GREG MACPHERSON'S FIGURE WALKING ANNOUNCE DEBUT LP

POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE NOMINATED SONGWRITER GREG MACPHERSON RETURNS WITH NEW BAND, FIGURE WALKING, AND NEW ALBUM, THE BIG OTHER, DUE OUT APRIL 28 VIA DISINTEGRATION RECORDS IN CANADA

LISTEN AND SHARE “VICTORIOUS” HERE

PHOTO CREDIT : Kristian Jordan // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Figure Walking have provided an up-to-the-second, human response to an increasingly neoliberal world. Built on Greg MacPherson’s powerful songwriting, and the relentless backbone of Rob Gardiner’s drumming, The Big Other asks the citizens of the world to "believe in ourselves and to take something from the mistakes we've made". The two-piece, based in Winnipeg, infamous as Canada's coldest, most racist city, have taken social criticism and justice to heart, creating an album that is meaningful, unconventional, and exciting.   

That conviction is echoed in the album’s centrepiece, “Victorious”, a vicious, scathing battle cry that lights up Western shadows right to their margins. “It's ridiculous to believe that we're all born equal and that hard work alone can break cycles of poverty, violence, racism, and inequality,” says MacPherson. “Victorious” is an anguished, desperate response to injustice, a three chord anthem to reconciliation, and a truly great political-rock song.

LISTEN AND SHARE “VICTORIOUS” HERE

Due out April 28 via Disintegration Records in Canada and Marathon Of Dope in Europe, The Big Other accomplishes the rare feat of presenting big ideas on a foundation of dance beats, electric guitar, and storytelling. The jagged, arthouse post-punk of “Submarines” and “Spring Thaw” demand movement. “Blue World”, with its gauzy swells of aquatic guitar, thumping bass lines, and vivid soundscapes, is a hopeful anthem to reconciliation and possibility. “Singapore”, puts the average hot-blooded North American on a plain dropping into the Pacific, where lust and the no longer exotic combine in the celebrity image of Janet Jackson and a renewed 30 something romance.

If there’s a mission statement drilled into The Big Other, it comes at the surprise ending of “Funeral”, a swirling barrage of cheerleading gang vocals that command, “let’s just try to celebrate, dance until this all makes sense.”

In MacPherson and Gardiner’s own words, “Figure Walking is our attempt as artists to focus on who we are in the present and to take ownership of what we’re bringing into the world, with an eye on a better future.”

MacPherson is a G7 Welcoming Committee Records alumni whose music was never strictly ideological or easily categorized. His past two solo albums, Mr. Invitation and Fireball, have both been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize.

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THE BIG OTHER TRACK LISTING
SIDE A
1. Sounds
2. Submarine
3. The Country
4. Summer Haze
5. Blue World

SIDE B
1. Victorious
2. Singapore
3.  Spring Thaw
4.  Funeral
5.  Call Me Up

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LATENT RECORDINGS PRESENTS LATENT LOUNGE

SEMINAL CANADIAN INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL CELEBRATES 35 YEARS WITH A LIVE CONCERT SERIES
INCLUDES PERFORMANCES FROM COWBOY JUNKIES, SKYDIGGERS, LEE HARVEY OSMOND, JERRY LEGER, HARPACASH & THE MORALS AND MORE

MARCH 22, MARCH 29, APRIL 5 & APRIL 12 AT THE MONARCH TAVERN

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

WATCH THE NEW VIDEO FOR LEE HARVEY OSMOND’S “LOSER WITHOUT YOUR LOVE” HERE

In 1982, while living in the UK, Michael Timmins and Alan Anton, were inspired by the independent label scene that sprung up around the English punk scene and created Latent Recordings. Latent subsequently released a 45rpm single of their first band Hunger Project and two albums by their second band Germinal. Upon returning to Toronto and forming Cowboy Junkies, they used Latent to release the band’s first album Whites Off Earth Now!! and then, in 1987, the bands' ground breaking The Trinity Session.

Now, Latent Recordings is celebrating 35 years of releasing iconic music with Latent Lounge, a very special live concert series in Toronto at The Monarch Tavern. The series will include headlining performances from iconic Canadian acts Cowboy Junkies and Skydiggers as well as multi JUNO Award nominated and Polaris Music Prize listed Lee Harvey Osmond and a very special album release performance from acclaimed songwriter Jerry Leger whose new double album Heartache And Nonsense is set for release onMarch 31. Openers include label mates HarpAcash & The Morals, Latent alumni Ivy Mairi and special guest Thompson Wilson.

Each evening will also include a set of Latent Recording artists and friends joining each other for a set of themed cover sets. They include The Songs Of Lou Reed, Dead Heroes (The songs of David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Prince, Johnny Thunders, Joe Strummer and more), Trinity Session (Songs from Cowboy Junkies’ The Trinity Session) and Canadiana (Favourite songs by Canadian artists).  All dates and performers are listed below.

WATCH THE NEW VIDEO FOR LEE HARVEY OSMOND’S “LOSER WITHOUT YOUR LOVE” HERE

As he muses on Latent Recording’s beginnings Michael Timmins remembers that, “we found that the indie label scene in Canada was very undeveloped relative to the UK and US scene.  I think we were one of the few artist run labels at the time, and there was very little infrastructure to support a true independent. So we cobbled together a very loose association of indie distributors in order to get our album in to independent record stores across North America and in to the hands of reviewers and college radio stations.”

The overwhelming success of The Trinity Session lead to the band being signed to BMG. Michael continued to run Latent Recordings through the 1990's and released albums by John Bottomley, The Corndogs and Pat Temple.

In 1999 the band decided to return to Latent and set up an active on-line business and a series of distribution and licensing deals with various partners around the globe. Over the following ten years the band sold over 500,000 albums worldwide through Latent Recordings. In 2009 the band decided to expand Latent to once again include other artists. Over the past eight years Latent has recorded and released over twenty albums including releases by Skydiggers, Lee Harvey Osmond, The Good Family and the acclaimed Polaris Music Prize listed The Kennedy Suite.

“It's been a long and eventful journey. I think that the forming and running of Latent is one of the big reasons that the band (Cowboy Junkies) has been able survive and flourish for so long,” says Michael Timmins. “We never felt hampered or intimidated by the restraints of the industry because, no matter what direction we wanted to go in, we knew that we had an entity through which we could get our music out there to our audience. We could do massive projects like the Nomad Series and The Kennedy Suite or a few low-key cover songs that we could send out solely through the internet. With the latest phase of Latent we are enjoying working with some long-time friends like the Skydiggers and Tom Wilson as well as being inspired by the energy and enthusiasm of a younger generation like Jerry Leger, The Morals and Ivy Mairi.”

In 2017 Latent Recordings plans new releases by Jerry Leger (March 31), Cowboy Junkies, Lee Harvey Osmond, Skydiggers and the American singer-songwriter John Murry.

LATENT LOUNGE

March 22: Lee Harvey Osmond, Thompson Wilson and The Songs Of Lou Reed
March 29: Cowboy Junkies, HarpAcash & The Morals and Dead Heroes
April 5: Jerry Leger (Nonsense and Heartache Album Release Show), Ivy Mairi and Trinity Session
April 12: Skydiggers, Jerry Leger and Canadiana

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

LATENT RECORDINGS: 
WEBSITE

THE SMUGGLERS REUNITE TO LAUNCH GRANT LAWRENCE’S NEW BOOK

THE SMUGGLERS REUNITE FOR A HOMETOWN SHOW TO LAUNCH LEAD-SINGER, AUTHOR, AND BROADCASTER GRANT LAWRENCE’S NEW MEMOIR, DIRTY WINDSHIELDS : THE BEST AND THE WORST OF THE SMUGGLERS TOUR DIARIES

THE SMUGGLERS LIVE AT THE COMMODORE BALLROOM, MAY 13, WITH THE MUFFS, CHIXDIGGIT, AND NEEDLES // PINS - PRESENTED BY
LIVE NATION AND THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT

WATCH AND SHARE THE SMUGGLERS “ESPECIALLY YOU” HERE

DIRTY WINDSHIELDS SET FOR RELEASE IN MAY VIA DOUGLAS & MCINTYRE

EARLY PRAISE FOR DIRTY WINDSHIELDS:

“Told with equal parts pride and shame, this uproarious chronicle is the perfect companion to the band’s mega-fun music.” - Ira Robbins, NYC Rock Writer (Rolling Stone,
Village Voice, Creem, Trouser Press)

“Dirty Windshields should come with a disclaimer: ‘WARNING: may induce feelings of wanderlust and the itching desire to throw a guitar case into a van and hit the road.”
- Will Ferguson, Giller Prize Winner

“I can’t imagine a more perfect rock ‘n’ roll book.” – Tyler Bancroft (Said The Whale)

“An epic tale told by one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest storytellers.” – Lisa Marr (Cub)

“Fucking hilarious and a joy to read.” – Allison Robertson (The Donnas)

“Pure teenage rawk angst!” – Nardwuar

PHOTO CREDIT : Aaron Rubin // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

One of Vancouver’s all-time legendary live bands is reuniting to play one of Vancouver’s all-time legendary live venues - May 13 at the Commodore Ballroom. One night only.

The Smugglers will play their first hometown show in over 13 years, and their first performance at the Commodore Ballroom in 17 years. The reason for the reunion gig is simple: lead singer, author, and broadcaster Grant Lawrence is finally releasing his memoirs of his hard-charging, international touring years, entitled Dirty Windshields: The Best And The Worst Of The Smugglers Tour Diaries, due out in May from Douglas and McIntyre.

“I’ve been working on this book on and off for over ten years. It’s been a huge labour of love. Reading through and shaping my old tour diaries into a book has been both rewarding and embarrassing, much like my career with the Smugglers,” Lawrence jokes.

“I hoped we’d do a gig to launch the book, and I was thrilled when Live Nation stepped up and offered the Commodore Ballroom. It’s not only one of our favourite rooms in the world, but also the last venue standing from the Smugglers gigging era, unless you count the Hastings Community Centre.”

WATCH AND SHARE THE SMUGGLERS “ESPECIALLY YOU” HERE

Joining Grant Lawrence and The Smugglers is an all-star pop-punk line up of friends, is The Muffs from Los Angeles (their first performance in Vancouver in almost 20 years), Chixdiggit from Calgary (celebrating their own 25th anniversary in 2017), and Needles // Pins from Vancouver. Tickets $25 in advance, on sale February 24, 2017.

MORE ABOUT GRANT LAWRENCE

Grant Lawrence is an award-winning author, CBC personality, singer, and columnist. His new book, Dirty Windshields, is his third. His previous books are Adventures In Solitude (Harbour Publishing, 2010) and The Lonely End of the Rink (Douglas & McIntyre, 2013). At the CBC, Grant is known mostly for his work with the groundbreaking Radio 3 and their championing of Canadian independent music. Previously, he worked as an indie label publicist and as a concert promoter. At age 19, he co-promoted one of the Commodore Ballroom’s most legendary shows: the Screaming Trees, Nirvana, the Doughboys and the Wongs in 1991. Grant is the lead singer of the Smugglers and the goalie for the Flying Vees beer league hockey team. He is married to musician Jill Barber and they live in Vancouver, BC, with their two children.

MORE ABOUT THE SMUGGLERS

Formed when most of the members were still in high school in West Vancouver, The Smugglers came of age during the grunge explosion, and came into their own in the pop-punk heyday of the mid-1990s while on Mint Records in Canada Lookout Records in the USA. Releasing eight albums over the years of 1988-2004, the band's booze-fuelled, sweaty, and famously energetic live shows (complete with dancing and kissing contests) took them across Canada, the USA, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Along the way, the "Canadian Ambassadors of Rock 'n' Roll" collided with the Hives, Mudhoney, the Queers, Supersnazz, Fugazi, the Dwarves, thee Headcoats, the Mr. T Experience, the Mummies and many more.

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