Tom Cochrane handled pressure by taking the honest route down Ragged Ass Road

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 1, 1996 By Steve Newton Tom Cochrane’s “Life Is a Highway” was one of the three most-played songs in North America in 1993, which means that a whole whack of folks heard it, whether they wanted to or not. Cochrane admits that, by way of airplay royalties, the snappy little ditty … Continue reading Tom Cochrane handled pressure by taking the honest route down Ragged Ass Road

Robert Cray gets the thing happening on Some Rainy Morning

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 18, 1996 By Steve Newton You wouldn’t think bluesman Robert Cray would be musically indebted to the Beatles, but they were the band that drove him to pick up a guitar. By the age of 10 Cray had already been soaking up the gospel, jazz, soul, and blues in his parents’ … Continue reading Robert Cray gets the thing happening on Some Rainy Morning

Aussie songwriting great Paul Kelly hits 40 and treads into Deeper Water

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 23, 1995 By Steve Newton Ever wonder what happened to the Aussie Invasion? Back in the early- to mid-’80s it seemed as if a band wasn’t on top unless it was from Down Under. Two-hit wonders Men at Work kick-started the worldwide interest in the music of koala country in ’82 … Continue reading Aussie songwriting great Paul Kelly hits 40 and treads into Deeper Water

Junkhouse’s Tom Wilson believes there’s a Birthday Boy in all of us

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 30, 1995 By Steve Newton If you happened to see the Beatles Anthology series on the tube last week, you’re probably aware that the Fab Four quit touring in 1966 and became just a recording act. That move worked out alright for them—but it probably wouldn’t suit Hamilton, Ontario, rockers Junkhouse. … Continue reading Junkhouse’s Tom Wilson believes there’s a Birthday Boy in all of us

Southern Culture on the Skids: the finest in high-cholesterol, toe-sucking geek rock since 1985

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 16, 1995 By Steve Newton “High-cholesterol, toe-sucking geek rock.” That’s how singer-guitarist Rick Miller describes the œuvre of his band, Southern Culture on the Skids. And he’s mighty proud of it, too. Miller’s been striving to produce the finest in high-cholesterol, toe-sucking geek rock ever since forming the band back in … Continue reading Southern Culture on the Skids: the finest in high-cholesterol, toe-sucking geek rock since 1985

Skydiggers look forward to getting into a groove with Warner Music Canada and Road Radio

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 9, 1995 By Steve Newton When a couple of Skydiggers show up at the office to chat about their latest CD, I’m expecting to see at least one goatee, but instead I get sideburns (courtesy bassist Ronnie Von Johnnie) and long, straggly hair (courtesy singer-guitarist Peter Cash). The guy who’s front … Continue reading Skydiggers look forward to getting into a groove with Warner Music Canada and Road Radio

Warren Haynes’ “Star-Spangled Banner” evokes the beauty of the States, not its bombs

Anyone who knows the Newt knows that I'm crazy about Warren Haynes, guitarist-vocalist-songwriter for Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers Band. Everything he touches musically is magic to me, and I write about it whenever I can. As such, I heard a lot I liked in this reverb-heavy version of "The Star-Spangled Banner", which he … Continue reading Warren Haynes’ “Star-Spangled Banner” evokes the beauty of the States, not its bombs

UFO sightings and mining disasters fuel Weeping Tile’s Cold Snap

Only six years ago, Kingston, Ontario, was a place best-known for its contrasting institutions of promise and penance.

The Smalls sound nice and chunky on Waste & Tragedy

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 9, 1995 By Steve Newton Some rock bands dream about being popular enough to play large venues but whine about getting booked in the little, out-of-the-way places on the way up. Not the Smalls, though. You won’t get any complaints out of them when they see locations like Kamloops and Fort … Continue reading The Smalls sound nice and chunky on Waste & Tragedy

Seven Mary Three blasts straight outta Florida with American Standard

As soon as I saw the title of Seven Mary Three’s debut release, American Standard, I felt an affinity for the Florida guitar-rock quintet.

WolfCop would be painful to watch even without the Gowan

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 4, 2014 WolfCop looks like it could have been a hoot to make, because judging by the finished product, nobody involved—from the director on down to the FX lackey spattering fake blood around—seemed to give a rat’s ass about how the Canadian horror-comedy turned out. It’s got the look and feel … Continue reading WolfCop would be painful to watch even without the Gowan

Quadrophenia: Live in London gets primo packaging in a collector’s edition

By Steve Newton I've long posited that the Who's Quadrophenia is the greatest rock album of all time. The 1973 double-disc captured the British rock quartet at its creative peak, firing on all cylinders, and—thanks to Pete Townsend's songwriting skills—told a thoroughly engrossing tale of a young man's struggle for identity amid the Mods vs. Rockers turmoil … Continue reading Quadrophenia: Live in London gets primo packaging in a collector’s edition