ready for another…
Jory Nash: Intimate Live Event in Guelph, Ontario
byWe first became familiar with the music of Jory Nash several years ago, when CBC Sonica was broadcast on satellite radio here in the…
Snappy Singles: New Releases You Can’t Afford to Miss
byFresh from our inbox: four Snappy Singles that you really need to hear. Hearts & Knives, “It Is What It Is” Back in September…
Sneak Preview: Ian Foster and Nancy Hynes, “A Week in December”
byIn advance of the release of the new holiday album from Ian Foster and Nancy Hynes, “A Week in December,” we’re delighted to preview…
Interview: Rob Moir, “Solo Record”
byQuestion: Which Canadian artists seem to always be on the road? Right now, I’m pretty confident that a high percentage of respondents would fire…
Live Sessions Video From Annie Sumi and Tannis Slimmon
byToday we’re delighted to share a three-song live sessions video from singers Annie Sumi and Tannis Slimmon. The first two songs are originals from…
Review: Carly Dow, “Comet”
byHailing from Manitoba, Carly Dow released “Comet,” her full-length sophomore album on October 19th, and with just a short sampling of the opening track,…
Kaia Kater: Live at the Weinberg Center for the Arts
byFresh off the release of her third and most recent album, “Grenades,” Kaia Kater has embarked on a small tour of the Eastern US…
Poor Nameless Boy Releases New Single, Video for “Catch Up and Slow Down”
byAs Poor Nameless Boy, singer/songwriter Joel Henderson first came to our attention with his 2016 album “Bravery,” a delightful album full of terrific folk…
Review: Sarah MacDougall, “All the Hours I Have Left to Tell You Anything”
byRegular readers of this blog will recall that we’ve recently featured singles from Sarah MacDougall’s new album (“Empire” and “We Are Fire“). Now that…
Gossip Talkin’ Blues, Episode 34: Saskatchewan Music 101
byLocal music expert Taron Cochrane joins us to dish on all things Saskatchewan music. Songs from The Wolfe, Colter Wall, Nick Faye & the…
Jill Barber: “Metaphora” Album Tour at the Aeolian Hall
byOur most recent musical excursion to Ontario ended with a return visit to London, and a stop at The Aeolian Hall; always one of…
Interview: Kyp Harness, “Kyp Harness”
byOne advantage of being a music blogger is the continuous stream of artist submissions and new releases landing in your email inbox. Yet with…
Snappy Snippets: The Heartaches Stringband, Chris Velan, Marlon Chaplin, Doris Folkens
byIt’s hard to believe that we are already well into the third season of the year, but there is no doubting that the onslaught…
Review: Karrnnel, “Crazy Old Man” and “SKMB”
byReleasing one album is an ambitious enterprise for any musician… releasing two simultaneously is hugely daring. Karrnnel Sawitsky (who readers might know best as…
Erin Costelo: Album Launch at The Dakota Tavern
byWe very recently had the pleasure of reviewing an advance copy of “Sweet Marie,” the fifth album from Nova Scotia’s Erin Costelo, and kicked…
Great Lake Swimmers Make a Much Anticipated Return to Pittsburgh
byFollowing the release of his most recent “The Waves, The Wake” album, Tony Dekker once again brought his band, Great Lake Swimmers, back to…
Review: Jimmy Rankin, “Moving East”
byWhenever I am asked why I got into Canadian folk-roots music, and who I first discovered in this genre, Nova Scotia’s The Rankin Family…
T. Buckley, “Miles We Put Behind”
byWriting about Canadian music means constant surprises in the form of artists who we should have known previously, but didn’t. Alberta-based T. Buckley is…
Review: John Wort Hannam, “Acres of Elbow Room”
bySome months ago, I happened on a posting from an artist soliciting contributions for his album pledge campaign. Intrigued by the description and by…
Matthew Byrne & The Fretless: Live in Westminster, MD
byTeam GDW had purchased tickets to see this show with The Fretless (featuring Matthew Byrne) when first announced back in early September. After all,…
Erin Costelo, “Sweet Marie”
byDon’t let anybody try to convince you that it is not easy to find great new music in this era of social media, genre-specific…
The Slocan Ramblers: Live in Frederick, MD
byOne great thing about the fall season is the anticipation of the schedule releases from our favorite music venues and theaters in close proximity…
Canadians Return to Pennsylvania’s Celtic Classic
byIt’s hard to believe that a year has passed since Team GDW ventured out to our first annual Celtic Classic event in Bethlehem, PA. …
Sarah MacDougall Releases New Single, Announces Fall Tour Dates
byIn advance of her new album (coming 2 November), “All the Hours I Have Left to Tell You Anything,” Sarah MacDougall recently released a…
Interview: Roxanne Potvin, “All It Was”
byWith the recent release of her five-song EP, “All It Was,” Roxanne Potvin has delivered a tantalizing set of songs not only exploring love…
Review: Innes Wilson, “Seaview EP”
byIt’s a sunny morning with a cool breeze lingering after an intense storm last night in Ottawa which produced a tornado. There’s a sense…
Interview: Craig Robertson, “Late Mornings”
byToday, Toronto-based singer/songwriter Craig Robertson is releasing his third full-length album, “Late Mornings.” Produced by Michael Timmins (Cowboy Junkies), this is an enjoyable and…
Single Premiere: T. Buckley, “Half a Heart”
byWe’re delighted to premiere “Half a Heart,” the new single from T. Buckley. A roots singer/songwriter based in Alberta, T. Buckley will release his…
Review: Kalle Mattson, “Youth.”
byOf his new project, Kalle Mattson says, “‘Youth.’ is a coming of age album. It’s about when your dreams becomes your regrets, when your…
Review: Newport Electric, “Thin Wild Mercury”
byWinding down well into the latter half of 2018, there remains no shortage of great new album releases within the Canadian folk-rock genre. We…
Find a New Favorite: Terence Jack
byWe picked up a copy of the 2016 release “Never Get Back” recently at the Philadelphia Folk Festival after hearing a few tracks performed…
Review: Great Lake Swimmers, “The Waves, The Wake”
byTony Dekker, lead singer and songwriter for Great Lake Swimmers, has long been a master of musical introspection. The band’s previous albums have explored…
Canadians Converge at the Philadelphia Folk Festival
byHaving lived in PA now for well over a decade, it was hard to believe that we had not yet made it to the…
Sawdust City Music Festival: Saturday Night Concert
byRewind to August 2017, and the first Sawdust City Music Festival, where event founder and curator Miranda Mulholland pulled out all the stops to…
Review: Little Kid, “Might As Well With My Soul”
byToronto’s Little Kid have created a perfect carousel of gentle, quirky, alt-rock sonic pleasures with “Might As Well With My Soul.” At times relaxed……
Singer-Songwriter Circle at The Sawdust City Music Festival
byOne of the popular features from the original Sawdust City Music Festival was the singer-songwriter circle, which last year included Devin Cuddy, Liz Stringer,…
Sawdust City Music Festival: Friday Night Concert
byIt was just twelve months ago when we left sunny Pennsylvania during the first weekend in August to travel to a wet and windy…
Sparkling, Ephemeral Sounds Orbit the Simple Uncomplicated Beauty of Astral Swans’ Latest Release
byWhat first struck me in Astral Swans’ “Strange Prison” was the intimacy in Matthew Swann’s vocals. It sounds like he’s affectionately speaking, directly to…
Highlights from Home County Music & Art Festival (Part 3 of 3)
byIn this third and final installment of our features on the 45th annual Home County Music and Art Festival, we concentrate on some of…
Review: Stephanie Ratcliff, “Land in Unknown Places”
byFor her third album, Vancouver singer-songwriter Stephanie Ratcliff decided to focus on connections – “specifically about the kinds of connections we have with each…
The Challenges of an Independent Musician: An Interview With Jory Nash
byWith his latest album “Wilderness Years” (reviewed here recently as part of a “Snappy Snippets” article), Toronto based musician Jory Nash returns with eleven…
Review: Eamon McGrath, “Tantramar”
byAccording to Wikipedia, the name “Tantramar” is derived from the Acadian French tintamarre, meaning ‘din’ or ‘racket’, a reference to the noisy flocks of birds which feed…
Highlights From the Home County Music and Art Festival (Part 2 of 3)
byIn this second installment of our trio of features on the 45th annual Home County Music and Art Festival, we feature three artists that…
Exclusive Single Release: F&M, “Lessons From Losers”
byFearless and meticulous. Fragile and melancholy. Forthright and mighty. F&M’s forthcoming sixth album, “Lessons From Losers,” is all these and more — a sumptuous blend…
Highlights from Home County Music & Art Festival (Part 1 of 3)
byTeam GDW took a recent trip to London, ON for the 45th annual Home County Music and Art Festival, held in Victoria Park in…
Snappy Snippets: Hadley McCall Thackston, Espanola, Claire Coupland, Jory Nash
by2018 continues to be a banner year for new music. Here at Great Dark Wonder, we continue to be overwhelmed with the influx of…
Find a New Favorite: Melody McKiver, “Reckoning”
byMelody McKiver is an Anishinaabe musician in the small town of Sioux Lookout in Treaty #3, northwestern Ontario. Following a link from the 2018…
Single Premiere: Joe Nolan, “Breaking Up and Out”
byAcclaimed singer/songwriter Joe Nolan has released “Breaking Up And Out,” another preview of the Edmonton native’s new album “Cry Baby,” due out 21 September….
Friday Night Music at Yonge-Dundas Square, Toronto
byWhen given the opportunity for a long weekend (the latter half of the US Independence Day holiday), Team GDW jumped into the car and…
Northern Ontario’s Jackson Reed Takes Us on a Dream Pop Excursion: “Dark Areas of Description”
byOn his second album titled “Dark Areas of Description,” singer/songwriter Jackson Reed gives us a short but beautiful glimpse into his world. Here is…
The Marrieds: Live at The Painted Lady
byIt was during our previous visit to The Painted Lady in Toronto, for a matinee performance with Melanie Brulee, that we received word from…
Gossip Talkin’ Blues, Episode 22: Sawdust City Music Festival Preview, Pt 2 (Royal Wood, Amanda Rheaume)
byIn this episode, we continue our preview of this year’s Sawdust City Music Festival, chatting with Opera Stage artists Royal Wood and Amanda Rheaume….
Interview: The Hearts, “Sunshine”
byRegular readers of this blog will know by now that I am a sucker for any music hearkening back to the 1970s. “Sunshine,” the…
Review: Jack Garton, “Love You Over Time”
byI have had the great pleasure of discovering some incredibly diverse Canadian albums over the last few months. From Sean Burns (pure country) and…
Interview: Wax Mannequin, “Have a New Name”
byWithout exception, new acquaintances inevitably ask us why we focus exclusively on Canadian music – “there’s so much great music where you are…” My…
Review: The Lifers, “Honey Suite”
byFor The Lifers, a sister duo from Guelph, ON, “Honey Suite” is an apt moniker indeed for their latest album… harmonies as sweet and…
Interview: Northern Quarter, “Cold Dark Night”
byHere at Team GDW, we are encountering an overwhelming volume of music from Canadian artists lately. Don’t let anybody fool you into believing that…
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…
Catching Up With The Once in Burlington, ON
byAs we officially welcomed the arrival of summer, Team GDW hit the road once again to sample our first taste of the annual “Sound…
#NewMusicFriday – New Song Roundup, 29 June 2018
byAlthough most of these songs were released officially before today, we’re still going to enjoy a great collection of new music on this #NewMusicFriday…
Review: Broomsticks & Hammers, “Mirror Box”
byAs our exposure continues to grow within the Canadian music scene, we frequently receive recommendations for new music and introductions from musicians looking to…
Gossip Talkin’ Blues, Episode 19: Squeezebox Superlatives
byIn this episode: June is National Accordion Awareness Month – come find out why Mama played the squeezebox and why Daddy never sleeps at…
Tom Wilson: A Literary Recital in Grimsby, ON
byWe recently started a new recurring feature here at Great Dark Wonder titled “Doors at 8, Show at 9,” which focuses solely on smaller…
Video Premiere: Megan Nash, “Summer”
byToday, as we welcome the beginning of summer, Megan Nash is premiering her newest lyric video for “Summer,” a song from her album “Seeker,”…
Stephen Stanley: Live Music With Grilled Cheese on the Side
byTeam GDW recently reviewed and very much enjoyed “Jimmy and the Moon,” the latest full-length album from The Stephen Stanley Band. Hoping to one…
Gossip Talkin’ Blues, Episode 18: Great Dark Wonder on a Great Dark Wander
byIn this episode, we feature songs heard on our recent wanderings in Pennsylvania and southern Ontario (including the Grilled Cheese Challenge in Toronto and…
Video Debut and Tour Announcement: Ivan Rivers, “Gettin’ On and Givin’ In”
byCanadiana singer-songwriter and self-proclaimed “celebrated folk icon” Ivan Rivers shares his newly recovered video for “Gettin’ On & Givin’ In” from his 2016 release,…
Kakagi: Exclusive Single Premiere, “Fait Accompli”
byCanadian folk rock band Kakagi is releasing the first single off of their forthcoming second EP, “Stay Up Late.” The song, “Fait Accompli,” was initially…
Interview: Miller | MacDonald | Cormier, “South Haven”
byBen Miller & Anita MacDonald have become renowned across Atlantic Canada and further afield for their synergistic, pipe and fiddle driven style of Gaelic…
#TuesdayTunesDay: New Song Roundup, 12 June 2018
bySome great new music has been released in the last couple of weeks! Grab a comforting beverage, put your feet up, and enjoy some…
Trent Severn: Matinee Performance in Kitchener
byAfter our Saturday evening in Toronto for a show with Steel Rail and Over The Moon, our travels took us to The Registry Theatre…
Steel Rail & Over The Moon: Live in Toronto
byIn just the short space of two weeks, Team GDW would embark once more on a road trip to Canada that offered up plenty…
CFMA Winners Moscow Apartment Release New Single, “Be You”
byMoscow Apartment have already racked up awards across Canada since the autumn release of their EP. Today, they launch “Be You,” their first single since…
The Cedar Sisters Release New Single, “Fire You Burn”
byThe Cedar Sisters have just released a new single, “Fire You Burn,” produced by Matt Weston, Jane Carmichael, and Elle Hermansen. The Cedar Sisters…
Interview: Dana Sipos, “Trick of the Light”
byWhen we first heard Dana Sipos live last summer at the Home County Music and Art Festival in London, ON, we knew this was…
Snappy Snippets: Nick Faye & the Deputies, Reuben and the Dark, Hugh Christopher Brown, C&C Surf Factory
byThe life of a music blogger is never a dull one. With so many new album releases, there is just so little time to…