Tatiana Moroz - Tatiana By Jason Daniel Baker Jersey girl Tatiana Moroz has worn her heart on her sleeve when it comes to her music. The the cover of her 2010 CD 'Tatiana' reflects the notion that music is her most compelling form of communication as we see her leaning both against and behind her guitar like it is a pillar of strength. The artist has at various times classified herself along the lines of 'Young Adult Contemporary'. Whatever it is called when this familiar and appealing tonal blend of folk/country/blues/pop hits big it tends to do so everywhere when it reaches wide distribution. This type of music is of a timeless quality. I can safely say that because it shares aspects of other similar music that has topped charts in various different eras. There are moments captured here which evoke the respective musical odysseys of Jewel, Lisa Loeb, Tracy Chapman, Rickie Lee Jones, Melanie Safka...The list can go on. 'Castle to Defend' is an unabashedly sentimental, weepy, introspective track with a tone which fits in with more of a country music & folk format. James Taylor, Jim Croce, Harry Chapin and Carol King did not merely entertain millions with similar work at one time, they genuinely touched many people moving them to tears in a lot of cases. This is the type of song familiar to coastal coffee houses and the American heartland. Take any art form you want and you'll find the most enduring work is that which is deeply personal and thematically common to the human experience across a diverse spectrum. They'll be plenty in any potential audience who might find it hokey and roll their eyes. That's fine. They don't get it. Some of the rest us will find our eyes watering as we get choked up in remembrance of a deeply personal experience we are reminded of. There are other ways to be touched by a composition. For a cynical guy like me the lyrical content of track like this is actually kind of ominous. The blatant romanticism and metaphor of siege seem to foretell an unhappy ending and devastation for one partner in a relationship more than the other. It is a feeling confirmed by tracks like 'Bad News' and 'They'll Never Change' each carrying with them the emotional baggage and resentment a true romantic can feel when their feelings are not returned in the same proportion. Emotionally the listener may feel touched by it. He or she may also a bit uncomfortable in recognition of a familiar unwelcome feeling. An anthemic track like 'Release in You' cultivates a more positive vibe as does a catchier tune like 'Evolution' but the sleeper track of the CD is 'Won't Let Me Down' with its bluesy tone of dreamy defiance. It is without a doubt the best song on the album clearly suited to the whimsical vocal style Ms.Moroz utilizes and is a lyrical narrative that has immense crossover appeal. The tune checks in as the tenth one on the album. I would have led with it instead of leaving it near the end. I'll admit to feeling a sense of relief listening to 'Don't Stop Believin'' in finding out it was not a cover of the Journey classic but a different take along a similar lyrical line. All in all the album is one very balanced in terms of instrumentation with a consistent attention payed toward making the accompaniment is appropriate to the different respective compositions.
By Jason Daniel Baker I first heard it on the radio playing in a coffee shop and wouldn't have caught the name of it if the service there hadn't been so slow. The song was called 'Born This Way' by Lady Gaga. I loath techno but something about the song set it apart from others I'd heard in the genre. Structurally parts of it sounded like 'Respect Yourself' by Madonna albeit slowed down. Lyrically it seemed, on the surface to evoke 'Beautiful' by Christina Aguilera. In the history of music I have yet to hear a tune that is not similar in some way to another one. A news report of a Youtube cover of the same tune by a cherubic ten year old girl from Winnipeg named Maria Aragon was a revelation. With just a piano and her own remarkable voice the child's interpretation of the composition revealed it to be immensely appealing when performed as written without computerized effects or any other accompaniment. The composer - Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta AKA Lady Gaga called attention to the remarkable Youtube cover version (though there are many covers of the same song on Youtube) giving it a viral online surge that it may not have gotten otherwise. The video was viewed over 10 million times in less than a week after it was first posted. Lady Gaga has accurately pointed out that the tune she wrote is becoming bigger than she is now. The magic of the song, one with deeply personal and metaphysical themes, is actually pretty easy to deconstruct without fully demystifying it. To the mainstream it communicates universal acceptance and love set against an immaculate musical composition with a superior arrangement. To those hard-core ravers who boogie from dusk til dawn at all night dance parties the tune is a pretty accurate articulation of the mindset one can achieve whilst on the drug ecstasy. Lady Gaga became a gay icon a few years ago by embracing the demographic as it embraced her. It is a status she has solidified with 'Born This Way', a lyrical narrative which grants what has generally been denied the gay community i.e. parental approval which is often not forthcoming and an unexpected revelation that a deity in fact made them the way they are as part of a divine plan. As a non-spiritual heterosexual male, even I can see how alternative-lifestyle communities as well as spiritual people might find something more than simply another hit song they would want to listen to on the radio in 'Born This Way'. There are countless songs which tell people what they want or need to hear but too many of them seem insincere and contrived. Herein lies the strength of the song. A tune which starts with a child being told she is beautiful the way she is and goes on to suggest a higher power not only loves them but made them the way they are evidently strikes an intensely personal chord with a lot of people. It is not a Dylan-esque thing where people read things into the lyrics which may or may not be there. The words are explicit and unequivocal in expressing non-judgemental love albeit at a distance. As previously stated I am not a believer in divinity per se. But that which has inspired those to believe in divinity is the ideal love within many of us that inspires empathy and makes us feel good in ourselves when we do things for people who need it. Angels don't walk among us but sometimes they appear to live within us and lead us to do things that make us better people. When Lady Gaga says 'Born This Way' is bigger than she is I take it to mean that it transcends its appeal as a commercial music production and I agree with that assessment. Behind her stage name, outrageously absurd costumes, eccentric stage manner and utterly horrid techno distortions which ruin her own music, she is a genius of a composer and is quite plainly a beautiful soul with a seemingly endless capacity for understanding and compassion. She does not have to all herself a lady as she quite plainly is one in the classical sense. I still wouldn't cross the street to see her perform. Stefani Germanotta i.e. Lady Gaga's real name and the one she performed under when she began her career made some exceptional musical statements before she went techno (and bleach blond). Stripped down back to her old act Without the techno sound effects and synthetic beats she would present an act of the highest calibre and taste. As things stand I can merely admire the character she has, not the character she plays. Maria Aragon covers 'Born This Way' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG0wi1m-89o Lady Gaga 'Born This Way' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4a8QtvOkBQ
Review Red Roses Black By Jason Daniel Baker The word is out about Red Roses Black. The Toronto ensemble possesses a sound that evokes the likes of Green Day, Stone Temple Pilots and Smashing Pumpkins, but not the sounds that those bands may have drawn inspiration from. Their sound is one which rests comfortably within the classification of alternative music, displaying similarities to legendary popular songs that have previously emerged from that genre, crossing over to the consciousness of the mainstream. Sean Andrews, singer and lead guitarist, assembled the group. His written material generated interest from various record labels, but Andrews still didn’t have a band to take off with. With help from friends, Andrews was soon able to settle on a band behind him. In addition to Andrews, Red Roses Black is: Justin Bussoli – guitar, Andrew Downs - keyboards, Alex Marr - Drums, and Adam Guiducci on bass. Taking their name from a composition Andrews had written; Red Roses Black set out to carve a niche. They now draw enthusiastic audiences wherever they play, displaying a product evident of years of hard work. Included in that hard work were the kinds of dead ends all bands hit. The low-point was when keyboard player Andrew Downs had to leave a funeral early to get to the bands spot at a battle of the bands in Downsview Park last year. Though promised a large crowd and exposure to record company and radio station executives, they ended up playing for a couple of dozen people while sabotaged by an inebriated sound technician who doubled as master of ceremonies. Nevertheless, they remain determined and energetic, soldiering on to hit the mark whenever called upon. Though young, these guys finish what they start; another big reason why the group is gaining a following of people who want to help them reach the next level and beyond. Their debut CD features tracks: Make Sense of This, Take Take Take and I Miss You, jumping out at the listener right away with potential for widespread commercial airplay. Overall, there isn’t a single weak track among the dozen on the release. http://www.myspace.com/redrosesblack
______________________________________________________________ CD REVIEW Basia Lyjak - What It Feels Like
(Image by Ron Boudreau) By Devon Sartori With Lyjak's fans still reacting positively to recent work like 2008s single Don't Talk and 2007s EP Writings on the Wall she has come up with something a little different for them in collaboration with her writing partner Kyle Riabko and her guitarist Ron Bechard for her adventurous new single "What It Feels Like". It does not sound like her previous work at least after hearing it a few times. This is not an old song masquerading as a new one or merely just a reinterpretation of her sound. It does sound like a song recorded by one of the most talented females in Toronto's music history and by a chanteuse gifted with one of the great voices of modern rock. But it also is a reinterpretation of the entire approach Lyjak has taken towards her music i.e. more focused on melody than vocal power and power chords. Ever grateful for all the help and opportunities that have come her way, Lyjak recently signed a deal with an outfit called The Game Cartel to write and perform music to score its first user designed videogame. This is a positive sign for the music industry and its artists overall. It is but one of many recent stories of innovative ways that recording artists are finding new streams of revenue. One hopes the calling of rock music will provide its practitioners with something more than mere cost recovery in the near future. If you would like more information about this artist here are some helpful links: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Basia_Lyjak/8295845740 http://www.youtube.com/BasiaLyjak http://www.myspace.com/basialyjak ______________________________________________________________ CD REVIEW Billy the Kid - The Lost Cause Review by Jason Daniel Baker Billy Pettinger is what I like to call "Punk-real". She has lived what she writes about and never forgotten where she came from. She has the steel nerve to confront her past and the candour unleashed on her breakthrough solo CD "The Lost Cause" throws down the gauntlet to all types of artists. Can anyone really say that we have been as open about relating the stories of our own lives? Have we shown the same flair in doing so if we have? Anyone who has taken enough of an interest to follow her career for any length of time knows Ms.Pettinger does not yield to a specific format. Her first lasting musical love was punk and it remains both a source of inspiration and a form she will doubtless compose within again at some point to come. But the fact she moves between genres is another intriguing aspect for any that discover her as I did a while back. It had been a pleasant surprise to see Billy "The Kid" perform at the Rivoli concert theatre in Toronto in December 2006 when I first met her. I had wandered in thinking I would just stay for a quick beer before heading home but was drawn in to the music coming from the back room stage. The riveting performance of just one winsome maiden in black horn-rimmed glasses and her guitar delighted the large crowd huddled together, standing room only. The real emotion that fuelled the writing of compositions like "the Accident" was fully evident and the interpretation was filled with conviction, as were other songs in her set. Few performers accompany themselves with as competent guitar playing as she did. I could barely believe the almost otherworldly level of intensity I was hearing coming out of such a normal, pleasant looking person but it was impossible to ignore as it filled the room. From where I was sitting I could see that the rest of the audience felt it too. I just had to shake my head and ask myself "Who is this woman?" Cutting edge performers have a way of letting the music they have composed seemingly take them over during live performance. There and then I purchased her 2006 CD Yet Why Not Say What Happened? which she made with her punk band, London, Ontario based Billy & the Lost Boys. I got to chat with her for a good fifteen minutes after the show and have gathered dribs and drabs of information about her to find out that much more since. I knew merely from what I had seen from her then, that she was going to be a huge star one day soon. Whilst covering other bands for various online indie publications in Toronto our paths crossed and I awaited the release of her solo album. I had several occasions to see Ms. Pettinger perform again numerous times in the city in 2007 opening for other acts. From our chats at these gigs I got to learn quickly that the Vancouver native has had to make every kind of deep personal sacrifice to produce her music for a mass audience. I also got to hear that music which proved to be every bit worth the effort for her fans and potential audiences. A beautiful person on the inside as well as the outside she continuously impresses without even trying. Hearing of her benefit shows for homeless youth and the working poor over these past years was thus not too good to be true. There is no hidden agenda with this performer, no charity tax incentive capitalised upon whilst milking good PR. There is only the deep felt hope that she can make a positive difference and give back some of the generosity that has come her way. I took note of that like everything else. In so doing I watched an essential part of the latter evolution of The Lost Cause, a deeply personal and introspective examination of her life thus far. Ms.Pettinger returned to perform at the Rivoli concert theatre on March 13th, 2009 in Toronto during Canadian Music Week. She herself was overcome during her performance in much the way those present were. Billy the Kid, in the tradition of truly great balladeer/troubadours of the oral tradition going back through the ages touches her own nerves with what she plays and takes the chance that we will be touched too. The intensity of her compositions can be somewhat jarring at first for those hearing them for the first time and this is as it should be. Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace was sufficiently enraptured by the writing to offer his services in producing the CD. A slew of well-known industry veterans like Stanley Behrens (harmonica) and Steve Mazur (mandolin, banjo, and guitar) followed to add their own distinct talents to the project. It is telling that such greats would lend their names to this not merely innovative but potentially visionary work. The result is an eclectic blending with more pronounced and coherent amplification of that which many of us have seen performed (and unaccompanied) by Ms.Pettinger in shows over the past year plus. Tracks among the five on the EP include: These City Lights which is a sad break-up song, it contrasts with the break-up songs of Ms.Pettinger's punk past. The sense of mutual disappointment and wondering what will happen next is communicated rather than the unbridled anger unleashed in her earlier work. There are different kinds of break-ups and that is something that is explored here. The Drugs is a song known for drawing tears in live performance and my sense is that is because it hits close for some if not many. Not merely those that have drug addiction but those dealing with someone they care about that have an addiction. The recording of the track features Garth Hudson. Just Trying To Get By has greater resonance now than ever given tough economic circumstances people everywhere face these days. Musicians on the indie scene live this song and have for several years but they are hardly alone. Just Trying To Get By is the most relevant, and potentially the most significant, musical statement Billy The Kid has ever made. Overall The Lost Cause breaks the kind of new ground which makes it an essential addition for the collection of any connoisseur of modern music. One can be captivated by the CD now and see its influence on other music produced in the near future. Website - http://billythekidonline.com MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/billythekid ______________________________________________________________ Frankie Whyte and the Dead Idols: Hollywood Ending
Review By Jason Daniel Baker The pretty girl instinctively brushes perspiration from her chin with her shoulder. Her cheeks are flushed almost a neon shade of pink from the heat. The beginning of a smile appears on her face and slowly turns into a wide grin as she looks down at her guitar whilst manipulating its strings. She is locked in deep concentration but she is having a great time too. She has played this riff and the next one a thousand times onstage in soundchecks and performance as well as rehearsal but that doesn't mean she can play them in her sleep. The stage lights bounce off of the blonde highlights in her chestnut brown rock n'roll hair. She moves lithely in her tight jeans and camouflage T-shirt carefully avoiding tripping over cords and cables. The audience is captivated by her every move, entranced by every inflection in her soft feminine voice. Even though it may look she got kidnapped by a hard rock band this is still very much the girl next door and you can call her "Frankie". The dark, long-haired guy playing guitar on her right who looks like Cary Grant gone Motley Crue is her friend Danny. Gianmike, her bass player stands to her left keeping up the low end. Both reliably chime in with the back-up vocals on the catchy choruses. Gianmike and Danny are like brothers from different mothers. The dude in the headband behind them ferociously pounding the drums is Andy. He has been a Dead Idol since March but he plays their repertoire so well he seems like he has been with the band much longer. Not one of them has seen their 22nd birthday, yet in a very short time their reputation has grown within the industry both locally and beyond. They have opened for bands like L.A. Guns and Econoline Crush among others. The marquee outside the venue and/or the ticket refer to them as "Frankie Whyte and the Dead Idols". A band name is a band name and that one is as good as any other yet sometimes people get confused. During a show at the El Mocambo a girl pointed to GM and asked "Is he Frankie?". I'm sure I laughed but I don't think I said anything. One can note with considerable amusement that their music and reputation are clearly beginning to precede them. At another of their shows at Lee's Palace, a guy from a Texas band whose tour brought them to Toronto asked one of Frankie's fans what were some of the hottest bands in town. He tipped his beer towards the stage in answer whilst Frankie and her colleagues finished up the end part of "The Rise and Fall", their showstopper. "They don't come much better than them" He answered with pride. I first wrote an article about them for the online magazine Toronto Music Scene in January 2008. When they came out with their new EP entitled Hollywood Ending I began to entertain writing about them again wondering what duration of elapsed time constituted a suitable journalistic cooling off period. Indie critics published online still make these considerations. Having written about no less than ten other bands in the time between my first review of FWDI and this one there was some eagerness in wanting to give my two-cents on the new material. Hollywood Ending finally came out in late April, 2008. Frankie and her boys, always friendly and approachable got covered by numerous other writers from various indie publications some of whom found the band via Myspace and came quickly to love them from across the Atlantic in Britain. Even from that far away they recognized real talent and were moved to put fingers to computer keyboard to cover it. Residing in the same city as FWDI offers one the privilege of seeing them live on regular occasions. Those that do can take note of how much their live interpretations of their new EP Hollywood Ending sound compared with the CD. The versatile Ms.Whyte actually played the drums, lead guitar and did her own backing vocals on the record. Her producer Duncan Coutts added bass and rhythm guitar. But her colleagues evoke the sound on stage as if they had played on it with her. Hollywood Ending - The title track is one Frankie managed to surprise herself with during its composition and after. The familiar Kiss-sounding guitar line envelopes the lyrical narrative which includes some of the cliches of films she used to like when she was younger in sending up the Silver Screen's interpretation of the romantic ideal and the perfect relationship. "It is disingenuous the way relationships are glamorized on film with the proverbial 'ride off into the sunset' conclusion" Says Frankie. Technically it is a break-up song and that is a classification for it she has no problems with. Tinseltown creates a dream that people want to live in its best films. Yet in life some endings are so bad you don't want a sequel and I think we can all relate. Blackout - Blackout offers up all the subtle things Frankie can do with her voice. She doesn’t have the highest opinion of herself as a vocalist but there is a distinctive quality to it and the rough edges that other vocalists try to cultivate are cadences she emits skillfully. I can't imagine anyone interpreting her music in a way that would better fit. "When people ask me what I do, I first and foremost say guitarist/drummer. The singing more or less fell into the situation. It wasn't "i HAVE to be a singer" and it also wasn't "i don't want to be a singer". it was "well, who is going to sing these songs that I have?" Says Frankie. Home - A reinterpretation of the track featured on her debut EP. She goes big when it comes to riffs and hook. This aspect has been noted by other reviewers before but not with any kind of critical disdain. I note a certain similarity in feel to the Who's cover of Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting but sublime differences throughout. Who Your Friends Are - The sophistication of the blending in this track is what strikes you immediately. Few bands out there can compete with the rock legends in classic album collections. But Hollywood Endings tracks like Who Your Friends Are and Blackout do not sound out of place amongst vinyl musical documents as old as Ms.Whyte and even a great deal older. Shout It Out - Is the track in which Frankie implores the listener to live life to the fullest. It was also on her debut EP.
Website - www.frankiewhyteandthedeadidols.com MySpace - www.myspace.com/frankiewhyteandthedeadidols _______________________________________________________________ ARTICLE The Permanent Bastards Written By Jason Daniel Baker Toronto-based punk band the Permanent Bastards were formed in May 2007 by guitarists Simon Paik and Sean Cepeda and bassist Duncan Spence. Their collective raison d'etre was to shake things up a bit on the local punk scene and open up the minds of audiences to a new way of looking at music within their chosen format and in general. "I want this band to be judged, I want feedback; We put ourselves up for it. I want there to be the ideas of having an interaction. This band isn't meant to be a run of the mill group. We're trying to open people's eyes and minds to new ideas. Theres lots of things going on in this world that need to be reopened for everyone to see. We're living in a blank suburbia, and I want people getting around that sanity or at least talking about reality in this world. I'm talking about our economy, racism, consumerism and even music. We're not rockstars, we don't want the idea of one-way worshipping, sheep minded people. We're against ignorance. If we can't get that through our music, then we shouldn't be doing what were doing." Says Simon. This is in keeping with their own approach to composition which adheres to punk but also comfortably embraces rock, blues and metal. While their influences range from from the Clash to Tom Waits and they maintain a consistently rough-edged, revivalist punk approach particularly as it relates to power chords and distortion, they do not stick to a particular set of rules in formulating what they compose. Examples of their sound are currently to be found on their debut EP "Gun Club" which has been played on Toronto's alternative rock radio station 102.1 The Edge as well as CHYZ 94.3 in Montreal.They have also been featured prominently on broadcasts of Punkradiocast. com. Having performed more than 40 shows over their first year sharing stages with acts such as Fake Problems, Tim Barry, Ill Scarlet, Time Again, the Flatliner and Billy the Kid they have imposed upon themselves a brisk work schedule. Yet in exposing their sound to numerous varieties of audiences over such a brief elapse of time they are developing a following in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. Having just performed at the North By Northeast music festival in Toronto they are set to record their first full-length studio album with producer Steve Rizen whose production resume includes the Flatliners and Creepshow amongst others. Website - http://www.permanentbastards.com MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/permanentbastards _______________________________________________________________ CD REVIEW Alanis Morissette: Flavours of Entanglement (Maverick)
Review by Jason Daniel Baker Flavours of Entanglement (Maverick) is Ottawa native Alanis Morissette's seventh studio album and the first one which deals with the subject of the inimitable evolving angst of the artist in the productive and mature way that generally comes with easing in to middle-age. There are no really biting revenge songs on this CD but it is hardly the disarming and touching ode to relationship bliss that So-Called Chaos, her 2004 release was. Ms. Morrisette has still taken note of every aching detail of her deteriorating past relationships and recorded them for posterity. This very much seems to include her break-up with actor and fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds. Earth-shattering successes like Jagged Little Pill (still one of the most influential and commercially successful Canadian musical statements ever) have proven to be rare. Rather than to walk down tried and true paths to attempt to fashion a sequel as some inaccurately have accused her of doing previously she blazed a new trail here collaborating with producer and co-writer Guy Sigsworth (generally known for his previous collaborations with avant- songstress Bjork). I don't really miss the powerful presence
of Glen Ballard (he co-wrote Jagged Little Pill amongst other Morissette
gems) here as I think he had gone as far with Ms. Morrisette as
he could. Yet I do look forward to what he might do next. Certain tracks stand out amongst the eleven: Citizen of the Planet is the lead track, which simply rocks and at times evokes the South Asian/Middle Eastern experimentation by Led Zeppelin best exemplified by their revolutionary tracks Black Mountain Side and Kashmir. Straitjacket may remind the listener of You Oughta Know as much as any track on the album for the simple reason that it features her chewing out an ex-lover punctuated by a bunch of swear words. Versions of Violence raises the issue of domestic abuse. One hopes the track is not autobiographical. Considering Ms. Morrisette has dated such cartoonish men as Ryan Reynolds and Dave Coulier one imagines it must not be. Not As We, the deeply emotional track, could mean any number of things lyrically. It could serve as metaphorical reference to the band members she has gone through or the songwriting partners she has parted ways with. But most will likely take it to be a reference to Ryan Reynolds. She could be talking about all of them. Morrisette has been accused of revealing too much in her past work yet I still find her to have a certain mystery. Those of us who have followed her odyssey have seen her first as the child star of Canadian children's show You Can't Do That on Television and the seventeen year old pop sensation known only by her first name in a video featuring Joey from friends back in 1991. After 1995s Jagged Little Pill she released music which did not quite strike the same chord and branched out acting in a couple of films (her scene in Reynolds' "Just Friends" hit the cutting room floor and is featured in the deleted scenes portion of the DVD version). The depth expressed lyrically and in the way she sells a song live suggests that we can look all we like but we'll never see all of her. Now, a dozen years after Jagged Little Pill she shows with Flavours of Entanglement that she has survived her own success and is charting a new musical destiny. The clamour of the music industry which seemingly demanded carbon copies of her breakout release has died down and she can make records the way she wants. From a technical standpoint it happens to be better music than that for which she is best known. She may have to be satisfied with less airplay and fewer units sold. Website - www.alanismorissette.com MySpace - www.myspace.com/alanismorissette _______________________________________________________________ FEATURE BAND - MYSPACE TENTH PLANET
This band was formed originally in 1998 with the direction of Brian Paul, rock guitarist, a native of Toronto's far west, after having been involved with many musical projects and who had released five albums under various monikers prior to meeting Martin Ouellette. Ouellette had sung with symphonies and bar bands and had worked in both acting and writing. Varied name and personnel changes were shortly to follow. In 2000, this duo became a triumvirate with the addition of Nic Vurro, another Toronto native, this time from the far east, and another veteran of the local rock scene as both a lead guitarist and as a bass player; he had also written and recorded soundtrack material for several films. Traditionally-trained drummer Glenn Neath landed shortly afterwards. Neath, who is also from eastern Toronto, played in a slew of bands throughout the mega-city before finally joining forces with Tenth Planet in 2002. Tenth Planet have currently completed their first full-length, yet untitled album with Ex-Tea Party Frontman Jeff Martin. Two weeks this past Spring were spent with Martin at Toronto's Orange Lounge Studios. Martin, who recorded the band's last critically acclaimed EP, The Prophet Curse, takes full production credits on the new album, as well as co-writing the first release from the album "Line in the Sand." From personal experience, to hear this band live is something you won't forget. I attended their show at The Bovine recently and it was nothing short of mesmerizing. The originality of their music, energy, lyrics and melody mixed with dark rock was brilliant. There was an underlying current of electricity to their music and I envisioned much larger venues in the future. Oulette's vocals are powerhouse and blew me away, his range versatile, softer when required, but also able to light The Bovine on fire with bright surges of emotional intensity and energy. Weeks later, their performance and songs still resonate within me. This band is going places fast, please check them out today if you have a chance at http://www.myspace.com/songsofthetenthplanet Mary-Elizabeth Gilbert _______________________________________________________________ FEATURE - REVIEW FOR NXNE
Photo Taken on Queen Street 1980 What better way to end NXNE festivities than to go to Sneaky Dee's to watch and meet a band who's musical past all started out in Toronto over 30 years ago - I caught up with THE DIODES, the Rock, Punk, Power-pop band that dominated the Toronto scene in the late 1970's. This year we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the birth of The Canadian punk scene, The Crash & Burn Club and the release of The Diodes first album on CBS records. When punk first broke in 1976, The Diodes (Paul Robinson, John Catto, Ian Mackay, John Hamilton and, later, Michael Lengyell) were at the front line of a wave that included The Ramones, Dead Boys, Talking Heads, Sex Pistols, The Clash and Generation X. Arriving at Sneaky Dees there was a long line up of people, a mixture of generations, many of whom had seen or known the band when it originated back in the mid 1970's. You could hear comments like "The first band I ever saw in a club was The Diodes. I was 17 years old.", "I saw them at Dundas Square earlier today and they were able to show all the other bands how it was done." "Filled with energy at Dundas Square, I videotaped the whole thing" "I can't wait to hear Tired of Waking Up Tired" "It didn't matter what else I had to do today, seeing The Diodes tonight was just something I had to do." Listening to such classics like, "Headache", "Red Rubber Ball", "Photographs from Mars" and "Tired of Waking up Tired", the atmosphere within Sneaky Dees was infused with electricity, high energy, anticipation and nostalgic memories for most, which included the band members, not having played a venue since the 1980's here in Toronto. You could certainly understand after attending Sneaky Dee's on the final night of NXNE, why bringing forth their brand of original punk/alternative/rock music, The Diodes set the tone for many existing Toronto and Canadian bands today. Here is their MySpace. Their website is here. Mary-Elizabeth
Gilbert _______________________________________________________________ FEATURE BAND - MYSPACE STEALING SUNDAY
This band was formed in 2007 and is from Vancouver, Canada. Their song Falling to Pieces is just one of their songs showcased on their profile. Stealing Sunday is the latest project of Mark Watson, a singer/songwriter. He is joined by Phil Zadera on guitars/bass, and Kevin "KK" Bosch (Faces of Eve, Todd Kerns Band), who had recently returned to the west coast from Toronto on guitars/bass. The three then recorded three tracks with the help of Forty Foot Echo drummer Dayvid Swart. Starting out as a solo project, Stealing Sunday’s momentum as a band was catapulted when singer/songwriter and producer Murray Yates of Forty Foot Echo fame jumped on board to collaborate and co-produce the first collection of songs in Watson's vast library of material. Stealing Sunday are currently preparing to go on tour this spring, which will also include a stop in Toronto. Please check their MySpace out and add this band as one of your friends. Considering this band is only a few months old, they are most certainly a band to watch out for in coming months. They don't have to "steal" anything in my books, as soon as I heard them, I loved them. Mary-Elizabeth Gilbert * It is with sadness to report that as of January 2008 this band has broken up. We wish them the best of luck with everything, we lost a very talented band but hope to hear the band members in future projects. _______________________________________________________________ FEATURE - INDIECAN MUSIC
THE TORONTO INDIE SCENE Radio Show is Recognized February 16th there was only one place for an indie fan to be in all of Toronto – www. indiecan.com was celebrating the 1st birthday of their rogue internet radio show THE TORONTO INDIE SCENE. 400 listeners downloaded the first episode in February 2006, which featured the Ryan Luchuck Band live at IndieCan’s studio and producer Moe Berg was Episode 1's Industry Insider. Later in 2006, Moe and his band mates from The Pursuit of Happiness were inducted into the Indie Hall of Fame for their hat trick of two gold and one platinum LP. Since then, listeners have grown to over 16,000 weekly. Fans, bands and insiders that enjoy this same format each week - a "Live at IndieCan" set and interview from a feature band, news, reviews and tunes from coast-to-coast and then the show closes with a chat More and more college/community radio stations are picking up the show as part of their programming. From www.indiecan.com, the whole world is listening. “Frankly I was shocked." says IndieCan founder Joe Chisholm, "Every month there are more people visiting the site from outside of Canada than domestically. I have no way of promoting or communicating to these listeners, but the music we take for granted at home, seems to have a huge and loyal fan base, world-wide." IndieCan music hits the road when it gets restless. So far IndieCan Radio has broadcasted their three-part format from Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. Halifax and Ottawa are on the map for early in 2007 too. "There are so many great hot-beds of indie music in The night was devoted to raising awareness and money for AthletesCAN who champions the interests of Canadian amateur athletes. IndieCan Cares is an initiative to remind artists that we aren't the only demographic with struggles and needs and if we can use our music to help others, why wouldn't we. Jeff Healey's Roadhouse was crowded with athletes, fans, artists and insiders who were treated to a line up, which kicked off with a screening of WHAT IS INDIE? - produced and directed by Canadian indie artist Dave After a few words from Joe Chisholm and AthletesCAN's Trevio Betty, Toronto's Tin Bangs and Tacoma Redd, plus London's Indie Rock Band of the Year, Anti-Hero took the stage. "IndieCan has always been so supportive of us" says Rose Perry, Anti-Hero lead singer. "It's an honor to be included in this line up. With commercial radio taking a pass on underground music, in just one year IndieCan has created a whole community for bands and fans to hook up. If commercial radio loses listeners because of it, great - they deserve it." For more information on IndieCan or for the 35 hours of archived shows, go to www.indiecan.com Congratulations to IndieCan for its 1st birthday and everyone involved, but a special “thank you” goes out to Joe Chisholm, Host of IndieCan. Without Joe Chisholm’s vision, passion for music, generosity and continuous hard work within the music industry, IndieCan would not exist. To meet Joe Chisholm is to meet one of the most respectable, giving, down-to-earth people in the music industry you could know, its no wonder IndieCan is a show that has been greeted with such success. This will only continue with Joe at the helm. Please go to www.indiecan.com for a “quality” show you don’t want to miss. Mary-Elizabeth Gilbert REVIEW – JOSHUA BARTHOLOMEW
Photo by Claudia Matteau I met and saw Joshua Bartholomew with a friend of mine, Louise. I had "met" Joshua online through MySpace, but watching him perform is an entirely different experience. What a wonderful musician he is and as his fans already know his road is paved all the way to success, its just a matter of time and his climb has just begun. Joshua's music can attract a fan base of any age range. I may be a little older than Joshua, but I have become a huge fan of his music already, his noticeably wide vocal range and his ability to put the music together HIMSELF is extremely impressive to say the least. Listening to Joshua one can understand his ability to reach a versatile audience. He engages and mixes his shows up with a variety of music for his listeners, from his songs "Tumbling Down", "Fear of Trying", "What Happened To Our Love", "Don't Go Away" and his newer songs like "The Mirror's Always Right", as well as many others. He will add songs like his own rendition of "The Beatles", "Eleanor Rigby" and to rev things right up will sing "Helter Skelter". Joshua's song "What Happened To Our Love" enjoyed airplay on Toronto's airwaves and one of his newer songs "The Mirror's Always Right" (my personal favourite) went up at 8:00 AM, had close to 50 plays by noon and close to 250 plays by the end of the day and has had much critical acclaim from the U.S. and abroad from music professionals and listeners everywhere. Joshua Bartholomew is an extremely talented musician in every way, but he is also a genuinely nice guy that reaches out and appreciates all his fans, including playing songs for fans celebrating birthdays and taking time after his shows to speak to his fans. He is also a perfectionist, wanting everything to sound just right, writes lyrics based on his own personal experiences so that he can relate to them as well as his audience and has a wicked sense of humour. Joshua Bartholomew is the whole package of musical talent and all around great guy so Josh if you are reading this, you have the "IT" factor that it takes to become a huge success and your fans already know it, including this one! Off I go to listen to Josh's CD so I can listen to more of his music than is showcased on MySpace. I wish "The Mirror's Always Right" was on it, but that's okay, because I will be lining up anxiously for the next CD he puts out with that song on it. Always leave your audience wanting more and Joshua Bartholomew does just that. Do yourself a favour, if you don't have Josh's first CD already, BUY IT, its worth it... You can visit him at www.joshuabartholomew.com or www.myspace.com/joshuabartholomew Mary-Elizabeth Gilbert ................................................................................................................................................................. CD REVIEWS
If you could ever pitcure Rye Cooder, The White Stripes and The Cowboy Junkies getting together musically you might conjure up a picture that is Vacouver's female alt/blues duo The Pack. Not since Greg Keelor's solo effort 7 Songs For Jim have I heard such emotionaly packed music. The songs that really stand out are the slower emotional numbers such as track 1 Got and Track 4 Bang, both songs take you to that sombre place in your mind that is usually reserved for crying and feeling down, but it's the dirty job that they do oh so well. On the other end of the sound spectrum The Pack
can slam it down hard and this is displayed on tracks 2, 3 and 5
where they come at us like a hillbilly version of the White Stripes.
The Pack's softmore effort due is destined to turn some heads in
the music biz. The Rails - This is How She Goes
This Toronto band is cool, innovative, raw and are not trying to be something they're not. The whole package works, the CD cover looks like something from a mid 70's rock band and what you get on the inside is a great mix of tubular guitars, sweet keys and an intelligent melding of 70's, 80 and modern sounds. The Rails are not political, they are more like the spokespersons for indie bands with tunes like Sound Check and Promoters Tango which details the trials and tribulations of life as indie artists. The icing on the cake is the quirky female vocal by LouLou who really drives the point home in all the songs with her honesty and individuality. The Rails rule dudes. Andre Skinner |
