Music News Digest: Big Wreck Named 2025 Record Store Day Canada Ambassadors

Big Wreck have been named 2025 Record Store Day Canada ambassadors. The Canadian rock band will also be releasing their 2012 album Albatross on vinyl for the first time in deluxe 2xLP limited-edition featuring live and unreleased music as a Record Store Day exclusive. The album was certified Gold and was their biggest hit since In Loving Memory Of… in 1997 and its big shiny rock radio staple "That Song." The title track of Albatross has also gone Platinum.

"It's a great honour for Big Wreck to be Record Store Day Ambassadors,” says Big Wreck leader Ian Thornley. "We grew up going to record stores and building our vinyl collections and it means a lot to us to continue the tradition. It’s especially exciting to be putting Albatross out into the world for the first time on vinyl. That record holds a special place."

Big Wreck succeeds another popular Canadian rock band of the era, The Tragically Hip, who were last year's ambassadors. This week, Post Malone was named 2025 Record Store Day Ambassador for the U.S.

Head here for a list of participating Record Store Day Canada stores and see below for Big Wreck's upcoming tour dates:

Upcoming Tour Dates

03-07 - Niagara, ON - OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino

03-08 - Windsor, ON - The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor

04-04 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom

04-05 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall

04-07 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre

04-09 to 04-13 - Miami-Bahamas - Creed Cruise '99

05-31 - Fergus, ON - Meadows Music Festival

Festivals News

Now in its fifth year, the Jazz at the Bolt festival returns to the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby, B.C., Feb. 14-16, featuring both local and international artists. This year’s edition begins on Valentine’s Day with the Vancouver Jazz Orchestra performing the music of Dave Robbins. Other event highlights are expected to include the release of the Brian Charette Quartet’s album, performances by the Miki Yamanaka Trio with Steve Wilson, and tributes to Alice Coltrane and Eddie Harris. See a full schedule here.

– Presented by Destination Markham, the popular Markham Jazzlicious WinterFest returns for its third year, running Jan. 21 to March 22. The series presents top artists (mostly jazz) in different restaurant settings in the Markham region. Artists featured this year include Alex Bird & The Jazz Mavericks, Jill Barber, Tanika Charles and the Jay Douglas All Star Band and 2024 Grammy Award winner Nicole Zuraitis, plus a mystery guest TBA. More info here.

– The Wintersong festival in Stouffville, Ontario, runs Jan. 23-25, and features a strong and diverse lineup. Notable artists on the schedule include Bedouin Soundclash, Land of Talk, Kasador, Jane's Party, Torrance, The Wilderness, Rise Carmine and Howard Gladstone. Check the schedule here.

– Established in 2019, Toronto'sWomen From Space Festival has become renowned for its adventurous programming, featuring cutting-edge performers from across various music genres. Previous performers have included Mali Obomsawin, Matana Roberts, Amirtha Kidambi, Susan Alcorn, Patricia Brennan, Lina Allemano, Lotte Anker, Eve Egoyan and Judith Berkson.

The just-announced lineup for this year's edition, running March 7-9 at the918 Bathurst Centre, includes Toronto composer and improviser Allison Cameron, Trio Plastic Babies (comprising acclaimed vocalists Laura Swankey and Christine Duncan plus guitar wizard Patrick O'Reilly), the festival's in-house large ensemble BIG BANG! (honouring Nina Simone), shn shn and Rosina Kazi (of LAL), Yuka Honda's EUCADEMIX, led by the co-founder of Cibo Matto, Arusha Jain and Myra Melford’s Fire and Water Trio. Tickets here and info here.

– A few festival and conference showcase deadlines to pass along: The Folk On The Rocks Music Festival 2025, CAPACOA Conference 2025 and the MUTEK festival all have a Jan. 31 submission cut-off date.

Industry News

– This week, indie record label Victory Pool is presenting Victory Pool-Ooza, a mini-tour featuring artists from its roster playing three shows in Western Canada: Calgary (Jan. 23), Edmonton (Jan. 24, Part of WinterruptionYEG) and Lethbridge (Jan. 25) Artists featured include His His, Lauren Dillen, Asko, Starpainter and Ghostkeeper. Info and tickets here.

–The online ScreenxScreen conference features 40-plus speakers and 15-plus panels over three days (Feb. 10-12). The first round of speakers has been announced and the list includes Ted Cohen (TAG Strategic), Margaret McMuffin (Music Publishers Canada), Jesse Kirshbaum (Nue Agency), Steve Stewart (SONG HUB), Andy Hunter (CMRRA), Bob Willette (INDIE88), John Switzer (Seneca Polytechnic), Darryl Hurs, journalist Karen Bliss and publicist Rebecca Webster. Register here.

Artists News

– Excitement is building around the imminent return of Toronto indie rock heroes Change of Heart. The quartet, comprising guitar star Ian Blurton, Rob Taylor, Damon Richardson and Bernard Maiezzia, are prepping the release of In the Wreckage (out on Yeah Right! Records), their first new album in 27 years. It’ll be accompanied by an album release gig at Geary Avenue's Sound Garage on April 26, their first show together since 2017. Support acts are Andrew Dickson (Tricky Woo) and Bonnie Trash, with tickets on sale here tomorrow (Jan. 23). Details on the new record are scant, though Blurton tweeted some time ago that "everyone who was ever involved with COH is included, 15 in all."

– Canadian bluegrass sensations The Dead South (double Juno Award winners) are coming off a momentous year in which they played two sold-out nights at Nashville music shrine The Ryman, made three appearances at the Grand Ole Opry, had a popular album and welcomed 2025 with their BBC UK TV debut on Jools’ Annual Hootenanny. This week, the band announced a spring tour of the U.S. with special guest Sunny War, starting with a headlining slot at MerleFest in April and makes a return to The Caverns in Tennessee in May. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Jan. 24 at 11am ET.

Good Company, the group's debut full-length album originally released in 2014 and re-mastered in Dolby Atmos for its 10th Anniversary last year, reentered the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart last week and this week rose to No. 10. The Dead South first broke through with the 2016 song, "In Hell I'll Be In Good Company." Its video went viral and stayed that way for years, accumulating 430 million YouTube views, almost unprecedented for a bluegrass tune. Read a Billboard Canada FYI story about its success here.

– Things are moving fast for scrappy Halifax rockers Customer Service. Last year, they released a debut EP, Live More Forever, and signed to top indie label Royal Mountain. A new EP, to you, after 2000 years, will come out on Valentine's Day, preceded by a new single and video. The clip deliberately channels the spirit of Sloan, a key influence.