Recording studios and touring artists
Photo: Karrnnel
Starlab Recording Studiohad a busy 2009 with projects including: These Hands "Home is Everywhere", Sarahtonen "Baked Goods", Sean Viloria "Free Your Mind", The Classy Chassys, The Swindlers "Oh!", and many more. 2010 so far, has seen the addition of engineer Dan Canfield to the studio team. Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar, Grady) visited the studio to work on Wide Mouth Mason's new album. Currently they are working with Higgs Bozon, AdiVa, Dustin Ritter Band, Jump Me Martha and Mobadass.
Jawbone Studios will see the return of Brain Sauce and Lords Kitchner in February to record new singles. Tex Emery's Hawaiian project, in conjunction with saskmade.com, is due for completion this spring and artists Dustan & Carrie Hlady will be recording three new singles.
Mykal Gambull is currently writing and recording material for his new album. The album will contain 10 or more tracks with an emphasis on guitar driven music. Many of the songs will be a collaborative effort with many well known Canadian Aboriginal artists. The album is scheduled for release in June. Mykal is also available for school workshops. His workshop titled 'Success in the Arts' is geared towards motivating youth and helping them understand that anything is attainable.
Karrnnel is currently collaborating with banjo/double bass player Daniel Koulack (Winnipeg), on a new album. This creative project will feature both traditional favourites from across Canada and some new material. Karrnnel is also working on his sophomore album that pushes the 'fiddle boundaries' even further then his debut self-titled release. Watch for this release in late 2010. He will be doing a week long tour through Saskatchewan with Troy MacGillivray (fiddle/piano player from Nova Scotia) in mid April. New website is officially launched.
Across The Ocean released their debut EP "Angel" on December 21. On January 31, they were featured on 94.1 FM The Eagle in Swift Current, and in March, they will be on the Saskatchewan Spotlight on Moose Jaw's 800 CHAB.
Codie Prevost's single "Spin" was the winner in the Country Song of the Year category in the Annual Independent Music Awards (IMA). "Spin" will be included in "Now Hear This" the Independent Music Awards Winner CD compilation. Currently in production, the comp will be serviced to college, public and commercial radio stations in March.
Chris Weber has recorded the EP "My Backyard." Saskatchewan people and their stories inspired four of the five tracks. The EP is available at CW Stringworks, Moose Jaw.
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Performance opportunities for Saskatchewan artists
Earl Pereira has been asked to perform two shows at the Saskatchewan Olympic Pavillion in Vancouver. Earl will also play two shows with Wide Mouth Mason at the official Olympic Festival Grounds. He has been busy recording at Starlab Recording Studio with producer Gordie Johnson (Willie Nelson, Three Days Grace, Billy Talent) as Wide Mouth Mason gets set to release their sixth studio album. Mobadass is also recording at Starlab. He has also started working as a session bassist and is currently recording with alt-rocker Travis Pankiw (Joshua's Habit). Pereira is looking forward to a busy year playing the summer festival circuit with Mobadass and touring with Wide Mouth Mason in support of the recent launch of their Live DVD Wide Mouth Mason: Live in Montreux.
Sexy Mathematics have released their debut EP "Integration". Recorded at Tanda Recording and PM Recording Studio.
Def 3 is off to a busy start this year with performances at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics' Saskatchewan and Aboriginal Pavilions in February, followed by a one-month European tour in March. He also has album releases planned for the rest of year with Oye!, Moka Only, a solo project and several compilation albums. His collaboration with Factor has seen their track "Take Me Higher" featured on Brockway Entertainment's 2010 Canadian Rap Future Superstars compilation. The compilation is a non-profit initiative aimed at providing exposure for up-and-coming Canadian rap artists.
John J. Cook (aka Johnny Alvis) made the National Aboriginal Top 30 Countdown with his song "I Cry". John has also been selected to attend the 2010 AMP CAMP in Gimli, MB.
Harvest King Records had a very successful 2009, which saw eight releases and a compilation entitled "Shredded Wheat Vol. 1", which received a successful review from Exclaim! Magazine. The New Year is already looking promising with upcoming releases planned from Kleins96, Rehashed, Black Drink Crier, and Def 3.
Library Voices upcoming western tour will kick off with a show on February 12 at The Exchange, Regina. This show will be recorded for CBC Canada Live. Late last year, the group made the short list for a Bucky Award for "Best Live Act" and their track "Love in the Age of Absurdity" charted at #1 on The Verge XM Satellite Radio's program, The Grocery List. In more exciting news, their debut album "Denim on Denim" will be released on April 13 (Young Soul Records/EMI). Young Soul Records is the most recent label to join the EMI Label Services roster utilizing EMI Music Canada's distribution and services reach.
Eekwol's track, "Ohtaw Nanapawees" was added to CBC Radio 3 on November 20.
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Saskatchewan artists are keeping busy
Photo: Jason Plumb & The Willing
Jason Plumb & The Willing will embark on a Western tour throughout February with artist Jenn Grant. The tour is presented by The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad and Foundation Concerts. Jason Plumb and the Willing are promoting their latest effort Wide Open Music: Songs for Saskatchewan".
Stephen Maguire has been selected to perform at the 2010 Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival, opening for Grammy Award winner Nanci Griffith. He is also set to release his new album "Irish Soul", which was recorded at Cosmic Pad Studios. The official CD release concert will take place April 9 at The Refinery in Saskatoon, featuring The Stephen Maguire Project.
Colleen Taylor and Dara Hallett have released their album "Minus 40 Tour: Songs to Warm Your Soul". The album was recorded live on January 25, 2009 at First Free Methodist Church in Moose Jaw.
Brain Sauce has now ventured into musical theater. The stage show Smoke and Mirrors that accompanies their album "Individuality is an Old Commodity" was conceived by the band and written by guitarist Brodie Mohninger and local comedian Dan Willows. "Smoke and Mirrors" contains elements of poetry, garagemade manatees, and a touch of stamped wrestling, interspersed with eclectic medleys. This year they are taking a variation of the show to the Fringe Festival in Saskatoon, working with Regina improv group, Inside Voices. The new show promises to be another step in their continued works in avantgarde, musical theater.
Mosaic Music celebrated a great 2009 and is excited to be heading into their second year of business. All three parts of the business are growing rapidly. In the recording studio, they have purchased new equipment; adding to their already impressive collection. Recent recording projects include: Kevin Arcand, Allison Bohmann, Sabrina Laine, Donnie Corrigal, Ashley St. Denis, The Outlaws, Donnie Parenteau and many more. In the storefront, they are carrying new product lines including Epiphone, Ibanez, Marshall, Paiste, and Line 6. Their music lessons department nearly doubled enrolment during the past year with approximately 150 students honing their skills on guitar, bass guitar, drums, violin, and piano. This coming year they plan to introduce Student Recording Packages.
Lords Kitchner will be heading back to JawBone Studios to record some new tracks. They are also getting ready for their hometown show at Moose Jaw's, Mae Wilson Theater on February 27.
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New releases and charts
Photo: Farideh
Johnny Hatch & The Lost Disciples have been hard at work completing their new album "Happiness Instead". The album was recorded at Ze Studio with Dave Fries acting as both producer and band member. The album features a collection of pop/rock/folk tunes with some modern touches of electronica. "Happiness Instead" was produced with the support of a SaskMusic Grant. Johnny spent the month of August in Los Angeles, where he finished writing and began recording two songs with Doug Deep.
Farideh has kept a steady pace, tantalizing audiences across Canada, and is now embarking on her first international tour to New Zealand. From February 4-28, Farideh will play cities on both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, including Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Upperhut. She hopes to meet a hobbit while she is there.
Marny Duncan-Cary launched her second illustrated children's book: "Who's That Man?" in November. The story comes from Marny's song of the same title and is based on some of her family history with WWII. It's a story about a homecoming; separated by war, a small boy meets his father for the first time and finds they have been connected by love all along. The summer also found Marny in the cast of the Western Canadian debut of "Canada's Songbird: A Musical Tribute to Anne Murray" at the Souris Valley Theatre in Estevan.
The Deep Dark Wood's album "Winter Hours" reached #13 on The Galaxie Folk/Roots Channel's Top Spins of 2009. The chart is based on high rotation airplay frequency between December 2008 and November 2009 as well as producer preference. In the fall, the band were selected as the regional winners of CBC's Great Canadian Song Quest with the chosen location being Good Time Charlies (Plains Hotel). The band have also received an official showcase at this years' SXSW festival in Austin, TX.
Rah Rah was picked by iTunes in two "Best of 2009" categories: Alternative and Canadiana New Artist of the year. This comes after being featured twice as the iTunes Single of the Week as well as Starbucks Pick of the Week. 2009 also saw the band play almost 100 hundred shows on three Canadian tours. In June, the group recorded a new full-length album in Montreal with producer Kees Dekker (Plants and Animals), which will be released this Spring on Young Soul Records.
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