Lake Ontario Waterkeeper's Swim Drink Fish Music Club Confirms More Bands

A short while ago I wrote about this awesome fundraising initiative (see the post here). Ryan over at Lake Ontario Waterkeeper tells me they have plenty of great Canadian acts signed up to provide you with exclusive content if you become a member of the Swim Drink Fish Music Club. Here's a list of the confirmed bands so far (and a great list it is):

Gord Downie and The Sadies, Ghost Bees, Sarah Harmer, Great Lake Swimmers, Emma Lee, Wintersleep, Land of Talk, Dave Bidini, Apostle of Hustle, Ohbijou, Chris Brown and Kate Fenner, Arkells, Marco Benevento, Shade, Collen and Paul, The Gertrudes, Billy the Kid, Zeroes, The Billie Hollies, The Violet Archers, Carmen Townsend, Black Diamond Bay, Provincial Parks, Jessie Dangerously, Immaculate Machine, Don Vail, The Abrams Brothers and - just announced - Clothes Make the Man.

The Club's website is up and live now, thought it will continue to be tweaked until the big launch occurs. For only $9.99 (what a deal!!!), you can get a one-year membership to the Club. Membership features include:

- access to monthly feature artists

- weekly indie artist releases

- each song features a "Story" - an audio clip from the artist explaining why they chose to get involved

- access to news and info from local waterkeepers

- access to Lake Ontario Waterkeeper's weekly radio show, Living at the Barricades

- access to an 18-20 weekly news segment by Waterkeeper Alliance President Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

- access to the entire back catalogue from their first compilation, At the Barricades Vol. 1

- of course, GREAT CANADIAN MUSIC!

Right now, the Club has one new feature song from Chris Brown and Kate Fenner, entitled The Waterkeeper. Kate's story: she and Chris believe that "access to clean water should be a basic human right". But the song also reflects the "magic of water...to inspire a sense of gratitude and wonder in the face of this great life-giving force". Join now to get access to this and many more great songs.

If you are an artist, there is no deadline for you to get involved. Lake Ontario Waterkeeper is still encouraging artists interested in contributing an exclusive track to contact Ryan at [email protected] with a link to their material.

This is a fantastic initiative to support a great cause: check it out when you can.

The Real Chris Brown. The Canadian Chris Brown.

OK - put up your hand if you're tired of hearing stories about Chris Brown and Rihanna. I am. And every time I hear one I think about Canada's Chris Brown - a national treasure for sure and, like many treasures, unknown to many.

Chris Brown cut his musical teeth as one of the founding members of the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, the Toronto-based band known for its homegrown pop/rock/funk/blues and its raucous live shows. The Bourbons spawned many great artists, all of whom are extraordinarily influential. After the Bourbons, Brown spent much time collaborating with long-time musical partner Kate Fenner (also from the Bourbons, and one of Canada's most amazing vocalists and songwriters - full disclosure time: and my sister-in-law). This duo has produced some stunning pop CDs: Songs, O Witness and Go On.

Chris Brown has released two solo records: 2003's Burden of Belief and 2007's Oblivion. Oblivion, recorded with the Citizens' Band (featuring Tony Scherr on bass, Anton Fier on drums, and Teddy Kumpel on guitar), was one of my favourites from the year. Brown writes compelling and beautiful stories about the troubles and joys of life. His music is pop, for sure, with an indie ethic, a penchant for gorgeous vocal harmonies (Brown and Fenner are a treat to hear together), and wonderfully melodic songwriting. Of course, one of the loveliest sounds on any Brown record comes from his ancient Hohner clavinet/pianet. Brown has made solid contributions to many other artists' CDs, from hardcore political punkers Propagandhi to Broken Social Scene's Jason Collett to Canadian roots singers Po' Girl, and lots in between.

Like many musicians, Chris Brown is a committed activist who lends his musical talents to many worthwhile projects. Recently on this blog I wrote about Lake Ontario Waterkeeper's newest artist-based fund-raising initiative. Brown has been very supportive of that group, producing At the Barricades: Volume 1, a fundraising CD released in 2007. In 2004, with the US presidential election looming, Brown and Kate Fenner put out the Go On EP, notable for a heart-wrenching reworking of "Resist War" and the acutely anti-Bush "Contempt".

One of my favourite CDs is the Brown-conceived, compiled and sequenced GASCD (Governments Accountable to Society and Citizens = Democracy). Inspired by experiences of repression at the Quebec City Summit of the Americas, this is an amazing 2 CD collection of tracks from Brown, Ani Difranco, Bruce Cockburn, Sarah Harmer, Jello Biafra, Michael Franti, Gil Scott-Heron and many more. The standout track is Brown's own "The Shot Across the Bow", a strikingly moving account of being a protester on the ground, and standing up for yourself.

I can't close off without mentioning Chris Brown's live shows. While captivating on disc, his music is mesmerizing live, especially when he beats up (literally) on that lovely old Hohner. With supporting stalwarts Fenner, Scherr, Fier and Kumpel (and if you're lucky, maybe Luther Wright or any number of other great Canadian artists), these are shows to savour at the time and remember long after. And - as Chris reports on his website - if you're in Toronto soon you can see him twice:

"Wednesday May 14 - I will play an acoustic show in the backroom of the lovely Czehoski Restaurant (678 Queen W). There is no cover and great food. Lovely ambience improved by people of qualities like yourself.
Thursday May 15 - I will play the Dakota Tavern 271 Ossington, joined by friends from nyc (hence the 10 dollar cover to pay for their shoes). Plus Tony Scherr's band avec Anton Fier. "