Tag Archive for 'Canada'

LOVE GONE BAD

Published by Kate B on October 23, 2009 in Artist Feature, Artist News and Rock. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

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There was a time, not that long ago, when the pop world was infused with romantic ennui. This cavalcade of weary-hearted artists was led by the Smiths, whose woebegone tales of love and loathing gave a jolt to bummed-out youth in bedrooms across North America and Europe.

These days you can still find vestiges of that age in plenty of bands. We Were Lovers is one of many. And though their lovelorn indie rock has lots of pretty moments, for the most part it lays supine on the bed like a melancholy teen. The combination of meandering, unintelligible vocals and lo-fi production washes out whatever energy the arrangements give the music. Even bright guitar stabs and an unexpected horn section in “Mirror, Mirror” fail to fully lift the song out of its torpor. Singer Elsa Gebremichael is dreamy, fo sho, but her drowsy singing style is, well, tiring after awhile. In “Birds of a Feather” multitracked vocals give the effect of a chorus of Debbie Gibsons on Quaaludes.

However, all hope is not lost. In the darker “C-C-Call You On,” Gebremichael snarls her way through distorted guitars, adding a killer Blondie edge to the tune. Here’s for waking up on the wrong side of the bed.

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OURSTAGE MODEL U.N. – CANADA

Published by Sam C. on September 12, 2009 in Artist News. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .
Said The Whale

Said The Whale

Oh, Canada! Neighbor to the North, how we love you for all the wonderful things you’ve given the world. The country that brought you hockey, Degrassi and poutine also has many fantastic musical offerings. Looking at this year’s Polaris Music Prize nominees, the sheer amount of quality albums Canadian artists are producing is quite impressive.  Releases from K’NAAN, Fucked Up and Metric are sure to be hot contenders for the award, which will be announced on September 21st.

Kicking off September 30th is Pop Montréal, a city-wide music festival in, you guest it, Montréal. With this year’s line up featuring Fever Ray, Butthole Surfers, Faust and Os Mutantes, there’s more than enough audible variety to keep your eardrums content. While you’re waiting for Pop Fest and biting your nails in anticipation at the announcement of this year’s Polaris Prize, there’s an abundance of emerging Canuck artists on OurStage just waiting to be discovered! Here’s a sampling of some of the best:

These Electric Lives

These Electric Lives

Electro-rock outfit These Electric Lives have earned a lot of recognition opening for the likes of Asobi Seksu and The Mystery Jets. The band’s track “Called it Off” will leave fans of Austrlia’s Van She crying for more. After a successful EP and Remix album, the band is busy gearing up for their first full-length release.

Runs With Kittens is a staple of the Toronto music scene. This quartet, armed with microkorg and a glockenspiel, has a hard time sticking to one specific genre. Their comedic antics show full force in their chaotic track “Ricky Martin Shake Your Boobies In My Face”.

From Vancouver come folky rockers Said The Whale. One of the band’s more upbeat tracks “Live Off Lamb” is reminiscent of earlier records by The New Pornographers and Dr. Dog. Said the Whale is gearing up to release their new album Islands Disappear on October 13th.

Pat The White

Pat The White

Pat the White is a blues rock group that would seem more at home in the deep south than their native Quebec. Nonetheless, the band, lead by prolific guitarist Patrick Leblanc, has received critical acclaim at home and abroad for their album Reviver. The band might be one of the few with enough chops to make a solid cover of the Allman Brother’s classic “Whipping Post.” If you don’t have 14 minutes to spare you should check out their track “A Good Fool is Hard to Find” instead”.

Jamesking combines 90s style R&B and modern funk to forge their own unique brand of pop. Gyles, the band’s leading lady, has a strong soulful voice that could easily bring down any house.

DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEK: THE DUSTY ROADS BAND

Published by Sam C. on September 7, 2009 in Download of the Week. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .
The Dusty Roads Band

The Dusty Roads Band is an unsigned Canadian blues-rock quintet hailing from the city of Winnipeg. This DIY group is generating quite a bit of buzz in Western Canada as they bring back the glory days of pentatonic solo jams and passionate soul vocals on their debut album Searchin’ for a River. Front woman Jess Ayre provides a silky touch with her voice over the band’s tight rhythm section and blistering lead guitars. Picture yourself in a smokey Chicago blues club as you listen to this week’s free track “Ain’t No Grave“.

PUNK ON THE ROCKS: PORTE DISPARU

Published by BethanyLeavey on August 21, 2009 in Artist Feature. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

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Think Canada is all about Céline Dion? Think again. From Rough Trade in the 70’s to hardcore pioneers D.O.A. in the 80’s to 90’s pop punk bans like Sum 41, the Canadian punk scene has existed as long as the genre itself. Just as the Canadian House of Commons declared “…The Québécois form a nation within a united Canada,” the punk scene in the province of Quebec has always marched to the beat of its own drum. For one thing, most bands sing partially or completely in French, the official language of the province. Bands like Vulgaires Machins, The Sainte Catherines and Canadian punk heroes GrimSkunk have had successful, decade-spanning careers in this largely francophone market.

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From out of this scene came Porté Disparu (“reported missing”). Their voices harmonize in French over a NOFX-style backing of guitar, bass and drums. Lyrics cover a broad range of topics, including an earnest call for action and compassion for those Quebecois who are in need to humorous takes on the obesity epidemic in America and ridiculous standards of beauty. You don’t have to speak French to appreciate Porté Disparu’s sound. The quality of their recordings is far beyond what one would expect from an independent, unsigned punk band. It’s evident that the band put a lot of time and thought into their songs: Four years worth of time, to be exact.

Album art for 'Marche Rapide'

Album art for 'Marche Rapide'

Four years ago, the band was at an important crossroads: they wanted to make their music available to as many people as possible while maintaining their artistic integrity.  Their goal was not to sell a million records, but to recruit more fans to support their passion for playing live. To get more people at their shows, the band made a bold decision: to “take down the $$$ sign” that separated them from potential new fans by saving up money to finance their record and offer it as a free download on their Web site.  After four years of slaving away at their respective day jobs, the band released Marche Rapide this past February. Their gamble seems to be working. More than 3,000 people have downloaded Marche Rapide since its release, and fan comments from their Web site, in both French and English, come from locales as diverse as Madrid, Belgium and South Africa. While they are relative newcomers, they certainly have the determination needed to sustain a long lasting career.

Check out some highlights from Marche Rapide in the playlist below. If you like what you hear, visit Portedisparu.com to download the full album and lyrics for each song for free.

EVERYBODY WANTS SOMETHING THEY’LL NEVER GIVE UP: DEGRASSI STARS MAKING IT IN THE MUSIC BIZ

Published by Sam C. on August 7, 2009 in Hip-Hop and In the News. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .
Dowtown Sasquatch

Dowtown Sasquatch

For those of you not familiar with melodramatic Canadian teen TV shows, there’s no bigger name in the business than Degrassi. The first Degrassi series aired in 1979 with The Kids of Degrassi Street, but it wasn’t until the late 80’s with Degrassi Junior High that the brain child of TV writer Linda Schuyler developed a cult following. Today’s incarnation of Degrassi, Degrassi: The Next Generation, is currently nearing the end of its eighth season. Over the years, the series has covered just about every possible horrible thing that could ever happen to you as a teenager. Through all the trials and tribulations there was one thing Degrassi characters could always rely on to get them through the tough times —music! Degrassi bands like The Zit Remedy and Downtown Sasquatch provided much needed relief to all the endless drama. It’s no surprise then that some of the actors on the show have begun to forge careers in the music industry.

Cassie Steele, known for playing the role of Manny Santos, recently released her sophomore album Destructo Doll. The single, “Mr. Colson” is a rock tune with a lot of heartache and soul.

Cast newcomer Ray Ablack, who plays heartthrob Sav Bhandari, spent three years studying Vocal Music at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts in Toronto. When he’s not taping Degrassi, he spends time singing in his band KIAI and working on his own material.

Drake

Drake

Currently, Aubrey Graham — the actor who played Jimmy Brooks—is taking the hip hop world by storm under the stage name Drake. Fresh from signing a lucrative $2 million dollar record deal with Aspire/Young Money/Cash Money Records, Drake is gearing up to release his first commercial album after generating a great deal of buzz with his popular So Far Gone mixtape. It also doesn’t hurt him to have Lil’ Wayne as his personal mentor.

The three avid Degrassi fans in the OurStage office were more than delighted to find out that one of the bands on OurStage featured a bona fide Degrassi actress in their music video. Actress Amanda Septo, who plays fan favorite “Spike,” did the guys in Toronto’s Pizzamind a favor by showing up to their video shoot for “My Baby’s Got it Going On.” Check it out!