By Jesse Keith
A lot of musicians have forgotten music can be used to spread a message. These days most popular musicians have very little to say besides what brand of jeans they wear or why Pepsi is the best cola. Folk singer/songwriter Dan Bern doesn’t fall into this category. He is, above all else, a man with… Continue reading Seven years on the open road
By Falice Chin
It’s been half a year since Canada’s own Buck 65 started being spotted in bits and pieces across North American and international media as his album Talkin’ Honkin’ Blues was well-received by critics and listeners alike. While the record didn’t end up reaching platinum sales or winning wide recognition from mainstream culture, Buck 65 has… Continue reading Buck 65
The distinction between independent success and mainstream superstardom isn’t defined by a fine line so much as by an immense chasm. There have been a few bands to bridge this gulf, but most end up as one-hit wonders. The rest are briefly adored by the public, then given backhanded compliments about how “their older stuff… Continue reading Barber has a new ‘do
Call me sexist if you want, but I never could stand girl-rock. Women can make some beautiful music, there’s no questioning that, but with the exception of Janis Joplin, very few girls can actually just “rock out.” All the famous poster-girls for female rock have either gone pop (No Doubt, Amanda Marshall), become utterly self-absorbed… Continue reading Operation Makeout
If you talk to Ian Blurton, he’ll tell you rock and roll never died. If you listen to his band, Blurtonia, you may just be convinced that it never will. Though they list influences everywhere from Chuck Berry to Television, it’s obvious that the spirit of the music holds more sway than the bands themselves.… Continue reading Rocking out
By Josh LaVoie
These are the laments of Jon Gauthier, lead singer of the Grimsby, Ontario born SECTORSEVEN. Plunking away on their six strings since 1992, the melodic hardcore/metal group exemplifies the punk ideology in their latest self-titled release.The hard, fast, high-energy punk fest proves that the group has succeeded in reinventing themselves after the departure of guitarist… Continue reading Punk-rock today
It has been quite the year and a half for Wilco. First, in the process of recording their most recent album, the wonderfully beautiful and complex Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, they lost their long time drummer, Ken Coomer. Next, they parted ways with their label Reprise. And finally, Jay Bennett, guitarist, keyboardist, engineer, and the man… Continue reading Wilco, the band who loves you
By James Keller
Their debut album, The Fallout, currently holds the number three position in the United States. They’re in mid-tour with the band two spots above them. Their first single, “Wasting My Time,” is getting aired on virtually every radio station in North America-oh, and they did it all in just over two short years.The atypical part… Continue reading The fallout of fame
By James Keller
While bagpipes and heavy rock music might sound like an odd combination, they’ve become the norm for Canadian hard rock band Mudmen. "In the past, nobody wanted to play in a band with bagpipes," says Sandy Campbell, one of two brothers-the other being Rob Campbell-who make up the piping section of the Toronto-based band. "At… Continue reading Rock bad-boys with bagpipes