Spygirl plays lush, melodic, elegant, and dark pop/rock. If Spygirl were a martini, they’d be equal parts sonic assault, naked duets and lush harmonies with a dash of drum & bass, and garnished with a twist of Canadiana - shaken vigorously, of course. If Spygirl were an outfit, you’d look geek-slick, full in all the right places and your ass would look hot.

Spygirl recently completed their second full-length album, pieces of evidence, slated for national release March 2008.

Spygirl was overjoyed to work once again with favourite musical wizard Tom Rothrock, who mixed a few songs on their 2000 self-titled debut. This time he came on board as Producer in full. Mr. Rothrock (who has also created records with some of popular music’s great recent innovators such as Beck, Elliott Smith, Elbow, Sloan, Badly Drawn Boy and James Blunt) helped the band create a spontaneous, relaxed and raw recording, due in part to his laid back mix of confidence, spontaneity, knowledge and love of music, and in part to recording much of the album live off the floor. The result is a group of songs that belong together, sharing a landscape that is lush, melodic, elegant and dark.

This is the band’s 12th year. The Vancouver-based 6 piece group was born out of a musical bond between founders Koralee Tonack (lead vocals, guitar) and Jane Gowan (trumpet, keyboards). The two initially formed Time Waits - the acoustically charming mother of today’s luscious pop child. The group included Jon Roper (guitar), performing mostly original songs written by Gowan. Several recordings were released on cassette. Now those are hidden away in boxes...somewhere. Eventually James Ong (keyboards) and Eduardo Ottoni (drums) joined, and with a fuller sound developing, the band released their debut CD entitled This Thin Disguise.

A collective desire to streamline the sound resulted in a less acoustic, more pop/rock sound. The viola da gamba and accordion, previously played by Ong and Gowan respectively, were abandoned in favour of keyboards, fender rhodes and trumpet. By this time other band members had begun contributing to the songwriting, creating excitement and freshness. As the direction of the music changed, so did the name, and the band’s self-titled debut (informally known as The Yellow Album) was recorded just as the transformation to Spygirl took place. The disc was nominated for a West Coast Music Award and also gained much positive media attention.

In 2005 Al MacInnes (bass) joined the band to add substance to the style. Now with a full line-up to carry the tunes, Spygirl released a 5-song EP as a precursor to the full-length album in August, 2005. The songs on this disc are homages to the band’s constant quest for the perfect pop epic. All the tracks from this disc were re-recorded on pieces of evidence.

Spygirl has toured in Canada and the UK, and plans to be out on the road again in early 2008 to support the new album.

•  Powerful voice. Melancholic sounds.
•  Hauntingly powerful
•  honey and sugar

Vincent Van Gogh “loved life so bad, his paintings had twice the color other paintings had”. So sings Jonathan Richman (on Rockin’ and Romance).

And that tells you something about musician Allison Crowe.

A modern lover of music, blogger Muruch frames it like this: "There's really no way to convey through mere words how much the music... moves me, or how I want other people to listen to and adore it as much as I do. Allison sings with such an intensity of emotion, it's easy to see why she's often quoted as saying 'Why music? Why breathing?'... that kind of artistic passion seems extremely rare these days."

"I love singing for people," says Allison Crowe. "It's a way to connect and share with others. Communication is crucial. Just being able to do what I do, to write and sing and perform, makes me feel not only alive, but incredibly lucky. Knowing at any moment everything could change, I don't take one second for granted."

Born 26 years ago, on an island, in the harbour city of Nanaimo, B.C., today Crowe's reach is global. The audience for her music videos and song downloads numbers in the millions.

"Allison Crowe has a voice to fall in love with," says UK music industry journal Record of the Day. "She is from Vancouver Island in Canada, descended from Scottish, Irish and Manx stock. She's exactly the sort of artist who can make serious headway on her own label and that's just what she's doing."

When this phenomenon 'from the islands' reached the mainland she steered a path clear of what Joni Mitchell knowingly calls the record industry’s “style inventions”. With Ani DiFranco and Loreena McKennitt as models Crowe created her own label. Since 2003, Rubenesque Records Ltd has released five critically and commercially successful albums: Lisa's Song+ 6 Songs; Secrets; Tidings; Live at Wood Hall; and This Little Bird.

"The first thing you notice about Allison Crowe is her voice. Rich and dark, it seems to come from a place most singers can only dream of accessing. Then there are the songs. Filled with raw passion and accompanied by Crowe's eloquent piano playing," writes Clodagh O'Connell (The Courier). Hers is a joyous sound: "Elton John meets Edith Piaf."

A sensation at the UK’s John Lennon Northern Lights Festival, “Canadian angel Alison Crowe gave one of the weekend's most magical moments," says The Scotsman. Festival Director Mike Merritt describes Crowe as "awesome" and "spine-tingling", noting her performance “put hairs on the back of your neck! She brought the house down."

A true grassroots success, Crowe’s praised not only as a singularly talented songwriter - on themes personal as well as worldly - and as a visceral performer, but, also, as a supreme interpreter of song. Her vital takes on such 21st century standards as Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and Joni Mitchell's "River" are applauded as "truly transcendent". Her Tidings CD, a mix of traditional carols plus songs of joy, peace, and redemption from the secular songbook, is an emerging classic: "music for the season and all time".

"Her voice celebrates the music with a bluesy rock-gospel intensity; her controlled vibrato, silken rasp, and powerful projection rivet your attention. This is no casual background music. be prepared to be amazed," says Hamline University Professor Of Law - and CD reviewer - Carol Swanson. "Every song radiates sincerity, creative flair, and emotional intensity."

”It takes a lot of self-confidence to tackle Aretha (Franklin)'s version of 'I Never Loved a Man...' but Allison does and nails it just as good as the Queen of Soul herself. Her piano playing is equally exquisite," says Bob Muller, curator of song covers at JoniMitchell.com in his review of Crowe’s newest album, This Little Bird. He sums up: "Treat yourself to one of the mightiest talents on the singer-songwriter scene today."

David Powell, Welsh-based tech writes: "I'm listening to 'Effortless' on (Allison Crowe's) This Little Bird album with my Pro-Ject headphone amplifier turned up about a quarter more than on most modern records. It sounds fantastic because unlike most modern records it hasn't had the **** compressed out of it to raise the loudness."

Vocalist, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, engineer, producer and arranger, Allison Crowe now lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia and Corner Brook, Newfoundland. From these home-bases, (spanning the full 7000 km breadth of Canada), she tours steadily, earning a reputation for exciting live shows that stir together her original songs with much-loved interpretations in an organic blend of rock, jazz, folk, Broadway, gospel and soul.

"Ever wonder what it would have been like to listen to a gifted singer/songwriter from Saskatchewan in a small, intimate hall before she became Joni Mitchell? Don't fret the missed opportunity. There's no need to turn back the clock. Check out Allison Crowe," says Robert Reid in The Record.

"Allison has a special gift that is so very rare in musicians today. She is true to her mind, heart and spirit," says Ross Hocker, long-time public broadcaster with NPR affiliate WGTE. Hocker, whose musical taste embraces Thelonious Monk, Bela Bartok and Charles Gounod, calls Allison Crowe's live performance "the most honest, heartfelt, and directly intimate concert in my entire life."

"In an entertainment world that increasingly genuflects at the altar of instant fame, Crowe seems an anomaly, building her career slowly and carefully," notes Adrian Chamberlain, of Canada's Times Colonist newspaper.

"Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music is what I want to make," says Allison Crowe.

You can lend an ear...

Rio Bent is carving a new niche in the genre of punk rock. With powerful female vocals, intense guitars and explosive percussion Rio Bent is kicking out elegant raunch for the ages.

Winning over audiences wherever they play with a riveting ‘can’t take your eyes off them’ stage show.

They’ve appeared nation-wide on Much Music, toured from Vancouver to Montreal and shared the stage with such indie-punk greats as the Mad Caddies and the Black Halos.

Rio Bent is on the brink of releasing their debut full length CD, produced, recorded and mixed by Paul Forgues (Slayer, Hatebreed), Blair Calibaba (NoMeansNo, Propaghandhi) and Dave Rave Ogilvie (Nine Inch Nails, 54-40).

Graceful, tasteful and highly attractive,
Rio Bent is the grit and glory you’ve been waiting for.

•  the kids are alright
•  Pure Punk

I am a 23 year old musician who has loved music since before I was born. The rumor is that when I still in the womb, my mother went to a Supertramp concert and I was apparently kicking along to the beat. Now whether she made that up or not, I have loved music as far back as I can remember. Whether it was out at the cottage when I was 3 "playing" on the guitar, or in 6th grade when I actually started learning how to play, or in 7th grade when I joined the school band to play the trumpet, or in 8th grade when I discovered turntables, music has been in my blood.

I write music for two reasons: 1) to inspire and lift myself, and 2) to express myself. Just like anyone else, I need to be lifted or inspired sometimes, and I write music that I can turn on when I'm down and get me back up. And then for the obvious reason that I want to express myself. I want people to see the world through my eyes, if only for 3-4 minutes. Just like I love listening to music to become the artist for that 3 or 4 minutes, I hope that my fans would do the same for me.

Before the four lads known as Losing Focus had even left high school their debut demo, "Autumn Contagious," garnered heavy rotation at the number-one Rock station in their Western Canadian hometown. Flash forward a few years and the quartet are now driven college students, drawing from a vast array of influences to create a sound that's as accessible as it is potent. Delivering locked-in performances to increasingly enthusiastic audiences seeking their "rock therapy," Losing Focus is rapidly creating a name for themselves beyond their native land.

The refining of their raw fury can be credited to Juno Award-winning (and Grammy-nominated) producer Brandon Friesen, who's taken Losing Focus under his wing. He not only produced their debut album, "A Portrait for the Ransom"--a fierce compendium of lyrically loaded feelings and emotions that produces a visceral reaction akin to that a of a shotgun--but also has taken on management of the group.

The boys are now jet set to Hollywood where they will be showcasing at A&R Worldwide's MusExpo 2007. The band acknowledges their good fortune and continues to look forward.

•  Killer Band
•  Oh wow ...

Derek Kehler is a twenty two year old independent artist from southern Manitoba. He has been involved in the southern Manitoba music scene for close to six years now. Through creative rhythms, and unique melodies Derek forms his music; lyrically, He connects intuitively with the listener, aptly expressing a range of human experience with “simply poetic words.” He has been compared to artists such as Coldplay, and Radiohead.

Derek was the lead singer of a rock band from southern Manitoba, named Sardis. Two years ago, when they went their separate ways, Derek turned to his acoustic roots as a solo musician, and started playing at bars and cafes in Winnipeg. Recently Derek moved to Vancouver, where he plans to establish himself as a solo artist.

In the past he has been involved in starting an acoustic cafe night where he performed along with other established and up and coming artists. He was also part a motivational assembly named V2live (v2live.ca), in which Derek, along with artists such as Fresh I.E., and Amanda Falk encouraged students to follow their dreams.

We have survived
6 albums, 2 ep's and 12 singles, 5 different vocalists, 1 major label, 2 songs in Billboard and 1 in Rolling Stone, 1 tour with Zymox and gigs with Pete Shelley, The Fixx and The Cramps, 1 AWOL singer, 1 drunk guitar player shooting a gun outside our tour bus in Tijuana, 1 album with producer John Fryer (Wire, Fad Gadget, Love & Rockets), 1 nice letter from producer Martin Hannett (Joy Division), countless samples and endless laughter.

•  Killer Track
•  80's Feel
•  I thought this was New...
•  A killer tune
•  Awesome stuff, Tom!

•  Post Punk Fun
•  Fun 100!

If you have been waiting for a sound that is innovative and eclectic (it’s soulful… it's jazzy...it's bluesy...it’s funky…), yet savvy enough to ride the waves of popular radio, look no further. This is a dynamic artist in touch with modern culture and carrying a message that is impacting those who encounter it.

The soulful sound of singer/songwriter/musician Greg Sczebel (“suh-bell”) is steadily capturing the attention of a wide range of music enthusiasts. From the moment you first hear the rhythms of his piano you will be intrigued. His talent is obvious...but then the vocals glide onto the scene and you see that there is more to this artist than just a good beat. His lyrics are intelligent, showing a mature depth, and he doesn’t sacrifice the musicality for catchy hooks. Greg is passionately committed to making good music.

And it's obvious others are catching on. He has been recognized for his outstanding talent as an artist, having been honored with many remarkable opportunities and awards. He has shared the stage with a variety of the entertainment industries’ top performers, including Grammy Award-Winning Producer, David Foster, jazz crooner, Michael Bublé, 6–time Juno Award Winner, Colin James - as well as Casting Crowns, Jars of Clay, Leigh Nash (of Sixpence None the Richer), Bebo Norman, Carolyn Arends, Out of Eden, Shawn McDonald and more.

The end of 2004 brought Sczebel a Canadian Urban Music Award nomination, four CGMA (Covenant Award) nominations, and ultimately two CGMA awards (‘Male Vocalist of the Year’ and ‘Rap/Hip-Hop/Dance Song of the Year’), as well as an Okanagan Musician Award for ‘Gospel Artist of the Year’ for the second year in a row.

In 2005 Sczebel continued to gain momentum by picking up a JUNO AWARD (Canada’s Grammy©) for his debut album “Here to Stay” in the category of ‘Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year.’ Shortly after, Sczebel was nominated for a grand total of five Shai (“shay”) Awards (Canada’s Gospel Music People’s Choice Awards) – ultimately taking home 3 of these - ‘Pop/Contemporary Album,’ ‘Urban/Soul Album’ and ‘Song of the Year’ for his single “In the Pocket”. In addition, Sczebel was a grand prize–winner in the international 2004 John Lennon Songwriting Competition, for his title track, “Here to Stay” and more recently was a finalist in the R & B category for the 2005 John Lennon Songwriting Competition for his song “You’ve Got It”.

At the close of 2005 Greg was also privileged to sign exclusive endorsement deals with both Audix Microphones and Yamaha USA Pianos & Keyboards.

And this is just the beginning of what is quickly becoming a well-established music career. But in spite of the acclaim, Sczebel still finds the most value in the personal connection between music fans and his songs. "To be validated by the awards and opportunities is always encouraging. The most exciting thing though, is hearing that my music is connecting with people. If I can continue creating music that impacts those who listen to it, I'd love to still be doing this 40 years from now." If the present is any indication to the future, Greg Sczebel is well on his way to reaching his goal.

Career Highlights:
-2006 International Songwriting Competition Finalist for the song, “In the Pocket”
-2006 Multiple performances at the 2006 Winter NAMM Show - Anaheim, CA
-2005 Signs exclusive endorsement deal with Yamaha USA Pianos & Keyboards
-2005 Signs exclusive endorsement deal with AUDIX USA Microphones
-2005 Guest performer on CMT Canada’s “Paul Brandt & Friends: A Rocky Mountain Christmas in Banff” TV Special
-2005 Extensive touring throughout Canada; 6-week cross-country tour in April/May
-2005 John Lennon International Songwriting Contest Finalist for the song, "You’ve Got It"; R & B Category
-2005 Western Canadian Music Award – “Outstanding Christian Recording”
-2005 Covenant Award – “Urban Song of the Year” for the song, “Everybody”
-2005 4 CGMA (Covenant Award) Nominations, including “Male Vocalist of the Year” and “Producer of the Year’
-2005 Juno Award - “Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year”
-2005 3 Shai Awards – “Song of the Year” for the song “In the Pocket”, “Pop/Contemporary Album”, “Urban/Soul Album”
-2005 Okanagan Musician Award – “Gospel Artist of the Year”
-2005 5 time SHAI Award Nominee, including “Artist of the Year”, “Song of the Year” and “Male Soloist of the Year”
-2004 John Lennon International Songwriting Contest Grand Prize Winner for the song, “Here to Stay”;
Gospel/Inspirational Category
-2004 “Here to Stay” charts as the #1 selling release by an independent artist to Canadian Christian retailers in 2004.
-2004 Title track, "Here to Stay" featured on episode of UPN's hit TV series "Kevin Hill", starring Taye Diggs
-2004 Reunites with Producer, David Foster to perform at Foster Foundation charity event
-2004 Canadian Urban Music Award Nominee - "Gospel Recording of the Year"
-2004 2 CGMA (Covenant) Awards - “Male Vocalist of the Year” and “Rap/Hip-Hop/Dance” ("Lights Are Comin' On")
-2004 4 CGMA (Covenant Award) Nominations
-2004 Re-records Bee Gees' hit, "Lonely Days" for major ad campaign by Lifetime Television, New York, NY
-2004 Winner, Okanagan Musician Award – “Gospel Artist of the Year”
-2004 Featured on Sonicbids compilation CD – Chosen out of 20,000 entries
-2003 Named “Best Emerging Artist” by VIBE Gospel Music
-2003 Gospel Music Association (GMA) Song Competition Regional Winner (for the song "Perhaps")
-2002 Performs with Grammy Award-winning producer David Foster as a winner in Foster’s BC -wide talent search

QUOTES:

PAUL BRANDT, AWARD WINNING COUNTRY RECORDING ARTIST
"Greg Sczebel is just one of those artists with "It". He's got that X-factor, that undefinable thing that you need to be a successful in this business. It's undeniable that God has gifted him with an incredible talent to communicate to people's hearts and minds through music. I'm glad I got to know him before the rest of the world discovers him, because someday I'll be able to brag about how I knew him before he became a superstar."

KEVIN EDELMAN, MUSIC SUPERVISOR - METALMAN MEDIA INC.
"Greg is an incredible talent. One of the best young artists I’ve heard. His style and voice are unique and inspiring."

CAROLYN ARENDS, DOVE AND SHAI AWARD WINNING SINGER/SONGWRITER
"Greg Sczebel floors me. He sings with "soul" in every sense of the word. He writes insanely hooky, deeply moving songs about important things. It’s tempting to use phrases like "Next Big Thing", but Greg Sczebel isn’t the next anything. He’s now, and his music is truly great."

DIONNE SMITH, PRESIDENT, VIBE GOSPEL MUSIC
"I do not hesitate in the least to suggest that Greg Sczebel, will not only be one of Canada’s future leading gospel artists, but that his impact will go far beyond our borders."

HEATHER CLARK, HEATHERCLARKBAND
"Greg is an extremely gifted vocalist with a great ability to write and arrange music. His devotion to his gift is strong and undivided. His musicality along with his ability to reach an audience makes him a pleasure to both listen to and experience."

JAYLENE JOHNSON, SINGER / SONGWRITER
"When Greg Sczebel plays, joy electric runs through the crowd. Here is someone who not only inspires with a fresh lyrical approach in his songwriting, but who can also deliver the goods vocally and instrumentally. Most engaging, however, is his unassuming and humble posture...here is one to watch and watch closely, because he is going to fly..."

•  Sing It Stevie Wonder!