Canard, a.k.a. the Duck That Likes to Shuck, a.k.a. The Priest of Wasted, is multi-instrumentalist (and rumored psychokinetic mentalist) Mike Coleman of Tallahassee, FL. A cult figure whispered about in obscure music circles, Coleman has contributed his prodigious and unique songwriting and performance talents to such groups as the Singing Spoons, Ultraboy, Bacon Ray, the Newsboy Legion, Ancient Brain and Electric Lawnchair, earning him a small, yet fervent following. Coleman's aesthetic is broad and wide, embracing free jazz, country, electronics, heavy rock, post-punk and singer/songwriter styles, while his lyrics merge heartfelt emotion, obscure personal symbolism and dada humor. His home-recorded Canard releases from the nineties managed to capture this unholy blending of seemingly disparate influences in a truly singular sound.

Canard is the appellation Coleman decided to apply to his first solo recordings in 1995. And the next two years were a fertile period for the Duck, with Canard appearing on no less than eight releases. (Meanwhile, as Mike Coleman, he was playing out and recording with Bacon Ray as well performing as a backup musician in a number of local bands.) Smiley Jones is proud to release Breaking Out the Alternate Reality (1995-1997), a collection of all of Canard's 7" and CD releases from this time period, along with bonus tracks from his cassette-only releases. These tracks reveal the first flowering of the Duck's warped musical vision as a solo artist.

Coleman currently leads Canard & the Magnetic Band, who are working on two new albums, one of his material and another of cover songs. He runs his own recording studio, Casa De Canard, in Tallahassee and performs as a backup musician in numerous local bands.