Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
"If you were with us at Supermarket on Friday for ‘On the Map’ you know what these guys are capable of. Everybody in the room was dancing, me included, terrifyingly enough. This is why: Mr. Something Something, a song called The Wanting. ...taken from a CD, which is really fantastic, called The Edge. If you’ve never seen them before, trust me when I tell you that they put on a fantastic live show."
- Matt Galloway, host of CBC Radio’s Here & Now - CBC radio
"The Edge is a definite progression for Mr. Something Something. [...] This new album focuses the vocal contributions more while further modulating the rhythm attack. Right off the top, the percussion patterns are more involved. The percussion is composed of different sounds than are typically heard in Afrobeat, and a lot of care taken to harmonise the voices of each instrument. The guitar contributions are also more notable. The solo work uses unusual burnished tones which recall both highlife guitars and old keyboards such as the Rocksichord. They snake around the arrangements adding great harmonic and sonic punch. The horns are also punchier on this disc, partly because of the arrangements and partly because of the recording."
- David Dacks, EXCLAIM! - Exclaim Magazine
Discography
Mr. Something Something (self-titled 2004)
The Edge (2005)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
A little something for the body. A little something for the mind.
Mr. Something Something represents three years of composing, performing, risk-taking, improving and ultimately mobilizing the original vision of founding members Larry Graves [drums/percussion] and John MacLean [saxophone/voice]. 20 years of playing, studying and traveling passed before these two childhood friends settled on the unbeatable dance rhythms of Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and Ghana as the most natural gathering place for the elements that would ultimately make up the Mr. Something Something sound.
Western instruments and concepts of improvisation are explored and layered over what used to be called afrobeat; but the term strains to contain the innovations happening in the rhythm section at every show. It also fails to express in fiery-enough terms the contributions of notable and electrifying vocalist/performance artist Johan Hultqvist. Breaks and basslines are designed to induce and sustain a state of ecstatic dancing. The horn section strikes with power and uplifts with melody. And above it all, acting as a lightning rod for the combined energies of a Mr. Something Something event, is the lyric statement of the case for change and consciousness. And dance.
Mr. Something Something�s self-titled debut album was released in July 2004 to critical acclaim. VIEW Magazine called it a �great debut from a solid band� and EXCLAIM! stated that �these guys rank with any Afrobeat in the world today.� The album was also very well received by CBC Radio as well as college radio across the country, a fact which was confirmed by the National Campus and Community Radio Report in November 2004 when the album climbed high on two of the !Earshot Specialty Charts, reaching number four on the jazz chart and number six on the �International� ditto. Not bad, considering that the majority of tracks on the album exceeds nine minutes!
2005 saw the charismatic crew tour Canada from coast to coast, playing 120 shows to enthusiastic crowds at clubs and festivals. Along the way they shared the stage with top Canadian artists including Sarah Harmer, Martha Wainwright, The Trews, Joel Plaskett, Justin Rutledge, Elliot Brood, Alpha YaYa Diallo, Tanya Tagaq, The Creaking Tree String Quartet, Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Eliana Cuevas, Cuff The Duke, and The High Dials.
Wildly energized and unpredictable live shows have brought Mr. Something Something a hard-earned, solid reputation as an act that really gets through to people. The fresh sound and powerful message of The Edge, the band�s second album, led to distribution deals in Canada (Festival) and Japan (Bomba Records), not to mention another action-packed year with extensive touring, including many festival appearances. The band will spend the winter of 2006-07 writing and recording material for their forthcoming third album.
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