....From her pocket she drew a bank receipt and a pen, and she wrote a song that no one
but the flowers and the night sky would ever hear. It was the most beautiful song ever written....
Gifts as alarming as the talent given to Janine Stoll are rare. She is a painter of melodic lines and a sculptor of words. A self-effacing beauty and modest old soul, Stoll has been crafting songs and singing since she was able to form words. When she picked up a guitar at the age of 16, her talent was finally legitimized and could be truly appreciated and celebrated. It’s been 10 years since then and Stoll has become a respected and envied musician among her peers. She is prolific without being redundant. She is honest, but not self-involved. She writes with wit, but not abandon. Her songs are fearless without being alienating. Her music is deep without being pretentious. And her voice has the range, lack of inhibition, and raw emotive power that no trained musician could achieve. Yet with all of these gifts, Stoll still maintains an endearing vulnerability.
Set apart from those seeking superstardom, Stoll has more interest in being an uncompromising artist. She’d much rather be personally fulfilled and purged than cater to the specific tastes of mass audiences who would prefer to put her in a box or censor her. This defiance and integrity has garnered the respect and esteem of many, and sometimes makes her the object of harsh critique. But music fans would be hard-pressed to walk away from Stoll’s music feeling complacent. The stark truth and beauty in Stoll’s words and melodies are undeniable and are a welcome relief from the inundation of empty power ballads and the carbon-copy fluff that pollutes Top-40 radio.
Stoll has two solo releases thus far: everything you gave me (2001) and This is where we bury it (2005). everything you gave me is a stripped-down collection of Stoll’s earlier, edgy material. Recorded at Chatham Garden Studio in Hamilton, Ontario, the album took form under the guidance of producer/engineer Mike Birthelmer. Just Stoll and her guitar, live off the floor, this collection of 11 varied and beautiful songs displays Stoll’s gift for turning stories into poetry and setting those poems to music.
A giant leap from the stark, bare-bones production of everything you gave me is Stoll’s most recent endeavour, This is where we bury it. These 13 songs were recorded at World Records Studio near Toronto’s High Park in an old-century home warmly known as the Gingerbread House. Musician John MacLean, with his unconventional approach, acting as producer/engineer for the album and brought with him the vast talents of his afro-funk outfit Mr. Something Something. This band of world-class players applied their knowledge of afrobeat, funk, and jazz to Stoll’s acoustic gems. With guest appearances from other local talents, This is where we bury it is an arresting collection of highly listenable and unconventional music that defies categorization. Each song in its uniqueness has the ability to achieve “favourite” status, though the record finds cohesion in the exceptionally strong writing and arrangements. This record is a journey of unfaltering beauty.
The Toronto music scene is incestuous. Artists helping other artists and working on each other’s projects is the norm, so rightly Stoll takes part in several side projects. In 2002 the Ladybird Sideshow was brought to life by the critically acclaimed talents of singer-songwriters Melissa McClelland, Erin Smith, Lisa Winn, and Janine Stoll. Each ’bird writes her own songs that are brilliantly treated with impeccable four-part vocal arrangements. A live show is not to be missed, as these occasions are rare and the performance is stunning. So much love and humour shared between these four ladies is touching and often hilarious to witness. Each Ladybird is a unique and highly talented performer, but the variety of musical styles, the energy, and the skilful collaboration is what makes the Ladybird Sideshow so unique. Available on CD is Live at the Orange Lounge, a live in-studio concert recorded at Toronto’s renowned Orange Lounge by acclaimed producer/engineer Daryn Barry. You can also often find Stoll collaborating with Erin Smith as a funkified and super-cute duo ? two powerhouse vocalists with a good deal of bounce, wit, and personality. Their great six-song demo offers proof of their draw.
Stoll is also a sometimes vocalist for Mr. Something Something, often offering tasty backing vocals to this sextet that showcases an addictive onslaught of get-off-your-butt-and-dance afro-funk music. They provide a truly worthwhile night out for anyone who loves afro-beat, funk, or just to “give ’er” and party like it’s going out of style.
Currently Stoll is busy promoting This is where we bury it, playing live, eating raw vegan, knitting, doing graphic and web design, writing new songs, contemplating plans for her next record, and thinking about moving on.
Toronto singer-songwriter Janine Stoll brings acclaimed new CD — This is where we bury it — on tour this April.
Disappearing Act
"Janine Stoll just flat out blew me away with her second CD, This Is Where We Bury It. The CD contains a delightful mix of afro-pop and singer/songwriter ballads, with themes of love, sex, family and restlessness. Janine is truly an original and prides herself on putting forth her purest musical gifts, foregoing the temptation of squeezing into one of the many convenient boxes the biz has created for singers with her many attributes."
