Polaris Prize announces performers for the 2016 Gala

By Regina Sienra

The Polaris Music Prize has announced both the performers and the members of the Grand Jury for its 2016 edition. Seven out of the ten shortlist nominees will play at the gala, which will take place on Monday, September 19 at The Carlu in Toronto.

Andy Shauf, Black Mountain, Basia Bulat, Carly Rae Jepsen, Jessy Lanza, U.S. Girls and White Lung will perform that night. Grimes and Kaytranada, who are also shortlist nominees, will be attending. PUP won’t be part of the ceremony because they will be on a month-long European tour. The Toronto band has a show in Austria that day.

The members of Grand Jury – which will be voting for the 2016 Polaris Prize winner on the night of the gala – are:

Adrien Begrand (freelance)
Lisa Christiansen (CBC Radio One – Vancouver)
Del Cowie (CBC Music)
Howard Druckman (SOCAN Words & Music)
Lana Gay (Indie 88)
Carla Gillis (NOW Magazine)
Andrew King (Canadian Musician)
Lisa Lagace (Turn The Record Over)
Trevor Risk (Ion Magazine)
Joni Sadler (CKUT)
Fateema Sayani (Ottawa Magazine).

Limited balcony tickets to the gala are available on Ticketfly.

Are you tuning in to the Polaris Prize gala on September? Who are you rooting for? What songs are you hoping to hear that night? Let us know in the comments.

John K. Samson is back with a new record – and some old pals

By Regina Sienra

John K. Samson will be back this October with an album that may feature more Weakerthans’ sounds than we had hoped for. Winter Wheat, Samson’s second solo album, is coming out on October 21st. The album will feature The Weakerthans’ drummer Jason Tait –who also co-produces the album alongside musician Christine Fellows, Samson’s partner– and bassist Greg Smith.

“Strangely, this album is technically more like a Weakerthans record than my first solo album”, Samson said to A.V. Club. “But in other ways it feels very different. It is a bit of a sprawler at 15 songs, which is unusual for me, and is mostly acoustic and spare, and was recorded in home studios over a really long Winnipeg winter.”

Both Tait and Smith joined John K. Samson on stage at Brandon Folk Fest in late July. There, the Weakerthans’ singer performed some new songs that will appear on Winter Wheat.

The title for Samson’s second solo album comes from a song inspired by Miriam Toews’ A Complicated Kindness and was created for an event called “Torn From the Pages”, which took place on May 2015.

A.V Club is also premiering “Postdoc Blues”, first single from Winter Wheat. In this song, Samson explores how technology is altering the way we interpret the world. You can pre-order the album here.

UPDATE: The Winter Wheat track listing has been announced as well:

1. Select All Delete
2. Postdoc Blues
3. Winter Wheat
4. Requests
5. Oldest Oak at Brookside
6. Capital
7. 17th Street Treatment Centre
8. Vampire Alberta Blues
9. Carrie Ends the Call
10. Fellow Traveller
11. Quiz Night at Looky Lou’s
12. Alpha Adept
13. Prayer for Ruby Elm
14. VPW 13 Blues
15. Virtute at Rest

Japandroids are back on the road

By Regina Sienra

Japandroids, the loud duo from Vancouver, have been pretty much missing in action since the end of the extensive world tour for Celebration Rock (2012), their second album. Guitarist Brian King and drummer David Prowse visited over 40 countries in a span of 21 months.

Without hints of any new release, and King moving to Mexico City, things have been quiet on the Japandroids front – until now. The band just announced an international fall tour that will have a stop in Toronto and a four-night residence at The Cobalt in Vancouver.

Is this a warm up for a new release? Let’s cross our fingers. Check out the tour dates below.

10.5 – The Cobalt. Vancouver, BC
10.6 – The Cobalt. Vancouver, BC
10.7 – The Cobalt. Vancouver, BC
10.8 – The Cobalt. Vancouver, BC
10.11 – The Echo. Los Angeles, CA
10.15 – Horseshoe Tavern. Toronto, ON
10.20 – Birthdays. London, UK
10.28 – Knitting Factory. Brooklyn, NY
10.29 – Knitting Factory. Brooklyn, NY
11.25 – Caradura. Mexico City, Mexico

BreakOut West announces lineup for 2016 edition

By Regina Sienra

BreakOut West, the festival that celebrates independent music and emerging artists from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon and Northwest Territories is back in Regina for its 2016 edition.

Alongside with the Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMA), the 14th annual BreakOut West starts on Thursday, October 13 and runs through Sunday, October 16. Eleven venues across the city will host the shows.

Headlining this year’s lineup are Lexi Strate and Devin Morin. Rah Rah, The Matinee, The Mariachi Ghost, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, The Dead South and Mise en Scene are also part of the 2016 BreakOut West performers.

Visit the BreakOut West site for more information on the festival, wristbands and acommodation. Check out the full lineup below.

Scenic Route to Alaska releases new single

By Regina Sienra

Edmonton indie folk pop band Scenic Route to Alaska have released a new song called “Coming Back”. This is also the first single from their upcoming record, Long Walk Home. The new album from will be released in late September.

“Coming Back” was produced and mixed by Howard Redekopp, who has worked with The New Pornographers, Hannah Georgas, Fast Romantics and Dear Rouge. The video for this song was directed by Edmonton photographer Cory Johnn.

Scenic Route to Alaska are songwriter Trevor Mann on guitar and vocals, Murray Wood on bass and Shea Connor on drums. The band released their debut, self-titled EP on July 2011, and have toured across Canada and Europe with Warrington, their sophomore album.

Check out the video for “Coming Back” below. The song is available for purchase on Bandcamp, and you can stream it in on Spotify.

Give it up for Summer Lights Festival, Brandon, MB’s new music celebration

By Regina Sienra

Brandon, Manitoba, just keeps getting cooler. After a captivating edition of their long-running Folk festival – which featured a Weakerthans reunion – a new festival is coming to the city of 46,000 inhabitants. The first edition of the Summer Lights Festival is happening on Saturday, September 10th.

The lineup features the likes of Said The Whale – who will be hopefully releasing a new album before 2016 is over –, Joel Plaskett, Terra Lightfoot and Attica Riots. Other performers include Slow Leaves, Begonia, Okay Mann and  local singer Hannah Selyn. There will also be a collaborative songwriting circle featuring some of the performers.

Summer Lights Festival will be sharing venue with Brandon Folk Fest, for the event will be happening at the Keystone Centre Grounds. The festival is offering free camping, along with free, locally made, bannock and honey. Food and craft vendors will also join the event.

Advance tickets are available now for $20 for adults and $15 for students, and you can get them now through their website. Make the most of the summer and part of the country you may not be familiar with yet.

Imaginary Cities teaches us how to say good-bye – for now

By Regina Sienra and Tiffany Leeson

Imaginary Cities, the powerful band from Winnipeg, MB has announced their new – and sadly, last for the foreseeable future – EP Leftovers, which is out August 12^th. . The band had been on an hiatus since the ever busy Rusty Matyas threw even more things into his schedule by producing records, joining big bands as a touring member – he just played in a Weakerthans reuion – and pursuing a degree in musical therapy.

Now, the Leftovers EP is just a break before an even longer indefinite hiatus album. The songs on it are unused cuts from their sophomore album Fall of Romance (2013). They left us with this tweet:

This is our way of saying thank you and farewell (for now). More tunes to come! https://t.co/IK1l6GCVTs

— Imaginary Cities (@Imaginarycities) July 27, 2016

“Set my Heart on Fire”is the first track they’ve release as a preview to their 4 track EP and you can have a listen here:

It’s not all about the good-bye-for-now though! Marti Sarbit, the lead singer, has announced that Lanikai, her new project, will be releasing music this fall.

Chixdiggit surprises Italian fans at their wedding

By Regina Sienra

No one can really measure the spectrum of the fanbase a band can gain, and sometimes the less palpable aspect can be one of geography: Where is your music being played and enjoyed? For Chixdiggit, Italy is one of those places. Cristian and Miriam, two of their biggest fans there just got married, and the bride decided to surprise the groom at the wedding with a special performance by the Calgary punk-rock band.

In a video uploaded by the Italian station Radio BAM, you can see the groom being led to a tree-lined area, where the band is secretly testing their instruments. Cristian soon turns his head to find his favourite band and scream with the delight.

The band then plays the 1996 song “I Wanna Hump You” for the Italian newlyweds and their guests. In another video, the band plays “Sikome Beach” from Born on the First of July as the groom happily moshes and dances by the front row.

If you’re closer to Bengough, Sask., than you are to Italy, you can catch Chixdiggit this weekend at the Gateway festival.

Canadian indie fights cancer

By Nick Jean

It seems 2016 is the year of the epic tour. As we previously announced, Lauren Mann is working on a 50-date tour with stops literally all across the country. Not to be outdone, Arkells have released a massive slew of dates.

Over the next six months, the Hamilton rockers will be making 31 stops in six provinces, 13 states and stints overseas in Britain and Germany. (See the end of this post for the full schedule.) And as if that weren’t enough, they kicked it all off with a private show earlier this month. This wasn’t just any old house show, however.

The recipients were the friends and family of 18-year-old Jill Zitars (as well as Zitars herself, of course.) Zitars is partway through her treatment for stage two Hodgkin’s lymphoma. July 6 was supposed to be her halfway point for treatment. Instead, doctors informed her things weren’t going quite as planned and they would need to reassess. The Waterloo, Ont., teen was understandably quite shaken by the news.

In an attempt to lift her spirits, her friend Kristin Kelly reached out to Arkells over Snapchat, explaining the situation and asking them to pay a visit. Three members of the band – Max Kerman, Mike DeAngelis and Anthony Carone – did just that, performing an acoustic backyard set for Zitars.

“I was so shocked and overjoyed at the same time,” Zitars told CBC of the event. “My friends were amazing.”

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Tour Dates

07.23.2016 – Oro-Medonte, Ontario – WayHome Music Festival

07.24.2016 – Colwood, British Columbia – Rock The Shores

07.28.2016 – Chicago, Illinois – Grant Park – Lollapalooza

& Bottom Lounge – Official Lollapalooza Aftershow w/ The Struts

07.30.2016 – New Glasgow, Nova Scotia – The Riverfront Jubilee

08.01.2016 – St. Johns, Newfoundland – George Street Festival

08.06.2016 – Regina, Saskatchewan – Queen City Ex

08.21.2016 – Leipzig, Saxony – Highfield Festival in Grosspösna, Germany

08.23.2016 – London, Middlesex – Lexington

08.25.2016 – Ubersee, Bavaria – Chiemsee Summer Festival

09.03.2016 – Edmonton, Alberta – Borden Park – SONiC BOOM

09.04.2016 – Calgary, Alberta – Fort Calgary – X FEST

09.09.2016 – Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario – Jackson Triggs Theatre

09.15.2016 – New York, New York – Studio At Webster Hall

09.23.2016 – Reading, Pennsylvania – Reverb – w/ Frank Turner

09.27.2016 – Champaign, Illinois – The Accord – w/ Frank Turner

09.28.2016 – St. Louis, Missouri – The Ready Room – w/ Frank Turner

09.29.2016 – Maquoketa, Iowa – Codfish Hollow Barnstormers – w/ Frank Turner

09.30.2016 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin – The Rave / Eagles Club – w/ Frank Turner

10.01.2016 – Kalamazoo, Michigan – Bell’s Eccentric Cafe – w/ Frank Turner

10.27.2016 – Athens, Georgia – The Georgia Theatre – w/ Frank Turner

10.28.2016 – Charlottesville, Virginia – Jefferson Theatre – w/ Frank Turner

10.29.2016 – Morgantown, West Virginia – Mainstage – w/ Frank Turner

10.30.2016 – Norfolk, Virginia – The NorVa – w/ Frank Turner

10.31.2016 – Wilmington, Delaware – World Cafe Live @ The Queen – w/ Frank Turner

11.02.2016 – Clifton Park, New York – Upstate Concert Theatre – w/ Frank Turner

11.03.2016 – Ithaca, New York – The Haunt – w/ Frank Turner

11.11.2016 – Detroit, Michigan – Magic Bag

11.12.2016 – Chicago, Illinois – Subterranean

12.09.2016 – Buffalo, New York – The Town Ballroom

12.10.2016 – Buffalo, New York – The Town Ballroom

Little Scream makes a new dance up in her new video

By Nick Jean

Not satisfied with getting you chair dancing, Little Scream is introducing the world to bed dancing (mattress dancing?) Premiering today is the official music video for “Dark Dance,” the third track on this year’s Cult Following and the second to get the video treatment following the first single “Love as a Weapon.”

The video below sets a scene that seems peaceful and serene. Although there is something almost unsettling in the dancers’ movements that suggest something isn’t quite right. They move in jerky yet fluid motions that form the perfect counterpoint and accompaniment to Little Scream’s haunting, melodic vocals.

If the video isn’t enough Little Scream for you, she’ll be playing a number of shows in the coming weeks, including three shows at the end of the month with American indie-folk darlings Beirut. Don’t miss your chance. Check the show listing below.

Jul 15 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
Jul 16-17 – Vancouver, BC @ Vancouver Folk Festival
Jul 22 – New York, NY @ Panorama Music and Arts Festival
Jul 22–24 – Oro-Medonte, ON @ WayHome Music & Arts Festival
July 25 – Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix w/ Beirut
July 26 – Ottawa, ON @ Algonquin Commons Theatre w/ Beirut
July 28 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre w/ Beirut
Jul 29-31 – Sackville, NB @ Sappy Fest
Aug 12 – Eau Claire, WI @ Eaux Claires Festival
Oct 28-30 – New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Music Experience

Picture taken from Little Scream’s FB page.