'Cross the Tracks

Libby & Cal where a Millennial autoharpist meets a Boomer 12-string player at a festival and all sorts of musical magic ensues. Acoustic duo Libby & Cal transcend boundaries and trip across genres while tackling subjects that are rarely voiced in song. A delightfully risqué, painfully honest and musically stimulating experience.Libby plays her DIY-modified autoharp. Cal plays the 12-string he swapped for a bicycle. Together, Libby & Cal perform eclectic but surprisingly catchy indie-folk music. The Ottawa-based duo have played at various venues in Ontario and Quebec, as well as the 2025 California Autoharp Gathering.Libby bought her autoharp in 2014 after many back-breaking years of lugging her electric piano to gigs. Under the name Elizabeth Bruce she released two albums of original music, As We Sadden Each Other to Sleep and The Silent I Know. She currently teaches music and runs a monthly women-centered open mic in Ottawa called, “Sad Girl Café”.Cal (AKA Doug Hendry) has been entertaining crowds with his musical talent since the age of four, singing in a choir in his native Scotland. As a teenager, he made his way playing street corners and folk clubs throughout Britain and Europe. Cal emigrated to Canada in 1991 and has played regularly in various bands, including – Odd One Out, Bruce Enloe & the Burning Sensations, Emmi Winter & the Heroic Mad Peasants, Fiddlehead Soup, Tripoly, the Grenville Troubadours.

Amanda Rheaume, a Citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario, is an award winning singer-songwriter with a slightly gritty, deeply personal and instantly accessible Americana sound.In title and spirit, The Truth We Hold is a collection of songs of Métis people, places and stories across centuries. A Métis songbook for future generations, the new album maps events, place names and family history with a careful, loving hand, drawing untold and unacknowledged experiences into the light.Amanda Rheaume is the recipient of the 2024 Spirit of Folk Award, 2023 Canadian Fold Music Award for Indigenous Songwriter of the Year and the 2023 Capital Music Awards’ Album of the Year. Rheaume has released six full-length albums to date. Beyond recording and touring, Rheaume continues her ever-expanding role as an essential advocate of Indigenous music infrastructure and community. As a co-founder of Ishkode Records and International Indigenous Music Summit and founding board member of the Indigenous Music Office, a commitment to raising Indigenous sovereignty through the medicine of music motivates all of Rheaume’s work. 

The debut album from NORTHBOUND51 is about longing for home, the land, and the people of our small town. We sing about human relationships, love, and life’s journey that take us away from home. We sing about the train that eventually takes us back north through muskeg, across rivers, by lakes; eventually home to our parents, grandparents and friends.NORTHBOUND51 is Marilyn Gunner-Mcleod (vocals, acoustic guitar), Darrell Mcleod (electric guitars) and Stan Louttit (Bass guitar).

James Gordon’s Emergency Climate Musical – His one-man show is a ninety-minute theatrical investigation of what surely is THE issue in these uncertain times. Filled with compelling songs, videos, images, stories, rants, laughter, tears, audience participation, a creepy puppet and some concrete ways to face this crisis, James promises to entertain, inform, and leave you with homework.Follow along as he outlines his premise that we need a total political, societal and economic make-over to face the incredible challenge ahead.He’s got the cred for the job: James moonlit as a Guelph City Councilor for 8 years, where he introduced climate change motions, and he’s a member of the National Climate Leadership Caucus.Released February 1, 2020. Produced by Evan and James Gordon – with 9 tracks used by permission from Borealis Records, where the songs were first released.

Mudfoot Mike McDonald has traveled the road that calls itself home, the blues. Originally from Nova Scotia, Mudfoot Mike found himself a home in the Toronto music scene for a very long stretch, carving out a slice of Canadian blues history as the in-house music director at legendary Grossman’s Tavern, and often as performer and bandmate on guitar and vocals. It was there where the best of the best would find themselves on stage when they weren’t touring somewhere on the continent or abroad. Mike toured extensively then, less so now, but always then and now with a deep love for the music and a respect earned with on-the-job experience. And stories to tell.Mudfoot Mike took to songwriting and has penned several tunes over his career, but never officially releasing an album under his own name. The veteran musician and producer is on the road to possibly changing that.

Tough Old Bird was formed by songwriting brothers Matthew and Nathan Corrigan in a rural corner of Western New York. Since releasing ‘Gambling Days’ in 2016, the duo has taken their singular style of modern folk music to coffee shops, listening rooms, music clubs, dive bars, campgrounds and front porches across the United States. The band’s newly expanded lineup features Ricky Bechard on drums and Brendan O’Shea on bass.GARDEN DREAM – The band’s fullest and most collaborative effort to date. Born out of years of songwriting, it was recorded over the course of several fruitful sessions helmed by Chris Ploss at Sunwood Studios in Trumansburg, NY. Garden Dream finds the band layering new sounds while mining childhood memories and grown-up heartbreak to explore themes of moving on and moving forward—as children, and as adults.

Roddy Ellias: Acoustic Jazz Beyond Borders“Moon Over Lake is a beautiful solo album full of emotions and colors. I love Roddy’s compositions and his warm and rich tone. I wanted to listen to one tune to start with but ended up listening to the whole album. What a beautiful Journey…” Lionel Loueke, guitarist (Herbie Hancock, Chris Potter, Gretchen Parlato)“I’m lucky to be friends with Roddy Ellias, who happens to be one of the finest guitarists on planet earth. This is so beautiful.” Joel Frahm (Betty Carter, Brad Mehldau, Kurt Elling)Canadian jazz guitarist and composer, Roddy Ellias brings five decades of unique and compelling music to the world. With an eclectic approach that defies simple classification , Roddy has developed an innovative guitar style that intricately melds classical, African and Brazillian musical ideas within a deep tradition of jazz. “A composer of extraordinary talent … His creativity is so obvious, that it is at once both startling and inspiring” Dr. Steve Kinigstein, Just Jazz Guitar His musical journey began at the age of five, when he started improvising on his grandmother’s piano. Decades later, he continues to explore new musical possibilities, developing his unusual composition and playing approach. From the early days at Uncle Charlie’s Chicken and Ribs Jazz Joint to performing for the Queen of England to creating a unique chamber jazz opera with puppets, Roddy has carved a musical space for himself unlike any other. Along the way, he’s also enjoyed performing with many of the greats, including Lee Konitz, David Liebman, Kenny Wheeler, Cleo Laine, Tom Harrell and Nat Adderley. “Pensive, folky beauty.” Brad Faberman, Downbeat Magazine“What keeps Roddy going is the sheer joy of reaching people through his recordings and performances, of making their experience as magical as he can, seeing audiences discover for themselves the joy, wonder and inner peace he felt sitting at his grandmother’s piano.“I’ve had this album on repeat for weeks and I am obsessed with it.” David Reed, Belleville Intelligencer (Moon Over Lake)

Jupiter Marvelous asks Isn't This Supposed To Be Fun on their first full length album, self produced and arranged. Songwriter and frontman, Anthony Marcello, expresses a wide palate of musical influences and blends them into sterling pop gems. "Jupiter Marvelous is a band which is hard to pigeonhole. We play surf/indie inspired rock music. Inspired by bands such as The Drums, Tame Impala, Dominic Fike, the Early Beatles and so many others, Jupiter Marvelous pulls from traditional pop music and music of the mid century to create a sound uniquely their own. Born and raised in Sault Ste Marie and we act like it."For anybody who feels like you’re too young for any of this but also feels like you’ll never be young again. One day we all grow up, hopefully we can stay young and beautiful on the inside.

John Hewitt is a force not seen since the end of the 70’s. There are bands, artists and songwriters that mimic and imitate but John Hewitt absorbs and reimagines. From folk clubs to house concerts, festivals to halls John is a master of storytelling, arranging, producing and a painter of poems scarcely seen in today’s musical climate. Since his early teens taking in the powerful sounds of the Beatles, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and the Grateful Dead he has been wandering, searching and yielding a crop of new ideas from the old world. A multi-instrumentalist from Sault Ste. Marie Ontario and being Alberta bound since 2018 John’s mark on the Western music scene is impossible to go unnoticed. Performing over 150 shows per year (From Alberta and British Columbia to Montana, Colorado, California and beyond), covering 20,000 miles per annum and releasing upwards of 3 albums in that same timeframe there is no comparison to the work ethic, the attitude and the drive that John has as an artist. Fronting the New Americans and touring solo most of the year his output impresses the young and the old, the folk and the rock, the country and the town and the only thing left at the end of the night is a feeling you won’t get anywhere else.John Hewitt is a master, a choreographer of sound, a man of many hats all worn with style with a dream bigger than the world around him.

Sagen Pearse, also known as Hollowsage, balances his life as a funeral director by day and a musician whenever the muse strikes. Drawing from a well of life lessons, stories from past lives, and journeys through alternate dimensions, Sagen crafts each song with a depth that invites listeners to ponder their own mortality and the mysteries of existence. His unique perspective on life, love, dying, and the dead infuses his music with a haunting beauty that resonates on a deeply personal level.Together with his band, The Three Mile Islanders—longtime friends Geoff Holt, Justin Dillon, Matt Gunn, and Joshua Veens—Hollowsage builds immense crescendos and weaves beautiful melodies, all while keeping the spotlight on the evocative lyrics that drive their songs. Hollowsage & The Three Mile Islanders' debut album, "Nuclear Home", won Album of the Year in 2020 and earned them the title of Emerging Artist of the Year at the OMAs.Aftermath, an 11-song odyssey that represents a bold new chapter in the thought-provoking, emotionally charged oeuvre of Pearse and his Three Mile Islanders (Geoff Holt, Justin Dillon, Matt Gunn and Joshua Veens).When a song begins with the line “There has been a rip in the fabric/ Of the spacetime continuum,” you know the artist has a little something weightier on their mind than wanting to dance with somebody who loves them. But neither is “Supernova Spacetime Continuum,” the new single from Ontario psychedelic folk-rockers Hollowsage & the Three Mile Islanders, a metaphorically apocalyptic rumination on life, death and the nature of eternity—with a scope that reaches all the way across the universe and back.Declaring his own inability to protect humanity from “a black hole engulfing the sun,” Hollowsage—a.k.a. Sault Ste. Marie-born, Uxbridge-based singer/songwriter Sagen Pearse—comes to terms with the looming End of Everything by musing that imminent heat death may always have been the personal destiny of every one of us. If we’re lucky, that is:Recording Engineer, Mixing, Electric Guitar, Synth, & back up vocals: Kevin KerSongwriter & Acoustic Guitar: Sagen PearseDrums: Justin DillonBass: Quincy BullenSupernova Spacetime Continuum piano & backing vocals: Mark Berube & Kristina KoropeckiMastered by: Stephen Pitkin

Matthew James is a Sault Ste. Marie based songwriter.His lyrical sensibility and style has been meticulously crafted through theatrical story-telling, as well as a penchant for the heartbreaking, yearning, and honest poetry of Joni Mitchell, Harry Chapin, James Taylor, etc. His percussive acoustic sound and expressive live performances spring an outpouring of nostalgia. He is not one to miss."Hey everyone! I truly hope you enjoy this song. I put my whole heart into creating it. I wanted to explore the feeling of frustration and anger that comes with betrayal. At first, you're in shock, but after a couple of minutes you start looking for an outlet or something to place the blame. Sometimes people lash out, but in this track I was more interested in the subtlety and passive feelings of bitterness. Like, if someone walks away while you're saying something important and your just like "...okay cool, Good Talk, Good Talk..." I wanted to capture that feeling. I love this song, and I hope it allows you a couple minutes to vent when you're in that place! Peace and Love" - Matthew JamesVocals, Guitar - Matthew JamesDrums, Percussion - Matthew WoodcroftElectric Guitar, Bass - Colton MaddiganProduced, Engineered, & Mixed by: Colton MaddiganMastered by: Noah Mintz MasteringRecorded at: Chalet Studios

A melding of earthy grace and campfire poeticism, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Michael Waite hails from the north shore of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Weaving together a combination of folk, jazz, Americana, blues, and classic singer/songwriter elements, Waite’s songs explore the geography and nuances of everyday life while keeping a keen eye on the pursuit of happiness and wholeness. Common themes in his work include the wonders of the natural world, the mysteries of the spiritual, and the joys of kith and kin. He’s not afraid to sing about his darkness too, but at the end of the day he knows what he has and is grateful for it.Raised in Harvey, a small town outside the port city of Marquette, Waite took early influence from his parents’ blues albums and Irish and American folk songs sung by his father, who passed on to Michael his uncommon memory for songs. He studied trombone in college, and picked up the guitar to accompany his singing. Earning a classical voice degree from Northern Michigan University, he began his career as a singer/songwriter, playing his own songs alongside a motley collection of covers. Before long he’d become a staple of the North Country music scene, connecting with audiences in the rare way that only true, deep talent does. While his powerful voice can easily reach the back seats, a quiet humility and gentle warmth marks his demeanor on and off stage. With each performance Waite disappears completely into the song, transporting himself and his listeners with grace, power, and the hard-won finesse earned by years of singing in all kinds of situations.His repertoire and lifestyle grew out of the same root system. Building a home in the Huron Mountains just northwest of Marquette, he and his wife began raising a family in the rustic Michigan backwoods and their shared experiences inspired much of the material on 2008’s Let It Go, Waite’s debut album. Recorded in Chicago with a brilliant band of close friends and infused with a lifetime of musical influences, Let It Go beautifully captures the essence of Waite’s philosophy; its songs meditate on themes of love, patience, connection, and the concept of home in both the physical and emotional senses. A critical success, the album served to broadcast his music well beyond Northern Michigan’s borders and in the years since its release, he’s been found touring as far afield as the Pacific Northwest. In 2015 he formed the acoustic band Adam Sawfox, helping him explore new tonal landscapes and a richer harmonic palette. — Timothy Monger

Wax Mannequin is the stage name of Chris Adeney, a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter. His style has been described as “a hybrid of Bruce Cockburn and Frank Zappa”, “Tom Waits and Type O Negative jamming on the early Beatles catalogue”, and “Rheostatics via Savatage”. Carl Wilson of The Globe and Mail noted that “crowds are often baffled whether to be awed, irritated or amused by Wax’s all-rockets-flaring, un-Canadian-like extravagant performances.” (Wikipedia)“The Obelisk” sees Adeney set the stage for the new record, which is said to be his most personal yet, detailing the singer-songwriter’s feelings of alienation through coping with neurodivergence. Driven by a rollicking, folksy guitar progression, he envisions himself as a monument to not merely surviving, but thriving in a world that you don’t quite feel as though you were made for. (Exclaim! magazine)The music veers from scrappy folk and art punk to absurdist stadium metal, churning with dark humour. Beneath unsettling imagery and musical twists there is a steady questioning of life’s strangeness and his own neurodivergence. Wax has appeared on thousands of pub, gallery and festival stages worldwide. (Bandcamp)

Canadian Guitar Ace, JUNO winner, and Multiple Maple Blues Award winner Steve Strongman has just co-produced, co-written, and guested on the Fabulous Thunderbird’s 50th Anniversary 2024 release “Struck Down, on Stony Plain records.Struck Down was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards - Best Traditional Blues Album & Best American Roots Performance!  This record debuted at #1 in both the United States and Canada, and features Strongman with guests Bonnie Raitt, Billy Gibbons, Keb Mo, Taj Mahal, Mick Fleetwood, Elvin Bishop and Terrence Simien. Strongman will be on tour supporting the Thunderbirds in 2024/2025. Strongman, also a Memphis International Blues Challenge award winner for best solo/duo guitarist, is one of the most talented Blues based artists in the world today. Beyond his undeniable strengths as a songwriter, guitarist and front man is his ability to engage his audience and deliver incredible performances at every live show. With his inimitable guitar playing and soulful vocals, Strongman delivers incredible performances with power and passion. Steve Strongman has a way of stirring a crowd that evokes the emotion, maturity and authenticity of classic blues themes. Steve has shared the stage with International blues royalty including B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Joe Cocker, Robert Cray, Jeff Healey, James Cotton, Roy Clark, and Jimmie Vaughan to name a few. Steve Strongman is warmly regarded as Mississippi guitar legend Mel Brown’s “Blues son”.https://stevestrongman.com/home"Steve Strongman is the "Real Blues Deal" guy in vocals, guitar and credentials. We've jammed out many times and it's always a giant explosion of energy and riffs galore." - Randy Bachman "This is as good as Lenny Kravitz version of "American Woman" – Randy Bachman regarding Steve’s version of “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” 

There are so many stars in the music world that shine only for a moment. And there are stars that rise and fall, but the heat of some stars can’t be contained and must rise again. Toronto based singer-songwriter Julian Taylor is one of those phoenix-like stars. His first moment in the sky started and ended with the hit-making band Staggered Crossing. After their breakup, Julian could have walked away, satisfied with that bright, brief moment. Instead, he went back to work, starting at the bottom, playing in cover bands, working bars, running an open stage as a solo artist. There were moments of impact when he formed the Julian Taylor Band and released two albums. But those were mere steps in the process. When he decided to strip his songs to the basics and go solo with his soul-folk 2020 album, The Ridge, his career rose over the horizon again and sparkled brighter than the first time. Mostly acoustic and sung in Julian’s distinctive warm baritone, The Ridge earned him two JUNO Award nominations, one Canadian Folk Music Award for Solo Artist, five Native American Music Award nominations, plus a nomination for the Polaris Music Prize. In 2022, Taylor released his follow up album Beyond the Reservoir.  It received a nomination from the Country Music Association of Ontario Awards in the Roots Artist of the Year category, a nomination for a JUNO Award in the Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year category, and two Ontario Folk Music Award nominations for Song of the Year and Performing Artist of the Year. “Julian Taylor’s music is a beacon of hope in troubled times. His lyrics are thoughtful and inspiring, and his voice is both powerful and tender. This is music that will lift your spirits.” (Canadian Beats) - Wayne ArthursonJulian's latest album, Pathways, released September 27, 2024, candidly captures his approach to handling his own lingering burdens. Its eight concise tracks find Taylor looking further inward than ever before. "When you feel heavy, you’ve got to get things off your chest," says Taylor. "Pathways reflects the way I was feeling while I was writing it and making it... I’m trying to work through a lot of the pain I’ve caused myself and others."The band parted ways with their label after the release of their first album. Julian founded Bent Penny Records to release Staggered Crossing’s next album — flexing his DIY, entrepreneurial muscles that have carried him throughout his career ever since. “I didn't really know what to do, so I started to learn how to operate throughout the business and became not only a musician, but a business person and a label guy,” he says. For Julian, that meant stepping back completely from commercial music and working a bunch of bar gigs. At one bar, Dora Keogh, in Toronto’s Danforth neighborhood, Julian started an open stage night that fostered a close-knit music community in the city. It became a regular drop-in spot for well-known Canadian artists like Kim Mitchell, Big Sugar, Ron Hynes, and even international bands coming through the city on tour. “I think that, for me, it did save my life, and it gave me a newfound perspective and love for music later on,” Julian says of these years away from the music industry. Julian Taylor's Jukebox is a radio show that plays on radio stations all over Canada and the USA. About the Jukebox, Julian says, "On my show, listeners can expect to hear what I would play them if we were hanging out at my place. It’s all-inclusive, and I always spin stuff that I love to listen to."

Visit: eastsideconfectioneryrecords.com/author/ericthesooI guess if this was an interview, maybe somewhere along the way I would be asked “why Algoma Street? What is the meaning behind the title of this EP?”. Well, I’m glad you asked! It is inspired by a happy coincidence that we stumbled upon back in 2017. Some of you may already be aware that I grew up in Sault Ste. Marie (aka ‘The Soo’) which is where the band name comes from. Sault Ste. Marie happens to located within the District of Algoma (for my American friends, ‘district’ is akin to ‘county’). Back in 2017, I traveled home to Sault Ste. Marie to perform my first ever hometown gig at LopLops on Queen Street East. There was a short write-up in the paper, and the event was published in the “Algoma Entertainment Listings” section of the newspaper, which I photographed and posted on social media. Upon seeing this our lead guitarist, Ken Yoshioka, commented “hey! I live on Algoma Street in Toronto!” … what a beautiful coincidence! What are the chances? I knew right then, that I would one day release a record under the moniker “Algoma Street”. And here we are, 7 years later: Algoma Street is indeed named after the beautiful northern region of Ontario that I grew up in and treasure so dearly. 

TICKETS: algomaconservatory.com/the-store/p/ray-bonnevilleRAY BONNEVILLE – Annual Sault Concert Celebration – Sunday September 15, 2024 – 7:00 pm – THE LOFTRay Bonneville has taken a long and imaginative path in a remarkable music career that has taken him all over North America and Europe. Playing in his signature style and voice, Ray’s impressive catalogue reflects a keen eye for interesting characters and the common struggles we all face in everyday life.Ray was born in Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau, Quebec), in a family that spoke solely French. His father found work in Boston, Massachusetts, and the family relocated to the USA where Bonneville, about to become a teenager, was placed into public school without knowing a bit of English. There, Bonneville fell behind in school, but took to music in a big way after a friend showed him how to play guitar. In his late teens Bonneville signed up for the United States Marine Corps, serving 13 months in the Vietnam War.Later in the 1970s Bonneville began traveling the country exploring and absorbing musical styles, playing at festivals and small clubs across the United States, and opening for the likes of B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Dr. John. He also learned how to fly a plane and through much of the 1980s supplemented his income by working as a flight instructor in New Orleans and Boston and then as a bush pilot in Quebec.It was only in 1993, in his mid 40s, that Ray finally recorded his first album, On The Main. He has since released nine albums in total and has gained critical and popular acclaim everywhere. Ray’s single, On The Blind Side, was released in the summer of 2022 with an album soon to follow.Visit: raybonneville.com

On The Blind Side songs range from the hopeful Lucky Moon to the sinister Night Cab, a song born of Ray’s experience as a cab driver in Boston, and a fitting story-line for a classic film-noir. Woven throughout the record are simple and sometimes painful life lessons: the title track, On the Blind Side, looks back over a lifetime of unknowing missteps, and Even With Time disputes the familiar adage ‘time heals all things.Visit: raybonneville.comRAY BONNEVILLE – Annual Sault Concert Celebration – Sunday September 15, 2024 – 7:00 pm – THE LOFT TICKETS: algomaconservatory.com/the-store/p/ray-bonnevillewhile the old man who would need forgiving trampled what love there might’ve beenwas telling myself I would come away clean what was it I just couldn’t seeon the blind sideon the blind sidewhat couldn’t I see on the blind sideemail

The Damn Truth are Lee-la Baum (lead vocals/guitar), Tom Shemer (lead guitar/vocals), PY Letellier (bass/vocals) and Dave Traina (drums/vocals).Now or Nowhere is the third album by The Damn Truth, a band that, in many ways, has been hiding in plain sight for the last nine years. They’ve played Europe and crisscrossed the USA and Canada, opened tours for ZZ Top (and partied with Billy Gibbons in his pyjamas), the Sheepdogs, Styx and Rival Sons, sold out the legendary Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, sold out the Corona Theatre in their hometown of Montreal, and even had one of their videos featured on the official Janis Joplin Facebook page. It’s a lineage of hard work that’s come to fruition with Now or Nowhere.With six tracks produced by Bob Rock (Metallica, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Tragically Hip) at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, Now or Nowhere is a definitive statement about the band, about the times, and about ourselves as we navigate life, love, and everything else in a world gone seemingly upside down and sideways. Unable to finish the album with Bob because of COVID-19 restrictions, the band recorded the remaining three songs with help from Juno Award-winning producer Jean Massicotte (Patrick Watson, The Damn Truth); mixing was done by Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton), Nick DiDia (Bruce Springsteen, Rage Against The Machine), and Mike Plotnikoff (Van Halen, Cranberries, Three Days Grace). It’s worth noting there are three Grammy Award winners on this album (Bob Rock, Vance Powell and Nick DiDia).“I realize that people see us as a hard-rock band,” singer/guitarist Lee-la Baum says, “and we are, but we’re also, deep-down, rock ‘n’ roll hippies. All those things about being self-reliant, and community, and peace, and love — well, that’s us. That’s who we are.”As if to reinforce that point, when Lee-la and lead guitarist Tom Shemer first met, they were both naked at a hippie festival not far from the Sea of Galilee (where the Bible says Jesus walked on water). “Yeah, totally naked. Just Lee-La and her guitar,” Tom adds. “And we’ve been together ever since. No pretensions. Nothing to hide. Just love.”The power of love is the real thread through this album’s musical layers.“Accept no substitute, The Damn Truth are probably the finest rock ‘n’roll band on the planet right now.”– Metal Planet, UK

Lynn Miles is an award winning singer-songwriter, record producer, teacher, writer, public speaker.She’s also pretty funny, a 3 minute standup routine is at the top of her bucket list.Lynn has 16 albums to her credit. She won a Juno award (Canadian Grammy)in 2003 for Roots Traditional Album of the year, and went on to be nominated in the same categories in 2011 and 2006. She is also the recipient of 6 Canadian Folk Music Awards including 3 for songwriter of the year. Her 2 most recent awards we given to her duo THE LYNNeS for songwriters of the year, and ensemble of the year at the 2018 Canadian Folk Music Awards. In 2016, Americana artist Clair Lynch recorded Lynn’s song “Black Flowers” on her Grammy nominated album “North By South”.Lynn estimates she’s written about 900 songs, she’s never done an official count.She has produced 5 albums for other artists.Her most recent album “tumbleweedyworld” was nominated for album of the year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, and her previous album (#15) “We’ll Look For Stars ”was # 1 on the Euro/americana chart for the month of August 2020.“This is one poetic effort … her insightful portrait of the human spirit, upbeat despite its difficult honesty, is truly inviting.”Tom Roland, The TennesseanSongs on this podcast…I’m The MoonSomething BeautifulNight OwlAll I Ever WantedVISIT: lynnmiles.caSaturday September 28th ConcertBlack Fly Jam and The Algoma Conservatory of Music present LYNN MILESThe Loft, Algoma Conservatory of MusicOpening Act: Juliana Regan – accompanied by guitarist Brandon RuchTickets are $40 @ The Algoma Conservatory of Music website or reserve by calling 705 649 2880Doors open at 7:00 PM. Event is licensedFriday September 27th Songwriting Workshop Info/Registration facebook.com/eventsLynn Miles will leading a singer/songwriter workshop for a limited number of participants…James Keelahan calls Lynn “The Song Doctor”, and that is high praise indeed! A session with Lynn may be just what your writing needs to feel revitalized again! Pre-register only please, takes place downtown SSM, Friday September 27th at 7:00 PM.

HOMECOMING … from MATT WARNOCKI recently launched my debut solo jazz guitar album, “Homecoming.”It reflects my 25-year journey back home to Northern Ontario.The album’s tracks tell my story—reconnecting with my roots, family, and the charm of Northern Ontario.“Homecoming” is available on:  Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music YouTubeI’d be honored if you’d take a listen.Visit: www.mwgcourses.comAbout Matt Warnock GuitarHi there! I’m Matt, a passionate jazz guitarist and dedicated educator. I’m thrilled to guide you on your jazz guitar journey. I’ve played over 2,000 gigs worldwide, including Canada, US, Brazil, England, France, Belgium, Latvia, Estonia, Nepal, and New Zealand. I’ve shared stages with jazz greats like Slide Hampton, Darmon Meader of New York Voices, Stefon Harris, and Randy Brecker.But teaching has always tugged at my heartstrings. I taught my first jazz guitar lesson at 17, and it kindled a lifelong passion. Since then, I’ve led over 8,000 one-on-one lessons and 500+ workshops. I’ve also taught at institutions like Western Illinois University, University of Illinois, and Western Michigan University. The total? A whopping 12 million online students and counting.I’ve dedicated my career to simplifying complex jazz concepts and breaking musical barriers. I hold degrees from McGill University (Bachelor’s in Jazz Guitar Performance), Western Michigan University (Master’s in Jazz Performance), and University of Illinois (Doctorate of Musical Arts).Each has shaped my understanding of jazz guitar.As for you, whether you dream of a career in music or enjoy playing for fun, I’m here to help. Each learner is unique, and so is each hurdle. But together, we can chart a rewarding path through the world of jazz guitar. I want to help you unlock your potential and reach your musical goals. Your journey will be filled with excitement and hope. And if you’ve yearned to learn jazz guitar, I’m ready to guide you.Thank you for your support. I can’t wait to start our musical journey together!

Hawksley Workman is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has garnered critical acclaim for his blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Workman has released twelve full-length albums throughout his career. A multi-instrumentalist, he plays guitar, drums, bass, keyboards and sings on his records, often switching between those instruments when playing live.Workman is a prolific artist, usually writing, recording, mastering and releasing entire albums in the span of a few weeks. He explains, “A lot of artists I know they get a year and a half away from a record they’ve just made it’s like … ‘Oh … it’s terrible I hate that thing,’ ya know? When I record [a] record, I never take more than a day per song… so by the time the record is mixed, finished, complete, done… I’m still in a honeymoon with the record …”Less Rage More Tears was produced mixed and recorded by Marcus Paquin at The Bridge in Montreal. Additional production and mixing of ‘Name The Strays’ by Matt Schellenberg in Winnipeg. Drums were recorded by Nick Petrowski and Marcus Paquin at Mixart in Montreal. Mastered by João Carvalho at João Carvalho Mastering. Photography, artwork and design by Steve Bays. An Isadora Records release.Visit: hawksleyworkman.com

Rita Visser was born and raised on the shores of Lake Superior in rural Thunder Bay, Rita’s voice wraps the audience in a warm blanket as they join her around the campfire.A natural storyteller, Rita weaves together daily moments, family life, conversations with friends, and interactions with new people to share her own story through song.The reflective ballads about her life experiences are described as pure, emotional, and straightforward – always telling it like it is – and always leaving the audience wanting more.As someone who grew up on a rustic fishing island, preserving Canada’s lakes is near to Rita’s heart. Through song, she is able to create a melodic image that pulls the audience in. Inviting them to experience the serenity and sense of power that comes when sitting on the water’s edge.Rita’s album, Northern Daydream by Rita & the Daydreamers, has many drawn references inspired by our Canadian waters, including songs such as: “Skippin’ Stones”, “Batchawana Bay”, “The Helm”, and “The Current”. Rita loves to tour the Northshore.Visit: ritavisser.ca

Alex Mason tackles the challenges of the mind’s dark places with his impelling album from 2023, Ghost of the Great Lakes. The 10-track journey is an honest and personal account of Alex’s own experience, played out in the backdrop of the mystery that the Great Lakes forever pulls on. Mason shares details on what moved him to write the record and what effect the process had on him.Ghost of the Great Lakes is Mason’s first full-length album. In 2015 he released a 4-song EP, Jasper and then in 2018, 3-song performance recording titled, Salt and the Sea (Live from Dorchester).Visit: facebook.com/alexmasonmusicVisit: alexmason.bandcamp.com/album/ghost-of-the-great-lakes

A live THUNDERCLAP! show is reminiscent of traditional storytelling. A few choice covers are sprinkled randomly amongst his originals, some spoken word pieces, stories about the songs, ramblings on contemporary issues and engaging banter with the audience. When THUNDERCLAP! slings his sonic sorcery it’ll leave unsuspecting spectators in shock. A hilarious and mind-rattling surrealism weaves throughout his unique brand of toe-tapping, gut-wrenching melodies. No two THUNDERCLAP! performances are the same, so you’re always in for a truly unique experience.THUNDERCLAP!’s second LP “Strange Songs For Strange Times” released in August 2023. It features acclaimed Coast to Coast AM radio host George Noory, and has been (and in some cases still is) played on over 75 radio stations across North America and the UK.