Since he first emerged from Toronto’s burgeoning alternative scene in 1995 with the now iconic, “Everything I Long For”, Hayden has intrigued, not only for his music but also for his highly introspective personality and his fierce musical independence. He usually performs most instruments on his records, and almost always engineers, mixes, and produces them. Hayden ended a four year performance hiatus last fall...
One of New York’s most original bands, Hazmat Modine delivers a rustic and delirious blend of blues, reggae, klezmer, country and Gypsy-tinged music. Featuring the duelling harmonicas of front-man Wade Schuman and his sparring partner Bill Barrett, the funky tuba powerhouse Joseph Daley, guitarists Michael Gomez and Pete Smith, trumpeter Pam Fleming and drummer Rich Huntley, the band lays down a smouldering groove...
Hurray for the Riff Raff is Alynda lee Segarra, a 25-year-old Puerto Rican from the Bronx. She left home at an early age to travel the country, eventually settling in New Orleans where she began performing and recording with a revolving cast of musicians. Then, along with her long time fiddling sidekick, Yosi Perlstein, Segarra teamed up with the honky-tonk band...
“Gorgeous, sunstruck, acoustic soul”* – here’s Reid Jamieson. He was born and raised in Toronto, but now calls the west coast home. Reid is also a favourite and regular member of CBC’s Vinyl Café Orchestra and a grand prize winner for folk in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for his song RAIL. Not only is he an inspired songwriter...
Anthony Joseph and The Spasm Band is a group led by Trinidadian poet, novelist and lecturer Anthony Joseph. Joseph moved to the UK In 1989, forming the band in 2005 in London as an offshoot of his then novel-in-progress “The African Origins of UFOs” – for Joseph, poetry is music and must be chanted, sung and declaimed...
With powerful instrumentals and beautifully arranged songs, skillfully executed and soulfully delivered, The Alan Kelly Gang sits firmly at the cutting edge of both the Traditional and World music scenes. Fronted by Ireland’s piano accordion maestro, described by New York’s Irish Voice as “in league with the best piano accordionists in the world”...
Even considering her young age, at 22 Mo Kenney is far from being a novice songwriter. Her writing began in her early teens, and by the age of 14 she had already done some recording at a small studio in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Influenced early-on by bands such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, Kenney had a turning point in her musical evolution...
Independent and unconventional, guitarist Kaki King has been hailed by Rolling Stone as “a genre unto herself.” She is a true iconoclast, a visionary musician and artist whose singular work rightly stands out amongst the more easily categorized work around her. Over her decade-long career thus far, this Brooklyn-based guitar-wizard and composer has recorded five extraordinarily diverse and distinctive LPs...
This multi-talented, 24 year-old Victoria, BC native not only has a thriving musical career in the spotlight, doing his own work, but has appeared on numerous CD jacket credits, playing everything from spacey electric mandolin to violent, pounding hardcore drums. Aidan Knight has recorded and performed with Hannah Georgas, David Vertesi, and The Zolas, and shared stages with Patrick Watson...
Kobo Town takes the intricate wordplay of classic Caribbean music and runs it through a 21st Century filter. In the world of Kobo Town, calypso, roots reggae, and acoustic instrumentation meet innovative production techniques, social commentary and indie rock attitude. Named after the historic Port of Spain neighbourhood where calypso was born, Kobo Town was founded by Trinidadian-Canadian songwriter Drew Gonsalves...