Happy 60th Birthday Ian Blurton!

Cheers to guitarist/producer Ian Blurton on his 60th birthday! Here are a couple of interviews and some Future Now performances.

Canuck electronic music pioneer Nash The Slash saluted with tribute album "Covered"

"Covered" – curated by Richard Marsella – features updates of Nash The Slash tunes by Ian Blurton, Eiyn Sof and Renaldo M will be out on March 10th.

Here's the scoop...

We Are Busy Bodies is proud to announce Covered, a new compilation album honouring the legacy of legendary Canadian experimentalist Nash the Slash due March 10, 2026. Curated by musician, educator, and long-time Nash collaborator Richard Marsella, the release gathers an eclectic group of artists from around the world to reinterpret, reimagine, and celebrate the singular vision of one of Canada’s most unconventional musical pioneers.

Nash the Slash—born Jeff Plewman—stood alone in the Canadian music landscape. Known for his electric violin, mandolin, haunting synths, and trademark mummy-like stage attire, Nash became a cult icon whose influence extended far beyond Canadian borders. His genre-defying approach—part art-punk, part avant-garde, part cinematic minimalism—left an indelible mark on artists working in experimental, electronic, industrial, prog, and underground rock. From his early days with FM to his boundary-breaking solo work, Nash championed independence, integrity, and fearless weirdness long before these values became a rallying cry for DIY musicians everywhere.

Covered features a bold lineup of contributors, including Renaldo M (Brian Poole of Renaldo & The Loaf), Ian Burton’s Future Now, Eiyn Sof, and many other world-class experimental artists—each offering a unique interpretation that expands Nash’s sonic universe while remaining rooted in his unmistakable creative spirit.

The album can be considered a companion piece to the film Nash the Slash Rises Again! by Side Three Media.  

Photos by Paul Till. Album artwork by Matthew Daley.

Writes curator Richard Marsella: 

"When I learned that Side Three Media were working on the documentary film "Nash the Slash Rises Again!," it inspired me to want to make a complimentary tribute album with an eclectic group of musicians from around the world. I love the artistry and interpretations of Nash's music reflected on this compilation. It takes Nash and rethinks his original vision. Buckle up: this recording honours one of the great underground Canadian innovators, Nash the Slash, who has always been a great source of inspiration for so many of us.

"I had the honour of working with Nash a few times in my career, notably as a special guest artist in my Parade of Noises 2002, where we played Musical Red Rover with a group of 700 grade four students in my hometown of Brampton, Ontario. "Red Rover, Red Rover....we call Nash the Slash over..." are a string of words we'll never forget. Nash the Slash is an artist I shall never forget, always pushing the boundaries and just going for it. I'm super proud to share this project with such an incredible lineup, including Renaldo M (Brian Poole from Renaldo & The Loaf), Ian Blurton, Eiyn Sof and so many other world class weirdos. Special thanks to Colin Brunton, Gary Topp, Klanggalerie and We Are Busy Bodies for helping make this project a reality." 

You can pre-order a copy of Nash The Slash: Covered and preview two songs via Bandcamp right here. Check Nash The Slash performing his version of FM's "Phasors On Stun" along with two interviews following the tracklisting below. 

Various Artists – Nash The Slash: Covered

Lightmares - In A Glass Eyes

Eiyn Sof - Animal Magnetism

Dearly Beloved - Shock Treatment

Alex Wroten - RSVP

Alan Beeson - Life in Loch Ness

Renaldo M - Vincent's Crows 

Ian Blurton - Phasors on Stun 

Ronley Teper - Wolf

Nolan Cook's Nifnar - Citizen

Brian Ruryk - Masquerade

Barnyard Drama - Wait For You

Kitzler - Reactor No. 2

Rebecca Hennessy - Children of the Night

Andrew Noseworthy - Womble

Frank Pahl - Pilgrim's Lament

DJs Ian Blurton, Chris Trowbridge & Andrew Scott @ Bell & Beacon, Friday

Tres Hombres DJ crew add some Canuck content to mark Independence Day their own way tonight at the Bell & Beacon in Parkdale starting at 9 pm. 

Writes Chris Trowbridge aka DJ Chico:

"Friday, at the Bell & Beacon (1649 Queen St. West) in Parkdale, we will be celebrating the 4th of July by playing all CANADIAN bangers all night long. Joining me on the wheels of steel are mighty Can-con heavyweights Ian Blurton and Andrew Scott. Starts early at 9 pm, goes late, guy. No cover. No tariffs. Happy friggin’ Independence Day." 

To get you up to speed for tonight's Tres Hombres 100% Cancon throwdown in Parkdale, here are a few Canuck classics performed by Teenage Head, The Subhumans, The Haunted, The Gruesomes, Art Bergman's Young Canadians, The Ugly Ducklings, Pointed Sticks, members of the Dry Heaves, The Fits, The Deadly Snakes, The Sadies, Leather Uppers, and honourary Canucks The Fleshtones (featuring Toronto's Ken Fox on bass) performing The Guess Who ripper "It's My Pride." 

Tumble record release w/ Biblical, Book Of Wyrms, Cannabus @ Expo, Friday

Tumble will be playing songs from their new Lost In Light EP at Expo Vintage Clothing (1978 Dundas St. W) tonight at 7:30 pm.

Between performances by Biblical, Book Of Wyrms & Cannabus, DJ Vania & Ian Blurton will be spinning. Get tix here.

Change Of Heart presents "In The Wreckage" @ 165 Geary Ave, Saturday

Ian Blurton's Change Of Heart continue with night two of their album launch with Bonnie Trash & Andrew Dickson opening. 

One For The Weekend: Tumble

Check out "The Less I Know" off Toronto power trio Tumble's new Ian Blurton-produced album Lost In Light out May 2nd.  

Jay Anderson & Ian Blurton present UWUW live @ The Garrison, March 27

Ian Blurton, Jay Anderson and their UWUW pals will be performing as part of We Are Busy Bodies 20 Fest tonight.   Photo: T. Costa

 

Here's the scoop from WABB's Eric Warner...

Tonight will mark the debut of studio project turned 11-piece live band UWUW featuring luminaries from Toronto’s vibrant music community. Led by Jay Anderson and Ian Blurton, the band includes Chris Cummings, Nick Sewell, Andrew Scott, Drew Smith, and others. I’ve known and/or seen each of the aforementioned play in bands for over two decades in some instances, longer than We Are Busy Bodies has been around. This show is not to be missed.... maybe even a T2 cover! Find out more about UWUW's self-titled debut album from 2022 right here.

Lo-fi soul singer Aladean Kheroufi opens the show tonight. We Are Busy Bodies issued his debut full-length in mid-2024, which is nearly sold out. 

Doors at 8pm. Tickets are $26.77 and available online right here and at the door. Listen to "Scattered Ashes" by UWUW followed by Aladean Kheroufi's video for "Now & Forever" below. 

Celebrating 25 years of Tricky Woo's self-titled 4-song EP

Hard to believe 25 years have passed since Montreal's Tricky Woo recorded this whumpin' EP with Sir Ian Blurton. Have a listen.

Here's the scoop...

By the time Montreal's Tricky Woo finished their tour promoting their Juno-nominated third album, Sometimes I Cry in 1999, their sound was already moving away from a MC5/Stooges-inspired twin-guitar attack towards a much looser Southern rock onslaught which can be heard on the group's next album, 2001's Les Sables Magiques. 

While some Tricky Woo fans who hadn't seen what the group had been doing on stage in the two years between albums might've experienced whiplash, their was a transitional release which pointed to the group's new direction. The missing link, Tricky Woo's self-titled 4-song EP – recorded at Toronto's Chemical Sound with Ian Blurton – was largely overlooked when it was released as a 10" by the Mag Wheel label. It's unfortunate because that sound would've fit perfectly with what Nashville Pussy, Antiseen, REO Speedealer, The Hookers, Tunnel Rats, and Hellstomper were doing at the time. 

Sez Ian Blurton: "I feel like it was just a continuation of the work we had begun on Sometimes I Cry although it was missing Daryl Smith's input. I think we recorded 5 or 6 songs and if I remember correctly they wanted it more blown out than Cry. Loved the originals and really loved the Johnny Winter jam they did. Maybe it should've been released as a 7-inch instead of a 10-inch?"

One of the reasons why Tricky Woo's 10" EP didn't sell well back in 2001 is likely due to the same four songs "Anibis", "Fool For Your Loving", "Love Narcosis" and "High On A Mountain" appearing alongside tracks by The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, Black Halos, Gaza Strippers and ADZ on the Triple-X Records multi-artist compilation CD "The Five Fingers Of Dr. X a few months earlier. At the time, the conventional wisdom was, "if it's available on CD, why get it on vinyl?" 

In any case, quite a few copies of that record went unsold,  sitting in a box in the basement of Mag Wheel mainman Woody Whelan for the past 24 years. The good news is Woody will be selling the last remaining copies of Tricky Woo's "lost" 10" artefact on pristine midnight-black vinyl, making them available at a very reasonable price (much cheaper than Discogs or Ebay!) through Toronto record stores Rotate This (186 Ossington) and Gord's Back Room (2227 Dundas St. West at Roncesvalles). Grab a copy while you can – once they're gone, they're gone for good! Have a listen to three songs below. 

New album from Toronto's Change Of Heart due in March!

The much-anticipated new Change Of Heart album, In The Wreckage, will be out in early March reveals mainman Ian Blurton.  

Here's the scoop from Ian Blurton...

"27 years later.....new Change Of Heart LP (In The Wreckage) featuring all past members/guests out 1st week of March. Gonna play Toronto as a four piece (Taylor/Maiezza/Richardson/Blurton) late April. Tickets go on sale for that on Thursday."

Adds keyboardist Bernard Maiezza: "Our 40th anniversary and new record release show have just been announced. There is not a lot planned after this, and I am very much looking at this as my personal "retirement show" as I look to step back from my 40+ year music career to focus on my new paralegal firm, Junction Paralegal Services, that I will be officially launching in the next few days. As such, I would love to see you all there to celebrate this monumental event with us. Tickets go on sale on Thursday, and there is limited capacity, so act soon."

Check out the title track from In The Wreckage right here.

In the meantime, those Change of Heart fans playing catch up should check out the Kreative Kontrol podcast feature on the group by Vish Khanna from back in 2017, around the reissue of their Smile album.  

Tickets for Change Of Heart's album release show at The Sound Gallery are $35.42 and go on sale January 23 right here.

Ian Blurton's Future Now unleash Crimes Of The City on Devil's Night!

The sleeve art for the new Crimes Of The City album from Ian Blurton's Future Now has the look of a 70s Italian giallo film.  

Starring:  

Glenn Milchem as The Drummer 

Anna Ruddick as La Bajista 

Aaron Goldstein as Guy with Guitar 

Ian Blurton as Himself 

and introducing Gregory Macdonald as The Goose 

Produced and Directed by Future Now; Songplay: Ian Blurton; Director of Photography: Kelly Shee; 

Production Designer: Brad Boatright; Visual Effects: Johny Bekavac; Stunt Department: Tom Patterson; 

Prop Department: Wolfgang Gray; Model Rendering: Louis Durand; Sound recording: ProGold (Toronto). 

No animals were harmed in the making of this record. 

Check out the Crimes of the City sleeve art and tracklisting below. Get a copy via Bandcamp right here. Read a review by Scott Adams for the Sentinel Daily site right here. 

Ian Blurton's Future Now will be playing The Garrison with Biblical and Tumble on November 23 – get tickets over here. Watch Ian Blurton's Future Now jamming out at Ottawa's House of Targ below. 

Ian Blurton's Future Now – Crimes Of The City

1. Ends Of August

2. House Of Lords

3. Cast Away The Stones

4. Nocturnal Transmissions

5. In Broken Lines

6. School's In

7. Search For Tomorrow

8. Seventh Sin Of Devotion 

9. Halfway Between Heaven And Hell

10. Assailed By The Sun

Released via Pajama Party Records on October 30, 2024 

Ian Blurton's Future Now on tour

11/22 Hamilton, ON - The Casbah %&

11/23 Toronto, ON - The Garrison %+

11/28 Ottawa, ON - House of Targ %?

11/29 Montreal, ON - Turbohaus #%=

% with Tumble

& with the Golden Shitters

+ with Biblical

? with Double Talker

= with Low Sixes

# with Sick Things

Deaner '89 screens at Cineplex Yonge+Dundas, Varsity, Queensway, Friday

Paul Spence is joined by Mary Walsh, Will Sasso and Kevin McDonlad in the big screen telling of the Dean "The Deaner" Murdoch origin story. 

Toronto artists salute Dave Bookman with Left Of The Dial tribute @ The Garrison, June 6

Popular Toronto radio personality and music enthusiast Dave Bookman is being remembered with his fave Replacements songs.

Left Of The Dial: A Concert Tribute to Dave Bookman

Toronto artists play covers songs by The Replacements

The Garrison (1197 Dundas St West)

Thursday, June 6 at 8 pm (two sets)

A group of friends of Dave “Bookie” Bookman have organized a tribute night. Its called Left Of The Dial and will feature an incredible line up of artists – including Ian Blurton, John Borra, Katie Cruel, Terra Lightfoot, Tim Mech (from Dave's group The Bookmen), Bry Webb and many others (see list below) – performing Replacements covers. Admission is an item of non perishable food for the Daily Bread Food Bank. Come early it’s going to be unreal.

Public Animal's limited edition "Sun Won't Wait" cassette out today!

Public Animal are releasing a limited cassette edition of "Sun Won't Wait" today. But you'd better act fast – there are only 50 copies!

PUBLIC ANIMAL 

‘Sun Won’t Wait’ Limited edition cassette

$15.00 CAD

50 COPIES

Northern Haze is honoured to be bringing this 19-track double album to life in a limited cassette run. Featuring full body UV printed shells and custom logo stamped cases.

Originally released in September of 2023 digitally, Public Animal dropped their 3rd long-player to rave reviews. Led by Canadian icon Ian Blurton and the enormous talents of Caitlin Dacey, Ryan Gassi, and Erik Larock they brought forth 80 minutes of pure RnR bliss.

Get a copy while you can from Northern Haze right here. 

"To coincide with the release of Sun Won't Wait on cassette, we’re releasing the music video for Summer’s In The Tide. We’ve combed through our library of footage and pulled shots from all the live shows, music videos, and anything else we thought was fun. We also added some found footage of summery things to the mix to make it a little more exciting." Watch it below. 

"On top of all of that is a beautiful overlay that our genius friend (multimonos) made for us. They wrote a piece of code that  generates a unique visualization of the song by consuming audio frequency and sample data combined with randomness to make decisions about colors, lines and angles." View the multimonos visualization here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VikUZMPMOiI

Public Animal shares 80s Toronto late night TV-inspired clip for "Darkest Highway"

Check out Public Animal's cleverly cost-effective clip for "Darkest Highway" off their Sun Won't Wait album out Sept. 1st.

Public Animal previews Sun Won't Wait 2LP with "Curated Generation"

The 19-song Sun Won't Wait album from Ian Blurton's Public Animal is out Sept 1. Get it here. Listen to "Curated Generation"

New Change Of Heart recording in the works

No release date has been announced for the new Change Of Heart album, but Ian says the final mixes are done. Right on! 

 

Writes Ian Blurton...

"Finished up final mixes on new Change of Heart record w co-conspirator Rob Taylor last night. Had such a great time making this record, everyone who was ever involved with COH are included, 15 in all. Was great reconnecting with everyone and their contributions rule...."

Ian Blurton turns up on expanded version of New Age Doom's Lee Perry remix project

New Age Doom's Remix The Universe (Extended Edition) includes Ian Blurton's update of Lee Perry's "Conquer The Sin"

Here's the scoop...

We Are Busy Bodies has just released Remix The Universe (Extended Edition), a digital-only compendium of new perspectives on The Upsetter’s final collaborative album, 2021’s acclaimed Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Guide to the Universe by New Age Doom. 

The original version of Remix The Universe – released back in January – featured reimagined versions of the Lee Perry recordings by artists from the post-hardcore, experimental hip hop, indie rock, EDM and ambient spheres. From the dancefloor-ready groove of South Africa’s BLK JKS, to the head-banging fuzz-dub of Quicksand, and Nick Reinhart’s experimental exploration, the 12-track vinyl album, presented as one continuous set, sizzles across 44 minutes of new music. The newly expanded digital version adds five more tracks, including "Conquer The Sin (Repenter's Version)" contributed by Ian Blurton. 

Check out the entire Remix The Universe (Extended Edition) on Bandcamp right here. 

You can catch Ian Blurton's Future Now at The Bovine in Toronto with Bonnie Trash and Sex Cat on April 8th. 

One For The Weekend: UWUW

Check out "Staircase To The End Of The Night" from Ian Blurton & Jay Anderson's UWUW debut album out now. 

You can get a copy of UWUW's self-titled debut album via Bandcamp right here. Note: Fancy turntable not included. 

Ian Blurton joins forces with Jay Anderson in UWUW

Jay Anderson & Ian Blurton's horn-enhanced UWUW debut is out Oct. 21. Check out the lead off track "Scattered Ashes" below.

Here's the scoop...

UWUW (pronounced you-you) have just announced the release of their debut, self-titled LP with their lead single Scattered Ashes. With some of Toronto’s most experienced and revered musicians making this project possible, it’s no wonder why the sonic presence of this project demands your attention and doesn’t let you go. The impressive cast of players includes Jason Haberman of Dan Mangan and Yeahsun, Jay Anderson of Badge Époque Ensemble, Biblical and Lammping, and Ian Blurton of Ian Blurton’s Future Now, Change of Heart, and C’mon. Giving the songs a voice are two of Toronto’s most distinctive songwriters: Chris A. Cummings aka Marker Starling, adding his distinct, easy-glide, story-telling charm to Box Office Poison, and Scattered Ashes, and Drew Smith (Bunny, The Bicycles), providing his trademark, 60s harmony pop and lyrical prowess to Staircase and Landlord. UWUW's self-titled debut album – with enjoyably oblique sleeve art courtesy of Nick Sewell! – is slated for release by We Are Busy Bodies on October 21st. Pre-order it via Bandcamp right here. Fans of Euroboys, T2, and Manfred Mann Chapter Three will be enamoured with these exceptionally crafted and exciting compositions. 

The lead single 'Scattered Ashes' (listen below) breathes soul and rock, while blurring sounds and influences which call to mind James Brown’s horn section and the compositional layers of experimental Beach Boys recordings. In response to the meaning behind his lyrics, singer Marker Starling says, “I attempted to shoehorn every stray apocalyptic thought I had circa Summer of 2021 into the song, including readings from the screenplay of Jean-Luc Godard's Alphaville (1965). The world is ending, or perhaps, as Sun Ra believed, we're already past the end of the world. You might end up dying for a cause, or even "just because." Who knows what tomorrow may bring, and like The Zombies, being forever Hung Up on a Dream—in this case, a lost vision of a kind of hippie or punk utopia—is the only way to live your life, the only way to maintain a healing state of mind”. 

UWUW came into being when Jay Anderson and Ian Blurton came together through a run of shows, backing mutual friend and singer/songwriter, Kate Boothman as her drummer, and guitarist, respectively. Anderson suggested bringing in Jason Haberman, a talented bassist, who Anderson had seen play with Toronto indie-folk band, The Wooden Sky. Realizing they didn’t want an instrumental record, they layered on bright horns and smooth vocals, lifting the songs from instrumental jams, to the undefinable yet distinctive sound that is, UWUW. Saxophonist, Jay Hey, was brought in to provide horn arrangements, along with Tom Richardson on trombone and Patrick McGroarty on trumpet, all three contributing on every song. The result is a blissfully cool album with music that will appeal to all listeners, from record store snobs, garage rock slobs, and even psych-pop heartthrobs! 

UWUW - S/T 

1. Scattered Ashes

2. Staircase To The End Of The Night

3. Landlord

4. Box Office Poison

Credits

Jason Haberman - bass, keyboards 

Jay Anderson - drums, percussion 

Ian Blurton - guitar, keyboards, vocals, engineering, mixing 

Chris Cummings - vocals on 'Scattered Ashes' and 'Box Office Poison' 

Drew Smith - vocals on 'Staircase To The End Of The Night' and 'Landlord' 

Jay Hay - horn arrangements, saxophone 

Tom Richards - trombone 

Patric McGroarty - trumpet 

90s Nostalgia: Change Of Heart at the 1994 CASBYs

Here's Ian Blurton and his award-winning Change Of Heart along with a nutty cast of characters at the 1994 CASBYs.