Since 2003, Mr. Something Something have been exploring new musical territory with their unique mix of pop, jazz and West African rhythms. On Shine Your Face, the band's fourth album, the Toronto-based collective of dancefloor activists look for new ways to fuse the modality and improvisations of jazz with danceable poly-rhythms, strong melodies and intelligent lyrics, all in order to make dancers think and thinkers dance.
The band's music has been described as “a soundtrack to a joyful revolution"; irresistible rhythms and interactive shows have long served as a vehicle for social justice & environmental activism, and recently the band has taken audience participation to a whole new level with its SoundCycle - Canada's first bicycle powered sound system. In other words, power to the people, by the people!
Mr. Something Something's first two albums received glowing reviews, and Deep Sleep, the follow-up to JUNO-nominated The Edge, was the most played world music album on Canadian college radio in 2007. fROOTS, the world's leading world music magazine, called the record “formidable". Deep Sleep was recently re-released in Japan and a track from the same album was included on the prestigious British compilation The Rough Guide to Afrobeat Revival, released in more than fifty countries in March 2009. The band has also been receiving growing media attention abroad, most recently through features on Polish National Radio and in French music magazine Vibrations.
Mr. Something Something's highly energized, political, funny and unpredictable live shows have earned the band an extremely loyal following and a reputation among audiences and critics alike as an act not to be missed. In October, select American audiences will finally get a chance to see what all the fuss is about as the band is scheduled for six US engagements, including a stop at The Shrine in New York City.
About Shine Your Face
On the new record the band members wanted to capture, as much as possible, the energy and the improvisations that characterize their live performances. As a result, they recorded majority of the tracks on Shine Your Face in one single day at Toronto's famous Metalworks studio where gold and platinum record awards for artists like David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen and Prince line the corridors.
Shine Your Face was produced by Mr. Something Something's own John MacLean and mixed by Scott Lake who has worked with Sam Roberts, Kathleen Edwards, The Stills and countless other great recording artists. The album features two Canadian trumpet icons who have worked with the “Somethings" in the past; Kevin Turcotte, a five-time Trumpeter of the Year at the Canadian National Jazz Awards and Brian O'Kane (Diana Krall, Aretha Franklin).
The mood on Shine Your Face is at times dark but always hopeful. The first line of album opener “The Antidote" sets the tone: “When the news is bad I need you to remind me that the urge to create beauty can't be contained", channeling the sentiments of a generation faced with the bill for their parents' excesses. “Only The Maker" is an attempt to come to terms with the cruel injustices of the world. “Make Your Mind" is a calm enumeration of horrors carried out in the name of God.
“City of Sand" is a feverish vision of societal breakdown. “Why Why Why" explores the physical and emotional landscape of suburbia, from above and within, whereas “What Are You Waiting For" poses a question that elicits responses tinged with guilt or longing. Many of the songs describe spaces where humanity seems to be absent, be it in a war-torn country or in the soulless, manufactured landscapes of box store desolation. Ultimately, Shine Your Face is a plea to fill these vacant spaces with love and compassion, with joy and creativity, with wisdom and meaningful work.
Mr. Something Something US Tour Dates
10/09/2009: Chicago, IL: Serbian Cultural & Arts Center, 448 W. Barry Ave.; Tix: $10.00, Doors Open: 9pm, Show: 10pm; Ph: (773) 549-9690
10/10/2009: Cedar Rapids, IA: CSPS Legion Arts, 1103 Third St. SE.; Show: 8 pm; Ph: (319) 364-1580; All Ages
10/13/2009: Pittsburgh, PA: Shadow Lounge, 126 S. Highland Ave.; Tix: $7.00, $5 with College ID; Show: 8 pm; Ph: (412) 363-8277
10/15/2009: Potsdam, NY: La Casbah, 6 Elm St.; Tix: $8.00, Show: 9 pm; Ph: (315) 274-9696
10/16/2009: New York, NY: The Shrine, 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd (133-134 St.); Show: 10 pm; Ph: (212) 690-7807
10/17/2009: Rochester, NY: Dub Land Underground, 315 Alexander St.; Show: 10 pm; Ph: (585) 232-7550
