Like the ball drop at Times Squares in New York City, the fireworks igniting from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the annual rite of hundreds of million of people making resolutions they cannot keep, we once again share some of our favorite songs from the past 365 days. The Mega, Mega Playlist of 2018 is another doozy. Specifically, it features […]

I was fortunate to once again photograph all of the festivals I did in 2017, including Canadian Music Week, Dragonboat, Montebello RockFest, Ottawa Bluesfest, Newport Folk Festival, Osheaga, CityFolk, and Beau’s Oktoberfest as well as many individual concerts. I like to try to capture some of the energy of the live shows in photos so I hope my photos convey some of […]

Like years past, this year I saw my share of shows. Being a contributor to The Revue, I am fortunate in that I can mesh many of my favourite things: live music, event photography, and gathering with friends. For the third year, I was able to photograph a pair of recognized and respected international music festivals as approved media. However, […]

It’s Christmas Eve, and everyone is anxious to unwrap the gifts that sit idly under the tree. There will be plenty of surprises on this day, which is the perfect time to unveil the bands and artists who we met for the first time this year and left us astonished. Hopefully one day, our 20 Favorite Hidden Gems of 2018 […]

Yesterday, we shared the first 25 of our Favorite 50 Albums of 2018. Here are the remaining twenty-five, which is littered with some of the very best singer-songwriters of our time. Click on the individual albums to be read the short descriptions and hear a few songs from these tremendous LPs. We’ve also included a Spotify playlist for your listening […]

Two days ago, we shared our Favorite 20 EPs of the year. Today, we commence our look back at our Favorite 50 Albums of 2018, counting down the first 25. As we always do, the list is in alphabetical order. As a reminder, we have not ranked the LPs nor use the term “Best” since both imply that we have […]

A truly great EP is one that sounds like a full-length album, where during its brief duration the listener is either challenged or taken somewhere beyond reality. Our Favorite 20 EPs of 2018 features extended players that took us to well beyond the stars and into fantasy realms. They made us dance and cry, lifted our spirits, and made us look […]

Twenty-Five years ago The Headstones released their debut album Picture of Health, heralding the arrival of one of the great Canadian rock bands of the 90s. They quickly made a name for themselves with an intense live show and exhaustive touring of Canada. This album remained so important to their repertoire that even, twenty-five years and nine albums later,  it still […]

The Weekend Showcase 4.49 edition is the final one for 2018. As always, the mega-playlist is a global affair, featuring 45 songs from artists and bands in 10 countries. They include: Australia, Canada, England, Germany, India, Italy, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, and the United States. The playlist and tracklisting, as usual, follows the list of articles from the past week. […]

For this final mini-playlist of the year, The Matinee ’18 December 14th edition is memorable. There are blazers and hip-shakers, grueling tunes, and intimate ballads. It’s the perfect eclectic mix that captures how great 2018 was in terms of new music. angelic milk – “acid & coca-cola” (St. Petersburg, Russia)  RIYL: Alice Glass, The Raveonettes, Dream Wife Through her […]

The Matinee ’18 December 13th is filled with light and darkness. Some of the songs will place a spell on you while others will get you up and moving. This is the penultimate mini-playlist of the year, so dive into these nine singles. Be Forest – “BENGALA” (Pesaro, Italy) RIYL: No Joy, Trementina, Swervedriver As the shoegaze world awaits My […]

The Melodic Tonic ’18 December 12th edition shines the spotlight on storytelling guitarists. From the indie folk-comedy stylings of Flight of the Conchords to dazzling indie psych-rock and dream-pop, today’s playlist offers plenty of lyrical and musical richness. Flight of the Conchords – “Father and Son” (Live in London) (Wellington, New Zealand) RIYL: Flight of the Conchords What better way […]

The Matinee ’18 December 11th – Part 1 has some powerful tunes, clever takes on the world that is, and a sultry affair. It’s, in our humble opinions, the ideal mini-playlist for these wintry days. After you’re finished here, check out Part 2 of The Matinee. Deerhunter– “Element” (Atlanta, USA)  RIYL: Ezra Furman, The Beatles, Plastic Ono Band Most […]

The Matinee ’18 December 11th – Part 2 will make you sing like you’re in a choir, dance like it’s 1999, and contemplate the future. It’s a little wintry and a bit summery, so prepare for all climates on this mini-playlist. Don’t forget to spin the songs in Part 1, which you can find here. Niki Black – “Hallelujah” (Los […]

The Matinee ’18 December 10th is the last Monday playlist of 2018. It was hard choosing just 6 so here is a nine track playlist to get your week started off right. We hope you find your new favorite song or band. Artists today are representing New Zealand, The US and The UK today. Calva Louise – “Tug Of War” […]

We are coming to the final stretch of 2018. It’s a time of merriment, reunions, and celebration. The Weekend Showcase 4.48 edition applauds the great new music of the past week or so, and the penultimate mega-playlist of 2018 is another dazzler. Forty-four songs are on it, and the artists represent a lucky 13 countries. They include: Australia, Belgium, Canada, […]

The Matinee ’18 December 7th edition is a whirlwind global tour of new music. From Australia, England and the Americas to Scandinavia, this playlist sparkles and shines more than your holiday decorations. Beverly Kills – “Dreamless” (Gothenburg, Sweden) RIYL: Amason, Alvvays, Agent Blå Not long ago we said Beverly Kills could be Sweden’s next great band when they released “Melodrama”. This […]

Quirky and clever, club-worthy to stadium anthems, heartfelt ballads to dreamy pop tunes, The Matinee ’18 December 6th edition has all this covered and more. It’s the gateway mini-playlist into the weekend, so turn up the volume and enjoy. Vök – “Spend The Love” (Hafnarfjörður / Akranes, Iceland) RIYL: BROODS, Warpaint, Marina and the Diamonds It wasn’t long ago that […]

The Melodic Tonic ’18 December 5th edition is a bold mix of multiple genres. This year may be almost over but 2019 has lots of great musical treats in store. Today’s playlist begins with a thunderous roar from an indie icon.   Bob Mould – “What Do You Want Me to Know?” (Berlin, Germany via USA) RIYL: Hüsker Dü, Sugar, […]

The Matinee ’18 December 4th – Part 2 is filled with innovative new music, some of which are really off the wall. There is also some spectacularly cinematic tunes and one summertime bliss. Afterwards, check out Part 1 of Tuesday’s The Matinee, and these songs are available here.   MUNNYCAT – “Check It” (Los Angeles, USA) RIYL: Deerhoof, The Go! […]