Sunday, September 4, 2011

Artist: Shuyler Jansen, Artist: Hobotron, Song: Write Your Will

"I bit the bullet, I stood my ground.  You're a cheater and a thief in a northern town.  I should have killed you, I just might still. Shut your mouth old boy or I'll write your will."  Shuyler Jansen is a singer songwriter originally from Edmonton, Alberta but now based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  He was in an alt-country band called Old Reliable that formed in the nineties.  They kicked around the prairie scene until 2005.  Right around the time Shuyler Jansen recorded his debut, Hobotron, with the Black Hen Music label.  Black Hen is also home to artists like Jenny Whiteley (see blog 7/1/11), Roxanne Potvin (see blog 8/16/10) and Jim Byrnes.  This particular release really pushes the boundaries of the label, alt-country, with it's incorporation of electronics.  Regardless if it is hard to categorize, there are some great tunes on this release, including this track, Write Your Will.  You can hear the song on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9dsVVZTCgY).  Shuyler has since released two more albums, his most recent this year with a new label, Scratch Records, out of Vancouver.  He has toured Canada, the U.S. and Europe in support of his albums and has shared the stage with Carolyn Mark (see blog 11/16/10), Luther Wright (see blog 4/7/11) and the Deep Dark Woods.  He has also played SXSW and NXNE.  He is currently touring through Oregon and Washington State and will be playing shows in Vancouver and the Yukon this fall.  You can follow him at http://www.myspace.com/shuylerjansen.  You can purchase the album, Hobotron, on Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!