Mahogany Frog Release New Album FAUST

VIDEO FOR 2nd SINGLE
'FLYING CARPET II: SWORD FIGHT' OUT NOW

WATCH/SHARE VIDEO HERE

Winnipeg instrumental electric rock band Mahogany Frog is pleased to announce the release of their ambitious new album Faust, an original score set to the eponymous 1926 German silent film. The album is out today on all digital streaming platforms. Listen here.

Directed by F. W. Murnau, Faust is widely regarded as being among the greatest films of the silent era. It tells the classic legend of fate and temptation that dates back centuries. In this, their latest offering, Mahogany Frog brings together their collective experience in composition, experimentation, electronics, intense rock & roll, and searing fuzz guitar. Together they weave a dark and diverse score around Faust’s brooding tale of corruption, devastation and redemption.

The 2nd single and video from the album, ‘Flying Carpet II: Sword Fight’, is also out today. Driven by an ominous and persistent beat, the track takes the listener on a wild journey.

"Layers of cinematic war drums lay the foundation for fornication and murder," says guitarist / keyboardist Jesse Warkentin. "Soaring backwards fuzz guitar imposes sporadic blankets of tension. The innocence and passion of youth turns horrifically awry, and the fate of the fair and virtuous now points towards inevitable shame and doom."

The music for Faust was initially written and rehearsed over the span of three months, culminating in a premiere performance at the Roxy Theatre, a historic atmospheric cinema in Saskatoon. Three more performances in Edmonton, Calgary, and Winnipeg followed. Accompanying the band on this tour was audio engineer Grant Trippel, who later recorded the studio sessions in February 2020. 

The mood of Faust is varied and complex. There are many faces of Mahogany Frog. Harsh noise, electronic drones, and pulsing textures flow in and out of dark and heavy guitar-driven riffage. Soothing washes of melodic synth-pop flow through syrupy, languid organs only to be obliterated by the shrieks of the damned and the devil himself. LOVE.

Faust is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide.

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MAHOGANY FROG IS: 
Graham Epp (guitar/keyboards/electronics/trumpet)
Jesse Warkentin (guitar/keyboards/electronics)
Scott Ellenberger (bass/keyboards/electronics/trumpet)
Andy Rudolph (drums/keyboards/electronics)


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Calgary Indie Rockers Emblematics Release New Single AN IMPACT

2nd SINGLE FROM NEW EP
OUT ON APRIL 22nd

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Emblematics · An Impact

Calgary indie rock band Emblematics are following up the release of their acclaimed track 'Festival Door' with 'An Impact', the 2nd single from their Navigation EP out on April 22nd. 

Navigation is the second EP that Emblematics have released during the pandemic and this plays out in the overall themes of the EP, which revolve around concepts of anxiety, mental health, and the ability to cope. The band's latest single 'An Impact' highlights those themes. 

"'An Impact' is a surly, spacey song, and was the first track demoed for the EP," says vocalist/guitarist Michael Yun. "It essentially started as a simple synth-pop song by playing around with a keyboard patch, and we then tried to mess it up more by layering different ambient type guitars and effects on it. The lyrics fit with the general theme of the EP: coping with an anxiety event.”

Formed during their university days, Emblematics began as an educational distraction that eventually evolved into a full-blown musical experiment—a deep foray into swooning art rock. Emblematics’ music has been described as “British influenced, post-rock chamber pop,” dominated by atmospheric synths, crashing piano chords and jangly Telecaster riffs. The band’s songs reflect a unique blend of their influences, artists such as Radiohead, Blur, Grizzly Bear, and Joy Division. During the past decade, Emblematics have created a lengthy body of work; every new recording building and expanding on the sonic foundation of the previous one.

'An Impact' is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more info, please visit emblematicsband.com.

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EMBLEMATICS IS: 
Michael Yun (Vocals, Guitar)
James Yue (Vocals, Piano, Synth)
Will Yue (Bass)
Ken Tang (Drums)

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Little Miss Higgins' THE FIRE WALTZ Album + Podcast Finale Out Today!

LISTEN TO PODCAST HERE

STREAM/SHARE FEATURE SINGLE
'FLOCK IN MY HEAD' HERE

Little Miss Higgins · Flock In My Head

“The stories are riveting, expertly performed, and the songs—achingly beautiful. I love The Fire Waltz and will highly recommend!” - Bif Naked (Singer-Songwriter/Activist)

Today's the day! Manitoba-based award-winning musician and songwriter Little Miss Higgins' new, multifaceted project, The Fire Waltz, a five-part miniseries podcast and a full-length album, is available as a complete package today. The Fire Waltz podcast launched on February 14th, releasing weekly episodes until the final chapter today, coinciding with The Fire Waltz album release day.

Inspired by stories of her great-grandmother, Eva Bersay, Higgins has created a one of a kind audio experience—a riveting tale of an extraordinary woman. The Fire Waltz follows Eva on her journey to Canada from Jersey Island, off the northern coast of France, during the early 1900s, depicting the power and perils of love, the realities of a world at war and the uncertainties of the aftershocks. Using old photos, postcards, letters, a travel journal and stories gathered from family, the music-driven project took shape in October 2019. Higgins and her two main collaborators, Kris Demeanor and Eric Rose, began by telling the story through song titles. After that, eighteen songs were written in 12 days.

Initially, it was intended for theatre, but when live entertainment changed due to the global pandemic, Higgins switched the approach to be completely auditive. She wanted to link the songs with narrative, drawing on ideas of old radio plays. Script was written, more artists were gathered and even more songs were created. Working both in studio and remotely, Higgins and her extremely talented team from across Western Canada recorded the music and the script. Then she sound-designed the entire piece while recording engineer, Jamie Sitar, put everything together. Thus, Season 1 of The Fire Waltz has come to fruition. 

The podcast may only be 5-episodes but The Fire Waltz album makes up for it with 21 tracks. When asked to pick a song for a feature single, Little Miss Higgins chose Track 9 - 'Flock In My Head'. 

 "'Flock In My Head' is different from anything else on the album," says Little Miss Higgins. "There is a huge variety of style and instrumentation throughout the songs. I feel very fortunate to have had the extremely talented, high-caliber musicians that jumped onboard. However, 'Flock In My Head' is me and a single bass drum beat from drummer Joanna Miller. Working with Kris has helped me venture out of my wheelhouse. We used a loop to create a flock-of-geese-like chorus, the drum beat and a sandalwood fan for more percussive nuance. I really love the exploration of this one. I don't even know if people would recognize it as one of my songs if they heard it without introduction." 

The Fire Waltz album is available now on all digital streaming platforms (except Spotify) and The Fire Waltz podcast is streaming now on all podcast platforms. For more information, please visit www.littlemisshiggins.com.

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Gnarfunkel Salute The YOLO Lifestyle On New Single TOO MUCH IS NEVER TOO MUCH

LATEST SINGLE FROM DEBUT ALBUM OUT ON MAY 6th
WATCH/SHARE LYRIC VIDEO HERE

Riding on the success of their single 'A Million Monkeys', West Coast funk rock band Gnarfunkel return with 'Too Much Is Never Too Much' out today on all digital streaming platforms. Listen here.

’Too Much Is Never Too Much’ is the latest single from Gnarfunkel’s debut album Gnarnia, which is set for release on May 6th. A live show fan favourite, the cheeky, guitar-driven rock track, is all about the YOLO lifestyle.

"'Too Much is Never Too Much' is a blues-rock banger about taking life by the horns in every aspect," says vocalist/guitarist Tyler Lanigan. "The song harkens to the sound of The Sheepdogs and The Black Keys and is great for driving down the highway, the start of an adventurous Saturday, or smashing through a tough workout routine. With catchy soulful lyrics, an infectious chorus, and an over-the-top middle guitar section, 'Too Much is Never Too Much' promises to be a rock fan favourite!"

Based in Vancouver, BC, Gnarfunkel has been making waves with their electrifying live shows and unique melange of musical styles. Their sound incorporates elements of funk, psychedelic rock, hip-hop, Latin rhythms, and eastern tonalities in a sound they dub “West Coast funk”. They are known for their outrageous stage antics and performances that flow seamlessly from start to finish, taking audiences on an energetic journey through time and space.

'Too Much Is Never Too Much' is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more info, please visit gnarfunkel.com.

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GNARFUNKEL IS: 
Myles Hildebrand (vocals / guitar / harmonica / keyboard)
Tyler Lanigan (vocals / guitar / saxophone / sitar)
Clark Buchanan (bass guitar)
Sebastian Valdivia (percussion)


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Ndidi O + Trish Klein Debut New Project The Blue And Gold

A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSICAL ARTISTRY + LEGACY OF PIONEERING FEMALE BLUES MUSICIANS

DEBUT ALBUM OUT ON APRIL 29th
1st SINGLE 'HONEY IN THE ROCK' OUT NOW

STREAM/SHARE HERE

TheBlueAndGold · Honey In The Rock - by Blind Mamie Forehand

The Blue And Gold is a new musical collaboration between Juno nominated and WCMA Blues 'Artist Of The Year’ Ndidi O and folk-roots guitarist/banjo player Trish Klein (The Be Good Tanyas, Frazey Ford, Po’ Girl) which celebrates the musical artistry and legacy of pioneering female blues musicians. 

Out today, ‘Honey In The Rock’ is the first single from The Blue And Gold’s self-titled debut album set for release on April 29th. The album is a musical homage to the profound influence of black female artists on 20th century country / blues traditions and indeed on the evolution of all modern music. The album contains 11 songs recorded with authenticity, soulfulness and grit, including reinterpretations of the works of pioneering female artists Memphis Minnie, Lottie Kimbrough, Mamie Forehand, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and others, as well as one song by the legendary Indigenous songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. 

The Blue And Gold’s ‘Honey In The Rock’ is a reinterpretation of Blind Mamie Forehand’s delicate gospel blues masterpiece.

“Mamie Forehand, AKA Blind Mamie Forehand, was born blind in 1895, Alabama,” says Trish Klein. “She is one of the earliest known professional female country blues and gospel singers. Accompanied by her husband, guitarist A.C. Forehand (who was also blind), Mamie Forehand was an active singer of spirituals on the streets of Memphis in the 1920s performing a genre now referred to as street corner or storefront gospel. We are thrilled to be releasing our homage to her classic 1927 recording, ‘Honey in the Rock’“. 

'Honey In The Rock'is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. 

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FOLLOW THE BLUE AND GOLD:
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