Rachael Kilgour: Live In Columbia, MD
byNo matter how much we consider ourselves fairly knowledgeable of the Canadian folk-roots music scene, we accept that we’re still only scratching the surface,…
Archive
Single Release: Jill Barber/Jenn Grant/Rose Cousins, “Dark Angel”
by“So Colorado / Is a place I have to go / I heard a rumour / She loves the mountains and the snow /…
Review: Various Artists, “Sonny Don’t Go Away: A Tribute to Ron Hynes”
by“Sonny Don’t Go Away: A Tribute to Ron Hynes”, released on October 20th, 2023 via Sonic Records, gathers a diverse group of Newfoundland and…
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…
Minuscule: Live in Guelph, ON
byOpening recently in support of Great Lake Swimmers at The Royal City Mission in Guelph, we can thank Tony Dekker from the headlining band…
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…
Video Premiere: Larysa Musick, “Tomorrow Is Bound To Come”
by“Hey now, I’m not lonely / Look here, I’m not cryin’ / See that, see the horizon / Tomorrow is bound to come.” We…
Daniel Bélanger: Live in Toronto
byPrior to his outstanding performance at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa that we attended back in April, news reached us that JUNO-Award nominee…
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…
Great Lake Swimmers: Live in Guelph, ON
byAs the last few remaining days of September rolled around, Team GDW spent a long weekend in Southern ON to celebrate our seventh anniversary…
Video Vault: Summer-Fall Transitional Tunes
byWe’re cracking the combination once again to our secure video vault and airing some of these fabulous mini-movies that recently arrived fresh off 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…
Snappy Singles: So Long Summer, Hello Fall
byAs we bid adieu to the hot ‘n’ humid season, and welcome the arrival of crisp ‘n’ cool weather, we’re also packing away the…
Muskoka Music Festival: Friday Songwriter Circle
byThe fifth annual Muskoka Music Festival got off to a fantastic start on Friday afternoon with a songwriter circle comprised of local favorites (and…
Muskoka Music Festival: Sunday Songwriter Circle
byFor Team GDW, we regarded the early Sunday afternoon workshop as the most highly anticipated segment of this year’s Muskoka Music Festival. In our…
Single Release: Tim Baker, “Leaving On The Evening Tide”
byWhen you consider some of the legendary Canadian artists we have sadly lost over the past decade, we’ve often seen a resurgence of popularity…
James Gray: Campfire Concert in Huntsville, ON
byThe beauty of being a part of this close-knit community of writers and fans within the GDW family is the constant exposure to new…
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…
Single Release: Matthew Holtby, “Family Man”
by“I don’t feel it anymore / And I know I’m not the same / I’ll keep trying to put it on / But I’m…
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…
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…
Stephen Fearing: Live at Home County Music & Art Festival
byWe wrap up our coverage of the 2023 Home County Music & Art Festival with a focus on the very artist who closed out…
Home County Music & Art Festival: “Over The Moon” Workshop
byOne thing that we continue to love about this particular festival are the afternoon workshops – where musicians share a stage to perform tunes…
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 –…
Single Release: Julian Taylor, “Georgia Moon”
byWe had the pleasure of welcoming Toronto, ON troubadour Julian Taylor to (almost) our part of the US back in May – catching a…
Review: Jerry Leger, “The Time Flew By” EP
byToronto’s Jerry Leger is playing a big part in my life right now. I recently saw a few live clips on the GDW YouTube…
The Cedar Sisters: Live At Home County Music & Art Festival
byThe writings of Mark Twain have led to an acceptance that the only two certainties in life are death and taxes, but I am…
Single Release: Amanda Walther, “You Belong To Me”
byToronto, ON JUNO-nominated singer-songwriter and award-winning composer (Toronto International Women’s Festival) Amanda Walther has been incredibly busy these last few years – writing/recording an…
Video Vault: Cracking The Combination
byWhile we divert our regular weekly video features to artists appearing on festivals that we are attending this summer, we don’t want to let…
The Small Glories: Live At The Kennedy Center
byPerhaps this is not something unique solely to Team GDW, but as we moved beyond the restrictions and thwarted travel plans that the Covid-19…
Shawna Caspi: Live in Herndon, VA
bySure, we had just returned from our first long-festival-weekend of the summer season – almost 470 miles north of home in the beautiful surroundings…
Single Release: Roslyn Witter, “Letting Her Go”
byLet’s face it, we all have to go through a few “wrong ones” to find the “right one,” and the relationship road can be…
Jerry Leger & The Situation: Live at Tall Pines Music & Arts Festival
byWe continue to bring you a selection of rapid recaps from our recent adventures at Tall Pines Music & Arts Festival in Gravenhurst, ON…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Julian Taylor: Live in Alexandria, VA
byHaving caught up with Toronto, ON singer-songwriter Julian Taylor just a few months ago at a house show in his home province, we never…
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…
Review: Justin Rutledge, “Something Easy”
byJustin Rutledge didn’t make it easy to articulate the myriad of enchantments to be found on his new album, “Something Easy,”, his tenth, out…
Daniel Bélanger: Live at National Arts Centre
byFollowing the release of his JUNO-Award nominated “Mercure en mai” album back in October, acclaimed Montréal folk-pop rocker Daniel Bélanger announced an extensive 2023…
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…