NEW VIDEO: Actual Factual

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I’ve been creating some pieces loosely inspired by Ken Nordine’s Word Jazz – narration over background music.

Nordine is one of my early, big influences. He told tales and made commentary on the world with a fabulous, mellifluous voice over the sounds of cool jazz by the Fred Katz group.

I listened to the albums over and over and over when I was a kid.

First up is “Actual Factual”, a laid-back groove in which I have something to say about disinformation. Of course, there is accordion.

Enjoy the video on our YouTube channel. Please hit the like button and subscribe to our channel. That’s a super easy way to support us.

Listen to the audio file on our BandCamp.

Video: Dead Air – a rock/pop tune with dub stylings

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Dead Air is a rock/pop tune with vintage dub stylings. The lyrics describe that feeling when you finally leave for good.

Try singing along. It is very satisfying.

The fab noir-inspired illustrations are by multi-talented artist Wendy Pires (Instagram: @_wkpires)

Watch the new video on our YouTube channel.

For a high quality audio file, go to our BandCamp.

Mixed and mastered by Wally Sound at the Wally Sound, Oakland, California.

Featuring:
Johny Blood: tuba
Ian Luke: drums
Maggie “Mags” Martin: accordionist, vocals, composer, bass & synths
Mark Nemoyten: trumpet
Gary “GDub” Wium: guitar

More Vintage Electronica

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Before I veered into the world of squeezeboxes and the musical ensemble project of the Mad Maggies, I was busy creating soundscapes and songs for theatre and dance performances.

Recently two collectors of electronica from the 80s and 90s contacted me having found “Limines” on our Bandcamp. Did I have more cassettes? Did I have more music? Would I consider a re-release?

This got me thinking about my early material. What almost forgotten, almost lost, musical gems were waiting to be heard again? I went looking and uncovered several works tucked away on tape cassettes, hi-speed tape cassettes, digital sequences and archived folders.

After a bit of dusting off – volume levels, stereo balance, a pinch of tape pitch correction, I uploaded a set of tracks and compiled them as an album on our Bandcamp called “Lost & Found”.

If you enjoy moody, cinematic, quirky, fascinating sonic experiences, you will certainly find listening worthwhile. Of course, I’d love to hear what you think.


For electronic music nerds, I used an array of synths including ESQ-1, DX7, Juno 106, SQ-80.

I played most of these tracks in real time into the sequencing software, or in the case of the SQ-80, onto the onboard sequencer. The feel is natural, even, at times, imprecise.

I wrote some of the tunes for particular commissions, others just because, well, I just can’t help writing music.

the Mad Ms project: However Improbable

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“However Improbable” is a confection of ska, border polka, country, dance and brass band. The tune, written by yours madly, is a perfect example of the Mad Maggies “Hard to Describe, Easy to Love” style.

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

-– Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, stated by Sherlock Holmes

Watch the video However Improbable on our YouTube channel.

The video features fantastic, detailed illustrations by Montreal artist Daniel Fiorito.

For a high quality audio file, go to our BandCamp.

the Mad Ms project: Surely, Shirley

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Will Shirley ever notice Sam?

Will they fall in love?

To find out, watch the video now.

The video features whimsical sketches by artist Mason Fernandez.

If you’re like me and have some word nerd in you, you will enjoy the homonyms, internal rhymes and expressions.

And with the handy onscreen lyrics, you can sing along.

For a high quality audio file, listen on the Mad Maggies BandCamp.

Mixed and Mastered by Wally Sound at the Wally Sound, Oakland, California

the Mad Ms project: Groove d’Hiver

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After so much warm, humid here in Montréal, it is hard to believe that the streets were covered in snow just a few months ago.

Enjoy a very snowy, wintry trip through the streets of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Montreal, Quebec while listening to The Mad Maggies’ release Groove d’Hiver* (Winter Groove), a dub-infused instrumental.

Watch and like on YouTube.

Listen to a high quality audio file on our BandCamp. 

 

The Streets of Montreal. I had big fun filming the hood during snow storms. Each shot had to have snow falling.

The streets I wandered looking for video shots for Groove d’Hiver are specifically the streets of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (Ho-Ma) and Viauville, two neighbourhoods on the eastern side of the island of Montréal which border the St. Lawrence River.

Before the Europeans came, Iroquois inhabited the area. By the early 1800s, it was a rural village, then a working class slum, then a busy manufacturing district. By the 1980s, the manufacturing sector had shrank and the economic decline hit the area hard. There is some rebound now because of the affordability of the real estate.

All this history makes the area’s urban landscape a hodgepodge of blight and gentrification. There’s Beaux Arts architecture from its glory days, remnants of factories, blocks of condos, empty storefronts and plenty of graffiti. Alleyways thread through the backs of most streets, some rough and ignored, some family friendly and “greened”. Copper-clad church steeples are everywhere.

the Mad Ms project: Within the Wyrd

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I haven’t been letting a pesky pandemic stop me from writing and producing music. 🙂

We — the Mad Maggies — have been recording tracks remotely and sending them to Wally Sound in Oakland, CA for mixing.

In December ’21, we released “Within the Wyrd“, a cool groove with shades of first wave ska.

Enjoy the danceable, retro feel. Kick off your shoes, turn up the volume and shake what you got.

Mixed and Mastered by Wally Sound at the Wally Sound, Oakland, California
 
Johny Blood: tuba
Ray Fernandez: saxophone
Ian Luke: drums
Maggie “Mags” Martin: accordionist, composer/arranger
Mark Nemoyten: trumpet
Tim Sarter: bass
Ned Stone: trombone
Gary “GDub” Wium: guitar

Why Wyrd?
In Norse mythology, under the huge tree of life, Yggdrasil, there is a well. This well is called the Well of Wyrd (Well of Urðr). Three Norns tend to Yggdrasil every day by bringing water from the well to the tree to keep it green and healthy.

These beings of time, Urðr (what was), Verðandi (what is) and Skuld (what will be) are said to spin our destinies.

I think of the “Wyrd” as the twists and turns of our lives, a weaving of experiences — some ordinary, some extraordinary. We’re all in this tapestry of life together.

Music from everywhere flows around and through us. It flows from the past to the future. In Within the Wyrd, the sounds flow from the Caribbean to the Northern realms to the west coast of California.

🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶

I’ve Been Pfizered

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Yesterday, 361 days after we began our Covid-19 pandemic stay@home routine, I received my first vaccine shot. Woo hoo!

All it took was a quick 20 minute walk to the “Big O”, a short wait in line, an evaluation and then the shot and a 15 minute wait afterwards to be sure I had no strong reaction. The injection sight in my arm is a bit sore but that it is. Easy, peasy!

I received a print out of the brand, in my case Pfizer, the batch number, time injected and the name of the nurse who jabbed me.

My second shot is scheduled for June 28,2021 which means 16 weeks later for the beginning of complete immunization.

The delayed second dose approach is somewhat controversial. Several provinces in Canada including Quebec decided to extend the time between shots based on evolving science that indicates good protection from the first dose and extra protection from the delayed second “booster” shot.

Also, by delaying second doses more people can get their first dose faster.

I am happy and relieved to have the first shot in me. And, I’m really looking forward to having full immunity by mid July — there’s a two week ramp up of immunity after receiving each of the vaccine shots.

Thanks to all the amazing scientists who made this possible. Thanks to Prime Minster Trudeau for getting vaccines ordered. Thanks to Quebec for getting those vaccines to the people.

New song: Reva’s Revelation

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A New Release!

The Mad Maggies’ new song Reva’s Revelation is now available in high quality audio download from our BandCamp: https://musicshop.themadmaggies.com/track/revas-revelation

I named the tune for the main character in the wonderful Swedish movie “Border”. This fantastical tale of self-discovery by director Ali Abbasi is a must-see.

Over the last ten years, my love Gary and I have crossed the North American continent twice by train and over 7 times by car, besides several times by plane.

I especially love the open road and videotaped many stretches along the way.
You can see some of that footage in the video.

Enjoy!

Where was I? July 5, 1969

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I had been traveling with two friends. The trip was supposed to have been several weeks of hitch hiking around Europe.

We ride-shared from California to New York, took a ship from New York to Southhampton, England. We traveled to Winchester, then to London, to Oxford through Wales to Ireland and back to London. Somewhere along the way I decided I didn’t want to travel any longer with the two friends — one of my first lessons on the importance of choosing good travel partners.

They continued on to Amsterdam. I had a few days in London until I could catch a plane home so I spent the time wandering around the city by myself.

I caught a performance of “Hair” at the Shaftesbury Theatre. As a native San Franciscan coming from living in the Haight-Ashbury, it seemed kind of silly. There was some audience gasping at the nudity. They obviously had never experienced a be-in in Golden Gate Park. I did like some of the tunes.

On July 5, I was doing more wandering when I saw crowds of people streaming into a park. I wanted to see what was going on. Within minutes of my seeing the stage and realising it was a concert, hundreds of white butterflies were released and filled the air.

It was the memorial for Brian Jones in Hyde Park.

This was the clipping from the Sunday Times that I’ve saved all this time. I came across it this morning while straightening out a shelf in my studio.

Of course, now there is a YouTube: