Rhode Island's Brad and Andrew Barr, now based in Montreal, are garnering big attention. Big enough to land them on Late Night With David Letterman.
Formerly with the improv based trio The Slip, they joined forces with Sarah Page and Andres Vial to create their music which ranges from a rustic, under-produced chamber music sound to full on guitar based rocking out. They often use unusual instrumentation and create a unique performance.
The Barr Brothers have made the "Long List" for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize and will be appearing at the 2012 Calgary Folk Music Festival.
Afie Jurvanen makes introspective sparse music, usually accompanying himself on a vintage Telecaster. Self taught on guitar, he has worked in a backup role with such musicians as Feist, Great Lake Swimmers, Howie Beck and Zeus.
Bahamas new album Barchords has just been announced as a contender for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize.
Catch Bahamas at the Calgary Folk Music Festival, July 26 - 29, 2012
Mysterious Cold Specks is Canadian Al Spx, who now makes London her
home. She has a voice that sounds like
old time gospel over rhythmic sparse arrangements that grab your
attention.
Her music has been described as doom soul. It is haunting and beautiful. She is another artist who has received much
more attention overseas that here at home in Canada, having appeared on Later
With Jools Holland.
Cold Specks has just released her debut album I Predict a Graceful Expulsion.
Junior Brown strolls out onto the stage looking like a lanky cowboy in his hat. But WTF is he carrying? That weird looking double necked guitar is a fusion of a telecaster and a lap steel that he dreamed up, called a Guit-steel. Brown fastens it to a stand and lets it rip.
And boy, does it rip. In fact, it's stunning. He blends country, rock and roll, Western swing and honky tonk until the strings are smoking. Junior is blistering fast and, at times, I swear he's channeling Jimi Hendrix. Not quite what you expect from this country looking dude. But I like it! So does Bob Dylan, having signed Junior to support his 2006 tour.
Don't miss Junior Brown's astonishing guitar skills at the Calgary Folk Music Festival, July 26 - 29, 2012.
Shakura S'Aida is a soulful singer of jazz, blues and R&B who performs around the world. She was born in Brooklyn and raised in Switzerland before moving to Toronto. She is multi-lingual and brings a multiculturalism flavour to her music. Shakura performed with Mystique in Toronto and a world music band called Kaleefah. She also performed on the stage in musical productions, TV and films. She is an edgy and powerful performer.
Shakura is appearing at the Calgary Folk Music Festival in July 2012 and is conducting a workshop called Presenting Your Voice 101 at the CFMF Boot Camp.
Donna Grantis plays scorching lead guitar with Shakura. She is a true guitar shredding wiz who mixes up a rocking psychedelic stew of blues, jazz and funk. Sort of a mix of Hendrix, Buddy Guy and Jeff Beck. Donna is also an educator, music director and composer. She'll be teaching Blues Jamming at the Calgary Folk Music Festival Boot Camp.
I'm ready for some of this. It sounds like it's coming straight from her soul.
The multi talented Jon Langford was one of the founding members of the influential punk band, the Mekons and is now Chicago's guru of alt-country music. His music combines a love for country music, rock and roll and politics. His tunes are loose and freewheeling with a boozy, winning attitude, often about murder and death. Langford is a passionate and intense performer. He has recorded with many artists, including Alejandro Escovedo, the Sadies, the Pine Valley Cosmonauts, Chip Taylor, the Old 97s and the Waco Brothers.
Jon is also a prolific and respected visual and comic artist. His work includes striking portraits of country music icons, including Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.
Langford has recently been working on Skull Orchard Revisited with the Burlington (Ont) Welsh Male Chorus.
Jon is appearing at the Calgary Folk Music Festival July 26 - 29, 2012. He is conducting a songwriting workshop as part of the CFMF Boot Camp just prior to the festival. Details at
It seems somewhat anti-business to call yourself John Doe and then start a band with the anonymous name "X". Despite his apparent lack of self promotion, John Doe is a very busy guy.
He is, to start, a gifted songwriter.
His lyrics verge on raw poetry and carry a breathtaking force. In addition, he has one of the finest voices
in music and a is a dynamic performer who is sure to engage.
Doe founded the much-praisedL.A.punkbandX,
which is still active. After the heyday of X, he decided to pursue a rootsy,
country-rock direction instead of continuing with punk. He also began appearing in music oriented
flicks and then, more big budget movies as well as some television
appearances. He has appeared in over 60
movies and television episodes. Somehow
he finds time to fit both busy careers together.
Here is a version of I Will
Always Love You which actually played on a jukebox during a scene in the
movie The Bodyguard. It was never released on cd.
Doe has performed with the country-folk-punk bandThe Knittersand has released 10 records as a solo artist. The cd Country Club(2009),
featuring Canadian bandThe Sadies, covers country classics
along with original songs. John’s
musical performances and compositions span the rock,countryandfolk musicgenres.
Here's John with the Sadies doing an X song.
John Doe is performing at the
Calgary Folk Music Festival, July 26 – 29, 2012.
