JP Hoe – Getting Under the Skin on Mannequin

 Twice-nominated Western Canadian Music Awards artist JP Hoe is the ultimate singer-songwriter. The Winnipeg native is earnest, wry, ironic, funny and insightful. His material has a genuine homespun feel, filled with catchy hooks and melodies – genuine, uncontrived and confessional. Hoe's songs have vision and substance, and are a welcome

Paul Brandt – Getting back to his gospel roots

 Paul Brandt's newest record Just As I Am, released in October, is an interesting departure for this Canadian country star and multi-music-award winner. Just As I Am is a reference to Brandt's gospel roots, and the record is a collection of traditional favorites. If you're not interested in an album with overt Christian

Mother Mother: Back to Basics on The Sticks

 At the peak of digital possibility, for every one artist capitalizing on the technology age, two are cursing its contribution to the demise of good music. For every Rebecca Black, there is a Neil Young – an established artist there to remind us that it didn’t used to be all

The Gospel of Nick Drake — Coming to a church near you

 British poet and singer-songwriter Nick Drake was not the kind of musician, admittedly, that I'd had much exposure to, or even had much knowledge of, when my appetite for music first kicked in. My exposure to Drake had always consisted primarily of other songwriters' mentions of him: people like Elvis

Lynn Miles – Songs of Love and Truth

 I was fortunate enough to attend a Lynn Miles show at Irene's Pub on Bank Street a few weeks ago. Irene’s Pub is an amazing live music venue. Alex Golota, the owner, recently finished some major renovations to the bar's performance area, and let me tell you, the sound and