Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Programmed To Fail & Mackinaw Trail

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles, as we're once again looking at one or two defunct/inactive local metal, hard rock, or punk bands, in order to spotlight their public run and accomplishments for current readers! As usual, this month's bands were randomly selected from our band links. This month's first band didn't have enough surviving information to warrant a solo profile, so I randomly picked another band in a similar state from Sault Michigan to round things out, and the fact that their names rhyme is purely coincidental. Now, here's what you should know!
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Programmed To Fail

Genre: Hardcore Punk
 
Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Members: (The instrument roles of this band's members may be incorrect. Let me know if you can make any corrections! Note that they never had an official drummer, and used a drum machine on their Soundcloud postings.)

Craig Kelly, vocals
Justin "Thorky" Thorkilson, guitar
Corry Rideout (The Northern Tragedy), bass

Info/Analysis: Launching under the name The Transjenners in February 2016, Programmed To Fail quickly posted their only original "We Push Back" on their Soundcloud page, which was a raw but intense punk song that showcased fair promise! After a brief hiatus, P.T.F. returned in late 2017 with Corry added on bass, but little followed aside from teaser photos, and the band ultimately dissolved in 2018, aside from posting a trap instrumental on Soundcloud that October. Programmed To Fail were a work in progress that never had much to report, but Craig & Thorky had something on "We Push Back", and it'd be interesting to see them pick up where they left off! 

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Mackinaw Trail

Genre: Classic/Hard Rock
 
Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Members:

Henry Switzer (Highway 63), vocals/guitar
George Belleau (Highway 63, Full Throttle, Hawk Junction), bass
Ron Suchey (Highway 63, Monkey's Uncle, RamWagon), drums

Audio/Video: Mackinaw Trail themselves never posted any media to preview their sound, but seeing as they were a side project of 2014-2020 classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63, and shared three members with their final lineup, watching that band's extant videos will give you an idea. As well, note that Mackinaw Trail did tease a setlist comprised of songs from Henry & Ron's old band Monkey's Uncle (née Jager) when they made their live debut.

Info/Analysis: Mackinaw Trail (an alternate name for the real H-63) played their only concert on October 18th, 2019 when both bands split a weekend engagement at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino. This new band was designed as a way to play live dates when Highway 63 guitarist Nathan Switzer (Henry's son) was unavailable, while also recording original music, but the pandemic & Henry's health issues stalled any further public plans. Henry did post some of his solo activity on Mackinaw Trail's Facebook page in late 2020, but the band likely dissolved following his death in February 2021. While videos never appeared of Mackinaw Trail proper, it's safe to say that fans of Henry's local music career would have enjoyed Mackinaw Trail, and they were the victim of bad timing. Hopefully we'll see George and Ron back on stage down the line, and R.I.P. Henry!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! Next month in this series, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for the summer, where our newest randomly selected band of the past will be mid-2010s solo project StrykerGC (a.k.a. Stonesmith GC),so look for that on or around June 10th, and for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

New Videos From Three Local Acts, Plus More Recent News & Notes!!

For our last post of February 2020, we're diving into some recent video postings from a few familiar local faces, including a solo cover, a revived band's album plans, and a prolific artist's TV hosting gig, plus a handful of shorter stories at post's end. Here's what you should know!

Here's the latest from local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith, starting with the fact that his new single "To Be With You" premiered on February 15th on local internet radio station The Borderline! The song has not been posted elsewhere as of this writing, so until it is, you'll have to tune in to The Borderline to see if it comes up in rotation. The song is brand new, and is not from his still-unreleased "Bridges" album, but it's not yet clear whether it's a standalone single or will be part of another new album release. We'll keep you posted! As for new content of Mike's that you can check out on demand, he hosted another Shaw Spotlight virtual community concert that aired locally on TV and radio in Thompson yesterday, specifically Thompson's Winterfest, an 80 minute event that you can watch on the Shaw Community Link YouTube channel and embedded below!

As hyped with this teaser video, this is very similar to the virtual Christmas concert that Mike hosted for Shaw Spotlight in Thompson in December, with Mike introducing acts & talking to viewers, but the tone is somewhat less jokey and sarcastic this time. Admittedly, Saultite interest in Thompson-based acts may be limited, but there's a lot of talent on display, and Mike himself does perform two songs, including "MorningStar" 32 minutes in & "Come On Home" (from "Bridges", which he promised will come out this year) about 67 minutes in. Solid performances from Mike & Thompsonites alike, and this all came together nicely, so give Thompson Winterfest a watch!

Next up, local progressive metal duo Kraken Mara are back (again!) After a public hiatus since September 2019 (their only month with updates since 2017), the band quietly posted a "scheduled video" of a play-through of a song from their upcoming debut EP, which will now be named "Vibe Check" rather than be self-titled. The video is not watchable until it premieres at 10:01 AM on March 12th, which is definitely unique for a local band to post, and it's proof that this return is going to lead somewhere in the short term! Kraken Mara's Facebook page hasn't been newly updated yet, but their Instagram page has new updates, albeit with all prior videos deleted, sadly. Four short clips are there to check out, including two of guitarist Jake Valois practicing solos for the EP, and two featuring his bandmate/brother-in-law Brendan Christie in brief samples from the "Vibe Check" playthrough premiering on the 12th.

The scheduled YouTube video's description notes that drums on the EP are being provided by Cliff Aubut, who drums for the Kelowna, B.C. metalcore band Stasis. I presume he's a session drummer given the distance, but we'll let you know if his involvement is greater. Assuming that "Vibe Check" does see it's intended release, I'll hold comment on the music proper until then (especially with the full song video not watchable yet), but it's great to see Brendan & Jake back at it once again, and fans of djent-laden progressive metal will want to take notice! Give the second of Brendan's teaser videos a look below, see more above, and stay tuned for updates!

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A post shared by Kraken Mara (@kraken_maraband)

Also today, here's a new cover video from ex-Sense Of Truth/Skeyes Of Seven frontman Cory Murchison's YouTube channel on Friday, where he covered Seether's ballad "Broken" (not the version with Amy Lee.) The video quality is a little hazy, but the music comes through well enough, and Cory's voice is a good match for this song (the descripion notes that he plans to do more Seether covers), so give this well done rendition a watch below!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• I have moved Sault Michigan hard rock trio Mackinaw Trail to our inactive band links due to the sudden passing of frontman Henry Switzer earlier this month. It's certainly possible that George and Ron could continue forward in a band, bur they hadn't posted anything on their Facebook page about Mackinaw Trail in particular since late 2019, rather sharing info on Highway 63 and Henry's solo pursuits (and don't forget about the pandemic either). Hopefully we hear more from George & Ron musically down the road!
  
• On a similar note to the Mackinaw Trail link update, I have removed Henry's old classic/hard rock band Sir Charge from our inactive band links, this time due to the page's deletion at some point last year. Sir Charge were the short-lived successors to Henry and his son Nathan's old band Monkey's Uncle, and were active on the E.U.P. bar circuit from 2012-2013, though I don't believe they ever had videos to show for their brief run. Hopefully Nathan and the Mayers stay active in music!
• Sault Ontario-based Foo Fighters tribute band The Soo Fighters have quietly added Isolation Sessions/ex-Half Past bassist Arthur Lacasse to their lineup, replacing Max Ambeault, as per an update on their Facebook page this month. A reason for Max's departure was not announced, but he only played live with The Soo Fighters once in 2019 before the pandemic scuttled their 2020 plans. Hopefully we hear from Max musically again, but Art should fit in fine when The Soo Fighters play live next, whenever that is!
  

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

New Sault Michigan Videos And More Recent News & Notes!!

Before we post this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles and hopefully add some stories to talk about on the site this weekend, here's a new news post for your Friday afternoon, including some overdue b-sides and unreleased music, new solo performance videos, and leading off, big post-pandemic plans from some familiar faces! Here's what you should know!

Here are some big updates and videos from active Sault Michigan projects, starting with the latest from classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63! Yes, they are still technically scheduled for two different weekend sets at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino next month, we will keep you posted on the statuses of those concerts when word rolls in from the band, venue, or the state government. Last week, a post from frontman Henry Switzer's personal Facebook page was shared on the band's Facebook page, where he outlined plans for an outdoor community gathering and concert when the pandemic ends. To be co-organized by Henry and the owners of two other local vehicle service shops, this planned event would likely have a barbecue, involvement from an array of local businesses, and live music, and they are seeking volunteers, advertising, and any other assistance to make the event happen. Highway 63's sister band Mackinaw Trail also shared this post on their Facebook page.

This sounds like a great idea to help get the community back together in a safe and friendly environment, and fingers crossed that isn't too far into the future, but flattening the curve should be our priority right now. One or both of Henry's bands seem likely to be involved given the Facebook shares, but there's a lot of unknowns yet, so follow the above links for continuing details! As for that new video, this is also shared from Henry's personal Facebook page, and it features him covering Kiss' '"Sure Know Something" on vocals & guitar. Unlike his prior solo video postings, this features three different videos of him performing (two with him singing, one on guitar), as edited together in post-production. The video's well made, and Henry's vocals are very effective on this Kiss classic! If you've missed his bands as of late, give this cover a watch below, and stay tuned for more updates!



Next up, here are the first videos from newer local metal solo project X's & Y's' Facebook page! Both uploaded there on February 18th, these feature project leader Jason Mills (ex-Life's Eclipse/Werehold Records) demonstrating riffs for their new material, including this 17 second video of him dialing in a tone on his 9 string guitar. Embedded below is the longer 30 second video of him demonstrating an old riff he's brought back for his new songs. The green tint seems unnecessary, but these riffs are promising, so give them a look, and I hope we hear more from X's & Y's in the near future!



We'll close today in Sault Ontario with a long overdue find on local punk supergroup The Inner City Surfers' Soundcloud page! For site research, Soundcloud has proven useful in the past, but it's not a service I actively use, so the upload of this content in May 2016 has absolutely fell under the radar until now. Fans of the Surfers probably know that their four studio albums (including the elusive "Time To Travel On") are available to stream on Spotify, but they are also on their Soundcloud page (ran by bassist Brad Example), and an extra collection of songs is there too, entitled "BSides & Rare", which features unreleased original songs, covers, and alternate versions from their heyday. This is not a for-sale album, but it's a nice collection of extra material, including the original versions of "Step Back" (from "Laughing On The Outside") and their cover of Stompin' Tom Connors' "Algoma Central 69", an acoustic version of "10 Commandments", and many other unreleased songs.

As this never received a paid release, it's not eligible for our monthly CD reviews, but given that some of these songs are clearly rough demos, the band may have always intended for these to be a free bonus.  For completionism, the "Bsides & Rare" playlist is definitely worth a listen to hear some lost Inner City Surfers tracks, and you can do so at the above links! That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Weekend Concert Previews, A New Local Band, And New Videos!!

It's time for this weekend's concert previews (Tarnished on Saturday aside, we covered that on Wednesday), as this is by and large a quiet weekend for hard rock shows. Things will pick up closer to the holidays, as usual. To pad out this post, we have some very relevant linked material relating to a band playing this weekend, including new videos, lineup updates, and leading off, their new side project, so here's what you should know!

We have a new band to add to our Sault Michigan band links, and they are Mackinaw Trail, a new side project from most of local classic/hard rock cover band Highway 63! Publically launched at the beginning of October, this trio comprises of singer/guitarist Henry Switzer, bassist George Belleau, and drummer Ron Suchey, who recently rejoined Highway 63 himself, with their guitarist Nathan Switzer not a part of this new group (more on the H63 lineup particulars in a bit.) The reason for the almost identical new band is so that the guys can record original material for distribution on Apple Music, while also using the Mackinaw Trail name for fill-in live concerts when Nathan is absent due to commitments with his new St. Ignace metal band Heavy Lies The Crown (more on them to come also.) To that end, the two bands split the October 18th weekend at The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino, with Mackinaw Trail learning old Jager and Monkey's Uncle covers for their debut that Friday.

First off, I profusely apologize for missing both bands' Kewadin shows in October, especially as Mackinaw Trail did publically promote them on their Facebook page, but I didn't know they existed then, and Highway 63 never plugged them on Facebook themselves. Hopefully the shows went well! Of course, fans of Henry's music career will recall that Jager (4.0) had entertaining  original songs on their old MySpace page, so if Mackinaw Trail can recapture some of that magic, we'll be in good hands! Visit the above links for more on this new band as it rolls in!

Next up, we'll start this weekend's concert previews with the latest publically advertised concerts from Sault Ontario hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who will return to Gliss Restaurant for his usual matinee concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW, sandwiching his latest nighttime show at  The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on Trunk Road TONIGHT! These shows are basically a complete encore from last week, as he is at Gliss every week, and also played at The Roadhouse last Friday, so if you're eager for more acoustic hits at the downtown steak restaurant or the east end nightclub, you know where to be! As was the case last week, the Gliss shows are 6:00 PM affairs with no announced cover charges or age limits, while tonight's Roadhouse Bar one-nighter is at 10:00 PM with no cover and a 19+ age limit. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live at Gliss earlier this year!



Also, the only other non-Tarnished hard rock shows that I am aware of locally this weekend come via the aforementioned Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quintet Highway 63, who are advertised to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Unlike their last couple of gigs in Rudyard & the Soo, these shows had plenty of advance notice and we had heard about them for months prior, so we can get the proper push out for these ones! These will be Highway 63's first shows in St. Ignace since playing this venue in October, though like then, be advised that the band's Facebook page has not newly promoted these events there. This talented veteran quartet should have another solid weekend of hard rocking covers in store, so don't miss these shows if you're in the E.U.P.! As usual, these are 21+ gigs with no cover charges and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and for a preview, we have new videos of Highway 63 in action!

Filmed by frontman Henry Switzer's wife Kristina and shared to their Facebook page in October, these were filmed at the aforementioned one-nighter at The Rapids Lounge on October 19th, and feature Highway 63's altered new lineup, including the return of original drummer Ron Suchey (replacing Russell Mayer), while there is no sign of keyboardist Brian Drumheller in these clips. Reasons for the departures have not been announced, but note that I only learned of the lineup changes via personal Facebook postings. Hopefully all's well with Brian and Russell going forward, but it is nice to see Ron back in the fold! The videos feature Highway 63 covering Styx's "Blue Collar Man" and, as embedded below, Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Born on the Bayou". The video quality is slightly muddled, but the audio holds up on both, and Henry's strong rangy vocals suit both tracks nicely! Give these a look above and below, and stay tuned for more on Highway 63 & Mackinaw Trail!



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