Exchanging e-mails with... That's the Spirit

Now that I've got a little more time on my hands I think I'm going to start up this "Exchanging e-mails with..." segment again. It's been really interesting getting some insight from different bands/artists and figuring out what their life with music is like: what their goals are, their motivation, what tours are like, etc.. Hopefully it's an interesting read, but, if not, I think it makes me a slightly better (sort of) music blogger...

This time around I bounced some electronic mails back and forth with Ottawa singer-songwriter That's the Spirit (Pick of the Week #40), or, Ben Wilson.

* * *

Ben.

So, I guess the first thing I'm sort of curious about is how you respond to reviews both from blogs and from "real" print media, and how successful you think you've been in getting reviews? I think, at this point, it seems like getting someone to write about you seems like it must be a challenge. I mean, I don't run a big operation here, but I'm getting all kinds of emails from all kinds of people -- and especially PR companies.

BTW - I'm not sure if you saw the Nilsson videos that I linked to when I wrote about your album, but the Ringo narrated version is pretty brutal so I hope you weren't/aren't offended...

Rob

* * *

Not at all. But I was wondering whether you thought I might be on acid, or had a pointy head...

Staying Places was the first time I released an album into the world of blogs and internets, so yeah, at first it was daunting, and a little bit upsetting. I really thought people would like it, but the Pitchforks, the Stereogums and the Brooklynveganses, etc. weren't answering my emails and I never took into account that they're getting hundreds of similar emails a day, from trusted sources. I had no idea what I was doing; I was pretty naive and thought the 'big ones' are the ones that decide whether or not your record is good enough...that my music would speak for itself in this new democratized blog world where 'cool people my age are deciding what gets press'!

It sounds kind of stupid but it's easy to let that stuff get to you, you know? Especially when things are so new. But despite the challenges I think the record's had a good run so far in terms of press and blog reviews. And in the end, nothing's better than having someone see a show or listen to the CD and like it so much they start genuinely forcing people to listen to the songs - when you feel you've really connected somehow, which is worth a thousand articles really. So I just take things in stride.

b

* * *

Ben.

Acid, pointy head, whatever, I'm not one to judge. Although, I'm kind of curious what inspired your whole sound. Is it something that you try and work at to create some sort of affect, or is it just what music sounds like when you play it? I often wonder with albums like yours, or others like any of Beirut's albums, the Sufjan Stevens state albums, Bruce Peninsula, Timber Timbre, etc. etc. etc. how you create a sound that seems to create an entire world or something. I think that's something really unique about Staying Places that I don't see on a lot of other albums. I'm very curious to your response to this one, because the only explanation I can think of is that you watched/read the Phantom Tollbooth repeatedly as a kid.

On the second point, re: being discouraged about stuff on the internet I completely understand because that's essentially what I went through when I tried to figure out how to start a blog. I know almost literally nothing about computers and so when I decided that I wanted to do it -- the third or fourth time -- I started emailing guys that ran the blogs that I read and basically no one answered back. Finally, a couple of people Ack at the Herohill, Matthew at i(heart)music and Allan at AWmusic, Paul at the now basically defunct Wolves, Hawks and Kites (but also of Zunior) all turned out to be very helpful -- in fact, Allan actually hosts all the mp3s here and I write a weekly, sometimes more, post at his site. It's the same things that keeps this site going, getting emails, people leaving comments, that makes you feel good about what you're doing.

Now that I've made this about me... I'm wondering what the best feedback or the best comments you've got on your music are? Best show moment? Place you'd most like to play? What would be the best possible break for you right now?

And lastly, so we don't run out of stuff to talk about, since I'm in the midst of doing my write up for the hottest Canadian Bands Poll, do you have any suggestions?

Rob

* * *

Phantom Tollbooth - nice. Funny you should tie in the children's book theme(s) too. The cover art was made for me the year I was born by my uncle, a children's author named Tim Wynne-Jones. There is something child-like to the record, thematically - the travel theme is something everyone can relate to I think. The endless car trips with the family as a kid, the constant desire to be somewhere else...

My sound just comes out, i really don't try to sound like anything. except that i usually write around a theme, since i don't want to have albums that are just collections of songs. in terms of the creativity question, you can't really create in a vacuum. any music you create, whether you like it or not, has to come at least in part from the neural synapses, sounds you've heard recently. i listen to a lot of classical and orchestral stuff as well as a lot of indie rock, and whatever's lying around. but it's those two worlds, classical and indie-rock-folk-whatev, i feel most comfortable in, that's what i grew up with, and i guess as a result that often comes out as 'bedroom folk music that's maybe just slightly challenging'?!

I think there's a lot of 'hot' bands in Canada, which is great, but I'm a bit jaded and picky about what I think is truly artful. The artists I'm obsessing over at the moment would have to include tune-yards, lightning dust, timber timbre... and snailhouse and yellow jacket avenger will always be on that list. But local is where it's at. Everyone should make a point of spending at least a weekend or two going to see bands from their own town that they've never heard. I'm always surprised to hear what i hear, when i get a chance to go out just because i'm curious to hear stuff...music that's often way before the point band members decide 'it's time to monetize this'! There's the drunken bar bands and the serious metal bands and the singer-songwriters in restaurants fighting to be heard above all the talking...for me it's not as exciting to see folks that have been trying to perfect the same set, or worse, the same banter, for years. There's something real and inspiring about getting out to see a fledgling local band or artist that's just a sort of intangible inspiration because it comes from a real place.

b

* * *

Ben.

Sorry about the delay - things have been... well, I bought both NHL '09 and NCAA Football '09 and I've been watching a lot of TV. So, no real good reason for being slow.

That's really cool about the album art and your uncle... I think that might be where I'm getting that Phantom Tollbooth vibe from.

And I completely agree re: people seeing local music. It's kind of a shame for me that I just started to get into the London (On) scene right before I left, then, it was too late. But Toronto has been awesome - there are so many bands and so much going on that it is basically impossible to keep track of. One extreme to another. What's the scene like where you're at? Ottawa, right?

That said, and I do really like local, small venue sort of stuff -- but aren't there times where you really want to see someone who is really, really, really, good? Typically, I think, that doesn't happen in small venues -- at least for long. I mean, if you're really good (typically) you move on to bigger venues/audiences, more money, endorsements, your own clothing line.... thoughts?

Rob

* * *

I've been meaning to get back to my Wii Zelda myself!! Somday soon....working too hard these days.

The Ottawa music scene is kind of small - Ottawa's really just a village-like capital city. But it depends on how you look at it I guess - like every city there are a tonne of bands doing really different things - it's only small in the number of them that appeal to the indie rock/folk/experimental-type CBC-radio 3 friendly crowd. I love it here. Ottawa's small enough to be recognized easily in the music community and get gigs fairly often, but big enough to carry some weight in Toronto and Montreal where the crowds are. Some amazing artists right now - there's the Kelp Records clan (the Acorn, Hilotrons, etc), a new band called The Gallop that are fantastic, Poorfolk/Winchester Warm and the White Whale gang, anything Paul Granger is doing, and some new favourites like the Balconies...nearly every weekend there's a good local band playing. Ming Wu (local photographer)'s website and natcaprock.blogspot.com are good sources to catch up on all things local rock....the scene is really growing and folks are coming out to more shows, which is great.

But yeah, sometimes I just want to see a touring band that is just insanely tight and talented. Zaphod's is a great spot for that, since it's big enough for a lot of national touring acts but still pretty intimate, and has amazing sound. The thing about Ottawa is we're not always the most adventurous sort here. We're a lot of public servants, I guess, so lots of good restaurants around, but we're not so much the late-night music venue-goers. Which is good in that awesome bands like Said the Whale, Two Hours Traffic or Amy Millan will still play Zaphod's (just 180 capacity I think)...but bad too, in that getting people to come to the local shows is still a challenge. I tend to stay away from the bigger hall- or theatre-type shows unless there's something really amazing in town, which isn't that often.

b

* * *

Ben.

Yeah, I get that - re: the types of show goers. London is, or at least was, the same sort of crowd except replace civil servants with rich university students. From what I can gather, that may have started to turn around a little bit -- now we (they) have the London Live Arts Festival which is free, and they've got some relatively big names in the past few years: Final Fantasy, Grizzly Bear, and, actually, that's where I first came across the Acorn (who are probably one of my top-10 Canadian artists of the last 3/4 years).

I always felt like, with London at least, half the problem was getting a venue that would fit bands like -- I don't know Chad VanGaalen, Great Lake Swimmers, etc. the sort of top-level "indie" bands. The kind of venues like Toronto has in spades: Lee's Palace, the Horseshoe, El Mocambo, and on and on and on. I feel retarded for not going to more shows, but I feel like there must be like 20 of those kind of venues in Toronto. Do you think the scenes are tied to the venues i.e. a "Field of Dreams" sort of thing -- "If you built [the venues] they will come?". Does that make any sense?

If there's anything else you want to say - or plug - please feel free to do so. I think we're starting to reach the point where very few people are actually going to read this (though it's been fun) except possibly my parents (to check that I'm not doing drugs)...

Rob

* * *

Yeah, one of the cool things about Ottawa, though, is that there are lots more tiny venues (like, under 100 capacity) popping up, which is great, since it adds a sense of community where smaller or less-known artists can get together, and not be constantly under pressure to sell beer (i.e. get hundrends of bums in seats) for the clubs which is just impossible sometimes. That said I think we still need a mid- to large-size venue in Ottawa that would appeal to agents for bands like Iron & Wine or Fleet Foxes etc. who always skip over our fair city! Though bands like that do come eventually when they're on the 'sympathy tours' (those tours hitting the towns they didn't hit when their records came out 2 years ago....)

well then I just want to give a shout out to your folks. hey Rob's parents! and anyone else out there!

b


A friendly reminder that you can check out Ben's music on myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/thatsthespirit or you can purchase Staying Places for only $5.55 at Zunior.

Interview with Fallan Soldier, aka Harris Allan

Photo of Fallan Soldier, aka Harris Allan, courtesy of the artist.

I'm meeting up with new hip-hop/rock/fusion artist Fallan Soldier (aka Harris Allan) in downtown Vancouver for a few hours of chatting about acting, music and live shows. From the tender age of 12, Harris has been acting in TV shows and movies with his boyish good looks and natural talent. However, behind this exterior, lies the heart of a poet and musician that has been waiting to surface for some time.

Harris got really into music at the age of 16, and spent some time in a band he formed called Square 9. He really wanted to learn how to play the guitar, sing and write songs/music and he funded the band's EP through his acting jobs. He is committed to perform in more than one medium. In the band Square 9, Harris felt that he was a natural songwriter and so he wrote his own material instead of performing covers. As Harris talked more about this, I got the feeling that the band Square 9 was a testing ground for him in that he discovered he could perform his own music on his own terms. He decided to break up the band Square 9 mainly due to lack of dedication and commitment from the other members, and the day he broke the band up was the day he came up with the name Fallan Soldier. He credits his work in Square 9 with giving him the knowledge of how to write songs lyrically and write melodies, how to run ideas by people, produce music and how to network in the ever-changing music industry.

Harris is now getting into the production side of things, and he finds this exciting. He makes his beats on the computer with several programs for different functions. He is currently in pre-production for his next CD (which could be out in the summer of 2010) and he's just finished his first video for the song “Fights”, taken from the CD Above the Call of Duty. Doug Kerr, a Canadian filmmaker and friend had ideas for this song when it was still a demo. Doug's insight really stoked Harris' creative train of thought and when the song was complete and the CD had been released, Doug and Harris collaborated on the video. Their ideas were very elaborate and out of reach financially, so they worked within the budget they had and they pulled it off. Doug had the vision of what the final product would be, and Harris put his trust in Doug's ability to direct a concept video that was filmed gorilla style. Harris has the video up on You Tube, and he has had many comments on how well it has gone over.

Harris feels that when it comes to the music industry being in a chaotic state that audibly its better to listen to a store bought CD because the sound quality is much fuller than any mp3, and it has a much deeper influence on the psyche. When you compress music, you lose that sound quality. Harris feels that music is more accessible now than ever before. He feels that it's important to hear the music and experience a live show. He has his own independent label and he produces his own music. He puts his own money into himself, and he can release what he wants. He does feel that all labels are trying to find ways to make money from the artists who are signed to them. Over the next 10 years he feels that the industry is going to change more and more. The one thing that has changed is the “consumption” of music by the listeners. You can have so much music on any hard drive of a computer as well as any MP3 player or cell phones. With mass consumption comes waste. When you no longer like a song, you just delete it and its gone – forever – unless you download it again.

We talked about the closure of clubs and venues in the city which is becoming more commonplace here in Vancouver as well as other places in the country. Harris felt that Richard's On Richards was one of the best live club in the city and that it was sad to see it go down the way it did. He reflects “the club had been in the same place for decades and the character of the building, the stage and the crowds are gone forever. It's like the soul of the city is being slowly sucked out of it by condos and skyscrappers. And just in time for the Olympics”. What a coincidence as well as what a shame.

This leads us into talking about lack of media coverage for independent artists in Vancouver. Harris expressed his deep appreciation for anyone who does media in any form – blogs, radio coverage, etc., but there is a crowd (the mainstream media) that covers things that are “hot” and of the moment. Most mainstream media jump on the bandwagon of trends and follow trendy bands until they literally die out, and then they go on to the next big thing.

Recently, Fallan Soldier has performed live at The Media Club and Boss Nightclub. “The best thing about live shows is meeting the people who listen to the music and getting feedback from them. Whether its positive or negative it's still feedback” he says. For an artist it's much different to play songs live than it is to listen to songs and sometimes the translation of the song is different for him than it is for the audience. It's an interesting experience for him personally and its a lot of fun. Harris sees performing his music as an extension of his acting abilities. He feels that he HAS to make music, there is no choice in the matter for him. “It's natural for me to be doing this and Iget a real high off of it all - this music is like a drug for me”. Lyrically, most of the time, he writes from his own personal life experiences and feelings. Whether its positive or negative it doesn't matter. He tries to make the song flow and to make it seamless within the melodies of the song, and he tries really hard not to analyze it too much. If you listen to the lyrics, you will know what Harris is all about as a person. The music that Harris creates is a very diverse fusion of hip hop, rap, beats and dance music that can all be heard in his songs.

Finally, I asked him what two personal goals he has that he'd like to achieve in five years time. Harris said “I would like to be able to support myself through my music and continue acting as well. I would also like to write a screenplay and do more movie roles”. He emphasized that he's not it for the money per say but more on a creative and artistic level. We also talked about how a creative expression is liberating and not as constrictive as some people might guess.

Harris Allan, aka Fallan Soldier, is going to be performing at The Backstage Lounge (1585 Johnston Street) on Granville Island on Wednesday October 14th with hip hop desi-fusion artists A-Slam, This Hear Bright Future and host, Mike Weterings. The show starts at 10pm and tickets will be available at the door. Come out and support local talent and enjoy a great show!

Fallan Soldier is also going to be performing in Kamloops on Saturday November 14th at Pogue Mahone's. The show starts at 9pm. Also on the bill is Velvet Trench Vibes (from Montreal PQ) and Kamloops band One Sin For All.

Fallan Soldier can be found at the following pages:

My Space

Dedication Entertainment

You Tube

Phog Tom's Interviews: Doug Hoyer, CJAM, Yellow Wood

Tom from the Phog Lounge (Windsor) has been interviewing people with his iPhone. He found an app that will let him upload it directly to iTunes. He's calling these interviews Show Up and I'm going to try to cross post them (from the Phog Blog, but you can subscribe to in iTunes, if you're impatient or just want to make sure you don't miss anything. Tom's last three interviews are below.

New Video: the Weakerthans - Sun in an Empty Room

Ok the video isn't that new. It was actually released 6 whole days ago - still even in the age of information overload that's newish.

Sun in an Empty Room



What is new is the little interview posted on their Myspace blog.

elow is an interview between Stephen Carroll of The Weakerthans and Benjamin Wienstein, the director of the Sun in an Empty Room video, about the process of making the video.

SC: Benjamin, To start, lets begin with a technical detail, tell me about how how the video was shot and when?

BW: The video was shot in the summer of 2009, over 3 days. The shoot took place entirely within Winnipeg's North End. We had a couple of actors that we cast in Winnipeg (literally 2 or 3). All of the other characters are "real people" that we either discovered during our location scouts, or who happened to be there when we shot. I wanted the video to have a strong sense of realism - blurring the line between fiction and documentary - so, whenever possible, we captured what was actually there. For example, the church scene is a real morning mass taking place... there was no "action" and "cut" that morning, except for very discreet whispers and hand signals between the cameraman and I. There was a guiding principle of controlled chaos - every scene was carefully planned, but designed to allow for the little accidents that add something special. I shot the video on 16mm film.

SC: You directed the video for the Weakerthans song The Reasons back in 2004.
I know your relationship with the Weakerthans, but maybe you could explain how you came to know the band, and your connection to the city of Winnipeg?

BW: I grew up in Winnipeg, and I have known John Samson since we were little kids - our summers were spent down the street from each other in Gimli. A lot of years had passed since we had seen each other. I had been living in the States and only had a bit of familiarity with "Left & Leaving". I moved back to Canada just before "Reconstruction Site" was released. I picked up a copy and listened to it on repeat... for about 8 days straight. I was very excited to do the video for The Reasons. It was great to work with a band I love, and also to re-connect with John after a lot of years. I left Winnipeg in 1993, but in many ways I still consider it home... and when I return, I often feel like I never really left.

SC: This video, takes the song Sun in An Empty Room, which is a meditation on the Edward Hopper painting, and transposes the theme of longing and reconciliation for something departed, a old domicile, a relationship,or a time in ones life, to the changes that have affected a certain generation of residents of the North End neighborhood.
Why is this neighborhood significant to you? Why did you choose to link the two?

BW: When we started pre-production, this was a Winnipeg story - not a North End-specific story. As we started scouting and researching and talking to people, I became obsessed with the North End - its former greatness, and the looming question of whether or not it can re-emerge, or just be left stagnant... or worse. For me, the North End perfectly represents these themes of longing and reconciliation that I felt from the song, and wanted to achieve with the video. So it was ultimately a nostalgic compulsion - but after 16 years as a "Winnipeg ex-pat" my relationship with the city is heavily burdened by nostalgia. Also, The North End embodies some of the elements I find in the Hopper painting... the neighbourhood and the room are abandoned, but permanent.

SC: Change in Winnipeg occurs at glacial pace, but when it is completed it is dramatic.
I know, myself being a lifelong resident of Winnipeg, I am continually examining the City, trying to understand what it is, how it is changing, and what it will become.
As someone who has lived outside of Winnipeg for sometime, how do the changes you have depicted affect you, and how do you, when returning to Winnipeg, reconcile them?

BW: Many of the meaningful childhood elements of Winnipeg remain unchanged to me - the houses, the winters, the schoolyards, the 7-Elevens, and the old hockey rinks. Having been gone for so long, however, the larger-scale changes create a greater feeling of distance. There is a certain sense of alienation from the city as it is today, which seems to push for a connection through the past - a need for a greater understanding of its history. I have never consciously endeavored to reconcile these things, but your question has made me realize that - subconsciously - making this video was exactly that.

Canadian Interviews: Tony Dekker

Just a quick note here to call your attention to an in depth interview with the Great Lake Swimmers' Tony Dekker at Canadian Interviews:

"CI: Do you get the sense that, among musicians, there is a real resistance to shrinking music down to just getting a single out, just getting a song on iTunes and hoping, and instead going back to making full and complete albums?

TD: Well, I don’t know. I prefer to see a song in the context of an album. That’s just the way I like to listen to music. I don’t think that we’re a band that is necessarily driven by having a single out. It’s more about the whole statement and the whole idea, the bigger picture I guess, than just having a catchy single that people grab onto, or something like that. But I also understand. I have an iPod - you know what I mean? I like being able to carry around eight thousand of my favourite songs to have access to a small section of my library when I’m away. "

Read the full interview here

Great Lake Swimmers - Pulling On A Line

Everybody's Talking About Julie Fader

Back on Step. 3 I told you about Julie Fader's new album. I told you that I don't really do reviews - but that rather than take my word for the awesomeness of this album that "Sarah Harmer, Holy Fuck, the Great Lake Swimmers, Cuff the Duke, Bob Wiseman, Ron Sexsmith, Justin Rutledge, Matt Barber, Jill Barber, Dan Mangan, By Divine Right, A Northern Chorus, Chad Van Gaalen, Attack in Black, Hey Rosetta!, Apostle of Hustle and others will be in line to buy the album so, if the respect of other musicians, a whole lot of other musicians, means anything to you Outside In is an album that should be firmly on your radar." If you weren't convinced and wanted to wait for the word to come in from the people that do reviews the results are rolling in in a way that rarely happens for a first album in it's first month.

Julie has a great interview up on Blog T.O.

"I have never sought out or auditioned for a gig or anything. The people I play with at this point in my life are all people I love, and who I am a big fan of already. They asked, and I said yes."

and another one up on Maximum Fun:

"CB: After years of playing with bands your career is about to shift focus. How does working as a support player in a band compare to stepping out on your own?

JF: I thinks it’s equally as exciting and probably a lot more pressure on me, if I want to make it pressure. I don’t know. I’m not releasing a record so that people’s focus shifts on to me or anything. I’m releasing a record because I’ve been chipping away at it for quite some time, and it’s recorded, done, and there’s artwork for it. I don’t think it will be a huge difference. I think I have to relearn how to speak into a microphone, which is not really my favorite thing. One thing I really like as a support player is that I don’t have to say anything. I don’t have to explain how a song was written. I just have to do my thing."

And yet another one in Eye Weekly and another at the Text of Young America.


She has solid reviews in Herohill:

"For a debut record, the diversity and consistency she offers is surprising. You can't help but think some of producer/boyfriend Graham Walsh (Of Holy Fuck fame) influence helped shape the dynamic and powerful Skin and Bones, but even if you strip the songs down to her picked guitar and voice, the record never suffers from a lag or even a misstep. That's because Fader is so honest in her approach that even the saddest thoughts are given the gentlest, warmest touch to help them feel human, instead of cold, sterile and solitary."

Another in Quick Before it Melts:

"Outside In is the kind of album you swear you’ve heard somewhere else before. Like a city that’s instantly familiar even though you have never visited it before, Outside In induces déjà vu-like in the listener as they travel down musical routes that remind you of roads previously taken, like how “Skin and Bones” reminds me of Julie Doiron. But, where Julie F. and Julie D. differ is the path they choose to take: where Doiron’s songs are rickety, threadbare arrangements, Fader layers her songs like warm pullovers over plaid flannel shirts. With each new addition, the songs seem to radiate warmth and beg you to curl up with them and snuggle...I would hate for the public to dismiss this LP as being the product of Fader’s collaborations and guest performers, as opposed to being very much her own work. Sure, she’s got an impressive list of players, but that’s telling you just how highly regarded her own talent is. That familiarity I mentioned before? I think it comes from the strength and conviction Fader presents in these songs. She’s delivered a fully formed and mature sounding album, which seems to be very rare in debut albums these days. I’m loving this one."

And Altsounds:

"OUTSIDE IN is a sonically gorgeous, multi-layered record full of warm textures and heartfelt sentiment. Julie Fader is here to tell you first hand that you are not alone."

Plus a few mentions at Exclaim, CBC Radio 3 and a nod on rhizomicon!

So, the early results are in and the verdict is pretty universal. Go get the album on Hand Drawn Dracula or Zunior or just pick it up at the merch table when you go see Julie on tour with Library Voices and In-Flight Safety.

09.27.09 - Vancouver BC Media Club w/ In-Flight Safety
09.28.09 - Kelowna BC Habitat w/ In-Flight Safety
09.30.09 - Canmore BC Communitea w/ In-Flight Safety
10.01.09 - Montreal PQ O Patro Vys - Hand Drawn Dracula showcase // Pop Montreal
10.02.09 - Edmonton AB Flow w/ In-Flight Safety
10.04.09 - Lethbridge AB Henotic w/ In-Flight Safety
10.08.09 - Regina SK The Exchange // playing in Chad VanGaalen band
10.09.09 - Winnipeg MB Park Theatre // playing in Chad VanGaalen band
10.10.09 - Saskatoon SK Broadway Theatre // playing in Chad VanGaalen band
10.14.09 - Victoria BC Alix Goolden Theatre // playing in Chad VanGaalen band
10.15.09 - Vancouver BC The Rio Theatre // playing in Chad VanGaalen band
10.16.09 - Kelowna BC The Habitat // playing in Chad VanGaalen band
10.18.09 - Edmonton AB Myer Horowitz Theatre // playing in Chad VanGaalen band
10.20.09 - Petit Campus Montreal PQ w/ In-Flight Safety
10.21.09 - Kingston ON Mansion w/ In-Flight Safety
10.22.09 - Halifax NS Seahorse - Hand Drawn Dracula showcase // Halifax Pop Explosion \
10.27.09 - Hamilton ON Casbah w/ In-Flight Safety
10.28.09 - Guelph ON E Bar w/ In-Flight Safety
10.29.09 - Toronto ON El Mocambo w/ In-Flight Safety
10.30.09 - Ottawa ON Live Lounge w/ In-Flight Safety

Oh, and on the off chance Ms. Fader is reading this herself (I don't have your talent, it's just an image and the links won't work)

Kat Burns talks about Forest City Lovers & New 7" at Canadian Interviews

photo by Joe Fuda
Canadian Interviews has a nice interview up with Kat Burns of Forest City Lovers. FCL are in the process of recording a new album right now, but one of the things discussed in the interview is a forthcoming 7" that will tide fans over until the new album is ready:

"Currently the band is making a seven-inch record with a view to a fall release, and plans for a new full-length album are in the works. In support of the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto, a new song, ‘Minneapolis’, has been contributed to the forty-track compilation album Friends in Bellwoods II, alongside songs by such acts as Ohbijou and Great Lake Swimmers. It will be available August 25, 2009. The original Friends in Bellwoods compilation, released in 2007, raised more than eleven thousand dollars for the cause. Certainly there is no shortage of activity as far as Forest City Lovers is concerned."

Burns also discusses everything from the song-writing process, to early influences, their European tour, Arts & Crafts distribution, and pretty much everything else you might want to know about Kat or the Forest City Lovers.

By the way, did you know that Kat Burns also directs some of the Forest City Lovers videos - like this one

Forest City Lovers - Pirates

"This Book is Broken: A Broken Social Scene Story"

"This Book is Broken" by Stuart Berman (House of Anansi Press) documents the history of Broken Social Scene. Berman had a unique perspective, having been friends with the nucleus of the group from the get-go, living in the same building that connected the band's founders, Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning as it grew in acclaim. The result is better than a fly-on-the-wall vantage point of how Broken Social Scene came to be, and a forthright and honest account of the highs and lows of being in a dynamic, organic, and many-membered band.

Calling it a daunting task collecting quotes, photos, and assembling the many perspectives into one, cohesive history that encapsulates the band's story is an understatement. Especially when you consider that Stuart was — and still is — friends with the group.

His 'visual and oral history' is as textured and juxtaposed as the band's songs, while adhering to the linear path of time and is what makes this such an engaging read. Berman takes care to discuss not only what was going on within the band at the time, but also what was influencing them externally. The story is fleshed out with quotes from interviews at the time, as well as those reflecting back. And the binding to the whole project is the inclusion of photos, set lists, and artwork — many never seen before outside the circle of the collective.

Stuart took the time to sit down with yours truly, via web chat and discuss the book and some of the questions that were raised by the book:



The book is a compelling and easy read. It documents a very important time period in Canadian music that has given way to the amazing and rich pool of talent that we are now proudly boasting globally. We've reached a place, because of bands like Broken Social Scene, where we're exporting as much music as we're importing. This book serves a document to the shift in thinking, creating and producing that betook the industry and served to put indie artists from Toronto on the global vernacular. And it's all done with little editorializing, and editing to make a more flattering snapshot. The book is forthright, frank, and remarkably honest.

But don't take our word for it, get your own copy and be treated to this important piece of our musical history.

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The book has been available in stores since May 16th, but its official launch is tonight in Toronto at the Arts & Crafts NXNE showcase at The Courthouse (57 Adelaide Street E). The book's publisher, House of Anansi Press has made one copy available to NxEW.ca to give away to one lucky reader. Send an email to "teeterboy3[at]gmail[dot]com" with "BSS Book Giveaway" in the subject line and one randomly drawn winner will get their very own copy of the book!

Rock and Roll is Good for Kids Benefit show and Patrick Krief (ex-member of The Dears) interview and photoshoot coming soon!

I found out today that I'm going to be covering this event on Saturday June 6, and I am stoked! I really want to do more Community driven projects and this is the first of many!

You can visit the website here: Rock and Roll is good for Kids.

DJ's Expendable Youth, Shad K (who's worked with Hey Ocean and this is his last local show before he heads out to do the Vans Warped Tour this summer), Brasstronaut and Twin Crystals. Should be a wickedly crazy show and I am so up for it.

Please check out the website and do what you can - come to the show, donate supplies or money or both - it's for kids who really need the help.

Also, I'll be going to see the The Dears @ Richards this Saturday May 30 and I'll be interviewing Patrick Krief (ex member of The Dears) who has started his own band, Black Diamond Bay. I just got their CD Calm Awaits today in the mail, and I am really excited about this.

So many good things happening - WOW. o.0 Totally awesome tho'.....

I've also got ideas to generate some publicity for local bands in the works as well. It's all happening and I'm so ready....!

I hope you're all having a really good start to your week as I've had.

Peace and out.

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