This winter, Maggie’s Wake invites listeners to nestle into the season with Close to Home, their new Holiday EP that leans into warmth, light, and connection over glitter and gloss. Blending Celtic tradition with contemporary folk, the band takes listeners through a winter landscape filled with stories, harmonies, and a few musical surprises along the way.

The title track sets the tone with its unbridled anticipation of returning to the people and places that mean the most. The band’s heartfelt take on The First Noel draws on gentle instrumentation and close vocal harmonies that highlight the grace in simplicity. O Holy Night (w/ Jig & Trad Reels) begins with quiet reverence before bursting into a lively session tune—an unexpected shift that nods to both the church pew and the kitchen party.

Indie music non-profit Wavelength Music announces its inaugural Music Festival and Conference, expanding its annual winter season festivities to include conversation programs and interactive activities along Toronto’s west end while shifting timing to the first weekend of spring. Following its massive 25th anniversary celebrations, in 2026 Wavelength goes global in scope, with emerging Canadian artists spotlighted alongside international guests from Australia, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Portugal and the United States. In addition to the 30+ live acts, a festival highlight will be the book launch event for the memoir by Melissa Auf der Maur, Canadian-born alternative rock icon (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins), in partnership with the AGO.

Date: Sunday, December 14, 2025
Venue: Lula Lounge, Toronto
Time: Doors 6:30 PM / Show 8:00 PM
Tickets: $59.64 (incl. tax) / $50 (all-inclusive for musicians)

For tickets: eventbrite.ca/e/bringing-you-a-little-happy-tickets-1739773833369 
Or Donate via website and bring a receipt to the door.
Website: birdsongnewmusicfoundation.ca/

 Released on August 5, 2025, Ezra Ben-Shalom’s Known and Unknown has emerged as a profound candidate for year-end "Best Of" lists, offering a courageous musical response to a world in conflict. A bold avant-folk record drenched in Jewish tradition, the album is ripe for this specific moment in a world longing to feel connected. Ben-Shalom, whose name translates to "helper son of peace," views this music as an act of engaging with the oral tradition of his ancestors to address universal questions of suffering and transcendence.

Tracey Savein brings an incredible eye (of the lens) capturing special moments in time. Because as the saying goes – A picture is worth a thousand words.
“Any kind of photography, as I see it, is all about capturing motion and emotion. Whether the subject is raucous and rockin’ or the location is silent and still, if you can transport the viewer into a moment in time with an image and relay the energy of that moment, well, there’s your photograph.” – Tracey Savein

Gowan - November 29th @ Massey Hall, Toronto

Scarborough Scotsman and musical maestro, Gowan performs his 1985 hit album, “Strange Animal” in its entirety for a jam-packed hometown crowd during the record’s fortieth anniversary tour at Massey Hall in Toronto

Date: Sunday, December 14, 2025
Venue: Lula Lounge, Toronto
Time: Doors 6:30 PM / Show 8:00 PM
Tickets: $59.64 (incl. tax) / $50 (all-inclusive for musicians)
eventbrite.ca/e/bringing-you-a-little-happy-tickets-1739773833369
Website: birdsongnewmusicfoundation.ca

TORONTO, ON - Renowned comedian and actor Mae Martin, Juno Award-winning vocalist Liberty Silver, and the artists of the Birdsong New Music Foundation are set to unite for an evening of original music and holiday cheer on Sunday, December 14, 2025. This annual fundraiser, taking place at Lula Lounge, supports the production of new music created by individuals living with mental illness.

 Irish Millie, the 18-year-old Canadian fiddler, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who is taking the roots scene by storm, has released "You Were There," the standout single from her acclaimed EP Between Then and Now. The track has earned the young artist her seventh Canadian Folk Music Award nomination, this time for Single of the Year. Simultaneously, she earned her fifth consecutive nomination for Young Performer of the Year, having been recognized in that category every year since the release of her debut album Thirteen in 2021.

youtube.com/@IrishMillieFiddleTunes

Canada’s largest a cappella competition to award more than $10,000 in prizes

A cappella groups from across Canada are invited to showcase their voices on the championship stage at the 2026 SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships, taking place May 23, 2026 at Toronto’s renowned Koerner Hall.

Part of SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival (May 20 to June 1, 2026), the competition will offer more than $10,000 in cash and prizes, from future performance opportunities at SING! Toronto (including the opening slot for the Soundcrowd concert on May 30, 2026), to cash prizes and professional recording sessions.

The competition is open to any style of unaccompanied vocal group, with four categories: high school, university/collegiate, barbershop, and open (post-collegiate, semi-pro, pro, or other). A minimum of 12 groups, chosen from video submissions, will be invited to perform live at Koerner Hall on May 23, 2026.

Cashbox Radio has once again curated 12 great Top Pick Hits for December 2025.

Because we would like to think they are all #1’s on a chart, this list is in Alphabetical Order:

8Banger - Daddy's Girl
 

Ain't That a Trip - The James Hunter Six ft Van Morrison
 

Bella Cole - Got Your Number
 

Tracey Savein brings an incredible eye (of the lens) capturing special moments in time. Because as the saying goes – A picture is worth a thousand words.

“Any kind of photography, as I see it, is all about capturing motion and emotion. Whether the subject is raucous and rockin’ or the location is silent and still, if you can transport the viewer into a moment in time with an image and relay the energy of that moment, well, there’s your photograph.” – Tracey Savein

Earth, Wind & Fire - November 18th @ TD Coliseum, Hamilton

Multi-award-winning American super-soul funksters, Earth, Wind & Fire break out all their beloved R & B hits for a special event, blowing the brand new roof off a newly christened TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario

It’s where the magic happens as an artist opens to the physical world they grew up with and the spiritual realm where all the magic happens.

Like Jimi Hendrix, Brandon Boyd of Incubus, looks at his career in the same way, as if he is antenna or lightening rod for whatever he creates that comes from that special we can never quite explain … once called the ether.

Miles Davis and Joni Mitchell are painters. So many artists express their creativity in other mediums. Brandon Boyd exhibited his art publicly for the first time in Toronto at Tagialatella Gallery in Yorkville.

 Brandon and I wanted to talk not about the new record he is working on, nope I wanted to talk to Brandon the artist and decode that person.

MW: Brandon, was this the first time your art has appeared in Toronto?
BB: Yes. It was a great time….at times overwhelming—the number of people dropping in, the energy of it all. I’ve been a little wrecked ever since, but for all the best reasons. It was amazing to see how many people come out to look at and talk about art. Those are the things I love.

Tracey Savein brings an incredible eye (of the lens) capturing special moments in time. Because as the saying goes – A picture is worth a thousand words.

“Any kind of photography, as I see it, is all about capturing motion and emotion. Whether the subject is raucous and rockin’ or the location is silent and still, if you can transport the viewer into a moment in time with an image and relay the energy of that moment, well, there’s your photograph.” – Tracey Savein

Neil Young’s 80th Birthday Celebration - November 12th @ Massey Hall, Toronto

A veritable showcase of Canadian talent gathered together for our nation’s beloved “Grandfather of Grunge” and “Harbinger of Heartstrings”, Neil Young to celebrate his 80th birthday in sensational style for the devoted droves at Massey Hall in Toronto

Born in Prague, Czech Republic, and now based in Vancouver, Canada, pianist and composer Martin Mayer has long been celebrated for his cinematic approach to neoclassical and new age piano music. With his latest release, 'The Solo Piano Collection,' Mayer transforms personal adversity into musical poetry — a testament to resilience, artistry, and the healing power of creation.

The album gathers Mayer’s most intimate and evocative piano compositions, written over three decades of his life and career. Each of the sixteen original works captures a defining moment: tributes to loved ones, reflections on his homeland, and celebrations of recovery and new beginnings.

Brantford-based Americana artist KC Armstrong is celebrating the return of his festive anthem “I Hate That Sweater,” a song that has found new life and a growing audience thanks to his rising profile and a fresh new video release. Originally crafted in 2024 under the rush of holiday deadlines, the track has now become one of the most requested seasonal songs and is set to light up this year’s celebrations with renewed energy.

“I Hate That Sweater” was first written in the spirit of fun, as Armstrong recalls picturing the descending riff of an earlier song played on Christmas bells. “I heard my inner voice shouting ‘I Hate That Sweater,’ and the lyrics came together within an hour,” he explains. The playful tale of a last-minute shopping disaster unfolds with horns, bells, and Armstrong’s unmistakable wit. The chorus delivers a refrain that has become a fan favourite: “green rhinestones, red pleather – I hate that sweater.”

Tracey Savein brings an incredible eye (of the lens) capturing special moments in time. Because as the saying goes – A picture is worth a thousand words.

Any kind of photography, as I see it, is all about capturing motion and emotion. Whether the subject is raucous and rockin’ or the location is silent and still, if you can transport the viewer into a moment in time with an image and relay the energy of that moment, well, there’s your photograph – Tracey Savein

Joe Bonamassa - November 5th @ Great Canadian Casino, Toronto

Grammy nominated American blues titan, Joe Bonamassa puts on a guitar masterclass for his devoted fans who came in droves to witness searing cross-genre rock licks at the Great Canadian Casino in Toronto