Artist: The Grapes Of Wrath, Album: Treehouse, Song: Peace Of Mind

"My father couldn't bother to play the kind of role a child required.  Instead of trying, he retired."  The Grapes Of Wrath are a rock band from Kelowna, British Columbia.  The founding members are brothers, Chris and Tom Hooper along with Kevin Kane.  The guys met during the late seventies and were a part of the growing punk and art rock scene developing on the west coast.  They decided to play some gigs together during the early eighties and by 1984 produced a 4 song demo that caught the attention of Nettwerk Records.  The label re-issued it and the following year, the band released it's debut album entitled, September Bowl Of Green.  Their debut spawned a couple of singles that achieved strong video and radio support in Canada which in turn attracted the attention of Capitol Records.  Their growing popularity also linked the band with Tom Cochrane, who had remixed a couple of the tracks off their debut and became inspired enough to assume the role of producer for their sophomore release, Treehouse, in 1987.  Any Canadian listening to alternative rock during the eighties would probably count this record as one of our country's all time greats.  I believe it has achieved gold status sales and it became a radio and video staple .  The album had two or three strong singles and one of them was this tune called, Peace Of Mind.  You can watch the video for the song on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7dB8lEW2iY).  The band would go on to release two more very good albums between 1987 and 1991 before calling it quits in 1992.  Some of the members soldiered on in a new band called Ginger for a couple of albums as well.  The band was nominated for two Junos in 1990 for Single Of The Year as well as Best Video.  Unfortunately, they lost out to Alannah Myles and Andrew Cash (see blog 2/12/11) respectively.  The band has reformed recently and played a number of shows this past year.  You can follow them at http://grapesofwrath.ca/.  You can purchase the album, Treehouse, on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Plume Latraverse, Album: Pommes De Route, Song: Hold Up

Plume Latraverse is a musician from Quebec.  He started his career during the early sixties with a band called  La Sainte-Trinite (The Holy Trinity).  Plume is a social activist at heart and was a key figure within the counter culture movement in Quebec.  He is a poet, novelist, painter and musician.  His music is a blend of genres.  He has often been described as a blues man but that certainly doesn't capture the sheer magnitude of all his recording works.  He has won International awards for his songwriting and I believe he has close to thirty releases to date.  Following the break up of La Sainte-Trinite, Plume teamed up with another French artist by the name of Stephen Faulkner for a few albums between 1974 and 1976.  Pommes De Route (Road Apples) was released in 1975 and was one of the final albums for the duo.  This is a very cool 70's rock album with some great tunes.  Both Plume and Stephen self produced the album.  Francophone rock is an ongoing exploration for myself.  I don't know much about the music because it typically doesn't get much press in English Canada.  So I've likely chosen a track here that may not resonate as loudly with true Plume followers.  Nonetheless, I love the groove of this deep cut called Hold Up from the album, Pommes De Route.  You can hear the song on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8FbkjJCCzM&blend=1&lr=1&ob=video-mustangbase).  I believe Plume is focusing more of his time writing novels these days.  An absolutely massive 5 disc compilation was released during the 90's of his work.  Most of his albums though are available on Itunes and you can also purchase Pommes De Route there.  You can read about Plume at http://www.phaneuf.ca/plume/.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: The Fast Romantics, Album: The Fast Romantics, Song: How Do You?

The Fast Romantics are a rock band from Calgary, Alberta originally, but now they reside in Toronto.  They are Matthew Angus, Jeffrey Lewis, Alan Reain and Laurna Germscheid.  The band formed in 2007 and won a regional talent contest which enabled them to produce their self titled debut in 2009.    The band has toured the country a couple of times and recently played some shows in the U.S. including SXSW in Austin, Texas.  They were a finalist in one of Spin Magazine's contests and were joined onstage in Calgary at a Holt Renfrew store opening gig by actor, Jeremy Piven (Entourage), who played drums with the band.  The Fast Romantics have also had some of their tunes included in movies and television.  The band released an EP in 2010 and it was produced by ex-Veal bassist Howard Redekopp (see blog 4/24/11).  You can follow the band at http://www.facebook.com/fastromantics.  How Do You? is a dirty, little British sounding rocker off their debut with addictive hand claps.  You can check out the track on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dreCge7WdE).  You can purchase the band's self titled debut on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Shades Of Culture, Album: A Little Bit About Us, Song: Trapped In A Maze

Shades Of Culture were a hip hop trio from Montreal that formed in 1992.  They were MC's DShade and Revolution along with DJ Storm.  The band was at the forefront of Montreal's hip hop scene and perhaps one of the most recognizable bands during the nineties within that province.  They were a hard working group that basically did it all independently.  They toured relentlessly and travelled across Canada numerous times, playing close to 100 shows a year.  They toured with Washington D.C. band, Bad Brains.  They also opened shows for other punk acts like SNFU (see blog 12/17/10).  Within the genre of hip hop, the band shared stages with Eminem, KRS-One, Gang Starr and EPMD to name a few.  They even opened for the Backstreet Boys at the Molson Centre in Montreal.  The band released their debut EP in 1996 and their follow up full length album in 1998.  In 2000, the band released an album of unreleased demos called, A Little Bit About Us, with the Stomp Record label (http://unionlabelgroup.com/).  One of the standout tracks from this release is a song called, Trapped In A Maze.  You can check out the song on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T3jRlKcAxU).  They sound a lot like Oakland, California's Souls Of Mischief on this track.  The band would end up splitting in 2004.  DShade released a solo album this past year which is available on Itunes and you can follow him at http://www.myspace.com/deeshade.  DJ Storm has also remained in music and has numerous projects on the go.  You can follow him at http://www.djstorm.ca/.  The album, A Little Bit About Us, is available for sale at Amazon.ca for $10.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!  

Artist: Mars Bonfire, Album: Faster Than The Speed Of Life, Song: Faster Than The Speed Of Life

Mars Bonfire is a man named Dennis Edmonton.  He grew up in Oshawa, Ontario and joined a band called Jack London & The Sparrows during the early sixties.  The band would eventually become just The Sparrows and recruit an American singer by the name of John Kay.  The band started playing heavy blues rock throughout Ontario and eventually made their way to New York and finally San Francisco.  By then, many of the members were burnt out, including Dennis Edmonton and The Sparrows broke up.  The members split off and carried on in other projects.  The majority of the members remained together and formed the band Steppenwolf.  Many of Steppenwolf's early hits were actual Sparrow tunes that Dennis Edmonton wrote, including a big one called, Born To Be Wild.  Dennis decided to concentrate on his songwriting once he left The Sparrows and released an album as Mars Bonfire in 1968.  It was picked up by Columbia Records and was entitled, Faster Than The Speed Of Life.  The album had a number of tunes that were also released by Steppenwolf like Born To Be Wild, Ride With Me, Tenderness as well as the title track.  You can check out the song, Faster Than The Speed Of Life, on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTTPsio8ORs&feature=related).  There is also some video footage of an interview with Dennis Edmonton where he reflects on this period of his career that is worth checking out on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-zY5unYgl0).  You can purchase the album, Faster Than The Speed Of Life, on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Revenge Of The Egg People, Album: Songs & Hymns Of Glorious Praise, Song: Season's Greeting Felony

"The noise down the hall scared the piss out of me.  He looked like a dead head strung out on speed.  Now I'm charged with a season's greeting felony."  Revenge Of The Egg People were a punk rock band from the Niagara region of Ontario.  They were Cashmere, Hobbs, Spore, Pail and Bug.  They formed in 1992 and released an astounding 13 albums before their break up in 2004.  They also produced their own independent movie and had a fanzine going for quite a while.  In 2002, the band released a Christmas album entitled, Songs & Hymns Of Glorious Praise.  There were some great originals on this album but none better than the song, Season's Greeting Felony.  It's about someone mistaking Santa for a house burglar and accidentally shooting him.  You can hear the song on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkkUB83MhOY). The band has reformed in recent years to play the odd show.  Lead singer Cashmere along with Bug started a couple of new bands called Throck Morton (see blog 12/27/10) as well as The Rumble Devils.  All three of the bands were signed to Stumble Records (http://www.stumblerecords.com/).  You can follow Revenge Of The Egg People at http://www.myspace.com/revengeoftheeggpeoplerotep.  Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas!

Artist: Instructions, Album: Instructions, Song: Don't Say Love

Instructions were a new wave band from Toronto, Ontario.  They released their one and only self titled, debut album in 1980.  The members were Dave Beatty, Peter Crolly, Alan Webster, Regan Myers, Owen Smith and Martin Wall.  Smith and Wall were together in another rock band during the late seventies called, Vehicle (see blog 8/9/11).  Much like Vehicle, their debut was distributed by the Quality Music Label.  However, the sound of the two bands were not similar at all.  Instructions were more like early Cars maybe Ultravox.  The late Domenic Troiano (see blogs 11/10/10, 8/16/11) actually added some guitar work on this album during the recording in Toronto.  Don't Say Love is one of the stand out tracks on the album and I believe it was released as the lead single at the time.  You can hear the song on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_cVlQfdfxg).  I'm not really sure what happened to the band following this release.  It is certainly a very unique offering from the 80's decade in Canadian music.  Thankfully, the album has been restored by Unidisc and is available for download on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Madcats, Album: Madcats, Song: Woman's Got The Power Over Me

Madcats were a Toronto based rock band that formed during the late seventies.  They were Grant Fullerton, Bobby Blake, Brad MacDonald, John Erdman and Glen Gratto.  Fullerton had been around the scene since the late sixties and early seventies with bands like The Stitch In Tyme and Lighthouse.  In 1975, Fullerton and MacDonald started a band called Fullerton Dam and when that band folded, they recruited new members and signed a deal with Skyline Records as The Madcats.  They released their self titled debut in 1978 with the very controversial "Straight jacketed Woman" on the front cover.  Their sound was blues rock but what made them unique was that they had two very strong yet different vocalists.  The album was solid with some wonderful rock anthems including this single, Woman's Got The Power Over Me.  You can check out the song on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gu9OMhU2wM&list=UUppSJ2-WmKhVgELd07MXO3w&index=1&feature=plcp).  The band would release one more album in 1981 with Domenic Troiano's (see blogs 11/10/10, 8/16/11) label, Freedom, before calling it quits.  The Madcats discography has been restored in recent years and is available for download on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Hurst, Album: Wanderlust, Song: Stumble

"I don't really know what I should say or do.  These growing pains are killing me and you.  Nobody wants to listen round here.  We're not always right, we're not always wrong.  Stumble through the moment, stumble 'til we gotta get it right." Trevor Hurst is a musician from Winnipeg, Manitoba originally.  He is likely best known as the lead singer for the band, Econoline Crush.  Trevor headed to Vancouver before settling in Seattle and forming that band in 1992.  They had some huge releases over their career; some of which achieved gold status.  They toured the world, were nominated for a Juno twice and opened for bands like KISS, The Foo Fighters and Collective Soul.  It was actually during a one off gig in Cleveland where Trevor met Collective Soul guitarist, Ross Childress, for the first time.  This encounter would become an important precursor to the release of this album, Wanderlust.  Following the less than stellar commercial response to Econoline's third full length album.  The band went on hiatus and in 2005, Trevor created a new band called, Hurst, and released their one and only debut album.  He was joined by former Collective Soul guitarist, Childress.  It's not anything like Econoline Crush beyond the obvious trademark vocals supplied by Trevor himself and the recognizable guitar that made Collective Soul so great.  It is more of a stripped down rock affair with very little electronics.  One very cool tune on this 7 song release is Stumble.  You can check out the song on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-63mKRO4-U&blend=1&lr=1&ob=video-mustangbase).  Hurst would end up reforming Econoline Crush and they went on to release a new album in 2008.  They are still together and touring.  You can follow them at http://econolinecrush.us/.  Although this one off solo release shares all the trademarks of a rarity now, it is available on Itunes for download.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: The Boombox Saints, Album: Bringin' The Boom Back, Song: Bringin' The Boom Back

The Boombox Saints are a hip hop group from Vancouver, British Columbia.  They actually began as a much larger band; eight people in fact.  They would perform their music live on stage with instruments before changing their approach and narrowing their numbers down to 3 and a DJ.  The Boombox Saints are singer Adlib along with MC's Freeky P, Huggy Fresh and of course, DJ Relik.  Freeky is originally from Hamilton, Ontario while Huggy is originally from Winnipeg.  They released their first single in 2009 and to date, have two EP's to their credit.  The band is planning a full length debut sometime in 2012.  Their current album was released this past year and is entitled, Bringin' The Boom Back.  They have a real old school sound and have shared the stage with some rap heavyweights like Mos Def, Talib Kweli as well as The Souls Of Mischief.  I can't tell you how often I played '93 to Infinity by the latter band back in the day.  The title track from The Boombox Saints' latest EP samples another great old school song by Cali rapper, Ahmad, called, Back In The Day.  It's a very cool tune and you can check out the video for the song on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AjQuICeQVI).  The band is playing shows across the country in support of this release and you can follow them at http://www.boomboxsaints.co/.  You can download the band's new album for free from their website.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Mary Jane Lamond, Album: Suas e!, Song: Seinn O

Mary Jane Lamond is a Celtic singer songwriter from Nova Scotia.  She sings in Scottish Gaelic often interpreting classic traditional songs and giving them new life through modern instrumentation.  As a university student in Nova Scotia, she began researching her grandparent's history and culture.  Her research into the traditions and music of Atlantic Canada's early Scottish ancestry became the basis for her debut album in 1994.  It led to an encounter with fiddler, Ashley MacIsaac (see blog 7/30/11), which would prompt their collaboration on his hit, Sleeping Maggie, from his debut album in 1995.  The success of that single paved the way for her own sophomore release, entitled, Suas e!, in 1997.  The album did extremely well, allowing her to perform abroad and as well, garnering her a Juno nomination for Best Roots & Traditional album in 1998.  However, she lost out to Ron Sexsmith that year.  She would be nominated again in 2000 for the same award but again, would lose out to Bruce Cockburn.  I honestly think that if there had been a category for World Music Album Of The Year prior to 2003, she likely would have won a Juno.  Unfortunate but certainly not the true measure of an artist's work.  Today, Mary continues to perform and teach workshops about Celtic arts and tradition.  You can follow her at http://www.maryjanelamond.com/.  You can check out the song, Seinn O, on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7eZ_2GqDpU).  You can purchase the album, Suas e! on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Rockhead, Album: Rockhead, Song: Heartland

Rockhead were a band from British Columbia.  They were led by former Payolas and Rock and Hyde (see blog 7/9/11) members, Bob Rock and Chris Taylor.  They teamed up with local area musicians, Steven Jack, Jamey Koch and John Webster.  The band released their one and only self titled debut in 1992 with EMI Records.  Bob had already made a name for himself one year prior as the producer for Metallica's huge self titled "black album".  He was also at the production helm for Bon Jovi's Keep The Faith  album that same year as well as The Cult's Sonic Temple album three years earlier.  But times were changing and Nirvana and Pearl Jam both released their debuts one year earlier, ushering in a new musical trend that destroyed the careers of many metal bands.  Perhaps the label felt that with Rock's name already linked to bands like Metallica and Bon Jovi, that Rockhead could ride out this new musical wave like they did.  Unfortunately, it didn't happen and the band folded before recording again.  This was a good album though and if you like your rock and roll, the lead single, Heartland, is a keeper.  You can check out the video for the song on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVb15Ri7HL0).  You can purchase the album, Rockhead, on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Lisa Winn, Album: Mother Earth, Song: Mother Earth

"Mother Earth is crying tonight, dying right in front of our eyes."  Lisa Winn is a singer songwriter from Hamilton, Ontario.  She got her start in music as a back up singer during the mid nineties.  She actually worked on Gordon Lightfoot's 1999 release, A Painter Passing Through.  She has collaborated with artists as diverse as Melissa McClelland and Jakalope.  In 2000, she stepped out of the shadows with her debut entitled, Mother Earth.  The album was mixed with songs she co-wrote with fellow artist, Rob Lamothe (see blog 3/3/11) as well as covers like the title track, Mother Earth, which was penned by legendary Hamiltonian, Ray Materick (4/16/11).  It is a wonderful song that is lifted to new heights with Lisa's strong vocals.  You can check out the song on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZMfsruhdQQ).  Lisa would end up touring the country as well as Europe in support of this release before going back to the studio for a follow up release in 2003.  Today she spends much of her time finding homes for animals held in shelters.  You can follow her project at http://ladybirdanimalsanctuary.com/.  You can keep tabs on Lisa at http://www.lisawinn.com/.  You can purchase the album, Mother Earth, on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Melissa Laveaux, Album: Camphor & Copper, Song: Phoebus

Melissa Laveaux is an artist originally from Ottawa but now residing in France.  She released her indie debut, Camphor & Copper, in 2006.  It was produced in Toronto at Imaginit Studios by Lisa Patterson (see blog 8/3/11).  Her music was then discovered by French indie label, No Format, through her Myspace page and they re-mastered and re-released the album in Europe.  They added some cover songs and sadly, decided to delete this track, Phoebus.  I really enjoy this particular track and it reminds me of another French, Nigerian born artist by the name of Asa.  If you haven't heard of Asa, you need to check out the song, Jailer. Camphor & Copper was re-released in Canada through Montreal based indie label, Spectra Musique, in 2010.  Melissa performs mainly in Europe now and is working on her second album.  She has also collaborated with British producer, Majik as well as fellow Canadian, Mocky.  There is actually a Mocky produced, Beyonce cover called, Crazy In Love, that was added to the Canadian re-release.  Someone has uploaded live footage of her performing the song in Paris on You Tube that is worth checking out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp19xRBDIlE&feature=related). You can follow Melissa at http://melissalaveaux.com/.  You can hear the song, Phoebus, on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzo69Cwrhn8&list=UUppSJ2-WmKhVgELd07MXO3w&feature=plcp).  The original version of Camphor & Copper is virtually non-existent today so you'll really have to dig to find a copy.  You can check out Melissa's other work on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Dee Long, Album: Welcome To The Future, Song: Take My Advice

"If you don't know then I'm not gonna tell you.  Take my advice because I'm not using it."  Dee Long is a musician currently residing in British Columbia.  However, he began his career in Toronto as the guitar player for the 70's band, Klaatu (see blog 11/27/10).  Dee answered a want ad in the newspaper and fell into one of Canada's most commercially successful bands.  In one of the strangest stories in Canadian musical history, Klaatu benefited from a rumour that was started by a reporter in the U.S. claiming that they were actually the Beatles performing under another name.  The band never printed their names on their albums so this of course fuelled the belief that the rumours were potentially true.  However, by the eighties, the band began exposing themselves and their sales began to lag.  Dee remained in music and has worked in the production end of the music industry for the last couple of decades.  He even worked with Beatles' producer, George Martin, in London, England.  He seems to have an insatiable appetite for technology which is likely a natural extension of his love for science.  He has developed his own drum sampling software which he sells on his website and if you listen to his solo work, he always seems to be pushing the boundaries of popular music.  His solo work dates back to the late nineties and the album, Welcome To The Future, is from 2006 on Bullseye Records.  Take My Advice is a strong song from this release with clever lyrics and a great melody.  You can check it out on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGLOtsQ52vQ&list=UUppSJ2-WmKhVgELd07MXO3w&feature=plcp).  Dee has just released a new album of re-invented classics and demo tracks from his earlier years before and with Klaatu.  You can purchase all of his music and software from http://deelong.com/.  You can also purchase the album, Welcome To The Future, on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!    

Artist: Teaze, Album: Body Shots, Song: Living On The Edge

"See the cue ball disciples with two piece rifles are up for their nightly revenge." Teaze were a rock band from Windsor, Ontario.  They were Brian Danter, Marc Bradac, Mike Kozak and Chuck Price.  They formed in 1975 and rocked it out on the bar scene for a few years before getting their major label break with Aquarius Records.  They released their self titled debut in 1977 and co-wrote a song with George Young of The Easybeats' fame.  George was also the older brother of Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC.  Teaze would also cover The Easybeats' hit, Gonna Have A Good Time Tonight, on their sophomore release in 1978.  The band had a really tough time selling records in Canada and the U.S. despite touring constantly.  Strangely enough, they had a "Big in Japan" moment in 1978 that changed everything for them.  They went from playing small venues in North America to sold out stadiums on their first trip to Japan which renewed the label's faith in the band.  However, both a live album as well as their third release in 1979, failed to make an imprint in North America and the band was eventually dropped from their label.  Body Shots was their final release in 1980 before they disbanded and Living On The Edge was one of the singles released from the album.  You can check it out on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGumFllh85A).  In the years that followed, a couple of compilations were released of the band's work.  This particular track is also available on The Best Of Teaze.  You can find the album Body Shots as well as the Best Of compilation on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: The Diodes, Album: Tired Of Waking Up Tired: The Best Of The Diodes, Song: Tired Of Waking Up Tired

The Diodes were a punk band from Toronto that formed during the mid to late seventies.  They hold the status of being the first punk band from Canada to sign a record deal with a major label.  The band was signed to CBS Records and released their self titled debut in 1977.  Their first single was a cover of the sixties' hit, Red Rubber Ball, that was originally released by a band named, The Cyrkle, in 1966 and was penned by a very young Paul Simon.  The song did well and soon the band was playing bars like CBGB's and Max's Kansas City in New York.  They also toured with bands like The Ramones, The Dead Boys and The Runaways.  Their biggest single was the track, Tired Of Waking Up Tired, which they introduced to the public while touring in support of their debut release in 1978.  The favourable response to the song prompted it's quick release as a single and in 1979, it was included on their sophomore release entitled, Released.  The band would issue one more album before re-locating to London, England.  However, the band broke up shortly thereafter.  In the years following, an album of outtakes was released in 1982, a compilation through Sony Canada in 1998 and in 2010, a live album with Bongo Beat Records (http://bongobeat.com/diodes/).  The members have reformed in recent years to play the odd show or festival.  As circumstances would have it, they can lay claim to having produced one of our country's top singles ever yet were never awarded here in Canada for their achievements.  They have left an indelible imprint on alternative rock that may be more recognized abroad than at home.  British magazine, NME/Uncut, recently released a special collector's edition called, 501 Lost Songs.  In that edition, artist Bob Mould (Sugar, Husker Du), name dropped the band and one of their songs as one of his favourites of all time.  You can check out the song, Tired Of Waking Up Tired, on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynFK5ylCbTM).  While their original sophomore release is a difficult and rare find today, you can find the song on their "Best Of" compilation which is available on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Nancy Martinez, Album: Not Just The Girl Next Door, Song: For Tonight

"A little love and candlelight."  Nancy Martinez is a singer from Montreal.  She began her career singing back up for many popular Francophone artists during the disco/dance craze of the late seventies and early eighties.  She released her first singles in 1982 under the names of Jade and Nancy Martin.  In 1983, she would release her debut album as Nancy Martinez on homegrown label, Matra Records.  Matra was already home to some well known disco artists like Carol Jiani (see blog 3/29/11).  However, in 1986 she would gain international acclaim with her major label debut entitled, Not Just The Girl Next Door, on Atlantic Records.  The album yielded a couple of popular tracks including this one, For Tonight.  The album is likely Canada's premier release in the freestyle genre.  Freestyle was a form of R&B music that grew in popularity around the same time as break dancing and hip hop.  Electronic dance based music with lots of syncopated percussion and sampling.  This genre likely became mainstream with the release of Madonna's debut in 1983 but was also championed by many dance artists like Shannon, Debbie Deb, Trinere, Connie, Expose, Starpoint and Nu Shooz to name a few!  Nancy's debut ranks up there with all of them and the song, For Tonight, is a standout.  You can check out the tune on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig44vs4nC9A).  Nancy was nominated for the Juno for Most Promising Female Vocalist in 1987 as a result of this release but lost out to Rita MacNeil.  This album is most likely her crowning achievement but she has had a long and prosperous career in music since 1986.  She has eight albums to her credit and has released albums in both English and French.  She also released a Jazz standards album in the last decade.  Aside from her own solo career, she has continued to work with other artists and has contributed her vocals to albums by artists like Celine Dion.  While not all of her work is available for download currently, her major label debut is and you can purchase it from Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: D-Sisive, Album: Let The Children Die, Song: Father

D-Sisive is a hip hop artist from Toronto.  He started his recording career during the late nineties, releasing a number of singles before retreating from music for close to a decade.  Both of his parents passed away within a six year period.  However, upon returning, within a span of two years, he released his Juno nominated debut entitled, The Book, as well as his sophomore, Polaris Prize nominated, full length album entitled, Let The Children Die, in 2009.  Both releases included the song, Nobody With A Notepad, which garnered him Socan's Echo Songwriting Prize.  Unfortunately, this same track would cause him tremendous grief when he was sued by legendary songwriter, Lamont Dozier, for copyright infringement.  The album, Let The Children Die, would be removed from further production as a result of the lawsuit.  Thankfully though, it has recently been added to Itunes without the track in question, along with his debut EP, The Book.  It's a dark album which finds him confronting the topic of his parent's deaths.  One outstanding track in particular, is the song, Father.  It's quite moving and you can check it out on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkSpfF5IxhU).  D-Sisive is definitely not your typical hip hop artist.  He gains inspiration from artists as diverse as The Beach Boys, David Bowie and Sigur Ros.  He has collaborated with Ron Sexsmith (see blog 9/9/10) and Jay Malinowski (Bedouin Soundclash).  He also wears an ostrich mask.  Most recently, he went public with the statement that he would be dropping the name D-Sisive and changing his name to Derek from Northcliffe.  However, his most recent album this past year was released under the name D-Sisive.  To date he has seven releases and you can follow him at http://www.facebook.com/DSisiveMusic.  You can purchase the album, Let The Children Die, on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Cuff The Duke, Album: Cuff The Duke, Song: I Really Want To Help You

"I really want to help you, let you feel free.  But I haven't much hope left and I'm saving it for me."  Cuff The Duke are a rock band from Oshawa, Ontario originally.  They are Wayne Petti, Paul Lowman, Dale Murray and Corey Wood.  Their sound might be described as country rock or perhaps Americana if I were to reach for a label.  They released their indie debut in 2002 which garnered them some critical acclaim and led to a deal with Hayden's label, Hardwood Records.  They would actually tour North America as Hayden's backing band and played shows with Feist and Blue Rodeo.  They are a tremendously hard working band who have released albums at a torrid pace since their inception.  To date they have five albums and their most recent; released in 2011, is the first album of a two part series.  Lead singer and principle songwriter, Wayne Petti has also released a solo album and some of the members have played and recorded with The Hylozoists.  Their self titled album was actually their sophomore release and it includes this great track, I Really Want To Help You.  You can check it out on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sdQHIm58h4).  The band was nominated for their first Juno in 2010 for Adult Alternative Album Of The Year.  Unfortunately, they lost out to Joel Plaskett (see blog 9/5/10).  The band's latest release was produced by Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor and you can follow the band at http://www.cufftheduke.ca/.  You can purchase the album, Cuff The Duke, on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Artist: Paul James Band, Album: Almost Crazy, Song: The Ugliest Girl In Town

"Her daddy was waving a 12 gauge shotgun.  What he say?  He said keep on kissing her don't run.  She's the ugliest girl in town.  He said, why you keep on coming around?"  Paul James is a well known blues musician from Toronto.  He grew up on Bloor and Bathurst and taught himself to play guitar.  He learned of the blues from hearing the Rolling Stones.  He soon started visiting coffeehouses in Yorkville at the tender age of 13 and saw bands like Luke & The Apostles (see blog 8/11/11), Mandala (see blog 8/16/11) and Sparrow.  The latter band would eventually become what we all recognize today as Steppenwolf.  Paul was actually invited on stage to jam with the band in those early years.  He also got a chance to join Rick James and Neil Young's band, The Mynah Birds, on stage as well, in those early years.  As Paul continued his musical education in the bars and coffeehouses of Toronto, he took up residency at many of the popular blues clubs in the city as the house guitarist.  He also landed a gig backing up Bo Diddley at the El Mocambo which would lead to a life long working relationship and friendship.  He started his first band during the early seventies called Lick N' Stick and was signed to Columbia Records.  Unfortunately, they wanted him to be more disco so the band folded.  He was then recruited by Mink Deville and he toured the world as their guitarist.  If you aren't familiar with Mink you need to check out the song, Spanish Stroll.  Enough said.  Paul then returned to Toronto and started his second band, The Paul James Band.  Almost Crazy was their debut album in 1984.  The song, The Ugliest Girl In Town, was actually co-written with Bo Diddley.  Paul has a very traditional approach to blues rock and is quite the entertainer, often playing the guitar behind his back and doing the Chuck Berry duck walk.  That's actually how he caught the attention of Bob Dylan.  Bob actually invited Paul to play in his band on numerous occasions including shows at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and at the Midland Arena in Buffalo.  Paul is still performing and releasing albums today.  He actually released a new album called Lazy Crazy Blues that features some tracks from his early days with Lick N' Stick.  You can purchase the album and follow Paul at http://pauljamesband.com/.  A true musician's musician who is criminally under appreciated by the general masses but not by his peers.  Unfortunately, Paul didn't release a lot of albums during his early years but rather singles because of the cost of recording.  Almost Crazy is a very rare find but there were copies trading on Ebay for $10 at the time of this blog.  You can check out the video for the song, The Ugliest Girl In Town, on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ztZ3TLktPQ).  Thanks for reading and enjoy!  

Artist: The (Irish) Rovers, Album: The Rovers, Song: Wasn't That A Party

"Could've been the whiskey, might have been the gin.  Could've been the three or four six packs I dunno but look at the mess I'm in."  The Irish Rovers were a Celtic folk band that formed in Toronto during the early sixties.  They were all immigrants from Ireland yet they met in Canada and began performing in the folk clubs of Toronto.  They would move West and settle in Calgary where they began performing on television for the first time.  This would become a major element in the band's success over the next couple of decades.  They hosted their own shows on the CBC and many of the shows had international syndication which introduced the band to a much wider audience.  The band toured the United States and Canada during the sixties before signing with Decca and releasing their debut in 1966.  The band were musical ambassadors for Canada and represented the country at various World Expos.  They were actually asked by the late, former Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau, to become Canadian citizens.  Their music was often comedic and there is no better example of that than their 80's single, Wasn't That A Party.  Strangely enough, despite already performing for nearly two decades by the time this album was released and sharing stages with artists like Johnny Cash, the band achieved their first Number 1 record in Canada.   The song was actually written by American folk icon, Tom Paxton.  The Rovers were known for their partying and Tom happened to witness one of their post show events and was compelled to write a song about it.  As it turned out, it became the band's biggest hit.  You can hear the song on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVPu5v_S0Lk).  The band is still around today and continue to play shows.  You can follow them at http://theirishroversmusic.com/.  The Rovers have been nominated for a Juno six times yet have never won.  Their 1980 release, entitled, The Rovers, which spawned this hit, garnered the band the Juno nominations for Single Of The Year which they lost to Martha and the Muffins (see blog 1/25/11) and Folk Group Of The Year which was won by Bruce Cockburn.  This particular hit has been included on a number of compilations over the years which is great because the original release is very hard to find today.  You can purchase the song on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!