Music News Digest: Canadian Rock Band Finger Eleven Hit 1 Billion Career Streams

Festivals news

The free Habari Africa Festival (presented by Batuki Music Society) returns to Toronto's Harbourfront Centre August 9-11. Headline performers include Sia Tolno (Sierra Leone), South Sudanese-Canadian star and activist Emmanuel Jal, Watmon Amone (Uganda) and Empress Nyiringango (Rwanda). More info here.

– Also free, the 2024 Markham Jazz Festival in Markham, Ontario,has announced a musically eclectic list of performers to appear on its Millennium Bandstand Stage, Aug. 17 and 18. The artists include Juno-winning vocalist-songwriter Dominique Fils-Aimé, Hilario Duran and his Big Band (another Juno winner), Dominican-Canadian Junior Santos (a Juno nominee), the Mike Murley and Mark Eisenman Quartet, (performing selections from their Juno-nominated album Recent History), Jackie Richardson with the Toronto All-Star Big Band, U.N. Jefferson, Moneka Arabic Jazz, Sarah Jerrom’s Magpie, Disaster Pony and Dhaivat Jani PLUS. More info here

– Thanks to fine (if sticky) weather, Hamilton's free Festival of Friends drew good crowds to Gage Park for three days over the holiday weekend. It was an eclectic musical mix, with headliners ranging from War to Village People to Washboard Union. Other notable Canadian acts included Crash Test Dummies, David Wilcox and Aaron Goodvin, alongside both new and established local artists. In the latter category, veteran songsmith Ray Materick reassembled the band from his '70s heyday, with Daniel Lanois making an appearance.

I caught the Friday night action. Blues/rock veteran David Wilcox remains at the top of his game, virile vocals and axemanship intact, and he had the appreciative crowd singing along to classics like "Laying Pipe" and "Bad Apple." He was followed by veteran U.S. rock/funk combo War, who mixed in strong renditions of their hits ("Cisco Kid," "Low Rider," "Slippin' Into Darkness") with soulful ballads. Frontman Lonnie Jordan (the sole original member) still has vocal chops at 75 and he led the band skilfully through an entertaining set.

A Sunday highlight was roots-rock combo Espanola, led by guitar ace and singer-songwriter Aaron Goldstein (Junkhouse, City & Colour). The group has undergone personnel changes, with Hamilton favourites Justine Fischer (bass) and Matty Simpson (guitar) now featured. A la Drive-By Truckers, Espanola delivers both eloquent ballads and muscular rockers, and deserve far more attention. Spied in the front row was the group's label boss, Sonic Unyon's Tim Potocic.

Industry news

– As of August 2024, Canadian hard rock band Finger Eleven have officially crossed 1 billion overall career streams, averaging 5 million streams per week and securing their status as one of the best-selling Canadian groups of all time. A new single, "Adrenaline," came out last week (Aug. 2), with a video for it coming on Aug. 23. The track is the first preview of the band's upcoming 2025 album, the first for their new label, Better Noise Music. Streaming links here. The band is currently supporting Creed on its Summer of ’99 tour that wraps in Phoenix on Sept. 4.

– Situated near Picton in the now trendy Ontario region of Prince Edward County, the Base31 music venue complex is quickly making a splash. This month, the 1,500 capacity Drill Hall space presents Talk (Aug. 10), a potent triple bill of The Trews, The Glorious Sons and Matt Mays (Aug. 23 and 24), and Trooper + Honeymoon Suite (Aug. 31), followed by two just-announced shows, cover kings Dwayne Gretzky on Oct. 5 and rock legend Kim Mitchell on Oct. 19.

The more intimate Sergeants Mess Hall (178 capacity) has an impressive summer and fall lineup that includes Jane Siberry (Aug. 9), The Good Lovelies (Oct. 4), Basia Bulat (October 11), Whiskey Jack presents Stories & Songs of Stompin’ Tom (Oct. 18), Tom Wilson Tehåhàhake Trio (Nov. 2), Devarrow (Nov. 23) and John Alcorn’s Cole Porter Songbook (Nov. 30). More info here.

– Music PEI and English Folk Expo have named the successful selected artists for 2024’s Artist Exchange Program, Robbie Cavanagh (England) and Lawrence Maxwell (Canada). After time spent together writing and recording in Prince Edward Island and Manchester, Cavanagh and Maxwell will debut their collaboration at Showcase PEI 2024 in Canada (Sept. 23-25) and at English Folk Expo 2025 (March 20-22, 2025).

– Juno and 9x CCMA award-winning band The Washboard Union has announced its 2024 Canadian fall tour. The Grab the Wheel and Gotrek will kick off on October 24th in Lac La Biche, AB and make stops across the country with shows in Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, closing out in Kelowna on Nov. 22. Support acts are SiriusXM Top of The Country finalist Tony Stevens (all BC dates), and award-nominated The Red Hill Valleys (all Ontario dates) with additional shows featuring The Prairie States. More info here.

Artists news

– International electronic music artist Caribou (aka Dan Snaith) has released a new track and video, “Volume,” based on the 1987 groundbreaking global hit “Pump Up The Volume,” by M|A|R|R|S. "That track was the first time in my life I heard electronic music and it completely blew my mind,” says Snaith. Caribou's fall North American tour includes shows at Vancouver's PNE (Nov. 8 check), Massey Hall in Toronto (Nov. 23), History in Toronto (Nov. 24) and L'Olympia in Montreal (Nov. 25). A full itinerary here.

– Colin James is one of Canada's most successful and prolific blues artists ever, but he's certainly not resting on his laurels. His 2021 album, Open Road, won a Juno, and he's now back in top form with a new release, Chasing The Sun, his 21st studio album. It features such famed guests as Colin Linden (a longtime comrade who co-produced and mixed) ) and American stars Lucinda Williams, Charlie Musselwhite, Darryl Jones (Rolling Stones) and Charley Drayton, while James shares co-writing credits with Tom Wilson and the MacDonald Brothers (The Trews). The record comes out on Aug. 23, via Stony Plain. James plays The Kitchener Blues Festival (Aug. 8), the Nanaimo Blues Festival (Aug. 10), Whistler (Aug. 16) and the PNE in Vancouver, Aug. 17. Check out the first single, "Devilment," here.

– There is certainly no shortage of artists out there covering the work of beloved bard Leonard Cohen, but few have as many credentials to do so as California singer-songwriter Perla Batalla. She was one of his principal backing vocalists in the late '80s and early '90s, and is featured on Cohen albums The Future and Cohen Live. Her 2005 tribute album, Bird On The Wire, earned kudos and she is revisiting Cohen material on a new album, In The House Of Cohen. A powerful and timely video to accompany her fresh take on the classic "Democracy" (recorded with Patrick Page) is now out.