Just when you think summer is over (typically signified by hoards of students returning), September has lots still in store for those of us who never want it to end. The ninth annual House of PainTUrban Arts and Culture Festival runs Sept. 13-16 and features a variety of artists and activities. What I think is great about this kind of festival is that it is purely community-driven and brings together several art forms including graffiti art, music, dance, film, photography, clothing & crafts, spoken word and much more. On top of that, there are workshops for young people and new professionals who want to become more engaged in Canadian urban culture, which I think brings a positive and constructive atmosphere to the whole thing. This kind of grassroots festival, which is much different from the likes of Bluesfest, is has remained just that: a local-level series of events that reinforces how diversified and talented the arts in Ottawa really are. Chances are if you've seen some of the street art around the city, the artist will in some way be associated with this festival. With the Sunday HoP concert happening Sunday, Sept. 16th, new school and old school are coming together with acts like Shad, Maestro Fresh Wes, Kid Koala, Flight Distance, Radio Radio and Atherton taking the stage under the bridge to finish things off. Who says summer needs to end so soon?
Some big names in Ottawa's music scene achieved success last night at the Ottawa International Film Festival. Deservedly, Fevers, Flight Distance and Hilotrons all tied for first place in the Music Video Challenge at Babylon on the closing night of festivities. MC Devin Atherton hosted the event as it featured some of the finest artists in film and music that Ottawa has to offer. Fevers had their video for 'Passion is Dead (Long Live Fashion)' screened, which was directed, produced and edited by Shooter McNally. Flight Distance also used the night as a premier of their new video 'Blanket Party' off their sophomore album Bad Information released in 2011 and directed by Edward Fawcett. The Hilotrons (Kelp Records), who first released their self-titled album in 2003, received praise for their new video for 'Emergency' - a video which I have yet to find online, but will post as soon as it surfaces. Congratulations to all the participants, this years crop will leave us waiting in suspense for next year's OIFF Music Video Challenge.
The 2012 OIFF Music Video Challenge Lineup: EYES ON YA STAR - ERUPT EMERGENCY - HILOTRONS MAKE BELIEVE - THE LOVE MACHINE BLANKET PARTY - FLIGHT DISTANCE POST-SECULAR - THEATERNIA PASSION IS DEAD (LONG LIVE FASHION) - FEVERS ON HOLD - DENE SWAN I CAN - SOPHIA RADISCH HOUSE OF COMMON PROBLEMS - SILKKEN LAUMANN L.K.U.T. - ZOO LEGACY ASIAN FETISHIST - SCARY BEAR SOUNDTRACK THE PROPOSAL - PETER JOYNT
--------------------------------------
Fevers - Passion is Dead (Long Live Fashion)
Credits: Shooter McNally Director + Producer + Editor
Director: Edward Fawcett Sharpe Producers: Edward Fawcett Sharpe, Joel Barnes, Steve Jones Cinematographer: Joel Barnes Editor: Edward Fawcett Sharpe AD/Colouring Grading: Steve Jones
Music credits:
Performed and written by: Flight Distance (Bender, Patience, DJ Calkuta) Produced by: Crack Moses With co-production from: Kaem Mixed by: James Hancock From the acclaimed Flight Distance album, "Bad Information", 2011.
With their latest LP Goodnight My Dear…I’m Falling Apart, Amos the Transparent have sent a message that their music knows no bounds. Having received critical acclaim for their previous two albums, their most recent release is a testament to their ability to fuse diverse instrumentation and more experimental songwriting tactics with the honesty in lyrical content that has come to define the band’s music. While tracks like ‘Says the Spark’ and ‘Sure as the Weather’ have infiltrated the eardrums of indie music lovers across Canada, the album in its entirety is a journey through tame melodies, percussive onslaughts, and complex vocal patterns that never leave the listener unsatisfied. Variable instances of tranquility and vigor define the character of this album: both light and dark. These contrasting features make for an effective and balanced record.
The band is beginning its fall tour with multiple Canadian tour dates, the second of which was last night (August 16th) at Zaphod’s. Friends, family and a dependable fan base crowded into the venue in what felt like a fraternal gathering of sorts. Halifax native Ben Caplan started things off, with a voice that CBC’s Chris Norris describes as having a “rough around the edges, bar room salooney, Tom Waits vibe to it”. Caplan was sans his usual band, The Casual Smokers, but managed to rile the growing crowd up with just his acoustic guitar and pure vocal power. He is a true musician, creating unmistakably unique sounds that just happen to go well with bands like Amos. He also assured me he would be back to Ottawa in the coming months.
The night continued with Toronto’s Battle Mountain Band, a group that was formed by friends who also belong in other bands. For a side-project band that seems to be around just for the sake of a creative outlet, their opening performance of “My Weekend” gave the impression that this band had been around for years. Their set was fun, free-spirited, and laden with bits of humour as they encouraged everyone in the crowd to get closer to the party on stage. Echoes of folk rang through in many of the guitar riffs, and flowing bass lines gave many of their songs a classic feel. In the footsteps of bands like Good Old War, all the members of Battle Mountain Band are lead vocalists, trading verses and bringing a different style and sound to each song. Even in songs like Detroit, which is about one of their ex-wives, all members shared the stage equally. The only shortcoming was some missed vocal harmonies; while not a major issue, it was distracting at points. The overall performance, however, was rhythmically sound and well executed. Ottawa native Trevor James explains, “Now all engines are firing, we’re back writing lots. We just recorded three new tunes, doing lots of shows… but typically we’re always working and writing no matter what. While transitioning from Montreal to Toronto there was a bit of a lull, but yeah everything is very casual with the Battle Mountain Band since we all have our own projects outside of this one.”
Amos the Transparent came on as the headliner, opening with the song ‘Title Track’ from their debut album Everything I’ve Forgotten to Forget. Their band chemistry was apparent right away as Chandler’s vocals carried perfectly with the variety of instruments on stage. Much like their latest album, their set flowed through peaks and valleys of emotion. Eloquent cello playing by Mike Yates tempered the crowd’s liveliness, which was quickly invigorated by the triad of guitars and two-piece brass. Throughout the entire set it was obvious that the band and audience were thriving off each other. During the performance of ‘Lemons’, Chandler got the crowd singing the background melody without having to persuade them. This dynamic reached a new height when the crowd screamed the refrain “I was meant to go alone” during the song ‘Greater Than Consequence’, which I found to be surprisingly different from the album version I was familiar with.
‘We always look at it in two ways’, says lead vocalist Jonathan Chandler, ‘there’s live Amos and there’s studio Amos. Live Amos always plays the songs that we come up with in the studio, but we kind of take a no-borders approach. We can go ahead and have two drum parts going at the same time as well as a quartet of vocals and three guitar parts in the studio, it sounds cool through the speakers but how are we going to do that live? I think that’s where having seven of us up there allows us to do more, we can each add our own thing on stage.”
One aspect of the show that cannot be overstated is the presence of Kate Sargent. Being the only female on stage, Sargent’s vocals compliment Chandler’s in such a way that it adds another layer to the band’s identity. In songs like ‘Up & Out’ and ‘Sure As The Weather’, her singing is just as pervasive as Chandler’s is, bringing more depth and beauty to their performance. I was as impressed as the girl standing next to me, who happened to be screaming “You are blowing my mind” repeatedly to Sargent between songs. I don’t blame her. Her stand-alone verse in ‘The Stale Scent of Old Beer’ made the entire crowd go silent, after which drummer Chris Wilson took the opportunity to end the song with thunderously climactic percussion. Chandler explains, “We added Kate and Mike after the album was recorded, and I really wish they had been there through that process, because they really do have great ideas and a neat perspective on things”. Wilson also says that, “It’s allowing us to explore more sonic possibilities than we did as a three-piece or four-piece. It’s allowed us to reach greater heights, dynamically and in the intricacies of our songs”.
As far as indie music goes, Amos the Transparent is arguably Ottawa’s greatest export, having their music heard nationally through CBC Radio 3 and on shows like Studio Q (where Jian Ghomeshi referred to the band as “The Canadian Wilco”) and internationally at SXSW Music Festival. It isn’t hard to imagine that this is only the beginning.
One of Ottawa's main exports as far as Canadian indie music goes is Amos The Transparent, a band that has been flying high form the critical acclaim of their first two albums and receiving praise for the most recent release Goodnight My Dear... I'm Falling Apart. Personally, the band has grown on me for a few reasons. First, out of all the music that's out there, songs or bands appeals to us for various reasons. Sometimes it's image, catchiness, or lyrics - in the case of Amos, it's a bit of everything. But to me the most attractive aspect of their music is honesty. The honest composition and delivery of their music is refreshing every time you put on their albums, and none more so than their latest release. Their announcement of festival dates at Pop Montreal and Halifax Pop Explosion affirms that they are serious about making their voices heard across Canada.
Tonight they are set to play Zaphod's, I'll be following up this post with a review/interview with the band in collaboration with Apartment 613. In the meantime, here are their tour dates and latest video for "Says The Spark".
TOUR DATES
Aug. 10 @ The Branch, KEMPTVILLE Aug. 16 @ Zaphods, OTTAWA (w/ Battle Mountain Band, Ben Caplan) Aug. 17 @ Rivoli, TORONTO (w/ Revelstoke) Aug. 23 @ Maxwell’s Music House, WATERLOO (w/ Sandman Viper Command) Aug. 24 @ APK, LONDON Aug. 25 @ Phog Lounge, WINDSOR (w/ The Archives)
On September 15, Ottawa is going to get a first-hand view inside the creative mind of Rolf Klausener (The Acorn) when the inaugural Arboretum Festival kicks off. This unique collaborative project will meld all different aspects of what makes Ottawa such an amazing city: music + gastronomy (which, if you don't know, is the art/science of eating food) + visual art. While there isn't a thick wooded area surrounding the Arts Court, the Ottawa Jail Hostel should prove to be an excellent venue for all types of Ottawa personalities to make an appearance and share their trade with us. Many of you may have already seen the beautifully designed posters up around the city, I was almost caught doing a fist pump in the air when I saw Cadence Weapon's picture staring at me today. With artists such as Cadence Weapon, Adam Saikaley, Roberta Bondar, Andrew Vincent and Ohbijou taking part in the festivities, the talent is nothing short of extraordinary. Of course, music is only part of the equation... this festival promises to bring together the best arts, food and culture Ottawa has to offer. Take a glance at the full lineup here, or alternatively, check out the poster below. As the festival motto goes, 'We are totally doing this!' Tickets $25 - more info here.
I'm currently sitting on a Greyhound on my way back from a great weekend in Toronto, awkwardly typing away and trying really hard to drown out the snores from some guy in front of me. One of last week's highlights for me was having the opportunity to sit down and meet Devin Atherton, an Ottawa MC who's been making a name for himself and his music in the last several years. I met him originally a few weeks back at the '4in1' Acoustic Park Session at which he performed some really impressive acoustic versions of his songs. He was kind enough to invite me over for a few beers, and we sat around listening to tracks and talking about music for a few hours. I don't claim to be huge into the hip hop scene here, but I've always taken an interest in MCs who have something substantive to say. Following the footsteps of other Canadian rappers like Shad, Cadence Weapon and Classified, Atherton not only brings lyrical skills, but also intelligent and relatable themes that make his songs very accessible to listeners. Not to mention that he is his own boss, producing the majority of beats on his new album No Threat himself and guiding almost all aspects, from the artwork to which artists are featured. He's also the founder of Ottawa's Hip Hop Karaoke at Mugshots Jailhouse Hostel & Bar, and is a major personality in support of Ottawa's hip hop scene and music community as a whole. It was exciting for me to be able to chill with him and discuss music, our respective projects, and life in general. To top everything off, we went out to a new establishment on Somerset called Union, which I have to say might become one of my new favourite spots. There we ran into some of his friends, including Jordan from The Love Machine and DJ Calkuta from Flight Distance, two groups which I hope to feature on Showbox in the near future. I have included a link to Atherton's Bandcamp page where you can check out No Threat in its entirety, as well as the interview we had.
Interview: Atherton Tell me a bit about Vinyl Tap and how it came to be, and how you hooked up with some of the artists.
Vinyl Tap in the beginning was a label, and the idea was to kind of go at it with a strength in numbers philosophy. Got all my friends on, we’re making music, doing things, to get behind one name and one symbol and just push the Ottawa music scene through that. It still is a label, in the loosest sense of the word, you know? It’s currently whatever I want it to be… an online magazine, it’s a promotions company, a fashion company – when I’m doing business, those are the two words that I hide behind.
With you new album No Threat, why is it special to you and how has it deviated from your previous work?
This album is extremely special to me because it’s more of me than I’ve ever put out. It’s my work essentially, you know? I did most of the music on it, wrote all the lyrics to it, had the concept of the title for it, I knew exactly what I wanted for the album art, the features on it I knew what I wanted, I really got to dictate everything from start to finish whereas before I had at least one other person working with me. So this was my most ‘selfish’ album, where I had the most control. I think a lot of artists have that, it’s my most egotistical album but also my most honest album.
How did you bring in some of the artists you wanted on the album?
Well they’re all just friends, everyone I approached to be on the album is someone I already had a loving relationship with already and are people that I respected musically. Patience from Flight Distance used to be my roommate, I’ve been playing shows with Whitney (Sound of Lions) and watching her blossom for years, Dave Wickland used to play in a band with me, Kilgore who recorded the whole thing and engineered it, produced my last record and produced the first beat on the album. So, you know, they’re all my friends, everyone on that album is someone I’ve made music with but that I also hang out with.
What were your experiences like at Canadian Music Week and NXNE?
I think the first festival I played was Canadian Music Week and that was in 2006, so six years ago, and then it seemed so overwhelming… it was the be all-end all. We were going to break through because of this festival. Being on the other side of it now, playing both festivals a number of times, I just look at it as a really good weekend to see great music and be a part of something greater than what I do. There’s lots of potential to meet other musicians. I’ve never gone extremely hard networking with people there, and I think there is more that I could get out of those festivals and people do get more out of those festivals, but I just like seeing some great shows and hopefully perform the best that I can. The last two years at NXNE I was given showcases, small club called the Painted Lady, and that was great because I could bring in friends. A few years ago I brought in The Love Machine, last year I brought Flight Distance, so it was just cool to bring friends on to a well-respected festival.
All-time, who is your favourite MC and why?
All time? Paul Simon. Paul Simon was the best rapper to ever exist. I love Paul Simon. Rhymin’ Simon, that’s who he is man. But the first rapper to ever blow my mind was KRS-One, and a song from his self-titled album called “The Truth”. It’s a song about Christianity, and about the obvious flaws in taking the Bible literally… he picks it apart. Some lines on it “What if Jesus Christ was shot in the head with no respect, we’d all have little gold guns around out neck.” It just made me think in a new way that I’d never thought before, made me realize the power of hip hop at that point – the power of words in a song. People are attracted by the beat or the rhythm, but the true hip hop fan stay for the lyrics and that’s when I was like ‘shit’ there’s something happening here… Not to say that image doesn’t hold weight anymore, because those are the initial things that attract you, you know? It’s like a girl, if she’s beautiful then you want to get to know her better and maybe find some depth to it. I don’t front, if a rapper wants to uphold a certain image then that’s great. If that attracts you to that rapper and gets you to listen to his or her music, then you find out whether or not it’s something you want to get into.
Do you find it tough to come up with good samples?
Well, other than the first beat which was made by Fresh Kils, Track one on the album, the rest of the album, tracks two through ten were completely sample free. That was a very enjoyable aspect, fiddling around in my room coming up with melodies. I mean when you put your mind to it, it’s so easy to make music. Especially if you’re by yourself, to be a one-man band. The possibilities with electronic music are ridiculous, which is why I think a lot of people can get into right away, and why there are so many rappers and beatmakers out there. You really just need a laptop and the ability to download and crack a program, you’re just a Youtube video away from learning how to do that (laughs). So for me, it’s harder to write the lyrics, because the lyrical aspect is a lot more personal and a lot more direct and I feel like at the end of the day that’s what I’ll ne judged upon. That’s what will attract someone to the music, that’s what will keep someone there you know?
What do you want people to take away from your music after listening?
My biggest hope is, at the end of the day, I hope they relate to it. I hope they’re like ‘shit, this is good', I hope they can dance to it, but more importantly I want people to be like ‘hey, I could be friends with that guy’, you know? For me it’s just about relating, and understanding each other.
This past week has been pretty hectic, moving into a new place and helping friends move apparently takes a while. I wanted to write about a show I went to last week, one that was probably one of the funnest I've been to all summer.
The bill was a wild one, with The Dead Zone starting things off with hardcore punk and then the Musettes calming things down with their beautiful harmonies and melodic music. I had been meaning to see them play for a while now, hearing great things about their live performances. Not only were they happy to be on the bill with a few punk bands, they got the crowd at Zaphod's on their side immediately. I was curious how the contrast in genres would play itself out, but I was completely blown away with how talented these girls were. Check out their CBC Music page here.
As far as ska/punk goes, it's a really tough genre of music to break into. It's one of those things that has been done so many times that it's hard to imagine anything original being brought to the table. Not to say that these bands don't have something to offer, reggae and punk-influenced music by nature is limited in terms of style. Ottawa's own Cardboard Crowns are an example of a band that refuse to be part of the herd. They get that it's not always about the music, but about the identity of the band as a whole. What separates them from the pack is their character on stage, and the fact that their primary goal isn't to get money or fame. It's to get people together and have the best time possible, not taking themselves too seriously. Between the goofy clothes and funny on-stage banter, it was pretty evident that Joel, Matt, Frank and Tokyo were having as much fun as everyone watching the show.
The obvious highlight of the show was the encore. The lead singer Joel told everyone to come on stage, and almost the entire crowd got up and danced the rest of the night away. The last time I saw something like this happen was when Iggy & The Stooges did the same at Lollapalooza in 2007. Getting the crowd involved in the fun made the night that much better, as the energy from their set reached a peak. Their set included my personal favourite, "Down To Earth" as well as great new tracks "Global Citizen" and "Long-Armed Bandits". As far as shows at Zaphod's goes, this one was the most fun I have been to. Keep an eye out for these guys playing in Ottawa again, the Crowns do not disappoint.
Canada has been serving up some of the world's best female singer-songwriters since before many of us were born, and I can't see any signs of things changing anytime soon. Musicians like Feist and Kathleen Edwards have helped carry the torch to a new generation of Canadians, bringing honesty, beauty and divine musicianship that seems lacking in a time where women in popular music are presented as an image instead of a artist. Hannah Georgas is set to release her sophomore album this October under her new label Dine Alone out of Toronto, who also represent others such as City & Colour, Hey Rosetta!, Yukon Blonde and Dinosaur Bones. Her new single "Enemies" is an example of a musical evolution, she breaks out of her shell and borrows elements from different genres to make the sound her own. There is an ethereal aspect to this song that brings together poeticism and beauty in her vocals and instrumentation that caught my attention instantly. The new album will also feature Graham Walsh from Holy Fuck, Ryan Guldemond and Ali Siadat from Mother Mother, Ted Gowan from Tegan and Sara, and Andrew Braun from Rococode. It's just too bad that we have to wait until October to hear it, and if it follows the gripping nature of this track, should be one of this year's best. I'll leave you with opening lyrics from the song and a live, in-studio performance of the song from an exclusive CBC Music Session.
So the weekly picks haven't been quite 'weekly' recently, but I'm working on that. The point here isn't to make you like the same music that I do - it is to give you something (possibly) new to listen to while getting dressed or baking cookies. And if you want to read my two cents about it, you are welcome to do that as well.
Lately I've been totally immersing myself in new music, new genres and different approaches to composition. With an open mind I'm rediscovering the art of listening to an album - although albums these days are just binary code on the computer, I'm relieved that musicians still write quality full length albums and not just singles. I still miss the excitement of unwrapping a new CD and popping it in for the first time though. I also used to be one of those guys who religiously listened to rap in grade 10, thinking Tupac Shakur was the messiah and that the 7 Day Theory was actually true. Since then, my taste in music has matured a bit but I'm still always open to listening to good hip hop. A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys and J5 opened my eyes to intellectual hip hop and the power it has to represent real skill and technical ability over the gangster image.
A lot of times Canadian rappers remain under the radar, as hip hop seems to be disproportionately centred around the United States. Not to take anything away from what Drake has achieved, but his breakout came from getting signed by Lil' Wayne's Young Money Entertainment. Even more, I still think a lot of it is about the fame and fortune. It still boggles my mind how rappers make money from writing about how much money they have - it's like a never-ending circle that promotes being a douche. I guess that's one of my main problems with so many rappers, that they are consumed with the wrong things and then writing songs about stuff I would never care about. I can't connect to something I don't care about. The pretentious aspect of it all takes away from the core of what hip hop is all about: the human condition in urban culture.
Obviously this isn't a blanket claim. The fact is that most 'real' hip hop remains unseen and unheard by the general public. I'm not claiming to know everything about underground hip hop, far from it. I'm only starting to get back into it again. One Canadian artist that stands out is Cadence Weapon (Rollie Pemberton) of Edmonton, AB who now resides in Montreal. His latest release Hope in a Dirt City through Upper Class Recordings has been getting huge reviews and critical acclaim. His recent short-list nomination for the Polaris Music Prize is a result of delivering a risky, yet dynamic album that forges different styles of music together. It includes everything from jazz-influenced intrumentation to 80's sounding bass lines - the rules of hip hop composition have been thrown out the window in favour of a completely original sound.
The overall approach to this album is the use of unconventional approaches. The lyrical phrasing is often 'sloppy', but intentionally so. Pemberton goes back and forth between verses with rhyme and flow to ones that are more disjunctive and almost spoken. The use of synth to create a darker aura in several songs, and there aren't many repetitive loops or samples. This makes the album one that requires a few listens to really develop an appreciation for - with so many different things happening, it might come across as strange at first. Personally, I've had it on repeat since I downloaded it.
Part of what makes this album a success is the way Pemberton explores darker themes, and how he reflects them through lyrics. The narrative changes throughout the album, songs like 'Hype Man' look at the hip hop scene through different perspectives and tell a story through an interesting dialogue. Tracks like 'Get On Down' really focus on the technical aspects, as he provides an unrelenting and intense flow that makes you wonder when he has time to take a breath. His skills as a DJ and producer are apparent throughout the entire album. The production is more intricate and developed than his 2008 album Afterparty Babies (also a Polaris Prize nominee), and offers listeners a much different sound to almost anything out in the music world right now. Overall, listening to this album is a refreshing experience.
I recommend giving all the Polaris Prize shortlist nominees a listen. This year's crop of artists won't disappoint. I recently saw Pemberton on Discovery HD's National Parks Project, an incredible documentary-style series that brings together Canada's rugged and beautiful landscapes with our nation's most promising and talented musicians. He joins musicians Laura Barrett and Mark Hamilton in Waterton Lakes National Park, AB, where they band together and create incredible music that reflects their experience. I can't recommend this series more, it is impossible not to enjoy. Check out the Waterton Lakes EP features Cadence Weapon, Barrett and Hamilton here.
We all love the experience of looking forward to a good live show. When the day finally arrives, the excitement piques and you gather with your compadres in front of the stage to get your fill of eardrum abuse. Unfortunately, not everyone who comes out knows that there is a certain unspoken etiquette to which most of us adhere. I've been waiting almost a decade to get this list out one way or another, and dammit it feels liberating. This isn't an exhaustive list by any means, but it covers some of the big ones. And when I refer to 'you', I'm not speaking to you the reader, but to the perpetrator of each respective crime. So here it is, the 5 worst people to get caught standing beside at a concert.
5. The Guy Who is a Drunken Fool
This is the guy who spends most of his time at the bar and not actually watching the band play. He comes up beside you double fisting a couple tallboys with spills on his shirt and starts yelling incomprehensible words and slurs, making a point to yell louder than the lead singer's vocals coming out of the PA. I'm not against drinking at shows, I do it all the time. But if you go to a show with a primary goal of drinking to get sloshed with the band as background music, then we have problems. Handle your liquor and don't ruin it for the rest of us trying to enjoy our time.
4. The Guy Who Smells Like Sewage
Here is the guy who thought it was a good idea to avoid showering for a week before attending the event. A little bit of sweat and odor are to be expected at shows, and in most cases it is part and parcel of the concert-going experience. But if you walked into the venue smelling like a pair of old, urine-filled sneakers then I must ask why, WHY couldn't some level of personal hygiene been reached? Neither me nor my friends at the show appreciate being more overpowered by your smelling body than the band in front of us.
3. The Guy Who is a Karaoke Singer
This guy thinks it's Monday night karaoke at the local pub. I definitely don't mind people singing along with the lyrics, in fact this is a great part that both fans and the band can enjoy. But there's a limit. If you are belting out every song like you do when trying to impress your friends singing Living on a Prayer on said Monday night, it's too much. No one came to hear you mutilate every lyric of the the band's repetoire. Plus, the lead singer is RIGHT THERE in front of us singing the songs the HE/SHE wrote. I'm pretty certain they don't want to hear your version. Ever.
2. The Guy Who Thinks the Stage is a Jukebox and the Band is the Music Library
We've all been to pubs where the musician is happy to take some requests and please the crowd. That's why they play covers, because people love hearing the songs they know. But if you're at a show and the band is playing a variety of songs that they wrote, it's because they want the crowd to hear more than what you may have heard on the radio. Yelling out something that you want to hear isn't just annoying, but insulting to the band who already has a setlist drawn up just for us. It's not about you. And for the record, if you hear some guy yelling 'shut the fuck up' right after you request your favourite song, it's me. Chances are if you wait patiently until the end, you will walk out of the venue feeling pretty satisfied with what you heard.
1. The Pusher
This one is the worst, but it may not apply to smaller shows. It is also not gendered, because I've had this happen to me by both sexes. Some people who are really excited for a concert wait in lineups for hours, uncomfortably, just to get a great spot up front when they enter the venue. It's what hardcore fans do. It takes perseverance and a strong will. Often times it's a one-shot thing to be able to get that close to one of your favourite bands in general admission. So, as the gods of fairness dictate, those who wait less don't get as good a view because they didn't put in the time. If you are the guy who thinks it's fine to just torpedo your way through the dangerously packed crowd of people in order to get a spot up front you think you deserve, then you are a bad person. In your head you are probably thinking 'I don't care what people think, I'm doing this bro'. Everyone you push through is thinking of the best way to end you life. There is no greater spectacle of douchebaggery than someone who thinks they are entitled to their space at the very front with others who have waited for hours in order to be where they are.
Douchebag (n):An individual who has an over-inflated sense of self worth, compounded by a low level of intellegence, behaving ridiculously in front of colleagues with no sense of how moronic he appears.
The selfishness and ego it takes to pull this off demonstrates the kind of thing that is wrong with our society today - advancing oneself without regard for others. This doesn't only apply to douchebags, but chicks too. If you think that you are so hot that you can just waltz up to the front, you are wrong. You are ugly, on the inside. And you aren't going to sleep with the drummer.
Ottawa musicians seem to be hard at work this summer (which begins in early May according to my internal life calendar). With Fevers releasing their debut music video for "Passion is Dead (Long Live Fashion)" a few months back, alt/hip hop trio Zoo Legacy just dropped their first video for "L.K.U.T." off their upcoming album City Light Glow. The Acorn frontman Rolf Klausener's experimental side project Silkken Laumann also released a new video for the song "House of Common Problems", the second single from the forthcoming album Not Forever Enough. Both videos are strong precursors for their respective band's full-length release, giving us visual stimulation on great tracks while we wait. And both are dance-party worthy, so check out both new videos below and have a dance party.
Here comes that daunting task of actually deciding which shows to see at the Escapade Music Festival. Being a veteran of large festivals myself, I dread this process and sympathize with anyone who thought buying your ticket was all the work you had to do. You will have to make terrible compromises, often causing nightmares of pain an regret just before the festival. Hopefully most of you will survive this ordeal, despite the stressfulness... Let's be honest, you can't really go wrong. Check out the set times here:
Last night marked the beginning of this year's increasingly popular Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival 2012, and I popped by Mooney's Bay to soak in the evening sun and catch some of this year's bands. What's even better is that these events are free all weekend, which means people of all walks of life can witness some great Canadian bands in action - from families to die-hard fans.
I was most excited to see Prince Edward Islanders Paper Lions, as their ever-growing catalogue of great music captures the spirit of what Canadian indie is all about. After releasing their acclaimed full-length debut Trophies in 2012, their recent EP release At Long Creekhas been turning heads and was the #1 most listened to stream on Exlaim.ca. Bringing enthusiasm and on-stage character, these guys rocked the diverse crowd into the night as the warm sun set over the festivities. Plus, seeing kids dancing like no one's business up front is an excellent indicator of a great sounding band... it brought a little warmth to my heart knowing they may be the inheritors of this great Canadian sound in the future. After a fun set in which the crowd was involved with singing a few refrain melodies, I was able to meet Colin, David, Rob and John of Paper Lions backstage and get a few words from a couple of the guys:
Matias: You guys just
released you new EP on June 16th, and you have a full length coming
out September as well?
Colin:
That’s right, it’s actually completely finished. September
is a very tentative date though, as far as the new release… we’re basically
keeping the record in our back pocket for now. Just working out a few
logistical things in terms of how we’re going to release it, but yeah hopefully
the fall but chances are it won’t be too long from now.
Rob:
It’s hard to say, you never really know even when you’re not
releasing another record in the meantime, I mean we’re coming out with stuff in
the meantime to push and get out there so we can play that material for people.
In the best of circumstances, records never get released when we think they’re
going to anyway, so it’s often up in the air.
Matias: What’s the
writing process been like with the new album compared to previous releases?
Colin:
Well the latest bunch of songs? One thing we’ve done
differently this time around has been lyrically we kind of went back to our
childhood. We grew up together, John and Rob are brothers and I lived across
the street from them in the rural countryside of P.E.I… so we never really
struggled with lyrics but we always want them to be really good, and I guess
the best way that we’ve found to do that is to go back to our childhood and dig
into some funny stories… it turned out to be a really natural process to sit
around and shoot the shit about when we were kids.
Matias: You guys have
been touring a lot and playing a lot of shows, what band has been the most fun
to hang out with – or do you mostly keep to yourselves?
Rob:
We did a tour with Cake in 2008 and undoubtedly that was the
most fun… sold out crowds every night, accommodations we were provided with
prior to the show, early evening shows were really nice because we’d finish and
be like ‘oh wow, it’s still only 10 o’clock’… so it kind of gave us a taste of
what touring might be like as a really successful band - really delightful,
that’s definitely my personal favourite.
Colin:
I would totally agree with that.
Matias: Coming from a
small town (Belfast P.E.I.), what advice do you have for musicians or bands
form rural or sparsely populated areas?
Colin:
I would just say keep doing it. Whenever we started we kind
of had these grand ideas that we were going to be the hugest band on the planet
in a couple months time, giving ourselves all these deadlines of band dates
like ‘if it doesn’t happen by this time next year, then that’ll be it!’… but
we’ve found that little successes every few months was enough to keep us going.
So it’s best not to have a set mandate of success and to just be happy where
you’re at.
Matias: In your mind, what has been your greatest success as a band?
Colin:
You know, we’ve won some awards and they are nice and all but I think
the thing we are all most proud of us this record we haven’t released yet. At Long Creek was a really fun and
spontaneous project and we are really happy with the end result, but what we
are really excited for is pushing forward the record we worked on in the month
of May with our friend Howard Redekopp in Vancouver.
---
Much thanks to the guys from Paper Lions for their time, hopefully we see them back in Ottawa soon!
Independent music is something that is not easily grasped by
the masses. I don’t mean to imply that there is anything categorically abstract
about it that makes it less accessible to the general public.
And I certainly wouldn’t group all indie music together into a genre per se
(that is a huge pet peeve of mine), but I’ve always been intrigued by the way
in which these bands approach the songwriting process and expose their work
to the public. In many ways, there is a double-edged sword to becoming an indie
artist.
On the one hand, there is total artistic freedom with respect to style
and composition. Artists have the ability to produce incredible music from their
bedrooms, and build hype through music blogs or streaming sites without necessarily spending a dime
on physical albums. Many bands create their own mega-specific genre of a
sub-genre of a sub-sub genre…, which demonstrates creativity and musicianship
in a way that is almost unheard of in the Top 40 world. This creates (in some, not all cases) niche audiences and devout fan bases that are sparse but committed. On the other hand, it is a barren desert of obscurity for most independent artists out there. Just because there is true passion and inspiration in music does not necessarily pave the way for success - it is a difficult process developing a fan base from an already miniscule percentage of the music-listening population. Most offer up their work free to stream and download on sites like Bandcamp or Soundcloud, and allowing the listener to pay whatever price they are willing to fork out for the music. Plus, most venues for music exposure (such as festivals or radio stations where bands can market their sound) have an interest in showcasing artists who are already established. Getting gigs isn’t always easy for the lesser-known ones, and attracting new faces is even more challenging. For me, anyway, this is a big problem.
Enter the Break North Festival. It’s mission is to “showcase
independent and emerging Canadian musicians over a four day run of concerts in
the National Capital”. It’s purpose is simple - bringing local independent
artists into an intimate setting in order to give them exposure as well as
provide fans with an opportunity to experience new music in a way that won’t
destroy your last paycheque. I spoke with organizer Mark Isbrandt about the
purpose and motivation behind the four-day festival. He emphasized the point that
there are not many ways for local, independent bands to show off their material
to new audiences - a series of shows that bring people to experience new and
different music can provide a way for artists to promote themselves and garner
some more support.
There are many music festivals in Ottawa, and Mark didn’t
shy away from acknowledging the fact that competition is stiff – especially in
the summer. He pointed out that there is a lot of diversity in the music scene
in the nation's capital, and that having a variety of bands gives the festival an edge over some others. Hosting shows that aren’t genre-specific give the audience a
chance to expand their horizons and get a good idea of what kind of local music
is out there. With so many larger festivals such as Bluesfest and Folkfest, the
intimate atmosphere at Elmdale Tavern and Rainbow Bistro is a refreshing change
where musicians and fans can interact more easily.
Little Stella @ Break North Festival
I was able to make it out to the opening night of Break
North at Elmdale Tavern on June 14th, and got to see things kick off first hand. Little Stellawas the first band to play and their set was a strong start to the
festival. Their Canadian folk/rock sound also earned them a spot at the Live
88.5 Big Money Shot competition this year, one they hope to advance through to
the later rounds in the coming months. The band was happy to be playing the festival
and seemed very comfortable on stage, with all members contributing to a great
sounding set. It was nice to meet the guys and hear how excited they are to be
playing in front of new people, as they were genuinely stoked to share some of
their experiences as a young band and some of their future plans. Hear their EP Songs For Spain and catch them live at Feverfest next
Saturday at the Clocktower Pub (Glebe) 9:30 PM.
The night continued with After Funk playing next, a group of
young talented guys who made the long trip up from my hometown of London,
Ontario. Lead singer Yanick Allwood wasted no time getting the crowd involved,
and playing funk/soul music that even got the older bartender lady out dancing.
Like me, I heard many people in the audience say how impressed they were with
the set, which included a mix of originals and covers of Jimi Hendrix, Beatles,
Bob Marley, and Michael Jackson, amongst others.
The Ticket @ Break North Festival
Arms of the Girlplayed next and performed some of their folk-rock songs off
their album Versions of Happiness. They didn’t hold back, as lead singer Carolyn Côté kept
the energy going with good stage presence and strong vocals. I met them after
the show and they were very down to earth, even nice enough to give me a sample
of their music. Check them out June 28th at Zaphod's with Bleeker Ridge. The Ticket closed things out with their original sound and
style. Lead singer and guitarist Adam broke a couple strings on the first song,
but avoided that brutally awkward pause while waiting for the other guitar by
providing some impromptu banter. Throughout the rest of their set, Adam let the
guitar do the talking and blew away the audience as both he and Jack (on drums) poured every inch of their soul into the set. I was also totally impressed with the sound at Elmdale too, getting
it right in smaller venues is not a common occurrence. Props to sound guys, who
don’t get enough credit.
Overall, the night proved to be a reminder of how important
these lower-key festivals are for local independent artists. Having the
opportunity to meet some of the artists and organizers involved reminded me
that so much passion for music as an art form exists at the grassroots level,
and that true music lovers have something to gain from being part of an
intimate, small-venue festival such as Break North. Not only is it a great way
to meet those involved, but fans also become part of the experience in a way
that isn’t quite the same at larger shows. For me, the absence of anonymity was
a very positive thing – it was as if you could feel everyone listening and have
the bands feed off that connection. I hope Break North becomes a regular
fixture amongst Ottawa’s festivals, because I think it is necessary to balance
the emphasis of larger events with ones that are solely focused on the local. Supporting
our independent artists is the only way to ensure Ottawa remains an artistic
centre and an ever-growing source of new musical talent in Canada.
Last week PS I Love You and Army Girls took over Maverick's for what turned out to be a great night of loud music. Here are the photos my good friend Brodie Day took at the show. Enjoy!
NXNE is one of the best festivals to hear loads of new music, from Canada and around the world. Ottawa continually offers up solid additions to the festival, some seasoned veterans and others new to the event. Here is a list I made of all the Ottawa bands and their shows at NXNE this year, I hope some peeps get out to support our local talent in the big city. Good luck to them!
When I heard that PS I Love You was making a stop in Ottawa, I was determined to check them out and see how good they are live. I got the feeling that they would be one of those bands who would surpass their album sound with a live manifestation of their material. With their 2010 debut Meet Me at the Muster Station garnering attention and acclaim (not to mention a place for them on the 2011 Polaris Prize Long List), Paul Saulnier and Benjamin Nelson are on a worldwide mission to top that with last month's release oftheir new LP Death Dreams. This album has proven to be a massive success so far, providing listeners with both experimental aspects combined with the style that most of us grew to love on Muster Station. But anyway, this isn't an album review so my suggestion is if you enjoyed Muster Station and are into the garage-rock sound then you have to check out Death Dreams.
So last night PS I Love You played at Maverick's alongside Try Harder & Army Girls. The night started out a little rough as my friend/photographer lost his wallet (still yet to be found), thus causing us to miss Try Harder. I saw Ming of the Photogmusic blog between sets and he said it was great, so it's too bad we missed them but sometimes these things are out of your control.
Army Girls definitely knew what they are doing, even though lead vocalist Carmen Elle being admittedly nervous before the set. Each having been in a number of bands before their current one, as well as collaborating with Ben Cook (Fucked Up producer), their spot as a fixture on the Toronto DIY scene is well-deserved. The duo seems to be an inevitable pairing, combining Andy Smith's dynamic and powerful drums with Carmen's attitude and rawness. They have done what many other up-and-coming DIY artists have, pulling together all different aspects of their musical inspirations and styles to make music that won't be forced into any specific genre or category. They began playing as people were still making their way into the venue, so the crowd was still a little quiet and reserved. Except for that one guy who kept yelling in Carmen's left ear. However, once they started playing the energy level became noticeably higher. Her comfort with the fretboard and laid back demeanor gave the impression of "I'm a bad ass and I'm going to make you love our music", the same kind of edge you might expect from The Kills. Although the vocals and higher guitar tones were difficult to make out sometimes (by no fault of their own), songs such as 'End of Days' and 'White Towel' really set the tone for the night as Carmen seemed to let loose throughout the latter portion of the set. I was really happy I got to see Army Girls perform, especially since I was still kicking myself for missing Try Harder. I get the feeling they will continue to go on doing great things, and hope that they come back to Ottawa soon.
Check out a great Blog T.O. interview with Army Girls here.
When it was time for PS I Love You to take the stage, Maverick's had filled out a bit more. After a 10-minute wait for a piece of equipment, the band cranked the volume and began to play what would turn out to be a powerful set through and through. What originally attracted me to PS I Love You was some similarities with the band Fucked Up with respect to the style and composition of their music. There is an unmistakable punk aspect at the core of both of these bands, but each has transformed their music into something more. The lead guitar punches out arpeggios and riffs that mesh so well with the rhythm and drums, not to mention the vocals that are anything but ordinary. What I also found funny is last summer I could not stop listening to David Comes To Life by Fucked Up, and songs like Queen of Hearts. Fast forward to this summer and I can't stop listening to Death Dreams, particularly the songs Princess Towers, Don't Go and First Contact. There are so many good reasons why Fucked Up won the Polaris Prize in 2009, I see no reason why PS I Love You wouldn't be a contender this year.
Seeing Paul Saulnier showcase his guitar talents on stage live was a treat. No wonder he was voted #99 in SPIN Magazine's Top 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. His style is really unique, making it look easy to do tricks on the upper frets and sing at the same time. His work with the double-necked guitar is masterful. The duo is now a trio, as they added instrumentalist and van-driver extraordinaire Tim Bruton. It seems as though their relentless touring schedule over the past couple years is paying off, as each song was played with perfection and its own complexity. Drummer Benjamin Nelson was in a percussive trance state throughout the show and carried Paul's melodies to the audience all night long. They ended the set with First Contact, which is probably my favourite off the new album. The show was, as expected, amazing. One of the only downfalls was that my friends and I probably have permanent hearing damage. I suppose I can forgive them for this, and maybe I'll be smart enough to buy $1 earplugs at the door next time.
Check out this performance of 'Don't Go' at Studio 211 Session for CBC Radio 2's Drive:
