Shawn Sanford
Style: expect country
Line-Up: Shawn Sanford (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Mary Lynn Wren (background vocals); Ruth McGinness (background vocals); Shawn Bryan (drums, rainstick); Rick Hill (acoustic guitar, standup bass); John Grant (guitar); Darrell Goodman (bass); Richard Uglow (keyboards); Mark Haines (mandolin); "Mickey" Andrews (steel guitar); Ian Guenther (fiddle); Norm Barker (tambourine)
Contact: Shawn Sanford, c/o B.A.S.S. Music, P.O. Box 10, 175 Bloor St. E., Toronto, ON., M4W 3R8; (416) 969-3729 or (905) 844-1278

Unexpected. Sure is. An unknown Toronto country singer snags previously unreleased original material by Garth Brooks, John Berry and Duane Steel for his debut album - and does  it  justice. Shawn Sanford listened to over 200 songs pitched his way by various publishers and songwriters, before settling solid on the seven deadly wins found on his album, Unexpected. Owner and operator of a pure, sweet, country voice, the Calgary-born Sanford gently delivers Steel’s "Little Touches" about simple gestures of love, like a phone call or kiss on the cheek. The original Brooks tune, "Slow Down" is an emotive ballad which looks at the changing face of a working man ravaged by stress. And the first single, "She Has Walked Through Fire", by Berry, is both apologetic and confessional, loving and inspirational. Recorded in just under a week at Toronto’s Studio 92 with engineer Norm Barker, the album also includes songwriting contributions by Johnny Douglas, Tim Taylor, Tom Paden, Ken J. Salaets and T.W. Barber.

Dot-5-0
Style: songs in the key of a 13-year old
Line-Up:Jeremy Rusu (drums, vocals); Clint Bowman (bass); Dave Brown (saxophonist); Eric Loewen (guitar); Randy Rusu (guitar)
Contact:Enzo Petrungaro, 410 Sherbourne St. Toronto, ON M4X 1K2; Clint (204) 237-6502

Look out Hanson, Dot-5-0’s 13-year old Jeremy Rusu is coming through! The blind, singer-drummer with the prepubescent falsetto has a penchant for soul-drenched pop. Sharing the same birthday as Stevie Wonder, the musical prodigy plays drums, guitar, keyboards, harmonica, Flugelhorn, banjo and accordion. While his instrument-of-choice is drums, Rusu composes on piano or acoustic guitar. The band, named after the Braille contraction of the word ‘one’ (as in #1), is comprised of former members of Winnipeg indies Dub Rifles, The Unwanted, Living Proof and Monuments Galore (one of whom is Jeremy’s father, Randy). A two-song cassette, featuring a bluesy ballad "School Days" and the reggae-tinged "Braille ‘N’ Speak" (a talking Braille computer), is all that’s been officially released at the moment. It was recorded at Channels Audio in Winnipeg in January ’97

Blisterine
Style: unPure pop
Line-Up: Mark Henning (bass, vocals); Tarbash (drums); Malcolm Tente
(guitar, vocals)
Contact: Poncy Rocket Records, P.O. Box 4078, 349 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC V6B 3Z6 Ph/Fax: (416) 762-BENT;

Ex Pure founder Mark Henning resurfaces on So I Have Them , the debut from his new band, Blisterine. Recorded and mixed by Henning at Tomorrowland (and produced by the band), the Vancouver power trio has the rips and tears of an old pair of Docs, some of the twitches that come with too many sleepless nights, and the melodic nicety of those little kittens streetkids like to cuddle for appearances. "Clean Break" starts as nasty and raw as any old punk song, then cuts in with a sweet incongruous pop chorus, and so it goes...nasty...sweet...nasty...sweet. The next cut, "Gratitude", is a little more straightforward, or so it seems..., before a jazzy interlude interrupts the melodic rock. "This is only the beginning of our adventure," Henning sings. He isn’t kidding. While there’s more "normal" pop tracks like "Mr. Right" and "Goldfish" on the recording, Blisterine oozes humour on the one-and-a-bit minute punk assault "Dipshit In A Pickup Truck." Hennings voice is certainly rough around the edges, like he needs a good gargle, but it works - probably more so live.

Credit: Karen Bliss is a Toronto-based freelance writer.

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