Not your typical country star, this Scottish born, Canadian-raised singer is on a mission to unite rock and country pop for music fans across the country. After touring extensively, Johnny Reid is back with a new album, ‘Fire It Up’, full of strong and confident tunes driven by a desire to be accessible and positive toward both his music and his fans. You can catch the fun, charismatic musician across Canada right now; for more details and tour dates, be sure to visit johnnyreid.com.
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COLD SPECKS
Cold Specks is the brainchild of Al Spx, a native of Etobicoke. After making critical waves in the U.K., with television performances on Later with Jools Holland, Cold Specks has now been receiving some very well-deserved attention. Her upcoming debut album on May 22nd titled, I Predict A Graceful Expulsion, reveals music steeped in the musical traditions of the deep south. Featuring soulful, haunting vocals, she creates an aura of mystery that is a joy to dive into. Catch Cold Specks on Canadian tour dates supporting Great Lake Swimmers this May. For more details, visit killbeatmusic.com/coldspecks.
AMOS THE TRANSPARENT
Ottawa-based band, Amos The Transparent, are back with their third album, ‘Good Night My Dear…I’m Falling Apart’. A project that began as two EPs morphed into one album that aligns their light, pop side with their dark, dramatic, folk side, and recreates a live orchestra feel. With new song “You Were So Right” set to be featured in an upcoming episode of Degrassi – The Next Generation, this might be the breakaway wave they’ve been waiting to ride. Grounded, thankful, open and ready to rock and work, the band is excited to start playing for audiences across Canada. For tour dates and more, visit amosthetransparent.com.
SAID THE WHALE
After releasing their EP ‘New Brighton’ last fall, 2011 Juno Award winners Said the Whale are back with their 3rd studio album ‘Little Mountain’, scheduled for release March 6, 2012. The album, replete with catchy tunes with brilliant hooks, layers vocal harmonies on clever, confident, sharp indie pop. After wrapping up a long US tour at the end of 2011, they were able to briefly return home to Vancouver for the Grey Cup, and now they’re back on the road to promote their new album. For more news, tour dates and videos, visit saidthewhale.com
Whitehorse
Canadian husband and wife singer-songwriters Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland are taking the indie scene by a folk-rocking, sweet-popping bluesy storm as the duo Whitehorse. Mixing genres, instruments, sounds and themes, Whitehorse’s self-titled debut album is a beautifully crafted tapestry of rich melodies that are romantic, haunting and unique. Hear their foot-stompin’ single “Killing Time is Murder” and check out upcoming tour dates at whitehorsemusic.ca.
JASON BAJADA
Poetic lyrics and expressions of gut-wrenching heartache are delivered with honest emotion from St-Sauveur native Jason Bajada. After releasing his first two albums independently and touring throughout Quebec and Ontario, Jason was signed to a Canadian label, enabling him to continue creating new expressions of his life’s journey. His latest album, ‘The Sound Your Life Makes’, presents a spectrum of experiences and feelings with varied sounds ranging from folk to country to pop, inspiring a sense of risk-taking and the desire to embrace everything life offers. For more, visit jasonbajada.net.
JUSTIN HINES
From singing the national anthem at a Toronto Raptors game at the young age of 15 to releasing his fourth album, ‘Days to Recall’, Justin Hines certainly has unique stories to share. Justin’s latest album builds on his previous work and journey through life, with rich, emotional and positive lyrics framed with catchy bridges and layered rhythms. A strong supporter of various charities and exploring all life has to offer, Justin has taken his music across North America and as far as China and the Middle East. Learn more about Justin and check out tour dates at justinhines.com.
Jim Cuddy
Canadian icon Jim Cuddy speaks with us on the heels of the release of his third solo album, ‘Skyscraper Soul’. What began as Jim writing music to accompany his wife’s short film, Jim cultivated very personal songs that also drew on the city of Toronto as inspiration. The result is an album woven together with a beautiful storytelling sequence, which includes prominent strings, horn arrangements and an overall soundtrack-esque pace to the record. Jim’s first single, ‘Everyone Watched the Wedding’, drew attention with his unusual focus on the royals, which he attributes to a broader interest in romance and preparing for life’s journey on the strength of true love. For more information on upcoming shows and additional projects, visit jimcuddy.com.
2011 Polaris Music Prize Gala
Huge congratulations to Arcade Fire for their 2011 Polaris Music Prize win, which honoured their beautiful record ‘The Suburbs’.
The Polaris Music Prize is a not-for-profit organization that honours, celebrates and rewards creativity and diversity in Canadian recorded music. Polaris recognizes and markets albums of the highest artistic integrity, without regard to musical genre, professional affiliation, or sales history. It is adjudicated by selected music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers.
Photos by: Dustin Rabin
Kuba Oms
Hailing from Victoria, BC, long time musical director of the electro project Velvet, Kuba Oms is getting ready to launch his follow up to debut album ‘How Much Time’. His 2011 project builds on the strong songwriting from his first foray into solo work, with an emphasis on upbeat dance vibes. Planning to release the record later this year, Kuba’s taking a new approach by releasing one single at a time. Recent songs have been featured in films ‘Powder Blue’ and ‘Let It Ride’, and new track, “Electrolove”, is a catchy, fun tune with a disco throwback style sure to keep you hooked. For more, visit www.kubaoms.com.