By Nick Krewen Special To The Star You may remember him for his No. 1 smashes “This Guy’s In Love With You” and “Rise” – and for his signature “happy” trumpet sound fronting The Tijuana Brass – but Herb Alpert has worked his way into your musical DNA probably more than you realize. Yes, there were the familiar ’60s instrumental hits like “The Lonely Bull,” “A Taste of Honey,” “Spanish Flea”…
Popularity of TikTok and other social media platforms means artists can bypass more traditional mediums of music discovery. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Initially, Canadian rapper and singer/songwriter Daniel Nwosu Jr. – known in the music world as Dax – wasn’t thrilled about the app known as TikTok. The 28-year-old native of St. John’s and Labrador, Newfoundland, nominated for Breakthrough Artist of the Year on Monday’s Juno Awards…
Dan Mangan performs two shows in the GTA this week: a sold out solo affair at the Great Hall’s Longboat Hall on Jan.19 and a free performance with his band in Stouffville at the Wintersong Music Festival on Jan. 20. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star When you hear Being Somewhere, Dan Mangan’s sixth and latest album, you may notice something a little different about his voice. You’re not…
By Nick Krewen Special To The Star Serena Ryder knows all too well about the art of falling apart. As a recording artist who used to tour relentlessly, the six-time Juno Award winner found the incessant grind of the road personally damaging, as she relied on a steady diet of drink, drugs and cigarettes to cope and carry on. “Being a touring musician can be one of the most draining…
Nick Krewen Special to the Star After two years of building its production library, Toronto-based Nagamo Publishing is ready to take on the world. As the first exclusively Indigenous-created music production library and composer agency on the planet to serve media needs, Nigel Irwin, Nagamo Co-Creative Director and Composer says the shingle offers a lot of variety. “Our bread and butter is contemporary music fused with traditional sounds, as well…
