This probably won’t come as a shock, but I’m something of a nerd when it comes to technology. Yeah, I like gadgets and devices and toys and machines that go “ping,” but I’m especially interested in the tech that affects music—and vice versa.

Back around 2013, I got involved with a company that created a touring museum exhibit that went to science centres around North America. The owner of the company came up with the idea when he heard an “Ongoing History” program called “Format Wars,” which looked at all the different ways music was captured, stored, and distributed: vinyl, tape, CDs, and so on.

We called the exhibit “The Science of Rock’n’Roll,” and it explored how science and music have influenced each other, not just over the years, but over the centuries. The two things go hand in hand, each affecting the other and providing ways for creativity to expand into directions that were once thought impossible.

The exhibit did okay, too, booking runs at science centres in Toronto, Boston, Kansas City, Detroit, Cleveland, and a few other markets.

“The Science of Rock” spun off into a children’s book I co-wrote called “The Science of Song.” It’s aimed at kids 13 and under and STEM teaching: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

It’s been a minute since the book, the museum exhibit, and that original “Format Wars” show, so I thought it might be time to revisit the subject. And with that in mind, here’s a timeline of the biggest technological advances in music.

Prepare to geek out.

Songs heard on this show:

• Beck, Where It’s At
• Bjork, Headphones
• The Kills, Tape Song
• Kraftwerk, The Model
• SSQ, Walkman On
• Red Hot Chili Peppers, Give It Away
• Evanescence, Bring Me to Life
• Sarah McLachlan, Building a Mystery

Here’s Eric Wilhite’s playlist.
The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on these stations:

• 102.1 The Edge/Toronto – Sunday night at 7pm
• Q107/Toronto – Sunday night at 9pm
• Live 88-5/Ottawa – Saturdays at 9am and Sundays at 6pm
• 107.5 Dave-FM/Kitchener – Sunday nights at 11pm
• FM96/London – Sunday nights at 8pm
• Power 97/Winnipeg – Sunday nights at 10am and 10pm
• 107-3 The Edge/Calgary – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
• Sonic 102.9/Edmonton – Sunday at 8am and 8pm
• The Zone/Victoria – Sunday at 9am and 9pm
• The Fox/Vancouver – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
• The Goat Network/Interior BC
• WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Hollerado is a weirdly creative bunch of guys. Take the case of their album, 111 Songs.

Someone in the group came up with the idea of writing a song for every fan who wrote in and asked for one. The initial concept was to release a special promotional bundle with the record, a T-shirt, a poster and a custom song that would go with their second album, White Paint. Fantastic.

But so many fans wrote in—more than a hundred people paid to be a part of this—that the project took two years to complete. The result is equivalent to more than five full-length albums and was finally released on March 24, 2015. Hollerado went to iTunes who then refused to sell a five-hour collection for nine dollars.

The band wouldn’t compromise—Apple wanted to sell it for $35—so the 111 Songs album has gone down in Hollerado history as a fantastic money-losing passion project.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

On November 18, 1993, Nirvana went to Sony Music Studios in New York to perform an unplugged gig for MTV.  It was broadcast on TV and turned into a CD that came out after Kurt Cobain died. At first, MTV and the band’s label thought it was going to be a disaster because Nirvana insisted on playing some of the band’s more obscure stuff along with a couple of covers.

Kurt refused outright to do “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which freaked everyone out.  There were also concerns about Kurt’s health because he was going through withdrawal and vomiting blood.  Only a standby supply of Valium kept things on the rails.

At the end of the day, though, it was a magnificent performance.  Unplugged in New York is available in its full form on DVD and Blu-ray.  If you’re a Nirvana fan, it’s definitely worth it.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Think buying music is too expensive? If you look at things from a historical point of view, music has never, ever been cheaper.

If you go back to the 1950s, the average price of an album was about $5.50–and that’s in 1950s dollars. If you adjust for inflation, that’s over 60 bucks today.  Single digital albums sell for around 10 dollars on iTunes today. A CD certainly goes for less than 20. In the 70s, a 7-inch single sold for between 99 cents and $1.29. Adjust that for inflation, and that’s equivalent to over $7.50 at the high end.

Today on iTunes, singles go for between 69 and a buck twenty-nine. Talk about DEflation.  And that’s for physical and digital product. When you look at the free streaming from Spotify and YouTube, music costs nothing.

So, is it worth less or worthless? That’s where the discussion gets interesting.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The cops reported it as a suicide, another musician who had washed out of the business and took his own life. Sad, but common stuff. The police had seen it all before.

There was a quick investigation, a report was filed, and the case was closed.

That was 1966. Was it really such a cut-and-dried situation? Why were there smears of blood around the victim’s mouth? Why was the body covered in bruises?

The man was known as an immaculate dresser. The clothes on the body were not only rumpled and messed up, but soaked with gasoline.

The car in which the body was found wasn’t there 30 minutes before it was discovered. And if death had come so recently, why was it already displaying signs of rigor mortis?

None of this made sense. The musician and his band had recently had a major hit record that reached the Top 10. He seemed to have been in good spirits. There was no suicide note. So how did he end up dead, parked in front of his apartment in his mother’s Oldsmobile?

This is Episode 74 of “Uncharted: Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry.” And this time, it’s the story of the mysterious death of Bobby Fuller.
In addition to the podcasts, you can hear Uncharted on these Corus radio stations (all times local):

• Toronto: AM 640 (4-5 am)
• London: 980 CFPL (4-5 am)
• Vancouver: 730 CKNW (1-2 am)
• Edmonton: 630 CHED (1-2 am)
• Calgary: QR77 (770 AM) (1-2 am)
• Winnipeg: 680 CJOB (1-2 am)

And don’t forget about my current national speaking tour that will feature a live Uncharted podcast presentation. Get your tickets here.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

“Mr. Brightside” was the first-ever single from The Killers. It was released on September 29, 2003, and in Britain, it has never, ever gone away.

It’s been on and off the British charts for ten years, making it the longest-charting single in the history of those charts. It has sold more than six million copies in the UK alone and has been played on the radio around eight million times.

Here’s what drummer Ronnie Vanucci had to say about the song: “It just goes. It’s like if you sing ‘Happy Birthday’ and you don’t think. It’s just ‘Happy Birthday’ now.” Are they bored playing it yet? Nope.

Brandon Flowers says, “I’m able to feed off of the excitement of somebody who’s there, hearing it for the first time. I still get a thrill. My concern is that it’s going to turn on us and there’s going to be a backlash, but it just keeps growing.”

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The Winnipeg Jets have themselves a new goaltender, and it didn’t involve trading Connor Hellebuyck.

The Jets instead made a waiver claim to solidify their backup goalie position just hours before they had to submit their opening-day 23-man roster.

The Jets claimed netminder Clay Stevenson off waivers from the Washington Capitals to bring a little NHL experience to their backup position behind Stuart Skinner.

The 27-year-old Stevenson has appeared in just five NHL games with the Caps over the past two seasons, while playing primarily in the AHL with the Hershey Bears.

The Alberta product had a 3-1 record with the Capitals last season with a 2.00 goals against average and .921 save percentage after winning the Calder Cup with Hershey in 2024.

Stevenson was 18-13-1 in 37 AHL appearances last season.

The Jets also announced their opening-day roster by making two final cuts to get down to the 23-man limit. The Jets loaned goalie Domenic DiVincentiis and forward Brayden Yager to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, leaving the Jets with 13 forwards, eight defencemen, and two goalies.

Elias Salomonsson, Walker Duehr, and Garrett Brown will all start the season on the injured list.

17 of their 23 players have played for the Jets previously with six newcomers this season including Viggo Björck and Tyrel Bauer.

The Jets will open the season on Friday at home against the Boston Bruins.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

New polling suggests the Parti Québécois could be headed toward a majority government in next week’s provincial election, while support for the Coalition Avenir Québec has fallen sharply, with one projection suggesting the governing party could fail to win a single seat.

Three polls released with one week remaining in the campaign point to growing momentum for PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and mounting challenges for CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette.

A Léger survey places the CAQ at 16 per cent support, putting the party in fourth place behind the PQ, Quebec Liberals and Conservatives.

A projection by Route127.ca suggests the CAQ could be shut out of the national assembly altogether, while placing the PQ in majority-government territory.

“We have a very strong team and I’m pretty confident that we will convince Quebecers to support us and vote for us,” Fréchette told reporters on the campaign trail Monday.

The polling comes after a difficult weekend for the CAQ. Fréchette said she spoke with her communications team after reports emerged that a staff member had encouraged journalists to write about a publication from a fringe American think tank that promoted the idea of destabilizing Canada by supporting separatist parties.

Fréchette said the initiative was undertaken without her knowledge. “I think it should be discussed with me first, so this is the change that we brought,” she said.

Liberal Leader Charles Milliard said the controversy reinforces his argument that his party is the best option for Quebecers who want to avoid another referendum debate.

“My take is that the CAQ over the weekend has disqualified itself,” Milliard said.

The latest projections suggest the Liberals remain solidly in second place.

“They need to hear me out, they need to join us, and make sure that we can form the government in eight days,” Milliard said.

Meanwhile, St-Pierre Plamondon campaigned in the Eastern Townships as polling and projections continued to favour his party.

“We have the best team, we have the momentum, and we have solid and intelligent solutions to what the CAQ has left behind,” he said.

A PQ majority would give St-Pierre Plamondon the legislative numbers needed to pursue the referendum on Quebec sovereignty that he has promised for 2029 after U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office.

“We would actually be the richest country on the first day of the foundation of the country, the richest country in the history of our planet in terms of GDP per capita on day one,” he said about Quebec becoming an independent nation.

Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime also cast his party as a bastion against Quebec sovereignty, particularly if the election results in a minority government. “The Conservative party is now second among francophones and we’re the only ones who can stop the Parti Québécois and their obsession with sovereignty,” Duhaime said.

Despite the polling numbers, Fréchette said a week remains in the campaign and expressed confidence her party can still recover before voters head to the polls on election day.

–with files from The Canadian Press

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Montreal police say evidence gathered in a criminal investigation into allegations of discriminatory and racist conduct by officers from a neighbourhood station in the city’s east end has been submitted to Quebec prosecutors for review.

In an update Monday, the SPVM said evidence collected as part of its initial investigation into allegations involving officers from station 39 in Montreal North has been sent to the Le Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP), which will determine the appropriate next steps. Police said other related investigations remain ongoing and declined to provide further details.

The allegations became public in June, when police Chief Fady Dagher announced that a 16-member patrol unit assigned to the multicultural Montreal-North area had been disbanded and disarmed amid allegations of racism, misconduct and criminal behaviour.

Police suspended three officers that month and said the cases had been referred to prosecutors while an internal investigation continued. A police spokesperson later said two officers had been suspended in connection with one incident, while a third officer was suspended over a separate event.

Police have since confirmed a fourth officer was suspended on Aug. 19 in connection with a third alleged incident.

Among the allegations made public in June were claims that officers in the unit kept the hair of racialized citizens as trophies.

The latest suspension was not mentioned during an Aug. 21 news conference at which Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Dagher and Montreal police brotherhood president Yves Francoeur announced measures aimed at rebuilding public trust in law enforcement.

Police declined to say when Dagher became aware of the suspension of the fourth officer.

In Monday’s statement, the police force reiterated that discriminatory and racist behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated, whether involving members of its own staff or members of the public.

The service said it will continue to keep the public informed as its professional standards division advances the investigation.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A small group of aspiring security guards take part in a training session, requiring 40 hours in the classroom before they can write their provincially-mandated test to officially get their licenses.

It’s training that Instructor Peter de Beer, after 25 years in the industry and about a decade carrying out these sessions, believes needs to be adjusted to match the changing environment security guards are facing.

“It’s a lot different over the past 30 years, and the things that people have to face,” explains de Beer with de Beer Consulting & Security Inc. “Security is facing more and more all the time.”

Under the current model, all conflict resolution is taught verbally, with security guards able to take part in physical defense training or handcuffing after receiving their licenses, though it’s not required in many workplaces.

That’s a concern for de Beer, who says it’s much more common for security to encounter a violent incident, and they need to be prepared.

“If they don’t know how to defend themselves, they are going to go overboard because of fear and aspects like that,” explains de Beer. “With having proper training, you’re going to learn different things on how to deal with people, how to subdue them, and how to take them into custody if need be in a much safer manner than the old fashioned way.”

The curriculum now does prioritize communication and de-escalation before considering any physical. According to the training manual, use of force is only reserved in specific situations, such as when supporting a police officer, or defending yourself or anyone else from serious injury or death.

“Well there’s more drug activity, there’s more violence.” explains Indigenous Community Advocate Vivian Ketchum, stressing the situation for those in the profession has become more challenging.

Ketchum was brought on as an ambassador at a downtown Dollarama by Impact Security, after an incident in March which led to a security guard being charged. She believes since taking on the role, the situation has improved immensely at the store and she hopes cultural training can be a focus in an updated curriculum.

“The small amount of training from my life story has changed their attitudes and how they see us,” says Ketchum. “Just imagine if we had this Indigenous training implemented in the security guard course, it would be a change maker.”

If they wish to continue working as a security guard, a person needs to submit a license renewal application and pay a fee on an annual basis. There’s no requirement to retake the course or receive any further education.

“Practice is very important, police officers are required to annually certify for certain things.” explains Retail Council of Canada (RCC) Loss Prevention & Risk Management Executive Advisor Rue Rodrigues.

The RCC has been consulted by the province regarding what can be done to improve the training. The organization is also advocating for both the cultural training and hands-on conflict education, but want more re-certification requirements for skills as well.

“When we’re talking about the communication perspective, use of force, how to interact with the public,” says Rodrigues. “There’s a lot of guards just like police officers where they might go years without pulling a weapon. A guard may not encounter a certain situation in five or six months, however when the situation presents itself you need to be ready.”

The province of Manitoba recently stated a new curriculum would be rolled out to better meet the issues security guards are facing, pointing to the early new year as the timeline.

 

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.