so i thought this year of blogging should be commenced by one of my all time favorite canadian artists, Hawksley Workman. born Ryan Corrigan in huntsville ontario, Hawksley Workman is one of those incredibly prolific artists that you unfortunately don't hear about often enough. he released his first album For Him and the Girls in 1999 and since has released a total of 11 albums, the most recent being Milk and Meat both released this past year. in addition to putting out albums at a rapid fire pace, he also works as a producer, engineer, and songwriter for himself and others.
what i love most about this unabashed canadian is his fearless approach to music. in all of his 11 albums, Hawksley stays very true to his rock roots but is still able to create many different feelings through sound within this genre. because he works so quickly on these albums there is no time for over processing so each song feels incredibly sincere and fresh. you can feel Hawksley's excitement for his music not through fast-paced beats or crazy guitar riffs, but simply through the honestly of his vocals. he also approaches his music with a great degree of humor which i find extremely admirable. while many artists are trying to make some grandiose statement about the world, Hawksley sings stuff like "thank goodness you're timeless, cause my watch got stolen". all in all, i'm very proud to share a country with this prolific man.
You will like him if you like: Danny Michel, Joel Plaskett
Why he's important: in a music market that is so focused on perfecting albums and over processing songs before they're put to release, Hawksley Workman accepts the imperfections and honestly in his recordings. he also isn't afraid to embrace the (sometimes subtle, but usually fairly blatant) humor of his lyrics and plays it up with a wide range of vocals and upbeat, funky rhythms.
Song to listen to: "We'll Make Time", "No Sissies", "Your Beauty Must Be Rubbing Off", "We Dance to Yesterday","Not Your Parents Music", "Jealous of Your Cigarette", "Complicated Man", "Warhol's Portrait of Gretzky", "Fatty Wants to Dance"
- J
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