'Cross the Tracks

Matthew James is a Sault Ste. Marie based songwriter.
His lyrical sensibility and style has been meticulously crafted through theatrical story-telling, as well as a penchant for the heartbreaking, yearning, and honest poetry of Joni Mitchell, Harry Chapin, James Taylor, etc. His percussive acoustic sound and expressive live performances spring an outpouring of nostalgia. He is not one to miss.

"Hey everyone! I truly hope you enjoy this song. I put my whole heart into creating it. I wanted to explore the feeling of frustration and anger that comes with betrayal. At first, you're in shock, but after a couple of minutes you start looking for an outlet or something to place the blame. Sometimes people lash out, but in this track I was more interested in the subtlety and passive feelings of bitterness. Like, if someone walks away while you're saying something important and your just like "...okay cool, Good Talk, Good Talk..." I wanted to capture that feeling. I love this song, and I hope it allows you a couple minutes to vent when you're in that place! Peace and Love" - Matthew James

Vocals, Guitar - Matthew James
Drums, Percussion - Matthew Woodcroft
Electric Guitar, Bass - Colton Maddigan

Produced, Engineered, & Mixed by: Colton Maddigan
Mastered by: Noah Mintz Mastering
Recorded at: Chalet Studios

A melding of earthy grace and campfire poeticism, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Michael Waite hails from the north shore of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Weaving together a combination of folk, jazz, Americana, blues, and classic singer/songwriter elements, Waite’s songs explore the geography and nuances of everyday life while keeping a keen eye on the pursuit of happiness and wholeness. Common themes in his work include the wonders of the natural world, the mysteries of the spiritual, and the joys of kith and kin. He’s not afraid to sing about his darkness too, but at the end of the day he knows what he has and is grateful for it.

Raised in Harvey, a small town outside the port city of Marquette, Waite took early influence from his parents’ blues albums and Irish and American folk songs sung by his father, who passed on to Michael his uncommon memory for songs. He studied trombone in college, and picked up the guitar to accompany his singing. Earning a classical voice degree from Northern Michigan University, he began his career as a singer/songwriter, playing his own songs alongside a motley collection of covers. Before long he’d become a staple of the North Country music scene, connecting with audiences in the rare way that only true, deep talent does. While his powerful voice can easily reach the back seats, a quiet humility and gentle warmth marks his demeanor on and off stage. With each performance Waite disappears completely into the song, transporting himself and his listeners with grace, power, and the hard-won finesse earned by years of singing in all kinds of situations.

His repertoire and lifestyle grew out of the same root system. Building a home in the Huron Mountains just northwest of Marquette, he and his wife began raising a family in the rustic Michigan backwoods and their shared experiences inspired much of the material on 2008’s Let It Go, Waite’s debut album. Recorded in Chicago with a brilliant band of close friends and infused with a lifetime of musical influences, Let It Go beautifully captures the essence of Waite’s philosophy; its songs meditate on themes of love, patience, connection, and the concept of home in both the physical and emotional senses. A critical success, the album served to broadcast his music well beyond Northern Michigan’s borders and in the years since its release, he’s been found touring as far afield as the Pacific Northwest. In 2015 he formed the acoustic band Adam Sawfox, helping him explore new tonal landscapes and a richer harmonic palette. — Timothy Monger

Wax Mannequin is the stage name of Chris Adeney, a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter. His style has been described as “a hybrid of Bruce Cockburn and Frank Zappa”, “Tom Waits and Type O Negative jamming on the early Beatles catalogue”, and “Rheostatics via Savatage”. Carl Wilson of The Globe and Mail noted that “crowds are often baffled whether to be awed, irritated or amused by Wax’s all-rockets-flaring, un-Canadian-like extravagant performances.” (Wikipedia)

“The Obelisk” sees Adeney set the stage for the new record, which is said to be his most personal yet, detailing the singer-songwriter’s feelings of alienation through coping with neurodivergence. Driven by a rollicking, folksy guitar progression, he envisions himself as a monument to not merely surviving, but thriving in a world that you don’t quite feel as though you were made for. (Exclaim! magazine)

The music veers from scrappy folk and art punk to absurdist stadium metal, churning with dark humour. Beneath unsettling imagery and musical twists there is a steady questioning of life’s strangeness and his own neurodivergence. Wax has appeared on thousands of pub, gallery and festival stages worldwide. (Bandcamp)

Canadian Guitar Ace, JUNO winner, and Multiple Maple Blues Award winner Steve Strongman has just co-produced, co-written, and guested on the Fabulous Thunderbird’s 50th Anniversary 2024 release “Struck Down, on Stony Plain records.

Struck Down was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards - Best Traditional Blues Album & Best American Roots Performance! 

 This record debuted at #1 in both the United States and Canada, and features Strongman with guests Bonnie Raitt, Billy Gibbons, Keb Mo, Taj Mahal, Mick Fleetwood, Elvin Bishop and Terrence Simien. Strongman will be on tour supporting the Thunderbirds in 2024/2025. 

Strongman, also a Memphis International Blues Challenge award winner for best solo/duo guitarist, is one of the most talented Blues based artists in the world today. Beyond his undeniable strengths as a songwriter, guitarist and front man is his ability to engage his audience and deliver incredible performances at every live show. With his inimitable guitar playing and soulful vocals, Strongman delivers incredible performances with power and passion. Steve Strongman has a way of stirring a crowd that evokes the emotion, maturity and authenticity of classic blues themes. 

Steve has shared the stage with International blues royalty including B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Joe Cocker, Robert Cray, Jeff Healey, James Cotton, Roy Clark, and Jimmie Vaughan to name a few. Steve Strongman is warmly regarded as Mississippi guitar legend Mel Brown’s “Blues son”.

https://stevestrongman.com/home

"Steve Strongman is the "Real Blues Deal" guy in vocals, guitar and credentials. We've jammed out many times and it's always a giant explosion of energy and riffs galore." - Randy Bachman 

"This is as good as Lenny Kravitz version of "American Woman" – Randy Bachman regarding Steve’s version of “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” 

There are so many stars in the music world that shine only for a moment. And there are stars that rise and fall, but the heat of some stars can’t be contained and must rise again. Toronto based singer-songwriter Julian Taylor is one of those phoenix-like stars. 

His first moment in the sky started and ended with the hit-making band Staggered Crossing. After their breakup, Julian could have walked away, satisfied with that bright, brief moment. Instead, he went back to work, starting at the bottom, playing in cover bands, working bars, running an open stage as a solo artist. There were moments of impact when he formed the Julian Taylor Band and released two albums. But those were mere steps in the process. When he decided to strip his songs to the basics and go solo with his soul-folk 2020 album, The Ridge, his career rose over the horizon again and sparkled brighter than the first time. Mostly acoustic and sung in Julian’s distinctive warm baritone, The Ridge earned him two JUNO Award nominations, one Canadian Folk Music Award for Solo Artist, five Native American Music Award nominations, plus a nomination for the Polaris Music Prize. 

In 2022, Taylor released his follow up album Beyond the Reservoir.  It received a nomination from the Country Music Association of Ontario Awards in the Roots Artist of the Year category, a nomination for a JUNO Award in the Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year category, and two Ontario Folk Music Award nominations for Song of the Year and Performing Artist of the Year. “Julian Taylor’s music is a beacon of hope in troubled times. His lyrics are thoughtful and inspiring, and his voice is both powerful and tender. This is music that will lift your spirits.” (Canadian Beats) - Wayne Arthurson

Julian's latest album, Pathways, released September 27, 2024, candidly captures his approach to handling his own lingering burdens. Its eight concise tracks find Taylor looking further inward than ever before. "When you feel heavy, you’ve got to get things off your chest," says Taylor. "Pathways reflects the way I was feeling while I was writing it and making it... I’m trying to work through a lot of the pain I’ve caused myself and others."

The band parted ways with their label after the release of their first album. Julian founded Bent Penny Records to release Staggered Crossing’s next album — flexing his DIY, entrepreneurial muscles that have carried him throughout his career ever since. “I didn't really know what to do, so I started to learn how to operate throughout the business and became not only a musician, but a business person and a label guy,” he says. 

For Julian, that meant stepping back completely from commercial music and working a bunch of bar gigs. At one bar, Dora Keogh, in Toronto’s Danforth neighborhood, Julian started an open stage night that fostered a close-knit music community in the city. It became a regular drop-in spot for well-known Canadian artists like Kim Mitchell, Big Sugar, Ron Hynes, and even international bands coming through the city on tour. “I think that, for me, it did save my life, and it gave me a newfound perspective and love for music later on,” Julian says of these years away from the music industry. 

Julian Taylor's Jukebox is a radio show that plays on radio stations all over Canada and the USA. About the Jukebox, Julian says, "On my show, listeners can expect to hear what I would play them if we were hanging out at my place. It’s all-inclusive, and I always spin stuff that I love to listen to."

Roddy Ellias: Acoustic Jazz Beyond Borders

“Moon Over Lake is a beautiful solo album full of emotions and colors. I love Roddy’s compositions and his warm and rich tone. I wanted to listen to one tune to start with but ended up listening to the whole album. What a beautiful Journey…” Lionel Loueke, guitarist (Herbie Hancock, Chris Potter, Gretchen Parlato)

“I’m lucky to be friends with Roddy Ellias, who happens to be one of the finest guitarists on planet earth. This is so beautiful.” Joel Frahm (Betty Carter, Brad Mehldau, Kurt Elling)

Canadian jazz guitarist and composer, Roddy Ellias brings five decades of unique and compelling music to the world. With an eclectic approach that defies simple classification , Roddy has developed an innovative guitar style that intricately melds classical, African and Brazillian musical ideas within a deep tradition of jazz. 

“A composer of extraordinary talent … His creativity is so obvious, that it is at once both startling and inspiring” Dr. Steve Kinigstein, Just Jazz Guitar 

His musical journey began at the age of five, when he started improvising on his grandmother’s piano. Decades later, he continues to explore new musical possibilities, developing his unusual composition and playing approach. 

From the early days at Uncle Charlie’s Chicken and Ribs Jazz Joint to performing for the Queen of England to creating a unique chamber jazz opera with puppets, Roddy has carved a musical space for himself unlike any other. Along the way, he’s also enjoyed performing with many of the greats, including Lee Konitz, David Liebman, Kenny Wheeler, Cleo Laine, Tom Harrell and Nat Adderley.
 
“Pensive, folky beauty.” Brad Faberman, Downbeat Magazine“

What keeps Roddy going is the sheer joy of reaching people through his recordings and performances, of making their experience as magical as he can, seeing audiences discover for themselves the joy, wonder and inner peace he felt sitting at his grandmother’s piano.

“I’ve had this album on repeat for weeks and I am obsessed with it.” David Reed, Belleville Intelligencer (Moon Over Lake)

Visit: eastsideconfectioneryrecords.com/author/ericthesoo

I guess if this was an interview, maybe somewhere along the way I would be asked “why Algoma Street? What is the meaning behind the title of this EP?”. Well, I’m glad you asked! It is inspired by a happy coincidence that we stumbled upon back in 2017. Some of you may already be aware that I grew up in Sault Ste. Marie (aka ‘The Soo’) which is where the band name comes from. Sault Ste. Marie happens to located within the District of Algoma (for my American friends, ‘district’ is akin to ‘county’). Back in 2017, I traveled home to Sault Ste. Marie to perform my first ever hometown gig at LopLops on Queen Street East. There was a short write-up in the paper, and the event was published in the “Algoma Entertainment Listings” section of the newspaper, which I photographed and posted on social media. Upon seeing this our lead guitarist, Ken Yoshioka, commented “hey! I live on Algoma Street in Toronto!” … what a beautiful coincidence! What are the chances? I knew right then, that I would one day release a record under the moniker “Algoma Street”. And here we are, 7 years later: Algoma Street is indeed named after the beautiful northern region of Ontario that I grew up in and treasure so dearly. 

TICKETS: algomaconservatory.com/the-store/p/ray-bonneville

RAY BONNEVILLE – Annual Sault Concert Celebration – Sunday September 15, 2024 – 7:00 pm – THE LOFT

Ray Bonneville has taken a long and imaginative path in a remarkable music career that has taken him all over North America and Europe. Playing in his signature style and voice, Ray’s impressive catalogue reflects a keen eye for interesting characters and the common struggles we all face in everyday life.

Ray was born in Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau, Quebec), in a family that spoke solely French. His father found work in Boston, Massachusetts, and the family relocated to the USA where Bonneville, about to become a teenager, was placed into public school without knowing a bit of English. There, Bonneville fell behind in school, but took to music in a big way after a friend showed him how to play guitar. In his late teens Bonneville signed up for the United States Marine Corps, serving 13 months in the Vietnam War.

Later in the 1970s Bonneville began traveling the country exploring and absorbing musical styles, playing at festivals and small clubs across the United States, and opening for the likes of B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Dr. John. He also learned how to fly a plane and through much of the 1980s supplemented his income by working as a flight instructor in New Orleans and Boston and then as a bush pilot in Quebec.

It was only in 1993, in his mid 40s, that Ray finally recorded his first album, On The Main. He has since released nine albums in total and has gained critical and popular acclaim everywhere. Ray’s single, On The Blind Side, was released in the summer of 2022 with an album soon to follow.

Visit: raybonneville.com

On The Blind Side songs range from the hopeful Lucky Moon to the sinister Night Cab, a song born of Ray’s experience as a cab driver in Boston, and a fitting story-line for a classic film-noir. Woven throughout the record are simple and sometimes painful life lessons: the title track, On the Blind Side, looks back over a lifetime of unknowing missteps, and Even With Time disputes the familiar adage ‘time heals all things.

Visit: raybonneville.com

RAY BONNEVILLE – Annual Sault Concert Celebration – Sunday September 15, 2024 – 7:00 pm – THE LOFT TICKETS: algomaconservatory.com/the-store/p/ray-bonneville

while the old man who would need forgiving trampled what love there might’ve been
was telling myself I would come away clean
what was it I just couldn’t see

on the blind side

on the blind side

what couldn’t I see on the blind side

email

The Damn Truth are Lee-la Baum (lead vocals/guitar), Tom Shemer (lead guitar/vocals), PY Letellier (bass/vocals) and Dave Traina (drums/vocals).

Now or Nowhere is the third album by The Damn Truth, a band that, in many ways, has been hiding in plain sight for the last nine years. They’ve played Europe and crisscrossed the USA and Canada, opened tours for ZZ Top (and partied with Billy Gibbons in his pyjamas), the Sheepdogs, Styx and Rival Sons, sold out the legendary Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, sold out the Corona Theatre in their hometown of Montreal, and even had one of their videos featured on the official Janis Joplin Facebook page. It’s a lineage of hard work that’s come to fruition with Now or Nowhere.

With six tracks produced by Bob Rock (Metallica, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Tragically Hip) at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, Now or Nowhere is a definitive statement about the band, about the times, and about ourselves as we navigate life, love, and everything else in a world gone seemingly upside down and sideways. Unable to finish the album with Bob because of COVID-19 restrictions, the band recorded the remaining three songs with help from Juno Award-winning producer Jean Massicotte (Patrick Watson, The Damn Truth); mixing was done by Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton), Nick DiDia (Bruce Springsteen, Rage Against The Machine), and Mike Plotnikoff (Van Halen, Cranberries, Three Days Grace). It’s worth noting there are three Grammy Award winners on this album (Bob Rock, Vance Powell and Nick DiDia).

“I realize that people see us as a hard-rock band,” singer/guitarist Lee-la Baum says, “and we are, but we’re also, deep-down, rock ‘n’ roll hippies. All those things about being self-reliant, and community, and peace, and love — well, that’s us. That’s who we are.”

As if to reinforce that point, when Lee-la and lead guitarist Tom Shemer first met, they were both naked at a hippie festival not far from the Sea of Galilee (where the Bible says Jesus walked on water). “Yeah, totally naked. Just Lee-La and her guitar,” Tom adds. “And we’ve been together ever since. No pretensions. Nothing to hide. Just love.”

The power of love is the real thread through this album’s musical layers.

– Metal Planet, UK