Singing Her Soul Out: Kristine St. Pierre’s Infectious Sound

 From her light, delicate finger picking to the stomp of her feet, you can hear Kristine St. Pierre’s soul baring itself to the audience with every melody. Beneath her lyrics of heartache and self-discovery is an artist who has continued to develop her unique sound to become a celebrated local

Pilar’s Picks: Marta Pacek

 The Australian alt-folk songstress Marta Pacek decided to produce a new sound with her recently released album Voo Doo Dolls and False Alarms -- a fresh twist from the past two years she spent in North America and her home country. It’s a combination of her personal confessions and each

Oil and Water is On Fire at the NAC

 As the world mourns the passing of Maya Angelou, the NAC’s current  production, Oil and Water, by Robert Chafe, seems all the more poignant.  It is a compelling story and it is also true. There are a number of plot elements that weave together but never confuse throughout the course

Ottawa Symphony Orchestra: 50 Years Young

 The Ottawa Symphony Orchestra is gearing up to start its 50th season on a high note. The OSO announced its milestone anniversary line-up at the final concert of its 2013-2014 season. The upcoming five concert series will showcase talents ranging from local composers to Juno award winners--sure to be music

Lawrence Martin’s “Train of Life” is on Track

 Juno award winner, Lawrence Martin’s (aka. Wapistan) latest album “Train of Life” is picking up speed. His fifth album is currently in the process of being mixed down and should hopefully be available by the end of this summer. The 13 tracks on this album are meant to tell the

Your Peru: An Empire of Hidden Treasures

 Tucked away on the west coast of South America lies Peru, one of the continent’s hidden gems. As one of the most diverse nations on our planet, you can take a dip in the ocean and explore the jungles, or climb Peruvian mountains and encounter the cold, dry air of the

Talent Nation Brings the Superstar Experience to Ottawa

 Calling all Ottawa performers! Open auditions for Talent Nation will be held at the Novotel Hotel on April 26th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Talent Nation will host an eclectic mix of musical and music-related performers, from singer and dancers, to rappers and specialty performers. It's a competition geared

Lindi Ortega to Release New Album Tin Star on October 8!

 Tin Star, the latest album from acclaimed singer-songwriter Lindi Ortega, will be released October 8 by Last Gang Records. The new record follows Lindi's 2011 Juno Award-nominated debut album Little Red Boots, and her 2012 sophomore album Cigarettes & Truckstops. Billboard called Cigarettes and Truckstops “heartfelt and mood-inducing, a uniquely

Indie-Pop Duo Making Their Mark in Canada

 Indie sensation the Heathers will perform songs from their recent album starting at 10:30pm on Thursday June 27th at Café Dekcuf on Rideau Street. The alternative pop duo, which is growing in popularity in Canada, consists of twin sisters from Dublin. Garnering widespread acclaim internationally among fans and media for

Singer/Songwriter Justin Hines Launches the Vehicle of Change Tour Campaign

 Justin Hines' Vehicle of Change tour is now underway and is heading for Ottawa. This is Justin's chance to give back to his fans and help contribute to amazing local charities with 100% of the funds raised from his shows going back to the organization. In support of his recent studio

Great Big Sea: “Ottawa Is Like Coming Home”

 On the 20-year anniversary of touring the band’s East Coast folk music around North America, Great Big Sea is happily bringing the show back to the capital at Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest – one of the many seasonal festivals that have welcomed the legendary Canadian band with open arms. Whether the

Air France Is Back at Osheaga

 Air France announced on May 23 that it will sponsor Montreal’s 8th Osheaga Music and Arts Festival, which runs from August 2 to 4, 2013 at Parc Jean-Drapeau. This festival is hugely popular and thousands of people from Ottawa and the National Capital Region attend it each year. Air France

Kristine St-Pierre releases bilingual album Call Me Crazy

 Ottawa singer-songwriter Kristine St-Pierre has released Call Me Crazy, her first full-length bilingual album. A little more than two years since the release of her first bilingual EP Stand Still for A While, Kristine launches a second album that shows off her maturity and sensitivity, all the while keeping with

Visionary music stand puts Ottawa at the forefront of innovation

 By Rebecca Ford Imagine a pitch-black concert hall, dimly lit by flickering candles. The only other light comes from the stage—a soft glow emanating from the musicians’ music stands, capturing their expressions as they lean into their instruments. The mood is set, the audience captivated. Then the music begins. There’s

Lynn Miles: 25 Years and Counting

 An introverted wallflower who performs in front of hundreds of fans, this dedicated, headstrong, hard worker who can make you cry with a single sweet lyric. Singer, songwriter Lynn Miles is a bit of a contradiction, but one hell of a musician. And 25 years after the release of her

Eva Bee’s Jamboree: Local Cooking Show with Musical Twist Launches Website

 Eva Bee’s Jamboree (www.evabee.com), an inventive new local cooking show that combines music and food, launched its new website on December 5. Episodes of Eva Bee’s Jamboree air on the first Thursday of every month, and feature musicians cooking up a storm with the show’s host, Ivana Borojevic, an eccentric and colorful

Inlet Sound: The New Romantics on the Block

 When young indie crew Inlet Sound ventured to record in the cabins and churches of the Canadian Shield last spring, their escapist recording experience mimicked those of many veteran rockers before them who stole away from the pop of camera bulbs and city noise to achieve musical serenity. Only, Inlet

Ottawa Writers Festival: One on One with Jian Ghomeshi

 Jian Ghomeshi, the host of CBC Radio Q (a national arts magazine show), was in town on October 27 to discuss his 1982 memoir. 1982 is the story of Ghomeshi's life in grade nine while living in Thornhill, a Toronto suburb. Ghomeshi tells stories of girls, concerts, school, parents and

Red Potion – The New English Words Record

 With the new release Red Potion, English Words become slicker elixir-mixers. (Try saying that 10 times in a row with an alcohol-thickened tongue.) For whatever reasons, Canada’s East coast seems to continually nurture and produce some of the coolest Canadian bands around, whether Thrush Hermit, Eric’s Trip, Rose Cousins, Rich

Minky Worden Discusses the Unfinished Revolution: The Global Fight for Women’s Rights

 More needs to be done to reduce global gender discrimination and to bring women closer to equality with men. So said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, a leading NGO, as she recently addressed a large crowd at the Ottawa Writers Festival. Worden spoke at length

The Gospel of Nick Drake — Coming to a church near you

 British poet and singer-songwriter Nick Drake was not the kind of musician, admittedly, that I'd had much exposure to, or even had much knowledge of, when my appetite for music first kicked in. My exposure to Drake had always consisted primarily of other songwriters' mentions of him: people like Elvis

Lynn Miles – Songs of Love and Truth

 I was fortunate enough to attend a Lynn Miles show at Irene's Pub on Bank Street a few weeks ago. Irene’s Pub is an amazing live music venue. Alex Golota, the owner, recently finished some major renovations to the bar's performance area, and let me tell you, the sound and

Empire building, one city at a time

 Young Empires‘ highly anticipated album Wake All My Youth feels like it's been a long time coming – from the 1980s, in fact. Not that you can blame singer and keyboardist Matthew Vlahovich , bassist Jacob Palahnuk, guitarist Robert Aaron Ellingson, and drummer Taylor Hill, as they've been busy as hell. Touring and

Men Without Hats Return after a Decade with Love in the Age of War

 Men Without Hats’ latest record, Love in the Age of War, released this past May after an almost decade-long hiatus, is very much the band at its best. Hot off the heels of a tremendously successful tour, with an extremely well-received set at the world-famous South by Southwest (SXSW) music

Free Dimensional by Diamond Rings – Finding Your Place Outside of Normal

 Canadian singer/songwriter Diamond Rings’ new album, Free Dimensional, is all about contradictions and living a life littered with incongruities. The album opens with waves of heavily distorted echoing synth and a static-induced crackling house beat. A number of new overlays are quickly added, including a steady marimba backbeat and John