Category: canuck rock

Teenaged Victoria blues-rockers Seventh Stone tour with Big Sugar and open for Jimmie Vaughan

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 19, 1995 By Steve Newton Jerry Doucette said it best back in the ’70s when his hit boogie tune, “Mama Let Him Play”, urged parents to let their youthful offspring play some rock ’n’ roll. Fortunately for 18-year-old guitarist-vocalist Dallin Paul, his folks took this approach three years ago when he … Continue reading Teenaged Victoria blues-rockers Seventh Stone tour with Big Sugar and open for Jimmie Vaughan

The Tragically Hip have a new book coming out that might even be better than mine!

By Steve Newton The Tragically Hip has just announced that it will be releasing a book this fall titled This Is Our Life, published by the U.K.-based Genesis Publications and told through the band members' own words. It will first be made available for the hardcore Hip freaks as a deluxe hand-crafted book and record … Continue reading The Tragically Hip have a new book coming out that might even be better than mine!

Wish I would have interviewed the guy with the best nickname in rock, Brian “Too Loud” MacLeod

By Steve Newton I've interviewed a helluva lot of rock musicians over the last 40 years or so--literally hundreds and hundreds--but there are still a few that got away. Like Brian "Too Loud" MacLeod, best known for being a member of Vancouver-based rock groups Headpins and Chilliwack. It doesn't make sense that I wouldn't have … Continue reading Wish I would have interviewed the guy with the best nickname in rock, Brian “Too Loud” MacLeod

That time I asked Rik Emmett what it was like being a solo artist after 13 years with Triumph

By Steve Newton I did my third interview with Rik Emmett in September of 1990, when he was promoting his debut solo album, Absolutely, which went gold in Canada. Two years earlier he'd left the popular Canadian power trio Triumph, so when he called from his home in Mississauga I asked him was it was … Continue reading That time I asked Rik Emmett what it was like being a solo artist after 13 years with Triumph

The Tragically Hip to release Live at CBGB’s on pink vinyl and cassette for Record Store Day

By Steve Newton The Tragically Hip, the greatest Canadian rock band ever (unless you're a Rush freak), announced today that it will be releasing a live album on Record Store Day (April 20). Live at CBGB's features nine tracks originally recorded at the famed New York City venue on January 14, 1993, when the Hip … Continue reading The Tragically Hip to release Live at CBGB’s on pink vinyl and cassette for Record Store Day

Jack White calls Big Sugar’s 500 Pounds “the best blues-based record to ever come out of Canada”

By Steve Newton If you haven't already figured out that Big Sugar is an awesome band, the guy from White Stripes has a message for you. In a video posted today, rock legend Jack White extolls the virtues of the Toronto group's second album, Five Hundred Pounds (released in the U.S. as 500 Pounds). "I … Continue reading Jack White calls Big Sugar’s 500 Pounds “the best blues-based record to ever come out of Canada”

That time Graham Greer told me that the Barstool Prophets got compared to the Tragically Hip all the time

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with Barstool Prophets singer-songwriter Graham Greer back in August of 1995. I called him up at his home in Cornwall, Ontario, shortly after the band released its album Crank, which spawned the Canadian Top-10 singles "Mankindman" and "Paranoia". At one point in the conversation I mentioned that … Continue reading That time Graham Greer told me that the Barstool Prophets got compared to the Tragically Hip all the time

Gord Downie’s big brother Mike notes how “unguarded” the Hip singer sounds in our interviews

By Steve Newton Last month I posted a blog about how psyched I was to learn that some of the audio from my interviews with Gord Downie was going to be used in an upcoming documentary series on the Tragically Hip. The four-part doc--which will stream on Amazon Prime in October of 2024--is being helmed … Continue reading Gord Downie’s big brother Mike notes how “unguarded” the Hip singer sounds in our interviews

That time Tom Cochrane told me that all the Tragically Hip needed to break through in the U.S. was one accessible pop song

By Steve Newton Back in November of 1995 I did the fifth of my seven interviews with Canadian rock great Tom Cochrane. At the time he was promoting his new album, Ragged Ass Road, the followup to 1991's Mad Mad World, which featured the smash hit that broke him in the States, "Life is a … Continue reading That time Tom Cochrane told me that all the Tragically Hip needed to break through in the U.S. was one accessible pop song

Kim Mitchell’s 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome

By Steve Newton So what if Canadian party-rocker Kim Mitchell blocked me on Twitter (X) for some weird reason. He still has a lotta great tunes. 20. "Patio Lanterns" (Shakin' Like a Human Being, 1986) 19, "Big Best Summer" (Kim Mitchell EP, 1982) 18. "Monkey Shine" (Kimosabe, 1999) 17. "All We Are" (Akimbo Alogo, 1984) … Continue reading Kim Mitchell’s 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome

Glass Tiger employs a Vancouver connection to make its mark with The Thin Red Line

The music scene in Newmarket, Ontario has livened up considerably since hometown band Glass Tiger began moving up the Canadian charts.

The Newt is psyched that bits of his old Gord Downie interviews will be heard in the Tragically Hip’s Amazon Prime docuseries

By Steve Newton Looking back on my over 40 years as a music writer, there's one thing that I did pretty consistently that I'm really, really happy about. I kept almost all of the cassette tapes I used to record my interviews. I mean, I never thought, while I was recording my phone conversation with … Continue reading The Newt is psyched that bits of his old Gord Downie interviews will be heard in the Tragically Hip’s Amazon Prime docuseries