It’s been a year since the tragic passing of Amy Winehouse, yet her legacy continues. The late 2011 release Lioness brought some songs from the vault to light featuring her sultry duet “Cherry Wine” with Nas (he of “Me and Mr. Jones” fame) on his excellent new album, Life Is Good.and Amy’s father, Mitch Winehouse, has released Amy, My Daughter, a gripping book chronicling Amy’s meteoric rise and tragic fall that lead to her untimely death. Hesitant at first, I remember the “Daddy’s Girl” tattoo on Amy’s upper arm and quickly realised that this is no passing glimpse into the life of a lost talent.  Early into Amy, My Daughter, with the notes from Amy to her father and his constant support of his daughter, it’s clear this is no publicity stunt or cash grab. I’m a big fan of her records and had the pleasure of seeing her play a concert at Toronto’s Mod Club, yet I was not surprised by her death.  However her death riddled me with many questions, most notably who allowed the poor girl to take to the stage in Belgrade when she was very obviously in no condition to do so.  Amy lived her…

A hot and steamy Toronto greeted England’s Coldplay, as they kicked off two sold out nights at the Air Canada Centre last Monday. The festivities began at 7:00 pm with Emeli Sande, one of England’s brightest new upstarts. I arrived at the venue just as she hit the stage to promote her debut album, Our Version of Events.  I experienced half of her set from the hallways, trying to find my section and debating on how to deal with the humidity blanketing the ACC.  From my vantage point, Sande’s sound was pretty muddled and her vocals had to fight through the din to be heard.  Closing the 30 minute set with her single, “Next to Me,” she saved the best for last with a percussion-heavy track that saw improved sound and delivered on her debut’s promise. Next up and also via England, Marina and the Diamonds.  Again, sound was not great for glittery Marina and her band.  I’m not overly familiar with her music, but the set bounced between two distinct musical styles; the Goldfrapp-like dance numbers had the most bite and drew the biggest response from a surprisingly quiet crowd.  Other songs recalled The Smiths.  I can’t say I…

I will admit I’m not one of summer’s biggest fans.  I might be if I was by the ocean or a pool all day, but for all intent’s purposes, I’m usually counting down the days to the cool of autumn.  However, there is one element to summer that I anticipate quite rabidly; the summer concert season and specifically, the abundance of summer festivals. Unfortunately, the summer of 2011 was overshadowed by tragedy with stage collapses.  Seven people lost their lives when strong winds blew down the stage at a Sugarland concert and five people were killed when a violent storm hit Belgium’s Pukkelpop Festival.  While these deaths are rare, a number of stages came down causing injury at the Ottawa Bluesfest, where the stage collapsed on the festival’s last day during a set-up for Cheap Trick. 2012 is off to a similar start with the stage collapse at Downsview Park in Toronto just hours before a Radiohead concert was due to start, killing the band’s drum technician.  I do hope everyone is more vigilant this year so we can avoid a repeat of last. Across the country there is a wealth of festivals covering every genre of music.  I can’t…

Well the first half of 2012 has flown by.  Why is it that the older I get, the faster the years seem to go?  Thankfully so far, 2012 has been filled with many musical delights from both exciting new artists as well as established ones.  For me, the following albums have kept my ears very happy so far this year. Michael Kiwanuka, Home Again Hailing from the UK, Michael Kiwanuka’s Home Again gripped me right away and still refuses to let go.  The breezy soul vibe on this debut is perfect for Saturday mornings.  Soon to be released in America, Kiwanuka should permeate everyone’s ears by year end. Spiritualized, Sweet Heart, Sweet Light Health issues have been unable to derail Jason Pierce’s Spiritualized, continually releasing consistent, enjoyable albums.  Sweet Heart, Sweet Light sees a re-energized band following the meditative Songs In A&E. Of Monsters and Men, My Head Is An Animal Wonder what Arcade Fire might sound like if they came from Iceland?  Continual exposure to their “Little Talks” video got me curious.  Their joyous debut got me hooked. Rebecca Ferguson, Heaven Normally the word “X-Factor” would have me screaming in horror.  Thankfully I allowed myself the…