THE LUCKY ONES – LIVE @ VILLAINS

 This Saturday December 1st punk rock and rollers The Lucky Ones will be coming down to Windsor from St. Catharines to rock Villains Beastro. Get ready for booze chuggin’ anthems that’ll make you want to get up and move. They are bringing their Stumble Records label mates Take Drugs from Toronto. Also, making their local debut, Windsor’s own The Line Drawn. Admission to this show is $10 at the door and doors open at 9 p.m.

Facebook Event Page

CATL Coming to Frolic at Phog

 

After listening to Toronto band catl’s newest album Soon This Will All be Gone, I expected the frontman to be some wild man who would talk so fast I’d have a hard time keeping up. So I entered our phone interview with a bit of trepidation.

What I was met with surprised me.

Jamie is just a really laid-back guy, happy to answer questions about his band, and quick to chuckle during a conversation.

But that chill attitude is likely to change once he gets on stage at Phog Lounge on Friday night.

“It’s kind of a party atmosphere,” he says, “that’s kind of our thing. You know, the music is simple enough that people wanna dance to it, and that’s what we want.”

Jamie is one of three members that comprise catl. His job is mainly vocals and guitar, and he is backed up by Andrew Moszynski on drums and Sarah K handling vocals and any other thing the band decides to toss in.

Catl’s unique sound is largely defined by Jamie’s style of guitar playing, the product of an unfortunate accident.

“I actually picked up that finger-pickin’-country-blues-hill style back years back,” he says, “I hurt my hand really badly in an accident and I kinda had to change the way I had to play. It actually freed up the one damaged hand and made me play more with my right picking hand, so it’s kind of a forced entry into that situation.”

Jamie also credits his love of music from the 1920s and 30s for much of catl’s sound.

As much as a country band from Toronto might seem a bit odd, the frontman believes that where he calls home doesn’t matter, as long as he’s honest with his writing.

“I think everybody can relate to it. The morals, good and bad, or good and evil, it’s a light and dark kind of thing,” Jamie explains, “You can tell where we’re from, if you look a little further into the lyrics. Like, I do have those urban references in there for sure.”

The band’s most recent album was released in April, and half of it was actually recorded right across the river at Jim Diamond’s studio in Detroit.

“It’s great going down there, and he just has a sound, and we go in there and do our thing, and he does his thing, and that’s the way it comes out,” Jamie says of Diamond’s recording technique, “You know, his studio kind of sounds like it sounds, you know, we don’t have much input into that, we just write the songs and play the instruments, and I kind of like that relationship, and he knows exactly what he’s doing.”

For this weekend’s show, catl will be joined by Detroit music veteran Danny Kroha of The Gories, who will be opening the show with his traditional blues style. Kroha contributed some harmonica to catl’s latest record, and the band is hoping he’ll join them for a bit on stage, as well.

For catl’s first visit to Windsor in two years, the band is really hoping to see a good turnout, and promise to deliver a drunkenly good time to all who attend.

Catl and Danny Kroha will be playing Phog Lounge on Friday, November 9, 2012. Doors are at 10 pm, 19+ are welcome, and admission is $5 at the door. 

 

The Blue Stones Prepare to Launch New Album

Having played North By North East and Canadian Music Week, Windsor’s The Blue Stones are expanding their already impressive resume with their sophomore album How’s That Sound?

Recorded with Brett Humber at Sound Foundry Studios in Kingsville, drummer Justin Tessier and guitarist/vocalist Tarek Jafar are trying to send a message to radio stations. After the release of their first self-titled EP they mailed copies to every college radio station in the country, and did not exactly love the responses.

“We don’t really try to focus on genre specifics when we’re making music,” says Tessier, “we submitted [the first] CD to a lot of college stations, and we got a lot of response back saying that they didn’t necessarily want to have such poppy music.”

This was not a problem, apparently, for submission shows like NXNE and CMW, as these guys earned themselves slots in both festivals. Doing so may not have been everything they dreamed, though.

“If you are gonna play CMW or NXNE because you wanna start exploding in Toronto or on the Canadian music scene, I don’t think that’s the proper way to go about it,” said Tessier, “It’s a good, what Tarek and I like to call a resume show. It’s good to be able to tell people in the industry, like booking agents or record labels, if you’re into that sort of thing, that you’ve played these shows. And that means a lot to them because it’s a submission show. It’s like, we were good enough to get in.”

Tessier and Jafar will admit that there are merits to doing these sorts of shows, but they will put a caveat on that. To other bands hoping to play festivals like this, look at it as a networking opportunity, rather than the chance to make your career.

But even with the success of being chosen for submission shows, The Blue Stones were still looking to improve. The replies to their music from college stations had stuck with them.

“We understand that we’re not in any way an out-there radical band,” Tessier continued, “But we didn’t like the pop responses. Some stations that are playing some of our favourite bands weren’t playing us, and that was kind of bugging us.”

So back into the studio they went, this time to Sound Foundry out in Kingsville.

“It was an awesome process. Oh my god, it was so much fun going out there,” gushes Tessier, “It’s just so cool that he’s got this studio out in the county where you can just relax, you know. You do a couple takes and then you get a little worn out, you go outside, and it’s just beautiful. Summer in the county, and there’s birds everywhere, and just, you know, green as far as you can see.”

This was a huge difference from the back of an off-hours metal shop in Toronto, where the first album was recorded.  The tracking environment can be considered a big influence on this new disc, one that could possibly help Jafar and Tessier get the response they are after.

“So this next album, it’s called How’s That Sound,” explains Tessier, “It’s almost a response to these stations that said ‘you guys are too poppy’. So we went and we made an edgier sound. We used a lot of analogue stuff, we didn’t do any digital processing with the guitars or anything, which we did on the first album, and now it’s going to be a response. We’re gonna send it back and say how’s that sound?”

Check out The Blue Stones when they release How’s That Sound along with Menos Mal and The Tyres on Saturday, Novemeber 3^rd at FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. W, main level). The show begins at 10 pm, 19+ are welcome, and admission is $5 at the door.

Phog Phest Phour

Coming into it’s fourth year, 2012;s annual Phog Phest is getting ready to be the show of the summer, even if it is coming in at the tail end of it.

Held in the venue’s parking lot at the corner of University Ave. W. and Victoria, this outdoor show is open to all ages, and will be making noise for twelve hours in Downtown Windsor on Saturday, September 15^th.

With gates opening at noon, the first hour and a half of the day will be dedicated to budding bands from Windsor’s Jam Space Academy, which helps bring together musicians between ages twelve and eighteen, and coaches them in the art of stage performance.  Jam Academy Bands will include; 9 Volt, 24 Sussex, Arcadia, Jinx, Lawless, Lost Weekend, and Tremors.

In addition to this group of up-and-comers, the rest of the day will be filled with some of the best local talent to be found, mingled with out-of-towners who have proven themselves to be fan favourites.

Phog’s blog has a full list of bands, complete with links, descriptions, and visuals, if you care to take a look, but here is a listing of what you’ll find should you decide to stop by (complete with freshly released set times!);

Jam Space Bands (Windsor) – 12:20

Learning (Windsor) – 2:10

Cellos (Windsor) – 3:00

Gypsy Chief Goliath (Windsor) – 3:50

Cobra & Vulture (Montreal) – 4:55

Club Thunderbolt (Windsor) – 5:55

The unquiet dead (Windsor) – 6:55

Vultures? (Windsor) – 7:55

New Country Rehab (Toronto) – 8:50

James O-L and The Villains (Windsor) – 9:55

Rural Alberta Advantage (Toronto) – 11:00

 

Tickets for Phog Phest 4 can be bought at Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. W.), from the UWSA office at the University of Windsor, or from any participating local bands.

CJAM 99.1 FM, Windsor-Detroit’s campus-community radio station is also giving them out periodically this week, so stay tuned in for your chance to call and win.  The numbers are;

Windsor – 519-971-3636

Detroit – 1-855-DIG-CJAM

In addition to music, there will be other various activities taking place in the parking lot, fun for the whole family at this all-ages event.

Special Event: Repetitions’ Last Show

This Saturday, July 14th will mark the end of hardcore “super group” Repetitions. With members from previous and current bands, The Posers, P.F.O.D., The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles, and Follow The Leader to name a few.  The band started in January of 2011 and was fortunate enough to play in some pretty killer line ups, which included Napalm Death, Jucifer and Spiderfest 2011 featuring Canadian punk rock legends Random Killing and The Ripcordz.  Repetitions have also played with countless great bands all around Southern Ontario, not to mention many amazing local bands such as, Disco Assault, Gypsy Chief Goliath, The Vaudevillianaires, Get Bent, Suppressulant, and the list goes on.

This Saturday for their last show, they have chosen bands who have played a major role in their short but successful run. The bill includes, Poison Spur (St. Thomas), Gatgas (London), The Syndrome (London) and local friends/brothers Valerie Page and Devilz By Definition. The show will take place at the legendary Coach and Horses in downtown Windsor, which is appropriate as each of the band’s members call this bar home in some way.  It is also where Repetitions got their start and played not only their first show, but many memorable shows after.

The show’s admission is $5 to help get the out of town bands home, but with a line up like this it is well worth it. Repetitions would like to thank each and everyone of those who has ever attended a live show, bought merchandise, or even just took the time to listen to the album online. Repetitions would also like to thank Alex “Yeti Bones” Petrovich for an amazing  job on recording the album. What are the members of Repetitions going to do now? You’ll have to wait and see but there are great things coming, we can tell you that much.

On behalf of Jay, Sean, Stef and Jill, thank you so much for all of your support.  We appreciate all you’ve done for us.

Ash.

https://www.facebook.com/events/310035569082636/

Power Metal @ The DH Saturday, June 9th

Be prepared for pillaging and plundering this weekend at The Dominion House Tavern when local bands will be teaming up with power metal groups from the GTA.

As part of For The Glory of the Swordsman Tour Crimson Shadows and Vesperia will be making a stop in Windsor.

Vesperia has been playing shows for a number of years under the moniker Bolero, be in recent weeks have made the decision to change their name in reflection alteration in band disposition and members. The first release under this name, The Swordsman, proves that the band is still sticking with their initial influences, the only change is they are turning things up to eleven.

Pulling from thrash and black metal, as well as tossing in some traditional folk, these guys have a sound comparative to Alestorm or Eluveitie.

Intense arrangements of deep, guttural vocals, pummeling drums, lightning-fast guitars, and driving bass make for tunes that entices ardent ale swilling and  violent windmilling.

 

 

Joining them on their journey across Ontario is Crimson Shadows, a band who decided their music scene was lacking a certain sound, and have successfully brought it forth, in their combination of death and power metal.

They have seamlessly blended the speed and intricacies of death metal with the melodies and clarity of power metal. Listening through Glory on the Battlefield you’ll find multiple variations in vocal stylings, helping to keep things fresh from track to track. Guitars aren’t destroyed by distortion, and fit in nicely with a tight drum sound and rolling bass tone. The songs themselves all flow nicely, sweeping through 4 solid tracks.

Locals also on the bill are Final Stage, a well known power metal outfit that has been around forever, despite numerous lineup changes. As well, show-goers will be hearing from Aeron’s Wake, unique in our scene for the use of fiddle, and Nepenthe, who made their debut last month opening up for Cryptopsy with their melodic death metal tracks.

 

 

 

 

Vesperia, Crimson Shadows, Final Stage, Aeron’s Wake, and Nepenthe will be playing at The Dominion House Tavern (3140 Sandwich St.) on Saturday, June 9^th. Doors are at 7pm, tickets are $7ADV/$10ATD, and 19+ are welcome. 

Weekly Round Up Weekday Edition: May 21st – 24th

It’s Victoria Day. , which means the long weekend kicking of summer is coming to a close, and everyone’s back to work tomorrow.

But here in Windsor, we believe in partying until the last minute, and that there’s nothing wrong with going to work a bit tired the next day.  In addition to the arrival of summer, we’re celebrating the season of weekday shows. So here’s what you can find around town for the next four days.

Monday May 21^st

At Villains Beastro (256 Pelissier Ave.) there’s a solid lineup of bands ready be loud and throw one hell of a party. Kicking off the night at 10 pm we’ve got locals Jeffrey David’s Blue Connection, featuring past and present members of Omnisyn and Wicked Angel. These guys have a tight presentation of some crunching blues tunes. Joining them from London, and making their Windsor debut, is Ghostship Victoria. These guys blend progressive and hardcore into a violent pool of squealing, raging guitars, aggressive vocals, thunderous drums, and punchy, growling bass. Rounding out this night will be Anchoress from B.C., who are currently on tour and have just released a new album, available via their Bandcamp page. This is a band that I highly recommend catching.  High-energy tunes presented with vigor, a sound that blends British hardcore punk band Gallows with Alkaline Trio’s jumpy vibe and various influences from rockabilly to southern metal.  This show is 19+ and there is no cover.

 

 

 

 

Over on the west end at The Dominion House Tavern (3140 Sandwich St.) it’s hardcore bands all night long.  New York hardcore band Dr. Acula will be making an appearance. Signed to Victory Records these guys make a party of their music on their records, so I can’t even fathom the excitement to be found at their live show.  Joined by metal band Bermuda from California,  hardcore outfit The Last Ten Seconds of Life from Pennsylvania,  and locals Always a New Day (who are debuting a their new second guitarist) and We Sleep At Dawn this show promises some nasty pits, great music, and an all around awesome time.  Doors are at 6 pm,  all ages are licensed, and if you didn’t manage to pick up an advance ticket for $12, they will be available for $15 at the door.

 

 

 

 

Tuesday May 22^nd

I’ve been waiting almost a year for these guys to come back, and I couldn’t be more excited now that the time is finally here. Five Alarm Funk is a 10-piece party funk band from Vancouver who make it impossible to resist the temptation to dance. They always pack Phog with an appreciative and enthusiastic crowd, blasting out a high-energy show that get’s everyone moving. Rock solid performances each and every time, and a brand new album to boot, there’s no way music lovers can afford to miss the spectacle that will be taking over Windsor’s coziest of venues. Advance tickets for $12 are still available, or you can hope to find a few leftovers for $15 tomorrow night (but I wouldn’t count on it).

 

 

Thursday May 24^th 

After the recent release and success of their first EP, The Cities Will Fall, Falling With Glory is ready to release their first music video, and will be doing so Thursday night at Loft Nightclub (20 Chatham St. E) with help from Windsorites Bleach and Torontonians Riding Shotgun. The video was filmed by Glenn Fricker, and you’re likely to notice a few faces on the screen wile you follow the story that the song has to tell. An all ages show that starts at 5pm, even kids who have to go to school the next day should have no problem making it out to this one. Advance tickets are available for $8, or you can pay $10 at the door.

 

CD Review: The STiG – This Lovely Filth EP

As happens fairly often in Windsor, a band will be officially releasing their newest piece of work via a CD release party this Friday, April 27^th.  This time the band is The STiG, and this is their first official release ever, an EP entitled This Lovely Filth, which was recorded with Mark Plancke at Shark Tank Studios in March 2011.

The band takes it’s name from the British TV series Top Gear, where a masked car driver known only as The Stig tests out cars. Their style of music, though, is not the sort to make you want to drive recklessly.  The entire EP is on the slower side of things, with clean, well defined recordings and lyrics that are interesting to pay attention to. The entire thing has a distinct Blue Rodeo feel, in fact.

The theme of the album is rather dark, according to frontman Jeff Stiles, commenting on how we have replaced the word need with the word want, how we are fighting wars for nothing more than the chance to go shopping. Hence the name This Lovely Filth.

The first track, Who Are You? Features Jeff’s lethargic, laid back vocals over some groovy instrumentals. The main guitar riff is almost danceable, if taken out of context of the rest of the song, and the drums are rich, a full, close sound that provide a steady beat along with some growling bass.

Block It Out has more of a country feel to it, with Jeff’s slightly nasally vocals complimenting well a guitar tone that isn’t quite not twangy.  Great mixing, the chorus really coming together with a twinkling guitar riff coming in, and rolling drum fills tying it all together. The bridge sounds almost like a march woth Jeff’s spoken word piece over top, before moving seamlessly back into the main riff of the song.

The third song is a particularily slow one,  the head-bobbingly groovetacular No G. This one makes me imagine a high school dance, everyone swaying side to side, hands on hips and around necks as the disco ball spins…. Coming into the solo, it really wakes you up, with a big, creamy tone that stands out completely from the rest of this track.

Following the theme of dark ideas and “what has our society come to?!” we’ve got a song about internet porn. Fitting. Ask Jolene is about addressing the girl on the computer screen, thinking past the fact that she’s naked.

Closing out the album, Scarecrow puts another picture in my head. Listening to just the clean guitar guitar, I’m see the end of a 90’s romantic comedy, a slow-mo montage of the hero running to catch whoever he’s after. Pretty specific, but give it a listen and you’ll get it. Actually, bringing up the 90’s, that’s a vibe that runs through most of the disc. But in a subtle enough way as to not seem like an homage, luckily.

This Lovely Filth will see it’s official release this Friday, April 27^th at FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. W.) where The STiG will be playing along with Tony Coates. Admission is free, doors open at 9 pm, with music starting around 10.

Focus on Canada South Presents: Remembering Paul

The next Focus on Canada South (FOCS) network event will be held April 28th, 9:30 pm to 1:30 am at Maroon Bros Pub 39 Chatham St E, Windsor, hosted by, Rick Rock, FOCS’s December’s Artist of the Month, This event will remember Paul Tucker, Paul was a producer/on-air personality at CJOM FM (now 89X) He was a sound engineer at Salem Studios as well as co-owner, sound engineer at Acusound Studio in Windsor, 1975-1980. Paul left us too soon, in January due to complications during a double lung transplant.

Rick Rock will be joined on stage by many musicians that worked with Paul. Members of Wynbridge and Abel Dagger will join Bob Bone, Brenda McCurdy, Derrick Green, Al Metivier, Echo Steps, Gone Wrong, Keith Stiner, Bradley Ouellette and Russ Jenkins. All other entertainers wishing to appear should contact Joe @ joe.quinlan1@gmail.com prior to April 25th. Everyone welcome, please come out and show your support. Check out the event page @ http://www.facebook.com/events/212199452220959/

FOCS the Promotion for All the Arts. TV, Movies, Music, and the full spectrum of the Arts.

“For over 40 years I have been involved in promoting the entertainment industry in the Windsor/Essex county area. Since the seventies, I have always been impressed with the amazing amount of talent that the Windsor area has produced. Hands down, this area has more talent per capita than any market in Canada, perhaps world-wide”
“We need to create global awareness of this enormous pool of talent. For this reason I have launched Focus on Canada South” says Joe Quinlan FOCS Founder.

The FOCS Mandate is to create a looking glass portal that will focus the eyes of the entertainment world on Canada South. To bring international attention to the creative talent in the Windsor/Essex County area. To promote solidarity among area writers, entertainers, directors, producers and promoters and to work together, toward this common goal. To petition Canadian and International celebrities to lend their voice, name recognition and resources to assist us in our goals. United, we will attack this goal with intensity and passion.

Contact
Joe Quinlan
joe@focusoncanadasouth.ca
519 800-3880

Milk Coffee Bar on Friday, March 30th…

This Friday night the city’s best all-ages venue, Milk Coffee Bar (68 University Ave. W.), will be holding a show for the record books.

Coming off of two shows at Canadian Music Week, Toronto’s indie-pop favourites Paint will be making a stop in town. A concoction of The Smiths and a solidified My Bloody Valentine, this is a group that seems more reminiscent of 80’s British alternative rock than the genre’s American counterparts. There is, however, a definite dash of modernity to their sound.

The band’s most recent album, Where We Are Today, was recorded by Ian Smith at Catherine North Studios, where other artists like Gord Downie and Feist have recorded. A collection of moving songs presented in an open, un-assaulting way that makes for a pleasurable listening experience, the live show is sure to be great.

 

 

Milk patrons will also have the chance to hear from Katlina and The Gracious, who are currently touring with Paint. This is a group sincere in it’s love for music, and that really shows through in the songs. Katlina started off in metal bands before finding her voice in acoustic-based stylings, and the outcome is simply tremendous. Rich and authentic vocals in songs that draw you in and hold you tight for the duration, this is a set that fans of Crissi Cochrane and Tony Coates won’t want to miss.

 

 

 

 

 

There are local bands on this bill as well, Windsor’s very own clash or Foo Fighters and SUM 41, State of Us will be showing off their stuff, as well as Bleach. This is a local band that doesn’t get nearly enough credit. Classic rock style vocals and an overall sound of what Billy Talent would be if they knew how to rock like only kids from Windsor can.

 

Catch Paint, Katlina and The Gracious, State of Us, and Bleach at Milk Coffee Bar (68 University Ave. W.) on Friday, March 30^th at 9 pm. Admission is $5 at the door and all ages are welcome.