Music

I Like It A Lot
Shake It & Shout (Live)
Tuesday Night Special
VERONICA JOHNNY : O Canada Aboriginal languages compilation CD
Veronica McNeill demo CD
DAVE JOHNNY: The Radium Kings
How the West Was Won
Two Times Lucky 

I Like It A Lot
March 2007 marked the long-awaited release of The Johnnys’ first studio album, recorded at the Slave River Records facility in Toronto. Engineered by Veronica and produced by Dave, the 13-song disc includes the best of The Johnnys’ original back-catalogue, as well as fresh numbers penned with members of thegroup’s latest lineup.

Shake It & Shout (Live)
This 2005 compilation was recorded using a variety of improvisational means, and perfectly captures the frantic pace and manic energy typical of The Johnnys’ live performances. The disc features cuts from NWT festival and bar venues in Fort Smith and Fort Simpson (where, unusually, the band appeared as a six-piece), as well as Banff, Alberta (with guest guitarist Carl Cibart of the Radium Kings).

Tuesday Night Special
This 2004 demo was recorded in Fort Smith, NWT, representing the first stabs at creating an original catalogue for The Johnnys, and establishing a sound and feel for the band as a live act. The tracks also nicely capture the collaboration of what proved to be the fertile songwriting trio of Veronica and Dave Johnny, and Franco Nogarin. Over the course of a few hours, songs were tracked as they were conceived, making these raw tunes in the truest sense of the word.

VERONICA JOHNNY
www.myspace.com/veronicajohnny

O Canada Aboriginal languages compilation CD:
In 2003 the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories sponsored the creation of a compilation CD featuring versions of O Canada in each of the territory’s 10 official Aboriginal languages. Veronica Johnny (credited as Veronica McNeill) was selected to sing the Cree version. This successful recording led to invitations for Veronica to sing during opening ceremonies of several community events, a live performance on CBC North radio and for an audience of Canadian Senators visiting Fort Smith, NWT.

Veronica McNeill demo CD
In 2001, Veronica (using her maiden name) released a self-titled trio of original songs showcasing the varied directions her music was taking. Love Me is a feel-good song with a catchy, sing-along chorus. Its subject matter, however, is classic Veronica in its urging that people be allowed to honestly be themselves, and be accepted on those terms.

Whisper is typical of the ballads Veronica performs, with its intimate yet haunting vocals, and heart-laid-bare style. In retrospect, Music Lover Man, with its quick tempo and guitar-heavy arrangement, foreshadowed Veronica’s branching into old-school rock’n’roll and the formation of her group The Johnnys.

DAVE JOHNNY
www.myspace.com/radiumkings

Radium Kings
The Radium Kings formed in 2003 when four musicians collided in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories.

With guitarists Keith Morrison and Carl Cibart trading off lead vocal duties, the band developed two distinct personalities. Morrison penned sharp-edged compositions sung with decidedly snotty distain, while Cibart eulogized the lonely characters of his dark, country-tinged tales. These disparate styles were sutured and lent a consistent sound by the incendiary rhythm section of John McKinnon (bass) and Dave Johnny (drums).
The Radium Kings played as a cohesive unit for about a year, until individual pursuits led its members in different directions. The Radium Kings never officially disbanded, and still meet, gig and record sporadically (most recently in Oct. ’06).

How the West Was Won
The first Radium Kings recording surfaced in 2004, featuring the baritone vocals and country-punk songwriting of Carl Cibart. The six-song disc proves it’s better to tell a good story than a long one. In the time its quick arrangements allow, surprisingly evocative tales are woven detailing the mind of a serial killer, Canada’s worst maritime disaster, an old cowhand’s memories and more.

Two Times Lucky
The Radium Kings roared back in 2005, with Keith Morrison handling vocals and most of the songwriting duties. This music is fast and abrasive, bleeding acidic nastiness like the band’s elemental namesake. The disc also features two tunes by John McKinnon; the rocker Greybeard and the entirely unexpected Disassociated Space Amoeba, an eight-minute psychedelic freak-out of epic proportions.

Both albums have since been reissued (2006) as one CD, Half Alive – Totally Unstable.