Amnesia Rockfest has always brought bands to the area that we otherwise might never have seen here, and this year is no different. Five bands in particular stand out among the rest, offering music enthusiasts (like myself) the chance to see favourite bands for the first time. I’ve been a punk-rock audiophile for a long […]
Spike Slawson’s voice is one that most people who grew up listening to punk-rock in the mid-nineties would know well. A veteran of bands like ‘Swingin Utters and Filthy Thieving Bastards, he has featured on over 30 records in the last 18 years, not including special appearances. This week, Ottawa music fans will get the […]
Doylestown, Pennsylvania-based emo-rock outfit Balance and Composure have made a home in Ottawa over the last three years—closer to one, at least, than most American bands have bothered to. While many mid-level acts from below the border skip our city en route to Montreal or Toronto, BaC make an annual trip. And they’ve built a following here as […]
Photos: Scott Martin By his own admission Simon Ward is a high and low guy, but The Strumbellas’ frontman was soaring at Mavericks on Friday. It was the third time this year that the beloved Canadian indie outfit rolled through the capital, and their following seems to grow with every event—with good cause. The band’s […]
Kristopher Bras chats with The Strumbellas frontman in advance of the band’s return to Ottawa If anyone had asked me a year ago to choose between seeing Neutral Milk Hotel and The Strumbellas, it would have been a no-brainer. Neutral Milk Hotel with a bullet. But when the 2014 Ottawa Folk Fest presented me with […]
Moonface and Her Harbour visit Westboro for an intimate solo performance On October 30th I took a brisk walk up Churchill Avenue to the Bluesfest School of Music and Art (BSOMA) for a short, intimate evening with Moonface and Her Harbour—both performing sans accompaniment. It was my first visit to this venue. Housed by a […]
Iconic Canadian folk artist Bruce Cockburn will be at the National Archives on Saturday night to close out Ottawa’s first SpurFest. Cockburn is joined by an assortment of Canadian writers and musicians, including Steven Heighton, Douglas Gibson, Marni Jackson, Rivka Galchen and Anne Fenn. Hosted by poet David O’Meara, the event has been dubbed “The […]
Hearts & Mines returned to the stage at Rainbow Bistro on Saturday night, after an extended break from the Ottawa live music scene. Blues-rock two-piece Bearshark and acoustic reggae-rock solo act Ty Hall were on hand to open. Ty Hall and Hearts & Mines are both former Live 88.5 Big Money Shot development winners, and […]
Ottawa trip-hop band plays new album to packed house On Saturday, April 5, local indie-pop outfit Sound of Lions filled Zaphod Beeblebrox and gave fans an intimate performance of their new record, Take Me With You. The record is their first release since 2011’s 11:44, and they played the record in its entirety for the […]
Anybody with a head or a heart can find something to love about these bands On Thursday, The Head and The Heart’s first Canadian tour stopped at The Bronson Centre, bringing beloved Toronto artist Basia Bulat with it. Both are touring to promote records they released late last year. I’ve wanted to see Basia Bulat […]