Album Features a Guest
Appearance from Legendary Canadian Guitarist David Wilcox
EDMONTON,
AB – Stony Plain Records announces a September 25 release date for Moon
Turn Red, the new CD from multi-award winning Ottawa-based trio,
MonkeyJunk. Comprised of Steve Marriner (vocals, harmonica, keyboards,
baritone guitar), Tony D (lead guitar, background vocals) and Matt Sobb (drums,
percussion, background vocals), MonkeyJunk plays an energized mix of swamp
blues and funky roots rock ‘n’ roll. Moon Turn Red was produced by
the band and Ken Friesen, with additional
production on one track by Colin Cripps of Blue Rodeo.
On their
fourth CD for Stony Plain, MonkeyJunk displays their passionate and edgy
roots-based music with an unfettered delivery, and Moon Turn Red is
certain to further cement the band’s popularity around the globe. “With each
record we make, we feel like we’re pushing more boundaries,” says the group’s
Steve Marriner. “Moon Turn Red is no different in that regard. I
really think some of the songs on this album are some of the best we’ve
written. We explored grooves we’ve never hit on before and experimented with
some new sounds, while paying particular attention to the melodic passages of
the songs,” he adds.
MonkeyJunk
truly shines on the new album, with ten scorching tracks varying from
straight-up rockers like “Light it Up,” “You,” “Hot Hot Papa,” “Live Another
Day,” “Lucky One” and “Travelin’ Light;” the reggae-tinged “Love Attack;” the
funky “Show Me Yours;” and soulful, goose bump-inducing love songs, “Learn How
to Love” and “Meet Me at Midnight.”
Moon
Turn Red
also features a guest appearance from legendary Canadian guitarist David
Wilcox, who plays guitar and sings on MonkeyJunk’s cover of his classic “Hot
Hot Papa.” “It was a real thrill for all of us to work with David Wilcox as he
is someone we have been a fan of for many years - one of our musical heroes,”
says Matt Sobb. “We listened to his music growing up, have covered his songs in
previous bands and still listen to his albums in our van while on tour. He was
very generous with his time and talents and it was truly an honor that he was
so gracious and genuinely invested in making the track sound great with
us. And it was great to have Colin Cripps onboard to produce that song
too - his musical sensibility and keen ears really harnessed the best out of
all of us!”
Another
coup for the band was having Gordie Johnson (of Big Sugar and Grady fame) lend
his talents to the recording. As Marriner states, “He possesses an acute
sensibility for melody and groove, a champion of ‘riff-rock’, while his role on
our album is more supportive than feature, he brought all sorts of vibe to the
session that I believe we effectively captured on tape that day.” Tony D adds,
“Gordie and I both come out of the blues. We’ve known each other for over 25
years. It was serendipitous that he happened to be touring in the vicinity of
the studio in Almonte, Ontario, and after all these years we finally got a
chance to work together!”
Moon
Turn Red is
not only an outstanding addition to an already impressive body of work and a
turning point for MonkeyJunk, it is an example of musical camaraderie and
brotherhood; the trio of long-time friends and colleagues just seem to click in
a way that is at once natural and otherworldly. Their passion, conviction
and dedication to their music are evident with every lick, every beat and every
lyric. MonkeyJunk is a reminder to listeners that musicianship, ability and
strong song writing will always triumph.
About
MonkeyJunk
The 2008
birth of the Ottawa-based band MonkeyJunk came along just when music fans
needed them the most. They brought an accessible and refreshing blend of
swamp-rock roots and blues to the table and haven’t looked back. In the
relatively short time they’ve been performing and recording together, the
members of MonkeyJunk have won a collective 20 Maple Blues Awards, two Canadian
Independent Music Awards, a Blues Music Award (USA), and have been nominated
twice for a JUNO Award (The Canadian Grammy), taking home the coveted hardware
in 2012.
Straight
out of the gate, MonkeyJunk quickly became one of the most popular new bands on
the scene, performing at festivals and packed venues across the country,
amassing a large audience of devoted fans, affectionately called
“MonkeyJunkies.” In fact, they hit the road for a tour before their debut
album, Tiger in Your Tank, was even released. They are not a
fluke, one-off collective or “ordinary Joes” who decided to start a band. These
are three musicians who individually had established careers prior to forming
MonkeyJunk. Steve Marriner, the trio’s vocalist, baritone guitarist,
harmonica and organ player, was well known as the ‘go-to’ guy as a producer,
sideman and session player. He’s also toured the world performing alongside
Harry Manx. Steve is also the consummate musical networker and stage
guest, having been invited to join many artists in concert such as Randy
Bachman, Colin James and Big Sugar. At the age of 19, lead guitarist Tony D
performed for three nights in Buddy Guy’s band. In 1982, he opened for Stevie
Ray Vaughan. These events helped propel him into a long-standing career
with his own popular project, The Tony D Band. He has also toured with some of
this country’s greatest musicians, including the late Dutch Mason. Before
MonkeyJunk, drummer and percussionist Matt Sobb was a very busy session
drummer around Ottawa and has backed up several regional, national and
international artists live on stage, touring and in studio over the last 24
years such as Kim Wilson, Jeff Healey, Tom Wilson (Blackie & The Rodeo
Kings), The Tony D Band and his brother's band, Marty Sobb and The Mobb, among
many others.
For more
information, visit www.monkeyjunkband.com
and www.stonyplainrecords.com.
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