Kreative Kontrol

Jon Mckiel is an excellent musician based in Sackville, New Brunswick. A masterful underground rock music maker, Mckiel and his killer band are about …

Richard Laviolette is a very talented singer, songwriter, and musician from Guelph, Ontario. Originally from Tara, Ontario in Bruce County, …

Tommy Stinson is a legendary musician who currently resides in upstate New York. Originally from Minneapolis, Stinson is a founding member of the …

David Pajo is an esteemed musician who lives in Los Angeles, California. A truly great and distinctive guitarist, Pajo originally hails from …

Tim Kingsbury is a musician based in Montreal, Quebec. His new band Sam Patch is about to release their debut record, a cool one called Yeah You, and …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the Theatre Centre in Toronto, Ontario, as part of the Long Winter festival on Saturday …

Todd Glass is a gifted comedian who originally hails from Philadelphia. Now based in Los Angeles, Glass is the host of the award-winning podcast, The Todd Glass Show, the author of the best-selling memoir, The Todd …

Jay Ryan is a respected and prolific screenprint poster artist who is based in Chicago, Illinois. He has been making screenprinted concert posters …

T.I. is an American hip-hop artist and actor who originally hails from Atlanta, Georgia. A popular rapper who also goes by TIP Harris, he’s known for …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, as part of the Long Winter festival on Friday January 6, 2017. Our guests were Evan and Geordie Gordon of The Magic, …

Christopher Ward is a songwriter and author who currently splits his time between Los Angeles and Toronto. Renowned for writing the hit single “Black Velvet” by Allanah Myles, Ward bears the distinction of being one of …

Lido Pimienta is a gifted, outspoken musician and artist who originally hails from Barranquilla, Colombia but has lived in Canada for a decade now. …

Communism is a remarkable three-piece pop-rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Featuring Paul Linklater and Kevin Lacroix, the band’s the brainchild of …

Marisa Anderson is a gifted musician who hails from Sonoma, California but currently calls Portland, Oregon home. Though somewhat under the radar, Anderson is renowned as one of the finest guitarists in the world. …

Nick Flanagan is a very funny comedian, writer, and actor who hails from Toronto, Ontario but currently calls California home. Known for his endearingly dark stand-up and for fronting bands like Brutal Knights and Wrong …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the Polish Combatants Hall in Toronto, Ontario, as part of the Long Winter festival on …

John Semley is a prolific journalist and cultural critic based in Toronto who regularly contributes to the Globe and Mail and Macleans magazine. His …

Lonely Parade is a fantastic band from Peterborough, Ontario consisting of Augusta Veno on guitar, Anwyn Climenhage on drums, and Charlotte Dempsey on bass. Formed around five years ago, Lonely Parade are childhood …

DIANA is an electronically inclined pop band from Toronto whose primary members are Kieran Adams, Carmen Elle, and Joseph Shabason. After their 2013 …

Fake Limbs are a noisy rock band who hail from the west side of Chicago, Illinois. Known for creating a kind of “social justice street rock” that’s exhilarating and outspoken, the band formed in 2011 and have released …

Voivod is a pioneering rock ‘n’ roll band who originally hail from Jonquière, Quebec. Formed in 1982, Voivod have never been afraid to challenge …

Chicago Underground Duo consists of two very notable musicians: Rob Mazurek (also of Exploding Star Orchestra, Starlicker, Pulsar Quartet, Rob …

Vic Berger is a talented video editor and satirist based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Currently employed by the online video and production company Super Deluxe, Berger has made a name for himself with his surreal video …

Dylan Moran is a highly esteemed and award-winning Irish comedian, writer, author, actor, and filmmaker whose work has been compared to that of William Shakespear and Oscar Wilde. In a four-star review, The Guardian …

The Rutabega is a two-piece pop-infused rock band consisting of Joshua Wayne Hensley and Garth Mason. Based in South Bend, Indiana, the Rutabega …

Michael le Riche is a musician, singer, and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario. Formerly a member of the band the Darcys, le Riche struck out on his own to find an outlet for his own darker rock and punk leanings, …

Hasan Minhaj is a talented comedian and writer currently based in New York City. Having gained acclaim for his web series The Truth with Hasan Minhaj, and his work as a stand-up comedian and actor, Minhaj earned a spot …

U.S. Girls is the moniker of Meghan Remy who currently calls Toronto, Ontario home. Since moving there from Chicago in 2010, Remy has become a vital part of the city’s music scene and, along with her husband Slim Twig, …

Jane Bunnett is a world-renowned jazz musician and composer who lives in Toronto, Ontario. A Juno award winner and Grammy award nominee, Bunnett is a highly accomplished saxophonist and piano player well known for her …

Rob Benvie is a novelist, writer, musician, songwriter, and singer currently based in Toronto, Ontario. Raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Benvie has published two acclaimed novels, 2004’s Safety of War, and 2011’s …

Katie Monks and Liz Ball are members of an explosive Toronto-based rock band called Dilly Dally. High school friends, Monks and Ball grew up loving …

On July 16, 2016, Alan Vega died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 78. In a statement, Vega’s family said, “With profound sadness and a stillness …

Hari Kondabolu is a very funny and incisive stand-up comedian who lives in Brooklyn, New York. He has written for shows like Totally Biased with W. …

Mary Lynn Rajskub is a talented comedien and actress who originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. Though she’s likely best known for her portrayal of data analyst Chloe O’Brian on the hit Fox drama 24, for comedy fans …

Gord Downie is a genuine hero of mine who has redefined rock ‘n’ roll music in Canada. Over the past 30 years, he’s led Kingston, Ontario’s the …

Andy Shauf is a talented songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist who originally hails from Saskatchewan. Over the past four years, Shauf has …

TUNS is the mighty new Halifax/Toronto supergroup featuring Chris Murphy, Matt Murphy, and Mike O’Neill. Chris Murphy has ushered some excellent music into this world, both as the co-curator/co-founder of the …

Baroness von Sketch Show is a very funny sketch comedy TV program that airs on CBC. This edgy yet grounded show is written by and stars four very …

PUP is a young, hard rock band based in Toronto, Ontario. Known for touring hard and putting on riotous shows, PUP recently released their second album, The Dream is Over, via Side One Dummy and Royal Mountain Records …

Adrian Teacher is a talented and award-winning musician who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Best known for his work in Apollo Ghosts and COOL …

William Tyler is a talented musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. Known for his work in the bands Lambchop and Silver Jews, Tyler is also an …

David Cross is a gifted comedian, actor, author, and writer who originally hails from Atlanta, Georgia. For almost 30 years now, he’s been at the vanguard of comedy, writing and/or performing on influential and …

Choir! Choir! Choir! is a Toronto-based community music project spearheaded by Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman. Founded in 2011, Choir! Choir! Choir! …

Jay Arner is a gifted rock and pop songwriter and musician based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Over the past five years or so, Arner has garnered …

The overlap between independent gaming and independent music is one of the most fascinating cultural intersections I’ve come across in recent years. …

Hooded Fang is an excellent and adventurous rock ‘n’ roll band from Toronto. Over the past decade, the band has toured the world and released a …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the Rocket Room in St. John’s, Newfoundland, as part of the Lawnya Vawnya Arts …

Sohrab Habibion is a talented guitarist, singer, graphic designer, and engineer based in Brooklyn, New York. He has played in wonderful punk rock …

Shotgun Jimmie is a prolific and talented singer, songwriter, and musician who currently lives in Brandon, Manitoba. Over the past 10 years, Shotgun …

Piya Chattopadhyay is a respected broadcaster and journalist currently based in Toronto. She has appeared as a guest host on TVO’s The Agenda and has contributed to BBC, PRI, and once served as the Middle East …

Daniel Romano is a multi-talented musician, producer, label co-owner, and fashion entrepreneur who lives in Fenwick, Ontario. Over the past 15 years, …

Shehzaad Jiwani is the lead singer and lyricist in the Toronto punk rock band Greys. Formed in 2011, they’ve released a handful of singles and two …

Scott Aukerman is a very talented comedy writer, producer, director, and actor who’s currently based in California. Aukerman is a key figure behind …

Several Futures is a post-punk band from Toronto consisting of Jonny Dovercourt, Matt Nish-Lapidus, and Evan Davies. Dovercourt is the driving force behind Toronto’s celebrated Wavelength concert series and he and …

Bob Mehr is an award-winning music critic who currently resides in Memphis, Tennessee. He’s the chief music critic for The Commercial Appeal and has written for MOJO and the Chicago Reader among others and he has …

The Burning Hell is one of the best and smartest pop, rock, folk bands in the world. Led by founder Mathias Kom and his partner Ariel Sharratt, the …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the TRANZAC in Toronto, as part of the Spur Festival on Friday April 8, 2016. My guests were Emergency Physician and a leading expert on transgender care, Dr. …

Amanda Huron and Mike Andre are two-thirds of a wonderfully sharp band called Puff Pieces. Based in Washington, D.C., Puff Pieces write very catchy, …

Ray Robertson is a noted author and novelist based in Toronto. Originally from Chatham, Ontario, Robertson has written 10 acclaimed books, including …

Cupcake Ductape is a very cool noise-infused pop band consisting of Steph Yates of the band Esther Grey and a folk-oriented singer and songwriter …

Mauno is a wonderfully inventive pop band that hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Founded by singer/guitarist Nicholas Everett and singer/bassist Eliza …

Joe Casey is the lead singer and songwriter in an acclaimed American rock band called Protomartyr. Formed in Detroit in 2008, Protomartyr have …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the Great Hall in Toronto, as part of the Long Winter festival on Saturday March 19, 2016. My guests were, security expert Bobby Ruin, filmmaker Caitlin …

This episode was recorded at the Great Hall in Toronto, as part of the Long Winter festival on Friday March 18, 2016. I moderated a panel about the Toronto Blue Jays featuring experts such as Baseball Life …

Josh Gondelman is a Peabody winning and Emmy nominated comedy writer, author, and stand-up comedian who currently lives in New York City, where he works as a writer on HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Raised in …

Rangda is a powerful, American instrumental trio featuring guitarists Sir Richard Bishop and Ben Chasny and drummer Chris Corsano. Their new album is …

Over the past 20 years, Tortoise has honed a distinctive sound, spurred on by strange, synthetic tones, stunning guitar interplay, and an utterly unique and highly influential approach to playing and recording drums. …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the Great Hall in Toronto, as part of the Long Winter festival on Friday February 19, 2016. My guests were writer Jordan Ferguson who discussed his 33 1/3 book …

The excellent Toronto record label Idée Fixe celebrates its fifth anniversary this week with two hometown shows. On Thursday February 25, established and gifted artists like Jennifer Castle, Bry Webb, Alex Lukashevsky, …

Geoff Berner is a tremendously gifted songwriter and musician known for his outspoken work and 100% belief in the klezmer tradition. Based in …

Junior Boys is the long-standing electronic pop moniker for the work of Jeremy Greenspan, a talented musician based in Hamilton, Ontario. Over the past 17 years, he has written some very sophisticated music, most …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the Great Hall in Toronto, as part of the Long Winter festival on Saturday January 16, 2016. My guests were CBC Radio’s Tom Power, life gurus Deadpan …

Michelle McAdorey is a gifted and iconic Canadian singer, songwriter, and musician based in Toronto. Well known for her role as the lead vocalist of …

Steven Lambke is a gifted musician, songwriter, and singer based in Toronto, Ontario. A member of the Constantines, over the past decade, Lambke has …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the Great Hall in Toronto, as part of the Long Winter festival on Saturday December 12, 2015. My guests were Casey Mecija, the host of the CBC Radio show The …

Evan Gordon is a gifted musician from Guelph who is a member of Islands and the band formerly known as the Magic. He’s also the leader of the Sad …

Peter Demakos is the songwriter and spokesman for Blimp Rock Enterprises. Ostensibly a clever indie-rock band based in Toronto, Blimp Rock is also a …

Willie Thrasher is a gifted Inuk singer and songwriter who lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia. In 2014, three of Thrasher’s earliest songs, appeared …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the Great Hall in Toronto, as part of the Long Winter festival on Friday November 13, …

John Wright is a founding member, singer, songwriter and drummer in British Columbia’s Nomeansno, one of the greatest rock and roll bands in the …

Scharpling & Wurster is a beloved and very funny comedy duo consisting of Tom Scharpling and Jon Wurster. While they mainly work together on The Best Show radio program and podcast, which airs every Tuesday from 9 …

Tony Levin is an accomplished musician who originally hails from Massachusetts. A noted bassist and master of a polyphonic chordal guitar called the …

Ian MacKaye is known for being in bands like Minor Threat, Embrace, Fugazi, and the Evens and he co-founded the Washington D.C. based label, Dischord Records. Steve Albini has sung and played guitar in bands like Big …

Ian MacKaye was once in bands like Minor Threat and Embrace and is currently in the bands Fugazi and the Evens. He also co-founded and continues to oversee the excellent label Dischord Records, which is based in his …

Peter Guralnick is a music writer of the highest order who splits his time living between Tennessee and Massachusetts. Over the past 40 years, he has written definitive books about American music, including Dream …

Ryan Nelson is a musician and visual artist who resides in the Washington D.C. area. Formerly in the bands the Most Secret Method and Beauty Pill, Nelson currently plays in Michigan’s Minutes and the D.C. group Soccer …

Rebecca Foon and Bruce Cawdron are the founding members of a superb chamber rock ensemble from Montreal called Esmerine. Founded in 2001, Esmerine was an exploratory outlet for Cawdron, a marimba player and …

Eugene Mirman is a very brilliant person, actor, author, festival organizer, husband, and stand-up comedian who lives in the United States of America. He’s a star of the hit animated Fox Television show Bob’s Burgers, …

I am Robot and Proud is the moniker of Shaw-Han Liem, a gifted musician and computer scientist who calls Toronto home. Liem co-designed and composed the music for the award-winning 2012 Playstation game Sound Shapes, …

Drive Like Jehu is a rock ‘n’ roll band from San Diego, California consisting of guitarist and vocalist John Reis, drummer Mark Trombino, bassist …

Russell Mael and Alex Kapranos are talented musicians who are part of a new band called FFS. Mael originally hails from Culver City, California. …

Destroyer is the music-making moniker of Dan Bejar, a very gifted lyricist and musician who originally hails from Vancouver, British Columbia. He has …

Ani DiFranco is an iconic singer, songwriter, musician, poet, activist, and entrepreneur who currently calls New Orleans home. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, DiFranco started her own record label, Righteous Babe, …

Cameron Esposito is a gifted and hilarious comedian and actress who originally hails from Chicago, Illinois. She’s a beloved figure who reveals much about her personal life in her stand-up, often discussing the fact …

Ike Turner is a musician and professor based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Primarily a drummer, Turner is best known for playing in amazing bands like MINUTES, Brown Company, and the Book-Burners. He recently went on a very …

Etiquette is a wonderfully haunting, groove and ambient-rich pop band started by real-life couple Julie Fader and Holy Fuck’s Graham Walsh in their …

Mick Jenkins is a powerful, uncompromising young hip-hop artist who has spent most of his life as a citizen of Chicago, Illinois. Born in Alabama in …

Justin Small is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Small is well-known for playing in bands like Lullabye …

Gary Taxali is a gifted and renowned visual artist, author, and illustrator who lives in Toronto. He has exhibited his work in galleries around the world and his images have appeared in many major magazines and …

Slim Twig is the moniker for a young man from Toronto named Max Turnbull who’s a noted actor and musician. Over the past 10 years, he has released a …

Billy Gould is a musician, songwriter, and producer who originally hails from the state of California. Throughout his life, Gould has played in bands …

Nick Ferrio is a heartfelt singer and songwriter based in Peterborough, Ontario. A member of the humourous and wise folk-rock band the Burning Hell, …

Michael Franti is a musician, filmmaker, and humanitarian currently based in California. Emerging as a founding member of Disposable Heroes of …

Elaquent is a hip-hop artist and producer based in Guelph, Ontario. An underground hero among beatmakers and rabid fans, Elaquent is renowned for his …

Doldrums is the electro-punk moniker of Airick Woodhead who currently lives in Montreal. Woodhead has been making music publicly since he was 13 …

LIDS is a Toronto-based trio consisting of Brian Borcherdt (Holy Fuck, Dusted), Doug MacGregor (Constantines, City and Colour), and Alex Edkins …

Daniel Lanois is a world-renowned musician, songwriter, and producer who splits his time living between Ontario and California. A multi-Grammy …

Rhys Darby is a talented stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and ex-soldier in the New Zealand Army who currently lives in Los Angeles. Best known for …

Nigel Chapman is the visionary singer and songwriter for a Halifax band called Nap Eyes. Featuring members of the neato band Monomyth, Nap Eyes released their debut album this past March and it was recently reissued in …

Nels Cline is an American multi-instrumentalist and one of the world’s most renowned and inventive guitar players. Best known these days as a member …

José Miguel Contreras is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, actor, film composer, and amazing songwriter currently based in Toronto. Contreras is …

Terra Lightfoot is a mighty singer, songwriter, and guitarist based in Hamilton, Ontario. Somewhere between soulful folk and catchy rock ‘n’ roll, …

Will Currie & The Country French are a well-respected pop band from Waterloo, Ontario. Together since 2008, their latest album is a relatively sombre one called They Killed Us, which is available via File Under: …

Angel Olsen is an evocative and true singer and songwriter who originally hails from Missouri but now calls North Carolina home. A frequent …

Marker Starling is the moniker of Chris A. Cummings, an ambitious and gifted pop songwriter based in Toronto. Previously working under the name Mantler, Cummings has created a distinct body of work that treads the line …

Buffy Sainte-Marie is an iconic multi-faceted artist and socio-political force of nature who originally hails from Piapot Cree First Nations Reserve …

Lee Reed is a riveting and uncompromising hip-hop artist from Hamilton, Ontario. Once a member of the powerful group Warsawpack, Reed has released …

Raekwon the Chef is one of the fiercest MCs and hip-hop storytellers of all time. The Staten Island-bred artist is a member of the Wu-Tang Clan and has released classic albums on his own. His latest is Fly International …

Chad VanGaalen is a talented musician and award-winning filmmaker/visual artist based in Calgary Alberta whose latest album Shrink Dust, was released in 2014 via both Flemish Eye and Sub Pop Records. He is playing …

Mike Sacks is a respected journalist and humour writer whose work has appeared in many of America’s top periodicals. He’s a member of the editorial staff at Vanity Fair and has written three books including two …

Socalled is the moniker of a talented musical mastermind named Josh Dolgin who calls Montreal home. As someone who truly embraces the open-ended and …

Steven Kado is a Toronto-based musician and a co-founder of the Blocks Recording Club label in Toronto. Founded in 2003, the Blocks slogan “Don’t try, do!” led them to put out 70 releases by then-fledgling artists like …

METZ is one of the best hard rock bands in the whole wide world and their members, singer/guitarist Alex Edkins, bassist/singer Chris Slorach, and …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the Eastern Edge Gallery in St. John’s Newfoundland during the Lawnya Vawnya festival on Friday April 24, 2015. For this edition of Long Night, my sidekick was …

Scott Thompson is an Emmy-nominated actor, writer and comedian who appears on the NBC crime show, Hannibal, and was also a featured performer on the groundbreaking HBO sitcom The Larry Sanders Show. Though he’s …

Andrea Warner is a talented and well-respected music writer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her new book is called We Oughta Know: How Four …

Phosphorescent is the moniker of Matthew Houck, a prolific and well-loved singer and songwriter who calls Nashville, Tennessee home. Initially based …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the Tranzac in Toronto during the Spur Festival, Canada’s first national festival of …

Shary Boyle is a tremendously gifted and world-renowned Canadian visual artist who calls Toronto home. While it isn’t easy to describe the full …

Yesterday, the great American rock ‘n’ roll band Obits announced that they were breaking up after 10 years together. Today, I spoke to …

Rob Lind is a well-regarded saxophone player currently based in the state of North Carolina. In the 1960s, Lind co-founded the Tacoma, …

Sir Richard Bishop is a tremendous and well-respected guitarist based in the state of Oregon. For close to 30 years, Bishop was a member of the renowned rock band Sun City Girls but in 1998, John Fahey’s Revenant …

Andy Kindler is a stand-up comedian from New York City who is currently based in Los Angeles. Best known for frequent appearances as himself on the …

Will Butler is an American musician whom many people assume is Canadian because he’s a member of the Montreal band Arcade Fire. On his first solo …

This episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna was recorded at the Great Hall in Toronto during the Long Winter multi-disciplinary arts festival on …

Dan Mangan + Blacksmith is a Vancouver-based band whose latest album, the acclaimed Club Meds, is available now via Arts & Crafts, and has prompted them to tour all over the world. At their recent Guelph stop, Dan …

Andy Gill is a legendary musician, songwriter, and producer who lives in the United Kingdom. Towards the end of the 1970s, Gill co-founded the …

Matt Braunger is a gifted stand-up comedian and performer who spent a good chunk of his life living in Portland, Oregon but now calls Los Angeles home. He was a cast member on MADtv during that show’s final season, he …

Dan Boeckner is a multi-talented musician and singer who originally hails from British Columbia. After forming a short-lived band called Atlas …

THEESatisfaction is a remarkable multi-genre duo based in Seattle, Washington. Cat and Stas are two fearless and visionary young women steeped in …

Tom McCaffrey is a renowned comedian, writer, director, and performer based in New York City. Over the last two decades, McCaffrey’s work has appeared on Comedy Central, VH1, Funny or Die and he’s written for the Onion …

Bob Nastanovich is an American musician who currently lives in Des Moines, Iowa. Though best known for playing keyboards, auxiliary drums, and shouting in the hugely significant and influential rock band Pavement, …

Here’s another live episode of Long Night with Vish Khanna recorded before an audience at the Great Hall on Friday February 13, 2015, as part of Long Winter in Toronto. Listen to hear the talk show band stylings of the …

Tim Heidecker is the host of the highly esteemed film criticism web series, On Cinema at the Cinema, and also the star of the action show Decker, …

Janet Weiss is a tremendously powerful drummer based in Portland, Oregon. Weiss is originally from California and, over the past 20 years, has played …

Siskiyou is the musical moniker of Colin Huebert, a gifted and evocative songwriter who lives in British Columbia. With his previous two albums, …

PS I Love You are a tremendous, melodic noise-rock two-piece band originally from Kingston, Ontario. This past October, Benjamin Nelson and Paul …

Carl Newman is a well-respected and gifted pop songwriter who originally hails from Vancouver, British Columbia. Over the past 20 years, he has …

Bruce McCulloch is a tremendously influential and iconic comedic writer, performer, and director from Alberta who currently lives in the Hollywood …

As some of you know I host a live talk show called Long Night with Vish Khanna every month (between November and March) at the Great Hall, as part of Long Winter in Toronto. The most recent episode on January 9, 2015 …

Owen Pallett is a tremendously gifted multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer who currently lives in Montreal. Pallett was initially acclaimed …

Tamara Lindeman is a captivating singer and vivid lyricist who operates under the moniker the Weather Station. Currently based in Toronto, Lindeman …

Tom Scharpling is a comedic writer, performer, and personality who hails from the state of New Jersey. He founded a fanzine and record label called 18 Wheeler in the early 1990s, he was a writer and executive producer …

Jasmyn Burke is the lead singer and co-founder of a great young band from Toronto called Weaves. If electronic, synthesizer-driven bands might be called computer music, Weaves make Internet rock—an open-minded, …

Kevin “Sipreano” Howes and Duke Redbird are both involved in a lovely and vital new compilation called Native North America (Vol. 1) – Aboriginal …

Hari Kondabolu is a very funny and incisive stand-up comedian who hails from Queens, New York. He has written for shows like Totally Biased with W. …

Avec le soleil sortant de sa bouche is a really cool, mostly instrumental band from Montreal who formed in 2011. The brainchild of Fly Pan Am’s …

Run the Jewels is a tremendous hip-hop duo consisting of inventive New York MC and producer El-P and one of the world’s wisest and best rappers, …

Slim Twig is the moniker for a young man from Toronto named Max Turnbull who is a noted actor and musician. Over the past 10 years, he has released a …

TEEN is an inventive pop band from Brooklyn, New York consisting of sisters Teeny, Lizzie, and Katherine Lieberson and Boshra AlSaadi. Their latest …

Lee Paradise is the stage name of an endlessly creative young man from Toronto named Daniel Lee. Over the past few years he’s been a key figure in unique bands like Hooded Fang and Phèdre and he co-founded the Daps …

Cousins is an excellent two-piece band from Halifax, Nova Scotia featuring Leigh Dotey and Aaron Mangle. They make an impassioned, fun kind of indie-rock and their latest album, The Halls of Wickwire, is rad and out now …

John Colpitts is a prolific and skilled percussionist based in New York City. Also known as Kid Millions, he’s a founding member of the …

Cold Specks is Al Spx, a talented and fearless singer, musician, and songwriter who calls Montreal home. Originally from a Toronto suburb called …

Ryan Hemsworth and BADBADNOTGOOD each appeared at the 2014 Halifax Pop Explosion last week and we took part in a live, panel interview together at the Museum of Natural History. Ryan’s a talented electronic artist who …

Lights is a pop artist from Toronto with legions of fans around the world. Born in Timmins, Ontario, Lights was discovered by Jian Ghomeshi when she …

John Darnielle is one of the most esteemed songwriters working today. Currently based in Durham, North Carolina, he is the founder and leader of a …

Greg Cartwright is a prolific and influential musician who originally hails from Memphis, Tennessee. Over the past 20 years, Cartwright has …

I’m wading into crowdfunding to keep my own show sustainable. If you enjoy the Kreative Kontrol podcast and want to support it with a monthly pledge, …

Palaceer Lazaro is the founder and frontman of the excellent and inventive Seattle hip-hop group Shabazz Palaces. Once known as Butterfly, one of three MCs in the pioneering group Digable Planets, Lazaro was born …

Xylouris White is an extraordinary music pairing featuring George Xylouris, a renowned lute player in the Cretan folk tradition, and Jim White, a …

Absolutely Free is a powerful and ambitious three-piece band from Toronto, Ontario. For years, Matt King, Moshe Rozenberg, and Mike Claxton used to …

The Wilderness of Manitoba is a band from Toronto and were in Guelph last week touring in support of their new album Between Colours, which is out …

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy is the long-held moniker of the esteemed and uncompromising songwriter, singer, actor, producer, and musician Will Oldham who hails from Louisville, Kentucky. Over the past twenty years, he has …

John Southworth is a remarkable songwriter, musician, filmmaker, theatrical performer, and author who splits his time between Toronto and Montreal. Over the past 20 years, Southworth has established himself as one of …

Christine Fellows lives in Winnipeg, MB and is one of the world’s best songwriters. She is an adventurous and compelling storyteller and a gifted …

Ronnie Spector is one of the most influential vocalists and performers in all of pop music. Her work with the Ronettes in the 1960s was legendary, …

Elisabeth de Mariaffi is a gifted writer and poet who lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Her 2012 short story collection How to Get Along with Women …

Scott Merritt is a very talented songwriter, musician, singer, and producer who lives in Guelph, Ontario. He has been creating and occasionally …

Nicholas Ruddock is a Guelph-based doctor and a critically acclaimed poet and author whose 2010 novel, The Parabolist, was short-listed for the …

“Weird Al” Yankovic is the most successful, astute, and wickedly funny song parodist of our time. On his latest album Mandatory Fun, Yankovic …

Carrie Snyder lives in Waterloo, Ontario and is the author of two story collections, including The Juliet Stories, which was a finalist for Canada’s …

John Reis is a fantastic guitarist and songwriter based in San Diego California. Over the past 25 years he has played in remarkable and influential …

Claire Cameron is an acclaimed writer from Toronto whose first novel, The Line Painter, won the Northern Lit Award from the Ontario Library Service and was nominated for an Arthur Ellis Crime Writing Award for ‘best …

Afie Jurvanen is a gifted musician and songwriter who works under the tropical moniker Bahamas. Jurvanen has been an in-demand guitarist who has worked with Feist, the Weather Station, and Zeus among others. He has …

Heather O’Neill is a talented and provocative novelist based in Montreal. Her first book was the celebrated Lullabies for Little Criminals, which won …

Dave Ullrich is the founder of Zunior.com, one of the world’s first digital distribution services for independent music, which celebrates its tenth anniversary with various enterprises, including a new tribute album by …

Steve Albini is a world-renowned recording engineer and the owner and one operator of the stellar Electrical Audio recording facility in Chicago, Illinois. He is also one of three singers and one of one electric …

Constantines are a powerful and influential band who originally formed in Guelph, Ontario in 1999. After releasing four acclaimed and inspiring …

Steve Sladkowski plays guitar and sings in a Toronto punk-infused pop band called PUP. Originally called Topanga, PUP changed their name ahead of releasing their first, self-titled debut album, which is out now via …

Charles Austin lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia and is one of the best musicians, producers, and people that I know. Austin has played in bands and projects like Neuseiland, the Lodge, Lost Wax Guild, Aqua Alta, and …

Matt Andersen has earned a reputation for being one of the most powerful live soul and rock performers of his generation. The New Brunswick native …

Jeremy Gara and Samir Khan are accomplished musicians who once played together in an Ottawa-based band called Kepler. For a good chunk of their time together, they were associated with a kind of slow-building …

Nat Baldwin is a talented double-bassist, singer, and songwriter who originally hails from the state of New Hampshire but lives in Maine. Baldwin is a skilled musician who studied with jazz and improvised music giant …

Julie Doiron is a talented and prolific singer, musician, and songwriter based in Sackville, New Brunswick. She first gained attention in the …

Britt Walford is a world-renowned drummer who lives in Louisville, Kentucky. In the 1980s he played in notable bands like Squirrel Bait, Maurice, and, for a spell, in the Breeders. Walford is best-known though as a …

Hamilton Leithauser is a very talented singer and songwriter who is best known for fronting the acclaimed New York City band, the Walkmen. Last year, the Walkmen announced they’d be taking an extended hiatus after …

Monomyth is a really cool band from Halifax that make a hazy, gritty kind of pop music. Their washed out, psych-rock-tinged new album is called …

Jello Biafra was the lead singer of the influential punk band Dead Kennedys and has since gone on to do significant work as an actor, spoken word artist, and vocalist, as well as being the head honcho at the still busy …

Born Ruffians are a terrifically sharp indie-rock band whose latest album is called Birthmarks. Released in 2013 via Paper Bag Records, it’s the …

Friendly Rich is a strange but great man who originally hails from Brampton just outside of Toronto, Ontario. He is a singer, songwriter, educator, impresario, and instigator who has released 10 albums to date, …

Brad McInerney is a founding member of the Kazoo! concert series in Guelph. which is celebrating its eighth anniversary with two shows in town this week. On Thursday June 5, the Salt Lick Kids are reuniting to play the …

Zaki Ibrahim is a very creative singer and songwriter who splits her time between Toronto and Johannesburg. Over the past decade, she has established herself as one of the most daring and fascinating R&B/electro-pop …

Fucked Up are a really awesome and prolific band from Toronto who make great, smart rock records and do remarkable, community-minded things for …

Culture Reject is the moniker of Michael O’Connell, a talented singer, songwriter, and musician who calls Toronto home. After years in the Guelph …

Alison Wearing is an author, musician, and theatrical actress based in Stratford Ontario whose first book was the internationally acclaimed travel memoir Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey. Her latest book is …

Steven Lambke is a very talented songwriter, singer, and guitar player who often performs under the name Baby Eagle. A founding member of Constantines, Lambke was raised in Cambridge, Ontario and currently lives in …

Andrew Nathan Hood is a published author who lives in Guelph. He wanted to interview me because he’s working on a book about Jim Guthrie for Invisible Publishing’s Bibliophonic series and so I said “sure.” For this …

Brian McMahan is a singer and guitarist from Louisville, Kentucky who has played with Squirrel Bait, Palace Brothers, the For Carnation, and perhaps most notably in Slint. This past April, Touch and Go Records reissued …

Owen Pallett is a tremendously gifted multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer who currently lives in Montreal. Pallett was initially acclaimed …

Braids is an excellent, art-y rock band from Montreal featuring Raphaelle Standell-Preston, Austin Tufts, and Taylor Smith. Originally from Calgary, Braids is a close-knit group whose first album, Native Speaker, was …

Nathan Lawr is a talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who lives in Guelph. Over the past 20 years, Lawr has been a go-to drummer for people …

São Paulo Underground is a cultural and stylistic collision between electronica, tropicalia, avant garde jazz, and punk, featuring Chicago …

David Heti is a very funny comedian who once lived in Toronto and New York City and has just released his very first stand-up special, the …

Ought is a young punk band based in Montreal that consists of keyboardist Matt May, bassist Ben Stidworthy, drummer and violinist Tim Keen, and …

The Jesus Lizard Week celebrating the release of Akashic Books’ BOOK concludes with the band’s ace bassist and principal archivist David Wm. Sims. Here, David and I discuss how BOOK was Johnny Temple of Akashic Books’ …

The Jesus Lizard Week celebrating the release of Akashic Books’ BOOK continues with graceful, eclectic, and powerful guitarist Duane Denison. Here, …

The Jesus Lizard Week celebrating the release of BOOK continues with drummer Mac McNeilly. Here, Mac and I discuss some background on how BOOK came together, how it taught him more about his bandmates, the bond forged …

It’s a very special week on this show because I’m dedicating four episodes to interviews with every founding member of one of the world’s greatest …

Vanessa Dunn is the lead singer of Vag Halen, one of Toronto’s most exciting and confrontational rock bands. On Facebook, they describe themselves as “Toronto’s feminist art rock band that brings the bad with a dash of …

Bry Webb is one of Canada’s most distinctive singers, songwriters, and musicians. Based in Guelph, Webb emerged from London, Ontario’s post-hardcore …

Destroyer is the music-making moniker of Dan Bejar, a very gifted lyricist and musician who originally hails from Vancouver, British Columbia. He has …

Carl Wilson and Sean Michaels are two of Canada’s most esteemed music writers. Based in Toronto, Carl Wilson is the music critic at Slate and has contributed to the Globe and Mail, the New York Times, and many other …

Charles R. Cross is a Seattle-based music writer and author who has written nine books, including the award-winning and definitive Heavier Than Heaven: The Biography of Kurt Cobain. He was the editor-in-chief of the …

Keith Morris is the lead singer and songwriter in the Los Angeles-based supergroup, OFF! An original member of influential punk bands Black Flag and Circle Jerks, Morris started OFF! with guitarist Dimitri Coats, …

Peter Elkas is a talented rock and soul singer, songwriter, and musician based in Toronto. In the early 90s, he was in an inventive Montreal band …

Doug Paisley is a very gifted singer, songwriter, and musician based in Toronto and specializing in country and western tunes. His latest album is called Strong Feelings and beyond containing some lovely love songs, it …

Mac DeMarco is a Brooklyn-based musician, songwriter, and multimedia artist who is quite popular among people who enjoy cool songs that sound …

Nick Sewell sings and plays bass in a mighty rock band from Toronto called Biblical. Formed in 2010, Biblical features members of the Illuminati, the …

John Carter Cash is an accomplished American record producer, novelist, children’s author, and musician. He is the only child of the late, legendary couple June Carter and Johnny Cash, whom he often worked with both in …

Maica Mia is a three-piece band from Montreal featuring Maica Armata, Jonny Paradise, and, most recently, bassist, Mauro Pezzente who is also a member of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Together they create a compelling, …

Jessy Bell Smith is a Guelph-based musician with one of the most remarkable singing voices I’ve ever heard. She’s been playing her own songs live for …

Michael Feuerstack is a well-respected, sophisticated and possibly underrated singer, songwriter, and musician who is based in Montreal. For many years he played in a Ottawa band called Wooden Stars and also nurtured …

Stephen Malkmus is the lead singer and songwriter in a great band from Portland, Oregon called the Jicks. Since he dissolved his highly influential …

Ame Henderson is a world-renowned Toronto-based dance artist and Jennifer Castle is a very compelling, gifted singer, songwriter, and musician who also calls Toronto home. Together they’ve created a new work for the …

Marie LeBlanc Flanagan is the executive director of Weird Canada, a music site, whose mission statement is “to encourage, connect, and document creative expression across Canada.” It has earned renown for its curatorial …

Alden Penner is a respected and idiosyncratic singer, songwriter, and musician based in Montreal. Penner was a key figure in the influential bands the Unicorns and Clues and went on to make heartfelt, enigmatic, and …

Joel RL Phelps is an American musician and songwriter who once played in the now-defunct band Silkworm. Upon leaving Silkworm, Phelps began …

Katie Ewald is a powerful contemporary dancer based in Guelph, Ontario. She’s performing at Hillside Inside’s Fab 5 Cabaret on Friday Feb. 7 as part …

Bear Witness is a co-founder of the inventive Ottawa-based trio A Tribe Called Red. Renowned for making a sophisticated kind of dance music dubbed “Electric Pow Wow,” A Tribe Called Red’s live show is a sensory …

Lido Pimienta is a remarkable musician who hails from Barranquilla, Colombia but currently resides in Toronto. Known for making challenging …

Wes Marskell and Jason Couse are childhood friends who play together in a Toronto band called the Darcys. Known for an enigmatic kind of powerful pop …

Tanya Tagaq is a truly singular artist who hails from the Nunavut territory in northern Canada. Though renowned as an Inuit throat singer who has …

Sharon Jones is a powerful, distinctive, and compelling American singer and performer who fronts one of the world’s greatest bands, Sharon Jones and …

Pat Sansone and John Stirratt play together in the bands Wilco and the Autumn Defense. The pair met in New Orleans and began working together in 1999, when the Autumn Defense was formed. Sansone eventually joined Wilco …

Efrim Menuck is a founding member of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, and the esteemed Hotel2Tango recording …

Tony Dekker is the well-respected singer, songwriter, and founder of the celebrated Canadian band Great Lake Swimmers. This past fall, Dekker …

Joel Gibb is the founder and visionary behind the Hidden Cameras, one of the most provocative and significant bands to ever emerge from Canada. For the last few years, Gibb has been bouncing between Berlin and Toronto …

Ben Johnson is a former sprinter and Olympic champion who lives in Toronto, Ontario. 25 years ago at the summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, …

Charles Bradley is a powerful American singer and performer steeped in the traditions of funk, soul, and R&B. After a hard knock life spent in …

Steph Yates is a talented singer, guitarist, and songwriter who plays in a Guelph-based band called Esther Grey. The scrappy, artful rock band has …

Dallas Good is a tremendously gifted multi-instrumentalist from Toronto, Ontario who is best known for singing and playing guitar in the world’s …

Jace Lasek is the co-founder and primary instrumentalist in the mighty Montreal rock band, the Besnard Lakes. Originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, Lasek made his way to Montreal some time ago and now co-owns the state …

Brendan Canning is a founding member of Broken Social Scene and has been a prominent and prolific figure in Canada’s underground music community for …

Casey Mecija is a musician and artist originally from Brantford, Ontario but currently based in Toronto, where she gained renown as the lead vocalist in a band called Ohbijou. Mecija is also of Filipino descent and has …

Tim Midyett is a man and musician currently based in Chicago, Illinois. For 18 years he played in a beloved and prolific rock band called Silkworm. …

Tim Heidecker is a talented musician and singer who is one-half of the rock and roll songwriting duo Heidecker and Wood. Along with Davin Wood, …

Edward Keenan is a senior editor at the Grid, a columnist at Spacing, and a lifelong resident of Toronto, Ontario. He has been writing about the …

Howe Gelb is an immensely prolific and well-respected musician, singer, songwriter, and producer based in Tucson, Arizona. In the mid-1980s, Gelb …

Ben Blackwell works at Third Man Records, a multi-platform label, record store, venue, and studio in Nashville, Tennessee and he once claimed his …

AroarA is a unique two-piece band that hails from Montreal and consists of married musical couple, Ariel Engle and Andrew Whiteman. You might recognize Whiteman’s name from his work in Broken Social Scene, Apostle of …

Al Tuck hails from Charlottetown on beautiful Prince Edward Island in Canada. Over the past 20 years, Tuck has established himself as one of the …

Nick Thorburn is a gifted musician, singer, and songwriter who fronts an American-based Canadian band called Islands. The new Islands record is called Ski Mask and it was released Sept. 17 via the band’s own Manqué …

Shad is one of North America’s most thoughtful and skilled hip-hop artists and we here in Canada are proud to call him one of our own. The gifted MC …

Dan the Automator Nakamura, Kid Koala, and Del the Funky Homsapien make up the legendary hip-hop supergroup Deltron 3030 who just released their long-awaited second album, Deltron 3030: Event II. After making landmark …

Basia Bulat is a distinctive singer and musician based in Toronto, ON. Over the past decade, she’s released three acclaimed albums and won praise for …

Mike O’Neill is a very talented singer, songwriter, and musician who currently lives in Halifax, NS. He first came to prominence in the esteemed two-piece indie-rock band the Inbreds and has gone on to make some really …

Sarah Harmer is a very gifted Canadian singer-songwriter who originally hails from Burlington, Ontario and is one of this country’s most successful …

Anne T. Donahue is a comedic writer and journalist who hails from Cambridge, ON. She once interviewed me for a music blog and is a regular …

Krist Novoselic is an American musician. filmmaker, author, columnist, and political advocate who has played in bands like Sweet 75, Eyes Adrift, …

Doug Tielli is one of the most captivating and talented musicians in Toronto’s underground music community. His work is both innocent and searching yet completely deliberate and confident in its uncertainty. A …

Lou Barlow is one of the most influential and inspiring figures in American underground rock music. A co-founder of the ever-vital Dinosaur Jr., …

Thurston Moore is one of America’s most influential and notable musicians, best known for playing guitar, writing songs, and singing in New York City’s Sonic Youth. Since that band formed in 1981, Moore has taken on …

Joseph Boyden, Sarah Elton, and Thomas King are three of Canada’s most acclaimed authors. Boyden splits his time between Ontario and New Orleans and …

Dirty Beaches is the alter-ego of a gifted and prolific artist named Alex Zhang Hungtai. Originally from Taiwan, Hungtai has spent some time living …

Joel Plaskett is one of the most accomplished, prolific musicians, songwriters, and producers to ever call Halifax home. 20 years ago he made his …

Jesse Stewart and Hamid Drake are world-renowned percussionists and no strangers to the Guelph Jazz Festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary from Sept. 4-8. Stewart is a Juno Award winner who once called Guelph …

Superhumanoids are a trio from Los Angeles who make dreamy, R&B infused, electronic pop songs that are deceptively airy. With their hazy vocals and melodies, the band are definitely working within a mysterious …

Sohrab Habibion is a multi-talented musician, graphic artist, recording engineer, and generally great person who currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. For …

Mark Arm is a singer and guitarist based in Seattle, Washington. 25 years ago he co-founded Mudhoney, one of America’s best and most influential underground rock bands. They were profiled in a great documentary called …

Greil Marcus is one of the most revered writers and cultural historians in the world. Since the late 60s, the California-based Marcus has …

James Williamson is a legendary guitarist, best known for his role in the hugely influential proto-punk band, Iggy and the Stooges from Detroit, …

Jon Wurster is one of the best drummers in rock music and he has proven this to be true by filling that role for people like Bob Mould, Rocket From …

Steve Albini is a man who lives in Chicago, Illinois and owns and operates the really remarkable Electrical Audio Recording facility. He is the guitar player and primary singer in the band Shellac and he makes a mean …

Glenn Jones is a respected figure in the world of guitars and American Primitivism. He lives in Boston and became a friend and collaborated with his …

Kumail Nanjiani is a very funny person who hails from Karachi, Pakistan, but currently lives somewhere in the vicinity of Los Angeles, California. He has worked on numerous television shows as a writer and/or actor, …

Acclaimed, artful electro-pop duo the Blow moved to Brooklyn and are about to release their new, self-titled LP this October, which is their first …

Chad VanGaalen is a very talented and strange musician, visual artist, animator, filmmaker, father and resident of the good city of Calgary, Alberta. Though ostensibly a homebody, he will occasionally leave the house to …

Ian F. Svenonius is one of underground culture’s most provocative singers and thinkers. From leading impassioned Washington D.C. bands like Nation of …

Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld are partners in life and some times play music together in bands like Arcade Fire and Bell Orchestre. They also …

New York City’s Lee Ranaldo is a founding member of Sonic Youth and, as such, is one of the most gifted and revered guitarists, singers, and songwriters in the history of rock music. When Sonic Youth began a hiatus in …

I always love speaking to Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy a.k.a. Will Oldham. This past February, Dawn McCarthy and Bonny Billy released an LP called What the …

A chat with Judah Bauer, Jon Spencer, and Russell Simins at Call the Office in London, ON about the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion‘s adventures in the …

International electronic music superstar Tiësto and I have a frank, open chat about why EDM has exploded over the last few years, his new release, …

In celebration of the new murderecords 7″ singles 1993-1998 photo/music book, Sloan’s Chris Murphy and Jay Ferguson and photographer Catherine Stockhausen discuss murderecords and Halifax music history. For more info …

16 year-old Brampton, Ontario producer WondaGurl talks about being on Jay-Z’s new album and the Highest Order’s Simone Schmidt discusses music …

Canada’s king of hip-hop (sorry Drake), Maestro Fresh Wes and I have a chat about the 25th anniversary of his colossal hit single, “Let Your Backbone …

Weird tone to this one. Drew Marshall of the Sled Island music festival gives a firsthand account of the flooding that has devastated Calgary and forced Sled Island to cancel its plans, Matt Myers of the U.S. band …

Today you can hear my conversation with David Yow about his new solo LP, Tonight You Look Like a  Spider. David is an amazing man who used to sing in …

Ah, the Sunday evening podcast launch. Social media suicide! It’ll be worth it though. On this episode, I head down to the Speed River in Guelph to speak to Tragically Hip superfan, Joshua Kloke, who is celebrating the …

One of my favourite bands ever is the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and they’ve got a few Canadian tour dates coming up soon (including Sled Island this week and Ontario shows next month). I called up Jon Spencer for a …

On this episode, I take a closer look at the final years of one of the best rock band of all time, the Clash. While some fans and critics dismiss them, a new book called We Are the Clash: The Last Stand of The Only Band …

My friend and colleague James Keast invited me to a Jays game on Sunday and it seemed like a great place for us to talk about jocks vs. music nerds, …

I drove down to Washington D.C. with Jim Guthrie and his band (Samir Khan, Jordan Howard, Randy Lee, Marshall Bureau, and J. J. Ipsen) so they could …

Surprise surprise, another podcast this week. Even I’m surprised, surprised. I speak to Graham Wright about Tokyo Police Club playing the Red Bull …

This week:   Is Mayor Rob Ford beyond sympathy? Have these allegations of substance abuse humanized him in some way? Musician, author, and Toronto citizen Dave Bidini says no and pretty much no.         A new supergroup …

On the first episode of the Kreative Kontrol podcast, Gawker‘s John Cook joins me to discuss breaking the ‘Rob Ford smokes crack cocaine on video‘ …