Wet Secrets: Marching On To Glory

WET SECRETS

December 9, 2013 · by Christine Leonard

EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE!

Edmonton’s favourite imaginary friend the Wet Secrets is a band that wants to stick their tongue in your ear. And by tongue, they mean their sweeter-than-sin new album, Free Candy. Conceived as a cunning stunt in 2005 by bassist/vocalist Lyle Bell and drummer/vocalist Trevor Anderson, the Wet Secrets made their first appearance on stage at a reputable establishment called Seedy’s. Invigorated by the thrill they received from that initial act of exposure, the Wet Secrets swiftly assembled and issued their debut album, A Whale of a Cow, later that year.

By 2007, the Wet Secrets had found a rhythm to match their trumped-up, pop-rock methodology with their sophomoric release, the appropriately titled Rock Fantasy. Received with open arms, the catchy cache of Rock Fantasy was a magic bullet that shot the Wet Secrets to the top of the Canadian charts, where they lingered on well into 2008.

“Trevor and I were at a show and kind of made a pact/dare to start a band and write and record an album before the first show,” Bell recalls. “We took a show and promptly forgot about all of this until a week before our first gig. We did a crazy, no-sleep week of practice/recording and got it done literally five minutes before the show started. At the time, both Trevor and I were in bands and fairly accomplished and we mutually knew some people we thought would be fun to play with. We wanted to avoid guitar, for whatever reason, so it was horns and keys with everyone singing. It was thrown together pretty quickly without too much thought about anything further into the future than that one gig. Also, that first night we made our pact-dare, our friend Fish took a photo of us that looked like I was telling Trevor a wet secret. Can’t remember if Fish said that or Trevor, but it was the genesis of the name.”

Obviously accustomed to making a serious racket when performing as a part of his erstwhile bands, Shout Out Out Out Out and Whitey Houston, bassist and lead vocalist Lyle Bell has never shied away from making a scene in public. Pursuing his affection for the campiness and controversy, Bell and his long-time friend and collaborator drummer/vocalist Trevor Anderson have discovered like-minded musicians in trumpet player/vocalist Kim Rackel, trombonist/vocalist Emma Frazier and keyboardist/conga player like Paul Arnusch. Settling into their role within the dynamic group, Paul and the two majorettes are primed to deliver Bell and Anderson’s madcap musical mash-up.

“We sometimes spontaneously write jams during practices, make wonky demos and then refine them in the studio,” says Bell of the group’s evolving songwriting process. “Sometimes, I’ll get bombarded with an idea and work out most of the song in my head. I can generally hear how everything is going to go and then I’ll show it to Trevor, who often sends it spiraling into a different dimension. Everyone in this band is actually pretty fucking talented musically. Zero slouch. Kim and Emma are superstars!”

Now, you might be tempted to think that blasting out starry-eyed tunes like “Hot Hot Hotter than the Sun,” “The Chinball Wizard” and “The Ballad of El Doucho,” while being backed by a fulsome brass section, would be enough for any band on the march. But if you need to know one thing about the Wet Secrets, it’s that they love being the centre of your attention and will stop at nothing to get there. Plying their eminently danceable hooks whilst decked-out in tasseled red-and-white marching-band uniforms, Bell and company demonstrate that no loud outfit is complete without an equally loud outfit.

“The outfits were the old uniforms of the Red Deer Royals. Unlike Lorde, Trevor was once a Royal and we were able to buy about twenty complete marching band outfits in a sweet deal brokered by his mom.”

After five years of anticipation and planning, the Wet Secrets’ next great orchestral manoeuvre is finally ready to be unveiled. The musical counterpart of the cat hair-covered sweater in your closet (also Bell’s wardrobe of choice when he’s not in uniform), Free Candy comes across as fun, friendly and a little bit freaky. A return to the halcyon days of one’s cavity-filled youth, the gratuitously tasteful album came together during this past summer, guided by the hand of producer Nik Kozub (White Horse, Cadence Weapon, Shout Out Out Out Out).

“I learned a lot about the business in general from being in Shout Out Out Out Out: take the work involved seriously and have a plan,” Bell says. “In the four years (five?) since our last album, we went through some personnel changes and had general life bullshit drop down on us. We got older, wiser and slightly sadder. Rock Fantasy was kind of about sex and hedonism with a bit of whimsical bullshit. Free Candy is a more adult album, loosely about sex, death and humanity, supernatural claptrap, the untimely death of a friend, evangelicals banging on your doorway too early, people who sit in the green room and eat your deli tray while you play, dyin’ — the usual.”

Bell confesses that their predilection for stirring crowds into frenzies has led them down the yellow brick road to chaos on more than one occasion. He recalls a pie giveaway that resulted in an Animal House-calibre food fight. How does one get pie out of a trumpet? Marx Brothers-inspired tomfoolery aside, these festival veterans have a history of engaging audiences with a constant parade of well-composed and skillfully-executed aural pleasures. Indeed, the Wet Secrets strive to infuse their musical presentations with an intelligent and slightly warped sense of humour. In doing so, they seldom fail to elicit an appreciative response from their listeners.

“I am my own harshest critic and I am super-pumped that we had the stick-to-it-iveness to get Free Candy done,” Bell reports. “We are all totally proud of this one, our little breach baby. I’m already working hard on the next album. We have big plans. I want to take this as far as we can possibly can. We also want to reunite the Smugglers so we can do a split 7″.”

Tongue firmly planted in cheek, the Wet Secrets plan to exercise their right to party as they champion Free Candy across the land.

“It’s amazing how fast the years can slip by, but our mandate of having fun together hasn’t changed. Once we got rolling again everyone started to get excited about pushing this album through to completion. Lately, we’ve been playing some of our best shows ever. It does sound like the same band, but I think we’re also a band in transition. Maybe in the future, we won’t be quite as jokey… Of course, when you wear marching band outfits there’s a pretty fine line between being seen as a glib gimmick and being taken seriously. There are tons of weird art-rock bands out there that we love, like Devo and Ween. I think it’s possible to play completely ridiculous material really well. That’s when it’s the most entertaining.”

Catch Wet Secrets at the Palomino on December 13. Free Candy will be released on February 4, 2014.

By Christine Leonard

And So I Watch You From Afar interviewed by Christine Leonard

AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR

UNREQUITED OBSESSION

Northern Ireland’s upstart gift to the post-rock era, And So I Watch You From Afar, has been making waves and garnering restraining orders since 2005. Formed in Belfast, the intrepid four-piece surprises and delights by interspersing their angular rock hooks with dissonant bursts of electronic fury. 

With two albums and two EPs to their credit, ASIWYFA has earned a reputation for creating powerful, multi-dimensional, instrumental pieces augmented by the occasional glockenspiel or human voice. Burning the candle at both ends, dual guitarists Rory Friers and Niall Kennedy juxtapose melody and cacophony with incendiary results. Each pulse of noise, every break in the action, provides an abrupt but mutually-adopted jumping-off point for the band’s next musical (mis)adventure. With bassist Johnny Adger and drummer Chris Wee laying down a solid foundation, ASIWYFA’s towering sonic spires threaten to scrape the very heavens. It’s a good thing that these math-rock druids have their feet firmly planted on good old terra firma.

BeatRoute: How would you describe the current musical scene in Ireland at this time and where does ASIWYFA fall into the scheme of things?

Chris Wee: The Irish scene is still really healthy in terms of the quality of music coming out. Unfortunately, gigs are definitely feeling the effects of the recession with less numbers. We were fortunate to be coming up the ranks in Belfast at a time when there was a lot of collectivism and passion in the scene. ASIWYFA curated a mini-festival back in 2008 in Belfast, called “A Little Solidarity,” which showcased a huge variety of local talent and was a real high point for us career-wise, as well as a marker for how good our local scene was. There was a great sense of bands helping each other out and that is still very much alive in the present day. Back then, we were only beginning to do small bits of touring and were very active in Belfast. But, nowadays with our touring schedule we don’t get to spend much time in Belfast as we would like to. It’s nice to come back and get down to local shows when we’re home.

BR: How do you intertwine disparate elements like melody and brute force to make a cohesive whole? You often use explosive bursts of electronic distortion to punctuate and underscore your more straight-forward rock and roll creations. Are your juxtapositions intended as to come across complimentary rather than clashing, or both?



CW: From the outset, we have always strived to make interesting music, not just to entertain an audience but to challenge and entertain ourselves as well. We have also been keen never to cover old ground in terms of our writing and that has continually pushed us into new territory. Our writing process has evolved quite a lot since our first jamming way back in 2005/6. Rory [Friers, guitar] has always been the brains in regards to bringing the initial ideas of melodies, riffs and rough structures. Then, we get into the rehearsal room and thrash around until we start to get an idea of the song. That’s where the dynamics come in and ideas for ridiculous changes in pace or mood come from. We can be quite ruthless with material in that if we’re getting bogged down with an idea it’s better to cut it loose and move on to make sure the momentum and the creativity is maintained.

BR: In what ways is All Hail Bright Futures a reflection of the depth and complexity you’ve continued to build into your songwriting style since the release of your award-winning album, Gangs?

CW: All Hail Bright Futures was written with a lot less of the boundaries and restrictions we had with earlier work. With this album we decided that we would try and make the guitars sound as little like guitars as possible to keep the sound fresh and guitar lines were transposed onto other instruments to create a rich variety of sounds. We went into the studio with a very small percentage of the album written and it allowed us to be more open to different instruments and sounds, less precious over the older conventions of just guitars and drums. We approached it with really open minds and a willingness to try all sorts of different instrumentation. There was also a much more collective contribution from the three of us during the recording, the three of us were in all day every day constantly discussing and contributing ideas of how the song was progressing, which was an immensely satisfying experience.

By Christine Leonard

Originally published October 7, 2013 in BEATROUTE MAGAZINE 

And So I Watch You From Afar - Big Things Do Remarkable Live 07.04.2013 | Strom München

Axis of Conversation Interviewed by Christine Leonard

AXIS OF CONVERSATION

·

SMALL TALK, BIG SOUND

They say that life is something that happens while you’re busy making other plans and, when it comes to Calgary’s cello-embellished pop-purveyors, Axis of Conversation, the old adage definitely holds true. The past three years have been demanding ones for lead vocalist/guitarist Chris dela Torre who, along with bandmates bassist/vocalist Eric Estor, keyboardist/glockenspieler Gerald Dacanay, violinist/keyboardist Shelly Groves, percussionist Matthew Doherty and cellist Cheryl Bergen, has been burning the candle at both ends.

“The actual recording took two-and-a-half years to complete from first day in studio, if you count songwriting it’s even longer than that,” dela Torre relates. “Since before the band started, I’ve wanted to do an album where we had gift of time, to be able to enter into the process with no real deadline and no real parameters. It ended up being too much of that. By time the third anniversary of start the project rolled around, I thought, ‘This is ridiculous!’ but it was also a case where we just had to make it that kind of record. As a group, we have six children between us now, so working at that pace was less of a luxury and more of necessity.”

Pulling together the many-stringed, Axis of Conversation made the decision to move forward with the production of their latest offering, The House of Stay Together, despite the challenge of balancing creative endeavours with meddlesome day-jobs and domestic distractions. What began as an exercise in exploring the themes of teenage love and tempestuous relationships became a 10-track tribute to the band’s own internal struggle to overcome the mundane and craft something of lasting portent.

“We had been working with our engineer, Cody Coates, for quite a while and loved working him with him – he’s like family, but due to everyone’s schedule the task of putting an album together with him was difficult. We had been stuck for a while when we called up local engineer/producer/musician Arran Fisher (Ship Shape, The Summerlad) in the spring of 2012. We thought he’d be a good choice, because he’s done so much work with Woodpigeon, which requires a lot of recording of strings. Even though he and Cody have a totally different style, I think it was a really great working relationship. I spent a long time finalizing the mixes with our friend Reuben Ghose, who produced our first full-length, Delusions of Safety, six years ago. Reuben and I both knew that success of this new album, in terms of it being a step forward for the band, was in the mix.”

From the deft backmasking on the opening track, “We Make Dew,” to the symphonic spree of “Prince’s Island,” The House of Stay Together is a brilliant coming-of-age album for the subtly sophisticated Axis of Conversation. Lyrically mature yet consummately dance-able, the album that took so long to make allows each situation to build and flourish in its own fashion. Fear and acknowledgement dominate the emotive storyline as dela Torre and company come full-circle and hold a mirror up to their collective mortality.

“I think we were subconsciously approaching this album like it was our last,” confesses dela Torre. “Essentially, it’s a document of the six of us working things out in the basement. I’d describe our current sound as one of confidence, especially compared to our first full-length album. We’re no longer that experimental band that was in the midst of the feeling-out process. We’ve gained a lot personal maturity as people and it’s inevitable that those age-related changes will factor into our music. If this was our last album I’d be okay with that because I think we did a really good job.”

Axis of Conversation will release The House of Stay Together at the Palomino on September 13 and at an afternoon, all ages show at the Cliff Bungalow Community Association on September 14.

Originally published in BeatRoute Magazine September 9, 2013 
By Christine Leonard
Photos: Damian Espinosa

Alabama Shakes

~ Boys and Girl ~Alabama Shakes combine myriad genres in their gritty, soulful rock

Originating in Athens, Alabama in 2009, Alabama Shakes was initially conceived by high school classmates singer-guitarist Brittany Howard and bassist Zac Cockrell. Soon the two joined forces with drummer Steve Johnson, guitarist Heath Fogg and keyboardist Ben Tanner, and earnestly began crafting their unique brand of gospel and blues-tinged garage rock.

“I don’t pay attention to what is popular at the moment, but I do think there is a yearning for something real after years of more processed music,” says Howard. “Our sound is influenced by so many different artists as we all listen to such a wide array of music it would probably shock you. I think that is what I like best about our band. But there is a common ground of bands with real energy and soul that have helped us sculpt our sound. You know, bands [and] artists like AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Otis Redding, Drive-By Truckers, Charles Bradley, Tina Turner, and many, many others.”

Hurtling from relative obscurity to being nominated for three Grammy Awards for their 2013 debut full-length release Boys & Girls has been both rewarding and disruptive for the tight-knit quintet. Not surprisingly the comfort and support they receive from their hometown crowd still grounds Alabama Shakes and keeps them connected to their roots.

“My favourite venue is a place called Egans in Tuscaloosa, Alabama,” says Howard. “It’s a hole in the wall bar, but it’s the best because everyone there just wants to have a good time. It’s tiny, sweaty, and dark, and one of the first places we ever played. Unfortunately, we don’t get to play places like that anymore, but last November we did a secret show at Egans under a different name! It was so fun... we may have to do that again.”

For Howard and company, wistful memories of days gone by are counter-balanced by the anticipation of adventures yet to come. Acutely aware of the dangers inherent in acquiring fame and fortune in rapid succession, Alabama Shakes is in no rush when it comes to pushing out their next album. Instead, the band that merges Janis Joplin’s crashing urgency with Otis Redding’s easy wisdom is prepared to shake up this summer’s festival circuit and give folk music fans a reason to hang loose.

“We just try and have fun, we give it our all, and when the audience gives it back to us then things really get going and can create this whole circular energy vibe. “We are a rock ’n’ roll band, but are honoured to be embraced in any scene that appreciates what we are doing. We tend to bring a lot emotion and electricity to the live show. If you give us some love we will return it and we promise a good time where you can forget about your worries for a short while.”

by Christine Leonard


Originally published July 25, 2013 in Fast Forward Magazine

Video: Alabama Shakes - Always Alright (Live on SNL)

Carpenter nails it!

The rural advantage 

Carpenter harvest punk-infused rock anthems

Published July 4, 2013 by Christine Leonard


Despite making waves in the Vancouver post-punk sensation All State Champion for over 15 years, Ontario-born singer and guitarist Dan Sioui admits that he’s never considered himself to be a true West Coaster. Secretly fostering a special place in his heart for the grit of blue-collared bards like Bruce Springsteen and John Cougar Mellencamp for decades, the talented singer and guitarist decided the timing was right for a reunion with his musical upbringing.

Eschewing his former hardcore haunts, Sioui linked up with guitarist Ryan Howlett of Speaking of Heroes, and then bassist Dana Edwards and drummer JJ Heath of Daggermouth. By 2005, Sioui and company were working up a sweat in the Hive Studios (Pride Tiger, Black Mountain), labouring under the humble name of Carpenter.

“It was sort of strange getting into the vibe of a purely rock ’n’ roll feel,” says Sioui. “Taking on the challenge of emulating a blue-collar classic like American Fool was a complete 180 from the angular post-punk music I had become accustomed to. I know it threw a lot of people off, but I’ve been at it for so many years now that the response has grown into something much more positive.”

Shepherding his forays into folk, pop and rock beyond Vancouver’s cloudy comforts, Sioui ventured back to Ontario’s countryside to compose Carpenter’s bucolic 2010 offering, Sea to Sky.

“I bought a farm in Ontario off the Internet, so I could be closer to where I grew up while I was writing. As cheesy as it sounds, there’s a certain breadth and airiness about being under wide-open skies that allows me to leave the space within our songs. A lot of bands are afraid to let space happen.”

Compelled by the plight of independent farmers, Carpenter swiftly became a conduit for political outrage, effectively funneling Sioui’s ire for the corporate-based Agribusiness into every passionate track.

“As a band, we put a lot of work into writing songs that are effective in communicating big ideas in a simple way,” he says. ”Starting out I never could have imagined a scenario where I would have any political stance whatsoever through music, but I’m not the kind of person who stands by and watches while the little guy is getting squeezed in all industries. We understand the value of supporting our local producers and businesses. I guess it’s a bit of our punk-rock influence fighting through.”

Tasked with striking a balance while styling striking ballads, Carpenter has temporarily moth-balled plans to re-enter the studio, instead opting to embark on a summer tour. Rolling into Calgary just in time for Stampede 101, the East-meets-West hybrid, which has shared the stage with the likes of NoMeansNo, Attack in Black and Minus the Bear, plans to flush the seawater from their veins and replace it with a warm draught of Albertan rye.

“My ideal would be to combine JCM with Hüsker Dü,” says Sioui. “I may draw on roots rock, but I like to play it at an insane volume and fling my body around like a man obsessed. We have a like-minded crowd that knows it’s not a political rally, it’s more of a feeling of connection between band and audience. Every show is a celebration. It’s something that goes back to our hardcore roots, and in a weird way it’s the thing I’m most proud of.”

Vulcan, Alberta, Canada - Hosts Spock Days

SPOCK DAYS LIVE LONG

TREKKIE CONVENTION GOES INTO ORBIT WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE TREKCETERA MUSEUM

An annual, community-wide Star Trek Convention, Spock Days, is occasion for perking up one’s ears and pursuing a bit of recreation in Canada’s Star Trek capital. Four fun-filled solar rotations of costume parties, celebrity appearances and mingling in the interest of inter-planetary friendship, Spock Days has been turning other bastions of science-fiction fandom green with envy for the past 21 years. A crop-circle-worthy locale on the undiscovered prairies, the festival’s birthplace in Vulcan, Alberta is more than the namesake of Spock’s logic-espousing home world it’s a cosmically certified tourist destination.

“The Town of Vulcan is genuine,” confirms Star Trek enthusiast and repeat Spock Days attendee Shannon Sigvaldasson. “For the residents of Vulcan and the surrounding area, this weekend is their Mardi Gras and they go all out! The whole community sees the benefit of aligning with Star Trek culture and, in so doing, creates a larger, world-renowned identity for their town.”



Enhancing Vulcan County’s reputation for being a veritable Rigel 7 of dark skies and space culture, curators of fandom Michael Mangold and Devan Daniels have announced the impeding launch of Canada’s only Star Trek-themed museum. The Trekcetera Museum is set open during Spock Days with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring this year’s special guests. Actors Robert Picardo “The Doctor” and Ethan Phillips “Neelix,” of Star Trek Voyager fame, and senior illustrator Rick Sternbach are slated to headline this year’s festivities.

“The real joy of seeing celebrities in Vulcan is that the setting provides for more up-close encounters and one-on-one time,” says Sigvaldasson. “There is a kind of freedom and safety that being in Vulcan allows the stars versus the comparatively rigid schedule of a typical convention.”

Guest of honour and Spock Days emcee Robert Picardo, who is also known for his roles as Richard Woolsey from the popular TV series Stargate, will be delivering an original live performance along with his former Voyager co-star and astro-gastronomer, Ethan Phillips. A senior illustrator and designer for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager and the first two seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, special guest Rick Sternbach will also regale the congregation with insights into his role in creating hundreds of props and set-pieces for the franchise and personal stories of assisting the show’s writers.

“Go for the whole weekend, there’s no reason to leave! Book a hotel room or campsite early, they fill up quickly. Be sure to catch the Parade! Walk the main streets; each shop you wander into will have some fun and unique Trek memorabilia. And, if a group of Klingons invites you to drink with them, do it!”

Spock Days runs from June 7 to 9 in Vulcan, AB.

Originally published in BeatRoute Magazine June 4, 2013
By Christine Leonard

Calgary Metalfest 2013

Return of the Beast 

Calgary Metalfest enters its second summer

by Christine Leonard


Calgary Metalfest II featuring Skeletonwitch, Intronaut, Scale the Summit, Into Eternity, Anciients, Endast, Wake, Disciples of Power and many more
Dickens Pub June 6-8, 2013


Now in its sophomore year, Calgary Metalfest was originally conceived as a hell-raising party for local soundman/producer Nathan Renaud on the occasion of his 30th birthday. Far surpassing the traditional party benchmark of waking up the neighbours, the success of the premier installation was a pleasant surprise for Big Nate.

“I call myself the ‘sole proprietor’ of Calgary Metalfest,” says Renaud. “Mainly because I started last year’s festival as an excuse to see all my friends. The first year my selection process was entirely selfish and short-sighted.”

Despite its casual nature, the inaugural event was a success. “You can’t imagine the relief I felt when our venue reached 90 per cent capacity on that first night. The place only held 500 people and 460 showed up! I couldn’t have been happier; I was walking around handing out kegs and bonuses.”

Confident he could out-do his previous effort, Renaud spent the past 12 months contacting and booking over 80 bands from across the country to perform during Calgary Metalfest 2013’s four-day showcase. It hasn’t been easy deciding who will converge for the second edition of this extravaganza of extreme music; the enthusiasm displayed by Canadian metal bands seeking exposure for their brand of high-octane hardcore has precipitated a waiting list of would-be stand-ins.

“It was obvious that there was a demand for this festival, but the logistics were a bit of a nightmare at times,” says Renaud. “I have to give a big shout out to Tyson Cale Boyd of ConcertWorks in Edmonton for putting me in touch with many of the acts that were coming through; I was super-fortunate to be able to pick up Skeletonwitch from Athens, Ohio and Intronaut out of L.A. When it came to selecting from the demos and applications submitted by local bands, it seemed like we had received submissions from every damn one of them.”

Augmenting his role as producer and stage manager for Scarab Productions (purveyors of Calgary’s international metal festival, Noctis), Big Nate also plays bass for the local tech-death ensemble KYOKTYS. As a musician himself, he has come to appreciate a hands-on approach to mounting an unforgettable show. And although Big Nate has to remind himself to pause and enjoy the melodic chaos, he’s determined to make sure everyone involved leaves feeling like it’s their lucky day.

“It’s going to be crazy,” he says. “I’m sure the Breathe Knives, Witchstone show on Saturday is going to sell out, but Broken City has allowed me to open up their rooftop patio for an all-ages shaker. So, we’ll have all of those cross-over thrash bands like Oh, Shit! and Epidemic playing up there, just for fun. Hardcore standup comedian Jason Rouse from Hamilton will be performing and emceeing the festival. He’s hosted Monsters of Comedy and the Metal Hammer: Golden Gods Awards and he’s the crudest motherfucker I’ve ever heard.” Thankfully, attendees will be able to travel between venues with ease — they’ll have a shuttle running between them from 6 to 9 p.m. each night. And while it’s looking more like an official festival than last year’s event, Renaud still sees it as a celebration of his 31 years on earth, calling it “the best damn birthday party you’ll ever attend.”

Raleigh pushes pedals, buttons and envelopes

Raleigh reigns 

Trio wins with guitar, cello and drums

by Christine Leonard


Snowblink with Raleigh & SAVK
Palomino Smokehouse April 25, 2013

Local pop-folk trio Raleigh revolves around three distinct voices raised in perfect harmony — the sweet-yet-somnolent reverberations of cellist Clea Anaïs merging with the rock ’n’ ramble wanderlust of drummer Matt Doherty and guitarist Brock Geiger. A popular attraction since rolling off the assembly line nearly three years ago, the rootsy band has picked up some serious speed following the release of their 2011 debut New Times in Black and White.

“Our new album, Sun Grenades and Grenadine Skies, is definitely more of a band effort,” says Geiger. “This time around each person had the opportunity to throw in their own concepts and inspiration. It made it more of a collaborative process and you can hear it in the songs. We’ve been together for a couple of years now and we’ve figured a lot of things out. Guitar, cello and drums is kind of a unique approach from the get-go, so you’ve got to try to use that to the best of your advantage.”

Capitalizing on their natural momentum, the festival-tested Raleigh arrived in Montreal in September 2012 where they spent two-weeks laying down tracks at Hotel2Tango recording studios with noted production nerd Greg Smith and sound engineer Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, Basia Bulat). Thoughtful lyrical pathways opened up into incandescent rocky reveries as Sun Grenades and Grenadine Skies began to take shape.

“If our new album had one theme it would be colour,” says Geiger. “It comes up a lot with Clea. Writing together, I’ve learned to pay attention to the dynamics of how we go about putting colour and mood into a song. I like the idea that music can be visually provoking without relying on the typical methods of storytelling. Knowing how our instruments fit together as a combo and understanding how to leave space, or make things denser, is a big part of it.”

The trio’s tight-knit nature also helps when exploring new sounds. “There’s less room for argument in a small group, but there’s more individual responsibility too,” says Geiger. “There’s nobody to hide behind as you jump from instrument to instrument. Coming from playing in large rock-based ensembles it’s kind of refreshing to be able to experiment so freely, and to know that we can add nice horns and other accessories and effects after the fact.”

An adventurous undertaking, Raleigh’s latest offering merges a trio of artistic narratives into one inscrutably melodic tableau. No strangers to the do-it-yourself motif, these indie-release veterans are now actively seeking a record label to aid in the distribution of the finished product. Geiger remains confident that the band will receive the financial backing and promotional support they’ll need to publish Sun Grenades sometime this fall. But despite the hours spent in the studio, and the number of kilometres they’ve put on the odometer, Raleigh is in no great rush to see their primed and polished LP hit the racks.

“We’ve been touring all of the songs on the new recording for almost a year and have had a lot of time to see how things sit with us, and nothing has been hurried,” Geiger says. “We’ve all put out records on our own, but going with a label seems like the best way to reach more people.”

CALGARY COMIC & ENTERTAINMENT EXPO 2013

CALGARY COMIC & ENTERTAINMENT EXPO

AN INTERVIEW WITH KANDRIX FOONG AND EMILY EXPO

“Shiny!” It’s an apt term to describe an (inter)stellar gathering of fans and talent that has come to be known as the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo (Comic-Con has been trademarked by the San Diego faction). Celebrating its eighth year of exponential growth, this multifaceted exhibition of pop culture and, specifically, science fiction fandom, has much more to offer than staple-rust and hermetically-sealed comic bags. According to event director Kandrix Foong and assistant director Lindsay Thomas (a.k.a. Emily Expo), this year’s show will benefit from some new streamlining and crowd-control measures that were successfully tested when they mounted Edmonton’s version of the Expo late last year.

“We’re on the threshold between being a mid-sized to a large-sized convention,” Kandrix confirms. “I think our expected number of visitors is hovering around 60,000. Obviously, we’ve been working closely with the Stampede Board and fire department to ensure that everyone is safe and happy. High-capacity crowds don’t have to be crazy crowds and we’re implementing initiatives to help alleviate line-ups and take off some of the pressure.”

Embracing a universe of possibilities, this year’s event will see the Expo’s area expand by 47 per cent thanks to the annexation of the Big Four building. This additional 12,000 square feet of outer space will facilitate food services, gaming modules, video games, photo ops and a kid zone. Limiting the number of weekend and single-day passes to the event has also proven to be a key element to keeping the nerfherders in a good mood. Anyone who purchases their ticket in advance is guaranteed entrance to the show and a high-five from Carrie Fisher (just kidding). This means that there will be a limited number of passes available at the door, so buy early to avoid disappointment. Ticket holders will be fast-tracked in through numerous points-of-entry and event organizers have also made it possible for fans to book autograph and photo opportunities with their favourite celebrities in advance via the Expo’s website.

“The bottom line is that, we love our fans and our guests and we want them all to have a fantastic time!” Emily Expo relates. “Creating a comfortable environment and making sure that the foot traffic flows smoothly makes people feel like they’re being taken care of… Little details like meeting guests at the airport, making sure that they’re happy and well fed, have a big positive impact. And I love creating those moments of pure joy, like when we surprised the cast of Star Trek TNG with an appearance by John de Lancie, who played Q.”

Constantly on the hunt for the star-studded event’s next unbelievable guest attendee, Kandrix is thrilled beyond-the-pale to take Firefly “out to the black” as this year’s Expo welcomes Serenity’s Captain Malcolm Reynolds (a.k.a. actor Nathan Fillion) to the fray. Beyond appealing to the renegade sensibilities of the Alberta Browncoat Society members, the Expo has amassed a tremendous roster of cherished performers to grace the convention with their presence. Light-years ahead of the curve, yet still true to its terrestrial origins, the event will also be acknowledging cutting-edge series, like Game of Thrones, while paying homage to never-outdated classics, like 90-year-old Spiderman creator Stan Lee.

“It’s about creating the right mix of hitting stuff everyone recognizes and intermingling those broader classic genres with more niche-oriented projects, like Firefly,” Kandrix explains. “I’m very interested to see the response to Nathan Fillion. He’s an Albertan hero and fans have been asking us to have him at our show for eight years and he finally said yes! We’re competing against conventions in Chicago and Belgium, so it was a bit of a coup that we managed to get him and it’s generating a very exciting vibe.”

It’ll be a feast for the eyes, with everything relating to science fiction, fantasy, horror, animation and beyond on display as over 600 artists, exhibitors, and vendors showcase their wares in the Expo’s impressive marketplace. The ears, however, will not go neglected as the paragon of musical parody, Weird Al Yankovic, delivers a full-blown Alpocalypse concert as one of the Expo’s special events. Other Expo-affiliated events include: The Hub – An Evening Reception with Torchwood torchbearers John Barrowman, Eve Myles, and Gareth David-Lloyd, and An Evening with Game of Thrones, which includes dinner at The Palliser with Peter Dinklage (Prince Tyrion) & Lina Headey (Queen Cersei).

“What sets Calgary’s Expo apart is that we are concerned with producing a unique, solid, stand-alone experience,” Kandrix observes. “In my opinion, having attended conventions throughout North America, [I’ve realized] presenting a vast number of artists at a show is less important than providing a lot of variety. As organizers, we’re huge fans ourselves, so we wanted to touch on a lot of genres and offer an outstanding level of diversity. From Dr. Who and The Terminator, to Weird Al and The X-Files, we’ve gone the extra mile and word-of-mouth is spreading.”

Book off April 26-28 and pull out the sunscreen and spandex, the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo touches down once more!

By Christine Leonard

Originally published  April 22, 2013 · in beatrouteab · in AB CITY, FEATURES. ·

Lauren Mann: a Strange Passion for Sound

Odd future Lauren Mann and Company take new album over land and sea

by Christine Leonard


Lauren Mann & The Fairly Odd Folk
Ship & Anchor Pub  April 10, 2013


There are few things more memorable than those childhood summers spent camping and exploring in the great outdoors. This is especially true for singer-songwriter Lauren Mann and her husband Zoltan Szoges, for whom the past few years have seemed like one extended (and occasionally strange) sleepaway vacation. Having polished off her curatorial collection of songs, Stories from Home, in 2010, Lauren took her partner’s encouragements to heart and set out on a coast-to-coast tour that would become a life-altering adventure.

“It was pretty crazy,” Mann recounts. “When I look back now, I can’t believe we actually did it. It was an incredibly big thing for us to see Canada and meet people from across the country. We teamed up with various transient band members along the road to form an ever-evolving troupe that went all the way to Newfoundland.”

Pages of rhyme continued to accumulate as the kilometres whizzed by, as Mann’s keen eye and quick hand captured her impressions along the way. The finger-snapping folk-pop of her piano keys has always reverberated with colour and joy, but now they also benefit from the grassroots gusto of The Fairly Odd Folk.

Besides initiating her manager-husband in the ways of the keyboard, drums and glockenspiel, Mann has recruited guitarist Josh Akin and another talented married duo, drummer/guitarist Jay Christman and bassist/vocalist Jessica Christman, to fill out her musical retinue. Intensified and electrified, the alt-folk ensemble looks forward to debuting Over Land and Sea, Mann’s latest batch of wildly illustrative campfire tales.

“I’ve been writing the songs on Over Land and Sea for a couple of summers; it’s been a long process,” she says. “Zoltan has remained the visionary behind the music; we are each other’s muses. I was very grateful to be able to take the songs down to Florida to record them with him and work with our wonderful producer Aaron Marsh. The band’s current lineup has been going steady since last fall, and now we’re really comfortable feeding off of each others’ ideas. I’m excited about the future — I feel like we’re honing in on our collective creativity.”

Mann’s passionate observations result in some decidedly fresh and unexpected sounds. Self-discovery by way of exploration is a recurring theme as the pitfalls of love and summits of ecstasy are aptly represented in the alt-folk annals of Over Land and Sea.

“Travelling across Canada and volunteering at summer camps gave me a lot of ideas for the new album. It was really fun just having the option of doing anything we wanted. It opened my eyes to what can happen when you write, dream and imagine,” Mann says. “Finding yourself in a different place every night definitely helps you rediscover who you are and where your priorities lie. It’s cool to find your personal normal within crazy.”

CD release parties abound with the coming of spring and Lauren Mann and The Fairly Odd Folk are poised to bring their piano-based and glockenspiel-enhanced rural-rock mash-ups to patios across the nation. Embarking from their erstwhile headquarters in Brooks, Alberta, Mann and her P.T. Barnum-esque entourage look forward to plying their electro-acoustic craft at Regina’s JUNOFest. Next they’ll dip into the United States for what promises to be a rollicking North American tour.

“It’s kind of funny, but we think of ourselves as one big family on a trip. Musically we’re on the brink of folk, indie and pop. Now that we’re a full band, things are getting tighter and are leaning towards alt-pop with some folky elements. It’s hard to say what the next album will sound like…. I love rock and roll, but I fell into folk quite naturally, so it’ll likely be a hybrid of electric guitar and ukulele.”

INDIAN HANDCRAFTS : An interview with Brandyn Aikins

INDIAN HANDCRAFTS

Mixed Martial Arts & Crafts for Losers

 

SHOOTING ARROWS AT THE SUN: Christine Leonard interviews Indian Handcrafts' Brandyn "Bruce Lee" Aikins

More than just your average roadside attraction, Indian Handcrafts is an exceptionally sharp and hard-hitting power duo from the sweltering burbs of Barrie, Ont. A serious contender for album of the year, the outfit’s November 2012 debut on the Sargent House record label, Civil Disobedience For Losers, is an action-packed thrill ride that leaves no doubt that two can sound as good as four, or more. One half of Indian Handcraft’s devastating onslaught, drummer Brandyn Aikins feels fortunate that destiny arranged for him to meet up with guitarist/vocalist Dan Allen at the recording studio of a mutual friend.

“Dan and I started jamming for fun,” Aikins explains. “But, before we knew it, what was basically a fun distraction grew into the foundations of full-fledged band. By 2003, we had formed an indie folk group, called Fox Jaws, which featured my sister, Carleigh, on vocals. Still, Dan and I loved, and had a tendency to want to play, heavy music. So, it was only natural that the whole time we were in Fox Jaws we experimented with other directions we could go in. After a time, we kind of decided that, if we were going to be completely satisfied with what we were doing, we need to change things up and said, ‘Why don’t the two of us try out some of those heavy riffs Dan’s been working on?’”

Leaner and meaner, the trimmed-down twosome of Aikins and Allen began stretching their performing and songwriting skills to achieve the ample-yet-calculated sonic manoeuvres that characterize their sound. Taking themselves outside the box and out of their usual element, Indian Handcrafts conjured the fighting spirit of Bruce Lee on a track named in his honour and succeeded in exorcising their heavy metal demons the old-fashioned way.

“We had a surplus of energy built up coming out of the old band and that helped us write a lot of songs. Lyrically, we were all over the place, stabbing at a lot of themes, ranging from goofy, psychedelic tales, like ‘Terminal Horse,’ to songs about the uprising of Indigenous populations, or Soviet Union-era politics, or individuals who struggle with mental illness, as we allude to on ‘Centari Teenage Riot.’ I’ve done a lot of things in my life, but I have yet to link arms with strangers to stop a tank in the streets. It may not be too deep, but by making my music the way I want to, I can put forth my convictions in my own way.”

Soon to become a worst-kept secret, Indian Handcrafts is preparing to embark on a cross-Canada tour with Billy Talent, Sum 41 and Hollerado. Having made waves at Edgefest, the band that‘s louder than acts three times their size anticipates that they’ll be kicking off 2013 with a bang. And they’ve got the tenacity to hang in there. After all, Allen recorded their stunning new album with a broken hand!

“We try and sound huge and put out that heavy vibe that we’ve always loved and wanted to play. The fact that it’s so much easier to get our act together, as a pared-down two-piece, is purely a bonus. There’s a lot of serendipity in how it’s all come together for us. For now, this is part of my life. It’s what I’m interested in. And, it’s quite an honour. But, I never forget that it’s important to have fun and I’m looking forward to experience things I never knew existed before.”

Originally published in FFWD Weekly Magazine -- March 2013
By Christine Leonard

Ron Rault : An All-Star Tribute to The Band

Another date with “The Weight”

A tribute to The Band returns to the Ironwood

by Christine Leonard


All Star Tribute to The Band
Ironwood Stage & Grill
Friday, February 15-16, 2013

The year was 1970, and young music enthusiast Ron Rault hadn’t really been up front at a rock concert before. He soon found himself pressed against the trembling barriers of McMahon Stadium as the legendary cast of the Festival Express Tour took to the stage, and he knew there’d be no turning back. Now an accomplished bass player and bandleader, Rault recalls being especially riveted by The Band’s masterful performance, featuring the late great drummer and composer Levon Helm. Helm, who passed away in April, remains as relevant as ever and was honoured at this year’s Grammys with a rousing rendition of one of The Band’s most popular tunes, “The Weight.”

“Being 10 feet away from those incredibly talented musicians was a life-changing and, dare I say, religious experience for me,” Rault, uncle to guitar prodigy Michael Rault, recounts.

Captivated then and now with the soulful reveries and bottom-heavy blues that distinguished The Band’s rustic rock anthems, Rault and his band, the Front Porch Roots Revue, have dedicated themselves to venerating what they consider to be some of the finest material to ever come out of Canada. When it comes to waxing nostalgic with seven-part harmony, you need look no further than The Band. And that’s exactly what Rault had in mind when he came together with a mandolin-slinging ensemble of like-minded musicians to pay tribute to Ontario’s original road warriors.

“I have a feeling that I’m speaking for everyone in Front Porch when I say we were deeply touched and moved by The Band’s music in a way that goes beyond genres,” he says. “They have had an indefinable influence on our musical upbringings, and popular music in general, much in the same way that The Beatles have. It was absolutely no effort for us to learn all these songs so quickly. We went back and studied the roots of The Band’s rough, roadhouse sound and found everything from country, bluegrass, gospel, blues, R&B and soul. You can’t put your finger on exactly what kind of music it is, but when I watch from my perch on bass I am thrilled with how our group immerses itself in every interpretation we do.”

Accompanying bassist and vocalist Rault in his recently reshuffled Front Porch Roots Revue are organist/pianist/accordion player/vocalist Ron Casat (Edmonton Folk Music Festival House Band), guitarist/mandolinist/vocalist Gord Matthews (The Reclines, Ian Tyson’s trio), Calgary’s prodigal son/singer-songwriter/pianist J.R. Shore, percussionist Thom Moon, vocalist/harmonica player Dave “Crawdad” Cantera and Vancouver transplant vocalist/rhythm guitarist Doug Andrew (The Circus in Flames, Shanghai Dog). Rault hopes their wiry and woody ensemble will be treated to the same warm reception they received at last year’s back-to-back performances.

“I was somewhat surprised when we sold out the Friday night show last year and had a very large crowd on the Thursday,” he recalls. “I think it’s interesting that this version of Front Porch has three members from Calgary and three from Edmonton, as well as one from Vancouver. It really is a remarkable collective of accomplished players and singers from the Western Canadian roots scene, and we all share such a great love and admiration for The Band."

“I never consider the songs we present for Up on Cripple Creek as being covers," he continues. "There are wedding bands out there that learn these songs note for note, but we have always asked our guys to take these classic tunes and make them their own. When you hear a young man like J.R. Shore pulling out such raw and deep pieces of Canadiana you gain a sense of the reverence and respect he has for the work; it simply transports you to another time and place.”

SONICWAVES OF ICELAND - An interview with Mark Hamilton by Christine Leonard-Cripps

SonicWaves bridges the gap between Calgary and Reykjavik

 

Sonic Waves presented in conjunction with One Yellow Rabbit's  High Performance Rodeo

Local man-about-town turned international songwriter Mark Hamilton has spent the better part of the last decade nurturing his fledgling folk vehicle, Woodpigeon, into a recording and touring success. Relocating from Calgary to Brighton, Edinburgh, and eventually Vienna, his passion for fashioning new musical constructs has led him to develop relationships that would never have been available to him had he remained static. Best informed by exploring a broad scope of cultural environments, Hamilton will soon return to Calgary, bringing with him the SonicWaves event — a musical mini-fest that will hopefully bridge the gap between Iceland and Calgary.

“The idea for SonicWaves came from my first visit to Iceland in 2009,” Hamilton says. “Since then I’ve come back three additional times, including a performance at Iceland Airwaves 2012, one of the greatest festival experiences of my life. What I took primarily from my visits here was a sense of self-confidence — that if my songs got me here, they could get me anywhere. And with that in mind, I wanted to share that feeling with some Calgary musicians that I’m a fan of.”

Hamilton sought out Icelandic musicians to collaborate on a project that would come to be known as SonicWaves. He also called upon a handful of Calgary’s most prolific songmakers to pair their original creations with the material being generated by his Mid-Atlantic collective.

“As far as kinship, the Icelanders we know are some of the sweetest, most giving musicians I’ve ever met. It’s a great feeling to be working so closely with true friends like this,” he says. “Alongside me stand Clinton St. John, Laura Leif, Samantha Savage Smith and, from Reykjavik, Benni Hemm Hemm and Prins Póló. Our process has been incredibly stress-free, which could be a bit surprising given how we’re each so in control of our own projects. Despite our short time together, this feels like a band already. No one has acted sacred or unwilling to take suggestions. Each member has brought a piece or three of music along to flesh out. It’s been a great experience standing in a circle in a studio space on the waterfront, wandering back and forth between instruments, and seeing what sticks."

“I’ve always thought that coming to Iceland is a bit like visiting the moon,” Hamilton continues. “The colours and the shapes and the nature of the wild around you is unlike anywhere else I’ve been. We chose to take a tour of the country before sitting down to actually write the music. Yesterday, Laura Leif and I went for a walk through Þingvellir, the site of the first Icelandic parliament. We strolled between the Eurasian and Mid-Atlantic Ridge, towering on either side of us. The thought hits you of what exactly you’re looking at — glaciers bigger than you can comprehend, or massive volcanoes that could change the face of the planet with a single eruption.?

"I can’t help but think about the human spirit that keeps us as a species here — that at times the conditions can be so uncomfortable, but the Icelanders stubbornly stay put. I think we’ve got a similar attitude in the prairies, to an extent — I think it takes a special person to truly love the prairies and realize what’s stretching out in front of them. We’ve spent a fair bit of time talking about it this week, actually, despite the incredible differences in the landscapes we come from, (we are) a group of young musicians from seemingly opposite ends of the world communicating with song.”

An intriguing addition to the High Performance Rodeo, SonicWaves is a concept that has been three years in the making. Thanks to the assistance of key supporters Kerry Clarke, Mark Hopkins and Erin O’Connor, Hamilton was able to co-ordinate a sequence of SonicWaves performances.

 “The shows will change from night to night, and these songs themselves will also develop over the course of the three performances at HPR. I think we’ll be starting the evenings off with short opening introductory sets from Benni and Prins, so they can show off their own material to a Canadian audience, followed by the group presentation of the works amassed here in Iceland. We’ve got a song about an Icelandic folk tale, for which the Calgarians received a quick lesson in pronunciation, while another song features our Reykjavik collaborators singing in Icelandic with a beautiful backing bit.”

by Christine Leonard


Originally Published January 31, 2013 in Fast Forward Magazine


 

The Mahones interviewed by Christine Leonard

THE MAHONES SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL

"Pogue mahone!" is a variant of the Irish phrase póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse"

Keelhauling ancient tradition and giving it forty lashes with a punk rock twist, The Mahones are a notoriously Irish band that just happens to harbour some very Canadian roots. Conceived in Kingston, Ontario one fateful Saint Patrick’s Day, the long-running outfit can proudly boast a 23-year history of music and mayhem. Running the gambit from dirty ol’ town murder ballads to hard-charging hardcore fisticuffs, The Mahones have come to embody the respectable revolutionary. With his ninth album on tap, the quintet’s lead singer/guitarist/mandolin player, Dublin-born Finny McConnell, admits he had a difficult time penning an album that could contend with their previous effort, 2010’s The Black Irish. He decided it was time to for The Mahones to raise the bar, instead of just polishing it with the sleeves of their coats.

“We started working on Angels & Devils almost as soon as we had finished recording The Black Irish,” McConnell reports. “There was no break, which is odd for us because we usually take a few years off between records. A couple times we’ve taken as long as five years in between. Of course, I was drinking a lot more back then. Now, things are coming out much faster for us. We wrote the songs for the new album around springtime, recorded in the summer and we were absolutely thrilled to be able to release it in November of 2012.”

The Mahones, Finny McConnell and his lovely wife Katie “Kaboom!” McConnell (accordion, vocals), Dom “The Bomb” Whelan (drums, vocals), Sean Winter (mandolin, banjo, vocals) and Paul “Cuzo” Mancuso (bass, vocals), each came to the table with big ideas for the dichotomous follow-up.

“You could say that Angels & Devils is a really big production. We felt it was the only way to take things further than we had already gone on The Black Irish,” he confirms. “We moved to Montreal two years ago and the best part is that the studio I work at is just across the street from our house. I get to just roll-out of bed and roll-in to work. That’s what allowed me to put so much time into the album. I worked closely with our producer to engineer and spent a lot of time in the studio adding more layers into the sound. I knew I wanted two things. One: really fucking big stadium sound. And, two: no shortcuts. Up until now, I’ve always wished we’d done more on each record we’ve put out. This time, I made sure we did things the right way and put the cherry on top.”

Applying their love of classic Celtic arrangements to their equally evocative politico-punk railings, The Mahones arrived at the crossroads of good and evil, where saints and sinners reconcile over Guinness and boxty. From the frenetic celebration of “Shakespeare Road” and the spirited “Spanish Lady” to the live off-the-floor feel of “The King of Copenhagen” and “Whiskey Train,” The Mahones throw an enthralling party. Purists can rest assured, pipes and strings a-plenty festoon the inexhaustible céilidhs that comprise the reeling hub of the album’s heady track list.

“I don’t remember the ’90s very well, the drunken heyday when we started up the band. It was all about ‘Drunken Lazy Bastard’ and ‘Paint the Town Red.’ I’m happy to say that I’m very focused on my music at this point. I’m married, I’m a father and I’ve matured a lot over the years. I’m a positive thinker and I think that, despite the fact that there’s a lot of darkness in the world, we’ve got to motivate people to reach for the stars. I always tell people that they can do anything and never to let anybody hold you back. I’ve had teachers who told me I couldn’t sing, let alone lead a band, and I’ve toured and performed all over the world. Never take ‘no’ for an answer. And, most importantly, follow your genre. I knew I was an Irish punk, so I followed that road… past the pint of no return.”

Catch the Mahones at the SAIT Gateway on January 18.

By Christine Leonard

Originally published in BeatRoute Magazine 14 January 2013