Fortress Fest 2018 returned to Fort Worth’s cultural district last weekend, building upon and developing its previous year’s performance. Re-mapping of the festival grounds was the most noticeable improvement. Last year, the two stages were too far apart, forcing concertgoers to make a tedious back and forth walk from Will Rogers to the Modern Art Museum. The festival this year […]

The music scene has become “girly” in Bono’s opinion. The U2 frontman bemoans the lack of “rage” in rock in this month’s Rolling Stone cover story: “I think music has gotten very girly. And there are some good things about that, but hip-hop is the only place for young male anger at the moment – and that’s not good. When I was […]

More than 2,500 songs shared, some 200 LPs and EPs reviewed, thousands of photos from concerts and festivals, and dozens of premieres later, we’ve arrived at our annual tradition of sharing our favorite songs of the past 52 weeks – also known as The Mega, Mega Playlist of 2017. This year’s playlist is the biggest yet. The 2015 version had […]

Another year and another opportunity to photograph some amazing bands. Whether it was a world famous artist or a rising indie band, it was my privilege to capture some of the essence of the live performance. I was able to cover multiple festivals: Canadian Music Week, Dragonboat, Montebello RockFest, Ottawa Bluesfest, Newport Folk Festival, Osheaga, CityFolk, and Beau’s Oktoberfest as well […]

This year was a whirlwind of festivals and club shows, both close to home and in cities afar. I was fortunate enough to be able to photograph the final live show at an Ottawa institution, take candid photos of an incredibly personable band during an interview, and had the privilege to return for a second year to photograph a pair […]

2017 has been another fabulous year for music. Numerous bands and artists made triumphant returns, dozens of newcomers took music to new heights, and some established stars aged like fine wines. With the holiday season upon us, it’s the perfect time to review the year that was. For the last five days, we shared our Favorite 50 Albums of 2017. […]

Ten more of our of Favorite Albums of 2017 – Part 2 are shared today. The list includes artists who refine the familiar approaches, others who completely re-invented themselves, and some who released records that bordered on pure cinematic ecstasy. After reading the below, revisit Part One.   Dan Auerbach (USA) – Waiting on a Song (via Easy Eye Sound) […]

This year’s Hopscotch festival kicks off on Thursday in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it brings one of the year’s best lineups to the table.  There are tons of great artists and bands from around the country, representing the Brooklyn DIY scene, Philly punk scene, and even a headlining show from Solange Knowles. While the big headlining shows by Solange, Big […]

A photo essay from Newport Folk Festival 2017 – Day 1. This is just one of four parts. The other articles are: Things we loved – an overview of Newport Folk Festival Day 2 photo essay Day 3 photo essay   MORE PHOTOS IN SLIDER

We have arrived at our favorite time of year and one of our top two festivals. There is nothing like Newport Folk Festival, now in its 58th year! The Festival’s longevity is a testament to its influence and impact on music, such as when Bob Dylan went electric in 1966 or as recently as last year when Kris Kristofferson made […]

It’s Thursday and narrowing down the who to see list is soooo hard. Thursday and Friday are the two days that almost seem overwhelming. The good news is that there is no shortage of talent the rest of the week. Here’s a list of official showcases to check out tonight. Just remember to be careful and make sure you have […]

With her sixth record as Hurray for the Riff Raff, Alynda Lee Segarra drew inspiration from her past to write The Navigator. In her youth, Segarra was very much a navigator, having left the Bronx in her teens and traveled on box cars across the country. On The Navigator, Segarra tells the story of Navita, a character very much based […]

The Weekend Showcase 2.49 edition is the final one of 2016. It has been an exceptional year for independent music, and this final mega-playlist epitomizes everything we love about the songs we heard. Mind-altering rockers, psychedelia, and shoegaze. Thoughtful and socially conscious numbers. Hip-shaking indie pop. Masterful mosaics of sound that could not categorized. In short, there are 42 songs […]

Melodic Tonic ’16, vol. 46 – your mid-week serving of new music cocktails – includes a dash of holiday cheer and huge dose of heart. Proceeds from some of these singles will benefit charitable organizations. Let’s get things started with a pair of politically inspired tunes. Austra – “Future Politics” (Toronto, Canada) RIYL: Zola Jesus, Grimes, Psychic Twin Only a few weeks remain until the new […]

Last week, we commenced our countdown of our Favourite Albums of 2014. In quick review: First five included Alvvays, Angel Olsen, The Antlers, Beck, and Benjamin Booker. That followed with Chad VanGaalen, Conor Oberst, Coves, Damien Jurado, and Doug Keith The last five consisted of Dream Boat, Eagulls, First Aid Kit, Future Islands, and Hamilton Leithauser. Here are the next […]

Fifty-five years since it started, the Newport Folk Festival has expanded in more ways than one. As for 2011 when it had a special Friday night addition with Wilco, the Festival has become a three-day event. The music is more diverse as Jay Sweet, the Festival’s producer, and his management team try to appeal to younger audiences without compromising the […]

It’s the third and final day of the Newport Folkfest. Like with yesterday, here is a quick summary of some of the acts to see and three that are given more of a marquee spot. Granted, they are all worth seeing. I probably should have written summaries for all of them. I digress.   Ages and Ages – 11:30 to […]

The Ottawa Folkfest this morning released the lineup to its 21st edition of the annual festival, and the lineup is fantastic. There’s something for everyone at the five-day festival, which runs from September 10-14 at Hog’s Back Park in the middle of Ottawa. The headliners – Lorde, The National, Neutral Milk Hotel, Foster the People, and The Gaslight Anthem – […]

The first three months of 2014 brought to us some excellent music. To review the first quarter, we, Rich and Ben, have provided our favourite 15 albums so far. If you’ve been following us, we say favourite because we’re not experts nor are we qualified critics (is there such a thing?). This list was really tough to determine and we […]

One of my favorite musical cities is New Orleans. It’s a city that truly celebrates its musical roots, and that’s why it’s not surprising singer-songwriter Alynda Lee Segarra felt at home there. Segarra grew up in The Bronx, and left home at the young age of 17, riding trains and hitching rides around the country, before ending up in New […]