It’s an established fact that music comes in many different types of cycles. A sound and style will be big for a while, reach a peak with the public, and then slowly fade out. But once established, it’s unusual for a sound to completely disappear, never to be heard from again.

The only genre I can think of is—maybe alt-rock-style rockabilly? It was big in the very early 80s with bands like The Stray Cats. But then it just kinda went away. There’s never been a rockabilly revival—at least in the sense and style and scope of what we heard way back then when it was huge for about 18 months.

Instead, after enjoying a time at the forefront of music, many of the cycle-prone rock sounds recede into the shadows, never really going away. They lie in wait until someone comes along—often a generation or two later—to rediscover and reactivate it.

When that happens, it’s usually given a sonic update and if the timing is right, the sound enjoys a new period in the sun before the cycle repeats yet again.

The longer you live and the more music you become familiar with, the more you begin to see these cycles play themselves out, sometimes over and over again. We see it every decade.

The 2010s were no different. We saw a series of revivals, rediscoveries, and comebacks, all based on the musical DNA of what had come before. Let’s examine that. This is the history of the 2010s, part 4.

Songs heard on this show:

• • Tool, Fear Inoculum
  • Tame Impala, Elephant
  • Besnard Lakes, People of the Sticks
  • The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die
  • Radiohead, Burn the Witch
  • The Struts, Body Talks
  • PUP, Kids
  • DC Fontaines, Boys in the Better Land
  • The Interrupters, She’s Kerosene

• Of course, Eric Wilhite has a playlist for us.

The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on the following stations:

• • 102.1 The Edge/Toronto – Sunday night at 7pm
  • Q107/Toronto – Sunday night at 9pm
  • Live 88-5/Ottawa – Saturdays at 9am and Sundays at 6pm.
  • 107.5 Dave-FM/Kitchener – Sunday nights at 11pm
  • FM96/London – Sunday nights at 8pm
  • Power 97/Winnipeg – Sunday nights at 11pm
  • Sonic 102.9/Edmonton – Sunday at 8am and 8pm
  • The Zone/Victoria – Sunday at 8am and 9pm
  • The Fox/Vancouver – Sunday at 11pm
  • Surge 105/Halifax – Sunday at 7pm
  • WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm

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© 2023 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Next to spring, fall is the most interesting time for new releases. Not only is this New Music Friday material out now but some of it also sets up the kind of material we’re going to get this winter.

Singles

1. AWOLNATION, Candy Pop (Eleven Seven Label Group)

Okay, so I missed this one last week so I need to make good. AWOLNATION has released this new single (and its accompanying short film) as the third part of a trilogy. Frontman Aaron Bruno describes everything as “a story about escaping from never-ending technological advancements and constant connectivity and scrutiny…The adventure of a lifetime can come from ‘tuning out.” An EP with the trilogy and more will be available on November 10,

2. Black Pumas, Mrs. Postman (ATO Records/Cadence Music Group)

Black Pumas have already been nominated for seven Grammy awards, so the anticipation for this sophomore record is pretty intense. With Chronicles of a Diamond due on October 27, Eric Burton and Andrian Quesada (along with keyboards JaRon Marshall) want to take their view of rock and soul a little further. The first advance single, More Than a Love Song, already managed some chart success, so let’s see where this piano-based song takes them.

3. Sum 41, Landmines (Rise Records)

When I spoke to Deryck Whibley earlier this year, he told me that the new Sum 41 album could very well be a double record and that all he had to do was finish the vocals. The first single from that record is now here. Deryck is still recovering from a bout of pneumonia that landed him in the hospital, but the band is still scheduled to play the When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas on October 21 and 22.

4. Depeche Mode, My Favourite Stranger (Columbia)

Depeche Mode will tour the Memento Mori album deep into the fall. This is now the fourth single form the album and was co-written with Richard Butler of Psychedelic Furs. It comes with another enigmatic video shot by Anton Corbijn. Who’s the guy in the hat? And what does he want?

Albums

1. Art Bergman, ShadowWalk (weewerk)

Art Bergman, one of Canada’s most beloved indie cult artists, has dedicated this album to Sherri, his late wife of 31 years. The album “capture the darkness, grief and desolation that comes from such a soul-crushing loss, while also offering genuine hope that life will go on.” It might make for gut-wrenching listening.

2. Bakar, Halo (Black Butter)

All right, all right. I missed this one, too. British singer Bakar is just about ready with a highly-anticipated (and inevitably difficult) second album entitled Halo. He describes it as a song “fit for the indie sleaze generation.” Maybe this has something to do about most of the record being recorded in AirBnB’s and hotels between London and LA while he was in tour.

3. Black Stone Cherry, Screamin’ at the Sky (Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group)

This Kentucky band has been enjoying some decent success with the first single from this album (Out of Pocket was released in January) and now finally have a full album for fans. The video for Nervous was shot in an old piano factory that had been turned into a production studio filled with old TV and movie sets.

4. Taproot, SC/SSRS (THC Music/Amplified Distribution)

If you remember the nu-metal era of the late 90s, Taproot was a band from Michigan that was always hanging in the shadows of Limp Bizkit and Korn. Just when it seemed that they were going to break through, the whole scene seemed to evaporate in a puff of testosterone. Taproot stayed together, however, but haven’t released an album since 2012. Is nu-metal back? We’ll see.

5. Wilco, Cousin (dBpm Records/Sony Music)

This is the thirteenth album over the Jeff Tweedy and company have been in business and early reviews point out that there’s a slight change in attitude and approach, although it has to be said that this is still very definitely a Wilco record. The record is slower than most with little that can be described as being anything more than mid-tempo. It’s helped along by Welsh producer Cate Le Bon who has a reputation of being someone experimental.

 

 

© 2023 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Back when Pearl Jam was at their height, they had the clout to do anything they wanted. Anything.

On September 26, 2000, the band released 25 double CD live albums—what they referred to as “official bootlegs”—featuring performances from virtually every show they played on European tour in support of their Binaural album. Of those 25, five immediately made the top 200 album chart. This was the first time any act ever saw more than two new albums show up on the chart in the same week.

Two other sets just missed the cut. Had they made the charts that week, Pearl Jam would have joined The Beatles, The Monkees, and U2 as the only acts to that point with seven albums on the charts at the same time.

This was decades before Taylor Swift came along.

© 2023 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Looking for a driving song? This one from Liverpool’s It’s Immaterial (especially in this 12-inch iteration) fits the bill. It began with a full-on country-and-western vibe recorded with the Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison, but the band didn’t like it. They returned to England to re-record it while Harrison took his name off the project.

The song’s full title is Driving Away from Home (Jim’s Tune). The “Jim” is Jim Lieber, a harmonica player in a blues band the group saw while in Milwaukee. He’s the guy we hear on the recording.

 

© 2023 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A question from new parents: “Should I expose my baby to live music?” The answer is “yes.”

A recent study at the University of Toronto revealed that infants have longer attention spans when experiencing live music. Sure, you might want to give them an iPad to stare at, but that apparently doesn’t work as well as live music. Videos don’t captivate them a whole lot but live music elicits physiological changes like a synchronization of heart rate to the music.

The final conclusion? “Findings suggest that performer–audience interactions and social context play an important role in facilitating attention and coordinating emotional responses to musical performances early in life.”

The big caveat? Volume. The live music cannot be too loud for those delicate little ears.

© 2023 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A young man convicted in the hit-and-run death of a Calgary police officer has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Sgt. Andrew Harnett died after he was dragged by an SUV and fell into the path of an oncoming car on Dec. 31, 2020.

The driver of the SUV was days away from turning 18 and was charged as a youth with first-degree murder.

A judge convicted him of manslaughter and ordered that he receive an adult sentence.

The driver testified during his trial that he was scared when police approached the SUV during a traffic stop, and he saw Harnett put a hand on his gun.

Court heard the SUV took off with the officer holding onto the wheel, trying to get the driver to stop.

More to come…

 

© 2023 The Canadian Press

A senior care expert busted some myths and misconceptions about Alzheimer’s Disease Wednesday morning for World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.

“Something like 350 people a day in Canada are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia,” senior care expert Greg Charyna said.

There are 679,000 Canadians currently living with dementia and the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada said they believe that number will rise to just under one million by 2030.

Charyna said some people have a difficult time differentiating daily forgetfulness from memory loss linked to the disease.

“It’s memory loss that disrupts normal, daily life, challenges in solving problems, doing things logically, sequentially, and doing very familiar tasks — if we lose that ability, that is also a pretty good indicator.”

He said another common misconception is that the disease is only found in older adults; it can appear in younger individuals as well.

Charyna added that fortunately, there are preventive methods to battle the onset of dementia.

“Brain health is something that we can all do and find some benefits.”

Charyna said things like regular exercise, a healthy diet and adequate sleep can all help maintain a healthy brain.

Home Instead Saskatoon, which provides home care services, will be soon offering a webinar that will walk family members and caregivers through a number of teaching points to consider when it comes to their own brain health and caring for someone living with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

On a gusty September evening at Wildwood Golf Course in Saskatoon, stood five young golfers getting their chance to swing a club and connect with kids their own age.

While the focus was put on teeing up the ball and swing mechanics, even more important Tuesday were those quickly forming connections.

“I’ve already met a new friend,” said six-year-old Charlotte Higgins. “Her name is Eden and she wants to be friends with me, and that’s what it feels like.”

They’ve been brought together as part of a brand new program making its way into the Prairies, teaching kids of all different backgrounds and abilities the basics of golf.

“They’ve taught me a lot about golf and chipping,” said nine-year-old Dane Bosker. “And how to really whack that ball.”

Both Wildwood and the Lakeview Golf Course in Regina have been selected as the first two Saskatchewan clubs to debut the ‘First Tee’ golf program.

Launched in partnership with Golf Canada during the pandemic, First Tee provides youth across Canada with affordable, introductory access to the sport.

That includes scheduling programming in areas adjacent to public transportation, to arranging time on the course and equipment for kids to take part.

“This is going to allow us to hit more of a diverse population,” said head instructor Jason Schneider. “The idea behind the program is to not only start here at golf courses, but to build it to go to schools and be in community centres.”

RBC’s Community Junior Golf Initiative was covered the cost of this year’s sessions at Wildwood, eliminating financial barriers for those wanting to try out the sport.

Subsidized rounds of golf for youth taking part is also a pillar of the First Tee program, which looks to get more kids interested in taking the clubs out for even a few hours.

“Grassroots youth, that’s where we’re able to grow from and it’s exciting,” said Schneider. “They love it and they just give the energy back.”

While the three September sessions in Saskatoon so far has seen five youth sign up, Schneider is hopeful that over 20 kids will take part in the program next summer.

Aiming to spark a love of the sport by just getting out onto the course.

“It means that kids that are smaller don’t have less potential,” said Dane.

From putting drills to teaching where to aim an iron on a fairway chip, the ongoing progress has been something that Schneider has seen in his students in a short amount of time.

Mixed in with plenty of laughs, it’s a framework that’s expected to grow in Saskatchewan over the coming years.

“I think golf is fun,” said Charlotte. “I really think my teacher is teaching really good and it’s the best being here.”

It’s hoped that by the end of 2024, over 80,000 kids across the country will be able to take part in the First Tee programming.

The final First Tee session of the season at Wildwood will be held on October 3 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.

© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Two Londoners are facing charges after police say an argument over payment for a pizza turned into a robbery and forcible confinement.

Police say a pizza delivery driver arrived at an apartment building in the 200 block of Grey Street around 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday. He became involved in an argument with two men outside an apartment unit over the uncompleted payment of a pizza.

During the argument, one of the men entered an apartment suite and returned to the hall with a knife, police say.

One of the men took the pizza from the driver’s hands but didn’t let him leave the building, police say.

Concerned for his safety, the driver called 911. While waiting for police to arrive, police say one of the suspects assaulted the driver with a weapon. The victim sustained no physical injuries.

As a result of the investigation, Two men, a 33-year-old and a 28-year-old, both of London, were charged with robbery, forcible confinement, and assault with a weapon.

Both men are expected to appear in London court in November.

© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Calgary Flames winger Jakob Pelletier is scheduled to undergo surgery on his left shoulder next week and will be out indefinitely.

The Flames updated Pelletier’s status after the 22-year-old sustained an injury in a pre-season game against visiting Seattle on Monday.

Pelletier was checked headfirst into the boards by Kraken winger Marian Studenic with six seconds remaining in the first period. After writhing on the ice in obvious pain, Pelletier was escorted off the ice by the Flames’ trainer, noticeably favouring his left shoulder.

Studenic was assessed a five-minute boarding major and game misconduct.

Pelletier, Calgary’s first-round pick in 2019, had an assist in the game before the sustaining the injury.

The Flames were scheduled to return to pre-season action Wednesday night at Winnipeg.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2023.

© 2023 The Canadian Press