CD Review of Columbia - Join Our Ride

Columbia – Join Our Ride
CD Review by Jade Sperry

Columbia is a band who is heavily influcened by the British sound of the mid to late 1990's. But one important difference is that they make this sound their own. Hailing from Vancouver BC, the band members are Kevin Schallie taking on vocals, Richard Jacquard on lead guitars, Jason Tait on rhythm guitars and Jacques Rossouw on bass. Kevin and Richard were the prinicipal members who wrote and produced the music on this CD with help from fellow musician Dom Coletta on drums. Jason and Jacques have been in the band for just over a year.

Join Our Ride was released in May 2009, but they are now picking up steam as far as having a following. Currently, they hold the #1 and #2 spots on Supernova.com's Top 10 songs with “Everything (What You Always Wanted)” at #1 and “10 Out of 10” at #2. Not bad for a local band that is currently on the verge of a tour in Canada and the USA, has just signed a distribution deal with Thorny Bleeder Records to release the CD world wide at the beginning of 2010.

The CD starts out with “Join Our Ride” which has heavy, full guitars and killer vocals. This is a song that has a really good melody and very catchy hooks throughout the song. Musically it's very positive, happy, come and join us kind of song. Lyrically its about sunshine and getting the inside track on something. A 4 beat song with simple chords, it's effective in the overall sound and doesn't focus on one particular instrament. “Mistake” is a slower, bluesy song that talks about making mistakes, why we do these things, and offers comfort to someone who's made a mistake in life. This song has really good changes, a bridge and middle eight with searing guitars by Richard. Powerful vocals and guitars make this song a gem amoung the diamonds. “Motor Ride” begins strong and is very catchy musically. Kevin's vocals fit the music perfectly and the guitar work is particularly effective for the whole sound of the song. The rhythm guitars and drums are balanced to fit in with the lead guitar work. Lyrically its just about going for a ride while talking about life. We all do this at points in our daily lives. “Sunday Morning” is a slower song talking about the past and where it has lead you into your present life. I find that it's a coming of age song of sorts with lead and acoustic guitar work by both Kevin and Richard that is sad but positive at the same time. Things will be better around the corner as time passes by. “No One Said” is a power ballad at its best. Solid vocals, guitar work and the overall feel of the song is sad but positive in it's outcome. Musically solid and lyrically interesting, this is a song that really stands out from the others on this CD for this writer. I find that the message of this song is positive in that people need each other no matter what. We need human contact. “My Conscience” is clearly inspired by British popstars Oasis and has loops reminescent of The Beatles. Powerful guitars and lyrics combine to make this very psychedelic but also sad in its delivery. One second in time can change so many things in your life; your direction or career choice and your relationships. Solid and well played. “10 Out of 10” is a fun, positive and upbeat song about the opposite sex. Whether you take someone home or just have a great conversation alone with one other person, it's about one on one contact. The guitars and vocals dominate this song. Halfway through the song, it slows right down and gets a bit dirty before plunging back into the guitar work by Richard with Kevin coming back in with vocals that hint at something more fun (wink wink nudge nudge). “Ya Ya Ya” is a song that starts the back end of the CD by building towards a good end musically. Slow but direct in it's meaning, this song tells you that “it's alright”. Musically I am reminded of Oasis but also Blur and maybe some Radiohead in its sound and in how mature the melody is. “Take Me” is easily the standout track for this writer on the CD. Starting slow with acoustic guitars, it talks about a person coming into your life and how you thank a higher power that you've met them, and also talks of timing and luck. Time changes you slowly, and life is an element of luck. Well constructed with hooks and middle eights, I particularly like the message in this song but also how well the melody flows in and out with the guitars and vocals. “Everything (What You Always Wanted)” is another strong ballad with outstanding vocal and guitar work. Basically a song about a beautiful woman, this song can be understood by anyone from anywhere. It could be just as easily be about a man if you're a woman. An interchangeable song lyrically, it has melodies that are very easy on the ears, like a good beer going down on a really hot summer day. “Bring It Down” ends this CD in a powerful and strong way. Musically well constructed and lyrically about a relationship in turmoil, its surprisingly upbeat for its content. The guitar work by Richard is exciting and makes me want to get up and dance around my condominium, which generally never happens unless I am inspired to do so.

At the end of the day, all current band members of Columbia are heading in a direction that only the lucky and the brave venture to. This CD is very promising, and I can only say one thing: Watch out world, the new British sound movement is in Canada!

Columbia plays on Thursday September 17 at The Venue (formally The Plaza Club on Granville). This show is also a CD release party for Red City Breakout as well as featuring Fighting for Ithica and Bridges Out.

You can find the band on their various sites which include:

http://www.myspace.com/columbiaband
http://www.supernova.com/columbiaband
http://www.columbiaband.com
http://www.reverbnation.com/columbiamusic
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Columbia/8668179095?ref=mf
http://twitter.com/columbiatheband

Kick the Ashes EP review

Kick the Ashes

3 song EP review by Jade Sperry

Kick the Ashes are a vibrant addition to the Vancouver club scene. They are a young band that show a lot of promise as far as melodies and lyrics go. They are currently gearing up for a busy September with shows at the Princeton Pub on September 3 and The Wise Hall on September 25. The band consists of 5 members that are well tuned into one another. Gabriel's vocals are powerfully deep and provocative, Ryley's lead guitars show that he has some power and can play very well, Mario hits the skins hard and locks into the rhythm of the song by way of Kurtis who plays the bass and has a knowledge of root chords that will only develop over time and finally Kevin plays a mean rhythm guitar that brings out the drums and the bass perfectly.

The first song is titled “Say Goodnight Girl” which starts out slow and easy with a mournful wind sound followed by a gentle acoustic guitar. Gabriel's vocals come in softly and almost sound sad but hopeful at the same time. This lends the song with a dreamy feel to it. Lyrically solid, it talks of being maybe a little stressed out or tired and just go to sleep. At the 4 minute mark, violins and stringed instruments come into the song softly at first and then rise with Gabriel's vocals to end powerfully even if it's softly. “Shadowland” comes in next, and this song is very reminiscent of mid-80's metal at its best. I am reminded of early Metallica with this song but only musically. Powerful guitars, solid drums and a full rhythm section lend a hand so-to-speak to Gabriel's Jim Morrison-like vocals. It's definitely a good mix. Lyrically this song speaks of shadows, silent screams and of meeting your doom. My favorite line in this song: “Don't be fooled there's nothing in bloom but death growing in the womb”. Classic. The EP ends with “Scarlet Night”. This song begins slow and melodic with the rhythm section and goes to a 5 beat bar which then changes into a slower 3 beat bar. Gabriels' powerful but delicate vocals really suit the melody of the song perfectly, as well as his spoken words to the music in the middle eights. I particularly like the drum work by Mario in this song as well as the bass lines from Kurtis. Lyrically this is very solid, speaking of the last night on earth under the sky. The apocalypse has arrived with Kick the Ashes. This is a band to watch for in the future.

Kick the Ashes plays @ The Princeton Pub on Thursday September 3 for a back to school bash. Doors @ 8pm.

You can find the band in various places, including:

You Tube - Kick the Ashes

MySpace - Kick the Ashes

Reverbnation - Kick the Ashes

Supernova - Kick the Ashes

Facebook Fan Page - Kick the Ashes

CD Review on The Sound Technicians

CD Review of The Sound Technicians

by Jade Sperry

Sounds like: power pop with a bit of grunge/glam in the mix

Power pop songs with catchy riffs are what this Ottawa ON band have in this 7-song self titled EP. Kicking it all off is "Reset", which is a fun song with catchy guitar riffs and easy sounding lyrics, followed by "Looking At You" that made me laugh the first time I heard it. It's a solid song musically with melodic guitar riffs, strange noises that compliment the guitar riffs, solid drumming and interesting lyrics that really mimic being at a concert. "Po Boy" is a song that slows it down somewhat and is interesting in the sense that it's more of an observation song. I can see the front man and bassist, Pete Ling, watching someone like the poor boy in the song. It's also an interesting song musically with frequent stops and starts but it works. "Aldo Nova" is a much slower tempo song about the 1980's singer/songwriter Aldo Nova, who Pete admires quite a bit, and it's a tribute to him. Quirky lyrics and noises make this song a memorable one. "Not Coming Home" is a song that is power pop at its best. This is a song that is for dancing and grooving to, with drums that are solid and bass lines that jump with the guitar. "The Sun" is an interesting song that feels very mellow although it's up tempo with a bit of hip-hop lines thrown into the mix. It's an original song that gets crazy towards the end and is a lot of fun. "Make A Million" is the final song in this line up and I feel that this song is one of the better ones. It's a song that makes you want to get up and dance. It also gives you some kind of inspiration that maybe one day you could also make your mark on the world, not so much in a financial sense, but in an original one of a kind way. All in all, this is a fun, energetic and crazy EP that shows this band is going on to bigger things. There's no need to run out to your local CD store to buy it... as the album is exclusively available electronically on iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody and eMusic. You can find the band's website here and their My Space page here.

Friday June 12 - Pub 340 show with Valerie Graham, Urban Guerrilla, Thee Manipulators and The Beladeans

Friday night we headed out to Pub 340 for a show which featured 4 bands - Valerie Graham and her Drinking Problems, Urban Guerrilla, Thee Manipulators and The Beladeans. Good show by all the bands! Even though I was completely out of control with my beer drinking that night, I had a blast. But as usual, there is always some kind of high drama taking place around me and that night was no different. I decided to ignore it for as long as possible.

Valerie Graham has a good voice. And her songs were pretty decent. One of my friends liked her voice quite a bit. She had on a really shiny dress, and I saw one of Thee Manipulators playing drums for her.....nice.

Urban Guerrilla had so much energy in their music, it was hard not to get up and dance. I remember dancing at some point and I'm not sure which band I was dancing to. Regardless, I really liked the hard guitars that this band created. Rock on!

Thee Manipulators played a good show and it was Mike Roche's birthday that night, and he brought up his good friend, or his girlfriend (it was hard to hear what Mike said) and she was singing with them, which was odd because her voice didn't really fit the music, or so I thought. But hey whatever. Birthday madness! While Thee Manipulators were onstage is when some of that high drama took place. So I missed part of their performance. Sad but true.

The Beladeans I remember dancing to. I was into this band and enjoyed myself immensely. I really like the energy of this band's music, the songs are hard rocking and the vocals kicked.

So it was a fun filled birthday drinking night.

And in 2 weeks time on Friday July 3 at The Purple Crab (3916 Main Street), Thee Manipulators will be playing an all ages show with The Trap Doors and from Edmonton AB, Michael Rault. School is over and it only costs $5 to get in! So come and check out some good music! You can check out Thee Manipulators MYSPACE page for more details on that show. If you're over 19, and have legal ID, you can drink. I'll be going to this show because I'll be taking some new pictures to go along with the interview I'm working on for Thee Manipulators. I know you're all going to really like this band in the future!

Patrick Krief Interview

Patrick Krief

Black Diamond Bay @ Richards May 30, Vancouver

Black Diamond Bay is Patrick’s current band, and they were recently here on tour with The Dears as well as Jets Overhead. Patrick is having fun touring with his ex-bandmate’s, The Dears, because Murray and Patrick are still very good friends, and they hang out when they are at home in Montreal.

We enjoyed a cold beer 2 blocks from the venue on one of the hottest days here in Vancouver so far this year. The staff at the bar we went to were not used to having patrons doing an interview, but we found it amusing. Patrick tells me that since leaving The Dears, he’s been constantly writing music, playing with friends and putting whatever bands he could together. The current line up in the band are his cousin Andre on bass, George (also an ex-member of the Dears) on the drums and Roberto on the keyboards, who‘s been working with Patrick for the last 5 years in different projects. Patrick says that he really wanted to work on this project with all of them.

I ask him about his home city of Montreal, and other than hating the weather, he loves the city. He isn’t as familiar with other cities in Canada so it’s not a safe assessment for him to compare Vancouver or Calgary with Montreal. He isn’t a club person or into the scene there, but instead emphasizes that the standard of living is affordable for struggling artists, and not having your money sucked into paying rent is a plus.

Patrick finds his musical inspiration is based in reality. What he feels, encounters and experiences is his reality and this is what he writes about. The reality of his life triggers his music, and having a “real” feeling that he can turn into sound is very gratifying. He also tells me that he can turn that around and he will remember how he felt in the presence of “sound”.

When I asked Patrick how he sees the current state of the Music Industry, his initial reaction was that the industry is in panic mode. He feels that they don’t put enough energy or focus into any new band as far as the “big labels” go. They don’t want to take a chance and instead they go with what they know. He’s also hearing that people are losing jobs, record labels shutting down and generally hears bad things all the time. Patrick also states that there are many bands who are just in it to be in a band. They have no talent and just want to be rock stars who have a bullshit attitude. These bands and people will not last and they will fade away for bands with substance and talent. He and his band are not in it for the money or glamour and they never will be. They play with a passion for music and for the love of sound.

When it comes to garnering media attention, Patrick states that once you get your foot in the door and you have an interview with someone, suddenly people start to notice you. But he admits that it is difficult to get that foot in the door initially. When they released Calm Awaits, it was hard to get any mainstream press. And he and his band are happy that they have been getting a decent amount of press lately.

When Patrick was asked about the goals of the band and the music, artistically they would like to constantly change it up and evolve, and generally just keep getting better, while career ambitions are to have a sustainable career and make a living with playing music. In a 2 year period, they would like to have another record out and be more on an international level in the US and Europe. Patrick can see this and envision it clearly.

The bands and their music that made Patrick want to be a musician were Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and The Beatles. He was not inspired by their wild lifestyles which he found out later in his life about. In some of the songs that Patrick writes, particularly the ballads like “First Time I See You Again”, there is a Roy Orbison - John Lennon influence that you can hear, and Patrick is admirers of these musicians as well. He tells me that the working title of that song was “Fifties (1950’s)” because of the melody and the way it sounds, and on the set lists for shows, the song is listed this way. On a musical level, he can relate best to Jimi Hendrix. He feels that his ideals may be similar but he isn’t sure about that - he relates to Jimi’s music. Patrick is musical and he is driven to make music but he wasn’t always like that. The last 10 years have been a creative high for him, and music consumes him by his own admission 24/7. He has on numerous occasions been working on a song and been stuck on something, went to sleep and upon waking, he just knows how to make it sound and it turns out to be right. Ironically when he was in school, he would do the same thing with math equations.

The best venue that he’s played in is a tough one for him to answer. A venue in Mexico stands out. The vibe was there. In Canada, Lee’s Palace and The Horseshoe stands out but really he says they are all similar. He’s happy to play anywhere, but admits that there were some places they’ve played that should never host concerts.

Patrick is a very focused individual and in the long run, this will serve him well. I believe him when he says that in 2 years time, he will have world domination with this band.

You can visit the band's MYSPACE page and their WEBSITE.

Record Store Day Photo Gallery - Soundproof Magazine

I wanted to post this link from Soundproof Magazine's Photo Gallery from Record Store Day (April 18) from across Canada. All the bands are indie bands in local areas. I took some of the photos in this gallery, and there are some great photos of other bands. Please check it out when you have the time:

http://soundproofmagazine.com/Globe/Features/Photo_Gallery_-_Record_Store_Day.html

Also, if you want to work as a volunteer for Soundproof Magazine, just hit them up with an email in the contact area, and someone will get back to you. I've had some people ask about that so I'm just posting for you all to know:

http://www.soundproofmagazine.com

Soundproof Magazine is like this blog here NXEW that supports independent music and artists from not just Canada, but on an international scale. It's all good.

We rocked on Main Street in Vancouver for Record Store Day @ Neptoon Records

Top Picture - Thee Manipulators
Middle Picture - Neptoon Records Storefront
Bottom Picture - The Spitfires

Wow.

Good times on Main Street at Neptoon Records. I stopped by to check out the action and found some good music served up live in store. There were people standing outside of all ages and backgrounds. Punks, some older folks and some were people stopping to ask questions and listen to the music.

I arrived at 230ish and was assaulted by the sounds of Thee Manipulators. They were loud and ranchy with an organ, guitars and pounding drums. Awesome! I personally love the high energy of this band who played for about 45 minutes.
Next up were a band whose name I think is really good - The Spitfires. And just like their name, the singer can spit fire with his ear splitting screams and a lot of yelling. The band was very tight and sounded really on fire as well.

Although this was a record store, some people had "brought their own", and were having a low key good time. No one got out of hand, but the police did arrive during Thee Manipulators set to ask the owners to shut the door and not open it when bands were playing. Fair enough as this part of Main Street hosts many boutiques of Vancouver's fashion designers. And its a residential neighbourhood behind Main Street.

The afternoon ended happily enough with some good photos, a few new friends, and some very tasty music. Yum!

Peace and out.
X

Record Store Day in Vancouver!

Saturday April 18 - Neptoon Records @ 3561 Main Street in Vancouver is having their Record Store Day with live bands in store from 1pm until 7pm. A list of bands is as follows with possibly other bands playing as well:

Midnight Dragon, Thee Manipulators, Spitfires, Captain Dust, Green Hour Band and Bleeding Horse Express.

Admission is FREE so no excuse for not being there! I'll be there taking photos of some of the bands so stop me and say hello! :)

Neptoon Records (and Red Cat as well) will have tons of sales on all things music. So head on down and enjoy the afternoon on Main Street. The store is located between E 19th and 20th Ave.

Just sayin' you should try to check it out if you can. FREE ADMISSION.

You can also check out Zulu Records on w4th and Burrard and also Danelion Records on Broadway at Main Street. Give them a call to find out what live music they have or music sales or both!

Did I mention its FREE ADMISSION?

Fake Shark - Real Zombie!and the Vans Warped Tour is back in Vancouver this year!!!

Fake Shark - Real Zombie! are playing shows around the Vancouver Area in licensed venues as well as all ages shows. Check their page on MySpace at:

http://www.myspace.com/fakesharkrealzombie

This is a really great band so if you can go and support them by going to their shows! You can also get their music from itunes as well.

Also, big news if you're a Vans Warped Tour fan in the Vancouver area! After a 6 year absence here in Vancouver, the Warped Tour is coming back here! YAY! I lived for this festival in the 1990's. The Canadian dates for the Warped Tour are as follows:

Friday July 10 - Mississauga ON
Saturday July 11 - Montreal PQ
Wednesday August 12 - Calgary AB
Friday August 14 - Vancouver BC

I believe the tour starts in June and goes til the end of August across North America. You can check all the dates here:

http://warpedtourtickets.musictoday.com/WarpedTour/calendar.aspx

They are selling tickets for the venues on the above link. I've got my ticket! Its also the 15th Anniversary of this festival tour, so you get some added goodies when you preorder.

Junofest 2009 @ The Media Club

The Media Club, Cambie Street, Vancouver BC. March 27 and 28, 2009.

I had so many options this past weekend that I didn't know what to do as far as shows go. I could have gone to Granville Street to see the Trews or State of Shock, but I honestly didn't want to be outside for hours over a 2 day period because I'm going to Seattle next weekend for the Comic Convention, and I didn't want to end up sick.
Instead of being on Granville Street, I decided to go into a club and see some independent acts that I knew nothing about. On Friday March 27, I went to see 3 bands - SAID THE WHALE, THE MIDWAY STATE AND HEY ROSETTA. This was a great show for me as there was high energy, a good crowd, and the music was very good. The bands were very tight musically speaking, and I enjoyed listening to new music; it was very refreshing to know that Canada does indeed have an indie scene that is like no other country.
I found that my favorite of the 3 bands were The Midway State. I love the name, and for some reason, it really suits all the band members. The music is energetic, fresh and I really found that the band performed as one unit. And to do that live and get that across to an audience is very hard to accomplish.

On Saturday March 28, I have to admit that I was really not in a good frame of mind. I'd had some upsetting news the day before that left me shocked to be honest, and I really was not into going out, but, being the music fanatic that I am, I went to see if I could pull myself out of the funk that I was in. And it worked! I just wanted to have fun, and went to see HEY OCEAN, CURRENT SWELL and ZAKI IBRAHIM. I had heard of Hey Ocean (courtesy of an earlier blog on this site) but I didn't know anything about what type of music they play. I was happy to be in an environment where new music was hitting my ears. The melodies of this bands' music is soothing but upbeat. I really enjoyed all the bands but Hey Ocean stood out for me in many ways. It was a combination of the music, they way they played as a unit, and how they interacted with the crowd in the short time they were given to play.

So overall, it was a good weekend of new music for this reviewer. Especially since the music pulled me out of a funk for a while and helped me to forget my troubles for the time I was in the club. That's the sign of good musicianship to me. I'm glad I decided to go with new and slightly independent bands instead of the bigger bands that have the exposure. Rock on....

The Junos in Vancouver this weekend

Yes, the Juno weekend is almost upon us here in Vancouver. Street parties (sponsered by West Jet) start on Granville this Friday evening with a show featuring The Trews and The Arkells. You must be 19+ to attend this event.
On Saturday I believe the festivities start around 11am with band signings and lots of meet and greets and great things happening. Saturday night's show features Faber Drive, The Midway State and State of Shock. It's an all ages event.
One of the strange things is that Granville Street looks like a Carnival - big tents for the shows being set up on the street, literally! The only downside is that this is Vancouver, and the weekend weather forecast is for rain. That could get sketchy, but we'll see what happens.

More to come from Vancouver as the weekend progresses.