Muskeg has many meanings. Considering the band is out of Calgary I searched to discover the Muskeg River watershed is located in the Athabasca Oil Sands region of northern Alberta, within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. The river is a tributary to the Athabasca River and drains an extensive area of boreal forest wetlands. The area of the Muskeg River watershed is a whopping 1,480 square km. Pretty cool, huh? And who said you'd never learn something here.

The band is comprised of Shane Ghostkeeper (guitar/vocals), Sarah Houle (drums/vocals), Jay Crocker (keys/lap steel/lead guitar/vocals) and Scott Munroe (bass guitar/vocals). They tend to tip towards a Canadiana blues-folk style than their billed rock genre; give this disc a listen and you decide.

"Three More Springs" is a toe-tapping song, name-dropping The Okanagan. Much like the beautiful valley in British Columbia with it's unparalleled variety of climate and landscape, the song delivers a great beat with enchanting lyrics. The harmonies alone are a memoriable experience you'd hear from music giants The Band or Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Another fine song from their debut album is "The Boxes and The Bottles". The lone guitar in this song nicely carries Shane's impressive voice. 

Shane and Sarah share songwriting on the album, and impressive songs at that. The focus is on everyday, truths of life in a remote Metis community that'll you'll feel in their song "Skippin Church".

This talented, no-frills band is definately on to something special. Children of the Great Northern Muskeg is available on disc and vinyl formats starting July 15, 2008. Perfect for your next camping trip or if you're stuck in a traffic, crank this one up and let the good times roll. 

www.savedbyradio.com | www.myspace.com/childrenofthegreatnorthernmuskeg | www.killbeatmusic.com

Chris White
c.white@partyinkingston.com