I have been fortunate enough to play with such talent!
On current recording:
Arthur Holøien - double bass, mando, uke
Derek Loewen - drums & percussion
Special guests (and counting):
Eirik Roald - cello
Steve Tippet - clarinet
Nathanael Larochette - guitar
Neil Gerster - guitar
Dave Draves - piano
Aalya Ahmad - fiddle
On Our Lady of Broken Souls:
Aalya Ahmad - fiddle
Rob Skitmore - guitars
Derek Loewen - drums & percussion
Live:
Derek Loewen - drums
Steve Tippet - everything!
Nathanael Larochette - guitar
Ronnie Vadar - double bass
While on tour:
Arthur Holøien - double bass
And occasionally:
Aalya Ahmad - fiddle
Neil Gerster - guitar
Benoit Joanisse - guitar
Adam Saikaley - bass clarinet
Melissa Laveaux - guitar & vocal
Rob Reid - percussion
Alex Mann - guitar, bass, uke
Influences
Edith Piaf, The Sadies, System of a Down, Geoff Ward, Pete MacPherson, Sparky DeVille....
Sounds Like
I've been compared to a combination of the following:Edith Piaf - Ute Lemper - Lhasa - Tori Amos - Kate Bush - Bjork (I don't think that one is ultimately appropriate though...)...Anything that makes accordion sexy...
"Our Lady of Broken Souls oozes of creativity, sensuality, fun, and surprises
too! If you ever thought you didn't like the accordion, you'll think again
after hearing Marie-Josée Houle. This is not "accordion music" - it's sexy,
flamboyant music that happens to be played on the accordion. As soon as I
heard it, I thought this should be the soundtrack to the next "Chocolat.""
- Pat Moore, Host, Weekend Warm-UP, CKCU FM 93.1
Our Lady of Broken Souls - nominated for Best Folk Album of 2007 by the Ottawa XPress
“Houle's stirring defiance is all her own on this debut that is equal parts red velvet, expensive booze, vamp and high drama made alive by a pile of instruments including the accordion, stand-up bass, fiddle, mando and that creamy, cabaret-torch voice.” - Ottawa Citizen, March 17/07
“Though emotionally tangled up in blue, the velvet voiced Houle maintains unwavering focus throughout, playing as if every note, every word, every gasp and breath of the squeezebox literally sustains her” - Ottawa XPress, March 22/07
“Houle interprète ses chansons de regret et de vengeance.” - Voir, July 14/07
“The ghost of Paris' Little Sparrow [Edith Piaf] certainly can be heard in Houle's modern-day take on gypsy jazz and French café music” - SEE Magazine, July 26/07
"Houle is a gifted singer and her album is a treasure." - www.collectedsounds.com, May 25/08
"Le répertoire de l’auteure-compositrice-interprète fait dans l’émotion plutôt que dans la virtuosité avec un quelque chose d’envoûtant dans le rythme et un soupçon d’irrévérence dans l’interprétation." Voix Pop, http://www.lavoixpop.com/article-226701-Accordeoniste-du-XXIe-siecle.html, June 25/08
Born in Val d‘Or, Quebec and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Marie-Josée Houle celebrates her dual cultural roots through music. Singing and writing in both English and French, she brings the Townships to the Prairies and beyond. No polkas or foxtrots for this accordion diva; instead, she combines her classical, punk rock, and French cabaret sensibilities into one sultry stew of sound.
Her musical history is as varied as her hair colour. Classically trained on the accordion at age five, she chose other instruments as the medium to first deliver music to the masses. In 2000, she took up the electric bass and saxophone in order to form two very eclectic projects in Edmonton: “Pangina”, an all-girl punk band and “The Elevators”, a post-modern muzak band. Her reconnection with the accordion coincided with a move to Ottawa in 2003 and culminated in the world music collaboration known as "Casadore." The success of that project – including a performance at the 2005 Ottawa Folk Music Festival – served as a springboard for her solo work.
Her solo debut, Our Lady of Broken Souls, was released in March 2007 to much critical acclaim, including a nomination for Best Folk Album of 2007 by the Ottawa Xpress alongside local folk sensations Jim Bryson and Andrea Simms Karp. The album charted and received solid airplay on local college and community radio stations across the country.
Marie-Josée is busy with her many musical and artistic endeavours, performing and recording with a multitude of musicians, working with theatre groups and filmmakers.
Two-thousand-and-seven saw her play the main stage of WestFest, play Toronto’s Nuit Blanche, embark on her first successful cross-country tour, and recently share a stage with other celebrated female Ottawa artists like Kellylee Evans and Kathleen Edwards for a live recorded performance for a CBC Radio 1 broadcast.
As 2007 brought her international shows in England and Norway, she aspires to continue to transport the streets and cafés of Paris to the clubs, theatres and festivals of Canada and beyond.
Too long away from your site - my bad. Check this out - our friend Wendy's myspace, you have to send her a note to add her. It's in the smallprint in her bio thing. I wonder how many people (like me) don't see that? I happened upon that @ 3 months after I tried to add her the first time. I've no problem writing Wendy a note, but how's that for playing hard to get? She's a sassy one, right there. How's you?
So sad I won't see you this tour. Hopefully in October. My friend, Lauren, is in Toronto and I told her to come see you if she can. Hopefully your tour is going good. Have a great time in Paris. Say hi to Arthur from us.
I'll be sure to say Hi at Bushwakkers...and yes they have wonderful beer and food!.....and from what I've heard of your music, that will be a real treat too! Len
Hi MJ, How are you these days? Busy I'm sure. I am about a week away from recieving my new album from manufacturing.Now it's show time. Talk soon, Trevor
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