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…
Archive
Review: Tragedy Ann, “Heirlooms”
byAlmost five years ago, we were fortunate to stumble across Tragedy Ann performing in a workshop at the 2017 Home County Music and Art…
Single Release: Ryan Thomas Smelle, “Easier Said Than Done”
byHonestly stating our shortcomings can be the first step in making improvements. That also has the potential to go either way – we can…
Matt Andersen & Terra Lightfoot: Live In Vienna, VA
byThere is no denying that placing our lives on hold these past two years has been profoundly tough for all of us, and applies…
Single Release: The Olympic Symphonium, “The Execution”
byThe Olympic Symphonium’s last album, “Beauty in Tension” (2018), received high praise, awards, and acclaim. Today, they release “The Execution,” one of a pair…
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…
Snappy Singles: May Day, May Day
byFor this British half of Team GDW, “May Day” conjures up memories of a UK national holiday – one that commemorates the historic struggles…
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: Jill Barber, “My Mother’s Hand”
by“When I was just a kid / There would always be / A little note tucked in my lunch just for me / A…
The Fitzgeralds: Live in York, PA
byWe first encountered the Bancroft, ON traditional fiddle and step dancing siblings, The Fitzgeralds, back at the PA Celtic Classic in 2018, and were…
Video Premiere: Justine Giles, “Save Myself”
by“All our days / We’re destined for destruction / For you my touch meant nothing / You still let me in your bed /…
Single Release: Amanda Walther, “Beautiful”
byEnjoying a beautiful drive along winding backroads, sun shining, and a cool breeze flowing are all perfect indications of spring, the season of renewal…
Find A New Favorite: The Blue And Gold
byWhen two accomplished artists pool their resources to form a new musical duo, it’s pretty hard to not sit up and pay attention. This…
Snappy Singles: April Treats
byOkay, we feel that it is only fair to offer a caveat from the very beginning here – with the ladies of the Canadian…
The Honey Dewdrops: Live at Fort Hunter Barn
byThe past couple of years have been tough for the majority of us, but especially so for those within the music and arts community. …
Video Vault: Fantastic Friday Finds
byWith the abundance of great new music being created, released, and shared, it encourages us to better believe that the light at the end…
Single & Video Release: Rosanne Baker Thornley, “In Paris”
by“…Life is forever in motion and it’s important to savour the journey. I remember thinking, just take it all in because it all goes…
Video Premiere: John Pippus, “Just A Dance”
byVancouver, BC singer-songwriter John Pippus releases a new video today for the song, “Just A Dance”, taken from his “Hermosa Star Family Album” from…
Video Vault – Visual Delights For April
byWe kick off our week of ‘music videos coverage’ with our latest edition of Video Vault. The music videos are overflowing in our email…
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: Matthew Barber, “Viral”
by“Viral / Gone Viral / The whole world’s in a spiral / And I don’t know if the change will come / From a…
Single Release: Sleeping Bees, “Rest”
bySome say music has a power to heal – an elixir buried within the frequencies, hidden amongst the harmonics, something about sympathetic vibrations. Some…
Review: Geneviève Racette, “Satellite”
byIt seems so difficult to just simply function these days. If this ongoing nightmare of Covid-19 wasn’t enough, suddenly someone wants to start an…
Lynne Hanson: Live in Alexandria, VA
byFollowing our recent excursion to VA to see Allison Russell in concert, Team GDW found ourselves back in this southern state just five days…
Allison Russell: Live at The Barns At Wolf Trap
byFollowing the release and international success of her stunning debut solo album, “Outside Child,” in 2021, the Montreal-born and now Nashville-based singer-songwriter Allison Russell…
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…
First Spin-First Impressions: Field Guide, “Make Peace With That”
byAfter spending the first few weekends of 2022 here at home (catching up with more than just GDW related tasks), we hit the road…
Andy Shauf: Live at The Southern Café and Music Hall
byFebruary is the time of year where we throw caution to the wind and put our trust in an experienced furry meteorologist, ever hopeful…
Review: SHEAL, “Courage Again”
byIt was the chance discovery and inclusion of the single “Gravity” in our Snappy Singles feature last month that brought the Nova Scotia-born, and…
Review: Erik Bleich, “More Than Anything You’ve Feared”
byIt should have came as no surprise to learn that Erik Bleich released his sophomore album, “More Than Anything You’ve Feared,” this past Valentine’s…
Single Release: Jerry Leger, “Have You Ever Been Happy”
by“Splish splash / Here we go / I’ve got a hand to hold / Thank God / I know / I’m not alone.” So…
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…
Review: The Rough & Tumble, “Love Is Gross (But It Looks Good On You)”
byAs we head into the one weekend in February where the focus shifts to that little Cupid fella practicing his archery and match-making skills,…
Video Release: Ava Kay, “Go”
by“You left the keys right in the door / All of your shoe steps on the floor / And I could still see you…
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…
Review: John Pippus, “Hermosa Star Family Album”
byFor those of you unaware of Vancouver, BC singer-songwriter and guitarist John Pippus, his newest album, “Hermosa Star Family Album,” is certainly a good…
Review: Tennyson King, “Good Company”
byThe nomadic Hong Kong-born, and Canada-based indie-folk rocker Tennyson King releases his new full-length album, “Good Company,” today. I was pleasantly surprised to see…
First Spin-First Impressions: Andrea Ramolo, “Quarantine Dream”
byWe’re kicking off 2022 with what hopefully shall be our latest recurring feature – the “First Spin-First Impressions” series. The idea came after my…
Review: Clever Hopes, “Artefact”
by“I sit in one of the dives / On Fifty-second Street / Uncertain and afraid / As the clever hopes expire” (W. H. Auden)….
Snappy Singles: New Tunes For The New Year
byWelcome to the first installment of Snappy Singles for 2022, our recurring feature that promises to bring you four hand-picked singles for your enjoyment…
Review: Whitehorse, “Strike Me Down”
byAs we commence the New Year (with a smidgen of optimism that the ‘new normal’ is on the horizon), what better time to make…
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…
2021 Team GDW Miscellaneous Honors
byAs Martin prepares to reveal his Final Four Albums of the Year tomorrow (and having already listed his Twenty Favorite Singles and Albums over…
Martin Noakes: 2021 Top Twenty Album List
byAs we approach the final week of 2021, my mind has a flashback to March 2020, when our lives were turned upside down. Daily…
Steve Murphy: 2021 Top Ten Canadian Album List
byWhat a crazy year 2021 has turned out to be. Perhaps because of shipping delays, or perhaps because of the reviews for this site,…
2021 Year End Review: 20 Memorable Singles
byThe restrictions resulting from the breakout of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 placed a hiatus on our concert-going adventures, which in turn halted our…
Single Release: The Moneygoround, “Very Cherry”
byThe debut single, “Very Cherry,” from Charlottetown, PEI’s latest five-piece hipsters The Moneygoround, has landed, and what a groovy little number it is. Fab…
Single Release: The Rainy Day Apparel, “Freakin’ Out”
byOne of the enjoyable things about being part of Team GDW is having the opportunity to connect with an artist early on, and then…
Review: Parkland Music Project, “Sécurité”
byVancouver, BC singer-songwriter Rob Malowany gathered a small coterie of gifted musical compatriots to a one-day recording session this past July, to explore five…
Holiday Single Releases From Pedersen & Peterson
byNew music releases for the holidays have been arriving in droves here at Team GDW over the last few weeks. Of course, as much…
Review: John Muirhead, “Traveller”
byAn artist’s debut album often shows promise – a combination of heart, a glimmer of an artistic vision, and good but raw and unfinished…
Snappy Singles: Cheery Tunes For The Onset Of Winter Blues
byHow crazy is it that another year has almost passed us by? Another ‘pandemic filled’ year, no less, but once again, the sheer volume…
Interview: Blue Rodeo, “Many A Mile”
byFor long-time fans of the iconic Canadian alt-country rockers Blue Rodeo, the timely arrival of “Many A Mile” last Friday, their first studio album…
Single Release: Catherine MacLellan, “Calling You Home (For The Holidays)”
by“Silent night, the stars up high / Shining for you tonight / Miles and miles of open highway / Are calling you tonight.” The…
Single Releases: Jeff Eager, “For Your Love” & “I Don’t Dance Anymore”
byOn my initial listen, the first tune hit me as something that Prince and Steely Dan might concoct should they have ever collaborated. Whereas…
Review: Christo Graham, “Graham’s General Store”
byChristo Graham released his seventh self-produced album, “Graham’s General Store,” back on October 1st, via the We Are Busy Bodies label. The album pirouettes…
Video Premiere: Josh Geddis, “The Quiet I Never Knew”
by“When they put you in the ground / I didn’t make a sound / Just stood there watching the birds over the lake /…
Review: Over The Moon, “Chinook Waltz”
byI shall preface this review by going out on a limb here, because I have zero empirical evidence to support my claim, but I…
Single Release: Terra Spencer (ft. Stewart Legere), “Brick And Mortar”
by“There’s a gentle art in saying goodbye.” This single line aptly describes this emotional powerhouse of a song: a tale of two people at…
Snappy Singles: Spring Forward, Fall Back, Enjoy Great Music
byNovember sure rolled around quickly, meaning we bid farewell to Daylight Savings Time for another year – and face the arrival of cooler temperatures,…
Review: Ben Caplan, “Recollection”
byWe all have memories of past experiences locked away, ready to be recalled at a moments’ notice – whether good or bad, and recalled…
Snappy Snippets: E.P Lepp, Wolf Willow, The Garrys, Jane Mathew
bySo many new albums, so little space and time to include them all – just another month here at Team GDW HQ. Once again,…
Single & Video Release: Tennyson King, “Slow Down”
byMy sister and I recently took a road trip to the northeast tip of Maine as an escape from our busy lives. We needed…
Video Premiere: Kristina Dervaitis, “What’s Coming”
byNewmarket, ON singer-songwriter Kristina Dervaitis is excited to release her highly anticipated debut album, “Overdue,” out into the world today – on her 46th…
Single Release: Zachary Greer (ft. Pallmer), “Final Breath”
by“A case of mistaken identity threw two attorneys, George Frederick Street and George Ludlow Wetmore, into fits of rage. With their reputations on the…
The Honey Dewdrops: Live At The Weinberg Center For The Arts
by579 is not a number that I’m particularly happy about or proud to be associated with – 579 represents the number of days that…
Snappy Singles: Fabulous Fall Feasts From Four Of Our Faves
byWe kick off our sixth year of Canadian music coverage with our popular Snappy Singles feature, and are excited to share four hand-picked fall…
Review: Caroline Marie Brooks, “Everything At The Same Time”
byEvery night, when I was a little kid, my dad would stand in the doorway of my room, his silhouette framed by the far…
“It Started In The Garden” – New Single & Video From Elise Boulanger
by“It started in the garden / It started in the trees / You took me to the garden / And you took me to…
Review: Tania Joy, “I Will Stand”
byEvery now and then, a musical artist appears on my radar, as if from nowhere. The joy of discovery is the reward for digging…
Single Releases: Clever Hopes, “Made You Mad” & “Artefact”
byThe combination of fate and good fortune can lead to wonderful things. Hypothetically, for example, imagine how amazing it could be if an emerging…
Snappy Singles: September Sizzlers
byBack in May, our monthly Snappy Singles feature concentrated on new releases from some of our favorite female Canadian artists, and I of course…
Review: Carly Thomas, “Behind The Ficus”
byIt does not matter who you are, or where you are in your musical career, you only have once chance to make a favorable…
Review: Shawna Caspi, “Hurricane Coming”
by“I feel like the worst kind of person most of the time / A big city bully when I’m stuck in line / With…
Commonwealth Connections: New Singles From Mel Parsons & Greg Johnson
byIt has been quite a while since we last featured music from beyond the North American continent. As for the timing, this really is…
Single Release: Wolf Willow, “All I Can Say”
byNew music releases continue to arrive in droves from all over Canada into the Team GDW email inbox, but when I see references made…
Review: Del Barber, “Stray Dogs (Collected B Sides Vol. 1)”
byIt seems like only yesterday when my friend called excitedly on the phone and said she’d just seen Del Barber in concert, and wanted…
Review: Suzie Ungerleider, “My Name Is Suzie Ungerleider”
byHave you ever had an experience something akin to being flat-out broke, only to find a neatly folded tenner in the top pocket of an old faded jean jacket that you…
Snappy Singles: Summer Songs From Some Of Our Faves
byI must confess that it gets harder each time to select just four singles to share in our monthly Snappy Singles feature, especially now…
Single Premiere: Jane Mathew, “What Fire”
byHot on the heels of her debut single “No One” released just a little under a month ago, Toronto, ON emerging artist Jane Mathew…
Single Release: Celeigh Cardinal, “There Ain’t No Way (Better Days Version)”
byJust last Friday, GDW’s Richard Clark shared with us his musings about “Thrive,” the latest EP from Toronto’s Claire Davis, and I very quickly…
Single Release: Caroline Marie Brooks, “Vitamin”
by“Put the sunlight underneath my skin / I’m in need of the best vitamin / I will give you something in return / Something…
Snappy Singles: Summer Treats To Beat The Heat
byIt seems that no sooner have I wrapped up our monthly Snappy Singles article for posting, I am already faced with working on the…
Single Release: Raine Hamilton, “Love Has Come For Me”
byAs we celebrated Pride Month over these past few weeks, I’m reminded of this quote from Dan Levy, creator of the lovingly accepting CBC…
2021 Half Year-End Album Round Up
byIt is already the end of June! Summer is officially here! Can you believe that we are at the midway point of 2021 already? …
“DUST” – New Single & Video Release From Andrea Ramolo
by“Don’t ever forget me, don’t ever change / And if I hurt your feelings, I’m sorry love is strange / Your eyes they spoke…
Blue Rodeo Live From The Danforth (Virtual Concert)
byOne commonly asked question we receive from new visitors to our blog is about our name. Great Dark Wonder – what is that? Where…
Single Release: Zach Kleisinger, “Nothing Special”
by“There is a throbbing / In the middle of his chest / As he stares out into the distance / Into the deepness of…
Snappy Singles: More June-O’s, Anybody?
byThe 2021 JUNO Awards winners have finally been announced, but fear not, if you are still craving more great Canadian music, then we’ve got…
Review: Reid Zoé, “Shed My Skin”
byOntario based singer-songwriter Reid Zoé, who may be better known as a member of the folk-roots trio, Sleeping Bees, releases her debut solo EP,…
Single Release: The Fretless (ft. Dan Mangan), “Troubled Mind”
byWhen I learned that JUNO Award winning folk music quartet, The Fretless, were sharing their latest single just last week, I recalled very fond…
Single Release: Tennyson King, “Sheng Ming De Jin Du”
byIt is hard to believe that six months have passed since we first discovered music from Chinese-Canadian folk artist Tennyson King, whose single, “Garden…
Review: Parler bien, “histoires du comté d’essex”
byEvery once in a long while, you stumble upon a piece of music that immediately moves. In a matter of moments, it reaches from…
Single Release: The Redhill Valleys, “Finish Line”
by“The winner ain’t the one with the fastest car, it’s the one who refuses to lose” (Dale Earnhardt) Friday has finally arrived, and here…
Snappy Singles: Spring Tunes That Cannot Be Ignored
byWe are already close to the middle of May, but that does not mean we’re skipping our monthly Snappy Singles. Oh no, there have…
Review: Good Lovelies, “B-Sides”
byI must confess, and simultaneously hint at my generation in the process, that upon hearing the very term “B-Sides,” I am automatically transported back…
Review: Great Lake Swimmers, “Live At The Redeemer 2007”
byTeam GDW are incredibly grateful to our good friend and central PA independent singer-songwriter/musician Matt Wheeler for this review of the latest album from…
Single Release: Amanda Walther, “Salt Water Cures”
byI don’t know about you, but the month of May came around pretty quickly for me this year, meaning that Mother’s Day is right…
Positives From The Pandemic – Spring 2021
byIt was around last summer, when it became pretty clear that the global pandemic was not going away anytime soon, that we posted what…
Single Release: Lawrence Maxwell, “Back To Cape Breton”
byI’m going to preempt my opening ramble by asking you to forgive me if you’ve heard me make these statements in the past, but…