LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Double Down), A New Local Band, And Much More!!

Here's a new news post on this Hump Day, as it were, including the latest from high profile bands on both sides of the border, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS tied in to a brand new band full of familiar faces, so here's what you should know!

We have a new local classic/hard rock cover band to add to our Sault Ontario band links, and they are Double Down, the new project from former Bone Yard bandmates Brad Stephen & Ric Datson! As live rock music goes, we haven't heard much from Brad & Ric since they left Bone Yard in January of last year, but you may have seen teasers about Double Down in recent months, with the band launching their Facebook page last month, though note that it's formatted like a normal personal page that you can add as a friend, not a band page. Regardless, the guys encourage you to follow it for updates, and it's not 100% private. Brad (on bass) and Ric (on drums) are joined here by former Griphook/100 Gran singer/guitarist Joel Syrette and former Hollow/Mustang Heart guitarist Adam King (who guested with Griphook at that band's final show in 2016). Set-wise, what can we expect?

In a comment reply to this photo two weeks ago, they cited covers of everyone from Kiss and Whitesnake to Big Wreck and Royal Blood, and even Steely Dan and Daft Punk, so they are certainly not far from Bone Yard in tone, if with less of a southern rock theme. In our teased LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, Double Down will debut at Reggie's Place on Friday, April 21st and Saturday, April 22nd for shows that are presumably 19+, starting at 9:30 PM, and cover-free. It'll be interesting to hear how Double Down sound next weekend, but the talent is certainly there, so visit the above links for more details on them and their first gigs!

Next up, let's hop to St. Ignace, Michigan for more recent updates from local metalcore band Heavy Lies The Crown's Facebook page! Yes, their recent interview is still coming soon, but I am behind on their own Facebook posts as it is! In this post on March 29th, the band said "videos wrapped up", but it's not clear if they mean multiple videos or if they forgot an apostrophe. In any event, photos are included from what appears to be a music video shoot, and based on the (hopefully) fake blood being applied on set, it'll be quite a video when released! After acknowledging on March 31st that "A Sold Soul" is inspired by the Spawn comic book, they asked fans to vote on Opnr to suggest H.L.T.C. as openers for the Taproot-headlined concert in Grand Rapids in November. Still a five hour drive to get there, but click here if you want to show your support for another downstate trip for a big concert opportunity!

After a week-long break from Facebook, the band returned with some new videos, including this "Reel" of singer Brandon West modeling his Heavy Lies The Crown hockey jersey. In other unembeddable content, they shared another Opnr campaign to see if they can get on the bill for the Oceano-headlined concert in Grand Rapids in June. For videos that we can embed here, Brandon starred in three short newer ones, starting with this video on Friday of him holding a long box and asking if fans can guess what's inside. Don't worry, there isn't any grim Se7en-esque items inside it, as he revealed in this video the next day that it contained a one-of-a-kind H.L.T.C. skateboard! If you don't watch the clip, the art on the board is of their duck mascot Iggy smoking a cigar (not unlike their song "Cigar With The Devil"). The text calls this "merch", but if they plan to sell it, I haven't heard details.

Lastly, Brandon posted this video on Sunday of him walking indoors with his band jersey and sunglasses to wish everyone a happy Easter... eventually (he said this took a few takes). Good updates from their camp, and hopefully we hear much more from Heavy Lies The Crown shortly, but check out their new videos above & below, and that audio interview will be next on the site from them, I promise!

We'll wrap things up back in Sault Ontario (well, by way of Barrie) for some of the latest from local crossover thrash quartet Spades GT! The former Jack Spades actually just played at the multi-band Road To Lockdown Fest in Toronto on Friday (click here for details), which followed previously announced gigs in Guelph and Newmarket in the preceding week, so the guys are definitely staying busy in Southern Ontario now that their album recording sessions are, if not completed, at least not being plugged regularly. Their next show will be in Barrie when they open for The Anti-Queens on April 27th (moved from the 24th), so visit the official Facebook event page for details on this kinda-sorta rebooking of the planned Anti-Queens/Jack Spades show in the Soo during lockdown #1! The guys also shared this new band logo that, while less derivative of the Skull Skates logo, is somewhat boring to me, if I'm being honest. If it's here for the long haul, it may grow on me yet!

One new Facebook video was also uploaded earlier today, but alas, it is a "Reel" and therefore unembeddable on external sites like this. It was filmed at an unidentified concert from last year and features frontman J.D. Pearce singing and accidentally showing us what happens when you try to drink a little too much at once mid-song. He saves himself well, I found! Note that the end of the video features logos for various social media pages, including Spotify, though their only content there so far is their Jack Spades material from the mid-2010s. Visit the above links for much more on Spades GT's recent activity in the GTA, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more next! Thanks everyone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Power Slug

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, letting us spotlight another inactive local metal, hard rock, or punk band from our links, randomly selected as usual, at that! This month, we're heading across the river for a look at one of the more recognizable local cover rock bands of a decade ago, so here's what you should know on them!

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Power Slug

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Genre: Hard/Classic Rock

Lineup:

Chris Leask (Highway 63, River Witch), vocals/bass
Chris Gurnoe (River Witch), guitar
Bob Helsten (I.S.O.M., Clownsack), drums

Audio/Video: A covers-only band, public Power Slug media is pretty much limited nowadays to videos uploaded to their Facebook page, which was only launched over two years after the band's inception. Two videos were posted there, both from a June 2014 gig at The Savoy Nightclub, including covers of Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" and (as embedded below) Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning", so check out both to see what Power Slug brought to the table in their heyday! Their range of covers did lean heavier than these videos may suggest, bearing some similarities to Chris Leask's later work with Highway 63 in particular.

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Info/Analysis: Succeeding the two Chris' short-lived band River Witch upon their debut in late 2011, Power Slug would become a fan favourite sight at E.U.P. nightclubs in the early-mid 2010s, despite not having a Facebook page to promote themselves with until mid-2014, and often playing shows with limited or no public notice there. Fans may recall seeing Power Slug at larger vents like the I-500 and LemmaFest, alongside sets at venues like the regional Kewadin Casino branches, the former Dan's Place in Rudyard, and Golanka's Bar (a.k.a. The Bird), among others, while also hitting the road for gigs in the western U.P. and downstate. Power Slug last advertised playing live in Manistique in May 2015, with Facebook updates quietly ceasing in July of that year, though Chris Leask & Bob would perform together in later bands. Chris, Bob, and Chris had a good thing going during their run, and while surviving videos have distorted audio, you do get a sense of their chemistry and talents!

Their hard hitting, down-to-earth brand of rock covers definitely found an audience of fans willing to chug their mugs with Power Slug during their run, and they easily could have ran longer as a band with success, but hopefully members are still active music and/or are doing well nowadays!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! We're heading back to Sault Ontario for our next randomly selected band of the past in this series, and we're going way back for a look at early-mid 2000s hard rock quartet Redefined! Look for that on or around May 10th, and for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Our Recap Of Mike Haggith's Newest Live-Stream!!

After a one year hiatus for his Facebook live-streamed concerts, local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith held his newest one on his Facebook page on Tuesday, March 28th! Now explicitly called a "live hangout", it marks his first such live-stream since he moved from Thompson, Manitoba last fall, and it runs for over two & a half hours, so there's lots to take in here! At the start of the video, Mike addressed what he's been up to in the past year (personally & professionally) before addressing his initially planned guest for the show, namely Ryan Jensen of the Denver, Colorado alt-rock solo project Surrender The Tides. Due to a scheduling conflict on Ryan's part, he's been pushed back to Mike's planned April live-stream, with Mike's replacement guest being Manny Attanasio, the frontman of the Australian indie/electronic rock duo The Lillypillies, who was originally planned to be the guest(s) this month.

No doubt their wires crossed when both The Lillypillies and Mike were featured on episodes of Your Music Live with Pete Johns and the community that arose through that series. The discussion begins about 3 minutes in with Manny asking about Mike's wedding and how Tianna's handling his musician/pilot life, before Mike acknowledges that technical issues on Facebook's part curtailed his April 2022 live-stream there (that one was only on YouTube). Mike next acknowledges the return of the share contest to determine a fan-decided cover that Mike has to cover the next time out (whoever gets the most engaged share of the live-stream wins). Manny gets to talk about himself and The Lillypillies proper next, including his recording setup and musical background, which Mike does connect to some of his past catalog (like how he loves his "Neighbourhood Watch" material but not the recording quality).

Mike & Manny talk about their musical abilities and such next, with Mike even talking down his own guitar abilities and noting that he had asked guitarist friends if they could guest on a guitar solo on his upcoming album. If you're in this for the actual performances, Mike is up first at the 24:10 mark when he covers The Lillypillies' own song "We'll Be Together", after which Manny praised Mike's rendition and talked about the inspiration of the song, including how the pandemic influenced it. Mike performs again next via his own original "If Ever Comes The Day" 36:15 into the video. After Mike criticized Facebook changes and social media in general, perhaps with a rebrand of some sort to follow, he asked Manny about his musical influences and his Lillypillies song "I'm Hypnotized", which Mike plays 55 minutes in, followed by him addressing his next album "All The Best In All You Do", which will have ten songs.

We move quickly to another song next, namely another of Mike's songs from the album "If Ever Comes The Day", namely his label namesake "MorningStar", which you can hear at the 1:04:10 mark. Mike next discusses the feedback that he's gotten from that song and his higher profile concerts that he took part in last year (particularly Rotaryfest, where he hopes to return this year), while also praising the talent of musicians in Sault Ste. Marie and how connected the community here is. He then asks Manny about The Lillypillies' future plans and upcoming material, before Mike tackles the first two planned songs from "All The Best In All You Do", namely "All You Do" and "Twist of Fate", which run into each other from 1:20:40 onward to end the first half, before Mike engages with commenters, especially ones that he's working with behind the scenes as a producer or collaborator.

The second half of the hangout continues with Mike asking Manny about his/The Lillypillies' planned return to Italy for some upcoming work, which links into Mike giving some insights into his Steeltown Sessions jam video with his live Rotaryfest band from last year, with Manny also talking up the advantages and drawbacks of technology towards his music, among other related topics. Mike tries another Lillypillies song next, namely "When We Were Young", which kicks in at 1:46:50, though Manny forgot to mute his video as he's singing along with Mike as he's playing and it doesn't sound great on a technical basis (too many halts and pops on Manny's end). If only the technical side of it was more level! Some casual discussion leads to Mike doing a brief new original song named "Love Will Light The Way" at 1:59:00, though he teased playing a song named "All For You" prior that was not performed on air.

The studio version sounds very lush compared to the acoustic guitar version heard here! When Manny asked about the release date for the new album, Mike didn't have a firm date in mind, but he did throw ideas out about possibly having five bonus tracks on physical copies only, with Manny offering his input on the idea and the creative process. After asking about what Manny does for fun and in his spare time, they discuss physical albums (Mike shows off a framed copy of "Bridges" on vinyl) and Mike's label MorningStar Records, of which American musician Tobias H. Reese has already signed on to release material through. The live-stream gets to thank yous, acknowledgements, and plugs before Manny signs off, with Mike hosting solo for the last 10 minutes, where he performs one more new song ("I've Seen It Before") at the 2:23:15 mark, complete with abrupt breaks to talk about the song's themes... very personal ones, at that!

Things end here (including a plug for the return of his YouTube album review series), but Mike did not play the winning song of his share contest from the March 2022 live-stream. That month's winner was not available to watch the April 2022 live-stream, so Mike postponed it to the next one, which was this installment, and there was no sign of it. Did it vanish into the ether? In any event, this was an entertaining live-stream with a good casual feeling, and while it was unfortunate that Manny didn't perform any songs himself like we saw in prior live-streams with guests, he is a talented musician and Mike did his songs justice! Check out all of the festivities for yourself below, and look for his next live-stream soon!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more from Mike (including his recent radio interview) and more on the site this week, including this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Vanity First), Plus Updates From Heavy Lies The Crown & Handsome Sandwich!!

Let's get some more recent news and notes on the site on this Saturday morning, and they include some new videos and recent updates from bands on both sides of the border, but leading off, here are some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for you punk fans to check out next month!

While Shooters Downstairs Lounge recently addressed April concerts in their Facebook concert schedule poster (the already-occurred Eugene Gassi show on the 1st aside), we do know of a pair of SMS-relevant gigs next month, as local punk trio Vanity First will make their Shooters debuts on May 19th & 20th, preceded by their Reggie's Place debut on Saturday, April 29th! Announced via posters on their Facebook page (neither venue has confirmed these dates yet), I believe these will be Vanity First's.... first true solo concerts at nightclubs, where they'd be doing the four sets/covers-heavy thing not unlike Soundcheck at Shooters this weekend. Hopefully Andrew, Mikhal, and Keeghan make a strong impression at these two downtown nightclubs with their modern punk attack! No word on why they're not playing at Reggie's on Friday the 28th, we'll let you know if someone else is confirmed for that night or not.

All three of Vanity First's newly announced shows have 9:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 19+ age limits. Should be a good time for punk fans and bar patrons looking for something newer compared to their usual roster, so visit the above links for more details!

Next up, here's the latest from St. Ignace, Michigan metalcore band Heavy Lies The Crown, who do have an interview that we'll address in an upcoming post, but they have been busy for posting enough new Facebook content in the last few weeks as it is! On March 25th, the guys hit the road for another downstate gig, this time at Skelletones in Grand Rapids for a headlining concert, if you can believe that, featuring openers Ruin , I Decide I, and Minus Two. Skelletones' Facebook page even posted (black & white) pictures of H.L.T.C.'s set, so you know it went well for bands and venue alike! Singer Brandon West recorded this video while en route to Grand Rapids to hype the event, where he apologized for the impromptu promotion given their recent behind the scenes work to better themselves, and their set apparently had all but three of four of their existing originals.

A "new/old instrument" was brought back for this gig as well, and he encouraged attendees to meet the band at the merchandise table. The day of the concert, Brandon starred in another video (well, a "Reel") featuring him punching at a speed bag in preparation for the show. Not sure that there's a direct correlation, but his technique is good! During the event, Brandon and guitarist Ted Olson starred in this 9 second video (not a "Reel", believe it or not) that basically has them mugging for the camera when they realized they didn't switch back to camera mode, which is amusing! On March 27th, Brandon posted a video to announce that the "new/old instrument" is the turntable, while also talking about how the Grand Rapids concert went, which included a couple of songs where he and drummer Jaxon Massaway traded roles. Apparently, Brandon played drums on their debut EP, not Cale Krist, which is news to me!

Brandon said that the band is taking a break to work on new studio material, with added backing vocals from band members planned going forward, but he did hype up how things went in Grand Rapids, and bassist Christian Bailey (referred to as Christian Cook in the video) apparently cut himself by accident mid-set. Hope he's alright, of course, but with how Brandon described it, the incident would at least look metal! Give this one a watch below, and stay tuned for much more (including that interview) from Heavy Lies The Crown in due course!

Finally for today, here's some updates from Sault Ontario alternative/hard rock band Handsome Sandwich! First off, you may know that bassist Rafael Medina (full name Rafael Medina Cruz) came to the Soo from his native Colombia to take part in Algoma University's music program, and he was recently spotlighted in this SooToday article by Chris Belsito, where he and classmate Brandon Ruch were feted for their recent graduation. The two performed at Algoma's Jazz Ensemble concert on Thursday at The Loft (the site of Handsome Sandwich's album release show next month), while their proper graduation concert for the music program takes place at The Loft on April 12th (click here for tickets if you are so inclined). Rafael's bandmate Johnny (credited as John) Belanger will be among the guest backing musicians. Good article to learn about both Rafael and Brandon, but also the Algoma music program, so check it out above!

In terms of Handsome Sandwich directly, the band revealed on their Facebook page on March 28th that former Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno filmed their upcoming music video for "No Entry" at Spacebag Productions, and the video is slated to be released on Wednesday, April 19th, so stay tuned for that! Lastly, a new Facebook video was posted on Thursday of the band "being lame" (their words), with singer Taylor Emlaw hyping the release concert on May 6th and the band proper clearly having fun in the moment, assuming Jesse didn't hurt himself in his tumble off the chair. A clip of an unidentified new song can also be heard throughout the 33 second clip. Good stuff, so see more from the Sandwich above & below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Wyld Stallyns & Soundcheck), Plus Jonesy Land Updates!!

This weekend is shaping up to be relatively quiet as heavier bands go (it being the Easter long weekend doesn't help), but we do have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to address, including SHORT NOTICE ones for this weekend, plus updates on an upcoming punk album. With all of that said, here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, as well as a standard concert at Jay's Piston Broke Pub TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the Shooters gigs were only announced via the venue's Facebook event pages (linked here & here) on Saturday, while TONIGHT'S show at Jay's was only confirmed on the band's Facebook page yesterday. Yes, TONIGHT is typically jam night hosted by Soundcheck at the former Reggie's West, and while the band explicitly said that jam night is cancelled this week, they said that they were still playing a normal concert there TONIGHT. Why, I have no clue, but keep in mind that singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver doesn't typically take part in jam nights, so if this is a traditional cover gig for Soundcheck, will the full lineup be present TONIGHT?

With the debuting Generations playing at Jay's this weekend, Soundcheck will return to Shooters TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT for their first gigs there since mid-February, so whether you're available on a Thursday night TONIGHT or want to head downtown over the weekend, Soundcheck's hard & classic rocking party covers should be an apt soundtrack! Expect 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits across the board. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, while this is another quiet heavier concert weekend, there is more on the horizon at Shooters, and as the above poster indicates, local funk/hard rock cover sextet The Wyld Stallyns are returning there for one night only on Friday, April 21st! This show comes less than a month after The Stallyns' last appearance at the Dennis Street nightclub, and it should be another fine opportunity for fans to take in their crowd friendly & often heavy array of covers, so don't miss the Speers' and company then! Like on March 25th, this is a one-nighter, this time due to or resulting in pop rock cover band L!me's show there on Saturday the 26th. Like with Soundcheck above, The Wyld Stallyns will be on at 9:00 PM on the 21st with no cover charge and a 19+ age limit. Should be a good time for fans, "no repeat" theme or not, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more updates!

Let's close with some overdue updates (as far as normal SMS posts go) on online page-less local punk/folk solo project Jonesy Land's upcoming debut album "Zoom - Out"! While project leader Dustin Jones has posted a lot about the album on his personal Facebook page, public updates have been limited to teasers on his label Tidal Records' Facebook page as of late. On February 21st there, Dustin shared a "Reel" of local folk musician Shannon Moan tracking vocals for an unidentified song from "Zoom - Out", complete with lyrics for her verses on the screen. I can't embed "Reels" here, but it's nicely sung and it'll be interesting to hear how Shannon factors into the full track! Dustin has previously said that Jonesy Land has a fluid come-and-go musician makeup, and while a guest list isn't out yet, note that aside from "Sunshine Parades", their initial singles had credited guest bassists & drummers.

Note that there is a picture on Dustin's personal Facebook page showing what appear to be eight song titles for "Zoom - Out" (if accurate, the one with Shannon is named "Old Man"), though note that the project's initial three original songs are not among them. Regardless, the image is not public (yet?), but if you are Dustin's friend on Facebook, you can see it thusly. On March 29th, another "Reel" (cross-posted from Dustin's personal TikTok page) revealed that "Zoom - Out" will be released on Wednesday, May 31st (my birthday!) and features a very Tool-ish image set to a new song clip, likely "Shine On" if the image with the track listing is anything to go by. I'll hold comments on the sample pending our eventual review of the whole album, but it is a folksier song on average. Interesting stuff all around, and while I again can't embed "Reels", follow Jonesy Land above to see how "Zoom - Out" is coming together!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site over the holiday weekend! Thanks everyone!

Where Are The New Albums? (April 2023 Update)

Let's get this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post up on the site on this Monday evening! This monthly feature post looks at the currently public details and release whereabouts of announced albums from local metal, hard rock, and punk acts who have all confirmed beginning recording sessions for one. We have seven entries to look at this time, including one new upcoming album, and for the three entries with new or updated information, the album name is in italics. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!

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Chase James Wigmore - The Chaotic Rite

Rumoured Songs: Multiple

Background: Ever the prolific artist & songwriter, local folk punk/extreme metal musician Chase Wigmore has been working on an extensive rock opera for years (once claimed to be a 33 part work), originally named "A Story About A Kid Named Todd". Worked on in between his other unrelated solo albums, released for sale or otherwise, Chase posted a lengthy elaboration of the rock opera last year, now titled "The Chaotic Rite", outlining its concept, recording plans, and long-term release timeline. Clips of songs have surfaced on his Facebook page, as well as the final artwork, while in promotion for his last release, Chase has hinted that "The Chaotic Rite" might be his final eponymous solo album.

Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine for when this will finally come out, but remember that Chase is very prolific and varied in his musical interests, and not every album of his has seen a formal paid release, either by finishing it's lifespan as a demo, or by being released online for free. Regardless, he has been working on the rock opera for years to ensure a quality product, so stay tuned for updates from his camp!

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Fort Creek's debut EP

Rumoured Songs: "Hammer Down"

Background: Local southern/hard rock quintet Fort Creek have sporadically teased plans to record an EP since February 2020, and while the pandemic lockdowns may have gave them more time to record, they wouldn't release any samples until almost two years later when they shared this snippet of their single "Hammer Down" their Facebook page, later posting this 72 second clip. The guys debuted it at their headlining concert at Soo Blaster in June, and have played it live regularly since, but they have yet to release any full tracks online. The band has been working in studio in early 2023, revealing that "it's coming along" in a Facebook post on March 22nd.

Current Release Status: Fort Creek originally planned to release the EP in "late summer", later adjusted to "late 2022", but both timeframes have obviously came and went. The band had been part of a three month hiatus late last year, but whether the break was to work on the EP isn't publically known. There are a lot of unknowns either way, especially given the 2+ years of production time and that this is a band primarily known for their work on the weekend cover circuit (though some members do have experience in name original bands, especially Tony). It will be interesting to see how things develop, so stay tuned!
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Handsome Sandwich - "Deconstructed"

Rumoured Songs: "All Or Nothing", "Bitter", "No Entry", "No Idea", "Better Off"

Background: After taking a year+ long hiatus during the pandemic, local "no genre" band Handsome Sandwich reunited in mid-2021 with a new lineup, with Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger now joined by singer Taylor Emlaw, guitarist Mitch Sirie, and (as of last summer) bassist Rafael Medina. Via their new Facebook page & YouTube channel, the band almost instantly began teasing a debut album (after previously being covers-only from 2017-2020), posting videos of them playing original songs. In June 2021, Handsome Sandwich revealed that the album had began pre-production, with recording at Unsalted Audio with producer Bill Priddle and mixer Dustin Goodall. In November, the band confirmed that the album's name was changed from "Lettuce" to "Deconstructed", and recording sessions wrapped in January, with Jordan Zadorozny mixing the tracks at Skylark Park in Pembroke. Their songs "Bitter"  and "Better Off" were released to streaming services in the past two months, both also getting music videos, while "No Entry" (featuring guest saxophonist Josh Norling) will get a similar pre-release later this month.

Current Release Status: The band has had a release date of May 6th planned for this album since last fall, and that will culminate in a release concert at The Loft, which is The Algoma Conservatory of Music's third floor intimate concert venue and attached recording studio. Handsome Sandwich did tease that this set will be "live recorded", but they have not specified if they meant in video or audio format, and if the latter, if they plan to release their set as a live album or not. Assuming no hang-ups or delays, May 6th should be a huge occasion, especially given the fancier setting for the release party, so stay tuned for updates!

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Jonesy Land - "Zoom - Out"

Rumoured Songs: "Sunshine Parades", "Moral Blackout", "Ain't Dead Yet"

Background: The current solo project from former Rising Tide/Inner City Surfers frontman Dustin Jones, he has been working under the Jonesy Land name since 2021 when he played a handful of summer festival dates, while also sporadically releasing new studio original recordings with attached music videos. While public teasers towards Jonesy Land's future plans have been made before 2023 (primarily via this SooToday article), Dustin finally announced in February that he is working on a studio album named "Zoom - Out" at his own Mission Control Studios, to be released through his label Tidal Records. This image may be the planned album artwork, though this isn't confirmed. Jonesy Land is a fluid project for genres and performers, and it was confirmed through a "reel" on the Tidal Facebook page that local folk musician Shannon Moan will be among the guests, though more are to be announced (the three initial singles featured the likes of Brad Example, Mikey Hawdon, Frank Deresti, and Darren Pfieffer on bass or drums).

Current Release Status: This "reel" (cross-posted from Dustin's TikTok page) confirms a planned album release date of Wednesday, May 31st (my birthday!), barely confirming earlier teasers of a spring release. If this holds, it will be great to see a new studio album from Dustin for the first time in over a decade, but be advised that Jonesy Land do not have a formal social media page (not counting TikTok, which is personal use as well) to promote themselves with. As such, updates on the album may be slower than with other bands, let alone focused on his own personal accounts, where he has gleaned more about the album's planned makeup. In any event, we'll keep you guys posted!

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Mike Haggith - "All The Best In All You Do"

Rumoured Songs: "I've Seen It Before", "Twist of Fate", "If Only You Could Hear Me"

Background: During his live-streamed Facebook concert in February 2022, local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith revealed that he was working on his newest studio album, entitled "All The Best In All You Do". Like his other Thompson-era albums, this will have an overarching concept, this time about the transition out of depression and being manipulated by others, into a happier personal life. At the time, Mike was 35% done with the album, and he has played two new originals planned for it in live-streams and in his 2022 concerts, as well as "If Only You Could Hear Me", a still-unreleased song from early in his time in Thompson. A single version of "Twist of Fate" was unveiled in July, and live videos of all three songs can be found on Mike's Facebook page and/or YouTube channel. Mike moved to Barrie, Ontario for work reasons at the end of 2022, and has indicated plans to resume work on his solo career, including this album, in the near future. 

Current Release Status: Given Mike's day job and personal commitments, he hasn't been as active on social media in recent months, but he was playing live dates last year and presumably working on recording the new album where time allows, though all of the personal and professional changes involving his move to Ontario are definitely acknowledged. Hopefully things are progressing naturally, and we'll keep you posted!

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Spades GT''s first full-length album

Rumoured Songs: "Cenobites", "Hands"

Background: After a successful local run from 2013-2020 that included their 2014 debut EP "The First" and six more studio tracks on 2015's "Fed Up!" split, local crossover thrash quintet Jack Spades were relaunched in late 2021 as Spades GT, once frontman J.D. Pearce moved to Barrie for work reasons. After playing live throughout 2022, the band announced plans to record a full-length album in January, hitting the studio in Toronto with producer Kyle Marchant (pictured with 4/5ths of the band here) last month. Only J.D. remains from the Jack Spades-era CDs, now joined by late-era Jack Spades guitarist Daniel Horton (who also moved to the GTA) plus new additions Jay Sarrazin, James Roy Daley, and Tyler Reiner on guitar, bass, and drums. The album will feature guest appearances from Anvil frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow on guitar and Daniel's Fast Life bandmate Andrew Moorehouse on vocals.

Current Release Status: The band announced via this Facebook post yesterday that the album is "coming out in May", and if that projection holds, it's convenient timing given that Spades alumni Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger's debut album with Handsome Sandwich is also slated for release next month! Given the extra opportunities and availability that Spades GT have in Southern Ontario, things can easily come together quicker and on a higher profile compared to their mid-2010s efforts. Keep posted to Spades GT's online pages for further updates, and songs from the new album have been filmed in live concert videos!

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The Uncanny Valley's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "The Uncanny Valley", "Glowin'", "Middle Man", “This Love is Psychedelic”, "Stuck In Rotation", “Sweet Like Sugar”, "Fumbling Through"

Background: The new classic hard rock band from 2019 Soo's Got Talent winner Adrian Sullivan, fans will have seen original material of theirs right from the start, as The Uncanny Valley debuted their own songs in their first live concert at The Canadian on New Year's Eve 2019. Live concert & jam session videos have followed on their Facebook page featuring their own material as well. After posting a teaser audio clip of "Sweet Like Sugar" in September 2020, they posted the full studio version of "Middle Man" that October, finally confirming there that they are working on their first album. The guys did record a studio version of "Stuck In Rotation" at Unsalted Audio for the Clusterfolk Music Festival and a related compilation album in April 2022, but whether that exact recording will be included on the band's own album is unclear.

Current Release Status: No clue, which isn't helped by The Uncanny Valley's age and relatively unfamiliar profile for many readers, not to mention the complications of the pandemic, but they have played a number of local concerts last year. That said, they are a talented group who seemed to be taking the right steps for the future, and hopefully more updates on The Uncanny Valley's debut album follow in some form or another when ready!

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I hope that you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This series will return on or around May 2nd for another go-around, while our next monthly feature post will likely be next week's Defunct Local Band Profile. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), New Concert Videos, And More!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in this weekend's very quiet hard rock concert previews, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck returned to The Esquire Club for a show last night. The band only announced this concert via their Facebook page at 3:08 PM yesterday (less than 7 hours before showtime), and The Esquire Club's Facebook page never confirmed the show period. If Soundcheck played there on Friday night, no one announced it that I have found. Be advised that bassist Jim Michaud's old band Obsession had planned to play at Shooters this weekend before they broke up in February, so last night's Esquire Club booking was not inherited from that band. If you're following the former Obsession's announced 2023 concert calendar, then the next of those dates that Jim could theoretically take over with Soundcheck would be April 21st & 22nd at The Esquire Club.

In any event, last night's apparent Soundcheck one-nighter was held once the venue got the snow from yesterday's storm dealt with (they were closed until 6:00 PM), and it coincided with singer/guitarist Terry Eaton's birthday. Happy belated birthday, of course! I profusely apologize for missing this show on the SMS, but the late notice combined with a quiet concert weekend and the storm didn't have me thinking anything would pop up, let alone with time to make up a post. Hopefully it was a blast in spite of Mother Nature, and stay tuned for previews of Soundcheck's next late notice shows this weekend later in the week!

Now, today's post otherwise features a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT with ample notice for later this month, plus some new concert videos, and let's start with that new show, as local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Tazzi's Cafe & Restaurant at 478 Queen Street East for one night only on Friday, April 21st! This will be Tym's third show at the restaurant just down the road from Reggie's Place following his St. Patrick's Day weekend gigs there last month, and clearly those went well for Tazzi's to bring him back for another go-around! Tazzi's has primarily focused on acoustic-leaning solo acts on Friday nights since beginning their live music experiment, and hopefully Tym's unplugged classic and hard rock covers go over well as usual there!

Like last month, this show has a 19+ age limit, no cover, and an 8:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more from Tym when it rolls in!

We'll close today with new videos from a pair of major hard rock concerts in each of the Twin Saults, as posted to YouTube last month! YouTube user Brian S has recently been uploading videos from three different concerts that he attended to his channel, including the Skillet/Theory of a Deadman/Saint Asonia show in Mount Pleasant, Michigan last month, but his newest two are from the Pop Evil-headlined show at The Dreammakers Theatre at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on March 17th! The videos are all of the headlining Muskegon hard rock band, and they feature their hits "Deal With The Devil", "Torn To Pieces", and as embedded below, "Footsteps". Alas, all but "Torn To Pieces" were shot vertically, but Brian had a decent angle of the stage, and while not close to it, he zoomed in and made use of his camera's solid visual quality to capture these songs nicely with good lighting!

Audio quality is pretty solid on these too, if a little muffled, but if you're a fan of Pop Evil's modern hard rock singles, you will like how Leigh and crew translate these songs to a live set so seamlessly! Give these a look above and below, and we'll let you know if more Pop Evil videos surface!

Finally, while Brian's Theory of a Deadman videos are primarily from the aforementioned Mount Pleasant show last month, he was in attendance for the Burnaby, B.C. hard rock/post grunge band's headlining date at the Sault Community Theatre Centre in Sault Ontario in February 2020, belatedly uploading this video of their older ballad "All or Nothing", complete with Tyler starting on piano before moving to just vocals and interacting with front row attendees. I'm not a huge Theory (of a Deadman) fan, but Brian got an even better video for angle, position, and quality here, and this performance was definitely well recieved in one of the final major hard rock shows here pre-lockdown, so check it out for yourselves below!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post on the site next! Thanks everyone!