Hey Folks, just got home from two months of touring around Cambodia and Laos (as a guest musician with an NGO called MCC) and then on to India and Nepal. Here's the blog:

"India Laos Cambodia Blog"

CLOSER TO THE FLAME wins "OUTSTANDING POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR" at the WCMAs!

NEW VIDEO SHOT IN TOKYO
Click here to watch the new video we just shot in Japan for AGAINST MYSELF:

"AGAINST MYSELF video"

NEIL YOUNG TRIBUTE ALBUM (now available)
Joel's version of fellow ex-Winnipegger, Neil Young's "God Made Me" just got added to his upcoming tribute album called "Borrowed Tunes II" which comes out in October on Universal. The proceeds from the album will go to a number of Neil's favourite charities. Other acts that Neil chose include Barenaked Ladies, Emily Haines, Finger Eleven, Chantal Kreviazuk, Dallas Green, Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace and Ron Sexsmith.

The new album CLOSER TO THE FLAME is now available online (see the "Store") and at the following locations:
HMV, A&B Sound, Archembault, Indigo/Chapters, Best Buy, CD Plus, CD Warehouse, Future Shop, McNally Robinson, Megatunes, Music World, Sam the Record Man, Sunrise...or you can buy it on the web right here!

In case you missed it, here's the national news story on Joel and Dany Bedar:

"JOEL ON THE NEWS"

Check out this live footage of Joel jamming with Randy Bachman on the JAZZTHING Bravo special:

"JOEL AND RANDY BACHMAN"

"JOEL AND RANDY BACHMAN"

"JOEL AND RANDY BACHMAN"

Here are some live performances with Joel and his incredibly talented studio band: George Koller (Peter Gabriel), Kurt Swinghammer (Ani Difranco) and Gary Craig (Bruce Cockburn):

"JOEL ON TV"

"JOEL ON TV"

Here are some other live performances with big fancy lighting and all the bells and whistles (gotta love those bells and whistles!):

"JOEL ON TV"

"JOEL ON TV"

"JOEL ON TV"

Here's the first EPK from waaaay back (created by Robin LeBlanc):

"JOEL ON TV"

Just flew in from shooting the video for "AGAINST MYSELF" in Japan here...running around the streets of Tokyo with our five person crew shooting the video guerrilla style. We got some incredibly lucky shots (you'll see what I mean when you see the video)...an afternoon rave with the Harajuku fashionistas, almost got arrested amongst the throngs of Shibuya square (where Lost in Translation was filmed), met up with a battalion of storm troopers (seriously) at Zojoji temple filming the final segment of Vaders Fist, saw the stone image of Buddha's foot, went up the tokyo tower (I know, tourists...), witnessed a Shinto drumming ceremony, had $184 sake and nabemono (by accident), met a Zen monk on the subway and an actual Geisha in the streets of Kibuki (where Babel was filmed). The video's being edited right now in Montreal and it goes to Muchmusic and MTV late next week.

In other news, the new album CLOSER TO THE FLAME is at #4 at CKUA radio.

If you want a preview of the new album, you can get it here:

"AGAINST MYSELF"

or here:

"Preview of CLOSER TO THE FLAME"

Check out the latest press on the new album:

TANDEM MAGAZINE

NOW NEWSPAPER

NEW TRAIL MAGAZINE

The video for DEJA VU just hit number one!

For the full scoop and to watch the video just click this link

KROEKER AND BEDAR HIT NUMBER ONE

The Jonas single I wrote with Annette Ducharme "Let it Ride" is about to be released nationally so fingers crossed for that one as well.

Singer Angelica Di Castro just recorded a tune I wrote with guitar virtuoso Pavlo called "This Could Be..." It'll be on her upcoming release.

My song "Endings" is featured in a new film out of New York called "The Immaculate Conception", which will be playing at various film festivals across the continent. The next one they hit is Whistler in late November. So, if you're anywhere near there (lucky you) feel free to check out the film between black diamond runs...and listen carefully to the part where Joe and Mary are frantically escaping from being mauled by parishioners (need I say more?).

In the meantime make sure to check out the new tunes, videos, poems and stories at www.myspace.com/joelkroeker

All the best to you all out there,

jk