Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Remembering Maria da Luz Pinto 1921-2020

A message from Lou, our blogger:

Today, September 1, 2021 my beloved maternal grandmother, Maria da Luz Pinto would have turned 100 years old. Unfortunately, she passed away on December 13, 2020 from COVID complications. I miss her every day.

Maria da Luz was born in Portugal and had a hard life in her early years. She lived in poverty, raising five children, a lot of that time on her own. Despite all this, grandma was always one of the happiest people around. I remember her playfulness and how wonderfully fun she was. Grandma is a big part of the man I have become.

I will miss her beautiful smile and her childlike sense of fun.


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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Hamilton/Burlington's Matt Kennedy Passes

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Hamilton and Burlington musician Matt Kennedy. Our condolences to his family, friends and fans.

Details below courtesy of the Hamilton Musician's Guild.

 


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Thursday, August 19, 2021

Vote for the 2021 Hamilton Spectator Readers' Choice Awards (Deadline is Sept 19)


Below is a complete list of music-related nominees. Please click the picture above for the complete listings. 

As a favour, we'd also like to ask you to vote for:

Monday, August 16, 2021

GOOD LUCK! 2021 St. Catharines Arts Awards Nominations


From the City of St. Catharines newsletter:

City announces nominees for the 2021St. Catharines Arts Awards

A diverse group of nominees — shining a light on just how vibrant the city’s arts scene is — are being recognized as part of this fall’s 2021 St. Catharines Arts Awards celebration.

The jury for the event, which annually celebrates the arts community and those who champion it, has made its selection for this year’s nominees. The 17 nominees chosen as finalists range from visual artists to film makers to musicians, and more.

Nominees for the Arts in Education Award, celebrating individuals and groups committed to engaging residents through arts education, include:

Artists in their first 10 years of a creative career will be recognized with the Emerging Artist Award. 

Nominees include:

Nominees for the Established Artist Award, presented to a professional St. Catharines artist in any discipline who has received critical recognition for excellence in their art practice in St. Catharines and beyond, include:

Nominees for the Making a Difference Award — celebrating entrepreneurs, administrators, organizations and volunteers contributing to the growth of arts and culture — include:

The Patron of the Arts Award, presented to a well-deserving recipient that has made a meaningful contribution to the arts through innovative, transformative, and entrepreneurial partnerships or philanthropic investments, will be announced at a later date.

The 2021 St. Catharines Arts Awards will be presented as a free live-stream event on Sunday, Nov. 21.

Links: St. Catharines Culture, More St. Catharines Arts Awards Stories


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Friday, August 13, 2021

'Who's Next' Album 50th Anniversary featuring Local Covers


On August 14, 1971, the Who released their classic album, Who's Next.  To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the recording, here are a few local covers of songs from the LP.


Links: JamSchool, Video above courtesy of  JamSchool Videos


Links: John Mamone, Video above courtesy of johnnymo69



And a song from the band itself.



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Tuesday, August 3, 2021

New Incendiary Album from Hamilton's The Lowdown Dirty Mojos


With track names like Mystic Highway 6, Superstition Blues, Devil Blues, and Lucky Juju Hand, there's certainly a lot of incredible hoodoo in Stone Cold Groovers. Magical music permeates this incendiary sophomore album from Hamilton's The Lowdown Dirty Mojos (featuring Paul Wootton and Stephen Foster, formerly of the Crawlin' Kingsnakes).

You can feel the swamp country boogie Blues haunting every song. The essence of the bayou rises up and gets electrified, creating an unforgettable otherworldly sound that just sucks you right in. 

Pick up this wonderous album through the band's Bandcamp page.

The album can be streamed below.



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Wednesday, July 28, 2021

CONGRATS! Hamilton/Dunville's Rob Lamothe on Powerplay Magazine's Top Singers List


Former Hamiltonian and current Dunnville resident, Rob Lamothe got some well-deserved national recognition recently. UK rock mag Powerplay included the talented singer/songwriter him in their 'Top 50 Favourite Singers List' in the August 2021 issue. He was number 23. CONGRATS!

Here's what the magazine had to say: 

"As frontman for The Riverdogs, Rob was at the helm of one of the most overlooked debut albums in rock music history. I got to see The Riverdogs (long after the debut came and went) when they ventured over to the UK in support of their wonderful ‘Bone’ record, recalls Mike Gaffney.

Lamothe was in spectacular form that night (and every night I’ve seen him since), and his voice, rather than diminish, just gets better as the years go by. He has an extensive collection of solo records too, each of which is a must-listen (everyone should own a copy of his debut solo album ‘Gravity’)."

Links: Riverdogs, Video above courtesy of kucukdede

Links: Rob Lamothe, More Rob Lamothe Stories, Video above courtesy of pejoha


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Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Take An Incredible Musical Journey with Waterloo's Craig Cardiff

Both musically and lyrically, All This Time Running, the latest incredible album from Waterloo's Craig Cardiff is a journey. With songs like Wyoming, Moon, Greyhound SK, Yellowknife and more, Craig and his friends take you on a trip and weave captivating stories with every tune.

Released by Waterdown's True North Records, the recording proclaims Craig's songwriting skills and  stunning vocals. There are little bits of folk, country, Jazz and more scattered along the musical route.

You can get this fabulous collection through labelstore.ca, his Bandcamp page, iTunes, spotify, and many other shops.

The album can be streamed below:

Links: Craig Cardiff, More Craig Cardiff Stories, More Releases


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