The Maple List – Number 164 – Sylvia Tyson

Born in 1940, Sylvia Tyson (Fricker) is an important part of Canadian music history. Best known as part of the folk due Ian and Sylvia, she continues to perform with the folk group Quartette and has since 1993.

During the Canadian Content days of radio, she and her ex-husband Ian Tyson, were staples on Canadian radio. They likely would have been even without the content rules. The were a very good folk duo from 1959 to 1974, when they split up.

In addition to the duo, they also fronted another Canadian institution, the band Great Speckled Bird. Sylvia is a true Canadian icon. She was inducted into the Order Of Canada in 1994, has 7 Juno nominations (Canada’s Grammys) as a solo artist and was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2003. Additionally, she was included in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame as part of the Ian and Sylvia duo in 1992.

I have included 2 videos, Four Strong Winds, (you may think of this as a Neil Young song, it’s not) recorded during a reunion concert in 1986. This has been noted as one of the most influential Canadian songs of all time. The second is a solo by Sylvia, “You Were On My Mind”.

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The MapleList Number 942 – Malajube

Today’s MapleList group is Malajube, our first Francophone member, at number 942. Canada is officially a bilingual country, French and English. The province of Quebec is at the centre of Canada’s Francophone culture.

Malajube was formed in the early 2000’s in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. Their first album was released in 2004 and received instant rave reviews and became staples of the Quebec radio scene. The album is titled “Le Compte complet” and is worthy of a listen.

Prior to going on hiatus, the band consisted of:
Julien Mineau – Vocals, lyrics and guitar
Francis Mineau – Drums
Mathieu Cournoyer – Bass
Thomas Augustin – Keyboards and vocals

On the awards front, the band was short-listed for the 2006 and 2009 Polaris Music Award and has garnered 3 Felix Awards, the Quebec Music Awards.

I have chosen a live version of a very catchy alternative tune, “Montreal -40°C”. Enjoy, great song.

The MapleList Number 121 – Faber Drive

The next installment of The Maplelist is Faber Drive at number 121. This group hails from Mission, British Columbia. The band formed in 2004, the current members being lead vocalist Dave Faber, lead guitarist Jordan Pritchett, bass guitarist Jeremy Liddle and drummer Seamus O’Neill. They were discovered by Chad Kroeger of Nickleback and were signed to a record deal with his 604 label. They have released 3 albums on that label, “Seven Second Surgery” in 2007, “Can’t Keep A Secret” in 2009 and “Lost In Paradise” in 2012. Their initial release was an independent EP, “Faber”, that was released in 2006.

The band had some early success, being nominated for a Juno in 2008 as “Best New Group Of The Year”, and won the same category in the Canadian Radio Music Awards.

They faded from sight in about 2014, but have recently been recording, releasing 2 demos in 2020. Good band, a comeback would be welcomed.

To give you a flavor for their sound, I give you the SOCAN number 1 song award winning tune “Tongue Tied”, followed by the very energetic “G-Get Up And Dance”.