Folk

Music promoter Richard Flohil reflects on a six-decade career

Music promoter Richard Flohil reflects on a six-decade career He’s helped launch the careers of Loreena McKennitt and k.d. lang. At 80, he’s finally agreed to slow down his famously tireless pace. Nick Krewen Music, Published on Fri Jun 27 2014 Now that he’s turned 80, Richard Flohil swears he’s going to slow the pace a bit. What that actually means is anybody’s guess, because those who know the publicist…


Ben Harper on making music with his mom Ellen: ‘There’s nothing cooler’

Ben and Ellen Harper released their musical collaboration Childhood Home just in time for Mother’s Day, and both consider it more than just a bonding exercise. By: Nick Krewen Music, Published on Fri May 09 2014 For Mother’s Day, you can do a number of things for the special woman who brought you into this world: buy her flowers, take her to dinner, or maybe even indulge her with an…


Ginger St. James drops the burlesque, but not the tease

Former burlesque queen Ginger St. James turns heads as a rockabilly singer, a leading act at Toronto’s Winterfolk festival. Nick Krewen Music Published on Thu Feb 13 2014 From bump ’n’ grind to bumps n’ bruises, Ginger St. James has experienced it all. And now the former Les Coquettes and Steeltown Sirens burlesque queen is bumping up her popularity as a sassy and dynamic rockabilly singer, songwriter and guitarist, creating…


Mumford & Sons at the Molson Amphitheatre: concert review

When was the last time you attended a big-venue concert where the drum kit was almost an afterthought? By: Nick Krewen Music, Published on Tue Aug 27 2013   Mumford & Sons At the Molson Amphitheatre, Aug. 26 3 stars When was the last time you attended a big-venue concert where the drum kit was almost an afterthought? If you’re a Mumford & Sons fan, the answer was Monday night…


Gogol Bordello finds ‘pure life’ plundering folk traditions

‘It’s simply one huge musical bundle,’ says Eugene Hutz, leader of Gogol Bordello, coming to Toronto on Aug. 19 and 20. Nick Krewen Music, Special To The Star, Published on Mon Aug 19 2013     Tarantellas, polonaises, tangos and waltzes — spouting healthy blasts of accordion and violin — rarely factor into any popular rock ’n’ roll configuration these days, and that suits Eugene Hutz just fine. For nearly…