Podcast

Basia Bulat, Luke Doucet & K-OS lead a great week on Canada Live next week

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 17:05:40 -0400

This is the weekly thing where I tell you what's coming up on Canada Live, or rather I pass it along. Every weeknight Canada Live on CBC Radio 2 brings you live concerts recorded all over Canada. Someone at Radio 2 passes the list on to me, and I pass it on to you.

Monday, October 25, 2010
BreakoutWest/Western Canada Music Awards -- guest hosted by CBC Radio 3's Grant Lawrence
recorded at multiple venues over the weekend in Kelowna. B.C.
From October 21-24, up and coming bands and musical veterans from all over the west are gathering in Kelowna for the BreakOut West Festival and the Western Canadian Music Awards. From club concerts downtown to the awards gala on Sunday night, Canada Live will bring you the best of the festival weekend in a special broadcast on Monday evening. Up for awards - and appearing on the gala stage - are Corb Lund, Bif Naked, Shane Yellowbird, Doc Walker, and more. Catch it all on Canada Live, while the applause is still echoing around the Okanagan Valley.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010
concert 1: Basia Bulat
recorded at St. James Hall in Vancouver, BC
She wowed her audience at the Vancouver Folk Festival last summer and with this return visit Basia Bulat proved it wasn't a fluke. St. James is a cozy little old church in residential Vancouver that gives concerts a special intimacy hard to find elsewhere, and Basia made the most of that with her audience. Folk music is alive and well and this is what it sounds like today.
concert 2: "Bird in the Bush": Songs of Seduction and Courtship, featuring Anita Best, Eliza Carthy, Archie Fisher, and John Roberts
recorded at the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival in St. John's, Newfoundland
Trading on the old expression "A Bird in the Hand," this set from the 2010 Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival brought together four fabulous tradition singers - characters all - to share songs of seduction and courtship. Under the big top canvas tent in the middle of Bannerman Park in the heart of St. John's the assembled were treated to songs of love (alas, mainly unrequited) from the English, Scottish and Newfoundland folk song traditions. Newfoundland's reigning queen of traditional music, Anita Best, leads a group of international troubadours that include Scottish balladeer Archie Fisher, England's renowned singer and fiddler Eliza Carthy and the US-based, England-raised concertina player and folk song collector John Roberts. If you love a good song and a good laugh you'll love this session.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010
concert 1: He Said She Said
recorded at Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club as part of the 2010 TD International Jazz Winnipeg Festival
Musicians Sue Foley and Peter Karp first met at the Ottawa Blues Festival. They went their separate ways for the next year, performing with their own bands, all the while writing each other letters, sharing their thoughts and feelings about touring, about writing, about music, and about each other. Then they met again and decided to turn their correspondence into song. The result is a very special and intimate body of work, covering all aspects of their relationship, making for a show that is rich, romantic, unique and moving.
concert 2: Bia and Yves Desrosiers
In this recording, two longtime musical partners, Bia and Yves Desrosiers, are united on the L'Astral stage in Montreal, as part of this year's Francofolies de Montreal Festival. Bia,, who currently divides her time between France and Quebec, was born in Brazil during the years of the military dictatorship. At that time her parents were forced into exile and so the family moved to Chile, Peru and finally Portugal. It was in these foreign countries where Bia absorbed much of the Latin rhythms that would play such a huge role in her own music. While traveling as a young woman in France , she decided to immerse herself in that culture as well and found a welcoming audience in Quebec where she often tours. In 2005 she released Coeur Vagabond, which earned her Juno and Felix award nominations. She's currently working on her new record, Nocturno. For this concert she has teamed up with Quebec guitarist/and co-writer Yves Desrosiers, a Montreal-based guitarist and producer who also sings on a couple of songs in this show.

Thursday, October 28, 2010
concert 1: K-os
recorded at The Opera House in Toronto
K-os was born Kevin Brereton, and grew up in arguably the most polyglot and multi-cultural city on the planet: Toronto. And he's quite vocal about not belonging to any one genre - he belongs to them all. Says K-os: "I'm a historical opportunist who's grown up on everything from Dylan to Marley to KRS-One... I've never seen myself as just a hip hop artist." K-os explores many of those genres while performing old and new tunes from his four studio albums in front of a wildly enthusiastic crowd at The Opera House in Toronto. This concert was part of Canadian Music Week 2010.

Friday, October 29, 2010
concert 1: Keith Hallett
recorded at the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion in Sydney, Nova Scotia during the 2010 East Coast Music Awards showcase
Keith is a young blues guitarist with a very bright future ahead. He's been playing since he was a teen but now at the ripe old age of 20 - he's ready to take off. He's been influenced by all the great blues players and is already carving out his own distinctive and exciting style. This concert was recorded as part of the 2010 ECMA showcases in Sydney Nova Scotia - sort of like a cattle call with each act getting 30 minutes to impress the audience and music buyers. In Keith's case, he won the crowd over right away!
concert 2: Luke Doucet
recorded at the Yale Hotel in Vancouver, BC
Luke Doucet is one of those rare performers who can be heard on CBC Radio 1, Radio 2, and Radio 3. The universal appeal of his music also makes him an in-demand session player and key member of the touring groups of the likes of Sarah McLachlan and more recently as a guest guitarist with Blue Rodeo. In September, Luke released his 6th solo album, Steel City Trawler. At this concert, Luke was joined by his 14-year old daughter, Chloe. Luke is a passionate advocate for music education for children, and he has been selected as the 2011-12 songwriter for the national music education initiative known as Music Monday.

CBC Radio 1 broadcast, Fridays at 2:05 PM
Friday, October 29, 2010 on CBC Radio 1
concert 1: The Great Canadian Song Quest 2010 gala concert -- part 1 (note: part 2 to air on Friday, November 5)
recorded at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto
This year, the Great Canadian Song Quest focused on the road song. Canadians chose the roads, the 13 Song Quest artists from across the country wrote the new songs and everyone was brought together for an evening at Toronto's Glenn Gould Studio to celebrate the Canadian Road Song. Jully Black sings the praises of a Toronto neighbourhood street in "At the Roncies", while Hannah Georgas takes her inspiration from a steep stretch of British Columbia highway in her new song called "Drive." Corb Lund, Keri Latimer, Jason Plumb and Chris Kirby all perform their own new songs, plus give us their take on some Canadian road classics like "Long May You Run" and "Carefree Highway." Rounding out the evening are Song Quest artists Coeur de Pirate, Thom Swift, Brandon Isaak, Leela Gilday, Madeleine Allakariallak, Two Hours Traffic, and Hopeful Monster. The Great Canadian Song Quest gala concert: for one night, all roads meet in Toronto.

Canada Live podcast, released on Fridays
Friday, October 29, 2010 on the Canada Live podcast
Luke Doucet
recorded at the Yale Hotel in Vancouver, BC
Luke Doucet is one of those rare performers who can be heard on CBC Radio 1, Radio 2, and Radio 3. The universal appeal of his music also makes him an in-demand session player and key member of the touring groups of the likes of Sarah McLachlan and more recently as a guest guitarist with Blue Rodeo. In September, Luke released his 6th solo album, Steel City Trawler. At this concert, Luke was joined by his 14-year old daughter, Chloe. Luke is a passionate advocate for music education for children, and he has been selected as the 2011-12 songwriter for the national music education initiative known as Music Monday.

Erin Costello, Jesse Cook, the Barenaked Ladies & more this week on Canada Live

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:53:02 -0400

Monday, October 18, 2010
concert 1: Erin Costelo with the Blue Engine String Quartet
recorded at The Sir James Dunn Theatre in Halifax
Erin Costelo grew up listening to a lot of popular music, practicing Bach and Chopin, and playing woodwinds in the school band. She studied jazz at St. Francis Xavier University and composition at North Texas State. Despite all the jazz and classical training, songwriting seems to have won out and Erin has been writing, recording and touring for the past few years. Her songs are richly layered piano-driven compositions with lyrics often as searing as they are sweet, sung by her unique baritone voice. For this concert she arranged some of her songs for piano, vocal and string quartet -- not your average singer/songwriter!
concert 2: Ross Taggart with Darren Radtke
recorded at the Jazz Cellar in Vancouver
You may know Ross Taggart as a sax man, but he plays a fine piano as well. For this concert, he teams up with another great Vancouver jazz musician - bassist, Darren Radtke. Charming, sparkling jazz by two musicians in carefree synchronicity. A real treat from MusicFest Vancouver at The Jazz Cellar.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010
concert 1: Jesse Cook
recorded at the Epcor Centre's Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary
Jesse Cook is a phenomenal Canadian guitarist who has traveled the world absorbing music of other cultures. All you have to do is look at the titles of some of the songs he performs in this concert to see that broad range of influence: "Baghdad," "Havana," and "Bogota by Bus." His music has a broad appeal and you'll find his hits on smooth jazz, new age and world music charts. He's generous with his fans, even answering questions during his live shows. All he asks is for the audience to get up and dance and make it a rumba party!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010
concert 1: John Reischman and the Jaybirds
recorded in John Lawson Park as part of West Vancouver's Harmony Arts Festival
John Reischman is considered one of the world's top mandolin players. Since moving to Vancouver from the San Francisco Bay area, John has assembled a handpicked band called the Jaybirds. This highly respected ensemble plays unpretentious, straight-ahead bluegrass that flows out of the deep current of this beloved North American roots music tradition.
concert 2: Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party
recorded at Kenosee Lake in southern Saskatchewan
Welcome to the Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party! This annual summer event invites everyone to come enjoy the fun, conversation, traditional music and dance, whether it's a jig, reel, waltz or new tune. The Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party's main objective is "Music as Fun for Life!' The goal is to imitate any kitchen party where musicians, friends and family gather to share a song - only this time it's a little bigger. The idyllic camp setting is in Moose Mountain Provincial Park nestled in the southeast corner of Saskatchewan. The music making simply never stops from the crack of dawn until late into the night. During the day there are workshops and non-stop jamming sessions with musicians of all ages. The evenings are topped off with outdoor public concerts performed by master fiddlers, guitarists, banjo, bass and keyboardists from across Canada. They perform in a variety of traditions, including Irish, old time, Métis, French-Canadian, and down east styles, among others. This show includes fiddle performances by Nova Scotia's Gordon Stobbe and Mairi Rankin, Quebec's Stephanie Labbé, Donna Turk from Calgary, and Karrnnel from Saskatchewan. Other artists include Saskatchewan guitarist Ray Bell and Winnipeg's Daniel Koulack on banjo & bass. Pull out your lawn chair, put on your sunglasses, turn up your radio and let the party begin!

Thursday, October 21, 2010
concert 1: Barenaked Ladies
recorded at the Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton
The Barenaked Ladies begin a new chapter with the release of the CD All in Good Time and a world tour...their first without co-frontman Steven Page. The other main songwriter and singer, Ed Robertson, remains at centre stage, but the BNL are a tight band of brothers, and prove this unit still works, and plays, very well together. The crowd at Edmonton's Jubilee Auditorium was vibrating at the chance to see their favourite band, and showed no signs they expected to have 4/5 of a good time.

Friday, October 22, 2010
concert 1: Marie-Pierre Arthur
Singer-songwriter Marie-Pierre Arthur was named Discovery of the Year by Radio-Canada last year. In fact, 2009 was a big year for this brand new solo artist! Three ADISQ nominations, a nod at the Indie Music Awards for Best Francophone Album, and spots on year-end best-of lists in Le Devoir and La Presse. An energetic crowd greeted Marie-Pierre Arthur and her band at the Théâtre Petit Champlain in Quebec City.
concert 2: The Trews
recorded at the West End Cultural Centre in Winnipeg
Rock outfit The Trews pared it down for their cross-Canada tour -- but their unplugged act is no less energetic than what audiences are used to. The band hails from Antigonish, NS and this show was one of the last sold-out shows on a cross-country tour promoting their latest CD "Friends And Total Strangers". The concert casts a different light on the Trews' hit songs and really lets the harmonies come through.

CBC Radio 1 broadcast, Fridays at 2:05 PM
Friday, October 22, 2010 on CBC Radio 1
concert 1: Barenaked Ladies
recorded at the Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton
The Barenaked Ladies begin a new chapter with the release of the CD All in Good Time and a world tour...their first without co-frontman Steven Page. The other main songwriter and singer, Ed Robertson, remains at centre stage, but the BNL are a tight band of brothers, and prove this unit still works, and plays, very well together. The crowd at Edmonton's Jubilee Auditorium was vibrating at the chance to see their favourite band, and showed no signs they expected to have 4/5 of a good time.

Canada Live podcast, released on Fridays
Friday, October 22, 2010 on the Canada Live podcast
Erin Costelo with the Blue Engine String Quartet
recorded at The Sir James Dunn Theatre in Halifax
Erin Costelo grew up listening to a lot of popular music, practicing Bach and Chopin, and playing woodwinds in the school band. She studied jazz at St. Francis Xavier University and composition at North Texas State. Despite all the jazz and classical training, songwriting seems to have won out and Erin has been writing, recording and touring for the past few years. Her songs are richly layered piano-driven compositions with lyrics often as searing as they are sweet, sung by her unique baritone voice. For this concert she arranged some of her songs for piano, vocal and string quartet -- not your average singer/songwriter!

Alex Cuba, Great Big Sea, a Bruce Cockburn Tribute & More this week on Canada Live

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:45:37 -0400

Monday, October 11, 2010
concert 1: Le Vent du Nord
recorded at the Place des arts de Cheticamp, Cape Breton Island during the 2009 Celtic Colours International Festival
The 2010 Celtic Colours International Festival is in full swing in villages and towns all across Cape Breton Island with performers from Canada and abroad who share a common Celtic heritage. At last year's festival one of the most popular acts was from Quebec. Canada Live caught up with Le Vent du Nord in the Acadian village of Cheticamp, which was the perfect opportunity to connect the group's interpretations of their Celtic and Breton based music with their Acadian cousins who share a common heritage.
concert 2: Don Ross
recorded at Hugh's Room in Toronto
2009 saw the release of Don's first all-vocal CD, Any Colour. For the past five years, Don has been percolating the idea of recording a vocal record on which he would also play all the instruments. In late 2006, he finally started working on the CD between tours, and wrapped up recording and mixing in early 2009. Much like some of his musical heroes Prince, Steve Winwood and Todd Rundgren, Don has engineered, produced, performed and mixed an album of vocal material that sounds like a tight band...but it's all Don! But tonight we catch Don performing this new material with a hot band in tow. The band is at Hugh's Room, Don's second home, and is made up of Jordan O'Connor on bass, Colleen Allen on sax, Brooke Miller on guitar and vocals and Al Cross on drums.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010
concert 1: Donné Roberts
recorded at the 2010 Ness Creek Music Festival in Big River, Saskatchewan
Donné Roberts is a passionate performer. When he hits the stage he carries with him an energy that immediately exhilarates the crowd - even if they've never heard his music before. Donné sings mainly in Malagasi, his mother tongue from his birthplace of Madagascar. Yet this never proves to be a barrier to the audience, providing living proof that music truly does transcend language. A member of the Juno award-winning collective the African Guitar Summit, Donné has made his home in Toronto for a little over a decade. Prior to that his journeys took him from Madagascar to Moscow with his diplomat parents. He remained there for 20 years before making his way to Canada by way of France. Donné is truly a man of the world - speaking Malagasi, French, Russian, and English. This performance was definitely a highlight at this year's Ness Creek Music Festival. Along with his excellent band mates Donné wowed the Saturday night crowd and got almost everyone up off their blankets and lawn chairs to dance under the beautiful northern skies.
concert 2: e.s.l.
recorded at the 2010 Calgary Folk Music Festival
Marta Jaciubek-McKeever chose e.s.l. as a band name because she was born in Poland and moved to Canada when she was 12 -- so she speaks "English as a second language." Marta teamed up with classically trained cellist Cris Derkson, drummer Joy Mullen, trumpeter Tess Kitchen and fiddler Diona Davies to form a band that plays a wide range of music from traditional Polish tunes to original pop.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010
concert 1: Alex Cuba
recorded at the home of Ed Henderson and Jean Teillet in Vancouver
A few years back when Ed Henderson and Jean Teillet completed a renovation on their early 20th century Craftsman-style home in the Vancouver neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant, they were rewarded with a new look and excellent acoustics. What a great bonus for a household that is so into music! Guitarist and singer Alex Cuba was invited to perform as part of a fun and lively kitchen concert called "Kitchen Scratch." He was joined by an amazing house band comprising four members of the Henderson family (Ed, Bill, Saffron, and Camille) with bassist Darren Parris and violinist Cam Wilson. The music was a mix of new and old songs from the musicians who happily squeezed around Ed and Jean's comfy kitchen table. The music, the company, and the resulting atmosphere created by these artists produced a wonderful concert that probably couldn't have happened anywhere else.
concert 2: Pavlo, Rik Emmett, Oscar Lopez
recorded at L'Astral in Montreal:
Three master players collaborate to form an acoustic trio of passionate, fiery guitars. Pavlo, Rik Emmett and Oscar Lopez have each forged brilliant independent careers, garnering awards both at home and internationally and winning the hearts of their respective fans. Their newly released CD, Trifecta, was nominated as the Instrumental Album of The Year at the 2010 Junos . This performance at the new Montreal venue L'Astral captures the warmth and humour of the guys on stage. There are many world influences in the music – Mediterranean, Gypsy swing and Latin - all performed with vitality and conviction. The music they make spans a gamut of emotions from tender, intimate melodies to hot solos - it's no wonder why they are making new fans right across Canada.

Thursday, October 14, 2010
concert 1: Bruce Cockburn Tribute
recorded as part of the 2010 Luminato Festival in Toronto
Bruce Cockburn is one of Canada's finest and most prolific popular musicians. To mark 40 years of achievement since his debut album in 1970, Cockburn is joined on the Massey Hall stage by musical director and long-time collaborator Colin Linden, as well as musical friends: Amelia Curran, Barenaked Ladies, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Buck 65, Hawksley Workman, Jason Fowler, Michael Occhipinti, Sylvia Tyson, and The Wailin' Jennys.

Friday, October 15, 2010
concert 1: Great Big Sea
recorded at Mile One Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland
Great Big Sea was nearing the end of a seven-month international tour when the band hit the stage at Mile One Centre in St. John's. The place went wild as hometown heroes Alan Doyle, Sean McCann, Bob Hallett, and a supporting cast of several thousand crazed Newfoundland republicans ramped up for the best kitchen party on the planet.

CBC Radio 1 broadcast, Fridays at 2:05 PM
Friday, October 15, 2010 on CBC Radio 1
concert 1: Bruce Cockburn Tribute
recorded as part of the 2010 Luminato Festival in Toronto
Bruce Cockburn is one of Canada's finest and most prolific popular musicians. To mark 40 years of achievement since his debut album in 1970, Cockburn is joined on the Massey Hall stage by musical director and long-time collaborator Colin Linden, as well as musical friends: Amelia Curran, Barenaked Ladies, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Buck 65, Hawksley Workman, Jason Fowler, Michael Occhipinti, Sylvia Tyson, and The Wailin' Jennys.

Canada Live podcast, released on Fridays
Friday, October 15, 2010 on the Canada Live podcast
Alex Cuba
recorded at the home of Ed Henderson and Jean Teillet in Vancouver
A few years back when Ed Henderson and Jean Teillet completed a renovation on their early 20th century Craftsman-style home in the Vancouver neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant, they were rewarded with a new look and excellent acoustics. What a great bonus for a household that is so into music! Guitarist and singer Alex Cuba was invited to perform as part of a fun and lively kitchen concert called "Kitchen Scratch." He was joined by an amazing house band comprising four members of the Henderson family (Ed, Bill, Saffron, and Camille) with bassist Darren Parris and violinist Cam Wilson. The music was a mix of new and old songs from the musicians who happily squeezed around Ed and Jean's comfy kitchen table. The music, the company, and the resulting atmosphere created by these artists produced a wonderful concert that probably couldn't have happened anywhere else.

Interview: The Mountains & The Trees

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:43:18 -0400

The Broken Speaker caught up with Jon Janes late in August before a show in Halifax to discuss his latest global endeavors, discuss his latest album “I Made This For You” and other things. He will be performing at Halifax Pop Explosion on Saturday October 23 along with IT KILLS, Boats, and Ghettosocks as partof the Herohill Showcase. He is on at 9:00pm at the Company House for $10. If you enjoy folk music, singer songwriters, and earnest musicians be sure to check this show out.

What was the inspiration behind the name The Mountains & The Trees?

The idea behind The Mountains & The Trees is that even though it is just me I often have lots of people who join me on stage and on the recordings. I don’t ever want to turn down a show if I really want to do it. So I decided instead of going under the name Jon Janes i wanted to go under a stage name/band name and The Mountains & The Trees sounded kind of fitting, especially considering where I grew up. Now I never have to say “this is Jon Janes featuring so and so and so and so. This is The Mountains & The Trees.” It could be anywhere from one to eight people.

What did you learn from the recording process of your latest album I Made This For You?

It was my first time being in a professional studio working with a lot of other people. Time is money. Always. Thats a big part of it. I learned that not everything has to be perfect even if it is done in the studio. Sometimes leaving in the little mistakes are some of the best parts of the recordings.

What was that moment where you gained more attention in the Canadian music scene.

It was definitely TIFF. It was the CBC radio 3 broadcast concert at TIFF. And Radio 3’s constant support. I mean even just a week before [TIFF] Grant Lawrence put me on his podcast and said “its my favourite new Canadian singer songwriter. I still get people approaching me in the UK talking about that.

Are there any themes or ideas you tried to convey through the album?

I definitely talk about traveling a lot in my music. The idea of traveling and moving around. Its kind of what I hope is relatable music. I’m not singing about all too specific instances although some of the songs are derived from specific instances. I treat it almost like a storytelling songwriting. I grew up on Dylan and Steve Earle. I’m writing more about each song as a story in itself.

How have you used social networking platforms (twitter, facebook, myspace) to connect with your fans?

It’s how I connect with a lot of people. A lot of those people I’ve gone on to know in real life. “IRL” (followed by laughter) On this past Canadian tour I stayed with. for almost the entire tour, Radio 3 listeners who knew me through my blog posts on the website let alone my music. Sometimes, especially when you come from an isolated area like Newfoundland where its really hard to get off the island and tour, you use what you have to. I don’t think it necessarily hurts artists who don’t use it all the time. For me it’s my way of connecting with people, especially when I do a lot of touring by myself.

What was it like touring the UK?

It was really really nice. It was definitely a bit mind boggling at first, especially considering I hadn’t been over there in years and never went over there in this capacity or traveled this much. I had to learn how to drive less than 24 hours after touching down on the other side of the rode and that sort of stuff. Once I got it down it was like driving around Canada. I drank a lot of Starbucks because they have a Starbucks everywhere over there. Mcdonalds was a great source of wifi. I would often stand outside of Mcdonalds and get on my ipod touch to get wifi.

The big difference is they would often tell me “I’m really sorry you have a long day of driving today.” I was like “what do you mean” and they would say “Liverpool is 4 hours away” I replied “Really, only 4 hours away. Sweet!”

Any good tour stories?

We went up to Inverness in Scotland and played a show as part of Go North Festival and I ended up hanging out with another Canadian band Woodhands which was really nice. I met a lot of Canadian bands abroad. I met more abroad than I would in Newfoundland.

(editors note: After the show later that day he told me a fantastic story about playing at a hippy commune in Germany. If you see him at Pop Explosion be sure to ask him about it)

What were your tricks for surviving a cross Canada tour?

Lots of music in the car. Having a great long distance plan to keep in touch with people. I did do it mostly by myself. The other band had their own van. Knowing when to sort of push for a little extra time off. I got to Vancouver a day before a show out there and I took a couple extra days off out there because I knew I wanted to meet a lot of people. Having priorities and knowing when to take that extra little time off, when to relax, when to take it slow. Obviously staying with people across canada saved the tour for me. If I had to stay in a hotel every night that would have been the end of The Mountains & The Trees.

What albums helped you get across canada? Which artist/albums have you been listening to recently?

Nice, Nice, Very Nice (by Dan Mangan), a lot of Hayden albums, Basia Bulat, and Great Lake Swimmers. I would trade albums with bands we had played with on the road. It was funny at some points people would come up to me after shows and say they like my music and they were like Ii’m a musician here is my CD, have a listen, tell me what you think.” Am I really that guy now? I totally remember doing this to musicians. Have I really hit that point? Zachary Lucky has been a big favourite of mine as of late.

First album you bought with your own money?

My grandmother drove me to the store because I was forbidden from buying this album. I went in and I bought Nirvana’s Nevermind with my own money. I hid it under my mattress and would only listen to it when they left the house. Which is way better [than my first album], because I think the first album they may have bought me might have been the Free Willy soundtrack.

What was the first instrument that you played?

Drums. I was a drummer for 14 years. I started learning how to play guitar. I won a photography contest when I was in university because i did a photography degree and then I won $1500. I used a portion of it to buy my first banjo. It went from that, and now I have a ukulele, piano, accordion, glockenspiel, melodica, and you saw me attempting to play violin.

People should check out Which artist/albums have you been listening to recently? because….

….its a reciprocal relationship. the more people that come out to shows and that support the music, the more music that gets to be made in the end and released. its sort of like if you come out and support me then i’ll have the resources to go out and make more music to give back to you. i often do things like giving out songs around the holidays for free or every once in a while give out a download code whoever uses it first. its a reciprocal thing. i would never want to force someone to come out and see me if you don’t want to. but for those who do, i am quite thankful.

Full Halifax Pop Explosion lineup

The Halifax Pop Explosion will be previewed and reviewed on The Broken Speaker all month long.

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #34

Fri, 07 May 2010 21:21:33 -0400

As always full credit goes to the artists who make this possible:Download the m4a (iTunes) or mp3The playlist for this one goes:Forest City Lovers - Light You UpThe Burning Hell - Don't Let Your Guard DownMilks and Rectangles - Long Haired-Hater (The Barnkats cover)Jay Sparrow - Lay Yr Mountain DownLuke Doucet and the White Falcoln - Blood's Too RichCarolyn Mark and NQ Arbuckle - All Time

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #32

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:37:38 -0500

As always full credit for anything good about this goes to the people who make the music. Enjoy!Download the m4a or MP3 or just press play. This Week's Playlist Goes:Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes ActionPlants and Animals - Tom Cruisethe Pinecones - SageBy Divine Right - Cupid in OilskinsWintermitts - SchoolyardSandman Viper Command - Using EverybodyVolcanoless in Canada - Shedding Skin (Corner Gas)

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #31

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:45:09 -0500

Welcome to the first shot at this of the new decade. As always full credit for this (and much love) goes to the artists who make it possible. Download the M4a, MP3 or OgvThis Week's Playlist Goes:Woodhands - PocketsPeter Project - Unorthadox (Feat. More or Les)Little Girls - Youth Tunesthe Balconies - LuluBend Sinister - Jimmy BrownIslands - VapoursProof of Ghosts - Wandering Starsthe Warped 45s

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #30 - the Holiday Edition

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:14:46 -0500

As usual all credit for any goodness goes to all of the artists who took the time to record all of this music for you. Most of it you can get for free - if you scroll down below the playlist there is a long, long list of free music (much more than what's included in this podcast) that you can get for free. Download the M4a or MP3. This Week's Playlist Goes: In Flight Safety (feat. Jenn Grant) -

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #28

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:32:19 -0500

As always full credit for anything good about this goes to the artists!Download:M4a or M4a TorrentMP3 or MP3 TorrentThis Weeks Tracklist Goes:Meatdraw - Black License PlatesHooded Fang - Fall LeavesMike Duguay - Not My PartyWax Mannequin - Everything and EveryoneRock Plaza Central - My Children Be Joyfulthe Hylozoists - the Possibility of an IslandJulie Fader - Walking & Talkingthe Barnkats -

NxEW Mixtape Podcast 27

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:35:09 -0500

As always all of the credit and my sincere gratitude goes to the artists who make this possible.Download the M4A or M4A TorrentMP3 or MP3 Torrentif you have missed any episodes see this page!This Week's Playlist Goes:Laura Barrett - Smells Like NirvanaFox Jaws - Home and NativeBlack Hat Brigade - Signal FireMagneta Lane - Lady BonesHot Little Rocket - I Am Going to Burn Down Your Barnthe

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #26

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:55:54 -0500

As always thanks so much to all of the amazing musicians who make this podcast possible. If you're interested in being involved in the podcast please see our podcast guidelines. Download:m4a or m4a Torrentmp3 or mp3 TorrentThis Week's Playlist Goes:Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees - Animal Sounds (Live at CIUT)CFCF - How BizarreOhbijou - Wildfires (Zealandia Remix)Kids on TV vs SIQUEMU - Poison

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #25

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:37:44 -0500

A huge thanks, as always to the artists who make this podcast possible by letting us use their music. DownloadM4A or M4A TorrentMP3 or MP3 Torrent. The Playlist This Week Goes:Evening Hymns - Spirit GuidesRock Plaza Central - Sexyback Wax Mannequin - Volcano Godthe Nix Dicksons - King of ConnecticutKaryn Ellis - Little Grey SparrowSarah Mangle Buys a Bear - Eight Years Old (for Noam)Katie

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #24

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:25:24 -0400

As always a huge thanks to all of the artists who make this possible by letting us play their music. The podcast may become a little irregular for awhile while I build up the library of things to play and tend to some technical matters with the site. There likely won't be one next week but hopefully it will resume shortly. Until then enjoy!DownloadMP4 or MP4 TorrentMP3 or MP3 TorrentThis Week's

NxEW Mixtape Podcast 23

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:36:20 -0400

Thanks, as always to all of the talented artists (and their representatives) who make this possible by allowing us to use their music. Download:MP4 or MP4 TorrentMP3 or MP3 TorrentThis Week's Playlist:the Fast Romantics - Spooning the Gorillathe Balconies - Elephant LampWoodhands - Sailboats (Irritable bowel - Peter Project remix)Violent Kin - Bury Your SecretsOldfolks Home - I Hate

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #22

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:12:25 -0400

Thanks, as always, to all of the artists who make this possible by letting us use their music. If you hear something you like make sure that you support them by buying the album and/or going to see them live. Musicians need to eat too.Download MP4 or MP4 Torrent the MP3 or the MP3 TorrentThis Week's Playlist Goes:Cuff the Duke - PromisesSports the band - FleetwoodLanguage Arts - Where Were You in

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #21

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:12:30 -0400

Thanks, as always, to everyone who makes these possible by creating such amazing music!Download:MP4 or TorrentMP3 or TorrentIf you think you've missed any episodes visit our quicklist.This Week's Playist Goes:Shotgun Jimmie - Waist Deep in the WaterSandman Viper Command - Oh Yeah It's FusionBroken Bricks - BoomWhale Tooth - Marlboro Beach BonanzaTonka & Puma - Break Up Songthe SSRIs - Diarythe

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #20

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:36:14 -0400

I know I always say it, but it's true: Thanks so much to all of the artists who made the lovely music for making it and for letting us play it for people. XOXO!DownloadMP4 or MP4 TorrentMP3 or MP3 TorrentThis week's playlist is all like:Pick A Piper - Rooms Pale Air Singers - Convict EscapesKyrie Kristmanson - Song XMelissa McClelland - God Loves MeJill Barber - ChancesJon Rae and the River -

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #19

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:55:24 -0400

As always thanks so much to the people that make the music for allowing us to use it. Download the MP4 the MP4 Torrent or the MP3 or MP3 Torrent If you think you might have missed any of our mixtapes see this list for easy reference. The playlist for this week goesJulie Fader - Maps (Album out next week, watch Julie's Myspace for details on purchasing.)Whale Tooth - Sleepwalking (Check their

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #18

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:48:32 -0400

Last weeks podcast was sort of a rootsy, folksy singer songwriter thing so this week we've made it a little more upbeat and dancy with a dash or two of funk. As always a huge thanks and all the credit goes to the people who make the music! MP4 or MP4 TorrentorMP3 or MP3 TorrentIf you've missed any and want to catch up - see the Full list here. This Weeks Playlist Goes:the Hidden Cameras - In the

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #17

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:21:03 -0400

As always a special thanks to everyone who allowed us to use their music for this! Download the MP4 or the MP4 Torrent Download the MP3 or the MP3 Torrentand if you feel like you might have missed one or two there is a full list here. This Weeks Playlist Goes:Amy Millan - I Will Follow You Into the Dark (Available Sept. 8)Julie Fader - Goodbye Before Hello (Available Sept. 8)Rebekah Higgs - Mr.

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #16

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:43:11 -0400

Back from vacation and with another podcast. Have a listen and, as always, HUGE thanks to everyone who let us use their music and helped make it possible. DownloadMP4 or MP4 TorrentMP3 or mp3 torrentIf you think you've missed any podcasts check this list.This Week's Playlist:Hooded Fang - Train Station (Buy on Zunior)the Juntion - My Love Was There (Buy at thejunction.com)B'ehl - Don't You Forget

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #15

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:52:47 -0400

Surprise - After next week I'll be on a short vacation and it will probably be mid-August before I hit the podcast stride again. So, a 15th episode to tide you over until then. Again thanks to all the music folk but see the last post for more of that. Download: MP4 or MP4 TorrentMP3 or MP3 TorrentIf you've missed any and want to catch up - see this.The Playlist for this one:Amy Millan - Bruised

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #14

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:36:08 -0400

Every week I say thank you to the artists and their reps who make this pod-cast possible by allowing us to use their music. In addition to dozens of individual artists, managers and publicists this now includes: Mint Records, Six Shooter Records, (weewerk) records, Kelp Records, Outside Music, Young Soul Records, Endearing Records, Fuzzy Logic Recordings and (I think) Blocks Recording Club. We

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #13

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:22:09 -0400

Another week another hour of exceptional Canadian music. Thanks very much to all of the artists (and their representatives) who make this possible by letting us use their music. Thanks also to everyone who passes this along to friends by sharing it, seeding the torrent, re-tweeting the link or whatever else you do to spread the gospel of Canadian music. Downloads:MP4 MP4 TorrentMP3 MP3 TorrentIf

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #12

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:18:28 -0400

We're back after a week off to play catch up on some other things. As always a huge thank you to all of the artists (or their representatives) who make their music available to us to have this fun! Download the MP4 or grab the Torrent.and/or Download the MP3 or the MP3 TorrentAlso, if you've missed anything there is a list of the episodes here. This Week's Playlist Goes:the Pack A.D. - Blackout (

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #11

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:12:18 -0400

Another hour of amazing Canadian music. Thanks, as always to the artists (and their representatives) who make this possible by making their music available. If you are a Canadian artist and would like to be considered for inclusion just drop an email to northbyeastwest at gmail.comDownload MP4 or MP4 Torrent or MP3 or MP3 Torrent.For a full list of the NxEW Podcast's to date Click HereOn This

NxEW Mixtape Podcast #10

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:49:55 -0400

The tenth of our Mixtape Podcasts - this one features brand new stuff from Said the Whale's forthcoming album as well as from the Wind Whistles's fortcoming album and a track from the Sunparlour Players's new album 'Wave North' and well too much to mention - just have a look at the track listing below. As awalys deepest appreciation to the artists who create all the lovely music we play. Enjoy!