Last month during the Bluesfest season you may have found yourselves in the same predicament as me; not quite knowing whom Blitzen Trapper were. They’d been on my radar for a while, I’d heard faint whisperings from music loving friends that they were good, and that they were great live. Even my Last.Fm account was getting in on the action, recommending the band to me.

Larry Heath catches up with Ryan and Ewan of The Sheepdogs at the Canadian Blast at SXSW 2012. They talk about their then forthcoming tour dates in Australia with John Fogerty, their SXSW experiences, fellow Canadian bands and much more...

Sunday saw the return of the West Coast Blues and Roots Festival to Fremantle Park. Now in its ninth year, the festival produced a diverse line up, full of local, national and international talent. Despite the ominous rain clouds at the beginning of the day, the event went ahead with only a slight shower of rain, which did little to dampen the spirits of those in attendance.

I believe it was Bob Marley who said "one good thing about music, when it hits, you feel no pain". Well, the punters at this year’s Blues and Roots were in for a pain free day, with the music on offer being of the highest quality from artists of the highest calibre.