The Northern Report Podcast

With close ties to legendary singers & pickers like Chef Adams, Roy Payne, Dick Nolan, Dennis Conn and my late Father, Michael Burns, Barry Smith was a breath of fresh air writing beautiful Country Music songs at a time when the airwaves & “A” rooms were dominated by 5 string bass, rock ‘n roll drums, compressed-to-hell electric guitar and assholes in hats singing mostly shitty songs fabricated by the music biz scum down on Music Row.

music for the last number of years

Paul Langlois joined the Tragically Hip in 1986. Over their 33-year career, they won 17 Junos, were appointed by the order of Canada, inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and saw Nine of their albums reached No. 1 on the Canadian charts. Remaining active musically with The Paul Langlois Band, their latest album, Guess What was released in July 2023.

Paul Weber recorded for Boot Records, Cardinal and the Great North American Phonodisc Co.He’s a 3 time CCMA Award Nominee and a Juno nominee who landed a dozen singles on Canadian hit charts. He was a member of Joe Firth & The Promised Land from 1975-1981 before touring extensively across Canada and the UK leading his own group, Paul Weber & Top Hand.

He played his trusty 60+ year old Fender Jazz Bass on 8 or the 10 cuts on my new record, Lost Country - AND - he was kind enough to join me for a duet on Me and the Old Promised Land, the signature song from former old boss, friend and mentor Joe Firth. 

October 24, 2023:

Sean Burns returns to your humble home of Honky-Tonk and beautiful Country music by beautiful Country music singers for a one-night stand, special emergency "lost" country broadcast of the program. 

Twang savant Skinny Dyck has put on weight since his 2020 debut LP Get to Know Lonesome – a delight to fans of traditional country music but in equal measure with an alternative leaning audience. He spearheaded the 2017 compilation album, Twenty One-Nighters featuring municipal & regional artists from across western Canada, but now the spotlight is firmly set on this bright Mennonite boy from Coaldale, Alberta who’s making waves at home and abroad with his brand of Country music. Recorded & Produced in Texas by the great Billy Horton, Skinny makes strides on his latest EP, Palace Waiting, due out September 16 on Sound Asleep Records. After 30 episodes, we finally pinned this mysterious fella down for a chat on TNR.

www.skinnydyck.com

Carter Felker’s Alberta roots run deep and he’s hung his hat and kicked his boots off all over Wild Rose Country. Felker burst on to the scene and turned heads with his debut album, Everyday Life in 2016 and quickly became one of the most respected names in the vibrant Alberta independent Roots music scene.Beyond the Provincial borders, folks across Canada in the know and with their ears to the ground took note of his elite songwriting talent and it wasn’t long before other noted Prairie names like Del Barber and Shaela Miller took their own stab at recording songs from Cater’s pen.

Carter’s new album, Even the Happy Ones Are Sad, will be out in the world this Tuesday, June 14. Listen to Carter Felker wherever you stream music for a nominal monthly fee or check him out and show your support at: carterfelker.bandcamp.com

Bob Lucier grew up in the Chatham, Ontario area and got his start on the Pedal Steel Guitar in the 1960’s with help from Ollie Strong. He spent his early days on the bandstand in the taverns and bars in the once vibrant honky-tonk scene of Toronto, playing with Wally Dean at The Drake Hotel and on to The Edison Hotel with Mickey McGivern and the Mustangs.

Bob’s first solo album Nerves Of Steel is especially notable for containing a rare instrumental single release that would earn airplay and an appearance on the Canadian country hit charts with his rousing steel guitar version of the Hank Williams classic, Hey Good Lookin’. The single would reach #17 on the RPM Country Charts in 1977. In addition to the Nerves Of Steel album, Bob also recorded three albums during the 1970s with Nashville dobro master Shot Jackson on the Marathon and Condor record labels. Later in his career, Bob would release another fine solo album, Eleven Favorites and a duet album, 88 & 10 with ivory tickler, Mel Aucoin.

Bob was gracious enough to share his time and some stories from his great career and I’ve got to send him an extra special thank you for indulging me and my questions surrounding honky-tonkers and personal favourites like Mickey McGivern, Roy Payne, and Dick Damron.

Ollie Strong’s career began in the 1950’s playing Steel Guitar in the era prior to the instrument having Pedals. He was among the first small handful of pickers in Canada to begin playing Pedal Steel Guitar. Noted as an early member of the house band on CBC TV’s Tommy Hunter Show, over the course of his long career Ollie backed up legends such as Ray Price, Jean Shepard and, Jim Reeves. His playing is featured on albums by Canadian heroes Gordon Lightfoot, Murray McLauchlan and, Dick Damron along with countless other "lost" Canadian Country sessions on the Arc and Marathon/Paragon labels by singers like Chef Adams, Brent Williams, Al Hooper and, Bill Long. He’s even credited as the Steel Guitarist on Funkadelic’s 1972 album, America Eats Its Young, and I sure wish I’d known that ahead of our conversation.

From 1983-1995, Jr. Gone Wild helped introduce Canada to a new musical sound. Credited with innovating the Alt-country genre, dubbed “cowpunk”, over the course of five acclaimed albums, this Edmonton, Alberta band fused elements of folk and rock with a punk attitude, while building a devoted fan base through epic live shows. For their initial 12 year run, Jr. Gone Wild would hone its own version of alt-country on albums that have become cornerstones of Canadian music culture: Less Art, More Pop!, Folk You, Too Dumb To Quit, Pull The Goalie and Simple Little Wish.

Mark Twain once famously said, “Politicians, old buildings and prostitutes become respectable with age.” He never got a chance to consider whether rock and roll musicians do as well, although most would likely prefer to retain their youthful glory. Somehow, against all odds, Jr. Gone Wild has done that with Still Got The Jacket, and in the process reminded us what alt-country really means.

To truly be a groundbreaking songwriter is a tremendous accomplishment and McDonald is without question one of our nations best. His first foray into the music industry was in the Spring of 1979 when he was just sixteen. Certainly a local hero in Edmonton (among other things, he “discovered” the legendary Spartans Mens Club, hosted the Rosebowl jam for over 15 years, and started the nationally known and still running Hair OF The Dog Saturday afternoon gig at The Blackdog Freehouse). In the late ’90s he put together the Mike McDonald Band, which released an album and commanded an enthusiastic Alberta-based following. Unadorned by the electric chaos of a band and massive volume, Mike’s solo show is edgy folk, peppered with story and commentary, often hilarious. He’s a true alternative to affected bombast and disingenuous self aggrandizing.

Mike McDonald is the real deal.

For more on Jr. Gone Wild visit: jrgonewild.com