I’m gonna start with
McCartney III’s “
Deep Deep Feeling.” Originally released on December 18, 2020, it may as well have been issued in 2021. Perhaps the finest song that I’ve heard in recent memory, along with Fiver’s “
Death Is Only a Dream,” from this year’s
Fiver with the Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition, insanely absent from the recent Polaris short list, a very short sighted omission. No diss, but if awards must be given, then Mustafa's
When Smoke Rises should have received the prize. I'm sure it was hotly debated. I loved New Chance’s
Real Time, it’s boss. Sam Tudor continues to amaze. Seek out
Two Half Words if you can. GET TO KNOW SIPREANO: You realize that I mostly listen to older music,
right? HEADLINE: “Canadian colonial mass media outlets keep ignoring
Seekersinternational.” Good thing that their sounds are universal and cosmic,
seen? Try anything by
WzrdryAV or whatever upper/lower case, slash, space or hyphen variation of that name is currently being used. In a mutated strain, perhaps
Dr Nacho might float your taco shell boat, oozing down the cheesy river of lust and life while paddling to an undisclosed jalapeño for munchies. GET TO KNOW SIPREANO PT. II: To be frank, I’ve been digging like a mother f%cker this year. I don’t floss this shit online (unless it's on
film) cause it’s on the DL and for the few heads in the cipher who know (who they are). I’ve come this far not to be corny except when playing my organ. Thanks Art. I guess that take us to release of
Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology. For the first time in my life I have seen Willie Dunn header cards in bins at record stores across Canada. Do you know what that means? REPRESENTATION! Alas, many stores around the world weren’t even able to get a single copy of this release, including some of the biggest in Toronto, as the 2-LP set sold out after one month, sometime in April, 2000 copies later. I hope it’s been evident that Voluntary In Nature is the
vision behind this project w/ LITA being the bank, and you know banks. Catch me on the corner at Yonge/Dundas handing out free copies of the
WILLIE DUNN NOTES newspaper and thanks to all for the
support. It's not too late
Guardian!
Maclean's? I have a feeling, and have felt for decades now, that the late, great, Willie Dunn is as important of an artist as the major label Canadian icons many of us hold so dear. I am talking about Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, and yes, even Gord Downie, all incredible beacons of light and love, the only difference being that these stars have had an abundance of financial backing to let their creativity soar and have their music promoted. Let’s just say that the sections for Lightfoot, Mitchell, Young, Cohen, and Downie are not empty at Christmas time, or ever for that matter. FACT: There are currently 6’ tall Leonard Cohen posters all over Toronto right now... What Willie Dunn accomplished on occasional poverty wages from the CBC and NFB in the 1960s and 70s speaks a great deal to the integrity of his poetry, songs, art, and film. To work with them is an honour. PRESS RELEASE STATEMENT: The final days of 2021 will see the musical launch of
Voluntary In Nature with three albums:
Wayne ’76 by Wayne McGhie,
Indian/Inuit Country by Willie Thrasher and the self-titled
Catseye. This is an extension of my life’s research and 16 years of contribution to Light in the Attic Records. Call me George Harrison about to drop
All Things Must Pass. More on that to follow… With the global pandemic as unpredictable as the weather, concerts have been few and far between, since the emergence of COVID-19 regulations, I have only attended two and both deserve mention: The
2 Rivers Remix/Native North America Gathering occurred on September 6th as a 12-artist live stream from Toronto’s Lula Lounge, certainly one for the history books, and Mustafa at
Massey Hall, my first gig at Canada’s oldest running concert hall. Art shows were also severely compromised, but the Burnaby Art Gallery hosted the incredible
Oblique Trajectories which showcased a retrospective of Gary Lee-Nova and is available to view online. RIPs: We lost Bunny Wailer this year. We also lost Lee Perry and our dear friend Curtis Jonnie, aka Shingoose. Um, I can’t go on any longer... WE LOST
BUNNY WAILER,
LEE PERRY, and
SHINGOOSE THIS YEAR!@#$%!!! Actually, I have to acknowledge the departures of
Jo-Jo Bennett, Biz Markie,
Ellen McIllwaine, and Charlie Watts, amongst a great many more…
Nardwuar doesn’t stop and apparently neither do I? Thanks for sharing the music and artifacts and helping to raise a political awareness in Canada with your ongoing
election interviews. Kier-La Janisse is running things with the award winning
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched and so are The Beatles and Peter Jackson on the 8+ hour
Get Back. I’ll forgive its 5-minute intro synopsis which did nothing than likely appease some Disney suits, and no I’m not talking about Mickey or Goofy. Well, maybe... Visits w/
Bob Robb,
The Mighty Pope,
Gordon Dick Sr.,
Bob Williams, the McGhie family,
Chef Eric at HK BBQ Master,
Birdapres, and the
Cratery crew made the year a little less lonely as did trips to Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Ottawa to record a commentary track over
The Ballad of Crowfoot with Lawrence Dunn for the aforementioned Kier-La Janisse and her newly released folk horror DVD box set which I am anxiously waiting for. Thanks for your friendship friends. Paid work has certainly been compromised with the pandemic for so many of us, so extra grateful for the uncredited usage of my
GRAMMY®-nominated writing and research on a nationally broadcast radio program by the CBC. This is where I'm at. At 47, no less… Glad that
somebody is getting paid here, but would somebody throw me a f%cking bone other than Kamandi, not to mention the selfless folks like Chris G, Alanna Edwards, Christi Belcourt, the Dunn family, Bob Robb, Alanis Obomsawin, the
Willie Dunn Notes contributors, John Angaiak, Willie Thrasher, Elisapie,
2 Rivers Remix, Kier-La Janisse, the McGhie family, Duane O'Kane, Catseye,
Doug Cho, Dancing Bear, and The Stunt Man, who have all made important contributions to the cause, the cause of lifting each other up, professionally
and spiritually... Thank you. So catch you all on the flip, the flip being 2022. Hopefully on the streets somewhere safe or over a plate of Singapore vermicelli somewhere fresh.
Goldstone Bakery & Restaurant (REST IN) PEACE
