Martha and the Muffins

The Profile

Martha and the Muffins are a Canadian new wave band formed in Toronto in 1977, best known for the 1980 hit Echo Beach and for the Daniel Lanois–produced album This Is the Ice Age.

Canadian new wave/synth-pop group from Toronto; active since 1977. Breakout single Echo Beach (1980) won a Juno Award for Single of the Year. Albums include Metro Music (1980), Trance and Dance (1980), This Is the Ice Age (1981, produced by Daniel Lanois), and Danseparc (1983). The band also recorded as M+M on later releases.

Three DeBaser reviews paint Martha and the Muffins as a sharp, ice-cool Canadian new wave outfit. Metro Music is praised for freshness and hooks, This Is the Ice Age for its crystalline, Lanois-shaped textures, and Danseparc for precise, colorful electro-funky grooves. Echo Beach looms large; sax lines, dual vocals, and urban moods recur. Overall verdict: underrated, deserving more attention.