Category Archives: Music

Three upcoming jazz releases I am very excited about // Youn Sun Nah, Marc Cary, and Cécile McLorin Salvant

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3newalbums

1. Lento by Youn Sun Nah

Youn Sun Nah is a really interesting vocalist who blurs the lines between jazz, folk, and pop. I just bought her last album, Same Girl, and I was blown away by her poise and sure-footed delivery right from the first track. Lento is already receiving wide-spread praise. The physical CD is slated to come out June 11 and it can be pre-ordered on amazon here. The digital version is available now.

2. For The Love Of Abbey by Marc Cary

In 1994 Marc Cary began his 12-year tenure as Abbey Lincoln’s pianist. Since then he gone on to gain a reputation as a band leader and an exceptionally creative pianist. On June 11 he will be releasing his first solo recording honouring the late Abbey Lincoln and her remarkable songwriting abilities. This album is not yet available for pre-order.

3. WomanChild by Cécile McLorin Salvant

In 2010 Cécile McLorin Salvant was the youngest finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. The vocal TMIJC is my Olympics so I always watch with bated breath. I was really thrilled when I first heard Cécile McLorin Salvant because she brought so much depth and personality to jazz standards. I have greatly enjoyed her only other release and I’m excited to hear her next one when it comes out on May 28th. You can pre-order it in amazon here.

So that’s it for Three upcoming jazz releases that I am very excited about. If you want to stay abreast of upcoming jazz releases then you should be definitely go follow Donna’s blog, Elements of Jazz. She’s is on top of things over there.

CBC Searchlight ladies with whom I’d like to be friends // part 3

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Motel Raphael, Ambre McLean, Three Little BirdsSadly, I have been eliminated from the CBC Searchlight Competition. Thank you so much to everyone who came in out support of my entry. It really means the world to know I can count on you. That said! Just because I have been eliminated does not mean you should stop voting for Canada’s Best New Artist. In fact, three of the women from part 1 and part 2 of this series have made it on the regional finals. Please continue to support Erin Propp, Amy Wood, and Molly Thomason!

Here are some more amazing women you should vote for:

1. Motel Raphaël (top left)

Motel Raphael is a seven-piece Indie Pop Folk band from Montreal fronted by Clara Legault (vocals and electric guitar), Emily Skahan (vocals and acoustic guitar), Maya Malkin (vocals and electric guitar). Their competition entry, Ghosts, is catchy and memorable with tight vocal harmonies. These women definitely deserve your vote. You’ll find them in the Homerun lineup here.

2. Ambre McLean (top right)

Ambre Mclean’s bluesy voice got my attention right away. I love the simple instrumentation in her competition entry, So Over. The single guitar showcases her rich voice and strong songwriting. Ambre is located in Guelph and you can vote for her in the Kitchener-Waterloo lineup here.

3. Three Little Birds (bottom, photo credit: Henrieta Haniskova)

I have the great pleasure of already being friends with the lovely ladies of Three Little Birds. Hailing from Ottawa, these women are writing some incredibly important music. They fearlessly tackle issues like sexual abuse and apartheid and they do it with razor-sharp wit and tight harmonies. You can vote for Three Little Birds in the All In A Day lineup here.

Voting for round three of CBC Searchlight ends tomorrow so don’t wait! You only have two days to lend your vote to these amazing women. This will be the last part in the CBC Searchlight ladies with whom I’d like to be friends series. Here are the links to the previous two parts:

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this short series as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. Let me know who you’re rooting for in the comments below.

CBC Searchlight: Round two of voting ends tonight at midnight!

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CBC SearchlightHey everyone! Wow! Who knew we would make it this far? Here we are today at the end of round two and I have to tell you I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of kindness I have received from everyone. Thank you so much for taking the time to vote every day and to spread the word about CBC Searchlight.

In case you haven’t voted yet today, you still have time to squeeze in one last vote before round two ends tonight at 11:59pm EST. All you have to do is visit http://r3.ca/0Xxs and click the VOTE button next to my entry. That’s it!

If you already voted today please take the time to share that link on twitter, facebook, tumblr, or shout it from your rooftop! If you don’t know what CBC Searchlight is then click here and read all about it.

I didn’t formally announce this but I have committed to blogging daily until I am eliminated from the competition. This means I will still be posting my usual features (My Week In Pictures, Book Love, Mixtapes, etc) but I will also be adding other posts on my usual off days including a series that I’m very excited about called CBC Searchlight ladies with whom I’d like to be friends. It already has two parts! If I am not eliminated tomorrow I will keep up this rigorous pace. If I am eliminated… I think I’ll lay on the couch with some tea and watch reruns of Law & Order. Either way, it’s a win for me :)

Oh and lastly, that picture up there was taken by Claude Brazeau and if you like it there’s a whole awesome series of them here.

 

CBC Searchlight ladies with whom I’d like to be friends // part 2

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Nuela Charles, Julia McDougall, Molly ThomasonWelcome to another instalment of CBC Searchlight ladies with whom I’d like to be friends! I have another three wonderful women making amazing music to share with you today. As I mentioned in part 1, during the regional rounds of CBC’s Searchlight Competition, you can vote in multiple cities every day. These three ladies definitely have my vote.

1. Nuela Charles (top left, photo credit: Steven Hope)

Nuela Charles’ Searchlight entry, Unfortunate Love featuring Darren Frank, is super slick and drew me in immediately with it’s Amy Winehouse style horn lines and piano riffing. When she started singing, I was hooked. I love this song because it manages to sound like both a throwback to vintage soul and a modern pop song. Nuela is located in Edmonton and you can vote for her in the Radio Active lineup here.

2. Julia McDougall (top right, photo credit: Chris Graham)

Julia McDougall’s latest EP, I Don’t Really Care, jam-packs a ton expert arrangements and beautifully crafted songs into four short tracks. Her songs are whimsical and wistful and I seriously wish there were more than four of them on the album. Julia is located in Regina and you can vote for her in the Afternoon Edition lineup here.

3. Molly Thomason (bottom, photo credit: Catherine Fancy)

Molly Thomason’s entry, Silence Don’t Scare Me, is a remarkably self-assured piece of music. Between her creative lyrical sense and the incredibly catchy hook, this is a song worth repeated listening. Molly is from Antagonish and you can vote for her in the Mainstreet Nova Scotia lineup here.

That’s it for this instalment! Thanks for taking the time to vote for some wonderful women. If you want to vote for me, you can do so by visiting http://r3.ca/0Xxs and clicking the VOTE button next to my entry. Thank you!

CBC Searchlight ladies with whom I’d like to be friends // part 1

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Amy Wood, Erin Propp, Jocelyn and Lisa

Here’s a fun fact about the CBC Searchlight Competition: you can actually vote in multiple cities per day! I’ve had a lot of fun perusing the top twenty artists in other cities, trying to figure out which ones to lend a vote to. Along the way I have run into tons of wonderful women with whom I would totally like to hang out with sometimes because they seem awesome and cool and are amazing at what they do.

1. Amy Wood (top left, photo credit: Allison Seto)

I was immediately drawn to Amy Wood’s song Symphony because of its stark and restrained opening. I love the way it slowly burns and builds. Of course her beautiful soaring high voice sealed the deal for me. Amy is in Victoria and you can vote for her in the All Points West lineup here.

2. Erin Propp (top right, photo credit: Pauline Boldt)

When I first listened to Erin Propp, I immediately bought her album, posted about her on my facebook, and then texted all my friends. I feel like her and I would get along if we sat down for a coffee. Her originals are fresh, soft, and exciting and her treatment of standards is completely unexpected and interesting. Erin is from Winnipeg and you can vote for her in the Up To Speed lineup here.

3. jocelyn & lisa (bottom, photo credit: Maria Lykouris)

jocelyn & lisa are so freaking cool it hurts. Jocelyn sings and Lisa plays bass, piano, and guitar. Together they create some unimaginably groovy songs. Their entry Preacher is an instant hit for me. jocelyn & lisa are from Calgary and you can vote for them in the Homestretch lineup here.

Please take the time to vote for these amazing ladies and to check out all the great entries to the CBC Searchlight Competition. You just might find your new favourite artist. I would also love if you could take the time to vote for me by visiting http://r3.ca/0Xxs and clicking VOTE. Thank you!

CBC Searchlight: We made it to round two! Vote now!!

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sl01Yay! Hooray! Huzzah! Woohoo!

Thank you so so much to everyone who voted in round one of CBC’s Searchlight Competition last week! I am proud to announce that Drinking Coffee has made it to round two of the competition which means my entry was selected to be in the top twenty entries in Ottawa. Yay!

But wait! There’s more…

Voting for round two has already opened. You can vote for me by visiting r3.ca/0Xxs and pressing the VOTE button next to my name. Please bookmark that link and vote every day on each of your devices between now and the end of round two on March 3rd at 11:59pm EST.

If you have already voted today and would like do more, please spread the word on twitter, facebook, tumblr, pinterest, stumbleupon, reddit, youtube, or via email with your friends and followers. Every little share helps! The share buttons at the bottom of this post should make quick and easy.

For those of you just tuning in, the CBC Searchlight Competition is the Hunt for Canada’s Best New Artist. Last week, over 2000 emerging artists entered the competition and yesterday the top twenty artists in each city were announced. Each round will be decided by popular vote. On Monday, March 4th, the top five artists in each city will be announced. It’s so exciting!! For more information visit cbcmusic.ca/searchlight.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read all about this and to vote!

CBC Searchlight: Round one of voting ends tonight at midnight!

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searchlightHey everyone! Round one of voting for the CBC’s Searchlight Competition (The Hunt for Canada’s Best New Artist!) ends tonight at 11:59 Eastern Time. If you haven’t yet voted today please visit http://r3.ca/0Xxs and click VOTE. You can vote on each of your devices (laptop, smartphone, etc).

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to vote every day and to spread the word on your facebook and twitter. I hope to make it to round two but even if it doesn’t happen, the love and support I have received from my community of family, friends, readers, and fans is reward enough. You’re all amazing!

To show my thanks, I’d like to offer you a free download of the track I submitted to the Searchlight Competition. Click here (right click + save as) to download Drinking Coffee. Now you can listen to it whenever you want!

Round one winners will be announced tomorrow night at 9pm. I’ll be sure to announce the results on my facebook and twitter so stay tuned!

PS: If you love that photo in the graphic above, it was taken by Muse Mohammed and there’s a whole series of awesome photos like that here.

CBC Searchlight Competition: Vote Now!

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CBC Searchlight

I’m a nominee for the CBC Searchlight Competition and I need your votes!

What is the CBC Searchlight Contest? Searchlight is a nation-wide competition seeking to discovery Canada’s best new artist. The winning artist will be featured in a CBC Music video session, asked to perform at a music showcase in Toronto, and will receive $20,000 in music equipment courtesy of Yamaha Canada Music.

You can vote for your favorite artist once per day. Round one of voting ends Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The Top 20 acts will be revealed on Feb. 25, 2013 at 9pm ET

I would love if you could take some time out of your busy day to vote for me. Just visit this link http://r3.ca/0Xxs, find my name and click VOTE. That’s it! The song you are voting for is Drinking Coffee, from my album with Mark Ferguson, Here We Go Again. You can listen to it by clicking on the video below.

Thanks so much for voting!

 

I’m coming to Toronto on February 5th!

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lookoutTO

You asked for it and now you’ve got it. I’m playing in Toronto! Very soon! On Tuesday, February 5th, I’ll be playing at Hugh’s Room as part of Jane Harbury presents Discoveries. I’ll be playing alongside three other emerging artists, The Schotts, Jessica Chase, and Tom Taylor. I know it’s going to be a wonderful evening of music and I’m really looking forward to seeing my Toronto friends and fans. Here are all the show details:

What: Jane Harbury presents Discoveries
Where: Hugh’s Room, 2261 Dundas Street W, Toronto, ON
When: Tuesday, February 5th, performance starts at 8:30pm
Tickets: $15 in advance/ $17 at the door (includes HST)
Reservations: Click to request a reservation or call 416 531 6604

I’m told Hugh’s Room has great food so please come for dinner and make a night of it.

See you then!

Mixtape: Cloudy Winter Afternoon

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009-winteraft

This mix is for those cloudy winter afternoons when you just don’t feel like leaving the house. Maybe you just want to sit around knitting and staring listlessly out the window. I understand you and I put this together for those day. It’s mellow, melancholy, and wistful.

1. Whiteout – Andrea Simms-Karp
2. White Keys – Chilly Gonzales
3. Secret Love – Nancy King & Glen Moore
4. Hearing Your Voice – Melissa Stylianou
5. Canyon – Megan Jerome
6. Sleep Away – Nicky Shrire
7. Gatekeeper – Feist
8. Lullaby For Ghosts – Musk Ox
9. Jolene – Susanna And The Magical Orchestra

♫ 8tracks