Music Vice

Music Vice photojournalist Liz Keith takes prize at Sound Image photo exhibition in Toronto

Natascha Malta — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:55:32 +0000

Liz Keith next to her winning image of Flaming Lips flaming lead singer Wayne Coyne

On Thursday night, 2 February, a juried exhibition of concert photography entitled SOUND IMAGE opened at Analogue Gallery on 673 Queen West, Toronto. Analogue Gallery is a small, private gallery which features local and international concert photography. Sound Image, which kicked off on Thursday night and runs till February 9th, represents a selection of the best entries the gallery received in response to an public call for submissions. Music Vice editor Brian Banks and I were in attendance to support fellow Music Vice photojournalist Liz Keith, who traveled in from Montreal after her stunning, surreal image of a smoking Wayne Coyne at Osheaga 2011 (of The Flaming Lips) was chosen for inclusion in the show.

The winner as chosen by the juries was announced around 8 PM: meanwhile, Liz was grabbing eats nearby. When she re-entered the gallery, she was pulled off to the side by the evening’s curator Lucia Graca who informed her that her picture had received the best in show.

The photo of Wayne Coyne represents some of Keith’s music photography at its most brilliant. Other photos in the exhibition featured Crystal Castles, David Bowie, Feist, Drake, Nick Cave, and especially City and Colour as subjects. We are pleased to note that the judges agreed that Liz’s image of Flaming Lips’ frontman Wayne Coyne at Osheaga music festival in Montreal was the obvious stand-out, and our congratulations on the well-deserved win! The judges scored unanimously in her favour, with Liz collecting 5 out 5’s from all four judges, including celebrity music photographer Barrie Wentzell.

Quotes below from Lucia Graca and Brian Banks.

“Sound Image is an open-submission exhibit which we opened up to absolutely anyone, amateurs and professional photographers, there were no restrictions. We had submissions from some very young photographers who are probably still studying and some from older photographers who haven’t photographed bands for a very long time, who dusted off their negatives to be a part of this. The earliest photo in the exhibit is a shot of Davie Bowie in the 70’s. We had a total of 15 finalists. There were a lot of people who applied who missed the deadline, so we will definitely be doing this again next year.

“I love Liz’s submission. I was speaking to her before the show, as originally she had submitted the picture in colour so I asked her why she chose to desaturate it entirely. It’s always interesting to see how people make stylistic choices when it comes to framing and presenting their work. I really like the shot in black and white but I also really liked it in colour. I love the Flaming Lips and I know that going to a Flaming Lips show is something incredible. It’s a full body experience and I think she really captured that. And if you can capture the feeling of a moment then you’ve really done you’re job.” – Analogue Gallery curator Lucia Graca.

“It’s a smoking photo! I remember getting excited about this shot when Liz first emailed me her coverage from Osheaga last year. It’s a fantastic shot, and Liz fully deserved to win. I’ve always put a big emphasis on live photographs as an integral part of our coverage on Music Vice. You know I’m a tough or ‘selective’ critic, but I have been delighted to have Liz onboard since day one. On top of her ability to frame and time a shot, she has a real passion and interest in the musicians that are her subject matter. It really shows in her photographs! – Music Vice editor and founder Brian Banks.

If you live in Toronto, don’t miss your chance to check out the Sound Image exhibit at Analogue Gallery which runs until 9 February.

Liz for the win!

Internet links:
EJK Photography
Analogue Gallery

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T.O. Shows To Go To – Toronto concert listings February 2012

Brian Banks — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:03:35 +0000

Other Lives

FABRUARY! Below is the Music Vice A-Z of the best concerts in Toronto this Feb. The groundhog said it’s going to be an early spring and judging by the way the concert calendar is hotting up, I agree! As ever, we’ve gone through the gig listings with a fine-tooth comb, so all the dates below can be considered safe bets.

This month’s top pick is Other Lives. The Stillwater, Oklahoma band play the Drake this month as part of their headline Eastern US/Canada tour before joining Radiohead on their US tour.

Jumple and Lemon Bucket Orchestra @ El Mocambo, Fri 3 Feb, $10 (gypsy hoedown!)
Rumer @ Virgin Mobile Club, Mon 6 Feb
The Kills @ Kool Haus, Tues 7 Feb, $28.00
Ladyhawk + Cut Flowers, Parts & Labour, Sat 11 Feb, $13.50
Other Lives @ The Drake Hotel, Tues 14 Feb $12.50
Wavelength Twelve, various venues across Toronto, Thursday – Sunday 16-19 Feb $36.00
Sleigh Bells @ The Phoenix, Sat 18 Feb, $33
The Queers @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, Sat 18 Feb (come late to avoid The Ataris)
Sharon Van Etten @ Lee’s Palace, Tues 21 Feb, $15
Crocodiles @ Lee’s Palace, Thu 23 Feb, $13.50
Daps Record Review featuring Phedre, Hooded Fang, Doldrum @ Great Hall, Fri 24 Feb, $10.00
Islands @ Music Gallery, Tues 28 Feb, $22.50
Tennis @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, Wednesday 29 Feb

Tickets available via Ticketmaster, LiveNation and Ticketweb, depending on the show. Hard tickets at the usual Toronto record stores (RT/SS). All shows are +19 unless noted.

Other Lives – “12″

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The Darkness at The Phoenix, Toronto – Concert review and photo gallery

Alex Last — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:44:50 +0000

Justin Hawkins performing with The Darkness at The Phoenix – photo Brian Banks

The Gig: The Darkness
Where: The Phoenix
When: 1 February 2012
In One Word: Headstands

The Darkness kicked off their 13-date North American Tour selling out The Phoenix last night in Toronto. After taking a break in 2006, they are making quite a comeback. The band drew in a very diverse crowd, from young hipsters to middle-aged rockers eager to see them together again.

Foxy Shazam opened, an aggressive glittery rock band produced by the lead singer of The Darkness: Justin Hawkins. The crowd didn’t seem enthusiastic about the opening act, despite a warm reception for The Barenaked Ladies cover “This Is Where We Used To Live”. However, they did an acceptable job of displaying character and perseverance in a concert hall filled with semi-drunk fans anticipating the main act.

The crowd’s anticipation for The Darkness started to grow after Foxy Shazam ended. Justin Hawkins electrified the audience, emerging in a green tartan 3-piece suit (minus the dress shirt). Justin and the band sounded rejuvenated after their long hiatus; maybe that is exactly what they needed.

The audience exploded when the band led off the show with some of their classic early material. However, they have not released an album since 2005’s One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back and it was evident that they were eager to share new material as well. In between songs, Justin revealed that fans could download a new digital track and watch a new video for “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us” for free on their website. It was also revealed that the band had completed a new album and that it would be released ‘soon’.

Personally, I felt skeptical and apprehensive before the show regarding the performance quality due to constant band member feuding during their hiatus. Justin left the band in 2006 and entered a rehabilitation program for drug and alcohol abuse. I was as curious as anyone to see the reformed Darkness, who have been back together recording and touring since last year. I was pleasantly surprised with the bands incredible enthusiasm and stage presence. All members displayed genuine passion and enjoyment and were clearly glad to be back. Fear not: tired washed out has-beens, they are not. Highlights included Justin’s acrobatic behind-the-head guitar solo and a HEADSTAND against the drum kit.

They ended the show with their catchy smash hit from 2003, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” which is a song I think most long-time Darkness fans can remember singing along to at one time in their life. As the band returned for the encore Justin had changed into a Toronto’s Bovine Sex Club shirt, which the crowd enjoyed. As cliché as it sounds, I think the band has somewhat of a soft spot for Toronto and Justin was pretty open with the audience revealing the last time he was here he had his penis pierced. The connection between the audience and Justin was genuine and you could feel it throughout the entire concert hall. The bands encore, “Love on the Rocks With No Ice”, solidified a memorable comeback, with Justin playing guitar while riding on someone’s shoulders into the middle of the crowd.

Although I had never seen The Darkness mark I, I doubt this will be my last time seeing Justin Hawkins parading around on stage. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and look forward to hearing their highly anticipated new album. The Darkness are back! Nothing is gonna stop them now.

Pictures of The Darkness at The Phoenix – (click each photo to enlarge on second page):

The Darkness – “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us”:

Internet links:
The Darkness
Brian Banks photography

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Industry Insider: CBC Radio Head of Music Resources Mark Rheaume

Ngawara Madison — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:08:11 +0000

Mark Rheaume is head of CBC [Canadian Broadcasting Corporation] Radio’s Music Resources department. CBC Radio refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Operation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches; these channels are CBC Radio One, CBC Radio 2, and CBC Radio 3*.

Mark profiles new music from Ontario artists on the first Sunday of every month, and presents his monthly picks on Fresh Air. In some sense you could almost call him an ‘Executive Plugger’! Mark has reported on music for many CBC shows, including Definitely Not the Opera and Ontario Morning. His syndicated music review column is carried on CBC stations across the country and he has served as a juror for the Polaris Prize and the Juno Awards.

With so many bands out there looking to get their music on the CBC network, Music Vice thought it would be a great idea to catch up with Mark at CBC and pick his brain! Mark spoke with Ngawara Madison about the process of getting airplay and employment with CBC Radio.

* NB: The inconsistency of branding between “One”, “2″ and “3″ was a deliberate design choice on CBC’s part and is not an error!

Mark Rheaume – CBC Radio’s Head of Resources – the man you need to impress to get airplay!

A big part of this interview series is to tell our readers about the many positions that exist within the music and media industries. Could you explain in brief, what your position exactly entails, and run us through your average day as Head of Resources for CBC Radio?

I guess you could say I’m the gatekeeper or conduit between musicians – and that’s everyone from indie artists making their first record to established artists signed to major labels – and the shows that play music on CBC Radio. Especially outside the major markets like Toronto, our morning and afternoon drive shows don’t have staffers to help them wade through the vast pile of releases and pick out the stuff that’s worth putting on the air. Every day, in addition to auditing CD submissions, I listen to the albums I’ve approved for airplay, identify the most spin-worthy tracks, and provide a write-up for the hosts so they can introduce the tunes with some authority. In effect, I pre-listen or check out the recordings for the hosts and producers. My parents would never have believed it, but I’m paid to listen to records!

How did you come to work for CBC? Did you set out with that occupation in mind, or what were your initial aspirations? A lot of people seem to ‘stumble’ upon their career path. What is your story?

: CBC building,Toronto

Well, besides loving music and being an album collector all my life, I’d graduated from college in both TV & Radio Broadcasting and Archival Practices. Then I heard in 1998 that CBC Radio had acquired the complete LP/CD and script collection of the recently deceased Clyde Gilmour, who’d hosted his own music show on the network for over 40 years. Thinking the CBC would need an intern to work on archiving these materials, I cold-called the Music Library offering my services. Instead, they gave me a job! That lasted about two years and then the job I’m doing now came open, so of course I went for that! Though it was definitely a logical thing for me to be doing since I love music and media, I definitely “stumbled” onto this career path!

What advice would you give to students coming out of highschool who know they want to be involved with the Radio Industry but dont know which avenue to take. Do you recommend going to college, university, getting a part-job and an internship at a station?

I’d say:
1. Definitely study Radio at college or university. Or if you can’t do that – or maybe in combination with that -

2. See if there’s an opening on college or university radio and take ANY shift they give you!

3. See if you can intern at something like CBC, the BBC, or NPR. Do it!

Don’t worry about not being paid at first. Do the work, impress the hell out of them, and when there’s an opening, you’re in!

What is the ‘ladder’ in your part of the Radio industry? Is there a hierachy around your position? What are the possible career climbs for someone working in Music Resources?

Well, I really gotta say that with a job is as good as mine – and it never, ever feels like work – there’s nothing else I ever want to do here. I’ve never once checked our job board for new opportunities. I mean, you can’t improve on the ideal situation! But having said that, there are opportunities to move on and grow at CBC. Just as one example, both hosts and producers and technicians have gone on to management roles, leaving on-air work behind them!

What kind of personality suits your position? What character traits do you think are a positive fit for the job? What kind of person would excel in your occupation?

Well, first of all, you have to love music – and have a really open mind. My job is to figure out if a particular artist or album is suitable for our programs. It doesn’t matter if I personally like the music or not. I’ve gotta think of the person listening at home in their kitchen or in their car or wherever. I’ve had to listen to thousands of albums in those jobs over the past ten-plus years, and believe me, not all of them are ones I’ve kept a copy of for myself! Second, you have to really want to help the artists. If you find, in dealing with them, that they’re obnoxious or overbearing, you have to put those feelings aside and, again, think of the listener first and foremost and whether they would like to hear this person’s music. Third, you have to be able to write well. We’re communicating to our producers WHY these records should be played and we have to do it in terms that make sense!

Internet links: CBC Radio

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The Maccabees at HMV Institute, Birmingham, UK – Gig review and photos

Andrew Hughes — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:34:01 +0000

The Maccabees – photo Andrew Hughes for Music Vice

The Gig: The Maccabees
Where: HMV Institute, Birmingham, UK
When: 27 January 2012
In One Word: Grandiose

The Maccabees: A new year, a new album!

The Maccabees tour continued tonight in one of Birmingham’s finest venues, the HMV Institute; and Music Vice was there to catch the boys in action. The stunning venue was an acclaimed step up for the group, with tiered balconies and a bustling crowd that the band has gathered over three albums worth of blood, sweat, and mosh pit tears! The HMV was thus a perfect setting for what turned out to be an encapsulating performance and a rowdy, enthusiastic crowd of ever devoted fans.

The London based five-piece recently released their third album entitled Given to the Wild which has seen the band take on a new more “mature” sound to high reviews from the UK press, ourselves included. Given To The Wild is an album which has brought them significant success so far, but it is only early days; and with initial success and media buzz comes the pressure to replicate this new sound live. Could they pull it off? We waited to see…

The Maccabees have always been earmarked as a “cult” band; much like The Cribs or The Rifles. Bands with extremely loyal followings, but bands which often miss the larger commercial successes of their louder, brasher, musical cousins; Kasabian, Oasis, The Libertines, etc.

Current fanbase aside, this new album has definitely seen the band embark upon new social and musical territory; and there is a strong likelihood that The Maccabees will gain new listeners and fans for their already sizeable pack following this tour. At the Birmingham show there was an murmur travelling through the crowd; a Chinese whisper of tension, excitement and anticipation, even before the lads made their way onto the stage. The room was dark, and the fans faces were moody and surly; something that only added to the atmosphere! The only light in the venue was from a lowly projector; it set the ambience for the opening song, “Child”, the first song off their new album.

“Feel To Follow” followed after, before the lads launched into “Lego”; then there was a significant surge forward by the crowd as the band picked up the tempo with “William Powers”. Leading man, Orlando Weeks took a few seconds after these three to welcome the crowd to the show and to ask if everyone was having a good night. It was a quick quip though, and the band fell back into another new track, “Went Away”.

Two of the bands most well known songs “Precious Time” & “X-ray” picked up the crowd’s slightly dwindling enthusiasm for the new music and for the rest of the set the band was careful to balance the old with the new material. After all, every successful band knows how important it is to give the crowd some tunes they are familiar with, when premiering a new album. This predominantly “laddish” crowd demanded songs they could sing along to like a football anthem. In this sense, “X Ray” delivered; it was a great example of such a sing-along track that goes down well for the band. “X Ray” well instantly received by the crowd and acted almost like a call to arms for the more inebriated members of the throng. The mosh pit was now on and continued to grow from that point on!

Other musical highlights were: “Can You Give It”. The general pace of the night was upbeat; the room was littered with strobe lights; and grandiose endings made many of the new songs sound like finale numbers that just kept on coming.

Halfway through the show, and everyone was pretty warm and sweaty; we were given a bit of a breather in “No Kind Words”; however even this more chilled out tune picked up the at the end and got people moving again. Maccabees have always crafted their songs ‘on purpose’ and this intelligence and comprehension of their crowd control, has only improved with age.

“Pelican” showcased the bands new, increasingly mature approach to life with lyrics that hinted that they are long past the days of their uncertain youth: “To have it all and still want more, One things for sure we’re all getting older”. This was another moment that made us think of The Rifles and the similarity between the two bands musical characters.

The official closing track of the night was “Love you Better”; their biggest and most popular song to date. The crowd were jumping throughout the majority of the track and on their feet as the band left the stage. An inevitable and predictable encore followed with “Unknown” – one of the most upbeat songs the new album has to offer; “First Love” [a staple in the lads set lists], and they ended the show with “Grew Up at Midnight”.

Beer was thrown across the crowd, the odd shoe came flying past our noses; but everyone was there to have a good time and that is exactly what we all had! These lads have grown up a lot over the past few years; their fans are on pace with them. Don’t be surprised if this album works it way up the charts over the course of the 2012. Its a silent, steady creeper. Enjoy your success lads, you have worked hard for it.

Photos of The Maccabees at HMV Institute, Birmingham:

Internet links: The Maccabees

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Industry Insider: Founder of SCENE Music Festival and Stumble Records, Steve Stumble

Ngawara Madison — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:00:16 +0000

Want to work in The Music Industry as a Promoter, Producer, Publicist, Executive, DJ, or Tour Manager? Industry Insider gives Music Vice readers an exclusive insight from inside the industry as we talk to music professionals. We find out the specifics of their position and how you can grab their attention. In the latest installment of Industry Insider, we speak to Steve Stumble.

Steve Stumble performing with The Lucky Ones

Steve ‘Stumble’ Levitt owns and operates punk label Stumble Records (which has distribution through Universal Music Canada). He also fronts punk band The Lucky Ones, and is the founder of the annual one-day SCENE Music Festival, held in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The festival features mostly alternative music and attracts increasing thousands of music fans to the city each year. Scene has hosted such groups such as Alexisonfire, Cancer Bats, Billy Talent, City and Colour, The New Cities, Cute is What We Aim For, Lights, The Johnstones, Down With Webster, The Trews, and The Black Lungs.

Music Vice’s Ngawara Madison recently caught up with Steve to pick his brain about the music industry and get his advice for bands wanting to hit the big time…

You own punk label, Stumble Records; sing in The Lucky Ones, as well as running the annual ‘SCENE’ Music Festival in St Catharines, Ontario! At what age did you get involved with the music industry and what was your first band or business role? How did you get your first ‘step in the door’?

I got involved in the Music Industry when I was 16 years old. I guess my first involvement was in my original punk band Sick Boys. I did a lot of local concert booking while I was in that band, and that got me rolling!

How many people do you work with as regards running your record label, and how did you source those people to make sure you have the right team of people around you to ensure the smooth running of your company?

Well its pretty much always just been me here! We’re now in our 15th year as Stumble Records so we’ve seen lots of things change over the years! If we do have anybody else involved in a project, they come as an outside, third party contractor. For example; we use Kerry Goulding at Rebel Music in Toronto for a lot of publicity campaigns.

You are the name behind the extremely successful and popular SCENE Music Festival. How important is it for a band these days to have a strong presence on the festival circuit?

Scene Music Fest

I’m not really sure how important it is to be on “the festival circuit” but festivals are usually great to play, because you’re usually stacked with a pile of different bands and get to play to a larger, and much more diverse audience that the norm. You wouldn’t get that same crowd in a typical, indoor, club style environment.

What are some of the biggest bands that have performed at SCENE, and what is the arrangement process for a band wishing to perform at your festival?

As for artists that have played S.C.E.N.E. Music Festival… Man there’s been tonnes over the past 17 years! Alexisonfire, City 7 Colour, Bedouin Soundclash, Billy Talent, Del the Funky Homosapien, Down With Webster, Lights, etc. Bands interested in playing can apply through our website www.scenemusicfestival.com or if you are booked by an agent and we’re interested in you, we’ll come looking for you!

What does it take for a band to get picked for the Main Stage at Scene as opposed to a smaller side show?

Well it really depends on the hype of your band! Some spots are reserved for agents and some are for contest winners such as the HTZ FM Rock Search winner; but we mainly put in who we feel would be appropriate for the festival, and that day, and year. There really are no rules!

It seems that with the rise of the Internet Generation, we have a lot of bands that are gathering fan bases abroad that perhaps would not have had that opportunity in earlier years. Through the spreading of viral videos and social media links bands are able to reach out to would-be fans in countries all over the world. Do you use Social Media to promote your events? How important are Facebook and Twitter in the promotion of a band these days?

Social is very important these days, and I wish we were better at it… I’m pretty much a “computer retard”, haha! We do use them to promote events, etc. Actually right now I’m setting up a bunch of stuff on Reverbnation. But yeah… look at the band “Walk Off The Earth” for example. Two weeks ago nobody cared about a band from Burlington, Ontario and then suddenly 2 weeks later and 27 million views later of their Gotye cover – they’re flying out to LA and are on the Ellen show! All due to good old Youtube!

Illegal Downloads: Inevitable in this day and age? How can a band still make money when the number of people actually buying records lessens everyday?

Illegal downloading sucks! If you like a band you should support them… but really it is no different than it used to be making mixed tapes for people in the 80′s! I always tell bands: “If you’re not out playing and selling T-Shirts, CDs and binyl off stage – then you’re not selling anything at all!” People aren’t likely to go buy your music on the internet and record stores are disappearing faster than ever!

Steve and Ngawara

On top of all your work as a label head honcho and event producer, you also sing in the punk band The Lucky Ones. What were the highlights for the band last year and what are your recording and performance plans for 2012? What are your objectives with your music? What do you sing about?

2011 was pretty awesome for The Lucky Ones! We got to play on a bunch of great Festivals in Canada including Rock Fest in Montebello, QC…SCENE Fest, obviously… Burly Calling, Rebel fest. But the biggest highlight for myself had to be opening for Stiff Little Fingers on their only Canadian date! I’m a huge fan of theirs and it was amazing to meet Jake Burns because he is one of my biggest influences! We also got to record a new record with producer Steve Rizun which was awesome too! As for 2012 – our new record Heartbreak, Hangovers & Punk Rock comes out Feb 8th in Canada and we’re doing some dates around that, including Canadian Music Week.

We’re in talks to license our record to a label in Europe and try to make it over there in late summer/fall! The objective is to get out there, support our two releases, and play as much, and to as many people as possible!

There is a lot of organisation needed in the production and promotion of a music festival. What is your schedule like in the weeks running up to SCENE? What is the reality of your position for someone looking to do what you do?

Its pretty crazy! Our festival team is usually running around like chickens with their heads cut off! But we always get it all together and pull it off. We’ve been working with the same team of people for years now so everybody knows their roles and what needs to be done in order to pull it off in time for the day of the festival.

What was the musical highlight of 2011 for you and who should we look out for in 2012. Who are the ones to watch, in your opinion?

Well the musical highlight for me was definitely the Stiff Little fingers show! But seeing The Specials again was pretty awesome too. Also hanging out with Lars Frederickson of Rancid again and checking out his new band The Old Firm Casuals was awesome. Check em out!

Hmmm bands to look out for???…The Lucky Ones of course silly! You can check out our drummers other band, USS – they’re really popular these days. Apparently Jay from USS is gonna remix one of our songs so that should be interesting to hear.

Internet links:

SCENE Music Festival
StumbleRecords.com
The Lucky Ones
Stiff Little Fingers

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Happy Burns Night – Five new Scottish bands you need to hear

Brian Banks — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:31:42 +0000

The Machine Room

Happy Robbie Burns day! In celebration of Scotland’s national literary hero, here are five new bands from my homeland that you need to hear.

Django Django – “Default”. This brand new video was released last week. These guys are fab. Hoping – nay, expecting – to see Django Django on the bill of some top festivals this summer, not least at T in the Park in Scotland.

Olympic Swimmers – “Apples and Pears”. From Glasgow. Find this song on their debut EP at Bandcamp for just ₤3. Olympic Swimmers on Facebook.

Lenzie Moss – “Kelvin British Summetime”. Previously a member of Music and Movement, Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits and Speedboat. Lenzie Moss on Bandcamp.

Cleavers – “Casual Box”. Hailing from Elgin, Moray. They are generating a buzz on the DIY hardcore & punk circuit in North Scotland and broke onto BBC earlier this month. Find them on Facebook.

The Machine Room – “Your Head On The Floor Next Door”. Find them on Facebook. If the Smiths were from Edinburgh….

Your Head On The Floor Next Door by the machine room

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Industry Insider: Want to work in radio? Radio Account Executive Tim Atherton of Astral Media gives advice

Ngawara Madison — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:14:38 +0000

Tim Atherton is a Senior Account Executive for Ontario based Astral Media and is responsible for sales on their three radio stations. He is a strong supporter of Canadian music and a regular face at concerts in the Niagara region. Ngawara Madison interviews.

Hi Tim, thanks for chatting with Music Vice! How long have you been with Astral Media for now, and what does your job involve? I know there are a number of stations in that group and you have your fingers in “a number of pies”.

I have been with the radio stations for 22 years as an Account Executive. Due to media convergence in Canada I have worked for a number of companies both public and private including Standard Radio, Redmond Broadcasting, Telemedia Radio, Affinity Radio, Coultis Broadcasting which all eventually were bought out by Astral Media. As a Senior Account Executive I am responsible for Sales on our three stations EZ Rock 105.7 FM, CKTB 610AM and 97.7 HTZ-FM. I am also responsible for sales on our three web sites including Video Pre rolls, leaderboard ads and big box ads. Just recently, we will also be in charge of selling barter deals on Astral Radio Deals which is similar to Groupon where we trade products for advertising. I deal with local business owners and with ad agencies for major cross-Canada retailers.

A lot of people are quite ignorant of the job specifics for media positions that are not in the main light of the press. What are your responsibilities and what kind of personality is best suited for a job similar to yours?

In my job you have to be very self motivated. The job is 100% commission with very minimal supervision. Because of the intangible nature of radio, you have to have a passion for radio so you can convey marketing ideas and concepts to clients and get them excited. Another key point is you have to be very organized. I deal with over 100 accounts on 3 stations over the year, so you can have a lot of plates in the air at any given time, especially during holiday seasons.

A lot of people out there dream of working for a major radio station. You work for plural that! How did you personally get your ‘foot in the door’, and what advice would you give for others looking to get their own kick start?

I did my BA in Mass Communications with a concentration in Mass media/Advertising from McGill University (Montreal) and the University of Ottawa. My initial job out of University was an Ad Agency but my wife ended up getting a good job in the Niagara Region and I was hired at the local country station in Welland, Ontario (CHOW). I only stayed there for a short time as I was quickly offered a job with the top stations in the Niagara Market, CHRE and CHSC 1220 (CHSC is now unfortunately off the air).

The biggest advice I would give people wanting to get into radio is to understand it is a business. I know there is a large entertainment component to it but you will learn very quickly everything is about ratings and ratings translate in to advertising dollars and that is how a radio station survives.

What was your musical education and background growing up? Did you always want to work in the Radio Industry?

I have always loved radio being a musician. I played professionally full time for a few years after highschool and always played during University for extra money. I still do over 80-100 shows a year…part time to this day!!!! My original intent was to get my Recording Engineering Degree from Mc Gill University, but I went to an advertising symposium at the University of Ottawa and decided to switch to Mass Media which also gave me an outlet for my musical endeavours.

Can you run us through a day in the life of Tim? What is the reality of your job? What are some of the challenges you face on a day to day level?

My job is pretty much never ending… you are always thinking about it. When you work on 100% commission you are always looking for opportunities. The biggest challenge I face on a day to day level is dealing in a high paced environment. Because I administer a million dollar account list, I also administer a lot of client issues and you have to deal with things quickly to keep people happy.

The music industry is rife with parties and social events. A big part is often ‘who you know’ and not just ‘what you know’. How important is networking to you and your industry?

Networking is the most important thing in both my radio career and my music career. They have actually worked hand in hand as a lot of my contacts for radio also book live entertainment and I have been able to get my band to play some great gigs. It also puts you in touch with a lot of club owners, which in turn helps you book shows.

How can a band get onto the stations radar? What is the process?

A lot of people approach me and I always tell them I am on the business side. You need to talk to the Music Director and/or the Program Director. These are the people who decide what goes on air. The biggest thing I have noticed over the years is bands neglect the quality of their demos. Don’t bring us an unmastered, badly produced demo you did in your basement. If you want us to play it on the radio it has to stand up to Metallica, Nickelback, Led Zeppelin, Katie Perry, Lady Gaga…etc. Like it or not, this is your competition and you better provide a product of equal production and quality. It doesn’t have to sound like these bands but the quality of your recording better stand up to their standards.

What were the musical highlights of 2011 for you and which bands do you have on your radar for 2012?

My musical highlights this year were getting to meet Adam from Three Days Grace, one of my favourite hard rock songwriters. It was also great to finally see Sloan live after all these years and I was really impressed by The Sheepdogs; they are on my radar for 2012. I guess they have just finished up their new album in Nashville, TN. A local band I would like to see do well in 2012 is Street Pharmacy and my friend Ryan Guay, check out their new album Divorce. Also keep your eye out for Danny Lamb and Mrs Johnston, they have a new album coming out as well.

Internet links:
Astral Media

Music mentioned in this article:
The Sheepdogs
Street Pharmacy SP on Youtube
Mrs Johnston

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Los Campesinos at Lee’s Palace, Toronto – Gig review, photos + set-list

Brian Banks — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:12:43 +0000

Britpep… Los Campesinos at Lee’s Palace

The Gig: Los Campesinos
Where: Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, Canada
When: 22 January 2012
In One Word: Britpep

Sunday night in Toronto and Los Campesinos are playing the second night of their double-header at Lee’s Palace. The scene tonight at Lee’s reminds me a bit of a high school gym hall at the end-of-term disco. The geeks are sitting on the benches around the perimeter with back their backs to the walls, while on the dance-floor the cool kids boogie and fumble around a bit in the dark.

Except, Los Campesinos are no high school band.

Since originally forming at Cardiff University, Los Campesinos have gone on to get their Masters at the School of Indie Rock and they by all reports they seem to be making the grade: A growing fanbase on both sides of the atlantic, an appearance on Letterman last Friday, and Ellen Campesinos is pleasantly surprised when I inform her during our interview earlier in the evening that Los Campesinos are on the back page of the latest issue of Rolling Stone, on the chart run-down page, with the band in the top 10 of the College Radio chart.

The turnout for Los Campesinos is healthy if a bit thin; I’ll guesstimate 60-70%, with the first night being sold close to capacity. Either way, not bad for a second-nighter on a Sunday night in the middle of January.

The music of Los Campesinos is scatty, eclectic, jaggy, twinkly, shouty and bouncing with high spirits. I call it Britpep.

Brit |brit| informal, noun: a British person.
pep |pep| informal, noun: energy and high spirits; liveliness : he was an enthusiastic player, full of pep.

And there are guitars, of course. The lyrics are pretty random too but songs about girls, angst and football are delivered with an upbeat, hyper pace. That’s what you get with a seven piece, eclectic indie-pop band.

But how does it all translate live? I’m happy to be with the geeks, as I sit back to survey the scene.

Up on a tightly packed stage, the seven members of Los Campesinos get animated and start coaxing the crowd to do the same. Singer Gareth Paisey does some gentle goading to his punters by making a joke about it being the ‘sabbath’. By the time Gareth is beating his chest to “Every Defeat a Divorce (Three Lions)” a chilled crowd is a bit more livelier, and there are a few more people jumping and clapping along on the dance floor.

Gareth Paisey is the real dynamo on stage, as he shouts and beats out his lyrics, but the real harmony is created in what might otherwise be cacophony as Gareth’s sister Kim provides light, female vocals to the mix. Those vocal contrasts between the shouting boys and softly-singing girls are a hallmark of the Los Campesinos sound.

By the time “You! Me! Dancing!” is played, things have picked up a bit more. That song is Los Campesinos at they’re best. Pure gold. By this point some of the beer-suppin’, hand-clappin’ geeks have emerged from the shadows in the corner of the room and are now cautiously obeying as they get their boogie on too.

Los Campesinos: fantastic on record, but a bit of an awkward high school disco vibe when they do it live. I think that’s what I’m getting at. Or at least on a Sunday night at Lee’s Palace when half the crowd seem to have SAD. Regardless, the geeks and cool kids both leave the show happy enough. Sweet dreams, sweet cheeks.

Set-list:
By Your Hand
Romance Is Boring
Death To Los Campesinos!
Miserabilia
A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show Me State; or, Letters from Me to Charlotte
Every Defeat a Divorce (Three Lions)
Songs About Your Girlfriend
We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
There Are Listed Buildings
Straight In at 101
To Tundra
You! Me! Dancing!
The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future
Hello Sadness
Baby I Got The Death Rattle
————————
Ways To Make It Through The Wall
Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks

Pictures of Los Campesinos at Lee’s Palace:

Internet links: Los Campesinos

Los Campesinos interview with Ellen coming soon on Music Vice.

Special mention to cool cats Parenthitical Girls who I missed but spoke to at their merch table. They have some cool pop tunes, check ‘em out.

Industry Insider: Musical Director Tony Moore; ex Iron Maiden member and award-winning talent promoter

Ngawara Madison — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:55:22 +0000

Want to work in The Music Industry as a Promoter, Producer, Publicist, Executive, DJ, or Tour Manager? Industry Insider gives Music Vice readers an exclusive insight from inside the industry as we talk to music professionals. We find out the specifics of their position and how you can grab their attention. In the first installment of Industry Insider, we speak to Tony Moore.

He was an original member of Iron Maiden and Cutting Crew; has won awards and accolation for his work in promoting emerging British Talent, and his live music venue was described by The Evening Standard as “The Best Acoustic Venue in London”!

Music Vice’s Ngawara Madison recently sat down with Tony Moore to talk about the music game, and what it takes to stand out from the crowd…

As the Musical Director of The Bedford in London, England you have played a key role in the promotion of some phenomenal artists over the years. The venue has become somewhat of an institution over the past few years, and you in your role as Director have helped as a springboard of promotion for some of the UK’s top emerging talent. Artists such as Ed Sheeran, Paulo Nutini, Lucie Silvas, Daniel Bedingfield, and many more, have passed through the venues doors. How do you find these artists and what does a musician or band need to do in order to get your attention and support?

There are generally 4 routes to getting a gig with us.
1. Past artists that have already played with us, that we know suit the spirit of our events and who we love to welcome back.

2. Acts who come recommended by industry professionals whose judgement we value.

3. Performers that me and my team see at other events who impress us and inspire us to want to book them.

4. “Cold Calling” acts who send us an email to introduce themselves with links to music and video etc. We get between 100 and 150 EVERY week, so you can imagine how inundated we are with enquiries.

Tony Moore in Iron Maiden

A few years ago, The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors [BASCA] presented you with a Gold Badge Award for your work in promoting talent. You started off in the industry as a performer, playing in bands like Iron Maiden and The Cutting Crew before moving into Talent Promotion and Event Production. How did you come to make that transition and when did you realise that your career mainstay was going to be as a producer and promoter?

I have always had an eclectic background in entertainment that stretched further than just music. When I was a teenager my income came from being a “close up” magician and working everywhere from Blackpool to Toronto! I understood early on in my career about the importance of winning an audience over and I developed the fundamental skills for understanding event production and management.

However, it was in the 90′s when I felt there were no venues for singer/songwriters to play very acoustic sets that I launched a weekly show called The Kashmir Klub. It eventually ended up operating 6 nights a week and ran for 6 years. I employed all the things I had learnt through my career to create a hosted event, that was both loved by artists and audiences alike, a true win win situation.

Through that experience I developed a vision for how I wished to see shows put together, run and developed… I wanted to be able to help artists to be seen and heard at their best whilst encouraging and motivating them to deliver at the top of their game and grow artistically… This is something I then brought to The Bedford in Balham and The Regal Room in Hammersmith where I have been lucky enough to build an even bigger foundation for artists to have opportunities to be discovered.

What advice would you give to young people out there looking to get involved in event promotion and booking? What is the best way to get involved and get a ‘foot in the door’ at a venue like The Bedford, working behind the scenes?

There are some very basic things you need to understand, my promoters mantra is “book a draw or be a draw but never lose money”.

This means that the only things that sell tickets are acts that people wish to see (the draw) or you create an event (like Cirque du Soleil) where the event itself is the draw and people come because of the reputation you have created.

Don’t worry if you don’t make a profit, but NEVER lose money if you can help it.

Tony Moore with Paulo Nutini

PROMOTE PROMOTE PROMOTE! That’s the name of the game after all…

All big promoters commit a large percentage of tickets sales to marketing – if no one knows that Robbie Williams is doing a gig you won’t sell any tickets, even if he is world famous and has millions of fans. You have to tell the WORLD what you are doing and excite them to buy a ticket and come to see it!

Contacts, Relationships and Reputation are your threee secret weapons and you can only get that with experience so do all you can – work experience, internships, volunteering – work long hours, be dependable, loyal and enthusiastic. Be pro-active and learn to take the initiative and who ever you work for will spot your qualities and may well offer you a full time job… that’s how I find most of my staff.

The Music Industry is changing at the moment; Due to the rise of The internet Generation it seems to be ever increasingly important for bands and artists to have a social media presence. How important is it for a band to have a good website, twitter, facebook, etc? At what point should bands move from practicing, to performing?

Social media and public profile is essential, but it has to be done with imagination, taste, honesty and passion. The public can tell when acts are being genuine or something is being over hyped.

I say the most important thing is to practice ALL the time! NON STOP! I still play at least an hour of guitar every day. Also – get as many gigs as you can – play anywhere and everywhere at the start to build your experience and to win an audience. Be the best you can be and make sure EVERY gig is treated with the same enthusiasm as you would have if you played Wembley, because you never know WHO may be watching!

Tony Moore with Ngawara Madison.

You can follow Tony on Twitter (@tonymoore1) or find him on the net at: www.thebedford.com, www.theregalroom.com and www.tonymooremusic.com

Share and discuss using the links below. Follow Music Vice on Twitter at @MusicVice. Long Live Indie.

Red Hot Chili Peppers add 2012 tour dates – RHCP coming to Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal… not Oshawa

Rab Mutt — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:37:14 +0000

RHCP… by an Oshawa backyard?

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced new dates to their forthcoming I’m With You Tour. The new dates include three stops to Canada, with Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Unfortunately, Oshawa was overlooked – sorry Oshawa, denied, but at least you can be proud that RHCP used your picturesque town for their last photo shoot, above.

RHCP play Toronto 27 April at the ACC, Ottawa on 30 April at Scotiabank Place and Montreal’s Bell Centre 2 May. Tickets go on sale 27 and 28 January next week, depending on the venue.

Dates below, in that pesky MM/DD American format. God save Obama:

Internet links: RHCP

New ‘Industry Insider’ interview series starts this weekend

Ngawara Madison — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:09:51 +0000

Want to work in The Music Industry as a Promoter, Producer, Publicist, Executive, DJ, or Tour Manager?

Music Vice has a new interview series called ‘INDUSTRY INSIDER’, the first of which will be published tomorrow, Saturday 21 January.

Ngawara Madison goes behind closed doors to interview music industry executives and professionals ‘in the know’ to find out what makes them tick, the specifics of their position, and how to grab their attention.

A MUST READ for anyone wanting ‘a foot in the door’!

Share and discuss using the links below. Follow Music Vice on Twitter at @MusicVice. Long Live Indie.

Scottish DIY punks Cleavers get on BBC Radio – an indie feel good story

Brian Banks — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:01:23 +0000

Are you an independent artist searching for that next step? The next rung up the ladder? That seemingly intangible ‘break’? That’s you and a million other aspiring artists.

It’s easy get disheartened but here’s an indie success story in the making that may raise your spirits on a dreary winter’s day…

Elgin, Scotland based hardcore punk band Cleavers have made a breakthrough onto BBC Radio Scotland. The band first got played on the BBC Scotland in December. This January Cleavers were included in BBC Scotland’s 35 Scottish Artists to watch in 2012 by DJ Vic Galloway. Given that Cleavers only formed in late April 2011, that’s quick progress.

(Oh… and a month before they made it to the BBC, I featured Cleavers on the Music Vice magazine podcast Radio Wunderbar. Back slaps.)

So, how do you get your band on the BBC within a matter of months? Unless you have an “in” or are sleeping with a DJ, there’s no certain short-cut to getting onto FM radio. Nothing is easy in life or music, and to make it you just have to work your tits and nuts off. I’m no mathematician, but here’s a formula that might help…

TALENT + ENERGY + BEING PROLIFIC AS A MOFO = PROGRESS

Or failing that, just ask yourself ‘What would Black Flag do?’

In their few months of existence, Cleavers have been recording and releasing music prolifically, mostly demos. Armed with a cheap mixer and free recording software, the band wrote and recorded their first EP by May and gave away hundreds of copies of Cleavers wrote and recorded their first EP by May, giving away hundreds of copies on CDR. They have also been playing any show they can, from their small town in Moray, north Scotland to the big cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Led my Danny Crombie, a DIY enthusiast and artists, they have also been promoting themselves over Tumblr by posting demos, videos and artwork. Cleavers have also been selling their own self-made T-shirts – and I mean actually selling them.

Working hard and making music is the most important thing.

“We properly formed in May and played our first gig two weeks after that, the promoter said we’d only play 3 shows and disappear…. Hmmm.” – Cleavers frontman Danny Crombie, speaking to Music Vice today.

The latest demo from Cleavers is easily one of the best things I’ve heard out of Scotland so far this year – and infinitely more pleasant than the noises being made by Alex Salmond. Download the latest Cleavers demo for free here and check out “Casual Box” below.

And you may not be hearing about Cleavers in the NME anytime soon, but apparently the Highland Times just called them for an interview. Danny Crombie remains grounded. “All this shit is “happening” and yet we still only have 189 Facebook likes”.

And what’s next for the group?

“Mutli-mullion album deal ideally. Or tons more crude t-shirts, more vinyl, more tapes, less CDRs and more adventures around the UK, (and hopefully Europe), in the Deadmobile before it totally packs up.”

Share and discuss using the links below. Follow Music Vice on Twitter at @MusicVice. Long Live Indie.

Jimmy Gnecco in-depth: on the future of Ours and rumours that he is the new lead singer of Velvet Revolver

Laura Antonelli — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:14:28 +0000

Jimmy Gnecco: future frontman of Velvet Revolver?

Throughout the month of December, Jimmy Gnecco was in Los Angeles writing with Slash and Duff McKagan of Velvet Revolver. The supergroup have been on hiatus since singer Scott Weiland left the band on 1 April 2008. Last week on 12 January 2012, Scott Weiland returned to Velvet Revolver for a one-off benefit concert. Rumours persist about who will be the new permanent lead singer of the band.

Jimmy Gnecco released on 8 November, 2011 The Heart – X Edition, the full-band version of his solo album. Gnecco brought in his Ours’ bandmates to help rework nine songs from the original acoustic-based record and add one new tune. Back on 11 November 2011, Music Vice writer Laura Antonelli caught up with him again over the phone. They discussed the similarities and differences of the two albums, whether Gnecco will ever record under the name of Ours again, and the rumours of him being Velvet Revolver’s new lead singer.

Why did you want to revisit The Heart and re-record select songs with a full band?

Jimmy Gnecco – When I started to do the record the first time, the original intent was that it was not supposed to be a laboured process. It was supposed to be just my voice, my guitar, and these songs. I tried to pick songs that would sound best like that. But as I started to record the album, all these other songs started to present themselves. I was wondering if I should hold off on them and maybe do them on either a different solo album or the next Ours record. They just seemed to fit the mood of the album so I made a decision really early on. I was looking down the road a bit saying, “You know what? I can hear a few of these with a lot more than just my acoustic guitar, so I’ll record them this way and then down the line, I want to redo them.” It just turned out that it seemed like the best time to do that was sooner than later. It was a really quick process the second time around.

And did you actually re-work every song? Because some of these songs like “Mystery”, “Gravity”, “Darling” – they sound the same to me as the original recording, and maybe I’m just not musically inclined enough to hear the differences. But then I was like, ‘Oh, maybe he just didn’t touch those songs.’

Right. We added bass and remixed “Mystery”. I changed “Gravity” a bit. It’s weird. Unless you listen to them side by side you might not be able to tell, but I redid a bunch of vocals. I added more harmonies on it and I added that spacey-sounding guitar. We basically put Static on that one. Then we remixed it entirely as well. It’s not as drastically different as say “[These Are My] Hands” or “The Heart”. That was the tricky thing. I didn’t want them to lose the original spirit from those recordings. I just wanted to enhance them a bit. Some of them are more subtle than others. Like “Darling” is the same. I just did a different ending on it. I just faded it out. We added some reverb as well. So, yeah, some songs are more subtle.

Were you worried that fans would be upset that you were re-releasing this album instead of releasing new music? Because you have a lot of unreleased songs that haven’t made it to albums yet.

Yeah. Not entirely because [long pause] it was important to me to at least put a new song on it, to put “Bells” on it. And they are – if you listen to them side by side, they really are – it’s a completely different spirit about them now. Like I said, it’s kind of tricky. The reason why they might sound so similar is because most of the vocal performances haven’t really changed too much, so it’s still that same original feeling if you’re attached to the vocals. Also, I was thinking that maybe for people who didn’t get the first round just because they may not have been interested in an acoustic record, that maybe this would appeal more to them. The original The Heart wasn’t done from a standpoint of “let’s sell a ton of records” from me. It was more about the artistic choices. But they’re not all so drastically different, like one is on one version a ballad and not on the next version. When we were re-mastering this record and went back to listen to the old ones, I thought, “Wow, this is really a completely different record.” The whole feeling and the sequence of it, that’s another thing as well, just having it sequenced differently from the start to finish. It feels like a different ride.

Why did you bring in a band for this version instead of playing all the instruments yourself like you did on the original?

We had been playing these songs this way out on the road together. I just wanted to bring in some of that energy. As we played them live, I started to feel everybody else’s energy on them and I wanted that to be captured on the recording. With the exceptions of the drums, I probably could have done everything myself. I still did the bass on a couple tracks, but it’s mainly the drums I couldn’t do. I can’t really play drums in the way that Charlie did on say the “Bells”. He did a fantastic job and I couldn’t have done it. I’ve often played things myself out of necessity and this time I didn’t need to. I had everybody around, and I really enjoyed having them be a part of it.

Tell me about the tune “Bells”. It’s new that’s not on the original that you played live while touring The Heart. What’s the story of that song?

[Long pause] “Bells” seems like it’s a song I’ve been writing my entire life. There’s something about it when we play it live, it does a really, really strange thing to me. It gives me these weird flashbacks to when I was five years old of these dreams that I would have that used to actually haunt me all the time. It wasn’t a specific thing happening in these dreams, it was just a feeling. I always had awful nightmares growing up and I’d wake up in a panic with this feeling. I’ve been trying to put that feeling into a song for as long as I can remember. So that’s why it has that haunting kind of feel to it.

To tell you the full story, I’ll step back for a second, in order to make this make perfect sense for you with why “Bells” is on this record. We had never released an album in Europe. Our past three Ours records were never released overseas. Only on imports could people get them. So the idea that the first thing people were starting to hear from me was an acoustic record was a little strange to me. I didn’t really want that to be the first impression because it’s not what I normally do. And to make these acoustic albums is not something I really desired to do record after record. It was just a one-off thing.

We were talking about our European campaign and thought it would be great if people had more of a well-rounded impression of the music I normally make. I’m really grateful for The Heart coming out in Europe, but it just didn’t sit well with me or anyone else on the team that that was gonna be their first impression. That’s why it came up sooner than later. So I decided to revisit these songs because I believe in the songs. But the album still didn’t have that “Fallen Souls” or that “Miseryhead” or “Here is the Light” or “Red Colored Stars”, it didn’t have that kind of song. We had done “Bells” and I was really proud of it. So I said, “Let’s put ‘Bells’ on that record” and I’ll feel better about that being peoples first impression of what we do. That paved a path as to why we’re doing the whole thing. If there’s gonna be one song that covers the whole feeling of most of our work, I think “Bells” does that. Does that make sense?

Yeah, it does make sense, actually. The first time I heard it, I thought, “This is classic Gnecco” like it should be on Distorted Lullabies, so you saying that completely makes sense.

That was the thing, that’s why for our first impression to Europe I really wanted to put “Bells” out. Because I felt like this would really bring people up to speed in one record. I’m really aware of the kind of album I made with Distorted Lullabies. People would always say, “We love Distorted Lullabies. You should do that again.” The whole thing was that I already made that album. I know how I made Distorted Lullabies and I can make that record again if I wanted to, but why would we want to do that? That’s really boring as an artist if you’re not taking people to new places. In fact, I never even liked putting the same kind of song on the same album. But I wanted to show people that I still have that in me with “Bells”. So, yeah, good ear, good ear.

Thank you. I think the new version of “These Are My Hands” really stands out on this album, and your daughter sings backing vocals on it. Tell me about the evolution of that song.

Well, the quick story of that song is I dreamt it one night when I was in Windsor. We were in town playing a show there at the college. When I woke up that morning I had the whole song in my head. I actually originally had heard it as it is on this new record. I heard it sounding like this war song. Groups and choruses of people were singing this war song almost the sense of, “Let’s end this. Let’s bring our people home and stop fighting.” I heard it in more of a big group vocal, it’s just that I stuck to my original principles of how I was gonna make the first record which was not to put too much on it. So when I went back to do it, it made sense to me to have people singing that with me. So during the sing along section, my daughter’s singing with me and April is singing as well.

Do you like or prefer a version more of The Heart?

[Long pause] If I was out driving, or running, or more in a place where I really wanted to crank it up, I would probably play the new record. I think every album we’ve made was made to be played loud and to be an exciting experience for people. So I would probably gravitate more toward this one. [Pause] Here’s how I feel about it. Here’s the short of it [laughs] as I’m going on about it.

[Laughs]

When I put the first version of The Heart on over and over again when I was making the sequence on it, by the time I got to “Mystery” [the third song], I was in tears every time. I just found myself so overwhelmed with emotion. It was just an emotional record for me to write and to create, and then listen back. Sometimes you don’t even know what you’re going through until after you listen back to it all. Sometimes it’s not for months or years after you’ve written something and recorded it. When you listen back you feel exactly what you were going through. So the original album was always such an emotional ride for me. Because it was such a personal experience, it was something I liked to put on and go on that ride all by myself.

Do you think that where you are in your life now personally and on an emotional level has changed since you recorded the original; ultimately, resulting in these new energetic versions of these songs?

Yeah, because we found a spirit that was very much alive in these songs when we went out to play them. When I was recording them, I was feeling nothing but death, to tell you the truth. I was overcome with the emotion of death, so that weighed heavy on those recordings. When we went out on the road, we started to find real life in these songs, and I think we brought more of that out in the new version.

The Deluxe edition on iTunes includes five videos from your concert for a Bright Antenna Sessions at FM Recorders. Tell me about this performance. Will the whole concert be released on DVD?

I’m not sure. I hope so. We have a lot of footage from it. We even have an extended version about the process of making it which was a lot of fun. I hope we get more of it out to people. Those were the videos that right away I felt the best about from the whole experience. I haven’t looked at it all but I think I feel pretty good about the rest of it, so I think eventually that will see the light of day. If not, we have a lot more of that on its way.

The future is gonna be a bit different now because I’m a free agent. I’m not sure if I’ll make records with a label, if I’ll sign another deal. Being on Bright Antenna was just for The Heart, so we’ll see. I’m gonna start looking at different ways to release music and see what is the best way. I’m not sure if being on a label is the best route for me or maybe it’s just about finding the right home, but I have too much music that I need to release. My real hope when I found Bright Antenna was to get a facility and just knock out a lot of music in a short period of time. It was just taking too long again. It’s been three years since Mercy came out and I’d like to just release more music more frequently.

One of the videos is your cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying”, and the last time we spoke you said you were going to record it. I don’t think that ended up happening though, did it?

It did. I have a recorded version of it.

But you didn’t release it?

I don’t know. We were supposed to release that. I thought that we would be releasing that with this record. It’s what we were talking about, but I don’t know. But I do have it recorded. [laughs]

Read on – story continued on page 2

Say Hello To… Slyde – video interview

Brian Banks — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:11:36 +0000

Ottawa, Ontario based metal band Slyde first came to our attention when they played Indie Week music festival back in October last year. With their flying V’s, windmills and ridiculous arpeggios, the band made a big first impression. Three months later, and with half the band now relocated to Toronto, Music Vice caught up with Slyde during their January mini-tour of southern Ontario. Taking their musical inspirations from European melodic metal bands such as Soilwork, prog rock and video game music of 80s and 90s, while throwing political lyrics and ridiculous arpeggios, Slyde offer something a bit different to the current rock scene in Canada.

My first thought of Slyde was that they seemed to me to be straight out of Wayne’s World. With some geekish qualities that other rock bands may hide behind their Ray Bans or cigarettes, Slyde are a fun band to watch and provide a breathe of fresh air to a typically broody metal scene. The fun side of Slyde was reconfirmed when I met the band again earlier this month, with Nicholas Favretto warming up for the show by doing various stretches on the dance floor… Stretches that are much needed given the amount of time that Slyde spend spinning their long-haired heads in windmills on stage.

Nathan Da Silva (guitar/vocals), Sarah Westbrook (keyboards) and bassist Nicholas Favretto spoke to me about their influences, politics, social consciousness, conspiracy theories and their ambitions as a band, including taking on Europe. The full video interview is below, together with live footage from the band’s tour earlier this month.

Internet links: Visit Slyde at Slyde.ca for links to their music and find them on Facebook

Big thanks to Slyde for lending us their own video camera for this interview – that’s indie community spirit!

Share and discuss using the links below. Follow Music Vice on Twitter at @MusicVice. Long Live Indie.

Say Hello To… Lee MacDougall

Ngawara Madison — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:30:22 +0000

Lee MacDougall – photo credit Lisa Serrano

Music Vice first came across Lee MacDougall last summer, when it was announced that he would be supporting ex-Sex Pistol, Glen Matlock, at London’s famed 100 Club. Less than two weeks after that performance, Lee was opening for Bon Jovi at Hard Rock Calling in London’s Hyde Park! Talk about a fast track break into the mainstream! A cross country tour of The United States ensued soon after, as well as stream of opening spots with Atlantic Music songstress Rumer [who Lee describes as “the most grounded and down to earth person I've ever met in the music industry”].

Every artist has a story to tell and Lee Macdougall’s biography reads almost like a Brothers Grimm tale! Growing up in the seaport village of Grimsby, Lee MacDougall seemed destined like most of his school friends for a small town life, working in the towns fish processing plants. However, Lee took off to the big smoke of London soon after University and worked hard at ‘lucking out’.
Wih his raw lyrics and charismatic personality, it didnt take Lee long to link up with a number of Londons top live promoters, and the twenty-something year old was soon playing the capitols live circuit. It seems that despite the inevitable ups and downs of the industry, Lee has managed to find his own niche, and if 2011 is anything to go by then 2012 looks to be an exciting year for the would-be factory worker from Grimsby.

Sounds Like: a cuppa with Tom Petty and Rod Stewart! Lee takes his inspiration from classic acts, The Beatles and The Kinks; but shows his age in musical moments that draw more from the Nirvana and Oasis sets.

INTERVIEW: Music Vice’s Ngawara caught up with Lee in London recently to discuss New Years Resolutions…

So! 2012! Happy New Year! How are you Lee? Any New Years Resolutions? What are the main things youre focusing on as an artist as you get the ball rolling with twenty twelve?

Lee: Happy New Year to you too! I asked my friend about resolutions the other day and she said “to drink less”, and I like to be different so I guess mine would be to drink more [laughs] Let’s not mess about! I don’t know, I always feel really positive with a new year, it always feels like a new beginning or a second chance… The first half of the year I will be constantly on tour in Europe and the USA, and then with the second half of the year ideally I am hoping to finish writing and recording a new record.

A lot ahead of you then! Sounds very productive. One thing that stood out to us at Music Vice about you as an artist, is the fact that for an English singer/songwriter, you have a suprisingly strong American fanbase. You have been on two tours there so far. Can you tell us a little bit about where youve been and how that situation came to be?

Lee: I just think that people in the US and Canada are intrigued a little by us Brits, just in the same way we are intrigued by them. Music is always a little more exotic when it has traveled 4000 miles to be heard and it is sung with a funny accent. I did two 35-date tours of the US and Canada last year and I’m about to start a third tour in March. Basically playing in everywhere. New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Austin, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Vancouver… all the major cities. It all came about through the Internet and my online fan base who are absolutely amazing. Things can spread pretty fast these days and fortunately for me things seemed to spread really quickly online enabling me to jump on a plane and start touring.

…but you are also quite busy with your trips over to Germany and other places in the EU. Where would you say your strongest fanbase is thesedays?

Lee: Yeah the people in Germany have been really supportive too. I love playing out there, it’s a really great place. Though funnily enough i get tonnes of letters from Australia and Brazil. I definitely need to get out and visit those countries in the near future

The “singer/songwriter” niche is a heavily contested spot and there is quite a bit of competition in your field thesedays…

Lee: I don’t think being a singer songwriter is anymore contested than anything else to be honest. There are always going to be lots of singers and lots of bands, but it’s not a competition. There’s always room for a good song.

Do you have a thing that sets you apart from the regular crowd? A ‘thing’ as it were?

Lee: Well I’m not really into gimmicks and all that. I just sing the songs that I write, and don’t really pay much attention to what other people are doing. I’m from Grimsby: I don’t think that anyone from Grimsby has had a record out before, maybe that could be my thing!

You recently supported songstress Rumer on tour for her Northern English dates, how did those shows go?

Lee: Yeah those shows with Rumer were incredible, the best I’ve ever played. It’s a funny feeling walking out on your own each night to sing to 2,000 people in a huge concert hall. The venues were really beautiful and the acoustics in those places were awesome. I started unplugging my guitar after a while and singing without the mic, I don’t know if anyone has ever done that in venues that big before but it seemed to work really well. You could hear a pin drop.

Will you be doing any more with her and her camp this year?

Lee: Yes, well hopefully I can do some more shows with her this year, either in the UK or the US. She has a phenomenal voice and is probably the most grounded and down to earth person I’ve ever met in the music industry.

What other artists have you played alongside?
Lee: I’ve played alongside some really great artists in the last couple of years; Train, Paolo Nutini. I opened at the Hyde Park Calling Festival in London where Bon Jovi was headlining, and Glenn Matlock from the Sex Pistols asked me to open for him recently at the 100 Club in London, that was a really cool show.

Those are some pretty big names! Grimsby must seem very far away at times. Okay, so something i always like to ask, because it says a lot about an artist an their musical personality; if we were musically introducing somebody to ‘Lee Macdougall’, which song of yours should be played first?

Lee: I’d go with a song of mine called “She”.

When are your next shows coming up? Touring or showcase plans?

Lee: I start a 5 week tour of Germany and Austria on January 19th, and then it’s back to the USA for SXSW and a 2 month tour in March.

Lee MacDougall – “She”:

Internet links:
LeeMacDougallmusic.com You can also find Lee on Twitter @LeeMacDougall and on Facebook.

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Photo gallery: The Creepshow, The Dreadnoughts and The Brains at The Opera House, Toronto

Brian Banks — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:12:02 +0000

Sarah Blackwood of Walk Off The Earth Youtube viral fame, on stage with The Brains

The Gig: The Creepshow, The Dreadnoughts and The Brains
Where: The Opera House, Toronto, ON, Canada
When: 7 January 2012
In One Word: Stupendous

Talk about an “I was there” concert…

48 hours after the video featuring The Creepshow’s Sarah Blackwood went viral as a member of her other project Walk Off The Earth [who we interviewed just last month... talk about finger on the pulse, eh?], The Creepshow played one of the wildest concerts Toronto will see this year. Together with Vancouver’s The Dreadnoughts and Montreal boys The Brains, this was one show that all in attendance will not be forgetting in a hurry.

My photographs below capture some of the electric atmosphere at this show – I hope you enjoy them.

Photos of The Creepshow, The Dreadnoughts and The Brains (featuring Sarah Blackwood for one song) at:

Internet links:
The Creepshow
The Dreadnoughts
The Brains
Brian Banks – photographer

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Coachella 2012 line-up announced – tickets on sale Friday 10am PST

Brian Banks — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:26:38 +0000

Who says nothing good ever happens on a Monday? Coachella just announced their line-up for the 2012 festival.

The line-up for Coachella 2012 is confirmed as being the greatest line-up for a music festival since dinosaurs walked the earth. (Or, Jimi Hendrix – whoever came first.) Radiohead, M83, The Big Pink, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Pulp, The Hives, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg, Florence + The Machine… did we mention Pulp?!? Pretty much every artist worth talking about is on the bill for Coachella 2012… just look at the poster below.

Coachella 2012 falls on two consecutive weekends this year – the weekends of the 13th to 15th & 20th to 22nd of April – with an identical line-up being repeated on the second weekend to allow more people to attend the festival. Tickets will go on sale this Friday 13 January at 10AM PST, (that’s 1PM EST (Toronto/New York and 6PM GMT (London/Glasgow) at www.coachella.com.

My reaction, in 140 characters or less? HOLYAMAZINGBESTFESTIVALLINEUPOFMYLIFETIME!GODSPEEDYOUBLACKEMPERORRADIOHEADM83PULPARCTICMONKEYSGOTYETHEHIVES!

Get excited! Must go!

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Album review: The Maccabees – Given To The Wild

Lauren Towner — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:40:50 +0000

Title: Given To The Wild
Artist: The Maccabees
Label: Fiction Records/Universal Music
Released: 10 January 2012
In one word: Progress

It comes as no surprise to me that after almost three year gap after releasing their second album Wall of Arms, that The Maccabees would come back with a more mature, confident and experimental sound with Given To The Wild. While listening to this album, its quite hard to believe that this is the same band who, on their debut album Colour It In that was released in 2007, were singing about the wave machine at the Latchmere Leisure Centre in London. Given To The Wild represents a significant development in the band’s sound as it focuses on layers of complex horn segments.

The first track, “Child”, kicks in after a two minute long instrumental. I first heard this track back in 2010 while the band were testing out new material and warming up for the Reading and Leeds festivals at the Concorde 2 in Brighton. It rolls in gently, and singer Orlando Weeks is atop in a dreamy and more relaxed vocal, but then all of a sudden the said horn segments kick in towards the end of the song, making it a song that was designed to please even the biggest of Maccabees fans.

Future single “Feel To Follow” is one of the record’s highlights in the way that “Love You Better” and “Can You Give It” demonstrated before whereas “Ayla” is carried along by a scintillating piano.

With its underlying programmed beats, “Go” is yet another highlight as its radio-friendly chorus and piercing guitar solo making it one of the stand-out tracks on the album. “Pelican” was the first release from Given To The Wild and is my favourite track on the album. It’s something that you would expect to hear on a Maccabees album, with the fast-paced guitars and infectious melody. It is set to be a staple track in the band’s live set and will be igniting pits up and down the country on their impending UK tour.

Given To The Wild makes for some uneasy listening in places, but is sterling in others. Instead of resting on their laurels or taking the easy option, The Maccabees have made an album that was a risk but it pays off. This is the sound of progress. A record that gives current fans something new and fresh, and that will undoubtedly find them many new fans too. The Maccabees enter 2012 waving the flag high for British indie, and have set the bar for other bands to shoot for. And yes, it’s only January but I expect to see this in many top 10 albums of the year lists, come December.

Given To The Wild is out today in the UK and tomorrow, Tuesday 10 January in Canada and the US

Internet links: The Maccabees

The Maccabees – “Pelican”

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Slyde at Hard Luck Bar, Toronto – Gig review and video

Brian Banks — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:57:24 +0000

The Gig: Slyde
Where: Hard Luck, Toronto, ON, Canada
When: 6 January 2012
In One Word: Windmills

How apt that Canadian metal veterans Anvil should be standing at the back of the room at Hard Luck Bar, while on stage a big-dreaming young metal band called Slyde were entertaining the crowd, playing a show that could be seen as the next step of their own Anvil-like journey towards that eternal quest of all musicians: To make it.

Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow and Robb Reiner’s lifetime struggle to pursue their own rockstar dreams was captured wonderfully in the documentary Anvil: The Story Of Anvil. The success of that film, that had metalheads more watery eyed than Metallica & Lou Reed’s Lulu (but for altogether different reasons), has led to Anvil being forever immortalised in Canadian music folklore, while the band has toured extensively since and recorded their last album This Is Thirteen at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606. A poster story for determination, if ever there was one.

Anvil’s story drew lots of comparisons to the infamous metal mockumentary Spinal Tap, and the fun side to Anvil’s character added to the charm. Slyde have a comparable charm factor; a burly, Pantera-mold of metal band, they are not. They play a metal show that is actually enjoyable to watch, and in the moment it’s hard not to nudge the cute blonde nearby and inquire, “Are Slyde not the greatest band ever?!” With big hair windmills, deft keyboard arpeggios, a six-string bass, guitar tapping, face-twisting passion… it’s all ridiculous. Frontman Nathan Da Silva’s guitar case for his Flying V is even cut to the shape of the Flying V itself. Brilliant. Throw some socially and environmentally conscious lyrics into the mix, and you have an unusual – and more than just a tad geeky – metal band. Slyde are a heck of a lot of fun to watch. Yet while they are fun, none of what they do is a joke – being fun and resembling something of a caricature of a metal band is just part of what Slyde are about. With their presentation and performance, the band make a real effort to entertain their crowd. And with half the group already having moved recently to Toronto from Ottawa, they are serious with their ambitions. What really matters is the music…

At Hard Luck, the level of musicianship of this band was damn impressive. Slyde are so articulate. The classically trained Sarah Westbrook is frequently the extra dimension as she links and sets-up the guitar and bass players for all their fluctuations as the music goes from melodic metal to high-octane metal, with a distinctly European feel. The reception in Toronto was warm but if a little standoffish. If this was a rock club in Scandinavia it may easily have been a different story. The fun, cheesy factor of their driving upbeat metal has a distinct Euro tang to it that would export well… Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, are you reading?

Without getting too carried away with poetic license, there is a bit of a sad irony seeing a band pack up their gear to the stage backdrop emblazoned with the giant letters ‘Hard Luck’. It’s still early days for this group, with just one full-length recording under their belts. At the moment they lack the one or two A songs they need to really pull a following. Yet 48 hours after seeing this show, I was still enthusiastically regaling to friends about Slyde: With some bigger hooks, Slyde could have their fans singing their tunes after the show too.

Watch out for an interview with Slyde, coming soon to Music Vice.

Video footage of Slyde performing new song “Take Us Away” at Hard Luck Bar

Internet links: Slyde

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