OK one last shout out from 2009 before we turn over the calendar on this year, and this first decade that was 2000.
These folks, with Rick Jones at the helm have done amazing things for indie recording artists. We at the CHCanada.com Indie Radio Show invade the Radio Caledon studios once a month for our show, but Jones does his indie music show once a week!
Indie bands from around the Caledon area, and many bands from Toronto, and even Hamilton make the trip up the highway to be on one of Canada's best Indie Music Radio Shows.
So a Big shout out to Rick Jones, all round music fan, and host of Wednesday night's indie music show Songs From The Woods. Also a shout out goes to Rick Sargent, who occasionally does production for the show.
Be sure to tune in each week for Songs From The Woods, from 8 till 10 EST. The CHCanada.com Indie Radio Show(case)happens on the last Wednesday of the month.
Tonight, singer / songwriter Patrick Dickinson performs live in studio selections from his new release.
Join us by listening in on the radio...in the Caledon Bolton area you can tune into B105.5 in Bolton, or at 102.7 The View in Caledon on the FM dial. Or for everyone else tune in through your computer at:
http://www.radiocaledon.com
Here is a clip from an instudio performance from Peter Bloom, whose CD can be purchased at http://www.chcanada.com
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Most Popular Act of 2009 - Corb Lund
This country act is "the dark horse" of the musical race, to use a gambling term. Here is the lowdown on the Corb Lund You Tube clip attached:
Corb played Toronto for two nights at the venerable Horseshoe Tavern. This is a famous club downtown which has featured all kinds of musical acts - from The Police on one of their first tours, to Stompin' Tom Connors who filmed a movie there.
Anyway, Corb plays The Horsehoe on Friday, into the wee hours of the morning (the encore was played after 2:AM).
Corb gets a few hours shut-eye and then he's up bright and early for his performance on CBC Radio's GO. He had to be there for a 7:30 AM sound check.
In this clip he is performing at about 10:AM on the Saturday morning. He looks and sounds a little bushed. But what a trouper!
The kicker to all of this is that this clip has become the most popular clip on the DirkFimbob Channel. Go figure! Check it out and let me know what you think.
Corb played Toronto for two nights at the venerable Horseshoe Tavern. This is a famous club downtown which has featured all kinds of musical acts - from The Police on one of their first tours, to Stompin' Tom Connors who filmed a movie there.
Anyway, Corb plays The Horsehoe on Friday, into the wee hours of the morning (the encore was played after 2:AM).
Corb gets a few hours shut-eye and then he's up bright and early for his performance on CBC Radio's GO. He had to be there for a 7:30 AM sound check.
In this clip he is performing at about 10:AM on the Saturday morning. He looks and sounds a little bushed. But what a trouper!
The kicker to all of this is that this clip has become the most popular clip on the DirkFimbob Channel. Go figure! Check it out and let me know what you think.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Indie Music Company of the Year - CHCanada.com
And last, but not least is the company that has allowed me the time and space to write passionately about one of my great loves - Canadian independent Music.
More precisely, kudos go out to Ryan Swain and Mike Smith. These two innovators see the benefit of new media, to actively promote online efforts to bring Canadian indie music to a larger audience. Through You Tube, blogging, radio, Facebook and Twitter, CHCanada.com has been actively getting the word out there about musical acts, waiting to be discovered.
The parent company has been in Canada for almost 50 years. For most of those years they were able to offer amazing deals on music to the Canadian public. Canadians of a certain age will remember the 12 LP's for a penny promotions. As new formats became popular, the music club offered 8-tracks, cassettes, and then finally CDs.
The compact disk is still the best sound when listening to music - hands down better than MP3 files.
The Internet has been a double edged sword for Canadian music retailers - file sharing essentially decimated the music business. So there is no longer a CD club per se. Instead, a new online company was born, and can be found at:
http://www.chcanada.com
Online CHCanada.com carries all manner of indie CDs, major label CDs, DVDs, Blu Rays, T-shirts, and rock n roll books. The membership fee has been waived, so anyone can access the site to enjoy amazing deals. Your Entertainment Dollar goes a lot farther at CHCanada.com than anywhere else.
All of the blogging, You Tubing, and the Indie Radio Show gives us a chance to interact with Canadians on a whole new level. Getting out there listening, and finding new acts, selling their CDs online, and talking about them has given CHCanada.com a street profile, the parent company never had.
So, big props go out to CHCanada.com. Rocking in the free world, and bringing you the best in Canadian entertainment.
Grab a CD from your fave indie act. It is tough to make a living as a musician in this day and age. Profits from the proceeds of the indie CDs we sell go right back to the artist - we deal with each musical act directly.
CHCanada.com is looking forward to helping you with all of your entertainment needs for 2010!
More precisely, kudos go out to Ryan Swain and Mike Smith. These two innovators see the benefit of new media, to actively promote online efforts to bring Canadian indie music to a larger audience. Through You Tube, blogging, radio, Facebook and Twitter, CHCanada.com has been actively getting the word out there about musical acts, waiting to be discovered.
The parent company has been in Canada for almost 50 years. For most of those years they were able to offer amazing deals on music to the Canadian public. Canadians of a certain age will remember the 12 LP's for a penny promotions. As new formats became popular, the music club offered 8-tracks, cassettes, and then finally CDs.
The compact disk is still the best sound when listening to music - hands down better than MP3 files.
The Internet has been a double edged sword for Canadian music retailers - file sharing essentially decimated the music business. So there is no longer a CD club per se. Instead, a new online company was born, and can be found at:
http://www.chcanada.com
Online CHCanada.com carries all manner of indie CDs, major label CDs, DVDs, Blu Rays, T-shirts, and rock n roll books. The membership fee has been waived, so anyone can access the site to enjoy amazing deals. Your Entertainment Dollar goes a lot farther at CHCanada.com than anywhere else.
All of the blogging, You Tubing, and the Indie Radio Show gives us a chance to interact with Canadians on a whole new level. Getting out there listening, and finding new acts, selling their CDs online, and talking about them has given CHCanada.com a street profile, the parent company never had.
So, big props go out to CHCanada.com. Rocking in the free world, and bringing you the best in Canadian entertainment.
Grab a CD from your fave indie act. It is tough to make a living as a musician in this day and age. Profits from the proceeds of the indie CDs we sell go right back to the artist - we deal with each musical act directly.
CHCanada.com is looking forward to helping you with all of your entertainment needs for 2010!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Best Radio Show Host of 2009 - Brent Bambury of CBC Radio One's GO
There is no bigger friend of Canadian Independent recording artists than Brent Bambury. His name is synonymous with great musical talent from Canada. Brent has been a big booster of new music at the Canadian Broadcasting Corp for many years.
Brent launched his radio career at CBC stations in Saint John, Halifax and Montreal. He began to work for Radio Two's Brave New Waves in 1984, and he became that show's permanent host one year later. Brent became known as a purveyor of obscure and emerging music, and a guide to alternative culture. He stayed up late and drank the best coffee in Montreal.
In 1995 he joined Tina Srebotnjak on CBC TV's Midday. He's since come to his senses and returned to radio.
Brent thinks radio should be kinetic, full of life, fun, outrageous and thoughtful all at the same time. He lives this idea of radio every Saturday morning hosting the best variety show on CBC Radio One - GO.
The generosity Brent shows while hosting is incredible for a National Radio host. Case in point would be the clip attached. Arick Howser is a fan of the show who is in the studio audience on a regular basis. In this clip Bambury has the young aspiring comic come on the show, for a totally unscripted one on one. This just does not happen on most shows - a most generous host indeed.
And the reason for this blog is the music. The incredible live music that pours out of the studio every morning is absolutely ear bending! To get musicians
up that early on a Saturday morning to perform live in front of a studio audience, shows the importance of the show.
Hats off to Brent Bambury - our Radio Show Host of 2009. Must mentions in conjunction with this award are his amazing team - Contest Nana (Nana Aba Duncan), British Pete (Peter Morey), Anshuman Iddamsetty, Jeff Goodes (ex-host of Fresh Air), Bronwyn Page, Erin Noel and David Carroll. Also a big shout out to "Producer Paul" who's ears ensure the music feed going out on the radio show is perfect.
Let's hope this is the future for CBC Radio - relevent, funny, irreverent, and in touch with the audience - a live audience at that. This, and an amazing platform for our Canadian Musical talent!
Brent launched his radio career at CBC stations in Saint John, Halifax and Montreal. He began to work for Radio Two's Brave New Waves in 1984, and he became that show's permanent host one year later. Brent became known as a purveyor of obscure and emerging music, and a guide to alternative culture. He stayed up late and drank the best coffee in Montreal.
In 1995 he joined Tina Srebotnjak on CBC TV's Midday. He's since come to his senses and returned to radio.
Brent thinks radio should be kinetic, full of life, fun, outrageous and thoughtful all at the same time. He lives this idea of radio every Saturday morning hosting the best variety show on CBC Radio One - GO.
The generosity Brent shows while hosting is incredible for a National Radio host. Case in point would be the clip attached. Arick Howser is a fan of the show who is in the studio audience on a regular basis. In this clip Bambury has the young aspiring comic come on the show, for a totally unscripted one on one. This just does not happen on most shows - a most generous host indeed.
And the reason for this blog is the music. The incredible live music that pours out of the studio every morning is absolutely ear bending! To get musicians
up that early on a Saturday morning to perform live in front of a studio audience, shows the importance of the show.
Hats off to Brent Bambury - our Radio Show Host of 2009. Must mentions in conjunction with this award are his amazing team - Contest Nana (Nana Aba Duncan), British Pete (Peter Morey), Anshuman Iddamsetty, Jeff Goodes (ex-host of Fresh Air), Bronwyn Page, Erin Noel and David Carroll. Also a big shout out to "Producer Paul" who's ears ensure the music feed going out on the radio show is perfect.
Let's hope this is the future for CBC Radio - relevent, funny, irreverent, and in touch with the audience - a live audience at that. This, and an amazing platform for our Canadian Musical talent!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tiny Bill Cody - Humourist of the Year - 2009
Tiny Bill Cody, is of course not so tiny. He's well over 6 feet tall, and is hard to miss in a crowd. But as a musical talent he is heads and shoulders above his compatriots. The other thing Bill has going for him is his absolutely knock down funny die laughing lyrics. In this You Tube Clip from earlier this year, Tiny Bill and a few other folks were asked to write a new national anthem. They were given a half an hour and then were asked to perform the song on National radio.
Bill came on and did an interesting and pretty funny first effort (also found on the DirkFimbob You Tube Channel). Once he heard the other versions he begged to do another one - to hilarious results. Once you hear this song you'll never think of Canada's geography in quite the same way again.
Check these clips out and you'll see what I mean. He's got a quirky, subversive streak to his writing. He's also the guy who did a send up of former deputy Prime Minister Sheila Copps - in the song he talks about Copps loosing her virginity in an auto body shop! Only Cody could get away with that.
Bill came on and did an interesting and pretty funny first effort (also found on the DirkFimbob You Tube Channel). Once he heard the other versions he begged to do another one - to hilarious results. Once you hear this song you'll never think of Canada's geography in quite the same way again.
Check these clips out and you'll see what I mean. He's got a quirky, subversive streak to his writing. He's also the guy who did a send up of former deputy Prime Minister Sheila Copps - in the song he talks about Copps loosing her virginity in an auto body shop! Only Cody could get away with that.
Monday, December 14, 2009
2009 - Creator of the Year - Tom Wilson
The driving force behind the new collective Lee Harvey Osmond is Tom Wilson. He has become the grand sage of the Hamilton Music Scene. This guy is really hard to pin down. Anyone who follows his exploits on Facebook or Twitter knows he's one busy musician.
In the past year, he has fronted his new the Lee Harvey Osmond project, participated in the recording of a new record for his other band Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, and performed with the remaining members of Teenage Head (as the "Sons of the Hammer"). He has found time to also co-host this years' Hamilton Music Awards. He's also a painter and a big booster of the Canadian Music Scene.
All of this action from a guy who is over 50! He puts guys half his age to shame.
He has keen musical insights, and has got a great sense of what makes a song work.
This is clearly evident when listening to his band Lee Harvey Osmond - their Acid Folk tinged "A Quiet Evil" is one of the great new releases of 2009.
So, for all that he has given us this year, and for also being one helluva nice guy, Tom Wilson has won the Creator of the Year!
Two of Tom's CDs can be purchased by going to:
http://www.chcanada.com/product/5489/Canadian_Sounds
In the past year, he has fronted his new the Lee Harvey Osmond project, participated in the recording of a new record for his other band Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, and performed with the remaining members of Teenage Head (as the "Sons of the Hammer"). He has found time to also co-host this years' Hamilton Music Awards. He's also a painter and a big booster of the Canadian Music Scene.
All of this action from a guy who is over 50! He puts guys half his age to shame.
He has keen musical insights, and has got a great sense of what makes a song work.
This is clearly evident when listening to his band Lee Harvey Osmond - their Acid Folk tinged "A Quiet Evil" is one of the great new releases of 2009.
So, for all that he has given us this year, and for also being one helluva nice guy, Tom Wilson has won the Creator of the Year!
Two of Tom's CDs can be purchased by going to:
http://www.chcanada.com/product/5489/Canadian_Sounds
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Is Hamilton the new Seattle?
I've had a few days to reflect on my trip down the QEW to Hamilton, for the Hamilton Music Awards. This City has had it's fair share of unemployment and heartache over the last decade, with massive job losses in their manufacturing sector. If you are like most people, your only view of Hamilton is when you are flying along the highway going over the Skyway Bridge on your way to Niagara Falls and the US Border, or on your way to Toronto. It is not a very impressive sight, unless you are in the steel biz. Dirty smokestacks and flames from coke ovens are like a throughback to another era. And maybe they are.
Hamilton is reinventing itself as an arts and music town. With the downtown core neglected and frankly mishandled by local government mis-steps, pricing of real estate is in the basement - a far cry from the high rents and exorbitant costs of Toronto living. So, artists and musicians are flocking to Hamilton - remaking the city. And the whole arts culture is thriving.
Thus the 8th annual Hamilton Music Awards. As host Tom Wilson tells it, many of Canada's musical talent are from Hamilton (including rock royalty such as Daniel Lanois). Lanois has a very nice converted warehouse on Wellington Street in downtown Toronto where he stays when in Ontario, otherwise he owns a house in Hamilton (near Tom’s house) as he always has. Hamilton is Daniel’s hometown. (he also has homes in L.A. and Jamaica). His mother, brother and sister all live in Hamilton. Lanois arrived in Hamilton from Hull at the age of nine with his family, went to school here and established their first studios here, recording with Eno and many others. He still comes to Hamilton a lot to see family and friends. Lanois was the second artist to be given a lifetime achievement award at the HMAs.
Check this clip out of husband and wife team Melissa McCelland and Luke Doucet. This fab couple have come back to Hamilton to live - make the trip down to the Hammer for a show or to see a gallery. You'll be surprised.
Hamilton is reinventing itself as an arts and music town. With the downtown core neglected and frankly mishandled by local government mis-steps, pricing of real estate is in the basement - a far cry from the high rents and exorbitant costs of Toronto living. So, artists and musicians are flocking to Hamilton - remaking the city. And the whole arts culture is thriving.
Thus the 8th annual Hamilton Music Awards. As host Tom Wilson tells it, many of Canada's musical talent are from Hamilton (including rock royalty such as Daniel Lanois). Lanois has a very nice converted warehouse on Wellington Street in downtown Toronto where he stays when in Ontario, otherwise he owns a house in Hamilton (near Tom’s house) as he always has. Hamilton is Daniel’s hometown. (he also has homes in L.A. and Jamaica). His mother, brother and sister all live in Hamilton. Lanois arrived in Hamilton from Hull at the age of nine with his family, went to school here and established their first studios here, recording with Eno and many others. He still comes to Hamilton a lot to see family and friends. Lanois was the second artist to be given a lifetime achievement award at the HMAs.
Check this clip out of husband and wife team Melissa McCelland and Luke Doucet. This fab couple have come back to Hamilton to live - make the trip down to the Hammer for a show or to see a gallery. You'll be surprised.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Hamilton Music Awards a big success
What are they putting in the water down there in The Hammer? So many great musicans, this City with the "Mountain" really know how to put on a party. A who's who of Canadian talent performed on the show, including husband and wife team Luke Doucet and Melissa Mclennan who now make Hamilton their home.
Up and comers were in attendence. I had the privlege of sharing a muddy jeep ride up the Mountain to the show with new Country artist Barry Mac and members of the Caretakers, who both have new CDs coming out very soon.
Big props go out to Jane Allison of the Hamilton Spectator and Jeff Martin of Quorum Communications for supplying tickets to the show.
Here is Tom Wilson and his band Lee Harvey Osmond perfoming as part of the awards celebrations...
Up and comers were in attendence. I had the privlege of sharing a muddy jeep ride up the Mountain to the show with new Country artist Barry Mac and members of the Caretakers, who both have new CDs coming out very soon.
Big props go out to Jane Allison of the Hamilton Spectator and Jeff Martin of Quorum Communications for supplying tickets to the show.
Here is Tom Wilson and his band Lee Harvey Osmond perfoming as part of the awards celebrations...
Friday, December 4, 2009
Lee Harvey Osmond Comes Home - Hamilton Music Awards
http://www.hamiltonmusicawards.com is where you are going to find all of the info on a great weekend in Hamilton. This City in Southern Ontario has become a hotbed of Indie Music. With low rent, and a funky downtown, the musos and artists are starting to populate this great City.
This weekend it is worth the drive to the Hammer. One band not to be missed is Tom Wilson's new project LeE HARVeY OsMOND. These cats call what they do Acid Folk, which is a pretty good description. This band has been on tour with the Cowboy Junkies all over Canada, and down into the US.
The new LeE HARVeY OsMOND CD can be purchased by going to:
http://www.chcanada.com
Nothing beats a hometown show - Tom and the band are stoked to be playing back in Hamilton.
Check them out this weekend, as part of the Hamilton Music Awards. The Mississippi Kings will also be particating (their most excellent CD can also be purchased at CHCanada.com), along with a bunch of other local acts. Don't miss it!
This weekend it is worth the drive to the Hammer. One band not to be missed is Tom Wilson's new project LeE HARVeY OsMOND. These cats call what they do Acid Folk, which is a pretty good description. This band has been on tour with the Cowboy Junkies all over Canada, and down into the US.
The new LeE HARVeY OsMOND CD can be purchased by going to:
http://www.chcanada.com
Nothing beats a hometown show - Tom and the band are stoked to be playing back in Hamilton.
Check them out this weekend, as part of the Hamilton Music Awards. The Mississippi Kings will also be particating (their most excellent CD can also be purchased at CHCanada.com), along with a bunch of other local acts. Don't miss it!
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