Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Along with k.d. lang’s Hymns from the 49th Parallel and the recent Gordon Lightfoot tribute album, Lee’s latest represents a new trend: singers mining vintage Canadian nuggets for repertoire. Lee casts songs by Randy Bachman, David Clayton-Thomas and others in a jazz setting—with surprising results. While her version of Lightfoot’s folky “If You Could Read My Mind” swings beautifully, her takes on jazzy pop numbers like Bachman’s “Undun” and Clayton-Thomas’ “Spinning Wheel” fall surprisingly flat.

Frontman Yannis Philippakis’ previous band was called the Edmund Fitzgerald, but there’s nothing Lightfootish about Foals, a smart-rock outfit from Oxford, England, home of fellow braniacs Radiohead. Like America’s Vampire Weekend, Foals has a taste for African music—check out the rhythmic romance of “Red Sock Pugie” and the closing, anthemic “Tron,” featuring the horns of Afrobeat big band Antibalas. And the infectious “Cassius,” which references the fall of Rome, is guaranteed to dancefloors everywhere. Apr. 8   

The latest from Roberts and his bearded bandmates is chock full of anxious anthems for our edgy times, from the uneasy “Stripmall Religion” and the twitchy “Them Kids” to the apocalyptic “End of the Empire,” with its Hip-like boogie guitar. And “Detroit ’67,” which reflects on the Motor City riots, is Roberts’ response to the Lightfoot classic “Black Day in July.” But hope is never far away from his worldview, as in the stirring title track and the joyous singalong “Lions of the Kalahari,” a shout out to his baby girl.

The appetite for Cash shows no signs of abating. This release will please fans who like their Man in Black raw and unadulterated. With spare accompaniment, Cash sings about love and salvation on stark originals like “I Came to Believe” and “Like the 309” (the last song he wrote before his death) and covers by Hank Williams and Bruce Springsteen. For Canadian Cash-aholics, his interpretations of Ian Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds” and Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” are a cool, maple-leaf waving bonus. July 4

Heritage Toronto press release: On June 18 2009, Heritage Toronto was joined by some of Canada's most notable musicians to commemorate famed Yorkville coffeehouse, the Riverboat.  Located in the narrow basement of a house at 134 Yorkville Ave, the Riverboat was opened in 1964 by Bernie Fiedler and became the best-known coffeehouse in Canada. Over its history, the Riverboat stage was graced by Canada's music elite, including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot. The Riverboat remained open until 1977, by which time it was the sole remaining coffeehouse in the area. A number of musicians who graced The Riverboat's stage during its illustrious life attended the event, includ...