Stephen Stanley Band: Live in Chelsea, QC
byFolks often say that it’s the little things that can be the most rewarding in life. For Team GDW, just making plans to visit…
Archive
Single Release: The Good Brothers (ft. The Sadies), “Now That You’re Gone”
byImagine losing a son! Then imagine writing a song and singing that song about it. It’s a monumental ask. How do you set about…
Single Release: Georgia Harmer, “Little Light”
byWe live in such a loud world – the high volume of obligations, advertisements, and information make for a cacophony. The fact that Bob…
Single Release: Levi Richard, “Being Used”
byI typically gravitate towards reviewing full albums rather than singles, as I find a complete body of work more compelling. However, Levi Richard’s “Being…
Single Release: Two Hours Traffic, “On The Spot” & “Keep It Coming”
bySpring is finally here, as is the return of the Polaris Music Prize nominated band Two Hours Traffic! It’s been a long decade since…
Les Hay Babies: Live at Azrieli Studio
byFor us self-professed music junkies, it’s hard to comprehend that our first concert on Canadian soil this year did not take place until mid-March…
Video Vault: Spring Arrivals
byAs Team GDW settle back into the daily routine following our first Canadian adventure of the year this past weekend, while we take time…
Single Release: Georgia Harmer, “Can We Be Still”
byWhether your view on the current state of global affairs is one of renewal and hope, or one of fearing a pending apocalypse, rest…
Sam Roberts Band & Matt Mays: Live at Niagara Falls
byWe made the trip to Niagara Falls, ON to see the Sam Roberts Band (with opener Matt Mays) at the OLG Stage at Fallsview…
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 Vault: Fabulous February Finds
byWe have not unlocked the GDW Video Vault for a few months now – and can’t even toss out lame excuses such as forgetting…
Single Release: Matthew Holtby, “Give Me A Reason”
by“We don’t have any boundaries / But there’s something that I need to know / You said that you’d never doubt me / But it’s time…
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…
Single Release: Rachel Kane, “Never Said Goodbye”
byIt is certainly fair to state that most of us will experience loss, especially of loved and dear ones, over the course of our…
Review: Neil Little, “Little Light”
byIn a world where fires rage across California, political turmoil brews on both sides of the border, and the cost of living threatens the…
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: Julianna Riolino & Adrian Underhill, “Against the Grain”
byI’m sure that most folks would agree that nothing beats hearing an amazing tune burst from the airwaves when watching a movie or television…
The Honey Dewdrops: Live in Harrisonburg, VA
byFor Team GDW, being based here in the US northeast, our concert-going season typically wraps up for the year around the US Thanksgiving holiday,…
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…
Single Release: Amanda Keeley, “Better Days”
bySpending the last few weeks of the year (2024) scrambling frantically to fulfil deadlines for our year-end features often means temporarily losing track of…
Martin’s Favorite Four Canadian Albums Of 2024
byFollowing the feature last week that chronicled what I consider to be my 20 favorite Canadian albums released across 2024, it was an incredible challenge…
A Special Experience At The Scene Presents: BIG Battle Of The Bands
byWhile running errands on a quiet Wednesday afternoon, I received a message from Zack Ingles, whom I’ve previously featured here at Great Dark Wonder….
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…
A Few Thoughts on Canadian Music in 2024 (Douglas McLean)
byAs 2024 comes to a close, it is customary to reflect on the songs and music that for various reasons stand out and remain…
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…
Cuff The Duke: Live At Warehouse Concert Hall
byWe’ve lost count of how many references have been made over the years here at GDW about the popular radio channel CBC Music Sonica…
Review: Rick Sparkes + The Enablers, “There Is Nothing To Be Won but Distance”
byGreat artists don’t need to reinvent the wheel to connect with their audience. Often, listeners rely on a certain degree of familiarity to form…
Commonwealth Connections: Festive Finds
byHaving just featured an abundance of holiday themed music from artists across Canada, we could not fail to notice a pair of tunes being…
(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…
Julian Taylor Band: A Triumphant Return To Mills Hardware
bySince discovering the music of Toronto, ON artist Julian Taylor back in the summer of 2017, we’ve been huge fans – and have more…
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!…
Cassie Noble: Live at the Abbey Café and Gallery
byAttending a Cassie Noble performance is a lot like driving through a snowstorm at night, where the falling snowflakes create a mesmerizing, almost hypnotic…
Lynne Hanson: Live in Washington, DC
byThe last time we caught up with Ottawa, ON singer-songwriter Lynne Hanson was just prior to the release of her 2022 “Ice Cream In…
Terra Spencer: Live at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre
byA great musical performance balances content and showmanship. Much like cooking, the right ingredients make a good meal, but the presentation is what takes…
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…
Single Release: Matthew Ryan Jacobs, “Where Are You Now?”
byChange can be really hard! It can be disruptive, and at times it may feel like it is the only constant. But it is…
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…
Joshua Hyslop: Live in Vienna, VA
byIf you skim through the concert recap section of the GDW website, you’ll find that many of our recent live music adventures have revolved…
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: Terra Spencer, “Sunset”
byFor many, the sunset symbolizes an ending or the closing of a chapter. However, artists often view it as a beginning. While daytime is…
Review: SHEAL, “Golden Hours” EP
byNova Scotia-born, and current Toronto-based musician Sheilagh McNab – recording under the stage name SHEAL (a mash up of ‘SHE’ and ‘HEAL’) – follows…
Snappy Singles: New Season, New Releases
byIt seems like just yesterday that we were sharing our last recurring Snappy Singles feature, and here we are once again – another month…
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…
Review: Kylie Fox, “Sequoia”
bySome albums are like Swiss army knives – they pair well with almost any situation, whether you’re driving, cooking, or reading. Others require your…
Video Vault: Fall Clips Fever
byWhile summer may have come to an end, video releases are not planning to follow suit anytime soon. The GDW safe continues to fill…
Daniel Bélanger: Live in Drummondville, QC
byWe wrap up our coverage of the 2024 Festival de la Poutine in Drummondville, QC with the Saturday night main stage headliner – and…
Festival de la Poutine: Friday Night Highlights
byEnjoying an extended vacation in both Ontario and Québec, Team GDW made a visit to Drummondville, QC to attend the annual Festival de la…
Review: Joel Plaskett, “One Real Reveal”
byJoel Plaskett, a cornerstone of Canada’s east coast music scene, first gained prominence 30 years ago with the band Thrush Hermit. His enduring presence…
Commonwealth Connections: Theo Bleak, “In My House”
byWhile Canadian folk-roots music is our bread and butter here at GDW, when new tunes land in our laps from across the commonwealth, this…
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…
The Jim Cuddy Band: Live in Huntsville, ON
byWith plans confirmed twelve months ago to return to Muskoka for a mid-August long weekend, we were ready for our annual summer music-filled vacation…
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…
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…
Peterborough Folk Festival: East Coast Music Workshop
byTeam GDW recently took an extended vacation across parts of ON and QC, and with an open Saturday on the first leg of our…
Essential New Releases: End Of Month August Jams
byTeam GDW are still recovering from our summer adventures last week, taking a much-needed road trip across parts of ON and QC – catching…
Review: Ian North, “Everything Is Incomplete”
byAfter my first listen to Ian North’s gorgeous new album, “Everything is Incomplete,” released on August 4th, I was reminded of this quote from…
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…
Single Release: Nurdjana, “Dancing”
byFinding a song that just hits right, that just feels breezy and fun, is a delightful experience, to be sure. To find that the…
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…
Single Release: I, The Mountain, “Carry On”
by“Anywhere you roam is far from home / Carry on, carry on / Don’t look back / Anywhere you go I’ll go with you…
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…
First Spin, First Impressions: Abigail Lapell, “Anniversary”
by“Diamonds are a dime a dozen / Take my hand / Take my hand and don’t stop running…” We have paid casual attention to…
Aoife O’Donovan: Live in York, PA
byWhile our primary focus is Canadian folk-roots music here at GDW, when Boston, MA singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan pays a visit to The Appell Center…
Single Review: Matthew Holtby, “Reading This Now”
byLive for any amount of time and you will quickly learn that life isn’t as black and white, as cut-and-dry as you may think…
Various Artists: Tribute to Jean-Pierre Ferland
byWe wrap up this series of features recapping our experiences at the 2024 Francos de Montréal festival with a last-minute “bonus” concert – although…
Andrea Ramolo: Live at Living Roots Music Festival
byThe official hashtag of the Living Roots Music Festival in Fredericton, NB is #showyourroots. Toronto-based artist Andrea Ramolo embodies this term perfectly. Her multimedia…
Les Soeurs Boulay: Live at Francos De Montréal
byThe 2024 Francos de Montréal line-up was stacked with fabulous Québecois talent, making our decision to take an early summer vacation in the city an…
Single Release: SHEAL, “The End”
by“The city went dark / I walk down empty streets until I stopped / And stared in disbelief / At how I’ve come so…
Snappy Singles: July Gems
bySummer is officially here, and it’s not only the temperatures that are hot right now! With the endless number of single releases landing on…
![Le Roy la Rose et le Lou[p]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/greatdarkwonder/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/05090116/image0-39-270x180.jpeg)
Le Roy la Rose et le Lou[p]: Live at MTELUS
byNo matter how much we believe to be in control of our own destiny, fate often intervenes when least expected to put a bump…
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…
Review: Celeigh Cardinal, “Boundless Possibilities”
byYou know that feeling when you are standing in front of your open closet, looking for just the right sweater, and your eye catches one that you’ve…
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…
Marie-Annick Lépine: Live at Francos de Montréal
byTeam GDW were long overdue for a return to the annual Francos de Montréal festival, and with both of our regular Ontario summer festivals…
Zack Ingles: Live At Living Roots Music Festival
byIt’s impossible not to root for Zack Ingles! Equipped with a smile that could defuse bombs, he quickly makes you realize that he has…
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…
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…
Single Release: The Secret Beach, “All This Living”
byFor the record, if your press release tosses out a reference to The Simpsons, it’s likely to attract some attention – proof being found…
Good Lovelies: Live At The Westdale Theatre
byIt is not often we have an opportunity to attend two concerts in two different venues on the same day, so when the cards…
The Stephen Stanley Band: Live At The Casbah
by“This past Saturday at The Casbah in Hamilton, ON will go down as one of my favourite shows ever. Thanks to all of our…
Single Release: Geneviève Racette, “From Friends To Strangers”
by“But it hurts to know / If I knocked on your door / It wouldn’t open / And we can’t go / Back to…
Essential New Releases: Album Overload… Sensory Overload
byDid somebody turn up the thermostat, because new album releases are just HOT, HOT, HOT right now? Just trying to keep afloat with the…
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…
Alan Doyle: Live at The Barns at Wolf Trap
byFor Team GDW, one of our primary music-related goals coming out of the pandemic era was to brush off the rust and get back…
Adam Baldwin: Live at The Barns at Wolf Trap
byCurrently touring in support of Alan Doyle’s 2024 North American spring tour, Dartmouth, NS folk-rocker Adam Baldwin recently made his long overdue return to…
Single Release: Tennyson King & Lindi Ortega, “Where I Make My Home”
by“All I need is all of me, no matter where I roam / I believe that honestly I’ll never be alone / Happiness, more…
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…
Review: The Hello Darlins, “The Alders & The Ashes”
byOn March 1, Calgary, AB band The Hello Darlins released “The Alders & The Ashes,” a double album follow-up to their breakthrough smash 2020…
The Sadies: Live in Vienna, VA
byJanuary is often a cold and depressing month for live music starved fans here in the northern hemisphere, but the 2024 installment very quickly…
Andy Shauf: Live At The Barns At Wolf Trap
byWhen SK-born and currently ON-based indie folk-rocker Andy Shauf adds a stop in VA for his current solo tour, well, how can we afford…
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…
Snappy Singles: Alt-April Anthems
by“A” is for “April” – “A” is for “Alt” – “A” is for “Anthems.” So, it appears that our Snappy Singles feature for this…
Lisa LeBlanc: Live In Ottawa
byWith the transition from winter into spring, Team GDW finally embarked on a long-awaited road trip to Ottawa, ON. This vacation was planned back…
Single Release: Glenn Sutter, “End Of The World”
byIn anticipation of his upcoming fifth studio album release, “Truth and Lies,” Regina, SK folk-rocker Glenn Sutter has released the new single “End of…
Allison Russell: Live In Ottawa
byCall it good fortune, and/or good timing, but both were certainly a beautiful thing when it came to catching up with GRAMMY-Award winning artist…
Single Release: Half Moon Run, “Can’t Stop Loving You” (Live From The Treehouse)
byIt’s springtime and colour is again trying to push its way through the ground, as the buds are slowly but miraculously beginning to appear…
Aysanabee: Live In Ottawa
byWith the arrival of spring comes the opportunity to finally break free from the shackles of Old Man Winter and hit the road for…
Single Release: Chorus Of Courage: “Sweet Little Hummingbird”
byA song can be a powerful thing – capable of getting right to the emotions, of lending gravity to a moment, and of giving…
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…
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…
Jerry Leger: Live at Warehouse Concert Hall
byLiving here in south-central PA, it is often a daunting predicament when shows are announced at our fave ON venues through the winter months…