Video Vault: Algorithms A-Go-Go…
byAnd down a music video rabbit hole we go… Team GDW receives plenty of emailed links to new music video releases, which typically direct us to encrypted files, but mostly YouTube. Hitting this…
Archive
Video Vault: No Membership Renewal Needed
byHello December! The delivery truck just left GDW HQ, but not before dropping off a fresh batch of mini movies for our viewing pleasures. We renewed…
GDW Jukebox: Indie Arrivals
byA fresh bunch of independent 45s just arrived at GDW HQ, so we are loading a selection of Indie Arrivals onto the spindles, ready for your quarters and enjoyment. Well,…
Video Vault: Mini Movies from Montréal (and one from Toronto too)
byWe’re sharing a bunch of recent videos from Canadian Indigenous artists all month long with our Wednesday social media features, but the Video Vault is still packed with…
GDW Jukebox: Autumn Additions
byIt seems like it was just yesterday when we last updated the GDW Jukebox in time for the summer season. Yet here we are…
The Sadies: Live in State College, PA
bySeeds for this show were planted back in mid-July, thanks to a notification popping up in our social media feeds announcing that Toronto, ON…
Commonwealth Connections: The Teskey Brothers – Live in Vienna, VA
byTeam GDW took a midweek road trip down to The Filene Center at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA just last week to catch a…
Commonwealth Connections: An Interview with Rachel Croft
byWhile our focus here at GDW remains primarily towards Canadian folk-roots music, we are always willing to stretch those geographical boundaries in our pursuit…
Live, Local, and (sometimes) Loud: John Hollier and the Rêverie
byThe Covid-19 pandemic may be pretty much in the rearview mirror now (for the most part), but while we are happy to be rid…
Single Release: Justine Richardson “(What Doesn’t Kill Me) Better Run”
byIn a world where finding positive role models can feel like a daunting task, Justine Richardson’s latest single, “(What Doesn’t Kill Me) Better Run,”…
Commonwealth Connections: Rachel Croft, “A Mind Made Of Sky”
byWhile it is always exciting to discover new music through the conventional means – radio airplay, streaming algorithms, YouTube recommendations – for me personally,…
Live, Local, and (sometimes) Loud: Low Water Bridge Band
byIt was just a few months ago – back in early May – when we considered the possibility of expanding our music coverage with…
GDW Jukebox: Essential Summer Singles
byCrazy! If asked (once again) to summarize the amount of new music releases from across Canada this season, crazy is the first metaphor that…
Thierry Larose: Live at Francos de Montréal
byIn the name of transparency, I am not going to attempt to sugarcoat this following statement in any way: when discovering that Marieville, QC…
Francos de Montréal: Random Recaps
byEnjoying several days in Québec’s most populous city, Team GDW had circled several artist names scheduled to perform at the 2025 Francos de Montréal…
Marie-Pierre Arthur: Live at Francos de Montréal
byAfter an enjoyable festival experience last year at the Francos de Montréal – one we added due to a pair of our ‘regular’ Ontario-based…
Living Roots Music Festival – 2025 Recap (Part 1)
byThis year, I’m once again thrilled to share my experiences from Fredericton’s Living Roots Music Festival! While last year I focused on specific artists,…
Single Release: Nelson Sobral, “Time After Time”
byWe devoted some space to a selection of recent cover tunes last month here at GDW, and just as we were ready to move…
Bywater Call: Hub City Hat Trick
by“A lot of people say, how do you get to play at Hub City Vinyl? And the first time is maybe a crapshoot, but…
Review: Red Cardinal, “Find Yourself” EP
byIn a world awash with noise and distraction, the quest to “Find Yourself” feels more vital than ever. The relentless barrage of advertisements—often louder…
GDW Jukebox: Spring Singles Overload
byOverwhelming! If asked to summarize the amount of new music releases from across Canada this spring, overwhelming would likely be my response. Collectively, the…
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…
Dead Root Revival: Live in Chelsea, QC
byOne of the greatest pleasures we have here at Team GDW is the discovery of new bands and new music. It does not matter…
Video Vault: April Showers
byAnother return from a Canadian road trip means needing time to recharge and catch up with all things GDW-related. A quick glance into the…
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…
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…
Commonwealth Connections: Spacey Jane, “How To Kill Houseplants”
by“Rereading our messages I’m sorry I was cold / Pull myself away from you ‘cause that’s just what I know / Water me darling…
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…
Find A New Favorite: The UnHeard, “Rising Wind”
byIf you’ve seen Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous,” you might recall the scene where band manager Dennis Hope, played by Jimmy Fallon, quips, “If you…
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…
Single Release: Propter Hawk, “Time Won’t Wait”
byI love no-nonsense, straightforward, non-egotistical rock music that comes complete with a kick-ass attitude that demands the listener do exactly that. Even more so…
Review: Free to Grow, “Lady of the North (and Other Fine Stories)” EP
byFredericton’s Free to Grow consistently delivers an intriguing musical experience. This dynamic quality may stem from the band’s ever-changing lineup or the creative vision…
Review: Andrew Moore, “Bold Lies” EP
byI first encountered Andrew Moore during last year’s Harvest Music Festival when we shared a bill at Fredericton’s Par 94 Bar and Golf Lounge….
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…
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…
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…
(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…
Review: My Black Ram, “Mirror Machine”
byThere’s something enigmatic about My Black Ram. While three of its members – frontman Peter Hicks, bassist Mike Hatheway, and keyboardist John Heinstein –…
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: Sadie Campbell, “Metamorphosis”
byBefore May of this year, the music of British Columbia born, and Nashville based roots rocker Sadie Campbell was completely unfamiliar to me. Indeed,…
The Sheepdogs: Live At Ardmore Music Hall
byWe’ve mentioned on several occasions about our strong desire to reconnect with many of our favorite Canadian artists/bands here in the post-lockdown era –…
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…
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…
Karkwa: Live in Drummondville, QC
byContinuing this week-long series of recaps from our first experience at the 2024 Festival de la Poutine in Drummondville, QC, the focus today shifts…
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Le Roy la Rose et le Lou[p]: Live in Drummondville, QC
byContinuing our series of recaps from our first visit to the annual Festival de la Poutine in Drummondville, QC, if I am to be…
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…
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…
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…
Alex Burger: Live at Francos de Montréal
byPerforming on the Scéne Spotify stage on Sunday night at the 2024 Francos de Montréal, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC alt-country artist Alex Burger was not originally…
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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…
Bywater Call: Live in Hagerstown, MD
byLong time readers may recall many mentions made in our earlier blogging days to The Thought Lot – a local music venue that brought…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Video Vault: Early Spring Finds
byAccording to the meteorological rodents both here and far, we’re being ‘promised’ an early spring. With that in mind, Team GDW are loading up…
Single Release: Misty Blue, “Subtle Divine”
byThe beauty of a multi-genre music festival is the exposure offered to new and emerging artists, who are often tasked with warming up the…
Snappy Singles: February Folk Delights
byDue to riding extremely close to the deadline with our Snappy Singles feature last month, where the editorial portion was a little light, the…
Essential New Releases: GDW Jukebox Heroes
byTaking a week out to attend a family gathering overseas recently, it was quite overwhelming to open the GDW email inbox upon our return….
First Spin, First Impressions: Bakers Duz’n, “Vol. 1”
byWe’re over halfway into the month already – can you believe that – and while I’ve managed to listen to a handful of fresh…
Essential New Releases: In Case You Missed ‘Em…
byWe’re still playing catch up with the seemingly endless number of new single releases that have dropped recently. Just taking the last couple of…
Snappy Singles: Commonwealth Connections Edition
byWe may devote most of our editorial space to North American artists, but we’re always on the lookout for music from across the Commonwealth…
Single Premiere: The Boathouse, “Leave It Behind”
by“Oh, you don’t want to know how lonely I’ve been / Since you walked out of my life / Now there’s static on the…
Martin’s Favorite Four Canadian Albums of 2023
byFollowing the feature from earlier this week that chronicled what I consider to be my 20 favorite Canadian albums released across 2023, it was…
Martin Noakes: 2023 Fave 20 Albums List
byAs we enter this final week of 2023, I am happy to share what I consider to be 20 of the finest Canadian album…
2023 Year End Review: 20 Memorable Singles
byYou know how this works – picture the scene: you’re lost in thought, perhaps working through another 9-5, with a radio on in the…
Video Vault: Annual Cleanout
byJudging from the dust that has accumulated on the safe here at Team GDW, it’s clearly been a while since we last punched in…
2023 Year-End Roundup: 10 Memorable Live Moments
byAs we prepare to kiss goodbye to 2023, it’s time once again to look back at the GDW concert-going adventures over the last twelve…
Lisa LeBlanc: Live in Vienna, VA
byNo matter how many artists continue to be added to our playlists, for those that truly stand out from the pack, I can often…
The Stephen Stanley Band: Live At The Redwood Theatre
byCelebrating the release of their new album, “Before the Collapse of the Hive,” The Stephen Stanley Band hit the stage at The Redwood Theatre…
Snappy Singles: Holiday-Free Music Zone
byContrary to popular belief, there are plenty of non-holiday themed single releases to be discovered right now – they just seem to drown in…
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Le Roy, la Rose et le Lou[p]: Live In Joliette, QC
byBack in early October, an email appeared in the GDW inbox with news of an interesting retro-pop single from a trio of talented Québécois…
Ariel Posen: Live in Vienna, VA
byWith an extensive international fall tour to promote the release of his latest “Reasons Why” album, Winnipeg, MB soul-roots rocker Ariel Posen made a…
Take A Chance On Me: Barn Owl, “Chasing The Glow”
byI’ll start by saying I am a proud vinyl geek. I cannot be stopped from flipping through stacks wherever they’re available. When I go…
Single Release: The Redhill Valleys, “Steady The Wheel”
by“Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” I’m sure many of us are familiar with Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote made back in 1789, one…
Review: Terra Lightfoot, “Healing Power”
byNot that we are actively keeping score of how many artists we have caught live in concert following the two-year pause button that was…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Terra Lightfoot: Live At Home County Music & Art Festival
bySkim through the GDW archives over the last twelve months or so, and you’ll find Terra Lightfoot’s name jump out pretty frequently. In our…
Video Premiere: Joan Smith & The Jane Does, “Irrational Anthem”
byThe weekend is almost upon us! We just have to make it through one of those painstakingly long Fridays, to punch that clock one…
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…
Tokyo Police Club: Live at Tall Pines Music & Arts Festival
byWe wrap up our Tall Pines festival coverage with Friday night co-headliners, Tokyo Police Club – a late addition to the bill, but as…
Tall Pines Music & Arts Festival: Emerging Artists
byWith eighteen Canadian acts performing on the Tall Pines stage across two days, you had to arrive early afternoon if wanting to catch some…
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…
Whitehorse: Live in Guelph, ON
byThe arrival of a global pandemic took most of us by surprise in early 2020, and brought plenty of trepidation as it uprooted life…
The Bros. Landreth: Live at Jammin’ Java
byWith the 2022 release of their highly anticipated latest album, “Come Morning,” we were more than eager to snap up tickets to see Winnipeg,…
The Sadies: Live at Club Café
byIt’s not often that Toronto, ON alt-country-psyche-surf rockers The Sadies bring their live show to Pittsburgh – so Team GDW took great pleasure in…
Julianna Riolino: Live at Club Café
byTouring the US east coast in support of The Sadies, Welland, ON singer-songwriter Julianna Riolino was excited to share her unique brand of indie-punk…
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…
Matt Andersen and the Big Bottle of Joy: Live At The Aeolian
byWe’ve shared many recaps of the concerts enjoyed during our most recent adventures in Southern Ontario (4 concerts in 3 days), and wrap up…
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…