#ygkPlaylist: May 2015
This month’s #ygkPlaylist includes alternative rockers and CBC Searchlight finalists Lost Cousins, superfolk duo Kris and Dee and folk rocker Jonas Lewis-Anthony. Have a listen to the playlist and be sure to click on the links and find out more about these hardworking Kingston musicians.
Lost Cousins: This Queen’s quintet, including Cameron Duffin (drums), Dylan Cantlon Hay (bass), Murray Spencer (guitar), Thomas Dashney (keyboards), and Lloyd McArton (guitar/saxophone), formed in early 2014 and has been making a name for themselves ever since. In the short time they have been playing together, the group has already played some pretty key venues including The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto and Hamilton’s The Casbah. Currently, Lost Cousins are finalists in CBC’s Searchlight Competition. What began as 250 entries in the Ottawa region alone, is now down to one per region. In addition to a slew of upcoming Ontario shows (including The Grad Club on May 9th) it was also announced just this morning that they will be performing at this year’s Wolfe Island Music Festival. I’m sure it’s an understatement to say that this has been a whirlwind of a year for these guys – not to mention that they are graduating this month. Be sure to visit their CBC Music page and cast your vote for this great ygk band! Find them on Facebook and Twitter.
Kris and Dee: Kris and Dee are two of the most prolific musicians I know (and I know a lot of musicians). The folk rock duo (or “superfolk” as they were referred to on CBC’s Ontario Morning this past week) are Kris Abbott (of indie-hall-of-famers The Pursuit of Happiness) and Dee McNeil (of all-girl rockers The Strap-Ons). Since 2011 they have released three full-length albums and have received high praise for their work, including the title track from their 2011 Still Here Inside, being chosen for the Starbucks Worldwide Playlist. Their 2013 release, Bloom, was selected by CBC’s Mark Rheaume as a Top Pick for the year. With the upcoming release of their latest work, A Great Long Game coming up on May 23rd at The Mansion, these talented women are unstoppable! Find them on Facebook and Twitter.
Jonas Lewis-Anthony: I first heard Jonas perform live on the patio at The Brooklyn early last summer. It was just him and a fiddler. They did some cover tunes as well as their own originals and, despite the sparse set up of the band, they filled the space well and got great reception from the crowd. Fast forward to August’s Princess Street Promenade. As I’m making my way down Princess I come across this huge crowd surrounding what I can hear is a really solid, Mumford and Sons-esque band that is just rocking the promenade. It seems like Jonas’ name, or the name of his band – The Wilderness (not the Toronto The Wilderness) – is everywhere these days. Be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for them at The Mansion and other downtown venues this summer. Find Jonas on Facebook.
Every month, we comb Soundcloud looking for sounds that are unique to Kingston. We are constantly seeking out active musicians to show off to the local community and beyond. If you’re a musician who wants to be included in a future #ygkPlaylist, the first step is to get your original music up on Soundcloud and then follow us. We promise to follow you back, listen to your work and consider it for the monthly #ygkPlaylist.
Credit to mkutz2011 for the photo used in the background of this month’s ygkPlaylist.