The Windsor Scene with Lauren Hedges

Lauren Hedges

The Playlist for The Windsor Scene, March 30, 2011;

Dstruct.O – Soul Seeker (Drumstep EP01 – 2011)

Lot 9 Brawl – Punk Flair (Doesn’t Make You Punk) (Pick Your Poison – 2009)

Crash Kondition – Terilynn’s Heart (Pretty Little Chemical – 2009)

Missiles – Burning Water (Missiles – 2009)

Betrayer – Shadowed Force (Shadowed Force EP – 2005)

Baptized in Blood – Mental (Baptized in Blood – 2010)

ASK – Stuff! (The Slacker Song) – (Future Communication -2011)

EVL – I’ll Keep Mine (I’ll Keep Mine EP – 2010)

Jonas & The Massive Attraction – Additcion (Big Slice – 2010)

Jarrett Sorko – Yo, I’m From Windsor, Dude (Single – 2011)

The Blue Stones – What She Don’t Know (Won’t Hurt Her) (The Blue Stones EP – 2011)

Tim Davidson – Polaroids (Single – 2010)

The Heat Seeking Moisture Missiles – Hidin’ in the Bushes (The Windsor Zene December Sampler – 2010)

Hammerdown – Born To Kill (The Windsor Zene February Sampler – 2011)

Crissi Cochrane – Mexico (Darling, Darling – 2010)

Mike Hargreaves – Drive & Drive (Live in Layers – 2009)

Brighton – Go Back (August Demo – 2009)

Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Believe (Night Castle – 2009)

I was super excited when I got to the studio today and was handed a CD of Windsor-based dubstep as well as a flyer advertising a dubstep show happening Thursday night. A few weeks back I mentioned on-air how I wanted to see some local dubstep, my Program Director heard, and tipped me off when the news came his way.  Yay Vern! The quick browse I put into Dstruct.O’s “Drumstep EP02” makes me very excited to go to Panache Ultra Lounge (53 Pitt St. E) tonight (Thursday), where he will be performing alongside DJ Josh Bryant. That show starts at 10 pm, is 19+ and has $3 cover.

A song that I thought a lot about before playing this week was Jarrett Sorko’s “Yo, I’m From Windsor Dude”. Not that I hate the song, it just annoys me slightly.  But it’s been a huge thing this week, and I figured since I’m showcasing Windsor music, it should be included. Also, he has aspirations of mainstream radio airplay, and we might not be 89x, but that’s only because we at CJAM are better. And I liked his dig at Harrow, especially as I myself rep the 738. (That’s Harrow phone numbers, for those who don’t know)

I spent last Friday night at The Blind Dog in the company of some pretty good bands, and some that had me less than impressed. Anonymous Bosch and Awake to a Dream are a couple that I was already fond of, and not disappointed by. Nuclear Sunrise was a new one for me, and I’ve got to say I liked what they did. Bleach and Silver Glory were not bad by any means, I just wasn’t blown away. And then there was Jonas & The Massive Attraction. Great musicians, but their sound was something I just couldn’t get into. Jonas’ Theory of a Massive Nickel Creed. For further explanation, try the WindsoriteDOTca article I wrote on it.

This weekend is set to host some serious shows. Starting off on Friday at The Blind Dog, you can catch Baptized in Blood, Betrayer, Desertion, and Perpetuate, who are releasing their first CD. Metal heads of the city rejoice, this is not one to miss.  Baptized in Blood have recently been revealed to be on the lineup for the 2011 “Heavy T.O.” festival alongside Megadeth, Children of Bodom, and Rob Zombie. Tickets for that show run at about $135, and here you can see BIB for only $10. Steal! Betrayer has only recently returned to gigging, and after the major success of their show at The Coach last month, things can only get better.  Desertion will be making their comeback that night, so I’m quite sure they’ll be tearing things up as well. And being as Perpetuate is releasing their album, it goes without saying that they’ll be great, and they usually are anyhow, so there ya go. This show is $10 ADV/$12 Door, all ages, and doors open at 6 pm.

Saturday at The Coach The Heat Seeking Moisture Missiles are playing their first show of the year, Hammerdown are playing their first show of the month, and Repetitions are playing their first show ever! Check out our feature from earlier this week to get the full rundown on this new crustpunk supergroup that is sure to make noise in Windsor’s music scene. Hammerdown’s brand of fast and heavy metal is sure to get your hair whipping and keep the beer flowing (you’ll have plenty of cash for that too, as there’s no cover), and THSMM will be their typical selves, bringing in the sounds of oldschool punk and 80’s metal. This show is free, 19+, and the first band is set to start at 11ish sharp.

And congratulations to Tim Kennedy of Harrow who called in to the show today to win himself tickets to Friday’s show at The Blind Dog. There will be more ticket  giveaways soon, so be ready.

The Windsor Zene’s FREE February Windsor Music Sampler is now available!

Well it’s that time of month again – although the shortness of February caught us a bit off guard so we’re a couple days off.

Here’s your link to February’s FREE Windsor Music Sampler. Just click on the February release (or if you missed December or January’s, they’re still available for FREE download as well). February’s compilation started off a bit slow, but it turned into our biggest compilation yet, clocking in at 16 tracks!

We’re pleased to announce that some different genres are slowly creeping in, from melodic rock (Acousticfire) to ska (Brass Knuckles and The Nefidovs) as well as our first sampling of Windsor hip-hop arrives with a track from Academy’s Kayyce Closed.

Some of the veterans of the scene (Pat Robitaille, Hammerdown, Explode When They Bloom, The Hung Jury, The Golden Eagles) are also represented, while new blood like Shortcut to Last, Devilz By Definition and The Hypnotics are also on the bill. Some overlooked acts from the past couple years (but who are still performing) are represented as well, with the indie DIY punk ethic of Rose City (featuring Locusts Have No Ki ng, ASK and Years of Ernest member Joey “The Wise Guy” DesRoches) and the electronic blues funk of Gregg Koval‘s track (Koval gained notoriety as part of the ’90s outfit Powdered Toastmen).

Our first sample of cross border unity also appears featuring the Detroit hardcore band The Armed, which features Windsor guitarist Christopher Elkjar (who also performs in Cloverjoy and has accompanied (wh)y.m.e.(??) at some live performances).

We’ve got a great electronic piece from Kero to close the set out for you. This guy is one of Windsor’s most influential musicians of the past decade (Beck and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke are admitted fans) and it’s a real treat to have him on the sampler.

In a band and your submission didn’t make the cut? Fear not. Simply means we ended up with more than we could handle this month. It’ll appear as soon as we can allot it!

Want to submit a track for an upcoming sampler? Send your hi-quality mp3 or .wav file, along with all production credits, to windsorzene@gmail.com

Help promote local Windsor music by SHARING this article on your Facebook page! The best way to let people know about the talent this city and scene produces is my letting them know!

Fri. Feb. 4: Battlesoul make their return to the Coach & Horses

Prepare for Helter Celtic this Friday at the legendary Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo’s). Hailing from the Celtic northlands of London and Goderich, Ontario, CDN Records recording artists Battlesoul bring their stylized “Celtic metal” back to the Coach’s dimly lit stage for what will surely be an aural and visual treat for all those in attendance.

As one of the few non-local acts to play last December’s FunnelFest music festival (due to a prior booking amalgamated with the festival), Battlesoul were perhaps one of the least recognizable names on the announced line-up. But by the end of the Festival, they were clearly one of the favourites. With the rapid fire precision of a Pict attack, to the brutal savagery of the Highlands themselves, Battlesoul’s musical mastery was omnipresent that night – as were their garb. Yes, they perform in full kilts and shirtless, long hair propelled around in vicious pinwheels by the the force of their own headbanging. As visually captivating as they were sonically impressive, Battlesoul hit the Coach in support of their latest record, Lay Down Thy Burden. Compared to such Scandinavian “Viking metal” bands like Tyr, Fintroll and Turisas, Battlesoul owes more to the lyrical mythology of Celtic folklore than their Scandinavian brethren, but the barbarism is still there. Just like all great metal should.

Direct support for this show comes from a couple of Windsor metal heavyweights. Veterans Betrayer return to the Coach with their classic 80’s sounding metal (meaning more akin to Megadeth and Iron Maiden than Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir) and, although they aren’t experienced nearly as frequently as some bands seem to, these guys are long standing members of Windsor’s metal royalty and some of the tightest and most proficient musicians in the scene. Another band to play last year’s FunnelFest, Hammerdown has been a force on Windsor’s metal scene for the past few years, with a ferocious guitar attack and thunderous drums akin to Black Label Society or local legends like fiftywatthead and Georgian Skull. These guys are intense and bring a heavy that relies on powerful groove rather than breakneck speed. True heavy.

Opening the show are a couple of newer acts. Perpetuate, a prog metal band that will inevitably draw comparisons to bands like Lacuna Coil or Nightwish, if not simply because of the vocal similarities by Perpetuate’s Kim McInnes. But don’t let the voice overshadow the guitar prowess of Jamie Hush. Musically, they’re closer in style to bands like Trivium or Dream Theater. As they continue to mature, look for them to become a force in the metal scene. Rounding out the bill is newcomers Awake To A Dream (whose track “The Importance of the Bass Guitar” is available for free on this month’s FREE Windsor Music Sampler), who have been jumping on a slew of shows recently to get their name and sound out there. These guys write more melodic based hard rock (perhaps influenced by vocalist/guitarist Chris Wilbur’s prior stint in One Man’s Opinion) but that’s not an knock – they just write well written heavy rock with a hook.

Battlesoul with special guests Betrayer, Hammerdown, Perpetuate and Awake To A Dream, The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo’s), Friday February 4th, 10pm, 19+, $5 at the door ($4 advance via band members)