Sarah Brightman, the pop star-turned Andrew Lloyd Webber muse used her uncanny Julie Andrews impression with the vocal group Show Stoppers. It’s a Meco-style disco medley of songs from “The Sound of Music,” and it sounds just like you’d expect it to, which is brilliant.
Puddy Up Or Shut Up: Punk Rockers Comeback Track Gives The People What They “Want”
Feeling worn down? Run over by life? Like you’re constantly at the mercy of malevolent forces beyond your control?
If you’ve survived the last few years, the answer is probably “yes.” But sweet vindication is here in the form of Puddy, the Canadian indie quartet that’s back after a prolonged absence with its triumphant revenge fantasy of a track, “What Do You Want?”
An eminently singable burst of punked-up fury, the song finds the band hurling invective at a “parasite” whose “meal ticket” has just been canceled after years of abused privileges. And from the way singer/guitarist Paolo Rizzo snarls out the chorus lyric, you can tell this is a man who’s well and truly over it.
What more do you want from me?
What more can you take from me?
Ain’t nothing to break in me
Nothing left to take from me
Puddy are recognized as pioneers of Canadian punk rock, but there’s nothing laid back about the way Rizzo’s and JV Bonhomme’s overdriven guitars and Tim Reesor’s lurching bass nail the unnamed tormentor to the wall, only for Eric Cohen’s drums to pummel him about the head in repeated, righteously indignant bursts.
The song, out now, along with an accompanying music video in which the group is seen wandering through a hazy limbo that’s meant to symbolize the mental fog induced by a life of setbacks. It’s an apt metaphor indeed for the less-than-linear career trajectory Puddy has followed since its founding in 1993 – a series of ups and downs recounted with endearing self-deprecation on the outfit’s official website, puddy.tv.
Having members scattered to the far-flung corners of Timmins, Niagara and Montreal hasn’t helped things any. Yet the band has defied distance and countless other obstacles to mount a comeback album, Demagogo, co-produced by Andy Curran (Envy of None) with Paolo and mixed by Vic Florencia (Danko Jones). “What Do You Want” is the opening salvo in that eagerly anticipated return to active duty, which culminates with the release of the full album in the spring. In the interim, Puddy will hone the new material at two specially arranged shows: one on Friday, January 19, at Camp Cataract in Niagara Falls, and the other on Saturday, January 20, at Bovine Sex Club in Toronto. Ticket pricing for each is set at a highly reasonable $10, as an intentional throwback to the cost of admission at the group’s last gig all the way back in 2012. In this case at least, the answer to the question “What do you want from me?” is “Way less than you’d be willing to pay.”
Al Simmons Returns With New Album ‘The Whistling Egg Man – and other tall tales’
Al Simmons, the master of one-man, multi-prop, music-filled performances, is back with his latest release, “The Whistling Egg Man —and other tall tales.” For over 55 years, Al has entertained audiences worldwide, spreading joy and laughter to people of all ages with his clever comedy, delivered with heartwarming charm.
Hailing from Anola, Manitoba, Al has performed in theatres and at festivals across North America, sharing the spotlight with every major symphony orchestra in Canada and gracing the stages of Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and Japan. However, in 2018, a fire devastated most of the props and costumes built over Al’s illustrious career. The outpouring of support from his fans, including donations and musical instruments, inspired Al to rebuild and continue, a testament to his enduring connection with his audience.
The next year brought the challenge of the COVID pandemic. Undeterred, Al turned adversity into an opportunity and revisited his vault of song ideas. He first recorded tracks “COVID Style” following every pandemic protocol– one musician at a time, everyone masked, and everything sanitized between takes. As restrictions lifted, Al switched from laying down individual tracks at Scott Nolan’s Song Shop, to bringing in an entire band for a fun-filled recording session at Larry Roy’s studio.
Al Simmons’ commitment to spreading laughter and joy is evident in every single one of these 14 novelty songs and stories. ”The Whistling Egg Man—and other tall tales” is a delightful collection of music and whimsy that showcases Al’s inventive wordplay, imaginative storytelling and the puns we have come to love and expect.
The biggest surprise of this recording does not come from puns or the delightfully goofy yet instructional lyrics, but from the poignant We Came Here Too Late. For the first time, listening to an Al Simmons song just might bring a tear to the eye. While Al’s mad cap songs offer something to kids and the children in all of us, We Came Here Too Late is for all the aging children, looking back over long lives.
Leanne Pearson Releases Heartfelt Ode to Love and Marriage In “I Do Again”
Winnipeg, MB-born, Nashville, TN-based songwriting force Leanne Pearson has done it again with her new single. A culmination of her songwriting spark, notorious humor, and unique lyricism, “I Do Again” is a fresh ode to marriage and love.
The talented, multidimensional writer brings to the song the deeply personal story of the tumultuous journey she and her husband embarked upon as they planned their wedding nearly four years ago. But the restrictions of the 2020 global pandemic caused them to reschedule three times before finally canceling their big day and eloping—with an Elvis-themed ceremony, no less! In the fall of 2023, though, they finally got the wedding of their dreams, with friends and family in attendance.
The single speaks to the unconditional love the couple has for one another; despite the obstacles they faced, Pearson and her husband have learned to roll with the punches and take each challenging moment as a lesson in commitment and perseverance. And at the end of the day, Pearson found herself saying “I do” no less than three times.
“Now I got 3 rings for each time I said yes / No there ain’t nothing I’d change about it / I said it then, and I’ll say it now / I’ll take you by the hand and say I do again,” she writes in the new single.
Pearson’s country roots shine through as the singer sets a lyrical storyline to a traditionally twangy musical backdrop. Her ability to craft a compelling and emotional story through song has been recognized time and time again with a Top 50 and multiple Top 100 songs at Canadian Country Radio. This songwriting expertise takes the spotlight once more in “I Do Again.”
Pearson hasn’t stopped writing music since she wrote her first song at age 10. Now, years later, she’s still weaving stories with her words, and “I Do Again” places her talent, creativity, and passion for writing (and for her husband) center stage. It’s a single listeners will no doubt return to, time and time again.
Mockumentary/Spy Caper/Concert Video/Mashup Film “Mantrap” Made By Pop Group ABC To Promote Their Album The Lexicon Of Love In 1983
A longform video that showcases the British pop group ABC, using songs from their album “The Lexicon of Love” to tell a spy-caper story of how the unsuspecting lead singer, Martin Fry, is duped into fronting the band because of his striking resemblance to another man associated with espionage. Will he stumble onto the deception before it is too late for him?
Woodsy Owl In the Anti-Pollution Short Film “Help Woodsy Spread the Word” From 1977
This is a musical film starring Woodsy Owl. It was designed to help elementary school children recognize pollution problems and their solutions. And because you’re watching it here, you know it’ll be…different.
French-Canadian Commercial for the Plymouth Laser Featuring Celine Dion In 1989
Known for her powerful vocals and international success, Dion’s involvement in a commercial for the Plymouth Laser in 1989 was a great strategic move by the automobile company to leverage her rising star power. Combining the allure of a popular Canadian singer with the promotion of a car like the Plymouth Laser would likely have captured the attention of the French-Canadian audience, creating a memorable and impactful marketing moment during that era.
Singer-Songwriter Ryan Burger Chronicles a Lifetime in Two Years with Sophomore Album The More They Stay The Same
Toronto singer-songwriter Ryan Burger has lived more lifetimes in the past two years than most people ever will. On his sophomore album The More They Stay The Same, he offers listeners his gentle epiphanies from the road trip of a lifetime. The record, featuring lead single “Running Through Your Heart,” is everywhere now.
Burger embarked on his adventure amidst the 2021 lockdown, initially seeking solace at a homesteading festival in Michigan. Several chance encounters propelled him through a whirlwind journey across the Midwest USA. After accepting an invitation to an Ohio pig roast, he traversed Western Michigan, and detoured to Nashville and Franklin, Tennessee, where he indulged in a Titans game and found meaningful connections with fellow musicians. A missed connection during his flight to Cleveland briefly stranded him in Orlando, yet he eventually made it to the long-awaited pig roast. Finally, he found his way to Arrowhill Farm in New Era, Michigan, where Troy—a farmer, musician, producer, and recording engineer—welcomed him despite not actively seeking assistance at the time.
“After a couple of months, when it was evident that I would be there a while, Troy and I started discussing making a record,” Burger recalls. “One thing led to another and next thing I know I’m shoveling goat crap by day and creating an album by night. We finished the album just in the knick of time before my visa expired and almost exactly 2 years later here we are with the finished product!”
As he was working on the album, Burger began realizing that he was inadvertently creating a spiritual sequel to his debut album Everything Must Change. Despite intending a fresh chapter, Burger grappled with an essential core to his work.
“There were things I did on my first album, both good and bad, that I did again on this album,” he explains. “Whether it was vocally, or with arrangement or production decisions, I found myself feeling that perhaps I hadn’t changed as much as I thought I had. Not just musically, but as a person as well. I grow and I adapt and I develop but at the end of the day I am still me and my past is always my past.”
Where Everything Must Change saw Burger looking for purpose and fulfillment in all sorts of vices, The More They Stay The Same kicks off with him showing those old ways out the door. Indeed, on the opening track he simply throws up “Deuces” to the dead-end passions of his youth, before then steering in a more wholesome, entirely new direction. Burger sings about the transformed heart of a man who adopts a daughter on standout track two “I’ll Raise You As My Own”, followed by his best advice and wishes for little ones everywhere on “Before You Lay Your Head.”
The next four songs wind through his personal accounts of love lost and found (“Dance With Me,” “Running Through Your Heart”), then hope acquired and strenuously maintained (“Groundwork for Love” and “My Rightful Place”). Finally, Burger turns the lens lyrically on his audience, closing with the question, “What Have You Got To Lose”– That is, where does fear of the unknown keep you from setting off on a similar great adventure of your own?
“Just like my musical style, my writing covers a wide range of topics,” says Burger, “From love and romance to deeper musings about the meaning of life and the state of the world. I often attempt to be self aware and analytical of my thoughts and behaviour in my writing. It acts as a form of therapy, but also a way to hold myself accountable, and to hopefully encourage the listener to really look within and engage with the things they need to change in order to grow. I hope that my music is first of all enjoyable, but that it also somehow can improve listeners’ lives.”
All at once introspective, optimistic, and seasoned by life, Ryan Burger’s music is an offering and a gift. The More They Stay The Same is a must listen.
Singer/Songwriter Erika Kulnys Releases Double-A Side “Alcanzando la Rosa” and “Fantasma” From Forthcoming Stand Together Album
Singer/songwriter Erika Kulnys is sharing her latest cross-cultural collaboration with a double-A side release of her singles “Alcanzando la Rosa” and “Fantasma” from her forthcoming album, Stand Together.
Both tracks were recorded with all-star Cuban bands in Habana at the premier EGREM studios, as well as Ojalá, Cuban music legend Silvio Rodriguez’ personal recording studio. Consistent with Kulnys’ larger discography and life’s work, both songs speak to larger themes of love, social justice, and human’s inescapable interconnection to the earth and one another.
Kulnys describes “Fantasma” as “a call to action to listen to the voice in our hearts that tells us to rise up against fascism, patriarchy and destruction of Mother Earth for corporate gain.” The sensual track was co-written with Cuban artist Jeniffer Dalía Morales Rodriguez, inspired by an original idea from Dariel Milan.
Alternatively, “Alcanzando la Rosa” is a love song Kulnys originally wrote in Belfast with Gareth Dunlop which her Cuban drummer El Pulpo and friend Josue Taboada later translated to Spanish. Though she describes the original English “Reaching for the Rose” as a song “about a broken heart,” she now contends that it “has evolved into an anthem about longing for love and seeking it despite the thorns that cross its path.”
Originally from Nova Scotia and now Berlin-based, Erika Kulnys is no stranger to music as a vehicle for international diplomacy. A recipient of the prestigious Watson fellowship, she has played alongside revolutionary bands in Venezuela, performed samba-influenced hip hop alongside Brazilian youth, taught music to disabled children in India, and researched folk music’s influence on the peace movement in Northern Ireland.
Kulnys recently participated in the Folk Alliance International Private Showcases following her mainstage performances at the 2019 Copenhagen Geyser Festival, the 2017 Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival, and the 2016 Copenhagen Pride Mainstage. Her music has been played internationally on the CBC, NPR, Sirius XM, and BBC.
My Next Read: “FINGERS CROSSED” By Miki Berenyi
The extraordinary and searingly honest personal story of musician Miki Berenyi, revealing the highs and lows of navigating the madness of the ’90s music industry.
Formed in 1988, Lush were part of the London gig scene during one of the most vibrant and creative periods in UK music. Now, Miki Berenyi tells all.
The book begins with her childhood of extremes. From the bohemian lifestyle of her father’s social circle to the privileged glamour of her mother’s acting career, Miki’s young life was a blur of travel, celebrities and private schooling. But frequent relocation, parental neglect and the dark presence of her abusive grandmother resulted in crippling shyness, mental-health issues and a vulnerability to exploitation. The route out of this hole was music – a passion shared by schoolmate Emma Anderson. The teenagers began attending gigs together and would eventually go on to form Lush.
Peppered with anecdotes involving a cast of hundreds (including Blur, Sean Connery, Tracey Emin, Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers), this uncompromising autobiography documents Lush’s thrilling rise, dispiriting fall and subsequent bounceback, reliving the tours, recording sessions and problematic managers they experienced along the way. But at the heart of the book are Miki’s own battles: the conflict between her mouthy public persona and her thin-skinned private identity; the trials of being a woman in an infuriatingly male world; the struggle to find a middle ground between safe indie obscurity and sellout international success. The memoir also explores Miki’s complex relationship with Emma – one that has fluctuated between camaraderie and rivalry over the years – and addresses the most devastating tragedy of all: the suicide of her soulmate, Lush drummer Chris Acland.
Told through frank confession, wry humour and emotional honesty, this is the incredible tale of a trailblazing woman and a seminal band.