Talent,News, Broadcasting
Manitoban rockers Eagle & Hawk swept the 3rd annual Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg Fri. night (7th). The Juno Award-winning outfit took four of the 11 trophies on hand, but lost the nomination in the Best Single category. That honour went to the night’s other big winner, breakout coutry star Crystal Shawanda, for her hit, “You Can Let Go.”
Shawanda also came close to stealing the 5,000 plus audience in the house with a riveting performance of her bluesy single, “My Roots Are Showing.” Dressed in high heels and a sequined frock, the Ojibwe native capped a year already full of record accomplishments. Along with Single, Shawanda won awards for Best New Artist, and Best Country Album with Dawn Of A New Day. Also of note, was Little Hawk’s win with in the Best Folk CD category. Little Hawk is otherwise known as Troy Westwood, the former Blue Bomber kicker.
The awards, televised on APTN and Bell Express Vu, were marked by a serious moment when Manitoba Heritage Minister Eric Robinson offered a tribute to late First Nations leaders, including recently deceased MLA Oscar Lathlin. He concluded his speech on a brighter note, recognizing the aboriginal Olympians in the audience and announced that Winnipeg will host the World Indigenous Games in 2012.
The list of winners is as follows: Entertainer of the year – Eagle & Hawk; Best Blues CD – Lazy James, JC Campbell; Best Country CD – Dawn Of A New Day, Crystal Shawanda; Best Duo/Group – Eagle & Hawk; Best Folk/Acoustic CD – Home & Native Land, Little Hawk; Best New Artist – Crystal Shawanda; Best Contemporary Pow Wow CD – Oshke ye ii, Whitefish Bay Singers; Best Traditional Pow Wow CD – November Winds, Northern Wind; Best Rock CD – Red Road Stories, Eagle & Hawk; Best Songwriter – Eagle & Hawk; Single of the Year – You Can Let Go, Crystal Shawanda.
The wind-up, or perhaps one should say the count-down, to the 96th Grey Cup at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium on Nov. 23 is well underway. Music and various other adornments to the main event are to be staged under a tent- village in Place du Canada square. All for free, the line-up so far includes country singer Véronique Labbé, harmonica virtuoso Guy Bélanger, blues singer Angel Forrest, Marc Parent, Wang Dang Doodle, the Porn Flakes and (u2 cover band) Elevation. The traditional Calgary-hosted pancake breakfast will be held on De la Cathédrale St., on Nov. 21, a cheerleading competition will be staged in the village Nov. 22,the Canadian Football League players awards will be held at the Montreal Casino on Nov. 20; a gala featuring local star Nikki Yanofsky and comic Sugar Sammy will be staged Nov. 22 in Windsor Station.
This Wed., Nov. 12, Bedouin Soundclash, Patrick Watson, Woodhands and The Saint Alva Cartel hope to whoop and woo a delegation of Asian concert promoters at the 750-seat Duo Music Exchange in Tokyo. The showcase is the finalle to a four day, CIRPA-organized trade mission that’s intended to help sell a briefcase full of Canadian artist contracts and further trade relations, with representatives from the Japanese and Pan-Asian music markets. The night following, Nov. 13, the Ontario government, through the OMDC, and private broadcast initiative Radio Starmaker Fund co-sponsor a showcase at the 230 seat Oscar Peterson Theatre in the Canadian Embassy. On stage are Alex Cuba, Sofia de Medeiros, and The Trews.
Hailed as “The whiskey sipping darling of the Vancouver country scene” Shiloh Lindsey is earning enviable praise from all the right opinion slingers in her newfound hometown. No Nashville calendar gal is she, her videos are more provocative than entertaining and her songs are sung in the key of sadness R.C. Joseph, in Vancouver’s Metro on her recent For My Smoke album, writes that “her grittier numbers are delivered with the candor and power of a Lucinda Williams or Carla Bozulich, while her softer moments conjure up images of an whiskey-soaked Natalie Merchant backed by Neil Young’s Stray Gators” and he begs the question: “Why isn’t this woman famous yet?” The Vanouver Sun, equally enthralled, calls her “a Great White North Lucinda Williams, her vocal as clear and as constant as a mountain stream.” Several audio samples and videos can be found online on her MySpace webpage or at her website
More erocative than provocative is Italian-born, Thunder Bay-raised Patrizia, who’s eye-popping looks and smooth as soft ice-cream four-octave pipes have won her invitations from Bravo and Fashion TV, as well as attention from the CBC. As the back-story goes, she was playing the clubs with a band when she first heard a recording of Maria Callas singing and the moment shaped her life to come.
Incredibly, long after her death, Callas could still reach out and touch, even influence people today. For Patrizia, hearing the Callas voice was as if it was a personal calling card, launching her almost immediately into a project to carry her voice from bar rooms to recital halls. On Wed. the 19th Patrizia will be showcasing an eye-popping costume, a chorus line of calendar-girl poses, as well as new material from her “groundbreaking creation: My Beloved, the EP. Tickets are to be had for an affordable $10, plus the usuals. The venue is Toronto’s Rock Parlour Club on Queen. “I have always envisioned the operatic voice in the context of rock music and other contemporary styles,” Patrizi explained recently. “The juxtaposition of the refined and beautiful with the harder edged sounds create a mind blowing experience and is the music of the future.” Find out more at Patrizia’s website
Warner Music hosted a reception for The Waking Eyes this past Thur. (6th). The Winnipeg band was in town for an appearance that doubled as the officially launch for the third album, Holding On To Whatever It Is. Rusty Matyas, Joey Penner, Matt Peters and Steve Senkiw earned distinction with a very clever art-rock debut confection entitled Combing The Clouds and followed it up with the more muscular sounding Video Sound album a couple of years back. Since then they have been studio wanking and working the circuit to advance and maintain core and future audiences. The Waking Eyes MySpace page hosts three streamed tracks from the new album.
Friday the 7th, Montreal’s Club Lambi was the launching pad for The Darling DeMaes first full-length album, A User’s Guide to Raising the Dead (Songs of Spring). The jangly acoustic folk-rock quintet has earned praise in the market with a folio of edgy retro-sophisto songs and memorable performances. Joining them for the event, fellow Montreal bands Open Fields and The Receivers.
The Princess cinema co-owners John Tutt and Wendy Guymer in Waterloo, ON launched an acoustic music series this fall with Ian Tamblyn, Harry Manx, David Francey and Fred Eaglesmith headlining. Each has his own story, but a few facts about Tamblyn who has been playing dates throughout Ontario and Quebec recently: His latest album, Raincoast, is the second in a series of four, titled Four Coast Project; In addition to writing more than 1,500 songs and compositions, the former Juno Award winner has written six plays, all of which have been staged.
One-time Canadian country singer turned-Beatles Hall Of Fame inductee Hal Bruce, along with ex-Rankin Family drummer Scott Ferguson, have added a second show at the Music Room Theatre in Halifax on Dec. 9. The duo returns with a slick tightly-scripted ’60s Beatles revue that Bruce has been slapping out for the past eight years in Australia, Argentina, England, Luxembourg, the Caribbean and even here in N/A. In Aug., Bruce was inducted in the first Hall Of Fame in Liverpool, and he is the first recipient of the Abbey Road On The River Beatles Festival Hall Of Fame Award in Louisville, Ky. He also set a world-record performing all 214 released Beatles songs in a non-stop medley in front of 5,000 people in Cleveland in 04, and again in Kentucky in 05. He tried again in the Fab Four’s Liverpool in 06 where, halfway into song 120, local authorities unplugged him for performing without a permit. Besides performing Beatles classics at The Music Room, the duo will deliver an assortment of hits by The Lovin’ Spoonful, Mamas and The Papas, Donovan, The Byrds, Rolling Stones, Monkees, Animals, Herman’s Hermits and others from the era.
Gordon Lightfoot returns to Sault Ste. Marie for his first concert in more than 15 years this spring. The Sault stop, at the Essar Centre on April 18, is one of only a few Canadian shows planned on a 21 date tour in 09. Lightfoot’s last Sault appearance was at the Memorial Gardens in ‘93.
New on vinyl (again): Music From the Big Pink and The Band, The Band; Peace Sells But Who’s Buying? and Rust in Peace, Megadeath; For Your Pleasure and Roxy Music, Roxy Music; Endless Summer, The Beach Boys; Built For Speed, The Stray Cats; Band On the Run, Paul McCartney; and Rock ‘n’ Roll, John Lennon.
Italian DJ Spankox (aka Agostino Carollo) produced a club shaking remix of the Elvis hit “Baby Let’s Play House” last year and it went on to top the charts in several European countries. The single was also noteworthy because it was the first release using the vinylDISC medium that bridged eras and allows play on both CD players and turntables. Spankox is back again, this time with a full album of Elvis remixes, blessed by the late singer’s estate. The 11- track regular CD – Elvis vs Spankox Re:Versions – includes strobe-beat reversions of “Don’t Be Cruel,” “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear’ and “Jailhouse Rock.” Even in death, Elvis and TCB live on, and Robert Sillerman gets to play Colonel Tom Parker.
Sun reporter Jane Stevens couldn’t get a firm yes or no from Chris Squire about whether singer Jon Anderson is approving of Yes deciding to tour without him. He’s replaced by Canadian Benoit David on this tour. Squire has been hunkered down with the rest of the veteran British prog-rock group in Hamilton for the past two weeks for production rehearsals leading up to the launch of a N/A tour.
“As far as I know, yes (we have his blessing), seeing as how he’s been unable to speak much, we haven’t really spoken, but our manager, who manages Jon as well, has been keeping him abreast of all developments,” Stevens quotes Squire as saying. Squire continued: “(Anderson) has a very bad asthmatic condition, basically. Hopefully by next year he’ll make a full recovery. He may be able to do some shows in the future but it’s uncertain at this time.” Stevens writes that Squire basically felt the band owed its fans some live performances after a five year hiatus.
“It was (a hard decision) because we’d been sort of hanging back, as it were, for the past two or three years because of Jon’s reticence to tour, and obviously he was having some problems with his respiratory system anyway. But at a certain point we thought, ‘Well, the Yes fans out there are getting a little itchy, they’re not getting their fix, so we’ll go ahead with this other idea,’ ” Squire explained.
In amongst the Q3 earnings transcript, company CEO Michael Rapino reported that Live Nation recently sold its non-music events division to Michael Cole for $15 million. Two years back, Live Nation bought a controlling stake in Cohl’s global touring co. CPI for a mix of stock and cash reported to be valued at $120 million at the time. In June of this year, Cohl resigned as Chairman of Live Nation–but still tethered by stock ownership, a lump sum payment of $4.5 million for four years in consulting fees and non-compete provisions.
When Burton Cummings quit popular Winnipeg band The Deverons to join the Guess Who in 1965 — replacing keyboardist Bob Ashley and shortly thereafter its previous lead singer, Chad Allan — Chuck McCoy was one of the first to cheer the fact, over the air at CKY. Four decades later, Cummings will be doing the cheering when he greets McCoy on stage for the veteran broadcaster’s induction into the Canadian Music Week Hall of Fame on March 12 in Toronto.
Winnipeg-based Arbor Records has filed defamation notices on Astral Radio and the publicist for the Jeff Healey estate over comments alleged to be defamatory to the plaintiff resulting from the release of a Jeff Healey Legacy DVD/CD collection.
There are no certainties in life but expect to see a number of high-profile industry events significantly toned down as a result of an anemic economy and a paucity of cash flush sponsors. No official word but it is expected that the Songwriter’ Hall of Fame Awards will shift from television to radio next year. Apart from the huge cost of bringing the event to air, politics and language tarnished the show’s image this year. This Fall, the CCMA received notice a cancellation notice from a six-figure sponsor just weeks before going to air. Other annual and regional events are reviewing costs and reappraising delivery methods.
For steam whistle enthusiasts, Eagle Media is “thrilled to announce the release of six brand new additions to its reputable World Class Trains series.” The new additions to a collection that has swelled to 22 titles include a five-day, four-night excursion through Scotland’s history and beautiful scenery on The Royal Scotsman; a three-day, two-night journey along Australia’s eastern seaboard on The Great South Pacific Express; a panoramic view of South Africa’s Garden Route aboard The Rovos Rail; a journey on The Eastern & Oriental Express; a tour of India in regal splendor on board The Palace On Wheels; and luxury from Prague to Budapest with The Imperial Express.
CBC Radio3 – top 30: week of Nov 7
1. Chad VanGaalen – Soft Airplane
2. Mother Mother – O My Heart
3. Fembots – Calling Out
4. Woodpigeon – Treasure Library Of Canada
5. Adam & the Amethysts – Amethyst Amulet
6. Winter Gloves – About A Girl
7. The Telepathic Butterflies – Breakfast In Suburbia
8. Wendy McNeill – The Wonder Show
9. Sweatshop Union – Water Street
10. Stars – Sad Robots
11. Ghostkeeper – Children Of The Great Northern Muskeg
12. Novillero – A Little Tradition
13. Hexes And Ohs – Bedroom Madness
14. Ohbijou – The Acorn/Ohbijou Split 12”
15. Young Rival – EP
16. Snailhouse – Lies On The Prize
17. Hawksley Workman – Los Manlicious
18. The Dears – Missiles
19. Mardeen – Read Less Minds
20. Bend Sinister – Stories Of Brothers, Tales Of Lovers
21. Mark Berube – What The Boat Gave The River
22. Land Of Talk – Some Are Lakes
23. Library Voices – Hunting Ghosts & Other Collected Shorts
24. Final Fantasy – Spectrum, 14th Century
25. The Buttless Chaps – Cartography
26. Angela Desveaux – Angela Desveaux & The Mighty Ship
27. Human Highway – Moody Motorcycle
28. Tusks – self-titled EP
29. The High Dials – Moon Country
30. Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir – Ten Thousand
New adds:
Jay Crocker – Below The Ocean Over
Fall Horsie – Devil(e)Durge
Metric – Help, I’m Alive
Krista Muir – Accidental Railway
Josh Reichmann Oracle Band – Life Is Legal
Shout Out Out Out Out – In The End It’s Your Friends
Clinton St. John – Black Forest Levitation
The Unsettlers – self-titled
