The Sadies Stop and Start, a short performance film

Terry Hall (RIP)

Gordon Dick Sr. (1952-2022)

I just received news from the family that singer-songwriter and guitarist Gordon Dick Sr., a featured artist on the Grammy-nominated Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966-1985 compilation, has passed on. 

Gordon was born on his grandfather’s land in the Mount Currie region as a member of the Lil’wat Nation in 1952 and raised in a music loving family. As a youth, Dick was sent to the Sechelt Indian Residential School, 194 km/121 miles southwest from Mount Currie, where a classmate taught him a few basic guitar chords, as well as how to tune the instrument. From there he attended Carson Graham Secondary School in North Vancouver. Because of the distance from Mount Currie, the teenager was billeted with a local family. At 17, Dick began playing cabarets gigs at the Pemberton, B.C., Legion with a group called the Road Runners, which featured Indigenous players from the nearby Squamish Nation. From there, he formed Siwash Rock, which included family members, and later, Sound Tribe, Eagle Claw, and Baby Fats Blues Band. 

During summers in the early 1970s, Gordon worked at Mt. Currie Summer Camp, where he would take groups of children camping in the mountainous woods—with a gun for protection from cougars and bears—they would also go horseback riding and sing campfire songs. It was also when National Film Board director, writer, and singer Alanis Obomsawin (OC) visited the Mount Currie region for the first time, shooting both film and still photographs for an upcoming project on community life. Needing a soundtrack for her pictures of children playing at the camp, she asked band office staff to recommend a local player who could record some appropriate music at a Vancouver studio. Dick was handpicked for the job and ventured to the city’s Yaletown area to lay down two original compositions: “Going Home” (which speaks to his residential school experience) and “Siwash Rock.” An LP was pressed featuring the songs as part of an educational kit for classrooms. “Siwash Rock,” can be heard on 2014’s Native North America (Vol. 1). 

Gordon will always remain an important family and community member: Son, brother, cousin, father, uncle, grandfather, and a friend to many. His presence at the Mission Friendship Centre created joy, humour, laughter, and music, often alongside Uncle Herman. Gordon continued to perform at a wide range of venues up until his passing. His participation at Native North America Gatherings (Vancouver Folk Festival, Spirit Child reissue album launch, 2 Rivers Remix Festival) filled audiences with love, laughter, and inspiration. It’s a gift that we will never forget. Thank you Gordon Dick Sr., as you were known to say: “ROCK ON!” 

 – Kevin Howes (Voluntary In Nature)

  

  

The Beatles - Here, There and Everywhere

blue Christmas lyrics video G-bolo ft. hlr jaystee more

*Thanks for sharing G-bolo... PEACE

Madness - Honda City & Related Adverts x 14 (Japanese TV) 1981-83

Neil Young with Crazy Horse - Love Earth (Official Audio)

Blog

Hi blog, I've been thinking about you... I haven't posted since my brother's birthday, August 8th, and that's ok... Life has been busy and I am keeping the ship afloat. There are good things ahead. Summer has given me some hope. How are you? VIN

Courtenay & Walter (on Bandcamp)

The Sadies "No One's Listening" Official Video (re-post)

The Sadies "All The Good" Official Video

WORLD IMAGE

Come We Go Down

*LISTEN/SUPPORT (in full) at Bandcamp... PEACE

Mexican/Latin/Canadian Mix for Carlos

Kevin Howes · Mexican/Latin/Canadian Mix for Carlos

Colder Streams (Bandcamp Pre-order)

Poor Man (Live In Toronto)

*LISTEN/SUPPORT (in full) at Bandcamp... PEACE

The Pizza Show: Rome

Voluntary In Nature at The Little Jerry

You Make My Life Sweet

*LISTEN/SUPPORT (in full) at Bandcamp... PEACE

Willie Dunn at the National Film Board (April 2, 2022, Las Vegas Indian Center)

 

VIN 006 (Out today)

*Now available on Bandcamp! Listen... Learn... Share... PEACE

Inuk rocker Willie Thrasher is enjoying a resurgence | Face to Face

RIP David "Ziggy" Sigmund

Hot Knife Boogie

Dallas Good

The good Dr. Dallas Good (RIP)

Over the last 10 years, Dallas Good was like a big brother to me. Tall, talented, and devilishly handsome, DG was a deep cat who I looked up to. Like Willie Dunn and Joni Mitchell, he also loved his cat(s). Dallas even introduced me to the late Gord Downie, not as some kid, but a contributor, a fellow lifer, a peer. Well, he made me feel that way... Blessed to have known him some, share the odd smoke, raise a toast, listen to stories, and geek out over old-time garage rock, psychedelic, and country records, but to hear Dallas and The Sadies perform live, was more often than not, transcendental. Pure skill with feeling to spare. I know that for Travis, Mike, and Sean, this will never change. When times were tough for me and I had the courage to make it known, the good Dr. was there, in song and support. Thanks for your ear, advice, and brotherhood Dallas. Love to Amanda, the band, family, of course, and all "Sadie" fans… It’s what he called the group. PEACE, Voluntary In Nature

Gone far too soon, DG, this one is for YOU!

Doug Cho - Move (Not All Bear?) (VIN 005)

*LISTEN/SUPPORT (in full) at Bandcamp... PEACE

Flight Of The Ibis

*Thank you Ian... LOVE

Evan J Cartwright / and you've got nobuddy

*I dunno, could be the muted drummer and secret SSW in me, but what a cool video/song... PEACE

Doug Cho - Kim & Doug (Bearly Music) (VIN004)

*LISTEN/SUPPORT (in full) at Bandcamp... PEACE

Episode 594-Voluntary In Nature releases-The Stunt Man's Radio Show

*It's not everyday that you get interviewed by a Recording Academy / GRAMMYs-nominated Engineer on his long running radio show, 594 episodes weekly and still going strong... Episode 594 is a deep dive into Voluntary In Nature and its first releases, with Kevin James Howes, that's me, interviewed by the man himself (that's Greg Michael of Suite Sound Labs in Vancouver FYI) who helps to make the music sing again, technically speaking, and soulfully, of course... Most importantly, we offer some of our favourite songs to the listeners from VIN, "an outlet for sharing"... PEACE

VIN 004 005 (Out today)

*Now available on Bandcamp. Listen... Learn... Share... PEACE

Voluntary In Nature (Press release II)

The Sadies "Message to Belial" Official Video

And The World Exploded Into Love

Catseye - Love (Self-titled) (VIN 003)

Willie Thrasher - Indian Lady (Indian/Inuit Country) (VIN 002)

Wayne McGhie - Talk To Me (Wayne '76) (VIN 001)

Bill King Summerheat 1978

billkingpiano · Bill King Summerheat 1978

Dig into the supporting notes on this new/old Bill King gem and prepare to have your mind BLOWN!@#$%!!! PEACE

Sound Diary 21 by Zoe Gordon

*Zoe Gordon is a field recordist and sound designer living in Thunder Bay, Canada. I think that you'll find it's well worth your time to span some moments with any of her offerings, to learn more about the surroundings in which we live... PEACE

Waiting And Watching

brySONGuptill · Waiting And Watching

*An offering from Bryson Guptill that crossed my path... Enjoying its breeze and depth... PEACE

Voluntary In Nature (Press release)

Kevin Howes (Voluntary In Nature) 2022 bio + press photo

Kevin Howes is a two-time GRAMMY®-nominated producer, journalist, DJ, filmmaker, musician, and artist of settler/immigrant heritage, humbly and respectfully working out of Toronto, Ontario (Tkaronto). His most recent initiative is the grassroots/independent launch of Voluntary In Nature—birthed as an early online streaming mix for SNDNST/2Step, Tokyo, in 2006—as an “outlet for sharing” and artist-to-artist collaboration, fully conscious of the exploitation fuelling the music industry and striving for positive change, great equity, celebration, and awareness.

Contributing to and quietly influencing the Canadian music scene since the late 1990s, Howes has played a major role in shaping the extensive catalogue of well-respected US-based reissue label Light in the Attic Records on over 25 internationally acclaimed archival music projects. Jamaica to Toronto: Soul, Funk, and Reggae 1967-1974, Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love: Motown’s Mowest Story, Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966-1985, and Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology are key examples of his vision and dedication, realized through decades of travel, research, and connection. 

Howes' book deep liner notes accompany Sixto Rodriguez's landmark Cold Fact and Coming From Reality reissues and those of rock giants Thin Lizzy. He has also helped to provide stages for artists at everything from side door after-hours parties to nationally broadcast events like the Native North America Gathering at Trinity-St. Paul's in 2017 and the 2 Rivers Remix/Native North America livestream gathering from the fall of 2021. As a DJ performing under the Sipreano moniker, Howes has lovingly supported the likes of Lee Perry (RIP), Paul Weller, Black Mountain, Destroyer, and Jennifer Castle, and had the immense privilege to play a handpicked selection of vintage vinyl records from his collection before the final concert by the 13th Floor Elevators at Levitation 2015 in Austin, Texas. Often compared to folklorist Alan Lomax and eccentric collector/curator Harry Smith, Kevin's work has been featured in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, CBC, NPR, and The New York Times. 

Soldiering on through another year of the global pandemic, Howes is focused on Voluntary In Nature and the release of Wayne ’76 (VIN 001), Indian/Inuit Country (VIN 002), and Catseye (VIN 003), by Wayne McGhie, Willie Thrasher, and Catseye respectively, with more to follow…

LISTEN/SUPPORT: https://voluntaryinnature.bandcamp.com/

"You introduced me to a whole new world of records." - Nardwuar the Human Serviette

"Howes knows what people want, before they do." - Discorder Magazine

"The world in general, and Canadians in particular, owe an immense debt of gratitude to Kevin Howes." - Vancouver Folk Music Festival