Communism at Greenbank Folk Club Jan 28

Communism will share their own special brand of county pop folk  Saturday, January 28th. Showtime at the Greenbank Folk Club. Don Kerr who it seems has played with all and sunder in the country steps to the fore with Communism bringing Kevin Lacroix and Paul Linklater, with him. Show starts at 8 p.m. ( its a folk club so that eight means eight). Singer/songwriter Rich Burnette opens.

The folk club operates out of the Greenbank Centennial Hall, Greenbank (Hwy 12, 30 mins north of Whitby). Tickets are $ 25 each. For more details and to purchase tickets check the website here -> 

Mayflys Landing and Hades Rivals Jan 14 at the Oshawa Music Hall - photos by Mirjana Simeunovich

Mayfly's Landing

Hades Rivals

The secret to the life/work balance with Olex Wlasenko, Jan 19 at Station Gallery

Artist, curator? Curator, artist? what hat to wear? Olex Wlasenko looks good in most hats ( right) and has been able to balance his curatorial work with his artistic output without difficulty. How does he do it? Find out at the Station Gallery in Whitby, Thursday Jan. 19 when Olex takes off his hat and bares all. Its free, starts at 7 p.m.

More details here -> 

Fort McMurray's wildfires inspire the RAA's new single 'Beacon Hill'

The Rural Alberta Advantage is spotlighted on their new track, Beacon Hill, a song about the wildfires which took over Fort McMurray, singer Nils Edenloff's hometown. In an incredible display of courage and cooperation 80,000 residents were evacuated when fires took over the town May 2016, without any loss of life. It this spirit of survival the song draws from. It is the first single from the trio's upcoming new album due this year on Paper Bag/ Saddle Creek Records.

McLuhan Salon - Hacks, Leaks and Breaches Jan 19 at Toronto Reference Library

We are big fans of Marshall McLuhan here at SlowCity.ca, he was a man of and ahead of his time. The timeliness continues with a Salon taking place at the Appel Salon at the branch in Yorkville. Matthew Ingram, a writer at Fortune magazine, Mark Surman, executive director of the Mozilla Foundation and Gabriella Coleman, an expert on Anonymous, will host an open forum on the very timely subject of hacking, leaks and breaches and the role the new medium of the Internet, plays in all of this. Its free. 

Handsome Ned hootenanny at the Horseshoe Jan 29

Handsome Ned’s roots country residency at The Cameron House kickstarted the cowpunk vibe of Queen St. East in Toronto. His mix of 50’s country with 80’s punk was influential to bands such as Blue Rodeo, Skydiggers, Razorbacks and Cowboy Junkies and by extension onto more modern bands such as Cuff The Duke and The Sadies.

On Sunday Jan 29 a group of Ned’s (real name Robin David Masyk) friends and bandmates will perform at a release party at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern for a six song EP coming out on Cameron House Records.

The recording, The Handsome Neds Live at the Horseshoe, is sourced from a show opening for Blue Rodeo in 1985 and features an unreleased new song “Little Miss Lonely Heart”.

Celebrating the life and sounds of Ned, who died of a suspected heroin overdose Jan 10 1987, are John Borra (Rattlesnake Choir), Steve Koch (Handsome Neds, Viletones), Cleave Anderson (Blue Rodeo), Screamin Sam Ferrara (Rattlesnake Choir, Viletones), Tony Benattar (Rattlesnake Choir), Johnny MacLeod (Johnny & The G-Rays), Tony Kenny (Razorbacks), Ferraro, Devin Cuddy and others. 

Deathsticks, Surinam and Garbageface at The Spill Jan 13

Friday the 13 is unlucky for some but lucky for the folks who get Deathsticks, Surinam and the in-yer-face-rap of Garbageman at The Spill in Peterborough. The night is a cassette tape release party for Deathsticks. Matt and Laura release the debut, Dethstyx. Bonnie Thrash, a duo from Guelph square out the line-up. $5 suggested.

Gimme Five! The Killjoys perform at Legendary Horseshoe Tavern Jan 13

Hamilton's has a long list of fab musicians, from Simply Saucer and the Arkells to the Forgotten Rebels and Danny Lanois, and so many more. On that list as well, the power pop trio of The Killjoys. They were around in the 1990's when Canada's alt-scene was all fired up with Sloan, treblecharger, Doughboys, rolling out the rock with a bit of Nick Lowe at the core. I'm waiting for the power pop revival (its bubbling) and maybe this reunion may kickstart something.

Said The Whale Step Into the Darkness

Lot of darkness in pop lately, maybe telling us something, - Said The Whale surround their dark matters with some jingly dance beats, sort of a marriage between HIGHS and Kalle Mattson. Their latest single, "Step Into the Darkness" is from their album As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide out on Hidden Pony Records on March 31. 

Hollerado thrash it out on new van jam, "Born Yesterday"

Hollerado are back on the road, in their very distinctive van I imagine, maybe not, they've been doing well and are touring with Sam Roberts Band on some dates. They have a new recording, "Born Yesterday", and its a monster throwback to Sum 41, Teenage Head and Billy Talent, its a van jam. Gonna be huge. They have a date at the Sound Academy in TO Jan 20 and among others in the area, Windsor at the Rondo on Jan 12, Sarnia at the Station  on 13  and London at the London Music Hall on Jan 21

Musician Cheryl Stiles' bi-monthly residency at Rileys begins Jan 6

More details see Cheryl Stiles FB page ->