Ivan Otis Jill Barber would not be out of place on a bill with Diana Krall or any number of jazz artists. Yet this sultry singer, whose music conjures up a bygone era of long gowns, elegant ballrooms and Clark Gable romance, is embraced by the indie rock world. Her last album, 'Chances,' was long-listed for Canada's coveted Polaris Music ...

Dario Cantatore, Wireimage | Scott Wintrow, Getty Images Jeff Beck's new DVD, 'Rock 'n' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul,' is a tribute concert recorded on what would have been the father of the electric guitar's 95th birthday. Les Paul, who also sold millions of albums as a musician with his wife Mary Ford in the '50s, literally changed the ...

Gary Wolstenholme, Redferns In a roundabout way, if wasn't for an opportunity to sing with Canada's Feist, Nicole Atkins may not have got back up on her feet so quickly and into a recording studio to make her new album, 'Mondo Amore.' The New Jersey singer-songwriter behind 2007's 'Neptune City' was hired a few years ago to sing backup for ...

Patrick Lemieux | Chromewaves Dallas Green had always wanted to team up creatively with rapper Shad, but juggling his band Alexisonfire and solo project City and Colour leaves little room for anything else. But after Green heard Shad's album, 'TSOL,' the guy made sure he made time. The result is the new 'Shad & Dallas: Two Songs,' ...

YouTube Of course, Tim Rice gave his blessing. As bizarre a concept as it may seem, Toronto's own electro superstar Peaches respectfully, exhaustively, adeptly pulled off a one-woman version of the famed lyricist's 1971 rock-opera 'Jesus Christ Superstar' for a hometown crowd at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Tuesday night. She sang every character ...

Tom Mosenfelder, Getty Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy has let his imagination run wild for many of his songs, inspired by Irish myths, Japanese folk tales, even Shakespeare. The last album was a complete narrative, a rock opera. It begs the question if he has a novel up his sleeve. "Funny you should mention that, but I've just finished a ...

Liss Gallery Elvis Costello, in Toronto for Canada's Gemini Awards for the television industry, made an unexpected visit to a private party to launch Bernie Taupin's art exhibit at Toronto Liss Gallery. "I just happened to hear about it last minute," Costello told Spinner. Costello wound up winning Best Talk Series for 'Spectacle,' his musical ...