Well, folks, my final blog post is here, and I saved the absolute best for last. Back in December, during Ryerson’s winter break, I had the honour of interviewing George Stroumboulopoulos. That’s right, I sat down with Canada’s beloved long-time boyfriend.  I grew up watching George on CBC, late at night, when he was the host of The Hour. A late-night talk show that had no boundaries. I remember staying as quiet as possible until my parents fell asleep, only then would I turn on the TV to George’s intro for the night that would always end with him saying […]

This isn’t the usual article you get to read from me. Typically, I would be going out to concerts, interviewing local bands, reviewing new albums, but right now is not the time. Like many others, I’ve been staying in the comfort of my home, social distancing and not leaving the house unless it’s to go to the grocery store or for a solo walk by the waterfront. It’s an unprecedented time that we’re living in.  Though the dread that is the COVID-19 pandemic is constantly hanging over our heads, the Canadian music community has never rallied stronger to bring some […]

As many of you know, I like finding new bands, bugging them for an interview and then writing about them for this blog. But if you thought I would run out of groups to write about at this point, you’re wrong. I have another one: Burger Vacuum. Burger Vacuum is a (now) trio consisting of Ryerson students Joseph on drums and vocals and Rob on guitar, synth, and vocals, and Jefferey LeFort on bass. This past December, I had a chance to sit down with what was then the duo that made Burger Vacuum, Joseph and Rob. The two met […]

 Well folks, as of December 14th, 2019, we have left Hollerado land. The Ottawa based band first formed in 2007 and called it a day and set off on their Farewell Tour in the fall of 2019. The group consisted of Menno Versteeg (lead vocals, guitar), Nixon Boyd (lead guitar, backing vocals), Dean Baxter (bass, backing vocals) and Jake Boyd (drums, backing vocals).   When I heard Hollderado was officially disbanding, I thought back to when I was first introduced to them. I haven’t been a fan since their debut album in 2009, like others. Instead, I became a fan when […]

Were you a fan of bands like Green Day, Alexisonfire, and Rage Against the Machine growing up? Did you make it your mission to go to Vans Warped Tour every year even though you were probably way too young to be there? Did you ever go through a punk phase in high school and try to dye your hair blue, but it ended up being a horrendous blonde with a green tint? That last one was just me? Alright, well, if any of the above sounds like you, then I found your new favourite band: GROWERS.  GROWERS is an alternative […]

I came across For Jane when I least expected to come across a new favourite band  – in my Intermediate Audio Production lab. Our lab assistant, Julia Wittmann, graciously let our class use her band’s original tracks to learn how to mix, master, and record live. Believe me when I say that by the first time I heard Tom, their song about male predators, I was absolutely hooked.  For Jane was formed back in 2016 by guitarist/vocalist Julia Wittmann and vocalist Natalie Panacci in Steven Ehrlick’s Business of Music II course when they were given the task to manage a […]

Toronto is home to a handful of high-profile artists, but there’s always a hunger and thirst for something more. Something different. The city is a breeding ground for great independent artists and bands and maybe they don’t catch your eye, but this one should. Goodbye Honolulu, an up and coming Rock and Roll band, is formed by Max Bornstein on drums, Fox Martindale and Emmett Webb on guitar and vocals, Jacob Switzer on vocals and bass. The members all grew up in Toronto – Emmett and Max from the East end and Jacob and Fox from the downtown area -and formed […]

Photo credit: Instagram, Malcolm McEwan (@malcolmmcewan) If you’re anything like me, you love finding smaller artists or bands with loads of talent and the potential to grow. Meet Alternative R&B/Soul artist, sahara. Originally from Vancouver, BC, sahara moved to Toronto back in May of 2018 and “after visiting the city for the first time that January, [she] applied to York & Ryerson and was accepted to both for business. [Her] intention going into the move was to get settled over the summer and head back to school in September.” That summer was soon filled with unexpected song-writing and music became […]