A funny parody sketch about Mick Jagger and his Jagger Moving Company. This is how Jagger moves baby!
Stu Weinberg Gets Groovy with Out-Of-This-World New Releases: āDonnie Greenā & Disco Stu Likes Disco Music
Canadian guitar maestro Stu Weinberg steps front and center, showcasing his inimitable expertise alongside an all-star team of musicians with the release of his debut album, Disco Stu Likes Disco Music, and its groovy lead single, āDonnie Greenā.
An ethereal guitar-driven track invoking the cadence of jam-band music, āDonnie Greenā and the rest of the seven-track LP features skillfully crafted arrangements throughout every moment of this monumental sonic effort. With Stu revealing that each track takes on a life of its own ā āSome are funky, some are real funky, some are groovyā¦ā ā the breadth of instrumentation is only matched by the assembled musical forces that helped realize Weinbergās vision.
The album features sensational drumming provided by John Morgan Kimock (Phishās Mike Gordon, Dead & Companyās Oteil Burbridge), while smooth-as-silk Andy Hess (Govāt Mule, The Black Crowes, John Scofield) brings the bass. Todd Caldwell (Crosby, Stills & Nash, Joe Walsh), Robert Walter (Phishās Mike Gordon, The Greyboy Allstars), and Marco Benevento (Joe Russoās Almost Dead) are a trio of accomplished keyboard players that supply another critical layer to the albumās sound, and Weinberg is accompanied on guitar by legendary jazz player Oz Noy.
While no stranger to the board, Weinbergās meticulous attention to detail isnāt limited to the studio: the decision to have Disco Stu Likes Disco Music mixed by JUNO Award-winning engineer Kevin Dietz (Glorious Sons, JJ Wilde, Portugal The Man), mastered by Noah Mintz (Arkells, The National, Broken Social Scene), and feature otherworldly, psychedelic artwork by artist Leesa Westwood meant the crisp sound and visual accompaniment of every melodic effort orbits cleanly in this fervent labour of love.
Stu Weinberg started his professional recording career while in university, finding ample opportunity in a Manhattan recording studio during the summer break. He has since performed with countless Billboard-charting and JUNO-nominated artists, with credits on hundreds of songs and playing legendary venues like Massey Hall, Boots & Hearts, and more.
Disco Stu Likes Disco Music began as Weinbergās personal answer to the pandemic blues, and the massive shift in pace from what the active artist ā and the veritable whoās who of the jam-band scene joining him ā were used to pre-COVID.
āAs a session musician, that seemingly never-ending schedule of tracking on records, traveling for tours, and learning material for gigs leaves little time to focus on your own musical projects,ā he shares. āWhen I found myself stuck in my apartment with nothing but guitars and time, I looked at the blank calendar and knew: there would never be a situation like this again and, if I wanted to create music of my own, Iād have to jump at the opportunity.
āAt the onset, the goal was to make music that I dug. When I first started out playing guitar, I was drawn to the classic instrumental guitar records but, as I evolved as a player, the songs take their inspiration from the jam-band scene.
āI love the freedom of jam-band music,ā he continues. āItās very much a guitar-based record, but it steers away from the technical playing with more of an emphasis on the melody and emotion of the song. It combines all the styles of playing that Iāve grown to love, and basically hits all the notes Iām not allowed to play on other artistsā records.ā
Hear just what that is on the sonic sojourn that is Disco Stu Likes Disco Music.
// Disco Stu Likes Disco Music Track List
āBrendyās Runā
āDonnie Greenā
āA Picture For You (feat. Marco Benevento)ā
āPurple Pants (feat. Robert Walter)ā
āSunrise, Sunset (feat. Oz Noy)ā
āTsundokuā
āZhivagoā
Smooth Jazz & Folk Chanteuse Catia Dignard Celebrates Starting Again with āRatherā
Learning from past experiences without reliving them is one of the key ways to win at this game called life, and Canadian jazz and folk singer-songwriter Catia Dignard places us at the beautiful starting line of leaving the past behind with her new single, āRatherā.
āāRatherā is about starting love anew once we have lost our innocence,ā Dignard explains, adding that it also touches on ācarrying the scars of our pasts without them becoming liabilities.ā
A torch song about not carrying one, āRatherā atmospherically sets such a stage for renewal with its lovely, interwoven piano and sax intro melody. Dignardās yearning declaration of āwanted for so long to feel this peacefulness inside on my ownā opens a channel to calmer waters after the storm.
āIād rather be with you here than in the past.ā
Weathering her own personal challenges ā like going back to grad school, moving to a new city and ending a long-term relationship ā provided the impetus for Dignard to release āRatherā now after initially writing and recording the song a few years ago.
āItās one of these songs just āwaitingā for the moment to find its place in the world,ā says the MontrĆ©al-born, Toronto-based artist. āLife changes and a great deal of soul searching made me revisit it with a new perspective.ā
With Acadian heritage and having lived in Latin America and North Africa during her childhood, Dignard draws inspiration from the sea and her travels. As such, āRatherā flows along on a rolling sea of piano, saxophone and percussion with Dignardās smooth, sultry vocal at the crest of the wave, journeying from one stage of life to the next.
āThis song has also travelled quite a bit,ā notes Dignard. āIt was written in MontrĆ©al. Its music [was] composed and charted in Toronto. Then, recorded and performed first under the stars in Havana in December 2019 and finally mixed and mastered in the Eastern Townships, Quebec in the spring of 2020.ā
A magical collaboration while visiting Cuba just prior to the first pandemic lockdown provided Dignard with the instrumental foundation for āRather;ā the musicians she met and recorded with in the musical hotbed of Havana helped give this song its wings just before a time during which creative flight has felt nearly impossible for many.
āIn the midst of these turbulent times, both on a personal and global level, I found a safe haven musical community of collaborators and friends for this piece to come about,ā she shares.
āRatherā was recorded at Manane Records Studios in Playa, Havana and produced by Miguel Ćngel Wong DĆaz ā who also plays guitar on the track. In addition to DĆaz are the āincredible team of Havana-based musicians,ā Dignard says, including Lendy FernĆ”ndez (piano), Francisco Spek Silveira (saxophone), Yan Sanabria Betancourt (bass), and Carlos A. ValdĆ©s Bastante (drums) ā along with Dignardās ālong-time accompliceā and saxophonist David Elias engineering and mastering the track.
Musical and academic education have gone hand in hand for Dignard. While studying vocal jazz under the tutelage of Catherine Bastarache and Marie VallĆ©e and attending multiple workshops and musical camps in QuĆ©bec and Europe in the early 2000s, Dignard was also pursuing a second university degree. During this time, she also gained performing experience as lead vocalist for jazz guitar virtuoso Mike Gauthierās combos at Bishopās University and participated in Kim Richardsonās jazz jams at MontrĆ©alās DiĆØse Onze club.
These formative years encouraged Dignard to start writing and recording her own compositions with her partner, double bassist Jean-FranƧois Martel. That led to collaborations with trumpet player Maxime St-Pierre, guitarist Louis Trudel, Cuban pianist and JUNO Award nominee Rafael Zaldivar and the recording of Dignardās debut album, Strange Coziness, released in 2018.
Since then, Dignardās music has found its way to Canadian radio with airplay on CFLX in Sherbrooke, QuĆ©bec and CIUT in Toronto, as well as international airplay first in Australia, on Banks Radio and Valley FM 89.5, then in the U.K. and the U.S..
Not one to follow a singular path, Dignard also recently collaborated and performed with Toronto-based funk rock and soul band Bad Breed at the Canadian Music Week and Bloom online music festivals. This while pursuing a PhD in Hispanic Studies at the University of Toronto and currently working on more new music for release in early 2022.
For now, though, this rising jazz artist would āratherā put the focus on her music thatās in the moment.
Afrobeat Artist SONIA AIMY Delivers Optimistic Message InāLife Nah Jejeā
With lots to say in so few words, artist Sonia Aimy does what she does best and ushers her listeners into the world of jazz infused Afrobeats with the release of her new single and video, āLife Nah Jejeā.
Nigerian-born and Toronto-based multi-talented artist Sonia Aimy has been touring for years now; when she isnāt spreading joy and life messages through her music Aimy spreads it through humanitarian projects. Her velvet, Soniaās soulful, empathetic, and often joyous voiceā inspires thousands around the world and has earned her the reputation as a quintessential embodiment of the Contemporary African World Musician.
After the global release of her newest album, Reconnect, Sonia Aimy sought to make a music video for the lead-off track, āLife Nah Jeje.ā While the albumās title track āReconnectā may have focused on Sonia Aimyās journey to rediscover herself in a global time of uncertainty, āLife Nah Jejeā aims to find a deeper appreciation for the little things in life.
āLife Nah Jejeā uses smooth walking bass lines and sultry soprano saxophone riffs intertwined with Afrobeat drums to convey the message that we are to enjoy life and appreciate the beauty and spirit of our time on this Earth. āThis song is inspired by my desire to take life as easy as possible after living such a frenetic life over several years. We all need that moment to reconcile with ourselves, to review ourselves including our life, what we have done, where we are now and where we wish to be next.ā
For long-term listeners of Sonia Aimy, this light-hearted yet introspective meaning doesnāt come as a surprise. For new fans of the up-and-coming Nigerian vocalist, the message is well received with open arms.
The accompanying music video conveys this message quite remarkably as well. With an overarching theme of travel being cut-off completely and a transition to life in quarantine, Aimy delivers an inspiring visual performance with a warm and optimistic aura despite the seriousness of the consequences of the pandemic.
Sonia Aimy reflects on the overall theme of āLife Nah Jejeā and the message conveyed through her music video. āThis processing moment about ourselves makes us realize so many things about us, about everything around us and to accept the fact that we really need to take it easy with life because life does not take it easy with us.ā
Itās Aimyās unparalleled optimism despite the dramatic shift in her life as well as music career that creates an atmosphere of inspiration around her. The infusion of feel-good Afro-jazz and Afrobeats double down on her charismatic aura and help deliver her powerful messages to her ever growing fanbase.
āIt is not how far, not how much you do, but how well you understand and appreciate every bit and essence of what it takes to live a beautiful life until our call time!ā
Alt.Rocker Meagan Aversa Sets the Scene Ablaze with Release of Her Fiery Debut, Matchbox
Canadian alt-rock sensation Meagan Aversa sets the scene ablaze with the release of her fiery debut EP, Matchbox, and its accompanying new single, āTorsoā ā both available now.
As track #1 on the four-song breakthrough, āTorsoā trickles out of the speakers with Aversaās acapella leading the melody. Landing as a near-whisper, imploring the listener to sit up and pay attention, pulsing percussion fades in, followed by instrumentation fleshed out with gorgeous harmonies. āPick myself up just to watch them walk away,ā Aversa muses on the lyrics.
Each song on Matchbox artfully bleeds on top of the other, and offers a theme of exploration into the dark side of being alone, and the ultimate acceptance of being the only one capable of consoling your very self in the face of loneliness.
āWhile writing Matchbox, I was thinking a lot about codependency,ā Aversa reveals. āIāve always been fond of the sentiment āyou are who you are when no one is watching,ā but I realized I didnāt really know who I was without someone there to remind me.ā
Admittedly, āTorsoā and its sister track, āBlushā spills the guts on breakups, but Aversa says ātheyāre more about the empty feeling that followsā than the relationships themselves.
āI find the stickiness of relationships really interesting…ā the Toronto-based artist muses. āThe way memories will weave their way into things without you even noticing, and linger long after youāve lost touch with the person.
āI think spending time alone is really important, but it can be laced with self-doubt and general uncertainty,ā she continues. āSometimes itās easier to lean on someone else for support, and kind of slowly absorb facets of them vs. really get to know yourself.
āOnce I started to come to terms with these tendencies, the songs turned up.ā
A graduate of Metalworks Instituteās Audio Engineering and Mixing and Mastering programs, Aversa is wired to record, produce, and procure an album on her own terms. Additionally, she lends her talents as a freelance audio engineer and producer based out of Candle Recording Studio in the west end of her hometown of Toronto.
Thereās a marked cross of āMazzy Starr vocalsā with āSuzanne Vega songwritingā that eeks through Aversaās lo-fi alternative rock style ā painted with the brush as only Aversa can. The songs are unassuming, yet poignant; a visceral soundscape with delicate lyrics, delivered in soothing, reserved tones.
A songwriter since high school, the young indie talent notes Fiona Apple, Elliott Smith and The Cure among her top inspirations; songs āSpeed Riverā and āSome People Are Mountainsā round out the release, with Aversaās versatility in parlaying a message on full display in each passing track.
āOne of my favourite things about songwriting is how you can take things that happen to you and turn them into something that belongs to you,ā Aversa remarks. āI always encourage people to write music because everyone has such a unique amalgamation of life events and a different way to share them.
āThatās what makes it all the more special when you hear someoneās music, and feel like youāve experienced the same thing because… What are the odds?ā
Cellist Margaret Maria Creates a Soundscape of Healing with “Where Words Fail – Music Through Healing”
Ebbing and flowing like an oceanās waves, healing is a notoriously nonlinear process that is as unpredictable as an insectās flight from one blossom to the next. Within such, Canadian composer Margaret Maria is guiding audiences on a journey through aspects of the arc with the release of her new album and single, Where Words Fail – Music Through Healing and āBlessing of Awakeningā ā both available now.
As the releaseās opening song, āBlessing of Awakeningā gives sound to a languid awakening, followed by the mounting busyness of getting to whatever it is that calls for attention; slow and meandering at the start, like rolling over with the first light shining through the window, the pace picks up, driving and percussive ā rounding up the kids, spilling your coffee, looking for your keys.
While that sound can be applied to everyday matters, for the Toronto-based composer, producer, and cellist, the awakening was very personal, and very painful: the Covid-19 pandemic saw Margaret Maria experiencing health problems at the same time that her own sister fought for her very life after contracting a serious case of the coronavirus.
The acclaimed composer got through all of it by writing and playing music whenever she was able, pouring her emotions and struggles into her instrument.
āFeeling helpless limitation in my human form is a recurring theme throughout my life,ā she shares. āThis music is born of this helplessness in the hope that it can be helpful to others. That it can offer some healing, some understanding, some comfort, some strength when we feel weak or when words fail us.ā
Anyone who has ever experienced the pain of loss or struggle, and the strange up-and-down journey of healing, will recognize each emotion in Where Words Fail – Music Through Healing. āFrom The Brinkā begins dark and metallic, suddenly turns airy, winding, and light, and then hits a stride with a graceful march. āHealing Heartsā is a soulful waltz that morphs into an undulating heartbeat, and then the two become layered over an energetic walk-run through the streets. āRaindrops From Heavenā is exactly what you might expect from a song with such a title ā gorgeous, rhythmic ādropsā over sweeping, bowing, ballet-dancing strings.
With her masterful skills as an extraordinary cellist merging with the intuition of a gifted creator, Margaret Maria is a unique and exciting voice in the world of new music. Her compositional and production talents have been described by her colleagues as, āan unstoppable force of nature – seamless in its complete unification of technical and subconscious realms.ā
A graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music, her performance career has seen her play on concert stages around the globe and as a member of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Her later in life transition into composition has seen her work performed on stage in her very first World Premiere. āBetween Worldsā was premiered in 2019 by the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra, with the great Canadian soprano Donna Brown.
Margaret Mariaās single āBlessing of Awakeningā and her album Where Words Fail – Music For Healing are available now.
Sonic Reducers: The Greatest Holiday Songs And Albums Of All Time
Sonic Reducers. One topic. Two music nerds. Five minutes. Everything you know need to ho-ho-ho.
Listen up as we run down our favourite Christmas albums and songs of all time, from James Brown and Phil Spector to Band-Aid and Wham!
Yasuke Releases Hip Hop Love Letter to Basketball Idol in āLike Mikeā
Telling the toll, toil, and tale it takes to achieve greatness, Canadian rapper Yasuke releases hip hop love letter to inimitable and iconic basketball player Michael Jordan in new single, āLike Mikeā.
Going hard to seamlessly fuse lyrics in both English and Japanese to create something unique all his own, the bilingual track lands ahead of the artistās forthcoming album, äøéŖ (Jyousaka).
The songās smooth sonic journey is a twist on the typical homage to Jordan, with Yasuke channelling his childhood idol while also reflecting on his rise as an artist. Yasukeās refined cadence accompanies fellow rapper Rito on a chilled-out song filled with linguistic intricacies. Yasukeās introspective vision and grasp of world culture allow him to artistically navigate eastern and western soundscapes with ease.
Yasukeās lyrical breadth takes center stage with images of a globetrotting lifestyle that takes the listener on a journey from their headphones to the neon-drenched streets of Tokyo.
ā4 am and stumblingć
Feel regret canāt feel my faceć
Walking down these Tokyo streetsć
Rack up, bam that make me Khunć
ē„ć®ćć©ćć (Godās Trap)
é»ćęćč”ććć (Black clothes just like my blood)
ćøć§ć¼ćć³ļ¼ć§ę©ćć¦ć (Walking around in Jordan 1ās)
ć·ć«ć“ć«é£ćć§ćć (Take a flight to Chicago).ā
The sophisticated flow of switching between languages on the fly elevates the track to become something that hasnāt been heard before. The aspirational message of āLike Mikeā is comfortably seated alongside epic sound production and a melodic blend of international influences. The music is brought to life by producer Casket: Jones, whose mastery of hip-hop synergy is on full display. The versatility of sound is affirmed by its thoughtful composition, with āLike Mikeā feeling as welcome at the club as it does in the gym.
Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Yasuke is the stage name of Tahir Grant Jr. He first gained notoriety online when he was first discovered rapping fluently in Japanese; a language he taught himself. The name Yasuke finds its origin in feudal Japan, where a warrior of African descent would become the first non-Japanese samurai. This merger of cultural aesthetics comes naturally as Yasuke channels artists like Andre 3000, Childish Gambino, and Prince to achieve his signature style. Yasuke represents a musical unification that defies convention and appeals to Japanese and North American music lovers just the same.
Jarvis Church Reimagines Bill Withers With Upcoming Tribute Album With A Modern Twist In āJust The Two Of Usā
That only a handful of artists are able to do Bill Withers justice, especially when it comes to some of his most famous work, is what makes Jarvis Churchās newly minted cover of āJust The Two Of Usā ā available now ā so refreshing: It pays fitting homage to the late legend, while remaining unique all on its own.
The release is fresh from Jarvis Churchās forthcoming album, The Soul Station Vol 3: A Tribute to Bill Withers and Beyond ā the latest in an ongoing series paying tribute to his favourite soul singers.
āThis time, however, thereās a twist,ā Jarvis hints of the new offering that features four inventive and contemporary reimaginings of Withersā hits. āI decided to lose the retro sound, and interpret these classics with contemporary modern production.
āAnd, for each of the modern production styles of the four Bill Withers classics, I used contemporary hits as sonic references. See if you can identify themā¦ā
In addition to āJust The Two Of Us,ā The Soul Station Vol 3: will also include āLovely Day,ā āUse Me,ā and āAināt No Sunshine.ā Deliberately missing? āLean On Me,ā he reveals. āI did about five versions of it, but I couldnāt get a modern take I was happy with. Club Nouveauās version was one of my favourite songs when I was a kid; there was just no way to top that.ā
Itās this unbridled passion for soul music and modern production that fuse together to make both Jarvis Churchās cover of āJust The Two Of Us, as well as The Soul Station Vol 3: A Tribute To Bill Withers and Beyond, so special. Listening to the retro addition of high-pitched saxophone wailing, coupled with modern house synths and drum kits, invites new and old listeners alike to experience the song from a unique angle.
āThe album also features five original songs that take my love of soul and house music āBeyond,āā he adds, with a nod to the title. āIt is āBeyondā part that was an invitation for me to make the kind of music that really excites me, especially since, like so many people around the world, I found solace in my craft during the isolation of the pandemic. The genesis of The Soul Station series was my love for performing liveā¦ What better way than combining my 20-year catalog of original songs with my favourite soul singer classics?ā
Based in Los Angeles, with his roots in Toronto, Jarvis Church is the lead singer for the R&B-pop group The Philosopher Kings; it was during the group’s 10 year hiatus that he started his solo career with the release of his debut album, Shake It Off.
From there, Jarvis Church has actively been paying homage to the artists who inspired him as a young soul-singer. Following the release of his past Soul Station Volumes, including The Soul Station Vol. 1: The Songs of Sam Cooke, A Tribute, and The Soul Station Vol 2: The Songs of Curtis Mayfield: A Tribute, Church moves forward with his newest album release ā set to arrive this Spring 2022.
Light Organ Records Presents Push Button Radio: Canadian AM Radio Hits from the 70s Covered By Label Artists
Musicās finest moments are often in those unassuming blips of life where youāre in unassuming places, taking care of the mundane, and a song sends your heart soaring to the depths of nostalgia, forcing you to rewind to a memory. Light Organ Records has captured that very sentiment in a 14-song strong compilation album that seeks to recreate what you used to know and bring it back to the forefront of your consciousness.
The release is the reimagining of CanCon radio hits of the 70s ā each delicately restructured and performed by new-age Light Organ recording artists, and their varieties of styles and eclecticisms. The first five tracks of Light Organ Records Presents Push Button Radio: CanCon AM Radio Hits From the 70’s as Covered by Light Organ Artists, featuring Hotel Mira, The Shilohs, Mounties, Tara Holloway, and The Fugitives are available now; the full LP is available December 10, 2021.
āWhen I agreed to write the liner notes to Push Button Radio, I visualized it as a simple, pleasurable, and easy trip down memory lane,ā recalls Jonathan Simkin, President of 604/Light Organ Records in Vancouver. āI did not anticipate the intense mental journey that would ensueā¦
āI started by listening to the songs ā both the covers, and the originals,ā he continues, ājust to refresh my memory.ā
Thatās what each of us are dared to do when we push play on the album; listeners are introduced to each new artist, and their take on classics that drudge up the feel-goods from years gone by. āI emailed the bands on our Light Organ imprint to see who wanted to cover AM CanCon hits from the 1970s, conscious that some of these artists were not even alive in the 1970s, let alone listening to music,ā Simkin says about putting his dream in motion. āI set certain parameters: The song had to be released between January 1st, 1970, and December 31st, 1979; it had to have been a legit radio hit; and it had to satisfy CanCon requirements ā meaning two of either the lyrics, production location, music, and performer had to be Canadian.
āWe ended up breaking some of those rules, but thatās OK. In spirit, all of the songs satisfy the criteria. I sent around a few suggestions, but left it up to the artists to choose.ā
Terry Jacks endorses the record, which features two Poppy Family covers, performed by the Zolas and Lousie Burns respectively. From there, the songs range from the legendary Andy Kimās āBaby I Love Youā as performed by The Shilohs, to Hotel Mira taking on The Bandās āOut of the Blueā from The Last Waltz, and even Bruce Cockburnās āWonder Where The Lions Areā as selected by The Mounties.
āTheir version is a weird and wonderful marvel,ā Simkin laughs of the latter.
For the kids that spent their ears glued to the pop culture of the 70s, Push Button Radio delivers a steady flow of premade classics that will send you back to the days of station wagons with wood panel doors, bell bottoms and plastic wrapped floral living room decor.
And for those who entered the chat late into the 21st century, the album becomes a history lesson on the music that shaped your parents, your grandparents; leaving behind a lasting imprint into the psyche of music fans and lovers alike.
Says Jonathan Simkin, todayās professor on the glory and excitement of 70s vinyl: āTo those of you for whom these songs are new, I sincerely hope you enjoy them and dig back into the originals! You wonāt be sorry!
āAnd for those who were alive when the original songs were huge, I hope this music jogs your mind awake and takes you on a safe and comforting trip to your musical past and youth.ā
Light Organ Records Presents Push Button Radio: Cancon AM Radio Hits From the 70’s as Covered by Light Organ Artists is partially available now, with the full album up December 10th.