Crash Test Dummies
“JINGLE ALL THE WAY” ACROSS CANADA & AMERICA
In November the Crash Test Dummies will bring their never-before-toured holiday release to Canadian and American audiences. The record, released in 2002 and recorded at the world famous “The Magic Shop” in New York City was best described by prominent American journalist MarOn Keller. “There's more than a bit of delighRul holiday camp and irony afoot in the Crash Test Dummies' Jingle All the Way collecOon, from Brad Roberts' slow-mo delivery of "White Christmas"--with its heavy Hammond Organ--to Ellen Reid's Patsy Cline take of "O LiYle Town of Bethlehem," done in a convincing country-western style complete with pedal steel guitar. SOll, there's serious business in the group's take on "We Three Kings" with the genuine Oriental influence of Ming Xioo-Fen's pipa playing, and Reid's readings of the tradiOonal songs "The Huron Carol" and "In The Bleak Midwinter" are as reverent as standard Christmas songs get. Roberts' basso profoundo, on the other hand, is an acquired taste and he puts it to wickedly good use in "Jingle Bells," which is delivered like a medieval chant or rugby cry that's certain to put the fear in jolly old St. Nick.” The dynamic and engaging stage show will feature original members Brad Roberts, Ellen Reid, Dan Roberts and Mitch Dorge who will be joined as always by Stuart Cameron and relaOve newcomer, Leith Fleming-Smith, delivering songs from Jingle All The Way along with some of the bands greatest hits! “Jingle All The Way” will be available on vinyl for the first Ome and will be made available on streaming services.
There’s a fantasy about show business that we’ve been fed since performers started offering up their hearts on stage for public consumption. The glamour, the jetsetting, and the parties all get played up over the reality of the whole thing: a career that seeps into your real life and can dismantle your relationships, the exhaustion of the road, and more than a few hangovers. On his third solo album, the self-produced Papercut—armed with a couple lifetimes of songwriting and touring in his rear view mirror—Carleton Stone gets honest about the toll of devotion to craft while illustrating his mastery of it. Through sax-blasted Americana, power-pop laced with ‘80s synth, and dreamy, sophisticated pop melodies, the Nova Scotia songwriter blurs genres to explore a tumultuous few years and some of the scariest questions someone can ask: what the hell have I done? What if I’d gone down some other path?
Carleton took a break from his award-winning solo career when he became a founding member of Port Cities. The band released music and successfully toured nonstop for five years before the world ground to a halt. During lockdown, Carleton worked to hone his skills as a producer and in 2021, Carleton produced Willie Stratton’s Drugstore Dreamin’ (2022) along with his own record.
An outstanding writer, Carleton has written songs for and with such diverse artists as Donovan Woods, Classified featuring Snoop Dogg, Ria Mae, Bobby Bazini, and Neon Dreams. Carleton has three solo albums to his credit and has toured internationally for the better part of the last decade.
