Album Reviews: Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Kid Cudi

 Paul McCartney — McCartney III (Liverpool, U.K.) As a long-time McCartney fan, it's been a minute since one of his recent releases dazzled me like self-titled and RAM releases. Once again returning to playing everything himself, there's a sense of fun and simplicity that makes this stick in your head.

Sardinian Sorcerer Set to Cast Spell Over Winter Jazz Festival

 Photos courtesy of paoloangeli.com and TD Ottawa Jazz Festival The instrument was once a guitar of wood and wire. It rang out beautifully over the Island of Sardinia, the music drifting off above the crashing waves that kissed the shore before the notes vanished somewhere over the Mediterranean. The instrument was once

Champagne, Guitars and Life on the Road

 Photos courtesy of Daniel Champagne Prodigy, virtuoso and the “finest guitar player of his generation” are just a couple of accolades that have been latched alongside the musical caravan that is Australian-born musician Daniel Champagne. When asked about what he thinks about all that, the twentysomthing doesn’t even pause to

Exploring a New Musical Genre of Guitar Sexet at Chamberfest

 Ottawa Life’s Festival City Series is back! We'll provide a unique look at some of your favourite events. We’ll go beyond the music with artist interviews, volunteer profiles, concert reviews and spotlights on the tastes, sights and sounds of the festival season.  Your city! Your festivals and events! Like a good sunscreen,

The Evolution of Quinn Bachand

 Ottawa Life’s Festival City Series is back! We'll provide a unique look at some of your favourite events. We’ll go beyond the music with artist interviews, volunteer profiles, concert reviews and spotlights on the tastes, sights and sounds of the festival season.  Your city! Your festivals and events! Like a good sunscreen,

The Honky Tonk Man and the pyschology behind being the bad guy

 The full interview with The Honky Tonk Man, including more wrestling memories, his thoughts on his greatest opponents, reply to Eric Bischoff's claim that he was the man he most enjoyed firing as well as whether he'd accept an offer into the WWE Hall of Fame having passed on it before can be

Mock and Roll at Ottawa’s Air Guitar Championships

 All photos by Andre Gagne I’d never seen a giant banana have a seizure before. To tell you the truth, it’s a soothing kind of hypnotic I can liken only to the times where I may have drunk more NyQuil than the cold required. As one in the bewildered crowd

Under the Influence with Philip Sayce

 Imagine, if you will, growing up on a musical diet cooked up by you parents' record collection. The needle drops and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Hendrix and BB King, legends of guitar, write the script of your youthful fantasies of one day, just maybe, you would play even a slice of

Frank Turner Proves To Be Anything But Sleepy

 Folk-punk favourites Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls recently passed through Ottawa, performing at the Bronson Centre Theatre on March 12th. Photographer Michael Wing from MIKE’S MEDIA caught all of the action… including some surprise crowd surfing. Check out Wing’s incredible shots by scrolling down through the article below. You

Alyssa Reid’s Flaming Phoenix

 By Katie Hartai As enchanting as the mythical bird itself, Alyssa Reid’s new album Phoenix will surely set fire to the hearts of fans when released on November 27. It may also spark a pleasant surprise. With Juno and MMVA nominations under her belt, the 22-year-old singer songwriter is no stranger to Canada’s

Dear Rouge, From Ottawa

 Falling leaves are not the only noteworthy shade of red in the city this week. Vancouver-based electronic rock band Dear Rouge will be showing its colours downtown with a performance at Mavericks on October 29. Dear Rouge is led by husband and wife duo Drew and Danielle McTaggart. The name

Get Starstruck with Kodaline

 Vincent May (drums), Jason Boland (bass guitar), Steve Garrigan (lead vocalist), Mark Prendergrast (lead guitar). Photo courtesy of Ben Johnson. Kodaline has made a splash in the indie rock scene. Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, the group has performed together since 2005 (as 21 Demands). In 2011, Jason Boland joined and Kodaline was

Folk in the City: Celebrating Canadian Talent

 Sounds of CityFolk are echoing throughout Ottawa, with the much anticipated music festival kicking off next week. This year's line-up the most brag-worthy to date, and OLM has put together a quick list of Canadian performers you won’t want to miss! Motel Raphaël Clara Legault, Emily Skahan and Maya Malkin

Vacation like a VIP

 Bret Michaels, international rock star and front man for the popular band Poison has teamed up with the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, Mexico to bring you the ultimate in rock n’ roll luxury travel. Located on the Caribbean Sea, the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya is a music lover’s

James Leclaire: The Sing-a-Long Sounds of Storytelling and Sorrow

 Album cover by Brett Clarke. James Leclaire’s fourth album, These Weights, combines the soulful storytelling of folk and country music with the anthemic energy of punk, to create a sound he calls ‘dirt country.’ “There is a country twang to it but it’s got an edginess that is a little

The Journey of ‘Five Crooked Lines’

 Finger Eleven has made a bold return to the Canadian music scene with the release of their sixth studio album, Five Crooked Lines. For the new record’s launch, the band has lined up a full summer tour across North America which includes a stop in Ottawa on August 13. Five Crooked

The Brothers at Bluesfest

 Roots-rockers, The Bros. Landreth will be showcasing their unique “Canadiana” style at Ottawa’s Bluesfest this Sunday. With wailing electric guitars, thundering organs and naturally harmonious vocals, at first listen The Bros. Landreth may sound like they hail from the American south, and not from the isolated prairies of Manitoba. “Down

Bluesfest Beats

 Photo courtesy of Steve G The RBC Ottawa Bluesfest is here! As the festival plays on, OLM will continue to highlight must-see performances by some of the acts that you may have not yet discovered–so Ottawa music lovers listen up! An exciting variety of bands and artists will rock the festival this

Bluesfest Beats

 Photo courtesy of Steve G The RBC Ottawa Bluesfest is here! As the festival plays on, OLM will continue to highlight must-see performances by some of the acts that you may have not yet discovered–so Ottawa music lovers listen up! An exciting variety of bands and artists will rock the festival this

Bluesfest Beats

 Photo courtesy of Steve G The countdown to RBC Ottawa Bluesfest is on. As the weeks leading up to the festival go by, OLM will continue to highlight must-see performances by some of the acts that you may have not yet discovered – so Ottawa music lovers listen up! An exciting

Bluesfest Beats

 Photo courtesy of Steve G The countdown to RBC Ottawa Bluesfest is on. As the weeks leading up to the festival go by, OLM will continue to highlight must-see performances by some of the acts that you may have not yet discovered–so Ottawa music lovers listen up! An exciting variety

Bluesfest Beats: Tunes from Mantitoba Barns, Tropical Islands and Ontario Cottages

 Photo courtesy of Steve G The countdown to RBC Ottawa Bluesfest is on. As the weeks leading up to the festival go by, OLM will continue to highlight must-see performances by some of the acts that you may have not yet discovered—so Ottawa music lovers listen up! An exciting variety

Steven Wilson Brings Psychedelic Soundscapes to Gatineau

 A night of eclectic and engaging rock guitar awaits you this summer at the Theatre du Casino Lac-Leamy. Prolific guitarist, keyboardist and composer Steven Wilson will be performing in Gatineau on June 30. It will be Wilson’s first time performing in Gatineau and will no doubt be a night to

Everything He Plays, Turns to Gold

 Photo Credit: Scarlet O'Neill For more than eight years, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Ben Kunder has been writing and producing music every Canadian can relate to. His long awaited debut solo album, Golden, will be released May 26, followed by a number of shows throughout Ontario and Quebec. One of the tour’s

Tie Up Your Dancing Shoes and Get Ready for Sea Perry

 Get ready to put on your dancing shoes for the single Molly’s Shoes by Canadian folk-rock band Sea Perry. The catchy and upbeat song dropped at the beginning of April from the band’s debut full-length album, Do What You Do, set to be released April 21. If this first single