Dale Watson | Call Me Lucky
You can call Dale Watson lucky if you want. And he's undoubtedly had some good fortune over the years — like being born with a rich set of well-deep...
J.S. Ondara | Tales of America
The American Dream doesn't get much better than this. Six years ago, 20-year-old Nairobi native J.S. Ondara won a Green Card lottery and moved to Minnesota — where he...
Tedeschi Trucks Band | Signs
"I don’t always love music that tries to be this brand-new discovery every time," Derek Trucks told me in 2016. "A lot of my favourite music is from bands...
Broken Social Scene | Let’s Try the After Vol. 1
Don't get too excited, Broken Social Scene fans. Let's Try the After Vol. 1 is not the Toronto collective's followup album to 2017's Hug of Thunder. It's just a...
Back Stories | My Review of XTC’s 1999 Masterpiece Apple Venus Vol. 1
Two decades ago this week, XTC’s eagerly awaited comeback album Apple Venus Vol. 1 was released. Here's a slightly edited what I had to say about it back then....
Some Snide Remarks on the Grammys
Head-scratching performances. Infuriating decisions. Pointless segments. Yep, it was another Grammy Awards show. I didn't watch it live, since I don't have to do that for a living anymore....
Next Week in Music | Feb. 11-17, 2019 • 130 New Albums Coming Your...
There are more than 130 albums, EPs and singles being released next week. Mark your calendars and pre-order your favourites — but don’t blame me if things change at...
Next Week in Music | Feb. 11-17, 2019 • Music on TV
I know you like to watch. So here's a list of the musicians who will be singing for their supper next week on the boob tube. Of course, everything...
Next Week in Music | Feb. 11-17 • Birthdays & Anniversaries
I wouldn't want to live in the past. But I still like to visit every now and then. Here are the musical birthdays we'll be celebrating and the anniversaries...
Charlie Faye & The Fayettes | The Whole Shebang
Even nostalgia needs an update every now and then. And who better to bring classic girl-group pop into the modern world than Charlie Faye and The Fayettes? They've already...
Colin Linden & Luther Dickinson With the Tennessee Valentines | Amour
Amour isn't a bad title. But Mutual Admiration Society might be a better one. Or at least a more accurate depiction of this genteel joint effort spearheaded by Blackie...
The Lemonheads | Varshons 2
It's a shame about Evan Dando. Back in the ’90s, the Lemonheads frontman was one of the more interesting and individual singer-songwriters on the scene (as anyone who's heard...
Linda Ronstadt | Live in Hollywood
It's so easy to overlook Linda Ronstadt. And sadly, it always has been. Back in the ’70s and ’80s, the supremely talented vocalist topped charts, sold out arenas and...
Mavis Staples | Live in London
Mavis Staples looks like a boxer on the cover of Live in London: Head down, chin tucked, fists balled in front of her face like she's about to pop...
Various Artists | Music Inspired By The Film Roma
Full disclosure: I have not seen Roma, director Alfonso Cuarón’s semi-autobiographical, Oscar-nominated Netflix drama about a Mexican family in the early 1970s (though I did interview him 20 years...
