“Silver Speakers” is the recording moniker for Toronto’s Tyrone Warner,a fiercely independent proprietor of hand-made music that reflects the diversity of his city and a love of Canadian history.
His latest recording, “Never Was,” is a collection of stories tied togetherby the beauty and mystery of Canada’s great lakes; a ship arrives atToronto’s portlands with a weary crew of modern-day sailors, a captainwho feels more comfortable on Lake Huron than in his skivvies and acoast guard with good intentions that becomes a sinister presence onLake Ontario. “Never Was” also features an encounter with the ghost of aprime minister on “William Lyon MacKenzie King” and eulogizes a hockeyplayer gone before his time in “Song for Wade Belak.”
While Warner writes, performs and records on his own, live he’s joined bya rotating cast of close friends and musical accomplices who re-interprethis songs for a unique live experience of roots-rock in the vein of NeilYoung and Blue Rodeo.
“Silver Speakers” have performed in a variety of venues around Torontoand Kingston, Ontario, from intimate kitchens in Kensington Market tothe stage of Canada’s Legendary Horseshoe Tavern. “Silver Speakers”have also appeared on the national airwaves of CBC Radio, as well asCBC Radio 3, and have filmed a performance for the TV series “From Farand Wide,” a cross-country search forunique and outstanding unsignedmusical talent.
As an unlikely front-man, Warner sings his heart out with …
“Silver Speakers” is the recording moniker for Toronto’s Tyrone Warner,a fiercely independent proprietor of hand-made music that reflects the diversity of his city and a love of Canadian history.
His latest recording, “Never Was,” is a collection of stories tied togetherby the beauty and mystery of Canada’s great lakes; a ship arrives atToronto’s portlands with a weary crew of modern-day sailors, a captainwho feels more comfortable on Lake Huron than in his skivvies and acoast guard with good intentions that becomes a sinister presence onLake Ontario. “Never Was” also features an encounter with the ghost of aprime minister on “William Lyon MacKenzie King” and eulogizes a hockeyplayer gone before his time in “Song for Wade Belak.”
While Warner writes, performs and records on his own, live he’s joined bya rotating cast of close friends and musical accomplices who re-interprethis songs for a unique live experience of roots-rock in the vein of NeilYoung and Blue Rodeo.
“Silver Speakers” have performed in a variety of venues around Torontoand Kingston, Ontario, from intimate kitchens in Kensington Market tothe stage of Canada’s Legendary Horseshoe Tavern. “Silver Speakers”have also appeared on the national airwaves of CBC Radio, as well asCBC Radio 3, and have filmed a performance for the TV series “From Farand Wide,” a cross-country search forunique and outstanding unsignedmusical talent.
As an unlikely front-man, Warner sings his heart out with the sameintensity he rips at his electric guitar; eyes shut, shoulders arched andsweat dripping from his brow. Though he has a soft-spoken demeanourand a humble sense of humour, he’s a man in love with music, and isgrateful for every chance to play.
Upon the release of “Never Was,” Wavelength Toronto (the live music
series which launched the musical careers of “Broken Social Scene,” “TheConstantines,” “Austra” and Feist) live-blogged an initial listening of therecord, gushed at the end of their listen, “Feeling these same feelings thatother sad isolated souls feel makes me feel connected, like I'm not theonly moping freak out there, that it's okay to have gloom with sunshineand lollipops, that everybody else feels and thinks along these lines too,this is what I liked about Lou Barlow all those years ago, that's what I likeabout Never Was today.”
“Never Was” is the third full-length record by “Silver Speakers,” whichwas preceded by “Iceland” in 2010 (an album inspired by Warner’s first-hand experience with Eyiafjallajokull) and “Streetlights and Stars” in 2009.Along the way Warner has released yearly holiday recordings at Christmasand several eccentric EPs, including “Aaliyah + Banjo”; a collection of hip-hop covers with melancholic banjo.
