Whisky and Jazz at Ottawa’s Montgomery Scotch Lounge.

 ABOVE: Patrick tends the bar and provides expert advice at Ottawa’s Montgomery Scotch Lounge.  Imagine a casually elegant lounge with comfortable plush chairs, sleek wooden furniture, and a well-stocked bar. Picture yourself sitting back with a glass of single malt Scotch chosen from the nearly 80 varieties available on the menu as you

Surveying the playing field

 ABOVE: Matías Muñoz and Anthony Cardozo of Cinqhole, a live music venue in Hintonburg. The future of events and performance series: Cinqhole, The Art House Café, LIVE! on Elgin When the centres of cultural cultivation close, communities suffer. The patrons who find themselves in these brick and mortar environments have undoubtedly felt the

Alexandria Maillot gets collaborative

 Not every record goes as planned. For Alexandria Maillot's Benevolence, a friend from British Columbia's offer to record in Montreal utterly reshaped a few songs into an album. With new players, songs and a process that went beyond her own creativity as well, Maillot came out with a record outside

Davina Pearl and the Power of Live Music

 Figure out what makes you distinct and go for it. That is the advice Ottawa-based saxophone player Davina Pearl would offer to someone considering a career in music. It is also precisely the philosophy that she has followed as she made her way from musician to bandleader. At age 11,

Danielle Allard is Passing Notes

 Ottawa songstress Danielle Allard may not have been caught passing notes in class but her notebook was filled with them! From an early age she would write down her stream-of consciousness way of thinking onto pages upon pages of youthful musings and ramblings. Some of those would eventually become her

The Commotions: Sweet Soul Sensations Unleash Sizzling Satisfaction

 Photos by Andre R. Gagne They have got to still be cleaning the sweat off the dance floor inside the Babylon Nightclub after the The Commotions put the awe in awesome with a groove making, Bank Street shaking, sweet, sensational and soulicious show Friday night. There was sizzle! There was

Cadence Weapon Reinvents Himself

 Photo Credit: Mark Sommerfeld Through the past decade, Roland "Rollie" Pemberton has been making smart hip hop as Cadence Weapon, but the nerdy aesthetics he was using had become a novelty to Pemberton. After taking some time away from writing in the Montreal club scene, Pemberton ended up in Toronto

Circa Survive and Surviving As A Band

 Photo Credits: Andrew Swartz and Hayley Rippy There's enough troubles with being in a band that any band can easily run into a dead end while trying their hardest. For Circa Survive, trouble with management and addiction meant time away and then figuring out a healthier way to make things

Baptism by Firepower with Judas Priest

 Photos by Renée Boucher Doiron Metal Maniacs ready for Judas Priest! “Louder,” bellows somebody from the seats behind me. He was dressed in so much dark clothing he could pratically be a shadow. Well, this shadow came to rock and the volume needed to push 13 to satiate his appetite. I

Ottawa’s Hidden Gig

 OLM covers a lot of events — gigs, fests, bashes, shin digs — but we have a solemn duty to tell you when a night is actually fantastic. You already know Clocktower Brew Pub and their sensational list of in house craft beer, but did you know they start serving

The Ice Queen’s Blues – Q&A with Sue Foley

 Photos curtosey of SueFoley.com / Feature image by Scott Doubt  Old man winter may have put a lock on her heart but Sue Foley’s new album Ice Queen is a sizzling sampling of blues with tundra melting guitar licks and the Juno winners signature sultry thermostat raising vocals. The heat

Trails’ Productive Year

 While Trails' Allie O'Manique never consciously decided to pursue music professionally, you wouldn't know it by listening to her music. The Ottawa native's lo-fi sound embraces the haziness of the fidelity to create dreamy and rustic recordings that feel deeply intimate. After years of making music on her own, things

The Balconies Step Out of the Spotlight

 Photo credit: Indoor Recess The Balconies have been one of Ottawa's premier live bands since they hit the scene a decade ago. In a career that spanned radio hits, winning the Live 88.5 Big Money Shot, and their two LPs Fast Motions and Rhonda, the band was always out to

Canailles Keep Doing Backflips

 No matter how many members they currently have, Montreal's Canailles have always had a frantic energy to their music. The band's ability to mix folk, punk and Cajun influences into one of the best live shows in Canada has made them a hit nationally and around the world. Their latest

Brooklyn Doran Finds A New Home

 Photos by Cassandra Rudolph Whether with others or on her own, Kenora's Brooklyn Doran has always made her music stand out. The songwriter's unique style has evolved from personal to a looser storytelling style, mirroring her integration into the Toronto scene.   We talked with Doran ahead of her set at

8 Great Reasons to Visit Titus Mountain

 Titus Mountain Family Ski Center has it all — varied terrain, three restaurants, lodging, and such a family friendly environment Liftopia rated it the #1 family friendly resort in North America. Check out our eight favorite things about Titus, then plan your next winter vacation with us and come see

Casper Skulls Make Songs From Skeletons

 Casper Skulls certainly don't shy away from the dark tones their name may suggest, but the debut album from this Toronto rock outfit shows a much deeper understanding of music. After a strong EP release, the band's debut Mercy Works shows a band not just ready to make a start

Timber Timbre’s Fiction Becomes Reality

 Photo by Caroline Desilets After a decade of music and five albums, Timber Timbre looked to science fiction for inspiration. What they found however was that the reality was stranger than fiction, leading them towards  a dystopian, synth-rock. Flying out to France, the band huddled up in a bizarre studio,

Hey Ocean! Reach a Sea Change

 Photos courtesy of Paquin Artists Agency  After a decade together, Hey Ocean! needed time apart. Taking a break to work on their own projects, singer Ashleigh Ball finally dived wholeheartedly into her work as a voice actress as well. Being able to get their live back together, the band have already

The Rural Alberta Advantage Regroup

 The Rural Alberta Advantage have had quite the shakeup recently. As founding member Amy Cole left the band, they found new life with Robin Hatch, setting them on an interesting new course. Having to sort out their new lineup and dynamics on the road, they've managed to their new album

Joseph Stand Together

 Photo by Ebru Yildiz Natalie Closner Schepmen was tired and unhappy with her solo work, so she called up her sisters Meegan and Allison and formed Joseph instead. Based out of Portland, the trio of sisters had to adjust to playing together as Natalie's sisters hadn't been singing much they graduated

Arkells Turn It Up To 11:11

 Photos by Kamara Morozuk Few bands are as consistent as the Arkells. The Hamilton boys delivered their latest in a long line of Ottawa sets at TD Place on a Monday night of all nights. Bringing along England's Frank Turner for the ride, worthy of a headlining set in his

Saunders Farms Celebrates 25 Years of Family Fun

 All photos by Ali Matthews. Saunders Farm is no stranger to Ottawa area families. Located on Bleeks Road, in Munster, Ontario (about 30 minutes from downtown Ottawa) the Farm has served the community for over 40 years. Locals first got to know Saunders Farm for its pick-your-strawberries in the 1970s

Irene’s Pub, The Legacy of Live Music in Ottawa for Over 30 Years

 All photos by Andre Gagne. There’s a 100-year-old piano in the corner of Irene’s Pub, still in tune and awaiting melodies. Behind the bar, connected to the kitchen, is one of the original clear-com phones that used to reside back stage at the National Arts Centre, a relic of the

Celebrate Winter With an All-Inclusive Adventure in the French Alps

 “Hands up, baby hands up, give me your love…”, calls shivering northerners to Club Med’s sun-filled southern resorts but did you know that the company launched in the 50s offering Mediterranean beach vacations to French citizens also has ski resorts? You might wonder if France is too far for a week of