NQ Arbuckle: Live in Guelph, ON
byIt has been several years since we enjoyed live music from Toronto-based band NQ Arbuckle, making it long overdue to repeat that experience. And…
Archive
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…
Sarah Hiltz & Claire Coupland: Live in Ottawa
byThe folk sounds of Victoria, BC singer-songwriter Claire Coupland started dancing around our music radar late last year, and when the opportunity arose to…
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…
Review: Great Lake Swimmers, “Uncertain Country”
byTwenty years into his journey leading Great Lake Swimmers finds songwriter Tony Dekker reflective. As he put it, the band’s 8th studio album and…
Commonwealth Connections: The Heavy Heavy, Live at The Kennedy Center
byNo matter how meticulous your concert planning can be, or how much time you spend organizing your social calendar, sometimes fate offers you a…
Snappy Singles: April Anthems
byOur hand-picked music selections this month share a common theme: each of these artists are completely new to the GDW family, and are making…
The Hello Darlins: Live at The Aeolian
byWhen learning late last year that Matt Andersen was taking his band, The Big Bottle of Joy, on a cross-Canada spring tour, I promptly…
Review: Geneviève Racette, “Satellite (Deluxe Version)”
byWe might be a little biased here at GDW once in a while, and shamelessly so when it comes to learning of new music…
Single Release: Noah Derksen, “You Got a Hold On Me”
by“You Got a Hold On Me” opens Noah Derksen’s third full length album, “Sanctity of Silence,” released just last month. Each of the nine…
Julian Taylor: Live At Stonecroft Folk
byWhen it comes to concert-going adventures, it’s funny how travel plans can escalate quickly. Case in point – our most recent Canadian excursion was…
Back To The Country: Modern Twists On a Traditional Sound
byAs somebody who was raised around the sounds of traditional ‘old-school’ country music, perhaps my senses are a little more fine-tuned when it comes…
Melanie Peterson: Live at Clifford Brewing Co.
byTeam GDW recently enjoyed an extended weekend in Southern ON (to unofficially celebrate the arrival of spring), spending three nights in three different postal…
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…
Video Premiere: Little Misty, “Alma”
byJust a couple of days ago, we shared the music video on our social media pages for “Windmill,” a recent single from emerging Montréal-based…
Find A New Favorite: Ryan Thomas Smelle, “In The Homestretch”
byI’ve lost count of how many times I have included this old cliché in my articles, but time sure does fly when you’re having…
James Keelaghan: Live in Charlottesville, VA
by“Walk On / Better days are coming / Walk On / You don’t have to walk alone / Hold on / To the things…
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…
Single Release: Rick Sparkes + the Enablers, “Picture Yourself in a Riot”
byAny familiarity with the music of PEI’s Rick Sparkes + the Enablers will amplify their bounteous qualifications to colour as multiform stylistics. Sonic architects,…
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 /…
Review: Mimi O’Bonsawin, “Willow”
byContemporary roots singer-songwriter Mimi O’Bonsawin releases her new album, “Willow,” today, and shares that her vision for this album was to break away from…
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…
Video Premiere: Claire Coupland, “Drifting In The Breeze”
by“I thought that I had it all in my hands / But somehow things just don’t go as planned / So for now I’m…
Single Release: Justin Rutledge, “Easy”
byIt’s a comfortable semi-addictive form of sadness, lying beneath the sheets on a Sunday morning sandwiched somewhere between consciousness and sleep. Half wishing someone was there beside you but not making that an issue, merely a resigned passing reflection – life after all isn’t…
Ron Sexsmith: Live At Jammin’ Java
byHere in our region of the US east coast, we’ve enjoyed a relatively mild winter to date. Our poor snow shovel is hopefully enjoying…
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: Adrian Sutherland, “Better”
by“If I had two wings / I would learn to fly / I would do anything / Just to reach the sky / I…
Single Release: Kristina Dervaitis, “Everything & Nothing”
byWhen a person is processing grief, it is common to experience a cycle of emotions before landing at acceptance. The first stage: denial, forms…
Snappy Singles, L’Édition Française: February Francophone Finds
byWe strive to be inclusive with all folk-roots (and other) Canadian genres of music as possible, but our coverage of music coming out of…
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…
Single Release: Ian Foster, “Pre-Existing Condition”
byOver the years we’ve enjoyed following the career of singer, songwriter, and (now) filmmaker Ian Foster. In addition to terrific albums like “Sleeper Years”…
Dan Mangan: Live at The Kennedy Center
byWith the technology and communication networks we have in this day and age, it has never been easier to stay connected with our favorite…
Video Premiere: Laura Kelsey, “Beyond The Tide”
by“To find out who ain’t real / And what is true / Transparency revealed…” Nanaimo, BC singer-songwriter Laura Kelsey first appeared on our pages…
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…
Review: The Bombadils, “Dear Friend”
byAs you can imagine, given the time and energy we invest in discovering Canadian music here at Team GDW, one question frequently asked is…
Taylor Ashton: Live in Frederick, MD
byThe holiday season is over. We’ve welcomed in a New Year and all of that good stuff. Now it’s time to get back to…
Snappy Singles: New Year Nuggets
byAs we discard the 2022 wall calendar and replace it with an all new, glossy one, we prepare to go full-steam ahead for another…
First Spin, First Impressions: Dan Mangan, “Being Somewhere”
byTwelve months ago, we commenced our new year with a review of the last vinyl purchase made the previous year – and as we…
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…
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…
Holiday Hits Jukebox – Festive Finds
byHere at Team GDW, it is so easy to became overwhelmed by the annual blitz of holiday tunes that start falling into the email…
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…
Single Release: T. Buckley & Mariel Buckley, “Bobcaygeon”
by“I got to your house this mornin’ / Just a little after nine / In the middle of that riot / Couldn’t get you…
Bianca Bernardi: Album Release Concert at Mills Hardware
byTeam GDW wrapped up our most recent excursion to Southern Ontario with a stop in The Steel Town – heading to Mills Hardware to…
Terra Spencer & Ben Caplan: Live at the Dakota Tavern
byTeam GDW sure had many things to smile about over the US Thanksgiving holiday. With our ‘travel bug’ back in full-swing, we opted to…
Video Vault: Toronto Treats
byThere is a common theme here with this latest installment of Video Vault – all four selections are from artists based in (or around)…
Geneviève Racette – Live In Alexandria, VA
byI am not going to apologize for the many optimistic statements I have thrown out for most of this year – and certainly not…
Video Premiere: James Gray, “Think About Me”
by“Well, before we all know it, we’ll be stuck in the ground / And these worms and bugs will be our only crowd /…
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…
“Anchors Up” Tour At The Aeolian Hall
byIf you saw our most recent Blue Rodeo concert recap, you likely learned that we followed that spontaneous afternoon in St. William, ON, with…
Single Release: Great Lake Swimmers, “The Legend Of Bobby Bird”
byWhen you need to convey a difficult truth, narrative can prove essential. We as people are wired to digest reality more fully when we…
Blue Rodeo: Live At Burning Kiln Winery
byBack in early May, we saw a unique concert series announced that we absolutely did not want to miss – and promptly secured tickets…
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…
Single & Video Release: Rob Moir, “Trust This Human”
by“As the old song goes, nothing lasts forever / Because it’s going to go and leave you just wherever / Your heart and soul…
Review: The Rainy Day Apparel, “Views”
byAs anticipated, The Rainy Day Apparel have delivered new music that exceeds my expectations. Including two previously released singles, “Moon, Light, Waves” (2020), and…
Boy Golden: Live At The Ardmore Music Hall
byTouring the US and Canada in support of The Sheepdogs, Winnipeg’s Boy Golden is finally enjoying the opportunity to share music with a much…
Video Vault: Commonwealth Connections Edition
byJust over the last few weeks alone, we’ve received music submissions from several British acts, have been messaged by a GDW reader highly recommending…
Review: Cedarstrip Rocketship, “Megaphones” EP
byToronto-based collective, Cedarstrip Rocketship, last appeared on our pages back in December 2020 (was it really that long ago???), their unique cover of “Silver…
Review: Terra Spencer & Ben Caplan, “Old News”
by“There is nothing new under the sun,” an old saying goes. Old news will be made new, if you live long enough. What once…
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…
AHI: Live At Jammin’ Java
byBack in early 2021, Toronto-based indie folk-soul artist and 2-time JUNO nominee AHI announced a small run of US headlining shows – his first…
Single Premiere: Ben Somer, “99 (A Hockey Song)”
by“The one that she adored wasn’t Messier or Orr / She liked Gordie Howe just fine, but he’s still half of 99 / She…
Single & Video Release: Mimi O’Bonsawin, “I Am Alive”
byAnother familiar voice to GDW – the very talented singer-songwriter from Sudbury, ON, Mimi O’Bonsawin, released her single, “I Am Alive,” back on September…
Video Vault: Road Trip – Video Vacation Style
byWe unlock the Video Vault once again to share some music from across Canada. Starting out west, we have a pair of great new…
Review: Adam Baldwin, “Concertos & Serenades”
byFull disclosure: I’m an American who loves great music, and Adam Baldwin is an incredible gift from Canada. For those of you who were…
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…
Review: Joseph Petric, “SEEN”
byRight up front, I’d like to disclose that I’m a novice to accordion music – perhaps you are, too? I know of Weird Al,…
Muskoka Music Festival Workshop: “Rise Up”
byWe bring our coverage of the 2022 Muskoka Music Festival to a close with this final summary of a Saturday afternoon workshop, featuring Kitchener,…
Snappy Singles: September Sampler
byWe’ve bid farewell to August, and we’ve made it through the Labor Day weekend (Labour Day up north). This only means one thing –…
Muskoka Music Festival Workshop: “Home Is Where The Heart Is”
byContinuing our coverage of some of the Muskoka Music Festival workshops that we attended, today we focus on a Friday afternoon workshop that brought…
Muskoka Music Festival Workshop: “On The Road Again”
byWe plan to wrap up our remaining Muskoka Music Festival coverage with a series of short features devoted to three of the outstanding workshops…
Steve Poltz: Live at Muskoka Music Festival
byA revered modern-day folk hero, the Nova Scotia-born and current Nashville, TN resident Steve Poltz has been performing on the underground scene since the…
Single Release: Madison Galloway, “Open Your Eyes”
byI remember in the album version of The Beatles’ “Revolution,” John Lennon posing the question, ‘when it comes to destruction you can count me…
AHI: Live At The Gravenhurst Opera House
byBrampton, ON-born, and now Toronto-based singer-songwriter and 2-time JUNO nominee AHI recently co-headlined the Saturday night main stage event at the historic Opera House…
Single Release: Jelena Ćirić, “Rome”
byIt’s always a treat when artists continue to share their work with us, and such is the case with singer-songwriter Jelena Ćirić, who returns…
Video Vault: GDW First Features
byAfter a long day of travelling yesterday, Team GDW arrived home in the wee hours after an incredibly enjoyable weekend in Northern Ontario. Before…
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…
Highlights From Home County Music & Art Festival – Part Two
byWe wrap up our extensive coverage of the 47th Home County Music & Art Festival with a recap featuring two of the Sunday night…
Highlights From Home County Music & Art Festival – Part One
byWe wrap up our extensive coverage of the 47th Home County Music & Art Festival with a pair of features that summarize some of…
Commuter Contemplations: Adrian Sutherland, “When The Magic Hits”
byAfter working ‘the paid job’ from home for the last two years, with the easing of Covid-19 related restrictions came the decision by my…
William Prince: Live At The Home County Music & Art Festival
byAs I alluded to yesterday with our weekly Wednesday video share on our social media pages, one of my personal highly anticipated performances at…
Review: Madison Violet, “Eleven”
byJames Taylor has half-joking characterized himself as a “professional autobiographer.” To some extent, all who make art put forth something of themselves. But some…
Review: Matthew Barber, “No Singing Or Dancing”
byGo ahead and ask me to name-drop who I believe to be one of the busiest people in the Canadian music industry right now,…
Tragedy Ann: Live at The Home County Music & Art Festival
byFollowing a two-year forced hiatus due to the global pandemic, the 47th annual Home County Music & Art Festival returned to London, ON this…
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…
Single Release: Kellie Loder, “Fearless”
byIf you watched the Tokyo Olympics last year, you likely heard the soulful voice of Newfoundland’s Kellie Loder without realizing it. This JUNO Award…
Snappy Singles: Road Trip Rock & Vacation Vibes
bySummer is officially here, and things are heating up – temperature wise, and music wise. As you take time to finalize your summer weekend…
Single Premiere: Alicia Toner (ft. Joey Landreth), “Tonight”
byAccording to the old adage, time flies when you are having fun, and here at Team GDW, there is nothing more enjoyable than spreading…
Melanie Peterson: Live in Burlington, ON
byToronto-based singer-songwriter Melanie Peterson recently made her Burlington Sound of Music festival debut (on a beautifully sunny – and breezy – Saturday afternoon on…
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…
Find A New Favorite: Ben Somer – Live At Mills Hardware
by“Oh, my blood and oh my scars / Oh, my love and oh my lucky stars.” It is no secret that prior to the…
Jerry Leger: Live “Acoustic Duo” Show At Mills Hardware
byA solid veteran musician of the Canadian music scene, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Jerry Leger has earned a loyal following since 2005, with numerous folk-rock albums…
Single Release: Kristen Martell, “Should I Run”
byA good song has a way of capturing a moment, or a series of moments, like a vivid painting, like a few poignant frames…
Review: Altameda, “Born Losers”
byAlthough I’m a bit late to the party with this review, I’ve been soaking myself in “Born Losers,” the latest project from Altameda for…
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…
Single Release: Shaye, “Silver Civic”
byAh, the joys of finding pleasant music surprises when you least expect them. I mean, for those of you playing “2022 Canadian Folk-Roots Music…