andPOP » canadian

Justin Bieber Wants Canadian Kids

andPOP Staff — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 20:09:28 +0000

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Justin Bieber is an international celebrity, but he still sees Canada as home. And if he ever has kids, Justin wants them to be Canadian.

He told TMZ, “I think it would be cool to get a condo out here (Los Angeles), but eventually I’ll probably want to move back to Canada and raise my family. Why? I dunno, I’m Canadian, I feel like I want my kids to be Canadian.”

He continued, “If you travel round the world and put a Canadian sticker on your bag, they’ll be nicer.”

You gotta give Justin credit, he doesn’t forget where he comes from.

Countdown To The MMVAs: Down With Webster

Christian Allaire — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 21:25:38 +0000

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As the MuchMusic Video Awards are quickly approaching (six days!), plenty of fans are eagerly awaiting their favourite artists to rock downtown Toronto in one of Canada’s biggest block parties of the year.

From Simple Plan to Fefe Dobson and Avril Lavigne, plenty of Canadian artists will be on scene to deliver some serious music. And we’re here to explore some of this year’s top artists and performers.

Let’s start with Down With Webster. One of the most anticipated bands of the night, the group is nominated four times for the 2011 MMVAS. The band formed in 1998 at their junior high in Toronto’s Beach community, and after more than a decade of writing, producing, playing shows and perfecting their craft, the band is now set as one of the hottest Hip-Hop Rock groups in Canada.

When the band released their first Gold record ‘Time To Win, vol. 1,’ they spawned three platinum singles, including the ever-so-catchy ‘Rich Girl$,’ three number one videos, and millions of hits on YouTube. Timbaland has even called them “the illest group I’ve ever seen live.” How’s that for success?

The band has since toured across North America, going on to share the stage with some serious heavy hitters like 3Oh!3 and the Black Eyed Peas. They even hosted MuchMusic’s ‘Spring Break 2010′ episode in Cancun, Mexico, and delivered an exciting performance last year at the 2010 MMVAs with a live marching band.

This year, Down With Webster returns to sweep some awards again, this time with their full length debut ‘Time To Win, vol. II’ scheduled to arrive this fall. The first single, ‘She’s Dope,’ is already a hit. You’ll have to wait to see what the band delivers on MMVA night.

Check out an interview we did with the group below, where we ask them what makes good pop music!

Enter our contest for a chance to win a wristband to the 2011 Muchmusic Video Awards.

Oprah Endorses Canadian Pop/Opera Group

Christian Allaire — Fri, 20 May 2011 18:39:00 +0000

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Oprah Winfrey heavily endorsed Canadian ‘popera’ group ‘The Canadian Tenors’ on an episode of her show, ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’ Way to represent Canada, Oprah!

The group had been invited to appear on an episode billed as ‘The Next Best Thing,’ in which Winfrey introduced her audience to a hot new fashion designer, chef and singing group.

Winfrey also invited their idol Celine Dion, who was about to surprise them onstage as they sang their version of ‘Hallelujah.’ When it happened, the crowd went wild, and the tenors were stunned.

“The moment was so big that I kind of just lost reality,” Clifton Murray recalls of the February 2010 taping. “I just kind of glanced up at her face and it didn’t register for at least 30 seconds.”

The double whammy of a Dion/Winfrey endorsement catapulted the young group into stardom, generating an instant 10,000 Facebook friends and 50,000 CD sales.

Since then, they’ve been on a whirlwind of international tour dates, publicity stops and newfound fame.

“It’s just been a roller-coaster ride, it really hasn’t stopped since that day we appeared on ‘Oprah,’” says Murray.

It makes me so happy when Canadian artists get the recognition they deserve. Leave it to Oprah to make it happy – she’s a saint.

Sam Roberts Debuts At Number 3 On Canadian Charts

Christian Allaire — Wed, 18 May 2011 19:15:43 +0000

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Canadian rocker Sam Roberts made healthy debut on the Canadian album charts this week. The montreal-born musician’s fourth full-length disc, titled ‘Collider,’ came in at No. 3 with sales of 7,000.

This album is his first new material since 2008′s ‘Love at the End of the World,’ which entered the charts at No. 1 in May of 2008 and sold 9,000 copies.

His other albums, 2006′s ‘Chemical City’ and 2003′s ‘We Were Born in a Flame,’ checked in at No. 3, and No. 2, respectively.

Closer to the top, Adele’s ’21′ sold 22,000 copies and took the No. 1 spot for a fourth straight week. Jennifer Lopez’s latest album ‘Love?’ sold 10,000 copies and remained at No. 2 in its second week of release. Adele is unsurprisingly still dominating the charts, and this take-over will continue thanks to her current sold out North American tour.

Comedy troupe the Lonely Island had their sophomore disc ‘Turtleneck & Chain’ premiere at No. 4, while Pascale Picard’s ‘Letter To No One’ came up one to No. 5.

It’s great to see Canadian musicians at the top of the charts. Roberts’ music represents everything and anything Canadian, so way to represent!

Ash Koley Interview – For The Love of the Music

andPOP Staff — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:53:51 +0000

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You have heard us talk about it before – the music business is getting tougher and its increasingly more difficult for artists to make a living. So why pursue this career path? Well for Ash Koley its for the love of the music. Ash Koley is a new wave band hailing from Winnipeg who are lighting up the airwaves. We had a chat about their sound and the changing music business.

Martin Short’s Wife Nancy Dead at 58

andPOP Staff — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:20:47 +0000

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Canadian funny man Martin Short’s wife, Nancy Dolman, has passed away at 58 years old.

JustJared has confirmed the death with Martin’s manager Marc Gurvitz. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Interview: The Complexities of NEeMA

Jacob Morris — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:21:39 +0000

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NEeMA is a musician that definitely brings something special to the industry. This Canadian artist is much more complex than your everyday pop sensation. Her album “Watching You Think” dropped in June of this year, and if you haven’t heard it yet, you should definitely give it a listen. The comforting melodies and sincere lyrics fill the entire record and without doubt this is a collection of music that should be applauded.

I caught up with NEeMA over the phone in her hometown of Montreal while she had a couple of days off from her cross-Canada summer tour. She was happy to be home and able to spend some time with her dog Elsa, whom a track off “Watching You Think” is even named after.

While talking with NEeMA, it became clear that she’s more than just someone making music; she’s on a journey of self discovery and has chosen to share her stories with the help of her musical talents. Between traveling the world, spending time with an isolated First Nation community in the deep north of Canada, and studying the complexities of relationships and love, it’s no question that NEeMA definitely has stories to tell.

“I find being on the road a really great way to write,” she says. “Writing for me is like a kind of meditation exercise.”

NEeMA is also more than just a skilled lyricist; she’s also quite the poet—something that comes through in her music. She told me that writing is essentially how she studies the world, and her findings are clearly found in each of her songs.

“It’s like I get these really strong feelings about something,” she says, “but, you know, it’s hard sometimes to figure out what those feelings are about, you just kind of are filled with emotion or something, and then writing becomes like a process of untangling those deep feelings for me.”

“I write to try to get to the root of things; like to try to really get to the core of something. To try to untangle what’s there,” she said, “it’s all the things that move me; all those exterior things that make a strong internal movement in myself, I then try to explore what those things are.”

NEeMA’s music is far more complex the sort of over-commercialized pop that seems to dominate the musical landscape these days and it’s clear that she brings something unique to the industry. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that NEeMA had multiple answers—most of which seemed to relate quite well to the complexities of life—when I asked her what is behind her music.

“My own questioning, my spiritual search,” she told me. “I love meeting people, I love culture,” continuing, “all those things inspire my music somehow.”

Inspiration is one thing, but putting it all together and creating a piece of music is another, but NEeMA has that covered too. She has also worked with some very well-known names in the industry; “Watching You Think” was produced with the help of Leonard Cohen and Pierre Marchand.

Commenting on working with the two big names, NEeMA told me, “It was inspiring, it was incredibly educative, and on so many levels, I mean just to watch how they work, to see how they live, it was a real blessing.”

NEeMA is truly a wonderful Canadian artist and has so much to offer the world of music with her ability to deconstruct the complexities of life in ways which put your mind at ease, if just for the duration of the album. Definitely give her music a listen if you have the opportunity!

Want To Learn How To Pick Up Women? Ask Shawn Desman

andPOP Staff — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:08:30 +0000

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Gentlemen, do you want to learn how to pick up women? Well there is no better source than a male pop star. So we spoke with Shawn Desman about his latest album “Fresh,” along with the keys to attracting women. He even gives us some tips on manscaping. What is that? Watch to find out about this very important skill.

andFRIENDS Music Tour – Highlighting Some of The Best in Canadian Music

andPOP Staff — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:03:48 +0000

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We are lucky to live in Canada. Free healthcare, democracy, hockey and awesome music! The andFRIENDS tour going on right now is highlighting some of those amazing bands. Low Level Flight, Robyn Dell’Unto, Whale Tooth, Fox Jaws, Everlea, The Balconies, Amos the Transparent, and Crush Luther is the lineup we have put together. We spoke with Crush Luther about the andFRIENDS tour along with life on the road. You can also receive more info about the tour at http://www.andpop.com/the-andfriends-tour/

Shad Raps The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

andPOP Staff — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:43:55 +0000

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Shad is a perfect example of the amazing musical talent emerging from Canada. After financing his first album in 2005 from winning a radio contest, fast forward to 2010 and Shad has been nominated for numerous awards, and has just released his third album, TSOL. The new album has been getting amazing praise, placing Shad undoubtedly in Canadian rap royalty. Of course there is no secret Shad is a fan of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, so we couldn’t help but rap the opening theme song with him.

Zeus Interview on Side B – Sweet Sounds of the ’70s

Dan Busheikin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:45:36 +0000

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http://www.twitter.com/andPOPsideB I imagine you’ve heard of Zeus by now. The band hit the ground running when they followed up their acclaimed EP with ‘Say Us’, an unstoppable foray into 1970′s inspired rock and roll that landed the band a spot on the Polaris Prize long list. Critics have been very kind to the Toronto quartet, although they often emphasize the nostalgic sound. Wait, is that what I’ve done right here? I guess so, huh.

Faber Drive Interview – You Need To Do It Yourself, but With Some Help from Chad Kroeger

andPOP Staff — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 15:25:41 +0000

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Faber Drive is an example of a band with a “do it yourself” mentality, who from the get go were dedicated to making Faber Drive a success. After years of hustling, Chad Kroeger recognized their talents and signed them to his own label, 604 Records. And these guys never rest as they are either always writing, recording or touring. And along the way they have developed some great relationships with other Canadian bands like Hedley, who nailed them with an awesome prank!

Tokyo Police Club Interview on Side B – The Five Minute Mark

Dan Busheikin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:27:36 +0000

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http://www.twitter.com/andpopsideb “We’re not good enough to play for longer than five minutes at a time.” That’s forgivable, considering they can do very, very well in those five. Tokyo Police Club has earned a great deal of praise, and, of course, attention. (They appeared on both Letterman AND Desperate Housewives!) Fortunately, they felt a bit less pressure while creating their latest album, “Champ”.

Broken Social Scene Interview on Side B – A Funny Little Machine

Dan Busheikin — Sun, 16 May 2010 18:57:46 +0000

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So much has already been said about this band, I’m not sure where to begin. Simply put, I love them. Their latest release, Forgiveness Rock Record, has once again impressed fans and critics alike – myself included. Needless to day, I was thrilled to catch up with Brendan and Justin over (mediocre) coffee.

Premiere of ‘The Trotsky’ – Proof Good Movies Can Be Canadian

andPOP Staff — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:03:59 +0000

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Who says that really good movies can’t be Canadian? Not Jay Baruchel, who not only is Canadian, but has been cast in a number of Hollywood movies (Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder, Just Buried to name a few). With a great Canadian cast lead by Baruchel, The Trotsky is both dramatic and comedic. We were on the red carpet premiere to find out more.

Brasstronaut Interview on Side B – Taking the Horse to the Fair

Dan Busheikin — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:43:23 +0000

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Right now there seems to be a general celebration of bands that challenge and distort genre conventions. Why hasn’t Brasstronaut hit people’s radar? If you’re looking for a band that turns well-established genres upside down, one listen to Mt. Chimaera proves that the band is not only creative and talented, but able to create songs that are at once strikingly original, yet accessible. (Note that the music video used here is actually for an older song entitled Old World Lies.)

Plants and Animals Interview on Side B – BBQ Rock

Dan Busheikin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:00:49 +0000

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Plants and animals blew listeners away with their debut album, Parc Avenue, and finally the band has delivered a follow up. La La Land seems to expand upon the rock ‘n’ roll framework of its predecessor. The boys have turned their amps up to eleven (just kidding, ten is the standard maximum), and have fully embraced the “barbecue rock” within. I spoke to the charming Montreal trio during Canadian Music Week here in Toronto.

Fucked Up Interview on Side B – Do They Know It’s Lawsuit Time?

Dan Busheikin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:49:47 +0000

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Big Tobacco wins again… but Fucked Up doesn’t seem too crushed about it. Their name was used without permission in a cigarette ad (see the scans at http://tinyurl.com/y5xf8hy ) and after a few years of legal battles, they have lost. But spirits still seem high. Ben and Sandy talked to me about the lawsuit, their Christmas single (listen at http://tinyurl.com/yz82dny ), and how they spent their hefty $20,000 Polaris Prize.

Conan O’Brien Takes A Visit To Canadian Hospital

andPOP Staff — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:10:17 +0000

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Conan O’Brien took an unexpected visit to a Vancouver, British Columbia hospital yesterday, reports TMZ.

Conan’s tour manager had to be taken to the hospital after showing “symptoms” (what kind of symptoms we don’t know).

Luckily the new TBS host was in a joking mood with the cameramen, and couldn’t help but comment about the free Canadian healthcare system. “I think they’re gonna take his American Express card … because we’re American.”

Attack in Black Interview on Side B – Music Doesn’t Pay the Bills

Dan Busheikin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:24:42 +0000

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Attack in Black surprised me in a couple ways. First of all, their former punk rock sound has gracefully matured into mellow yet rough-around-the-edges acoustic indie rock. Second, they are a ridiculous interview. I highly recommend you give their most recent album Years (by One Thousand Fingertips) a thorough listen. You’ll be surprised too. [ PS - you can watch the Much On Demand clip that I mention here: