In the CHUO studio with us this week at 5 pm:  After being a regular anthem singer for 5 years at the Ottawa Senators games, Ottawa's own Krista Jane is now set to release her first EP titled, Tomorrow. To celebrate its release, she will perform a live show at the Mercury Lounge on Thursday June 28, 2018.  Details and tickets here: kristajanesings.com/

I've also received lots of great new material from Canadian artists. Here's a taste of what I'll be spinning:

• Montreal-based Jess Hart launched her second album “Sex & Bureaucracy” earlier this month. Hart experiments with a fusion of electronic music and alternative rock to produce a unique modern sound just in time for your summer playlist.
• Montreal duo Folly & The Hunter have returned from hiatus with Awake, full of energy, and polished, sophisticated, cinematic indie-pop.  See them at Neat Coffee Shop in Burnstown, June 23.
• Brock Zeman will be playing at The Black Irish Pub on June 18th.  This will be a split bill with Rod Picott, a singer/songwriter from Nashville TN widely respected throughout the roots/americana world. Doors at 7:30, show at 8 pm - PWYC.

If you are a Canadian independent artist with new material or an upcoming gig in town, get in touch with me so I can spread the word.  Use the Contact page on this site.

Tune in! You can here us on Friday from 5 to 6 pm in Ottawa on CHUO at 89.1 on your FM dial. You can also tune in remotely on iTunes radio under College stations and on #943 on Rogers HD.

anne-marie
Host/Producer, Hop The Fence
Fridays @ 5
CHUO 89.1 Ottawa

www.hopthefence.ca
Twitter and Instagram: hopthefenceCHUO
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopthefence

There's something about the first warm weather long weekend in Canada. Don't get me wrong, us Ottawans won't let hail, sleet nor snow stop us from seeing a good show in winter. But when the fair weather comes around, it seems everyone wants to come visit. There are myriad great shows to check out this weekend in the nation's capital.  Here's a taste:

• Evening Hymns at General Assembly on May 24 (Thursday):  Jonas Bonnetta will be calling in the CHUO studio to chat with me about his latest album, Quiet Energies.  The last time he was in studio, well over a year ago, he co-hosted the whole hour with me and we had a blast. 

• BONJAY: One half of Bonjay, Alanna Stuart, wlll be phoning in tonight to tell us about their new album, Lush Life and upcoming show at 27 Club next Saturday (with special guest King Kimbit). Alanna is a CHUO Alumni where she co-hosted Hop The Fence with me for a short while many years ago.  It'll be great to reconnect.
• Moonfruits at the Blacksheep Inn Friday.  The band just released a new video for "Le Maire". It was filmed in Old Ottawa South with friends and fans standing in as characters from St-Somewhere aka Ste-Quequepart.
• Claude Munson at the NAC 4th Stage Saturday: He'll be presenting his brand new hot-off-the-press album, The Silence Came After (released on Record Centre Records).
• BlankScreen will be at Bar Robo on Friday along with Empty Nesters and Future News. Blankscreen have a new album, Century.
• Samantha Martin is in at the Blacksheep Inn Saturday for her CD Release, Run To Me featuring Ottawa's own Steve Marriner (MonkeyJunk)
• Danielle Allard drops her new CD, Passing Notes, on Saturday at Collabspace
• Jamie Ferguson and the Hills Gang at the Blacksheep Inn on Sunday at 4 pm. With special guest Kelsey Hayes opening up, it promises to be a fun afternoon along the shores of the Gatineau River.

I'll attempt to spin something from each of these bands. Join us on CHUO 89.1 FM at 5 pm every Friday. You can also find us on iTunes radio under College stations and on #943 on Rogers HD.

anne-marie
Host/Producer, Hop The Fence
Fridays @ 5
CHUO 89.1 Ottawa

www.hopthefence.ca
Twitter and Instagram: hopthefenceCHUO
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopthefence

You will  hear some stories this evening on Hop The Fence.  New York Stories along with many others.  Micah Barnes cut his teeth in the cabarets and jazz clubs of Toronto while still a teenager and became a well-loved singer songwriter on the Queen Street scene. That was before joining legendary Canadian A Capella band, The Nylons and touring the world.

He is in Ottawa this weekend at Gigspace with a new solo album called New York Stories.  You'll be mesmerized by his stories and his deep and delicious voice as he pays homage to the rich musical history of the Big Apple with songs that describe a long distance romance using the rhythms of the Cotton Club, the Brill Building, The Apollo Theatre and classic Broadway.

We are also trying to coordinate a phoner with Montreal's SUUNS who will be in Ottawa on April 21 at St-Alban's as part of Arboretum festival (w/ special guests: Scattered Clouds + Pith & the Parenchymas). SUUNS will be showcasing their long-awaited third album, Hold/Still.

Tune in at 5 pm today! Find us at 89.1 FM in Ottawa or online at CHUO.fm. You can also find us on iTunes radio under College stations and on #943 on Rogers HD.

anne-marie
Host/Producer, Hop The Fence
Fridays @ 5
CHUO 89.1 Ottawa

This Friday on Hop The Fence, we'll be turning up the sod as one does in early spring (snow or no snow!)

Sultans of String:
Featuring Ottawa's own Chris McKhool, the band is serving up messages of hope and cultural harmony alongside a smorgasbord of ragas, reels ‘n’ rumbas. They have a new album, Subcontinental Drift, with special guest Anwar Khurshid (Oscar-winning Life of Pi, Love Guru-Mike Myers).  They will perform at the NAC-4th Stage on April 14th (7:30pm, $35).



Ottawa Grassroots Festival:
The Ottawa Grassroots Festival is a family-friendly gathering of folk music, dance and spoken word. The festival fosters inclusivity, encourages participation, respects volunteers, supports artists and develops community partnerships. It’s called Grassroots because it is! This not-for-profit organization is run entirely by volunteers.

Now in its 5th year, the Ottawa Grassroots Festival will take place from April 21-24 at The Southminster United Church, 15 Aylmer Avenue, Ottawa.  Bob Nesbitt, Producer of the Festival will join us in studio to tell us all about it!

Tune in at 5 pm today! Find us at 89.1 FM in Ottawa or online at CHUO.fm. You can also find us on iTunes radio under College stations and on #943 on Rogers HD.

anne-marie
Host/Producer, Hop The Fence
Fridays @ 5
CHUO 89.1 Ottawa

There are just some things that need to be seen as well as heard. Steve Hill's one-man-band act is one of these.  Hill performs standing up while singing and playing guitar, his feet playing bass drum, snare drum, hi-hats and with a drum stick fused to the head of his trusty guitar, any other percussion within reach!

His solo act may have started out for economical reasons with his Volume One album four years ago, but through time, he has developed an impressive expertise handling multiple instruments at once.  He is in Ottawa this weekend (at the Shenkman Center in Orleans) to perform songs from his latest, Solo Recordings Volume Three.  Expect guitar-based bluesy rock'n'roll.  I look forward to chatting with him on air at 5 pm today.

Also on tonight's program, Jenna Glatt. Raised in Ottawa, Jenna began singing when she was very young, winning her first competition at age 8 which was followed by her first professional gig a few months later on Parliament Hill as part of the Canada Day Celebrations. Jenna knew from that moment on that this is what she was born to do.  Since then, she has appeared at many international music festivals and venues and has been collaborating with top level producers and songwriters in New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Atlanta, Toronto, and Copenhagen.

Jenna's third album (R&B/Pop) of all original music is currently getting world-wide airplay in Canada, the US, and across Europe. She will be at The Blacksheep Inn on Sunday at 4 pm.

Tune in at 5 pm today! Find us at 89.1 FM in Ottawa or online at CHUO.fm. You can also find us on iTunes radio under College stations and on #943 on Rogers HD.

anne-marie
Host/Producer, Hop The Fence
Fridays @ 5
CHUO 89.1 Ottawa

Since 1990, TJ Wheeler has been bringing blues to the schools in the US and across the globe. Inspired by his Hope, Heroes and the Blues program, the Ottawa RBC Bluesfest has been engaging budding musicians through a not-for-profit residency program in local schools for 18 years.  That's how our beloved festival gives back to the community.

This year, more than 20 professional artists/educators are visiting 24 area schools during a 10-day program that will run through to March 11. TJ Wheeler will be part of the artist delegation along with an a-list of local artists.  TJ will be in the CHUO studio this week to regale us with his lore along with Alan Marsden, the Ottawa Blues In Schools program coordinator and artist.

There is a lot going on in town over the next few days. It's one of the busiest weekends of the year so far. Must be due to the longer days. (Have you noticed? I have!)  I will do my best to spin most of the following:

• Winchester Warm with Eamon McGrath and Lake Forest (Pressed Cafe, March 4)
• The Jivewires with Blast From The Sun (at Live on Elgin, March 4)
• David Francey (at NAC, March 4)
• Radio Radio with Alex Silas and the Subterraneans (at Ritual March 4)
• Amos The Transparent with Lost Cousin (at The Blacksheep, March 5)
• Charlotte Cornfield (at Pressed, March 5)
• Moonfruits (at The Branch, March 10)

Tune in at 5 pm today! Find us at 89.1 FM in Ottawa or online at CHUO.fm. You can also find us on iTunes radio under College stations and on #943 on Rogers HD.

anne-marie
Host/Producer, Hop The Fence
Fridays @ 5
CHUO 89.1 Ottawa

It has been a strange week. The past few mornings, I've awakened thinking I've had a bad dream. But no. It's real. Anyone who knows me, is well aware that I've been a Bowie fan since forever. I was 9 years old when I discovered Ziggy Stardust. Ever since, I've looked forward to Bowie's next release because I knew it would be completely different from the last. He set the barometer quite high for me as to what I considered to be great music. He did the same for live concerts. I first saw him during the Low/Heroes tour in 1978! (I was but a wee lass.) I can't think of too many artists who managed to impress me after witnessing that show - with strikingly simple white fluorescent tube lighting. He kinda ruined it for me, really!  I always thought everyone else was  lame and predictable! 

I liked him because he was so odd and unique. In high school, and much to my delight, everyone thought I was a little weird because I liked him.  And today, everyone is calling him a genius. Sure! Where were you guys all those years ago when I was trying to tell you exactly that.

I had the privilege of seeing him live many times.  My favorite memory is from 1997 during "I'm Afraid of Americans" phase. I saw him at the Metropolis in Montreal.  That's a "small club" for a rock star of his stature (irony intended). I was standing front and center just a few fans-depth away. That was cool. He sang Jacques Brel's, My Death. It was mesmerizing and heart-wrenching. I recorded it to voice mail with my flip phone and listened to it over and over again in the weeks following. Cell phone cams were not so ubiquitous at the time. That recording is gone now. But the timbre and volume of his voice, the sounds and images of the night are all neatly etched in my memory banks.

I never met him but always thought I might somehow, someday bump into him (in a grocery store? in a bank line-up?)  I even had the crazy notion that we might convince him to do a college radio interview on CHUO's Hop The Fence!  Ha!  But now those wistful little fantasies are no longer plausible. Death sucks.

One thing I admired was Bowie's curiosity and willingness to learn and absorb different styles. He took genuine interest in what others were doing and collaborated with unknown as well as elite artists like Brian Eno, John Lennon, Trent Reznor, Arcade Fire, Iggy Pop, Nile Rogers, to name a few. He used the same strategy on his final progeny, Blackstar where he invited NYC-based jazz artists to contribute to the album's sonic direction. Heck, album credits even include Prague Philharmonic conductor, Paul Bateman!  This is a lesson we can all benefit from. By surrounding himself with other talented artists with an open mind, he leveraged their strengths, resulting ultimately, in numerous masterpieces.

I have a ridiculous collection of vinyl, rare singles, CD's and posters (and Ziggy's phone booth!). Here's the weird thing, my record collection has been in storage for about 6 years until just last week. There I was going through all my Bowie albums on Sunday night at the very time that he was on his death bed.  Timing is weird.  He was a groundbreaking, game changing artist right up to the end.  He certainly went out in style in one final flash of brilliance! 

As the needle lifts one last time, the sound of his absence from earth is somehow deafening. The man who once fell to earth is no more.  Ashes to ashes; funk to funky.
anne-marie
Host/Producer, Hop The Fence
Fridays @ 5
CHUO 89.1 Ottawa

Edited January 18
The show is available at CHUO.FM. Here's the track list:
Helden
Soul Love (Ziggy Stardust, 1972)
Hang On To Yourself (Arnold Corns version 1971)
Ragazzo Solo
Memory Of A Free Festival (1970)
Black Country Rock (The Man Who Sold the World, 1970)
Andy Warhol (Hunky Dory, 1971)
This Is Not America (Soundtrack for The Falcon and the Snowman - This version recorded live  at BBC Radio Theatre, London, 27 June 2000, and it was released on the bonus disc accompanying the first release of Bowie at the Beeb.)
Look Back In Anger (Lodger, 1979)
Up The Hill Backwards (Scary Monsters and Super Creeps, 1980)
Space Oddity audition from 1969

JW-Jones, will be Ottawa's next "over night sensation".  I just love that expression! JW-Jones has released eight albums, toured extensively around the world over the past 15 years, has been nominated and won numerous awards and received kudos from the likes of Dan Akroyd. Yet, right now, it seems his career is about to explode!  If you don't know him, you will very soon and you'll wonder where he's been all your life.  JW-Jones's latest disc, Belmont Boulevard, has been picked up by legendary San Francisco-based blues label, Blind Pig Records. There's something new and exciting about this one. JW is in Ottawa this weekend to present it to his hometown at the Rainbow Bistro Saturday night. But first, tune in this Friday at 5 pm as he joins me in conversation on CHUO at 89.1 FM.

We'll also spin some brand new Rich Aucoin (coming to House of Targ next week) and we'll cover Ottawa's "longest-running and least shady" country music festival, the 8th annual O-Town Hoedown.

Don't miss it! Tune in at 89.1 fm in Ottawa, online at chuo.fm or on iTunes radio.

anne-marie
 

Stephen Fearing and Andy White have honed their long-distance relationship and brought the concept to a whole new level.  With Stephen based in Nova Scotia and Andy in Australia, they have somehow managed to collaborate on two full-length album in 3 years.  The bulk of their sophomore disc, Tea and Confidences, was written over four days between two Canadian music festivals!  Both Fearing and White are highly renown artists in their own right with over 20 albums between them.  So their collaboration is truly a labour of love, no strings attached, created purely for our listening pleasure.

They are in town tonight performing at the Blacksheep Inn.  It'll be a real treat chatting with them on Hop The Fence today. Don't miss it!  Tune in on 89.1 FM in Ottawa at 5 pm or listen online at CHUO.fm or on iTunes radio (filed under college stations).

TGIF dj, anne-marie

If you live in the Ottawa area and perhaps don't often venture to the Gatineau side of the National Capital Region, now is the time to do so.  There's a festival going on there this weekend!  It is the Festival de l'Outaouais Emergent.  Don't let the French name scare you.  The line-up is awesome and includes amazing emerging and established artists such as Kandle, Half Moon Run, IllScarlett and We Are Wolves.  We will be chatting with We Are Wolves on this week's program ahead of their live show at Le Petit Chicago on Sunday.

Also highly anticipated is the upcoming Ottawa Folk Festival which begins next weekend on September 10 and runs to the 14th.  Check the website for the impressive line-up!  It includes Ottawa's own Jill Zmud hitting the Valley Stage on Thursday, September 11 at 8:15 pm. Jill has recently released a new baby (really!) and a new album called, Small Matters of Life and Death. Jill will join us live in studio this week.

Also this weekend starting today is the 11th House of Paint hip hop festival celebrating and elevating urban arts and culture.  Check the website for details. There's plenty of free programming.

So much fun. So little time!  Tune in this Friday from  5 to 6 pm at 89.1 on your FM dial in Ottawa or online at CHUO.fm