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Lost In Japan.jpg
Poor Nameless Boy.jpg
Hotel Mira.jpg
only yours.jpg
rob moir.jpg
Lost In Japan.jpg Poor Nameless Boy.jpg Hotel Mira.jpg only yours.jpg rob moir.jpg

RGM presents The Maple Leaf Roundup #4

November 06, 2018 by Rich Barnard in Alternative Rock, Folk, singer-songwriter, Soundcloud, Pop, Acoustic, Americana, Country

Our Canadian cousins are apparently incapable of producing anything other than top-quality new music and October alone has yielded yet another bumper crop of goodies.  We’d love to be able to cover more of these acts in an in-depth way but, frankly, we need occasionally to sleep.  Nevertheless, carefully curated just for you, we present our latest selection of must-hears from the land of the common loon.

Lost In Japan

Following on from 2017’s Ghost And The Wolf  EP, Lost In Japan finally released their self-titled full-length LP on October 3rd and it is a delightful jangle-fest of guitars and upbeat indie choruses.  The band hail from London, Ontario and their entire record, available to stream on Soundcloud, is infused with an energy that is the sole preserve of the young.  The record’s highlights are in abundance and include the catchy ‘For Your Heart’; the delicately restrained opener ‘Lighthouse’ and the harder-hitting ‘Orpheus’.  Lost In Japan are sure to please fans of the tender and tough transatlantic guitar-driven songs by Spirit Of The West, Stornoway and Roddy Hart.


Poor Nameless Boy.jpg

‘Catch Up And Slow Down’, the latest single from Poor Nameless Boy (aka Joel Henderson) carries with it lessons for all who find themselves caught up in the high-stress, lightning-fast modern age.  It’s at the slicker end of the folk singer-songwriter spectrum but if it prompts you to stop, breathe and fix that lunch date with an old friend then it’s done its job.  Henderson, from Regina, Saskatchewan already has three albums under his belt, so there is plenty to explore for the uninitiated and buckets of promise here for album number four.


Hotel Mira.jpg

With cranked guitars and a playfully punky attitude come Vancouver’s Hotel Mira and their latest single ‘Jungle’, which is a witty, sharply observed look at the pitfalls of adolescent love.  The trio, led by vocalist Charlie Kerr, say “at that age most of us don't possess the kind of emotional maturity and ability to communicate in an intimate relationship, and yet every overactive hormone in our bodies is making us fall in love at the drop of a hat.”  We say that young or old; in or out of love, this track won’t fail to raise a rueful smile in anyone whose heart has ever skipped a beat.  As musically exciting as it is lyrically rich, ‘Jungle’ is surely a dancefloor hit in waiting.


Photography by Andrew Wyatt

Photography by Andrew Wyatt

On the more retro side of things, Toronto’s Only Yours show off their own brand of 80’s inspired synth-laden pop with latest single ‘Everlasting’, taken from the forthcoming album Overrun, scheduled for release in 2019.  ‘Everlasting’ follows the excellent debut single ‘Doubts’ and the album is produced by the legendary Joe Chiccarelli so it’s little wonder that it sounds so good.  I have every hope that this band will be huge and, when they are, just remember that you heard about them first at Red Guitar.


rob moir.jpg

Fellow Torontonian Rob Moir has gently charmed us with the roadrunning country-tinged rock of ‘Sometimes You Gotta Go’.  The single is taken from his less-than-imaginatively titled Solo Record (yup, that’s what it’s called) which is out on 16th November.  Looking at Moir’s tour schedule (which features a show for almost every remaining night of 2018) it’s a wonder that he ever gets chance to go into the studio at all.  If you find yourself in Germany, Austria, Switzerland or even Lichtenstein over the coming weeks you can catch him live before his return to Canada in mid-December.  Indeed ‘Sometimes You Gotta Go’ with its just-pack-a-bag-and-see-what-happens message might inspire you to be spontaneous and seek him out in some faraway place.  If music like all of this keeps coming I’ll certainly be looking into one-way fares to anywhere… in Canada.

The Maple Leaf Roundup by Rich Barnard.


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And we’re back! “From whence?” I hear you cry, in your florid way.  Back from Canada, of course.  We swam all the way, on our backs, our music-loving arms filled with a freshly picked bunch of hot new songs, gifted to us from our creative compadres ‘cross the waves.  Imagine that.  And we did it all for you.

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My dear, dear, neglected reader.  It’s been an entire year since I last brought you news of the finest Canadian sounds around; a lapse for which I can offer no worthy excuse.  There will no doubt have been truckloads of tunes that have passed us by as a result, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the musicians of Canada, it is that their riches flow ever in abundance.  Just for you, I’ve scooped a few prize catches from 2023’s already quickening stream.  These are songs I believe deserve to be held awhile in the light; to be marvelled at; to not go unsung into that digital ocean.  So, boil the kettle, read on and get ready to make some new Canadian acquaintances. 

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Hello, dearest readers, and welcome one and all to the first Maple Leaf roundup of 2022, where we bring you a smorgasbord of new music from Canada. It’s a big old place, you know, and it’s bursting with musical brilliance. Here are eight of our favourite finds. We hope you find something to enjoy in amongst the pile.

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The leaves have been falling for weeks and weeks, and I’m ashamed to say that I’ve been rather neglectful with the broom. Still, it’s never too late for a bit of a tidy up. What follows is a selection of the most golden and honeyed Canadian musical beauties to have drifted our way in the last couple of months. Sorry it’s taken us so long.

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Hello again, dear readers. The Canadian musical harvest has been as rich as ever this year and we’re here to share with you the best of a bumper crop. Take a seat with us at the Maple Leaf table and sample some of the lesser-known fare from over there in the Great White North. We do listen to music from all territories but, clearly, Ontario has had the best weather this year....

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At the risk of repeating myself, I must say that there is an astonishing wealth of Canadian talent out there right now. I use the word ‘wealth’ there, in the Besos and Musk sense. Seriously though, Canada, it is a bit embarrassing. Unlike the uber-rich, here at RGM we believe that there’s more than enough gold to go round, so we make a point of sharing with you a regular selection of tunes that may not otherwise have reached your ears. I use the word ‘regular’ there, loosely of course (our Canadian office is woefully understaffed at present) but we do our best to see that these musicians do not go untrumpeted. We’re certain you’ll find something to dig here and, when you do, we hope you’ll tell your pals.

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Welcome back to The Maple Leaf, RGM’s roundup of the freshest and finest tunage from Canada. By way of atoning for a longer absence than usual, we’re offering you a special double-helping of new music across the genres. Everyone is welcome here at RGM and we like to think we can spot a keeper, however it’s dressed. We hope you enjoy what you hear and that you’re inspired to take a deeper dive into some of this edition’s featured artists.

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Spring is springing and the birds are singing. As, indeed, are the singers and songwriters of Canada. In this, the latest edition of the Maple Leaf, we take you on a short walk across this blossoming landscape, and invite you to enjoy some of the bright new shoots that have been emerging along the way.

Mar 24, 2021
November 06, 2018 /Rich Barnard
Maple Leaf, Lost In Japan, Poor Nameless Boy, Hotel Mira, Only Yours, Rob Moir
Alternative Rock, Folk, singer-songwriter, Soundcloud, Pop, Acoustic, Americana, Country
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