Armed with a new disc, Northern Shore, The Skydiggers are coming to the Blacksheep Inn this weekend in Wakefield for 2 nights !  The band whose career spans well over 20 years continues to ooze with the creativity that has kept them going all these years. Northern Shore is the band's first new music since 2009. The 15-song collection stands as the most adventurous and varied while capturing the essence of the group's roots-rock sound.

Don't miss our interview with founding member Andy Maize, the band's lead singer-songwriter this Friday at 5 p.m. 

Also on queue for you tomorrow is an interview with Canadian jazz veteran, Chris Tarry. He is a member of modern jazz super-group Metalwood, and the leader of an eponymous ensemble. But he's also a fiction writer. Find out how he has cleverly married his passion for music and writing into one fine package.  Chris Tarry performs at the Ottawa Jazz Festival on Saturday.

Tune in at 89.1 FM in Ottawa or on-line at www.CHUO.fm every Friday at 5 p.m.

Summer in Ottawa has begun!  The heat! The humidity! The outdoor music festivals! It's all here! Seems we endure winter so we can finally enjoy these fleeting, blissful moments in the nation’s capital. I had the pleasure of seeing some great live music last night (Jack Pine and the Fire and The Barr Brothers) at the opening of the Ottawa Jazz Festival taking place smack dab in the middle of downtown.  Hop The Fence regulars will enjoy the selection of bands (many Canadian indies) who will be gracing the OLG stage at Festival Plaza for the duration of the festival.

Case in point: Adam and The Amethysts, Saturday, June 23, 10 pm

Today we will be chatting with head Amethyst, Adam Waito. Their gentle neo retro-pop sensibilities will warm your soul and chill your zen.

Of course, there’s always plenty of music going live in many great venues across town and this weekend is no exception. Be sure to check your local listings.

Case in point #2: Ben Caplan, Tuesday, June 26 @ Raw Sugar Café

Find out more about this hirsute, multi-instrumentalist and lyricist who may look like ZZ Top but sounds like a hot-buttered Tom Waits! Just one listen and you will not soon forget his latest disc “In the time of the great remembering”. 

I’ll be giving away tickets to this show, so be sure to tune in between 5 and 6 pm today - and be ready to call, Tweet or email to win.

Kick off your weekend with us at 89.1 in Ottawa or on-line at www.CHUO.fm.

Have you heard about the Ottawa Explosion Weekend? It has started already and runs until Sunday, June 17th at various venues including Club Saw, Mavericks/Dekcuf and Babylon.  We will have all the details for you on this week's Hop The Fence along with some preview sound bytes to whet your appetite.
http://www.ottawaexplosion.com/
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/2012OXW  

One of the bands set to perform Friday night at Club Saw as part of Ottawa Explosion is Rome Romeo.  Armed with a new 7″, titled Lucifemme, the four-piece band led by bratty femme-fatale, Geneviève, will be chatting with us.  
http://romeromeo.com/

Tune in at 5 pm every Friday on 89.1 FM in Ottawa or on-line at CHUO.fm

We've got a very special program for you!  Mike Feuerstack aka Snailhouse will be performing live in the CHUO studio at 5 pm Friday, June 8.  He has been working on a new disc and mixing it with Ottawa's own Jeremy Gara.

The disc will be chock full of Canada's best indie artists such as: Sebastian Chow (Caroline Keating, formerly of Islands), Colin Stetson (2011 Polaris prize nominee), Mathieu Charbonneau (Luyas, formerly of Torngat), Nathan Gage (Eflfin Saddle, Shapes & Sizes), and Laurel Sprengelmeyer (Little Scream - Check our Past Episodes page to hear interview with Laurel).

The line-up is just icing on the cake for we all know any new material by Mike/Snailhouse is cause for celebration.  And if you don't know that, then be sure to listen in and discover this gem of a musician. He'll steal your heart and brighten your soul.

Tune in 89.1 FM in Ottawa at 5 p.m. Friday, June 8. Or listen on-line at CHUO.fm.  We're also on iTunes radio under college stations.

anne-marie
Host/Producer - Hop The Fence on CHUO

Imagine, you're a passionate and talented guitar player.  But one day, you lose your fretting fingers in a construction accident only to have them re-attached afterwards.  Medical miracle or Musical nightmare?  You choose. Matt Bahen chose to carry on! Hear the astounding results with his punk-gospel-Americana band, Schomberg Fair.
http://www.theschombergfair.com

We'll also be speaking with members of Graydon James & Young Novelists who are in town tonight with Hinterlandband.  GJ&YN picked up a 2010 Galaxie Rising Star Award and have recently teamed up with Chris Stringer (Timber Timbre, Ohbijou, The D'ubervilles) to record a soon-to-be-released full length album.
www.theyoungnovelists.com/

Tune in at 5 pm at 89.1 FM in Ottawa or on-line at www.CHUO.FM