2017 Polaris Music Prize winner Lido Pimienta performs at the gala

Canadian Musician‘s Samantha Everts & Mark Matusoff were out at the Carlu in Toronto on Mon., Sept. 18th for the 2017 Polaris Music Prize gala. In what many considered a surprise, Colombian/Canadian artist Lido Pimienta took home the title & $50,000 award for her innovative Spanish-language album La Papessa. Check out some shots from the gala performers, Pimienta’s win & more.

(more…)

Jale, along with other heralded acts like Sloan and Eric’s trip, was an integral part of the early-’90s Halifax scene that caught the attention of labels and industry influencers. The band is readying the release of its Brave New Waves session, first recorded in 1993, and we’re bringing you Kevin Komoda’s mix of “Emma” in this unique and exclusive #CMPremiere.

(more…)

The Dirty Nil at WayHome 2017 by Mark Matusoff

Canadian Musician’s Samantha Everts & Mark Matusoff were on the ground for the 2017 edition of the WayHome Music & Arts festival, and we’re bringing you a slew of Mark’s shots from the third and final day of the fest, featuring Tegan & Sara, Daniel Caesar, The Dirty Nil & more.

(more…)

Death from Above at WayHome 2017 by Mark Matusoff

Canadian Musician‘s Samantha Everts & Mark Matusoff were on the ground for the 2017 edition of the WayHome Music & Arts festival, and we’re bringing you an extensive selection of Mark’s shots from Day 2 of the festival, featuring the likes of PUP, Jazz Cartier, Death from Above, and more. Enjoy!

(more…)

Cage the Elephant at WayHome 2017 by Mark Matusoff

Canadian Musician‘s Samantha Everts & Mark Matusoff were on the ground for the 2017 edition of the WayHome Music & Arts festival, and we’ve got some extensive photo libraries and set reviews from all three days. Here’s the rundown for Day 1:

WayHome descended upon Oro-Medonte, ON, from July 28-30 and despite a great three days of music with a diverse lineup, the crowd for this year’s edition of the three-year old festival was thinner than expected. From 40,000 last year to some estimates of 15,000, festivalgoers were nonetheless joyous as the sun was bright for the mostly EDM-indie-alternative lineup of 70 artists spread across three stages.

(more…)

Steppenwolf keyboardist and founding member Goldy McJohn, born John Goadsby, passed away on Tuesday, August 1st due to a heart attack. He was 72.

As iHeartRadio reports, McJohn was a classically trained pianist and early adopter of the Hammond organ in rock music. He was also a member of Canadian R&B band the Mynah Birds in the mid-’60s and went on to co-found Steppenwolf with vocalist John Kay. The group mad major hits with 1968’s “Born to Be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride.”

A funeral will take place next Friday in Washington state, where McJohn lived with wife Sonja.

Jazz Cartier at WayHome 2017 by Mark Matusoff

Canadian Musician‘s Samantha Everts & Mark Matusoff were on the ground for the 2017 edition of the WayHome Music & Arts festival, and we’ve got plenty of great photos and coverage coming your way. In the meantime, we connected with Erik Paquette of VER, the company that supplies the production technologies for WayHome and the upcoming Boots & Hearts country-focused festival, to find out what goes on behind the scenes to deliver these special events to tens of thousands of fans.

(more…)

They’ve been called the Zac Brown Band in miniskirts, The Runaways at a hoedown, and The Spice Girls on a whisky bender. Regardless of what you call them, Nice Horse deliver a jacked-up, bush partying jolt of energy to the country music scene, and that’s more than evident in their brand new single, “Pony Up” – exclusively streaming here in another #CMPremiere.

(more…)

Registration for the 2018 edition of South by Southwest (SXSW) opens Aug. 1st at 10 a.m. CT. Registering early offers the best access to discounts and hotel availability.

(more…)

The Shins @ RBC Bluesfest Ottawa

Canadian Musician correspondent Samantha Everts (@urockred) & photographer Mark Matusoff (@mmatusoff) were on the ground (albeit only for a day) at the annually-awesome RBC Bluesfest Ottawa. Here’s their review & shots from Day 6, which featured performances by The Shins, Phantogram, and more, leading up to the headlining slot by the almighty LCD Soundsystem.

(more…)