CCMA, Country, Festivals, Manitoba August 10, 2017

Doc Walker pleased to start the party at Boots and Hearts country festival

Canadian stalwarts like their place in the Boots and Hearts lineup and their place in the country-music game. Nick Krewen Music, Thurs., August 10, 2017 Although they’re sharing headliner status this year with Keith Urban, Luke Bryan and Brantley Gilbert at this year’s Boots and Hearts celebration of country music, Manitoba’s Doc Walker is more than happy to be kicking off the festivities with a first-day appearance. “We did the…

Canada, Festivals, Jamaica, JUNO, Reggae, Songwriter, Toronto August 5, 2017

Local reggae king Exco Levi busy uplifting and uniting

Multiple Juno-winning performer, with local shows over the weekend, is working hard to raise commercial profile of a genre that ‘plays in every continent.’ Nick Krewen, Music,  Sat., August 5, 2017 You’d think with five Juno Awards to his credit, Exco Levi would be a household name by now. After all, the 36-year-old Manchester, Jamaica native — who now calls Brampton home — has dominated the Juno Reggae Recording of…

Alt. Rock, Canada, Events, Festivals, Folk, Hip-Hop, Pop, Rock, United Kingdom, United States July 27, 2017

Ten acts to check out at WayHome festival — beyond the headliners

Before the sun goes down and the headliners come out, here are some less-famous worthies to check out at the WayHome Festival this weekend. Nick Krewen Music, Thu., July 27, 2017 Music festivals have been trimming their sails and spending carefully on performers lately, but the third edition of WayHome — the Burl’s Creek-based, three-day music fest that drew 35,000 people last year — has hung on to headliners that…

Canada, Indie pop, Los Angeles, Piano, Pop, Songwriter, Toronto, Voice July 19, 2017

Allie X Has Earned More Than 12 Million Streams on Spotify Alone

Story by Nick Krewen | July 19, 2017 For SOCAN Words and Music   Oakville’s Allie Hughes built considerable buzz during her formative years in Toronto, as a must-see act who balanced performance art and theatrical sensibilities with a knack for infectious, melodic pop. But it wasn’t until Hughes left for Los Angeles and transformed herself into Allie X that her career truly took off. Since 2014, she’s issued the…

Alt. Rock, Business, Country Rock, Cracker, Music Industry (Trade), Record Labels, Songwriter, Technology, United States July 18, 2017

David Lowery, the singer who made Spotify pay, calls settlement a ‘good first step’

Lowery’s band Cracker is hitting Danforth Music Hall on Tuesday in wake of conclusion of vocalist’s class action. Nick Krewen Music, Tues., July 18, 2017   Meet the man who made Spotify blink and scored a major victory for songwriters in the process. On May 26, David Lowery, the chief singer and songwriter of California rockers Cracker, appearing at the Danforth Music Hall on Tuesday with Soul Asylum, claimed victory…