The Spill Magazine Online

Brothers from Another Planet

If you have ever wondered where the future of indie pop/rock is going, it
may well be headed in the direction of The Epochs.

Brothers Ryan (keys and vocals) and Hays Holladay (guitar, vocals) make up half of the Brooklyn-based band that is rounded out by a drummer simply known as Kotchy and bassist Kevin Smith. While you may not need to travel at light speed to get to Brooklyn just yet, The Epochs have wrought a CD that would be appropriate for cranking when the science of time travel catches up to their aesthetic. Their sound is undeniably cool, organic and intergalactic; garnished by electronica, but really a main entree of smart, finely crafted pop. Songs like “Love Complete” hint at a bossa nova back beat that rises and falls like a dance of champagne bubbles.

Recently, The Spill got a chance to ask Ryan Holladay via e-mail for some hi-tech insight about the band and where he sees indie rock fitting into the mainstream music industry.

SPILL: Do you think technology will help or hinder independent musicians 5-10
years from now in creating, producing and marketing music themselves?

RH: Well, those are very different things. The technology to make music
has become really affordable, which has benefited us tremendously. Ten
years ago, we couldn't have made the record we made in our bedroom, so
we're happy about that. Technology as a way to promote or market
independent music is a little less clear. I'm still not convinced
there's been any levelling of the playing field. Take MySpace, for
instance. A few years back it felt like a great equalizer, where major
labels and garage bands could both compete equally. At least that
seemed to be the pitch. Now it's littered with spaces and
opportunities for big labels to purchase exposure. We're back
where we started, and that seems to be how it always happens with
these new technologies.

SPILL: Your music has been described as smart, multilayered, New York pop.
What have your musical influences been, and do you think you represent
a sound that can be described as "American"?

RH: I think most bands have a hard time describing or categorizing
their music, but I have to admit that I'm particularly bad at this. As
far as our influences go, we have a 6 CD changer in the van. Here's
what's currently in it: John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band, a J Dilla mix CD, Randy Newman’s Sail Away, Jorge Ben’s Forca Bruta, and a Zulu Pearl’s CD.

SPILL: What do you think will influence your sound in the next 2-5 years?

RH: Success, I hope? Ha!

SPILL: Do you think technology will save the recording industry from its
current state of flux in regards to handling the evolution of digital
media?

RH: I do. It's a tough time to be attempting to make a living out of
making music. We know that first hand. The goal has traditionally been
to sign a record contract, of course, but now that seems like less of
a sure bet. That said, nothing has emerged as a real alternative.
That's why bands are getting into these terrible record deals still. I
don't blame them. Unless you want to run your own label and spend most
of your time doing work that has nothing to do with music, then you
have little choice but to sign. We're doing everything ourselves right
now and it's incredibly time consuming. We want to partner with
someone to help out but it hasn't made sense yet. As far as the
industry of music, I do think there's a light at the end of this
tunnel, but things may still need to get worse before they can get
better. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

- Amy Loeffler

Andy Swan Hits the Ground Running

Ten years ago Andy Swan was bursting at the seams with creativity, writing lyrics and songs, that he finally decided to lay down on his 4-track with no concrete intention in mind other than self satisfaction. After getting some recordings together Andy decided to compile some of his best tunes and start sending demos around. To his surprise his music was very well received and one of the demos made it's way into the hands of Exclaim Magazine writer and future head of Kelp Records Jon Bartlett, who had all but rave reviews about Andy's music. Bartlett eventually invited Andy to join the Kelp team and Andy was pleased to accept. This was the start of a great relationship for the pair and Andy has since become one of Kelp's main focuses.

Shortly after Andy's third release titled Andy Swan's Ottawa, reviews started coming in from large publications such as the National Post, The Globe and mail, Eye, and NOW magazine, all to great review. This was a huge step for Andy and the Kelp label as it was the best press any of the Kelp artists had garnered, and by far the best Andy had received. Andy is currently promoting his cd with local shows in the Toronto area and plans on touring Canada in the near future. When asked about his plans for 2008 Andy said "I would like to try and record an EP a month, I need deadlines or nothing gets done." That may sound like a daunting task, however, if anyone can churn out that amount of material it would be Andy, I mean for a guy who's side solo project produced a 27 song cd outside of his other band The Michael Parks (formerly Detective Kalita), this should be a clear indication that an EP a month would be something of ease for him.

I was curious about Andy's thoughts on myspace and YouTube revolutionizing the face of music and if he thinks it is for the the best. His reply: "Now with home recordings being so cheap, it's a lot easier to get demos out there and with myspace it takes away manufacturing costs and the middle man between the artist and the fans." Andy has no plans on making a video, but he is all for how myspace and YouTube have made it easier for artists to get noticed, to make connection and attract new fans. He mentioned the only downside is the number of artists with profiles online, making it tougher to get noticed.

It was a pleasure being introduced to Andy's music and having the chance to interview him, he's humble, pleasant, and extremely talented. If Mr. Swan hits his Mark of an EP a month, the music world no doubt be paying lots of well deserved attention to a man who certainly has the talent and drive for a long and rewarding music career.

-Andre Skinner

Bringin’ the Nu Funk Sound To A Dance Floor Near You: Toronto’s God Made Me Funky

“We did have to get over the hump of people being like, ‘Are you guys a Christian polka band?’ Nooo, funk…” says PHATT al, lead rapper of the Toronto band God Made Me Funky, chuckling. The name—as original as the music this eclectic troupe puts out—actually comes from a Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters song title, and thank God for it!

God Made Me Funky has been together longer than most bands can manage to stay friends and you can feel it in the ease with which they fuse incredibly variant styles of music to form a solid ‘n bumpin’ nu funk sound. They started out in the new jazz fusion movement of the ‘90s, and have developed over the decade into an original entity. “We’ve become more of a collective than a band,” PHATT al says, “That’s where the funk sound really started to emerge.” God Made Me Funky boasts a nine member band of variously trained musicians, from classical to jazz to hip hop, the common bond among them, as PHATT al puts it is “just to play and get people to dance and have a really really great time.”

This diversity reflects an amalgamation of sounds, “That’s nu funk to us; that’s the mosaic that we bring to music.” PHATT al, coming from a hip hop background himself, describes the band’s fusion not as a ‘each member represents their own style’ kind of thing but, rather, as a meeting of many minds open to mixing sounds. “It’s not like ‘I’m the rapper,’” PHATT al assures us.

He attributes this openness to being from Canada, which is an interesting point taken from someone who lives half the year in L.A. In fact, it seems, the more time PHATT al spent in the U.S. in the past, the more he realized the advantage of being a musician here. “Being from Canada and growing up with just so many different cultures around me and musical influences … I started to realize the advantage that I had was my mind was really open to just different sounds all the time. That’s what really drew me to being in God Made Me Funky, just the fact that there were so many different influences and people were really open to collaborating together and making a new sound.”

When he was first exploring the U.S. music scene, PHATT al found that it was “really segregated and it was really weird to me.” Sending out some true patriot love, PHATT al says, “What we [the band] get from being together is just the experience of being with people from different cultural backgrounds and their ability to accept who you are and teach you about themselves also. It’s such a wonderful experience.”

On that note, one can’t help but wonder what it’s like traveling with nine bustling musicians on their cross-Canada tour bus. “It does get fun at times,” PHATT al laughs, again. Ever-full of positivity, he chalks it up to yet another learning experience. “Either a band will completely implode and destroy itself or you get to be like a family and that’s what we are at this point. We are, basically, the nu funk Patridge family.”

It sounds like a non-stop party with God Made Me Funky, indeed. The recent release of their album, “Enter The Beat,” has got them on tour and bringing the beat along. Though they’ve received much press for recent commercial-and-film appearances, the band is definitely known for their live performances. PHATT al boasts just how important the show is to their music. “We don’t record any songs that we haven’t played for an audience.” If making people dance is the goal, God Made Me Funky seems to be doing just that.

But ask PHATT al ‘what can we expect from the live show?’ kind of questions and his answer is, predictably, another chuckle. “The live show is basically a free for all where anything can happen and does.” God Made Me Funky, he explains, focuses the development of their live sound largely on audience response. “In the studio you can make things happen and you’ve got time to make things happen. On stage you’ve got this one shot to really just show people what you got, show people what you’re about.”

He links the band’s diverse sound with a general movement of music listeners today. “It is such a mash up of music now. People are no longer sitting there saying ‘I’m a metal head’ or ‘I’m a hip-hopper,’ it’s just ‘I listen to music…that’s probably one of the greatest accomplishments in music is that people are now able to broaden their minds and free themselves from just being trapped by labels, you know. Go out there and just listen to music and have fun, and that’s dope.”

Breaking through all conceivable label barriers, as they hope their audiences will, too, PHATT al says, “We go for it every single show. That for us is the epitome of what we do, bringing the live show to the people.” God Made Me Funky builds on audience response and then brings that vibe into the studio, as opposed to doing it the other way around. Thinking of the dancing throngs, PHATT al says: “They’re not our fans, they’re our equivalents. If we don’t have a good show, we know it because people aren’t moving. They’re not fans to us, they’re nufunktonians. Everywhere we go, we bring nufunktonia.”

God Made Me Funky was just nominated for their first Juno award for Best RnB/Soul Recording of the year for the album “We Can All Be Free.” The new album, “Enter The Beat,” is in stores March 11^th, 2008.

- Aurora Prelevic

A Minimal Overdose of Matthew Barber

One of the first things one notices about Matthew Barber is his eyes; not the startling blue of them, but the clear intensity present within them. When he speaks to you, he meets your gaze confidently, devoid of any pretension, and it’s easy to understand how this man can pour forth such honesty into his music.

His new album, Ghost Notes, is the culmination of two years of creative exploration. Completed over the course of six days at Bathouse studio in Kingston, Ontario, most of the songs were recorded with Matthew singing live alongside other musicians rather than having each layer recorded separately. This is his first release since 2005’s Sweet Nothing and the change in sound is notable. While the previous album was more “guitar riffy”, this time he chose to unplug and reduce the electric influence, hoping that the end result would capture the feel of a live concert.

"My aim was to get away from electric guitar work. This is more geared toward a mellow, singer-songwriter sound," said Barber. Preferring what he called a “minimal overdose” of musicians, Matthew hoped to aim for a less polished sound on this album. By not fussing too much during the recording process he has created a sincere, personable CD that can reach listeners on multiple levels.

Ghost Notes is a very intimate album, but Barber manages to balance the vulnerability shown therein with the strength and insight gained from personal growth. There is no overly-emotional sappiness here, just very real expression from someone who isn’t afraid to let his walls down. Delicate melodies are interwoven with more assertive, higher-energy songs, “And You Give”, for example, has the kind of groove to it that inspires instant finger-drumming, toe-tapping response from the listener.

The lyrics are poignant without being pretentious, and the simplicity of the melodies make them appealing to anyone listening. There is a profoundness to his poetry that becomes apparent the more it is heard. Though Matthew may speak softly, his words carry a great deal of weight. The cadence of his speech and his word choice, both in conversation and in song, hint at a definite draw to philosophy-- the very subject in which he earned a Master’s degree.

"I thought of my favourite albums—those I listen to over and over again,” he said, “ and decided that I wanted to make a record like that; one that I wouldn't get tired of listening to." The influences of bands that Matthew holds dear are notable in the songs he creates; Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Led Zeppelin are but a few names listed among his favourites. There is a timelessness to these musicians, and that same characteristic echoes through Ghost Notes.

When asked if he had a favourite song on this album, after a great long pause, Matthew said that he had a particular affinity for “Easily Bruised”. “I like the arc it takes as it starts out, how the band worked together to play the song. But really each song on the album is special to me in its own way.”
Matt’s sister Jill lends her talents to this album as well by contributing “ghostly” background vocals on a few tracks, adding another rich layer to the music. The two siblings are very close, and have supported each other in their musical careers since their late teens. Neither of their parents are musically inclined, so Matthew and Jill were each other’s “saving grace” in terms of their musical growth. While they have sung on each other’s albums and performed together, they have yet to collaborate on the conception/creation of a song, instead taking supportive roles with each other’s careers.

However, the Barber siblings are currently on their first North American trip together and their “Sibling Revelry” tour will arrive in Toronto, April 3 at the Rivoli. More details regarding concert dates and some samples of Matthew’s album Ghost Notes can be found on his Myspace page at www.myspace.com/mbarber

- Lana Winter

Diving Deep With Morcheeba

Morcheeba, a quietly popular British band consisting of brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey surfaced in England during the early 90’s, playing a unique style of soulful trip-hop dance music. Their refreshing sound first came to light in 1996 with the album Who Can You Trust? Worldwide success and a following ensued and the brothers managed to produce consistently great music for the next ten years. However, after releasing The Anidote in 2005, Morcheeba decided to lay low. Three years later they are now resurfacing with an impressive new effort called Dive Deep. Speaking over the phone with brother Paul, who still calls England home, we discussed the new album, modern music and what caused the lull between recording The Antidote and Dive Deep.

After their last album, the Godfrey brothers become disillusioned with the music industry, Paul explained. On top of that their father died and therefore they retreated into their own personal worlds. For Paul, this was a dark period in his life. The depression he experienced as a teen reared its ugly head again but this time he felt he couldn’t shake it. “I was in a right state, even had thoughts of suicide. It was the worst time in my whole life, a time where nothing had any meaning. I was running away from my problems, not facing things at the time. I guess I was going through a premature mid life crisis of sorts!” he said.

This bleakness stalled him musically and was the primary cause behind their lack of musical production the past few years. “It was like a rite of passage, I realized I had to accept adult responsibility and grow up. Everything is so fast forward, you don’t have time to reflect on or adjust to anything, and you are just thrown into it,” he explained.

After some time, Paul had a talk with his brother Ross about beginning work on a new album. The brothers agreed Paul would produce the disc and put all his manic energy into the album. This lifted his depression and allowed him to channel his emotions into music. The soul, intensity and honesty of this emotion is etched into the songs and results in a gift to the listener. The title Dive Deep, Paul explained, is intended to evoke the image of a band immersing themselves in oceanic sound to ease their pain. When asked how his depression impacted his little brother he replied, “It didn’t! Ross moved to Hollywood because his girlfriend is there, he has a different life there, he goes out to the desert, he is having fun. He hasn’t experienced the crisis yet being younger so we’ll see.”

Working with family isn’t always easy and Ross and Paul have had their share of personal and creative differences as Morcheeba. “Ross drives me mad! He is very difficult; he annoys the hell out of me.” Paul confided, “It can be awful working with a sibling, as those relationships tend to be more extreme but at the same time it has a positive influence on the music and we are close as a result.”

On the new album Morcheeba decided to again collaborate with a variety of guest vocalists including Judie Tzuke, Thomas Dybdahl, Cool Calm Pete and French singer, Manda. In a very modern move, they advertised on My Space when searching for contributors instead of using the traditional route. “We get messages from singers around the world through iTunes, My Space etc and the ones we connected with and decided to collaborate with now perform in the live shows,” Paul explained.

While the brothers are the creative core of Morcheeba, the guest vocalists were able to add their own touches to the record. “They have lots of creative input, a hell of a lot actually and they bring it to the table,” Paul explained. “That’s the thing really, I guess people think we are on a big ego trip and are controlling and won’t let others in but with Dive Deep it was the opposite, we had less control and the artists drove this and made it work.”

Having stepped back from the music world for a few years, Paul has had a chance to reflect on the current state of affairs and his perspective on the music scene is that there is not much of one left. “It can be very gloomy but we do live in interesting times. The problem is that many of the artists are ironed out, packaged by the record labels that tend to choose one band to focus on. They groom and promote them; others are shut out. Not much of an open mind there...” he joked. “It’s hard to make a living with all the new laws, media etc. it is more complex and difficult to navigate. We were fortunate to already be established before the industry changed. I wouldn’t want to be in a new band starting out now. Record companies have a narrow view, one has to go to desperate measures to get recognition.”

Despite his bleak assessment of modern music, Paul still has hope. “I want to believe that things aren’t going down the toilet, that they will be good again. There is a revival in the UK of some sort, some interesting things happening. The club scene has not really developed into anything different but there is something called dubstep, where trip hop and drum & bass are making a come back.”

The tour to promote Dive Deep is currently under way and comes to Toronto at the end of March. “We are going all over with this tour,” Paul said enthusiastically. “North America is first this time, Europe after that.” Though he misses his family while touring, performing around the world has its pleasures for Paul. “I love Eastern Europe, they are soaking [our music] up, it’s a refreshing attitude, and it’s all-new to them so they are very open to the music. I also enjoy playing the old cities like New York, Paris, Toronto and Vancouver. They have all been good to us.”

Often with electronic-based music what sounds great in the studio doesn’t translate well on stage and performances can come off as cold and indifferent. Morcheeba tries to avoid this pitfall by connecting directly to the audience. “It’s a different experience, the warmth comes from the lovely audiences and their response to the music.” he explained. “What is it about Morcheeba shows?” he asked. “We get couples coming out and they are hugging and kissing in the audience. It’s funny!”

After a long absence Morcheeba fans are surely excited to have the band back in the loop. Dive Deep is a great album that reminds us of the strength and warmth of this band while displaying fresh and new ideas. Toronto will undoubtedly welcome the band with open arms Mar. 30^th when they come to The Opera House.

- Daria Essop-Lafontaine

A New Nation Rising: The Red, Yellow and Blue of the Born Ruffians

A low moan is sounded out against a loose and atmospheric guitar, while distant whistling announces a march. There is a rolling drum beat, and then a cry: “HEY! If I started my own country, for the flag what colours would I use? Such a myriad to choose from, I’d pick red yellow and blue”. These opening bars of the title track from the Born Ruffian debut album Red Yellow and Blue sounds almost like a revolutionary hymn. And though the boys of the Born Ruffians would likely never assume the role of activist—they’re far too grounded to attribute such lofty ambition to their album—there’s something pioneering about their style, and their sound. Lively but substantial, Red Yellow and Blue (released with US label Warp) is a collection of curiously upbeat and charged, eclectic, anthems. But if they do start a new country, I’m moving there.

A Born Ruffian in name only, lead singer and guitarist Luke LaLonde seems anything but a rough and tumble type. He’s timid, pensive, and painfully humble. His gaze is often downcast as he answers questions thoughtfully from behind his beer with disarming sincerity. He explains that much is often made of the band’s youthful appearance. Lalonde, bassist Mitch DeRosier and drummer Steve Hamelin all turn 22 in the coming year, and have been playing together since they were 16 in their hometown of Midland, Ontario. “If only I could grow a beard like Steve!” jokes LaLonde.

While he may still have a bashful and boyish manner, LaLonde is also particularly mature. The singer is still reeling from the Ruffians’ rapid rise since the release of their self-titled EP in 2006. “If you told ‘past me’ that this would be my life in two years, it would be like ‘Wow, that would be so fun’,” he explains with a light-hearted laugh, “but then it comes, and you find new things to worry about.” But on the eve of his European tour, LaLonde seems anything but agitated. He chattily recounts to me the book he’s reading on neuro-plasticity, and his growing need for routine and responsibility. “Youthful is something good, and we want to stay young, but we don’t want to be thought of as teenagers.” Surely, their new album will do much to convince critics that this band has come of age.

Stylistically, the Born Ruffians are a mixed breed. They borrow and blend elements of folk, punk, rock, and jazz among other genres. Their guitar-heavy compositions are laced with stirring bass lines and punchy staccato drum beats that demand participation. The new album features one song from the earlier EP—Hedonistic Me—which LaLonde describes as more characteristic of the Ruffians new and measurably matured style. He sees the record as a movement into a new direction characterized by a warm, up-tempo sound. “They’re better songs, for sure,” says the singer, “But some people might be disappointed too. The EP was different than the new album—the new album is more upbeat. People change a lot in two years.”

In classic indie style, the Born Ruffians take a DIY approach to music making. “I can’t study music,” says LaLonde, “It takes the fun out of it. I know a certain amount of music theory, but I don’t know what chords are in what keys, so I make a weird chord, I just kind of play until it sounds right to me.” Instead, the Ruffians relies on practice, and controlled chance, which result in up-beat off-tempo and occasionally a-tonal compositions. “We definitely like playing the drums in a different time signature than is right for the song,” explains LaLonde, “Steve will be like ‘Oh I fucked up’ and, and I’ll say no, that was so good, and it will happen by accident that we’ll end up playing in 6/4 and he’s playing in 4/4.” To these acoustic accidents, the Ruffians add whimsical instrumental touches like spoons-esque drumming, trombone, and accordion, as well as a distinctive vocal style.

LaLonde’s harmonic effects range from melodic to halting yelps and wails. As a child, he was trained as a choral singer and soloist. “I like someone who does something interesting with their voice,” he says, “When I first started playing I was still a guitar player who was singing at the same time and then I realized that the vocal melody was as important as the guitar part.” In addition, playful lyrics like “I’m a little garcon in my head,” or more serious statements such as “I don’t want to be me anymore,” make for an equally fitting complement or contrast to the ecstatic tone. “It’s funny, Mitch said that Hummingbird has this really happy feeling when you listen to it, but the lyrics are so sad,” explains LaLonde, “He said it was the happiest sad song he’d ever heard.” These amusing juxtapositions of tone and meaning make up the richness of the Ruffian repertoire, and are a mark of their idiosyncratic aesthetic. But the evolution is still underway. For LaLonde, “our goals are constantly changing, like what we want to achieve with our music. Like the next album, I want it take a bigger step forward, but I can’t really think about it now.” For now, the band sets off to blaze trails with new tracks before returning home in April.

- Davida Aronovitch

Alan Cross’s Take on Audio Books

Alan Cross, long time program director of 102.1 The Edge in Toronto and host of the ever popular Ongoing History of New Music has decided to make a foray into the world of audio books. Cross was approached last year to turn a print book he’d written in 2000, into an audio version to be read by Alan himself called The Alan Cross Guide to Alternative Rock.

“The audio book market was initially a little slow to evolve, but now has just taken off,” said Cross explaining why it took so long to make the obvious leap from print to audio. “Now, people are doing a lot of commuting, listening [to books] on iPods,” to put it simply the timing was right. “Much to my surprise, we sold out the first run of about 2000 audio books in ten days.” The print book, a 25 chapter analysis of the most influential alternative rock artists of the 20^th century (including U2, The Clash, and The Velvet Underground) has been split into 3 separate volumes for its audio book format. The first was released in October 2007, with the next two to appear in early and late 2008. Each chapter of the book is a detailed biography of a band or artist who made an incredible impact on music and the world at large. Far from a point by point standard bio, Cross’ book reveals little know facts and unheard stories much like The Ongoing History...“There’s some quirky stuff in there,” Cross assures. For those who already own the print book Alan confirmed there is much new material to be found in the audio version. “This was the beautiful thing; there was an opportunity to do an update, for all the chapters.”

Fans of The Ongoing History needn’t be worried their host is thinking of canning the show however. “I have no idea how long I’m going to do the show, it has absolutely taken on a life of its own but I’ll probably end up doing it until I die” he said without a hint of sarcasm. “People will always want to hear about their favourite bands.” The show which is researched, written and produced by Alan Cross himself has garnered a legion of fans in Toronto and around the world largely due to the quality and depth of the research on the program and Cross’ charismatic, unguarded delivery. Alan promises there will be many more quality programs in 2008. “I’m actually working on something right now called, “Fan Fatalities” about people who have died at rock shows. Then I’ve been asked extensively to do a profile on Linkin Park and somewhere down the line we’re hoping to do an in-depth profile on grunge as well.”

Alan Cross’ audio book, The Alan Cross Guide to Alternative Rock can be purchased at most bookstores and online and The Ongoing History of New Music airs Sundays at 7pm and Mondays at 11 pm on 102.1 The Edge.

- Sam Stilson

Radiohead, Sarcasm, and Democracy: Meet The Hollows

One wall of the stylish Annex flat is painted a deep red, and electric guitars hang like shiny ornaments poised for play. The atmosphere is relaxed; soothing vocals waft out of the speakers. A big glossy hardcover Beatles book stares up from the coffee table. It sure looks like the place where rock and roll lives. But don’t be fooled by the swank style—there’s a big sound, and even bigger bite, to this Toronto talent. Lead vocalist Dave Browne reclines with a beer, his good-humouredly sarcastic comments punctuate the conversation as he peers out from under his indie-rock coif. Seated opposite, guitarist Coz Costa has a natural ease about him, and chats readily and enthusiastically. Bassist Stephen Court and drummer Jay Herdman each have a quiet intensity; they smile shyly and speak seldom. But this band is up for a good show, Dave assures me, “We’re all pretty easy. There’s a lot of banter, that’s why they come to see us, they don’t even know our songs” he laughs.

The Hollows came together with an unlikely strike of serendipity. Long-time collaborators Browne and Stephen Court met Costa when their paths crossed in a car collision. “I didn’t have a license at the time” confesses Browne with a playful grin, “I still don’t”. The two east-enders from Scarborough teamed up with West-end Etobicoke-based Costa to from the band in 2003. It was easy enough to meet in the middle on musical tastes which range from Radiohead and the White Stripes to vintage and classic rock–just some of the persuasions that factored into the mix when the group started cultivating their own sound. Drummer Jay Herdman later joined the ranks to complete the foursome, which was dubbed the Hollows a name explained as originating from the feeling of “ coming from an empty place and trying to fill it up with something...like art”.

Certainly, there’s something artistic about the richly layered influences which come together to form the classic-rock-indie hybrid for which the band is becoming known. “When we play live, we want to show people that we are inspired by classic rock, Zeppelin, the Beatles, but also indie rock, we are capable of crossing genres. But I think at the end of the day we still sound like the Hollows”. The group prefer not to be easily categorized, or nailed down to a single predominant influence. “I don’t think we will ever settle into a particular genre, we all like music that’s so varied” explains Herdman.

Whatever the slightly evasive stylistic nuances, the vocal intensity and melodic harmonies are turning heads when the Hollows take the stage. They can—and sometimes do—belt bass-lines, but there’s just as much force to their softer tracks like “Falling”. “We have this whole other acoustic face,” says Dave, striking a more serious tone, “even in the stuff with more edge, we’re always trying to put that heart into the singing, because otherwise you walk away and you don’t remember a note”.

For the Hollows, songs come about as organically as the band itself did. The creative process is democratic in which each member contributes to a track: “Everyone touches it,” explains Costa “I can’t wait to give it to them...One of us will be playing something that we’ve written but we don’t tell the others, and we hope that it will stop another guy dead in his tracks”. Even though the song writing is a collaborative effort, their songs often have a sound that reveals a personal perspective on life. Dave describes his writing style as “kind of an interpretation with words, put colourfully that describe a certain way of life... observations on mundane things, like being in Scarborough on a Sunday and walking by a bingo hall and seeing five fat ladies smoking and wasting their life savings on bingo, that’s a song to me”. Songs are pieced together in a collective effort, but retain the distinctive imprint of each member. The result is a range in repertoire from hard and heavy to mellow and melodic. Together, these variations make up the blended sound of the band; “once we’re done with it, it’s gonna be a Hollows song anyhow”.

Radiohead, sarcasm, and democracy--this is love: “We’ve played in a lot of other bands before, and it’s never been like this” says Dave. And with the release of their four-song EP, they’re looking for great things on the horizon. A tour is in the works, the band hopes to collaborate with other indie Canadian acts and Dave’s got ever bigger plans: “I really would like to follow in the footsteps of Bono and get political...”

- Davida Aronovitch

This indie rock group decided on the name of their band because they kept switching it so many times. They felt the last name they came upon on would be a good permanent one. And so, all you fellow indie rockers, we have “The Switches.”

This London bred band consists of Matt Bishop on guitar and stellar vocals; Thom Kirkpatrick with his skills on the bass; Ollie Thomas, backing vocals and guitar, and Jimmy Godfrey, rocking out on the drums.

“We’re just four regular guys who like to rock,” said Bishop. The guys met in University in Surrey and have been jamming out for approximately the past three or four years now.

Describing the bands music in a general sense would be “guitar, bass, rock,” said Bishop. In a personal sense Bishop continued to explain that the entire band does it’s share of singing. “We’re a barber shop quartet within a rock group, like The Beatles meets the Beach Boys,” he explained. On their myspace page it also mentioned Toronto as one of their many influences. When asked, Bishop said he spends a lot of time in Toronto visiting friends and loves to go to Queen West. “I love Toronto and hope they love me too,” he said kindly.

The band has been touring with The Bravery, who they think is an amazing band, and they love it! Bishop finds it exciting and think touring with The Bravery will definitely widen their fan base. The bigger the venue, the better for them, just more people to experience and dig their music.

The Switches influences come from a lot of 90’s Britpop music including the bands Menswear, Pulp, Sleeper, and Blur. “We just like Britpop,” Bishop simply answered. “Personally I’m into 70’s music like Roxy Music, and Blondie.” The guys were recently listening to the new Hives album and Bishop has been listening to a lot of, Of Montreal, Ratatat, and the Gorillaz B-sides.

They will be releasing their third record (their second full-length one) on March 18^th, titled “Lay Down The Law.” They are currently touring in the States at the moment but will be making a stop at our very own Toronto’s Opera House on February 12^th with the Bravery. The guys are stoked about coming and playing in the city again and it should be a stellar show. Bishop said they played at the Mod Club last year with The Fratellis and had a blast. You can check out more info, pics, and music at their www.myspace.com/weareswitches page or their official website, switchesmusic.co.uk. If you end up digging this British indie sensation make sure you get your tickets before they sell out.

Ron Hawkins Discusses New Album Chemical Sounds

On a grey, rainy afternoon in early January, I met with Ron Hawkins to discuss his new album, Chemical Sounds. Ron is one of the most genuine and unpretentious people I’ve had the privilege of meeting, and that same sincerity shines through clearly in the music he has created; whether with Lowest of the Low, the Rusty Nails, or now in his first solo release, which has a similar blend of gritty rock and mellow beauty. I asked him about the "heart-on-sleeve" feel to his music, and what his inspiration was for the new CD.

“I took a few steps back and revisited the brutal honesty that was created in the Shakespeare My Butt album”, he said referring to the Lowest of the Low classic. “That album was largely autobiographical – so much so, in fact, that I had friends asking me if I really needed to be quite so honest; that I could have at least changed some names.”

One of the reasons why Ron got so introspective with this new album as well is that it was created while his partner, Jill, was pregnant with their daughter, Ruby. He spent a great deal of time ruminating about his past, and wondering what he could potentially offer a child in this new role of ‘father’. He became very aware of his own mortality and it changed his perspective on life and his priorities therein.

He said he feels grateful to his daughter for pulling him out of “Day-Timer existence”-- teaching him how to be more spontaneous and to flow with things rather than being fastidious and controlling with his time. He joked about his determined work ethic, and how it contradicts with the “slacker aesthetic” he has cultivated. Seated comfortably in a booth at the Red Room, unshaven and utterly relaxed in a t-shirt and jeans, he fits the description rather well. However it’s that unassuming, approachable demeanor of his that undoubtedly keeps drawing people to his music and himself.

Over the years, he has earned a devout following both here in Toronto and in Buffalo, where his popularity might actually surpass the fan-dom that exists at home. It’s not uncommon for audience members to sing along at shows, leaving band members pleasantly surprised. These followers have been incredibly supportive over the years.

With the new album Chemical Sounds, his fans have the opportunity to immerse themselves in an entirely new set of melodies and heartfelt lyrics.

The song “1994” is reminiscent about a very dark time in Ron’s life— the early 90’s were full of intense journeys and experiences (some of which he’s surprised he actually survived) and this song is a commentary on a few memories he has of that time period.

“Born to It” touches on the times he’s been tempted to walk away from the music industry entirely, but is inevitably drawn back. Each song tells a story, and parallels can easily be drawn between our own experiences and those being sung by this talented gentleman.

Despite becoming an accomplished visual artist who finds great artistic release in his painting, Ron Hawkins hasn’t chosen to leave music behind him yet. There is sure to be a fair amount of music yet to be created by Mr. Hawkins, and undoubtedly a slew of new fans eagerly awaiting it.

- Lana Winter

There is a new meaning behind The XYZ affair. According to Wikipedia, with the help of many references, the XYZ Affair was “a 1797 diplomatic episode that worsened relations between France and the United States and led to the undeclared Quasi-War of 1798.” When most (who have taken U.S history) hear this name they think exactly that, but there is a new meaning behind this name other than the terrible memories of the 1700’s.

The XYZ affair is a talented four-piece indie rock band that resides in Brooklyn, New York. The band mates consist of Alex Feder, guitar, and vocals; Russ Maschmeyer, guitar and keys; Chris Bonner, on bass guitar, and Sam Rockwell on the drums.

Feder chose the name in ninth grade history class while learning about the 1797 happenings and thought it would be a cool name for a band. He had a band in high school by that name which split and has since decided to keep the name with whichever band came up next. Feder was in music school at New York University for jazz but decided he was not really into it. He had a bunch of songs written and demoed as well. The guys met at the University and have been contributing to the indie scene and getting along just great ever since. The band originally was a five-piece and started back in 2002, but has only been a four-piece for the past two years. Feder said, minus him, that all the guys in the band have a nine to five jobs. Because of this, they do their touring on the weekends, driving around in their “old crappy van,” he jokingly said. Feder says that things have definitely been picking up for them though.

When asking about their influences, Feder said, “we get a lot Weezer and Queen,” when talking about their album. The band is greatly influenced by artists and bands such as The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, Sam Cook, and Otis Redding, to name a few. However, why the band is compared to such bands as Queen is because of the loud guitars and melody that they are capable of creating.

This past summer the XYZ Affair filmed their music video for their tune ‘All My Friends,’ which features former TV stars for Nickelodeon. Also around the same time (this previous July), they were voted “band of the day,” on Spin.com.

They are currently on tour and made a stop at Toronto’s Drake Hotel on November 10^th, that being the first time they have performed in Toronto. This is a great way to promote their music all around because for the most part they tour New York, DC, Philadelphia, and Boston. Feder says the guys are still figuring out what their exact plans are after this tour. The band does plan on touring more and for a lengthier amount of time. They hope to record and release a new record the middle of next year. To check out their tunes, learn more about the guys and band, or to check their tour line up visit their official website at www.thexyzaffair.com or go to their Myspace page at www.myspace.com/thexyzaffair

When I caught up with White Rabbits in Chapel Hill, N.C., they were on the tail end of a tour that catapulted them out West and boomeranged them back East via the deep South. The night we spoke only one stop at D.C.'s Rock N Roll Hotel stood between them and the twin beds that awaited them in their recently adopted hometown of Bushwick, Brooklyn. Needless to say the guys were haggard but happy. Before a dinner break of burritos and beer, I spoke to Rabbits Alexander Even and Gregory Roberts about their recent  tour, the genesis of their name and moving forward.

Like a lot of indie rock bands teetering on full-blown fame, tour dates this past summer and early fall have brought the White Rabbits to venues that run the gamut. Over the last several weeks the lads have graced the stages at the legendary Filmore in San Francisco where they played with The Pogues, a coffee house in Spokane, and even found themselves performing under the blaring lights of David Letterman's Ed Sullivan Theater.

White Rabbits are a humble bunch, which I attribute to something my mom would probably describe as a "wholesome midwestern upbringing" in Missouri-as in "What have you heard from those nice boys in that band, you know, those nice midwestern boys from Missouri?"  They seem almost ignorant of the magnitude of their own talents, so when recounting their current tour experience, it's not surprising they don't so much brag about their accomplishments as seem baffled by them.

"This tour's been weird," says vocalist and guitar player Gregory Roberts. " One night we play with The Pogues and the next night we play a pizza parlor."

On playing the David Letterman show guitarist Alexander Even professes, "It was pretty surreal. I definitely felt out of my league. I was pretty nervous. It was really cold in that theater. It was a long day." he says humbly.

"We all came to the conclusion that we were the smallest band to ever play that show," adds Roberts. I disagreed with him, but then couldn't think of another band off the top of my head to counter that argument.

But what White Rabbits may currently lack in name recognition is more than made up for in their enthusiasm for and mastery of their music.

The energy of their recent CD release, Fortnightly (Say Hey Records, 2007),  is nonstop; no small feet considering that the first track, Kid On My Shoulders, starts off at breakneck speed with Stephen Patterson belting out vocals and banging out a piano riff that brings to mind the consistent chug of a train that carries through to the next offering, the popular track The Plot. And it never really lets up. It's like being strapped into the seat  of a roller coaster.

And their live shows are no different. Band members multitask and titles like "vocalist", "drummer" and "guitar player" become fluid as members exchange instrument duties. At the Chapel Hill show percussionist  Mathew Clark assists Stephen Patterson with keyboards during a performance of the Plot while guitarist Alexander Even bangs on drummer Matthew Clark's cymbal with a tambourine. It's apparent mere designations of "drummer" and "vocalist" lack the permanence in White Rabbits that might enjoy in other bands,

So what's in a name anyways?  As far as  the significance of the band's name, "White Rabbits", Even and Roberts tell me it doesn't really refer to anything in particular. "It was fairly ambiguous although in hindsight we do get a lot of psychedelic references and Lewis Carroll references. It just seemed like kind of a vague, harmless name at the time. I don't put too much stake in band names. I played in some bands with awful names growing up."

And speaking of growing up in Columbia, Missouri, the sonic influences that have been attributed to White Rabbits include calypso and ska, which is something that puzzles me given that Missouri seems  a bit tropically challenged due to its lack of proximity to beaches, girlie drinks with umbrellas, and the mean streets of London that birthed the ska movement.

"Jamie [Levinson, one of the band's drummer], and I were really into ska growing up." explains Roberts. "We were in  a ska band in highschool. I think what people perceive as kind of tropical influences is a natural gravitation towards percussion. Steve [Patterson the piano player and vocalist] went to school for drums.  He was actually the first drummer in White Rabbits. And the guy that produced our record is a drummer by nature. I guess we don't really sound like Missouri a band is supposed to sound like."

Before Greg and Alex leave to grab some burritos I inquire as to whether or not it's difficult for the Rabbits to get seated in restaurants. I mean there are SIX of them, plus a documentarian on the tour, which makes seven this evening. The guys inform me that half the band is vegetarian, so more often than not they don't eat together anyways. Greg jokes about the clout that membership as a White Rabbit brings in situations such as these,"When we do eat together we just tell them who we are and we get seated immediately." he quips. (Just so you know they got seated really quickly at the burrito place. Perhaps a harbinger of things to come.)

And indeed the future looks bright for the Rabbits. They'll start work on a CD after they get back to Bushwick. Says Roberts, "I think the goal is not not wait two or three years to put out a record. Luckily the demand is not too high for us now."

And what of that fabled loft that all six Rabbits have called home for the past two years?

Alexander Even provides an update:  "I just heard there is a broken window."

Despite the broken window, Roberts says,"I am very excited to be going back to New York City."

And after two years of living, eating and playing together Alex and Greg tell me that White Rabbits will be moving out of that loft in Bushwick  and splintering off into less communal living situations.

And by now White Rabbits are tucked snuggly in the their beds in Brooklyn for a well deserved long winter's nap. But, rest assured Rabbits, after the spring thaw we'll be eagerly awaiting the next offering. Girlie drinks and little paper umbrellas in hand.

-Amy Loeffler

Speaking from a cell phone on the TTC, Cuff the Duke front-man, Wayne Petti, seemed enthusiastic and eager to talk about the band’s new album, and their third, Sidelines of the City. “Well I think every musician thinks their new album is their greatest one,” he said with a laugh. Reviews have shown that critics agree that the band has produced an excellent album with Sidelines of the City, a title that refers to the band’s hometown of Oshawa, located just outside Toronto. “It is referring to Oshawa,” Petti confirmed. “But it’s also just about being on the outside, musically, of what would be considered typically trendy these days.” Cuff the Duke have always incorporated many influences in their music, from rock to country to folk and the new album is no different. Sidelines from the City features bluegrass-inspired traditional country sounds to mammoth Radiohead-like guitar solos and even Mariachi horns. “We always like to try new sounds on every album” says Petti. “It all just seems to come naturally. We experiment a lot.”

Coupled with the multi-faceted sound of the new record, Petti’s lyrics on the album reflect on a range of issues, including the Iraq war. “I generally stay away from writing political songs, but I felt I had to write something. It’s kind of hard to avoid it when [the Iraq war] is invading our culture [as Canadians] so much.” Petti explained. “The song, “The Ballad of the Tired Old Man” was actually inspired by a story I read in the New York Times, about a father, who was a soldier himself, and whose son had joined the army. At first he was really proud of his son but as the war has gone on he started to realize maybe it was a mistake.” When discussing the war Petti spoke passionately and with a note of disdain. “I don’t believe the news, when we’ve been lied to so much. There was no good reason to start this war and I think we need to analyze what we’re fighting for. Democracy and safety? Or oil and control?” Though the references to the war that appear on the album are primarily to do with Iraq, Petti seemed equally opinionated about Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan. “Over 70 Canadians have died. I don’t agree with that.” he said. “Of course I support the troops and I don’t think we need an immediate withdrawal. But I don’t think we should extend the mission.”

While the album speaks on troubles of the world it in turn features references to Petti’s own personal tragedies. Recurring themes of death, loss and regret surface on many tracks, notably “Failure to Some”. “The son of a family friend of mine recently died” confessed Petti, “It’s tough when parents lose a child. It’s easy to be negative when things like that happen. The people I knew that are no longer in my life, that have passed; I try and remember the better times. I think that’s what I was trying to get across on the album.” While some of the best tracks on the album deal with darker issues that’s not to say Sidelines from the City is a negative or melancholy album. “Rossland Square” a love letter to the band’s hometown of Oshawa encapsulates Petti’s feelings of nostalgia and fondness for the city that raised him. “I was visiting an old friend in Oshawa and we were driving around and just reminiscing about all the things we used to do and places we’d go. I had the song written musically and so I just started jotting down things I remembered about Oshawa. Like Bensley’s Open Stage. It was actually the first place I ever played at. I was all by myself, all freaked out,” he stopped to laugh. “I still see the owner, and you know I tip my hat to him. Without him and without that open stage, there would be no Cuff the Duke.” The song according to Petti has in turn been embraced by the people of Oshawa, a fact that sits well with the front man. “I’ve heard really positive things from Oshawa people. I even heard some say they want to make it the official song of the city” he joked.

Though Petti and Cuff the Duke may have started their careers playing acoustically in small bars in Oshawa the band have built up a sizeable fanbase, amassed great critical reviews and now play across the country and the world. The ability to play music for a living and to represent both Toronto and the larger Canadian music scene to the world seems a responsibility Cuff the Duke is willing to shoulder. “We want to take our music as far as we can. There are always going to be people who haven’t heard your music and we want to reach them. I think the Toronto music scene is incredible. Canada on a whole has the greatest music out there. We love touring with other Canadian bands, because there are so many great musicians all across the country. Great Lake Swimmers, Sun Parlour Players, Broken Social Scene, Spiral Beach, they are so many great Canadian bands out right now. “

Having been helped establish their careers by touring with bigger acts like The Sadies and Sloan, Cuff the Duke are just as eager to help out younger bands as they now headline shows. “We don’t have to, we want to” says Petti. Cuff the Duke are currently touring across the country as headliners promoting their new album aggressively. Anyone who has ever seen the band live can attest to their amazing showmanship and colossal sound on stage. It is not a show that should be missed but as for any secret to why their live show is so damn captivating, Petti summed it up as pure passion. “Playing live has always been what we like. It’s the best part of playing music.”

After taking a short break for the holidays Cuff the Duke will be touring with Blue Rodeo in 2008 a band many critics have compared them to. “We’re all huge fans of Blue Rodeo” says Petti “So we don’t mind the comparison”. Toronto fans can catch Cuff the Duke Nov 29^th when they play the Mod Club.

www.cufftheduke.com

- Sam Stilson

The music started flowing in late 2004, early 2005 and started out as a solo project. The solo then turned into a duo and eventually a trio but the Sunparlour Players are so much more than just a trio of stellar musicians. The band consists of Andrew Penner, Dennis Van Dine, and Michael Rosenthal. If one is lucky enough to see them perform live, they have been known to bring the strings, the horns and the choir section out at their shows.

“I started writing a lot of songs by myself. That kind of started the Sunparlour Players,” said front man, Penner. He started listening to a lot of gospel music, traveling a lot in 2004, as well as thinking a lot about where he was coming from. This was just the beginning of another great band to come out of Toronto. With influences ranging from Blind Willie Johnson, to Sam Cooke, to Pantera, their wide range of musical influences makes for a nice, unique sound and performance.

This month was the start of their tour, rocking around Canada, mainly playing with the two bands: The Acorn and Elliot BROOD. On October 18^th the Sunparlour Players had their CD release party at the Rivoli for their re-released album ‘Hymns for the Happy,’ on Baudelaire, their new record label. On the album you can hear guitars, banjos, bass, bass drums, whistles, bells, a glockenspiel, and many more instruments and things one wouldn’t hear on the average album. Penner said they would be having their strings, horns, and choir section at the Rivoli. The band members would have played between two and five instruments over then course of the night, which is common for the guys to do at shows. ‘Hymns for the Happy’ was re-released in mid September being re-mastered, re-mixed, and partially re-recorded. Penner says the band feels great about the changes with ‘Hymns for the Happy,’ and their new label.

Penner says one of the best things that can and will come out of this tour is writing and making more, new music. “I feel it’s coming and I feel good about it,” he said. He wants to keep building on their music and thinks this tour will lay a foundation to “go out there again” and that it will lead into making a new record. Penner is very passionate about his music and it shows in the way of the Sunparlour Players. ‘Hymns for the Happy,’ is available in stores and online. For more information on the Sunparlour Players and/or to jam out to their music, go to www.myspace.com/thesunparlour or www.sunparlourplayers.com.

According to Wikipedia a Mobius band (more commonly known as a mobius strip) is: “a surface with only one side and only one boundary component…” The millennium brought out a new meaning of ‘Mobius band’; they are a stunning trio of talented musicians, consisting of Peter Sax, Noam Schatz, and Ben Sterling, that reside in Brooklyn, New York.

The three of them met up at Wesleyan University, which is located in Middletown, Connecticut. They eventually ended up moving to the rural town of Shutesbury, Western Massachusetts, creating massive sounds, wicked beats, and fantastic voices. It was about six years ago when the music started flowing, ending up with a positive outcome.

Mobius Band’s new CD ‘Heaven’ just recently came out at the beginning of October.

One interesting thing about this CD is that it uses circuit bending. Sax said that Schatz was at a show and witnessed the circuit bending first hand by a “masterful circuit bender,” as Sax puts it. He was automatically fascinated and immediately interested. Schatz would circuit bend keyboard, which is the result of the unique sound on the new CD. To listen, it seems like any great beat, but to listen carefully it is a one of a kind sound that Schatz has created. This ended up having a huge influence on the sound. Even though some songs off the CD are influenced by Sterling’s girlfriend running off with his old friend, but Sax said they like to keep it poppy and light because “there’s no need to paint them black.”

They are now out touring around the United Stated and Canada in support of ‘Heaven.’ They started off in New York on October 1^st and will be coming to Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern on November 7^th. Tickets are only $11.50 but it is a 19 plus show. Sax says that tour has been going really well so far and that “Toronto is awesome.” They have met some friends from our town in the past and always have a great time when they come and perform in our hectic city. The guys will be touring until December 2^nd, ending it off in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Worldwide critics and respected, popular magazines have quoted their live shows as legendary. They have a unique sound and have been together for eight years. They reside in the Lower East Side of New York when they’re not rocking the stage all over the world. Gogol Bordello consists of, Eugene Hutz, on vocals; Eliot Ferguson, drums; Serget Ryabtsey, on violin; Yury Lemeshev, rocking the accordion; Thomas Gobena (being the newest addition to the band), on bass; Oren Kaplan, on the guitar; and Pamela Racine and Elizabeth Sun, in charge of percussion and dance.

Hutz is a descendent of Sirva roma Gypsies. He also has family origins rooted in the Carpathian Mountains. His grandmother is half Roma and he ended up learning about a lot of the gypsy culture through her. This ended up reflecting in Gogol Bordello music and stage presence, which makes them the unique band they are today.

Hutz was originally from Kiev and ended up fleeing the region with his family because of the Chernobyl meltdown, a terrible happening in 1986 when one of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant’s reactors exploded. Soon after that, Hutz and his parents immigrated to Vermont. This was only the beginning of what is now one of the most entertaining bands today.

“We have no limitations on how we express ourselves,” Gobena explained on how their live shows have had such am impact on their fans and critics. He describes them as crazy and full of energy and no show could is ever duplicated. “It is such a blessing to be in the band,” Gobena said.

Gogol Bordello is now touring in support of their album ‘SUPER TARANTA!’ being their fourth full-length album. Gobena was stoked to be playing in Toronto. “Toronto is one of the greatest cities. I like the diversity. It’s like New York,” He said.

New Rebel Intelligence is the theme of ‘SUPER TARANTA!’ Gobena said that this concept is still “a work in progress.” Basically, the way Gobena sees this concept is that everything is ruled by society so just be yourself because you have your own mind.

The band just rocked our city on October 9th at the Kool Haus. They will be traveling worldwide, pleasing their fans, and wooing more people with their rad stage presence and musical talent. They’ll be playing The Vegoose Festival, in Las Vegas, on October 27^th and will be wrapping their tour up in Sheffield, located in the UK, on December 18^th.

If you haven’t experienced this awesome gypsy punk band yet and would like to check them out, which is a wide decision, go to www.gogolbordello.com and you can check out their music at www.myspace.com/gogolbordello.

Australia is a fascinating country filled with beautiful scenery, people, and accents. It is also where the stellar five-piece band, Augie March, hails from. They have been together for 11 years and have become the biggest thing in Australia since sliced bread, so to speak.

The band consists of Glenn Richards, singer/songwriter/guitar; David Williams, drummer; Adam Donovan, guitar; Edmondo Ammendola, bass; and Kiernan Box, keyboard/strings/horn arrangements. The band first started out at a party and have been rocking the scene ever since. Williams said that Box wasn’t introduced in the band until later on, when they were ready for a keyboardist. Williams described the connection with Ammendola as finding him “wandering the streets with a bass on his back.”

The bands name derives from the book, ‘The Adventures of Augie March,’ written by Canadian-born American author, Saul Bellow. The bands influences range from classic Bob Dylan, The Band, Neil Young, into Jazz, to the bands in the 90’s such as Grant Lee Buffalo and Built To Spill, as well as folk music. Their music can be described as Indie Rock, Alternative Pop, Folk, and mellow music that can make any lighter in the room fire up. In the past Augie March have been known to tour with great bands and artists such as Wilco, Gomez, Neil Finn, Powderfinger, Shane MacGowan, and The Dears.

Their newest album, ‘Moo, You Bloody Choir,’ was named after a lyric in the song ‘The Honey Month.’ “ Beneath the revving of a car, the evensong of the abattoir, moo, you bloody choir, moo and lo, lo and moan, moo, you huddled choir, moo and lo, how the night arrived with a blow,” are the bittersweet lyrics to go along with the intense line. Richards was exposed to the sounds of cows entering an abattoir, which he described as a “mournful choir,” a pretty beautiful way to describe something so disturbing. The song ends with a sound clip of cows being slaughtered and having listened to the clip, Richards couldn’t be more precise with his description.

The band is touring in support of the new album. The tour started off with them opening for talented, American musician, Andrew Bird, which they described as an honor and an amazing experience.

They graced Toronto on September 22^nd at Lees Palace, opening for ex-Beta Band members, The Aliens. Their performance was tight and the mood was mellow, closing with their hit “One Crowded Hour,” pleasing the audience. The tour is about half way over and they are having a blast. There was talk about the band returning to Toronto sometime around February so keep those ears open and eyes peeled for dates in the New Year. For more information on the band or to just jam out to their songs visit www.augiemarch.com, the official website, or their myspace page at: www.myspace.com/augiemarch.

Shout Out Louds get secretive on their new album
The Swedish pop-rockers harbor some ill wills on their sophomore CD

Two albums in and the Shout Out Louds already appreciate the value of a good pop song.

With artists churning out tracks without giving them a second thought, it’s rare to hear bands actually trying to diversify their sound and better their music skills. But that’s what Swedish alt-rock-pop band the Shout Out Louds have succeeded in doing on their sophomore disc Our Ill Wills. Sounding not even remotely ill on the phone, SOL lead singer and lyricist Adam Olenius offered up some small insight about the band’s mindset on this album.

“The first release was more of a compilation, an EP but this one is more about what’s going on with us, in our life,” he said. “Music wise, there’s more instrumentation. We focused more on rhythm, drums, pianos and violins instead of the guitars doing all the work, like on the first record.”

Olenius mentioned the band was tired of the usual alternative-rock songs where the guitars always took centre stage so they switched things up a bit and gave the percussion and drums a little more playing time. Lyrically, he promised himself he would never write about life on tour but Olenius broke that pact and dabbled into the nomadic musician lifestyle for some inspiration on the album.

“It’s more about leaving people and coming back, not [exactly] about life on tour,” he specified. “It’s more about when you come home and how people and things change.”

Making sure not to spill any personal secrets of his own, Olenius coyly suggests listening to the record instead of trying to squeeze intimate stories out of him. But despite being tight-lipped, he’s surprisingly open to the idea of music loosening his jowls and revealing a darker, grittier side to the band.

“Songwriting is a way of letting go and revealing stuff [that] is hard to do in real life,” he said, admitting that the lyrics are a little bit meaner on this album. “I wanted to be more honest and I think you have to be honest to make a really good song.”

Well it’s a good thing Olenius likes honesty because when SOL hooked up with Peter, Bjorn and John partner Bjorn Yttling to produce the disc, Yttling was a little too forthcoming about why he wanted to work with them.

“He told me he hated our production on our first demo,” Olenius explained. “I told him if he could work for free, then he’d get hired.”

Unconventional meeting but smart nonetheless. Olenius is happy with the partnership and even more satisfied with the album’s outcome. Calling Our Ill Wills a “more cinematic” album, Olenius sums it up best when he chooses two extreme films as potential visions of the band’s music.

“A mix between The Night Before Christmas and Kramer vs. Kramer,” he said. “The strange, mysterious, darker world with a mix of realistic things.”

We’re sure life will continue to get more mysterious and strange for the band as they keep trekking on their tour – leading, obviously, to a whole new set of secrets.

Aristo’s on Top Of The World with new album
Aristo goes mainstream but continues to keep it real on his debut LP

Sitting on top of the world can sometimes be a lonely place. But for ambitious people like Aristo, the top of the world is just the beginning.

The Guyana-born, Toronto-raised rapper is getting ready to release his debut album Top Of The World on October 16 and loneliness is the last thing on his mind. The Heyworld label release is a 15-track glimpse into Aristo’s life and contrary to popular hip-hop standards, it’s void of any blingin’, big pimpin’ Moet-drinkin’ clichés.

“The album is kind of like a rollercoaster,” Aristo said. “I mean, we’re having fun but then we get back to real-life situations.”

“To me, in order to get to the top of the world, you gotta go through your ups and downs to get there,” he went on to say.

It’s been somewhat of a lengthy journey for Aristo. For the past eight years, he’s made a name for himself on the underground hip-hip scene as a prolific freestyler and a mixtape aficionado – putting out more than a handful of mixtapes. After increasing demand on his MySpace for an official CD release, Aristo decided to give people a clearer version of himself and his sound.

“I felt I was developed enough as an artist to put out an album,” he said. “Everything on the album is a reflection of me. I definitely wanted to give the people something where they could think, ‘okay, I know what Aristo’s about.’”

For most, stepping away from the underground scene and trying to go mainstream can elicit some sour fans. And even though his first single “Playa 4 Life” is a sharp turn from his usual guttural, hardcore freestyles, Aristo feels assured that the real fans will stick by him – major label or not.

“The respect thing, coming from the streets and rapping about street stuff all the time, everybody’s gonna respect you for that,” he explained. “But there comes a point in everybody’s life where you gotta grow up and do different things and experiment.”

Despite trying the mainstream route, Aristo hasn’t forgone his underground pep. With tracks such as “Tried, Tried, Tried,” “Crazy” and “Missin U” – all dealing with life’s struggles and the sadness of street culture – it’s clear Aristo won’t lose any kind of respect.

The people’s rapper intends to check out the view at the top of the world for now. But he won’t be perched up there for long before moving onto the next big project.

“Right now, I feel I’m in a good position as an artist in Canada. I feel I have a lot of freedom to create my music,” he said. “[But] it’s a hard industry so I’m gonna try and make the best out of everything.”

“I want to get the best out of music and every opportunity I get, I’m gonna take full advantage of everything.”

Electro beatmakers Project Jenny, Project Jan offer up some hip-hop hugs and rockin’ kisses on their debut LP XOXOXOXOXO

People often use boxes to hold or contain things. They’re labeled and packed away in storage, not given another thought.

New York-based duo Project Jenny, Project Jan don’t like boxes. They’d rather rock out to whatever fun beat catches their ear and run with it – full throttle. Their debut album XOXOXOXOXO follows that funky formula. Best described as electro-karaoke, PJ, PJ’s Sammy Rubin and Jeremy Haines took their maniacal production skills and paired them with some light-hearted lyrics to create an unusual yet eclectic album.

“I’ve always had problems with being boxed in,” Rubin said. “In our own way, we’re trying to avoid characterization.”

The 14-track LP, released on August 14 via Might Records, offers up some rock, dance and hip-hop elements that would ordinarily sound like a music experiment gone bad but surprisingly works well given today’s overly-perfected, uber-engineered albums. Both Haines and Rubin appreciate the diversity of multiple sounds coming together to create something new and fresh.

“A lot of times when we’re writing, we wanna use a lot of contrasting sounds, which results in contrasting genres colliding,” Haines said.

“We both have a lot of influences to draw from,” Rubin added on, quickly mentioning that both artists know they have a good song on their hands when Haines starts bopping his head and taking off his clothes.

Aphex Twin, Basement Jaxx and The Gorillaz are just some of the bands on PJ, PJ’s radar. Not prone to copying other artists’ styles, Haines and Rubin value being on the edge and thinking outside of the box. Rightfully so, it’s that kind of open-minded thinking that makes them stand out from other cookie-cutter groups and develop an identity that’s their own.

“We definitely wanna be ourselves,” Haines said, standing behind their album and personal sound.

As much as PJ, PJ are all about marrying different musical styles and genres, the duo are content just to be making music. To them, as long as Haines keeps dancing and taking his clothes off to Rubin’s beats, PJ, PJ have a place in the studio.

“I think our music is pretty accessible,” Rubin said. “If we’re having fun making music, we feel other people are gonna have fun listening to it.”

As their bio states, “it’s best not to ask too many questions and just enjoy the music.”

Project Jenny, Project Jan bust out some electro-karaoke grooves on September 21 at the Spin Gallery in Toronto.

Vancouver heavy metal band 3 Inches of Blood (3IOB) powered their way through various albums and lineup changes in the past three years. Continuous touring and exposure via Road Runner Records has made this band the breath of fresh air that metal fans have been yearning for.

3IOB has two lead lyricists, Cam Pipes and Jamie Hooper, to get that Bruce Dickinson like high pitch crossed with the deep guttural vocals. This combination sets the band out immediately from others.

The influences for the lyrics, who are penned by both Pipes and Hooper, draws from the roots of the new wave of British heavy metal including Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. At the same time, however, the lyrics weigh heavily on classical Viking mythology. 3IOB offers that escapist metal telling tales of everything from war to Orcs to a mythical beast named “Wykydtron”.

Guitarist Shane Clark tells that “there’s lots of metaphors there…inner strength metaphors, but there’s definitely no political or religious agendas there.”

The band’s lyrics and sound is a counter-reaction to the current Nu-Metal/Metalcore scene. Regardless of the fact that they are signed to the largest record label contributing to that very scene, Road Runner Records, the band is here to make the statement that they are the anti-nu-metal flag bearers.

How is it that this virtually unknown band from Vancouver is able to be touring bands such as Hatebreed and Lamb of God? The exposure any band gets from being signed to an American label.

“It was definitely easier the route that we took because we got an American record deal,” Clark says regarding the success they have attained as an act originating from Canada, “if an act gets signed to a Canadian label the focus is on Canada…if you get a great deal in Canada it’s most likely going to stay there.”

With the backing of a major American Heavy Metal/Hard Rock label, 3IOB were able to land spots opening for British rock band The Darkness, back when The Darkness was noteworthy, playing one of the stages at Ozzfest and getting a single from their previous album into a video game.

Don’t be confused though, the exposure that 3IOB has been receiving is due directly to constant touring. Clark talks about the bands road show:

“There was no push for our last album. It was basically just put in stores and that was it. In the past three years we’ve circled the States probably nine times. Being on the road, grinding it out, getting the music to the people; that alone has gotten us to where we’re at now. Touring leads to word of mouth and when word of mouth gets going that is what builds a fanbase.”

3 Inches of Blood may have an American record deal but are still very much flag bearing countrymen for the Canadian Heavy Metal scene. From their thunderous live performances to the ear-piercing vocals to the empowering Nordic mythology induced lyrics 3 Inches of Blood has made their mark on Metal. This is a modern throwback to the classical metal that fans of the genre have been eagerly wishing for.