Northwest CanCon

Recent news and notes from the wide world o’ Canadian music:

• Canadian classical guitar virtuoso Liona Boyd is looking for a guitar player to play in a “Peter, Paul and Mary style trio.” Folky acoustic guitar, preferably a tenor, and living in North America, she says, adding “If he happens to be single, nice looking, slim, somewhat enlightened and intelligent and between the age of 50 and 65 so much the better:-).”
• Timmins’ most famous chanteuse was selected as one of Maxim Magazine’s “Hottest Women of Country Music” for 2009. Shania Twain was cited for her revolutionary contributions to the arts—or to be more specific, her “catchy, pop-rockin’ ditties and sexy, midriff-flaunting getups.”
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• Voting for the Bucky Awards is now underway at CBC Radio3. As well as the usual categories like “Best New Artist,” you can choose Canada’s “Best New Band Name” and “Sexiest Musician.” Vote early, vote often (until November 29). Winners will be announced December 9.
• In another CBC department, Radio2′s Great Canadian SongQuest has its winners. A baker’s dozen songwriters have their assignments, and their work is due November 23. Oh Susanna will be singing about Tofino, B.C., Joel Plaskett will croon about the Cabot Trail, and Martha Wainwright will embrace the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Quebec. Find all the details here.
• Christmas is just around the corner—ok, not really, but it’s shopping time—and just about every artist you can imagine has special merch sales and deals happening in their online store. Don’t wait until December 24, support your favourite artists today!
• Perhaps the ultimate Christmas gift: Neil Young’s first four albums, reissued on 24-karat gold CDs. They’re only making 2500 copies, so act now! (Regular, more affordable editions of the remastered classics will be on the shelves next week.)
• Speaking of Christmas: back in September, when Fucked Up won the Polaris prize, they promised to use the hefty paycheque for a charity record by Christmas. Now, the hardcore punk band are gathering the biggest friends they can find to record “Do they know it’s Christmas?” Lead singer Damian Abraham told the Vulture blog that David Cross, members of Vampire Weekend, TV on the Radio, Broken Social Scene, the GZA, Bob Mould, No Age and Yo La Tengo are all confirmed, and they’re trying to add a few others. (Photo by erikb // CC BY-NC 2.0)
• That’s it for now kiddos!