Bob Merserau, music columnist, long-time arts reporter for CBC Television in New Brunswick and author of the groundbreaking bestseller The Top 100 Canadian Albums, published in 2007, is back with The Top 100 Canadian Singles on Sept. 30. Â The oversized, full colour book includes in-depth interviews with musicians, background facts and trivia, musician-penned sidebars
and documentary photographs. More on Facebook and national press: Sue McCallum at sue@thenextlevelpr.ca or 289.314.4380
After working with Canadian pop artists such as Fefe Dobson and Shiloh, Canadian musician Dan Kanter began playing with a teenage boy from Stratford about a year ago. Now, Kanter has become the guitarist and musical conductor in Justin Bieber’s band and is pursuing a Master’s Degree at York University in Toronto under Professor Rob Bowman [London Free Press]
The Museum of Canadian Music may not yet exist as a building it does reside as a virtual space where one can browse through various rooms that pay tribute to specific genres and themes. An example of this is the Hockey Room.
“Canadians have been singing about hockey and hockey players for as long as hockey has been around,” museum founder Robert Williston says. “Inside the Hockey Room, you can find out about every song that’s been written about any player you want. There have been songs written about Eddie Shack, Jean Beliveau, Bobby Hull, Wayne Gretzky and Maurice Richard. Even Alan Thicke sang about Bobby Orr in the ’70s.”
The Hockey Room includes vocal stylings of NHL veterans such as Frank Mahovlich, Dave Schultz and Guy Lafleur. And who could forget Johnny Bower and the Rinky Dinks’ Honky the Christmas Goose or the three LPs by Henri “Pocket Rocket” Richard? “It’s amazing,” says Williston with all the awe the subject deserves. “This is our history and culture. And this website is going to try to bring it all together.” [Jason Anderson, Calgary Herald]
Another Canadian music repository is the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, located in the Calgary Stampede Park. The collection of more than 600 artefacts was assembled and donated by Debbie Buck, the widow of Alberta artist, producer and Hall of Fame founder Gary Buck. The collection includes photographs and memorabilia from Canadian Country stars ranging from Hank Snow to Terri Clark as well as people who contributed to growing Canada’s country music scene in other ways and is now funded and operated by the Cantos Music Foundation in Calgary.
And, finally, Library Archives Canada allows virtual viewing and listening to one of the largest historical music collections in the country. Using an easy-to-use search function, one can discover the personal files of prominent artists such as Glenn Gould and Oscar Peterson, books, sheet music, and a wide array of Canadian historical sound recordings. The archive also maintain the Canadian Music Periodical Index, giving users access to an index of articles from Canadian music journals, newsletters and magazines dating from the late-19th century to the present day. View some of the virtual exhibitions here
If nothing else, the packed floor at Philly’s Electric Factory on Wednesday was proof that Crystal Castles’ notoriety has served them well. On recordings, the Canadian duo are known for their violent and confrontational sound, vocalist Alice Glass crushed between the opposing walls of Ethan Kath’s symphonic synths and glitchy Game Boy beats. Live, the spasmodic spectacle of Glass writhing and screaming her way through the friction has earned the pair a reputation for putting on one of the most energetic shows electronic music has to offer [Philly.com]
Vancouver musician and songwriter Bodhi Jones has had his share of ups and downs establishing a career for himself. Currently busking at Robson and Howe streets in Vancouver, where he can be found five days a week from 2 to 6 p.m., he will be performing and competing at the Red Robinson Talent Show at the Pacific National Exhibition for the 2nd time, having failed to win in 2003. The competition comes with a $5,000 prize purse. The following year, in 2004 Jones thought he’d found his big break when
American music producer Don Gilmore heard him performing on the street.. Gilmore is famous for producing albums with Canadian singer Avril Lavigne, Linkin Park and Good Charlotte. That meeting led to a three-year co-publishing deal with U.S.-based Mercury Records, and a $30,000 advance. When the economy turned sour, Gilmore was gone, leaving Jones a free-agent and $30,000 richer. Last year Jones won a Virgin Radio BC talent contest, was voted into The Peak radio station’s Peak Performance Project’s top 20 and invited to perform during the 2010 Olympic Games at Vancouver Athlete’s Village and Whistler Village. Busking for now is his mainstay income and he’s selling 25 CDs at $10 per on average daily [Vancouver Courier]
Stompin’ Tom Conners recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Toronto Musicians
Union and 50-year membership pin to add to his list of accolades, which also include officer of The Order of Canada, the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, The Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, and SOCAN’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also the recipient of three doctorates –– from St. Thomas University in Fredericton, the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown and the University of Toronto, and was recently immortalized with his very own Canadian postage stamp.
There are also six Juno awards, however, Connors’ frustration with Canadian musicians living south of the border while collecting awards in this country prompted him to return them in 1979 [QMI]
