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FYI

Shuffle Demons: Crazy Time

Entertaining social commentary featuring melodic horns and spoken word vocals.

Shuffle Demons: Crazy Time

By Kerry Doole

Shuffle Demons - Crazy Time (Independent): For the final Track of the Day feature of a stranger than fiction year, what better choice than a number and video entitled Crazy Time?


The track takes us on an aptly named wild romp through the fake news and chaos that was 2020, though Demon Richard Underhill confesses to FYI that "I did write the song in 2019...and actually it's based off a riff I wrote when I was running for mayor against Rob Ford. It seems prescient though!"

Indeed. The title cut from the Shuffle Demons' well-received 2020 album ( just named one of JazzFM's top 25 of the year) it showcases the popular signatures of the veteran Toronto jazznik combo. Lusty yet melodic horns complement Underhill's beatnik spoken word-style social commentary, while the entertaining video was art directed by long time collaborator Kurt Swinghammer, directed and edited by GFP, and shot at GS209 studio.

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The song was produced, mixed, edited and mastered by Jono Grant at Victory Drive Music and recorded by Jeremy Darby at Canterbury Music Company.

Joining Juno-winning saxman Underhill in the group are four ace local players - drummer Stich Wynston, bassist Mike Downes and saxophonists Kelly Jefferson and Matt Lagan. 

Crazy Time is the Shuffle Demons' ninth CD and their first studio album in seven years. It features 10 new original Shuffle Demons songs, 7 instrumental and 3 vocals that run the gamut of stylistic references from modern jazz to funk to blues. One of Canada’s hardest touring road bands, the Shuffle Demons recorded the album between tours of Central America, New Zealand/Australia and Canadian jazz festivals.

You can download or purchase CDs at theshuffledemons1.bandcamp.com/

Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Management: Stich Wynston - stichness@gmail.com

Richard Underhill - rich@shuffledemons.com

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Not By Choice on MuchOnDemand on MuchMusic in 2002.
Courtesy Photo

Not By Choice on MuchOnDemand on MuchMusic in 2002.

FYI

Obituary: Mike Bilcox of Ajax, Ontario Pop-Punk Band Not By Choice

Former drummer and now head of Round One Sports & Entertainment Liam Killeen pens this tribute to his former bandmate, with words from The Feldman Agency's Jeff Craib, Sum 41's Dave Baksh, Simple Plan's Chuck Comeau and more.

Mike Bilcox, lead singer and guitarist of Ajax, Ontario’s second most famous pop-punk band, Not By Choice, passed away on June 21, at age 48.

Mike started Not By Choice with his Ajax High School friend Glenn ‘Chico’ Dunning back in 1997. They had initially played a few shows under different names that may or may not be suitable for print, but our moniker came from Mike bothering his younger sister Chrissy at the dinner table. When she couldn’t take any more of his taunting, she promptly told her Mom, Pat, that he was annoying her – Pat yelled ‘Well, he’s your brother!’ to which Chrissy quickly replied ‘Yeah, not by choice!’. With that, a real band was born.

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