Canada 150: Grimes, Imagine Dragons, Shawn Hook, Julia Michaels and more reflect on the anniversary

Artists discuss the reputation Canada has abroad —  Karen Bliss, Billboard

Among folk musicians, protest music's future is up for debate

A new generation of folk artists is creating music that might not always sound like the protest songs of yore —  C Janovy, npr.org

Island Records founder Chris Blackwell teams up with ‘Narcos’ exec for reggae series

Narrative TV series will explore the birth of reggae music and the rise of Jamaica’s music industry —Variety

On Canada Day, sampling Soulpepper’s cultural imports

Toronto company's month-long residency in NYC includes True North, which mixes Canadian songs and poetry  —  Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times

Costa del pop: how Despacito is breaking down music's language barrier

Move over Macarena: Luis Fonzi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber’s hit is the unmistakable sound of summer. Could the rest of pop music follow suit? —Sam Wolfson,The Guardian

The best reissues of 2017 to date

Eclectic list includes the Beatles, Dion and Ice Cube — The Observer

Pitchfork announces a new craft beer and music festival

OctFest will feature The Sadies, Okkervil River and Charles Bradley — Time Out

Take off, eh. Some Canadian pop songs are for us alone

Most tunes championed by the Canadian public were not hits across the border  — Joel Rubinoff, Toronto Star

Nick Lowe discusses having Johnny Cash as a father-in-law, Elvis Costello and more

English rock veteran has aged gracefully while attracting a younger audience —  Variety

Shaun Ryder: ‘It was cycling that got me off drugs’

The Black Grape frontman, 55, on fatherhood and family life, coping with panic attacks and the truth about UFOs —  The Guardian

Overlooked albums in 2017 sofar

Vancouvers The Courtneys make the list —  Pitchfork

Lee Watson’s music captures that Canadian sound

His melancholy voice recalls the work of singer-songwriters from Gordon Lightfoot to Rheostatics —  Ben Rayner, Toronto Star

Buckingham-McVie album is nearly all Fleetwood Mac

The duo's project doesn't stray from their roots much —  Pablo Gorondi, AP

Jim Cuddy has soft spot for old Don Jail

Blue Rodeo frontman covers a Stompin' Tom tune about infamous Toronto prison —  Jane Stevenson, Toronto Sun

70 concerts in Vancouver in July

List includes Dylan, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars —  Georgia Straight