Nudie Suits, Joshua Tree, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris by GT Harris

Friday Sept 11th at the Linsmore Tavern in Toronto, The Gram Parson International North will be held featuring many great local bands playing Gram and Gram inspired songs all night long. If you love Gram Parsons and his music swing by and raise a glass in his honour.

How Gram Parsons influenced my life and work as a musician
by GT Harris

Gram Parsons is a name synonymous with country-rock or as he liked to call it Cosmic American Music and also a dark end to a fast life in the glorious scene of rock n roll, in other words the things legends are made of. From his early days in New York City with his traditional country effort the International Submarine Band for Safe at Home, to his legendary west coast rock country music transmutation of the Byrds for Sweetheart of the Rodeo and his California country-rock writing with Chris Hillman with the Flying Burrito Brothers on Gilded Palace of Sin and Burrito Deluxe, to hanging out and influencing the Rolling Stones country fazes like Sweet Virginia and Dead Flowers and then finally his loving duets with Emmylou Harris on his first solo album GP and his posthumous release The Grievous Angel, Gram’s contributions to the music world have shaped the things we listen to today and what we call Americana.

Gram’s mix of Country, Bluegrass, Folk, Soul and Rhythm and Blues, as well as Rock n Roll set the stage for more successful crossover acts like the Eagles, Tom Petty, Steve Earle and a long line of others. Gram and the Burritos were the only ones with longhair, wearing nudie suits and playing classic country covers and their own brand of country rock so of course they were ostracized by both the longhair hippies in California and the straight laced country folks in Nashville. After quitting the Byrds and being kicked out of his own band the Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram finally fell into his own when he was fortunate enough to enlist one Miss Emmylou Harris into his musical fold while recording his first solo album. 

Together Gram and Emmylou would record a number of duets for GP and The Grievous Angel that are still as powerful and beautiful today as the day they were recorded. In 1973 at age 26 with only six studio albums to be remembered by he left behind an unmatched legacy of decadence and debauchery, good times and bad, the rhinestone suits, the pills and the booze before the fast life that he led came to an end at a motel in Joshua Tree, California.

Growing up in a musical family I heard a lot of country and bluegrass around the house as a child, Real country as it would become labelled later in life, and the occasional Beatles record (Thanks Mom).  As a teenager of course rock n roll and punk and metal edged their way into my life. When I started to develop into a serious musician I had a hard time finding a niche that really accepted my broad spectrum of youthful learning and a genre to apply to what I was doing. Playing in metal and punk bands as a teenager, I couldn’t write these heavy riff based songs with screaming and yelling attached but what came easy to me was old traditional country, bluegrass, folk type songs that came welling up from my musical past. When I started writing my own songs something was missing; enter one Gram Parsons. Gram never had a genre, he embraced all kinds of music and was able to make it his own. 

Finding out about Gram and his struggles with the Byrds, Flying Burrito Bros. and his own solo albums to make the music he wanted to, brought to light the fact that there isn’t any genre that can hold a song, Cosmic American Music enveloped many genres and as a songwriter this intrigued me and lit a path that to this day has kept me writing and playing to my hearts content. As a musician Gram’s music spoke to me in a way few others did. As did his rhinestone suits, love of cars, girls and his search for fame and fortune (which eluded him till his death). Gram’s rock ’n’ roll country style has stuck with me to this day and I do not see any end in sight.

GT Harris & The Gunslingers, Aimie Page Duo, Lucky Mike, Ayerhart Roofing Co., The Ole Fashion, Dick Rodan, Jacques & The Valdanes, Big Otter Creek are among the bands playing the Gram Parsons Tribute.

Thursday Sept 17 Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell play Toronto's Massey Hall. 

Did Born Ruffians launch a Slow Video art project?

Call it Slow Video. Born Ruffians have launched a unique and innovative video project directed by John Smith. Over one million pictures taken from twelve hours of VHS footage during the making of the Toronto skitter-pop band’s new album RUFF, will be streamed one picture every two seconds for a period of 30 days on the band’s website. The images will be deleted after they are aired but there is an option for fans to save a particular still if they wish too. That leads to the possibilty of crowdsourcing those images to recreate the initial twelve hour video recording. Yip Slow Video, thats works. RUFF will be available on Paper Bag Records October 2 2015.

Electro-popsters Good Ghost and their pretty neat indie sound

Add Good Ghost to the list of electro-pop acts from the Blackgrass soundscape east of Toronto, a list that includes Lyon, Kaska, Programm and Havens. The Oshawa-based Good Ghost were originally a folk two piece called Lady & The Giant but Katie Munshaw and Charlie Spencer soon tired of the genre’s restraints. Spencer’s brothers were added, Alex on guitar, Mack on bass.
“The folk thing was becoming less fun,” says Spencer. “We wanted to do more complicated things and two voices and a guitar is somewhat limiting. So it made sense to add the two other minds.”
The complexity stems from a collective love of old jazz cuts, poet Sylvia Plath and intelligent but accessible lyricists such as Coner Obersest of Bright Eyes and Lorde.
“She says such grand things with minimalist words,” says Munshaw.
The two also cite Alvvays, Bahamas and Brave Shores as sonic kin. That sonic kinship is a very stylish, clean sound, a sound that has a neatness to it and a sound that is centred in Toronto but also comes in for the U.K says Munshaw.
Spencer says the band is drawn to Toronto’s indie scene and not just for the shiny happy music. There is a sense of all-togetherness he says about the city that gave rise to Broken Social Scene and Metric as well as labels Arts & Crafts and Paper Bag Records.
“Oshawa is very much a folk scene, and country rock roots and it’s tough to break in. I feel a kinship with Toronto bands. Its a different scene. When you see local Toronto bands out at other Toronto bands’ shows its very encouraging to me. It shows it is a very established scene and there is a lot of camaraderie which you don’t see so much in other places,” he says.
Seeing other bands in other places is new to the recent high school grads (they’ve given themselves a year off to try and make music work) and seeing live what they have heard on a record has underlined the importance of making live work for them too.
“When we build songs we sometimes say crap we have to play this live,” says Munshaw.
“If it can’t be accurately replicated or even a good enough version of it live I think it takes away from the artist as a whole,” says Spencer.
So expect the whole Ghost live and on record, and expect their neatpop to just get better and better.

Singer/songwriter Ben Kunder takes the scenic route

Toronto based singer/songwriter Ben Kunder will be crossing Canada via rail, Via Rail that is. He will be the artist-on-board for Sept 17-21 on the Vancity to TO run. Nice gig. While Kunder is drawing comparisons to Joel Plaskett and Ron Sexsmith but you could add Willie P Bennet and Jason Collett to that pair. His album Golden, released in May 2015, has an honesty combined married with memorable hooks. The record was built with the help of John Dinsmore and several guest musicians, including members of The Ladies Of The Canyon.

Listen to the title track featuring Maia Davies on vocals

Lisa Lobsinger, a forest and city lover

Broken Social Scenester Lisa Lobsinger has a new project, with Paul Pfisterer of The Beauties and Marty Kinack of Transistor Sound & Light Co., titled Laser. They have released their debut single “Leaving It All Too Late”, a delicate airy ambientronic track that was cued from drives between the city and their studio in the country.

Princess Century making Progress

Princess Century (Maya Postepski of Austra) will release her debut album Progress Oct 16 on Paper Bag Records. Its an apt title for the DJ, remix artist, a member of Trust who has been making music for a decade. The first single “Sunscream” is available and its Kraftwerk meets Kensington night ride groove only needs to be longer. 

You Can Count on the Karpinka Brothers (but only up to two)

Straight to the point solid hearted Sun Record era rock ’n roll fed through the Violent Femmes, thats the sound of the men working under the nom de rock The Karpinka Brothers. The Saskatoonians have an album You Can Count On Me due Sept 4 2015 and the single "Tetherball" has a video, a video that is as direct and unpretentious as the band. Its a little ditty about maybe Jack and maybe Diane and a waitress and its real just like music is real and because sometimes rock ’n roll is just a a really fine way to deal with heartbreak. Aaron and Shawn Karpinka head out onto the road for the Fall. Dig it. 

Sep 10 – Regina, SK  - Fat Badger
Sep 11- Calgary, AB - Palomino
Sep 12 – Banff, AB- Elk and Oarsman
Sep 14 – Golden, BC – Rockwater Grill & Bar
Sep 17-20 – Victoria, BC – Breakout West (backing Economics)
Sep 23 – Vancouver, BC - Cafe Deux Soleils
Sep 24 – Kelowna, BC - Fernando's Pub
Sep 25 – Edmonton, AB - Padmanadi
Sep 26 – Saskatoon, SK – Amigos Cantina
Oct 1 – Montreal, QC – Barfly
Oct 4 – Durham, ON – The Garafraxa Café
Oct 7 - Orillia, ON - Brownstone
Oct 8 - Toronto, ON - The Local
Oct 9 - Kingston, ON - Musiikki Café
Oct 10 - Guelph, ON - The Cornerstone
Oct 11 – St. Catharines, ON – Mahtay Café  (afternoon show)
Oct 11 – Brantford, ON – The Station (evening show)
Oct 15 – Sydney, NS – Governor’s
Oct 18 - Charlottetown, PE - Baba's Lounge
Oct 28 – Brooklyn, NY – The Way Station
Oct 29 – New York, NY – Sidewalk Café
Nov 12 – New York, NY – Rockwood Music Hall
Nov 13 – New York, NY - Pianos

The album is streaming on Beatroute.ca

No-Fi noise rockers A Bao A Qu play Wasted Space Aug 27

Oshawa noise rockers A Bao A Qu will perform at Wasted Space Thursday Aug 27. The duo, Damon and Pitt, compose their musical ramblings spontaneously on site avoiding the rehearsal/live route. They do have some recordings on their Bandcamp but they sound nothing like they play live. Rock.Mp3, D.Grenon and Paulabulous are also on the bill. Be there or say you were. 

FB Event Page -> 

D.O.A. warn against pipeline fever

If anyone is looking for protest songs one has to look to the old school kats; Neil Young and D.O.A are throwing the gauntlet at corporate greed and its associated environmental degradation. The current generation of musicians are silent on these issues or maybe they’re just using instagram and snapchat for political ends, who knows? But what we do know is the legendary Vancity punk pioneers, D.O.A., are as vocal as ever. Their latest album Hard Rain Falling picks up where Dylan left off. The Times have changed and for the worse, time for action because Talk minus Action equals a big fat Zero. D.O.A have taken over the airwaves for their message.

They cross Canada for the umpteenth time in the Fall.

Wednesday September 16th – Jimmy Jazz, Guelph, ON
Thursday September 17th – This Ain’t Hollywood, Hamilton, ON
Friday September 18th – Bourbon, Barrie, ON
Saturday September 19th - Main Stage Riot Fest, Downsview Park, Toronto, ON – 2 PM
Saturday September 19th – Bovine Sex Club, Toronto, ON
Sunday September 20th - The Moustache, Oshawa, ON
Monday September 21st – Windsor Tavern, Van Kleek Hill, ON
Tuesday September 22nd – Katacombes, Montreal, QC
Wednesday September 23rd - Koto, Salem, MA
Thursday September 24th – Firehouse 13, Providence, RI
Friday September 25th - Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA
Saturday September 26th – Bowery Electric, New York City, NY
Sunday September 27th – Soul Sounds Inc, Sayville, NY
Tuesday September 29th -Joe Keithley solo acoustic, Cherry Cola, Toronto, ON
Tuesday October 6th – Spirit Bar, Nelson, BC
Wednesday October 7th – Byng Roadhouse, Cranbrook, BC
Thursday October 8th – The Vat, Red Deer, AB
Friday October 9th – Brixx, Edmonton, AB
Saturday October 10th - Joe Keithley solo show 3 PM, Cask & Barrel, Edmonton, AB
Saturday October 10th Saturday October 10th – Nite Owl, Calgary, AB
Saturday November 7th – Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver, BC

Owen Pallett, Tanya Tagaq Live At Massey Hall December 1, 2015

Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq and Owen Pallett (aka Final Fantasy), the first and the last winners of the Polaris Music Prize, will both perform at the Dec. 1 2015 edition of the Live at Massey Hall concert and film series. With tickets starting at $18.94 and on sale Aug 28, this is by far the must see show of the series as its speaks directly to the locality and to the purpose of the Polaris; the celebration of Canadian music and in a venue created for that reason. There may not be a more Canadian pairing. Tagaq and Pallett represent the indigenous peoples and the European folk traditions respectively.

Canada has always had a bit of a thing for strings; fiddles, violins and their Americana sister, lap/ pedal steel show up consistently in the songbook of the Canadian Sound. Pallett, who got his start in the Celtic band Enter The Haggis, brings this Anglo-Celtic colonial heritage of the stringed instrument to the stage and Tagaq of course brings the most northerly native heritage of the continent.

As winners of the Polaris prize they are the rare couple that truly fulfil the purpose of the award, to honour the best Canadian album of that year regardless of commercial success. They of course both make brilliant music, regularly topping features critics lists globally if not always the charts. As for Canadian, well, Canadian music is music that does not have the same heritage as the USA. Canadian music has no southern influence. There is no blues, no jazz, no R&B roots. There is little southern influence on Pallett’s winning album as Final Fantasy, He Poos Clouds, nor in the music of Tagaq. It is because they are of Canada, none more so.

Of course this is no reason to flash flags or smuggle a Timmy double double into the Old Lady of Shuter Street. This is no Tragically Hip concert but it is a very interesting pairing and the music is just one layer of an intriguing double bill of two solitudes.

Owen and Tanya also it seems have a thing for Caribou. 

The Dears, beers and Banksy

The Dears’ disillusioned flaneur persona sings to the demise of the romantic spirit. It would be a track to hear on the loudspeakers in street artist Banksy’s latest project, the Dismaland exhibit.

The Dears have a new album, Times Infinity Volume One, due Sep 25 on Pheromone Records. The Montreal darlings will be playing some shows including a craft brewer's Beau’s Oktoberfest in Vankleek Hill, Ont., on Oct. 2 2015.

Dead Weather head into the eye of the storm

Dodge And Burn is the title of the Dead Weather’s latest album. Its due Sept. 25 2015 and will be available on Third Man records. “I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)” is the first single, free with pre-orders by the way and the accompanying video was directed by Ian & Cooper. The track is one third Led Zep Heartbreaker, one third Soundgarden Rusty Cage and one third Stones Street Fighting Man all drenched in a rain storm. This Weather is Live!! Dead Weather are Jack White and Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs), multi-instrumentalist Dean Fertia (Queens of the Stone Age) and Alison Mosshart (The Kills).

Slaight Family Heritage Prize announced

As much as the Polaris Music Prize is about celebrating the present and building the future of Canadian Music the organizers also have one ear on the past. The inaugural Slaight Family Heritage Prize has been launched and it will celebrate one of five records from the last four and a half decades in the categories, the 60s & 70s, the 80s, the 90s and the 00s (from 2000 to 2005). The short list picked by 25 members of the Canadian media, music historians and the Polaris jury (both past and present) will be announced Sep 18. The general public can vote on the winner of on the four lists with the winners announced Oct. 9. A tribute concert for the winning albums will take place at Massey Hall in 2016.
 The Polaris is based on artistic merit regardless of sales. Previous winners include Patrick Watson, Feist, God Speed You Black Emperor, Arcade Fire and Tanya Tagaq. This year’s shortlist is Avvays, Braids, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Badbadnotgood with Ghostface Killah, Drake, Caribou, Jennifer Castle, New Pornographers, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Viet Cong. The 2016 Polaris Music Prize will be chosen by a panel of judges at a gala Sep 21.

I'm putting my money on Braids.