Music News Digest, July 7, 2022

By Kerry Doole

Awards news

Nominations are now open for the Music Nova Scotia Music and Industry Awards. After seeking feedback from the membership and general community, some changes in the Awards have been made. More info on those here. The awards will be handed out at Nova Scotia Music Week in Sydney, Nov. 3-6. 

– Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and the LAC Foundation have named the 2022 recipients of the Library and Archives Canada Scholar Awards. Honoured for making an outstanding contribution to the creation and promotion of our country's culture, and literary heritage are Jean-Marc Carisse, photographer Stan Douglas, artist, Jeremy Dutcher, musician, Naomi Fontaine, author, and Deepa Mehta, filmmaker. The video is posted on CBC GEM and ICI TOU.TV.

Festivals news

– The 4th edition of the Go North Music Festival is set for July 8 and 9, on St. Joseph Island, ON. A strong cast of performers includes Crown Lands, Charlotte Cornfield, The Honest Heart Collective, Taming Sari, Goodnight Sunrise, The Uncanny Valley, and Cass FM. The July 8 opening night concert at The Centennial Grounds features Jay Pollmann and Hannah Lindsay and Band. Tickets and further details here.

– Popular free Hamilton music fest Supercrawl is set to return to full pre-pandemic glory, Sept. 9-11.  Fest head (and CIMA chair) Tim Potocic and his team have corralled a very impressive lineup for the event, running in Hamilton's downtown James Street North locale. It includes Tim Baker, The Dirty Nil, Sarah Harmer, Julian Taylor, Espanola, Tallies, Hidden Cameras, Loony, Ombigiizi, Lido Pimienta, Charlotte Day Wilson, and Hamilton All-Stars. Check the full lineup here.

– The Mixto Festival (produced by Uma Nota Culture) returns to Toronto, July 7-10. The action starts at Lula Lounge on July 7 and 8 with performers including Xenia França, TRP.P, DJ General Eclectic, Ghetto Kumbé, Tush, Sofia Fly, Mosamba and New Chance. The impressive festival lineup at Lynx Music, July 9-10 (doors at 3 pm both days), features Aline Morales, Bombino, Bangerz Brass, Narcy, Tara Moneka, MC Abdominal, Céu, Francisco, el Hombre, Reggaddiction and T.dot Batu. DJs featured include Young Teesh, Me Time, Jerus Nazdaq, Uproot Andy, Ana Luisa, Ensoul, and Selectress Sunshine. Find ticket info here. Mixto can also be streamed online.

– Organizers of London's top world music festival, Sunfest, are facing travel concerns with musicians as Toronto Pearson Airport faces delays, cancellations and baggage issues. About 20 music groups are arriving on international flights for Sunfest from countries including Spain, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, and France, and most are travelling through Pearson, an airport plagued with delays. The fest takes place July 7-10 at Victoria Park and you can check the schedule here. Source: CBC 

Industry news

– The National Music Centre (NMC) will offer extended hours at Studio Bell and pay-what-you-can admission for all 10 days of the Calgary Stampede, July 7-17. NMC is the official home of the Canadian Country Hall of Fame (CCMHF). Two inductees are celebrated annually – a performing artist and an industry builder – with Patricia Conroy and Randy Stark honoured this year.

– CIMA's Business & Showcase Mission to FIMPRO 2022 in Guadalajara, Mexico, runs Nov. 9-12. Working with FIMPRO, CIMA, in partnership with SODEC, will organize a showcase and business initiative in Guadalajara with four Canadian delegates and their artists. Apply here 

– The next MMF Canada Masterclass, set for July 14, 6-7.30 pm EDT (via Zoom), is entitled Negotiation for Creatives. It promises to pass on expert tactics and strategies to make your next negotiation less stressful and more successful. Register here.

– After a temporary detour to Niagara, the AM to FM Live is returning to its Toronto base on July 21. Held at ArtBay, it'll feature a performance by country artist Jessica Sole at 6.30 pm. Free with an RSVP (by July 20) here 

Artists news

– BMG has announced that multi-Grammy Award-winner Daniel Lanois is bringing his catalogue and future work to the company. The imprint's catalogue team will take on responsibility for all but one of Lanois’s 13 solo albums, while his first new album under the arrangement will be Player, Piano, set to be released by BMG imprint Modern Recordings, on Sept. 23. Over a 50-year career, Lanois has been acclaimed as a record producer, musician, vocalist and songwriter, working with artists ranging from Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel and U2 to Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young, among many others. As a solo artist, his work embraces many genres and musical forms.

BMG EVP Global Repertoire Fred Casimir said, “Daniel Lanois is a sonic alchemist whose own work showcases the very best of his art, loved and admired by the artist community and fans around the world.  We are delighted he has chosen BMG as his label home.” To coincide with the release of Player, Piano, Lanois will keynote at Germany’s Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg. He joins a Modern Recordings roster which includes Pat Metheny, Craig Armstrong, Simon Goff & Katie Melua, Meredi, Vince Mendoza, Pantha du Prince, and others.

 –Country artist and songwriter Graham Scott Fleming has announced his signing with Open Road Recordings and RGK Entertainment in a joint record and management deal. “There’s an exciting wave of new talented artists coming out of Canada. Graham’s big personality, even bigger voice and uniquely familiar songs separate him,” says Ron Kitchener, founder and head of ORR/RGK, in a press release. “We are thrilled to be adding GSF to our roster.” Earlier this year, Fleming reached the Top 40 on Country Radio with his single Better Man. A new single, Life Of The After Party, comes out next week.

–  2022 marks the 15th anniversary of Tegan and Sara’s album, The Con, and the 20th anniversary of their second album, If It Was You. On Aug. 16, Invisible Publishing will put out Tegan and Sara: Modern Heartthrobs, by music journalist Melody Lau, on its Bibliophonic imprint. 

– Blue Rodeo keyboardist Michael Boguski has his own trio, and tomorrow (July 8), they're releasing an album, A Newer Morning (For John), on Goliard Records. All proceeds will be donated to John Brandham and Stroke Association UK. 

– Award-winning Nova Scotian country artist Thomas Stajcer has released a new single, Building A Home (Yip Walla Wahoo), one inspired by Roger Miller. He has NS dates at Trider's Craft Brewing, Amherst (July 8), and Candid Brewing, Antigonish, NS (July 9).

– Juno-winning Inuk singer/songwriter Susan Aglukark launches her new children's book, Una Huna? Ukpik Learns To Sew! at the Burlington Art Gallery on July 12, at 7 pm. It is described as a picture book designed for ages 6 to 8. More info here.

– Since making a splash in seminal Canadian indie rockers The Constantines, Steven Lambke has morphed into a much-heralded singer/songwriter. His most recent solo album, Volcano Volcano, was released on You've Changed Records (the imprint Lambke heads) on April 29. He doesn't gig a lot, so his show tonight (July 7) at The Casbah in Hamilton is highly recommended.

–  Still best known as the songwriter for indie-pop outfit Wake Owl, Colyn Cameron debuted as a solo artist four years ago, with Sad & Easy. He is now readying his new album Freehand for release on Aug. 5. Here's an advance single.