No Sleep 'til Sudbury with Brent Jensen

It's here! The second half of my chat with the lovely Erica Ehm is now live, complete with the songs that make her skin vibrate (and that John 'JD' Roberts cliffhanger conclusion). Erica's playlist was compiled as a retrospective of her life thus far, documenting childhood memories, her time at MuchMusic and the artists she befriended, motherhood and her connection to her mother, and driving Bono...

It's a wonderful thing when you find out someone you've admired as a younger person is actually worthy of that admiration. And Erica Ehm certainly is.  Following her stint as an original MuchMusic VJ, Erica went on to write and produce Juno-winning songs, publish books, establish two successful companies, launch a speaking career, and more. In part one of our chat this week, Erica takes me through...

This week on NSTS we examine the events leading up to the unfortunate death of Nirvana singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain, considered by many to be the primary architect of a musical movement that changed the face of music in the early nineties.  Despite Cobain's death being ruled a suicide, there have been plenty of assertions that he may not have died by his own hand. A number of peculiar and inex...

When music fans share the songs that really mean something to them and the reasons why, they're sharing a part of themselves in doing so. And Spoons singer Gordon Deppe truly does that with us this week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury. He graciously provides the backstories for the songs that have made his skin vibrate over the course of his life, and we go pretty deep in reinforcing the idea that music...

My pal Stephen Stanley just released an incredible live record, and he joins me to talk about it this week on NSTS. The record is called Live Static Roots, recorded in Oberhausen, Germany during his 2018 European tour. And it's killer - check it out wherever you access your music. In keeping with the live music theme, Stephen brings in seven live tracks that have made his skin vibrate over the cou...

The great Kim Mitchell joins me this week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury for an incredibly enjoyable chat about the songs that make his skin vibrate, and his new single 'Wishes'. Kim is easily one of Canada's most accomplished musicians, from his days leading Max Webster through an illustrious, hit-laden solo career. The coolest thing about Kim is that in talking with him, you'd never know it. He's humb...

Last week on NSTS we talked about how Metallica formed in 1981. This week we look at another band that formed a few months earlier in the same year - Motley Crue.  Motley Crue's early years are full of wildly unbelievable events - fatal car crashes, overdoses, jail sentences, drug and alcohol debauchery, and even a conspiracy theory when you consider the mysterious tale of Matthew Trippe, who clai...

As mentioned in earlier episodes, some significant musical events took place in the year 1981. One of those events was the formation of Metallica. The band went on to achieve all kinds of ridiculous levels of success, but when I held their first album in my hands while I decided whether or not to buy it in 1983, I could have never, ever imagined. This week it's my pleasure to talk in detail about...

This week it was my privilege to host Spoons bassist Sandy Horne on the show. I've been a fan since the early 80s, and it was great to chat with Sandy about Spoons stuff old and new, including the band's contribution to COVID-19 front line worker relief effort Back to the Basement, a virtual concert put on by abductedbythe80s.com Saturday June 13 (hence the advance airing of the episode).   In add...

Men's Health and Metal Hammer writer Joe Daly joins me from Southern California this week on No Sleep Til Sudbury, and it's great to catch up - Joe was originally scheduled to appear on one of the very first introductory episodes of NSTS back in April 2017. It's been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait. Joe and I chat about the recording of The Doors first record, KISS and disco, Slayer'...

The Lazys singer Leon Harrison is my guest on NSTS this week, and he interviews the same way he performs - without reservation. Transplanted from Australia, The Lazys is one of Canada's hottest rock acts. Leon and I talk about the reasons behind the band's move to Canada, why it's important to recognize a band's entire catalogue beyond the hits, social media influencers, the genius of Coldplay, hi...

This week it's my pleasure to welcome my pal, ex-Spoons and Honeymoon Suite keys player Rob Preuss back to the show. Rob called in from his home in Queens, NY with a playlist that has a special meaning to him. As always, Rob brings impressive insights and great stories to the conversation, including his interaction with Ted Templeman during the recording of Honeymoon Suite's Racing After Midnight...

Lots of musical things happened in 1981. One of those things was Rush's release of their most popular record, Moving Pictures. Just a few years before that, they were almost dropped from their record label. This week on NSTS we look at the leadup to the Moving Pictures album, how it came together. and all of the amazing intricacies that went into it - including the physical impacts Tom Sawyer's dr...

So much great stuff happened at the beginning of the 80s that I just had to continue going through it this week on NSTS. In 1981 MTV changed the musical landscape forever, Blondie helped to bring rap into the mainstream spotlight with Rapture, and Ozzy bit the heads off of two doves in a meeting with record executives, kicking off a long list of misdeeds that would include biting the head off of a...

John, Bon, and Bonzo: we lost three rock icons in the year 1980. Former Beatle John Lennon, AC/DC singer Bon Scott, and Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham all departed in the same year.  This week on NSTS we continue our look at 1980, focusing on these three figures - shedding light on a new theory of how Scott may have really died, the bizarre backstory of Lennon killer Mark David Chapman, and why...

The 80s marked a time when music and commerce would become indelibly intertwined - record companies did away with old artist development models in favour of capitalizing on a growing new talent pool. And with MTV now providing a visual aspect to accompany a song, music would rely on image like never before. This week on NSTS we look at the bigger, brighter, and money-driven music of the 1980s, sta...

Legendary Blood Sweat & Tears frontman and Grammy winner David Clayton Thomas joins me from his home this week to chat about his new record Say Somethin'. We also talk about the songs that make his skin vibrate, and some of the artists on his list are actually friends and collaborators, including the great Roberta Flack. Fantastic discussion with one of the true greats.       Thomas' playlist: Ray...

In late 1969, The Rolling Stones gave fans a free concert in response to criticism that their concert tickets had been too expensive. They were joined by a select number of other acts at Altamont Speedway in California and the concert become a festival, fashioned after Woodstock. It would be anything but. Hells Angels acted as security, and Altamont would be remembered not for peace and love, but...

A lot of important things happened in 1969, and one of those things was the Woodstock music festival. This week on NSTS we take a close look at Woodstock's three days of 'peace and love' - the chaos it faced in hosting more than four hundred thousand people, the artists that showed up (along with the ones that didn't), and how it came to be known as a pivotal moment in defining a countercultural g...

1969 was a crazy year. Led Zeppelin scared the hell out of people with their heavy rock debut(s), and Charles Manson scared people in a much different way. And The Beatles broke up, which may have scared one or two people.   Join me as I examine the above in detail, including Zeppelin's tendencies to 'borrow' from old blues artists, Manson's bizarre relationship with Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wils...

There have been times when I wasn't sure we would hit this milestone. But here we are, almost three years after the very first episode of No Sleep 'til Sudbury aired, at episode number 150. Wow. To celebrate, I went through the last 50 shows and put together some moments I thought represented the show at its best - insightful musical conversation, laughs, tears, and great musical performances. I r...

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing social distancing and isolation, cancellations and schedule alterations are a must. But fear not, listeners - First 30 CEO and massive music fan Amy Davies is my guest this week.   In light of coronavirus concerns, Amy brings in a list focused on 'feelgood' music to lighten the mood and lift the spirits. We have a fun chat, and she shares stories about her embarr...

I was happy to welcome country sensation and friend of the show Kelsi Mayne back to the Sirius XM studios this week to chat about music and perform her new single "As I Go".    Kelsi is one of the hottest young country artists in North America right now, and her video for "As I Go" is getting a lot of attention. Keep an eye on her, she's definitely on her way up.      Mayne's playlist: Free - All...

Black Crowes drummer and author of the new book, "Hard To Handle - The Life and Death of The Black Crowes", Steve Gorman calls in to the show from Nashville this week. Steve is funny, gracious, and unflinchingly honest about his time in the Black Crowes. The stories are astonishing, and he shares insights on SCTV and Kids in the Hall, what his favourite Crowes record is, where the cowbell double t...

Not many people can say they changed the cultural landscape of a city. This guy can. Legendary concert promoter Gary Topp is my guest this week on NSTS.  Topp and his business partner Gary Cormier would come to be known as The Garys, a concert promotion colossus that introduced Toronto to Punk and New Wave, having brought bands like The Police, MC5, Talking Heads, and The Ramones to the city for t...