Maya Kodes is a new kind of virtual pop star

Nick Krewen Music, Wed. June 14, 2017 You may not have heard of Maya Kodes, but over the past year, the slender blond singer has released a dance pop song on iTunes, recorded an EP set for release in June, performed 30 concerts and amassed 5,500 Facebook followers. Pretty impressive for a hologram. Billed as the world’s first interactive real-time virtual pop star, Kodes is the creation of Montréal’s Neweb Labs….


West Coast Bhangra on the Brink

Story by Nick Krewen | June 8, 2017 For SOCAN Words and Music Vancouver-area bhangra is on the brink of something big. The first indicator that the West Coast/British Columbia bhangra and desi music scene is on the verge of wider recognition came with 2016’s “Suit,” a massive hit throughout India that was recorded and released by Indian singing sensation Guru Randhawa and Canada’s own Aneil Kainth, a.k.a. DJ Intense….


10-time Grammy winner Bonnie Raitt learned her craft from country blues greats

The singer-songwriter, who will return to the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts on June 9, says she wasn’t aware of how much impact she’s made during her career. Nick Krewen, Music, Sat. June 3, 2017 A master of the Stratocaster, 10-time Grammy Award recipient Bonnie Raitt has always been perceived as a trail-blazing role model who inspires female musicians to pick up the guitar and express their individuality. But it…


Father John Misty pulls out all the stops with a flair for the dramatic: review

The charismatic performer kicked off his North American tour on Friday night with a sold-out show at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Nick Krewen Music, Sat. May 6, 2017 Father John Misty at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, May 5, 2017 It was nothing short of epic. At the Friday night kickoff of his North American tour and the first of two sold-out evenings at the Royal Alex Theatre, Father John Misty…


Jean-Michel Jarre finally plays Canada, after 40 years of electronic music

Pioneering work with synthesizers and spectacle finally brings him to Toronto’s Sony Centre on May 9. Nick Krewen Music, Wed., May 3, 2017 Despite the fact he’s sold millions of albums around the world with such instrumental epics as Oxygène and Zoolook, synthesizer and electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre has never played Canada. Until now. After releasing 22 studio albums and six live ones, Jarre, 68, will finally plant his…