Mixtape: London celebrates Canada Day

Trafalgar Square hosts the annual Canada Day celebration today, and as well as maple syrup, Mounties, poutine and a hockey tournament, the day will also play host to free concerts in the afternoon and evening.

Northern Cree are a 6 time Grammy nominated act originating from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation. They are the world’s premier Pow-Wow and Round Dance singing group.

Next up and hailing from Nova Scotia, Old Man Luedecke’s latest album found itself on the recently announced Polaris Prize Longlist. He’s also won multiple Juno awards for his storytelling folk songs

Last time we saw Ben Caplan he was playing a show at the top of Toronto’s CN Tower. Since then he’s been touring all over the world, popping up in all kinds of unexpected places (for example playing the role of Shane McGowan with Katzenjammer on a Norwegian television). He’s fresh from playing the Avalon stage at Glastonbury, and you can download a free track here or watch the video live from CBC’s Q below:

Featuring the talents of Ash Boo-Shultz and ..er…Human Kebab on turntables, USS (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) spent much of last year opening for Walk Off The Earth on their sold out European tour with their self described ‘campfire after party’ sound.

In the evening the show begins with a show from Hamilton’s Arkells, who won Group of the Year at the 2012 Juno Awards (Canada’s version of the Brits).

Jann Arden has had 17 top ten singles in Canada since her debut album Time For Mercy dropped in 1993, taking home 8 Juno Awards in the process, as well as having a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame AND in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame.

The Sheepdogs were the first unsigned band to appear on the front cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Since then the band have been touring their boogie-rock around the world, went to number one in Canada, and have picked up multiple Juno awards. Their latest, self titled album was produced by The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney.

Since their formation in Kingston, Ontario The Tragically Hip have become, quite simply, Canadian legends – so much so that on 13 July, the Canadian Postal Service will be issuing a stamp featuring the band!

With nine number one albums and 54 singles, their back catalogue has been a staple of Canadian radio and charts for years and is full of specifically Canadian references, meaning that The Hip have been recognised as the figureheads of the CanRock renaissance.

Check out all of the artists set to perform in London for Canada Day via the playlist below and for more information about the event itself, head to the official Canada Day website.