Category Archives: Artists and Bands

Alcoholic Faith Mission talks new members, new tunes, Denmark and why the band is training to become cage fighters (?!)

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Want to know one of the best things about one of Toronto’s biggest annual music festivals? Well, CMW, which stands for Canadian Music Week (for those who may not know), is not (thankfully!) all Canadian at all. Instead, CMW seems to agree with a fact I have always found to be true – international artists add wonderful diversity and truly help mix up the musical flavors at festivals. During CMW 2011, one such standout band was Copenhagen’s Alcoholic Faith Mission. Releasing a new EP, The Running With Insanity EP, on March 29th, the band has been busy charming North American audiences throughout the month of March and during their stop in Toronto, Morten Hyldahl took time to speak to me about new members, new tunes, Denmark and why the band is training to become cage fighters (?!).

Q: The Running With Insanity EP is coming out March 29, what should fans expect? Any surprises?

A: We’re very excited about it. Once again, we try to change the style a bit, so this time the fans can expect more vocals, more acoustics, percussion and a bit more lyrical bite. But it is only an EP, mind you, and just a taste of what will come in the fall. Continue reading →

Antics with attitude in Aberdare: The Nukes and Clay Statues

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Have you ever made a spur of the moment decision and gone off on a whim, chasing a gut feeling? And don’t you just love it when this pays off? Well, I recently trucked off up to Aberdare in the valleys of South Wales on one of these whims. This particular whim was to go and check out a couple of bands from Aberdare whom I had only just come across thanks to a good friend who lives there. The bands I went to see play were The Nukes and Clay Statues, and I was so pleased to find that the journey was well worth it, as both bands played blinding sets at The Glandover Arms.

The opening band of the night was Say When!, a young indie rock band. These guys played with great enthusiasm, but I have to say that they did not really do much for me. Their style of rock just blended into the vast collection of so many other similar bands who sadly fail to stand out from this bland majority of young and enthusiastic acts. Continue reading →

Spotlight: Ellery

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Cincinnati-based husband and wife duo of Justin and Tasha Golden have been together for more than half a decade as a duo. Originally called Dividing The Plunder, the two musicians, Tasha on vocals and piano and Justin on guitar, started getting a following. Having met in college, the pair started making music on the side as they completed their studies. Soon, they married. After graduation, Tasha and Justin made the decision to make music their livelihood. A little while later, the two decided to change their name from Dividing The Plunder to Ellery, a name they found in a book. Continue reading →

New York City’s Jesse Harris strikes the perfect balance between writing for himself and for other musicians

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Jesse Harris is an exceptional artist who holds many talents. From winning a Grammy for composing “Don’t Know Why” to producing the soundtrack for Ethan Hawke’s “The Hottest State,” Harris never ceases to come up with creative melodies. Most recently, he released two different albums – Cosmo and Through the Night. Cosmo is composed of 12 instrumental pieces and Through the Night is an ensemble of 14 jazzy tracks on which Harris sings about themes such as dreams and love.

Whether I am listening to the pieces found on Cosmo or to his vocal melodies from Through the Night, Harris always has the same effect on me – he relaxes me. In fact, the regular harmony within his compositions always succeeds in touching deep inside my heart and soul. What is most fascinating about Harris’ music is that his songs always have the power to take the listener on a calm and peaceful journey. Overall, the two new albums confirm that Jesse Harris is a prolific artist who is gifted with the talent for making distinctive sounds that guarantee to touch anyone who listens.

Q: Is there a difference for you between composing the rhythm for an instrumental piece and for a vocal one? Continue reading →

Nicole Atkins on her new album, band and recent wardrobe malfunction (yes!)

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Nicole Atkins’ latest album, Mondo Amore, won’t be released until February 8, but it’s already garnering rave reviews left, right and center. This talented singer-songwriter from New Jersey has drawn comparisons to the likes of Janis Joplin and Etta James, and she recently took time to talk with our very own Aaron Kupferberg about her new album, band and recent wardrobe malfunction (yes!). Be sure to catch Nicole and her band, The Black Sea, on their 19-city tour in February. Dates and more info here.

Q: Mondo Amore has some great tracks on it. Tell me a little bit about the process of bringing this album together…

A: Well, after I left Columbia [Records], I went with my friend Phil Paulozolo, who co-produced the record and recorded it. We decided to to do this record without a label during the process of making it, so we just kinda hunkered down from January ’till June at the Seaside Lounge in Brooklyn and I just called on a bunch of my friends; the old members of my band The Sea and the new members that are currently with me [now called The Black Sea], and a bunch of friends from other Brooklyn bands.

We sat in the studio for a few months and made the record, and after it was all done, we took it to a few labels and showed it to them and Razor and Tie seemed like the best bet. Continue reading →

The Edification of Lick And A Promise

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You may have recently read my review of Come Together In The Morning by Lick And A Promise. Well, I have just had a chat with them regarding their formation, influences and instrument choice. They also talked a little about their recent US mini tour and their hopes for a similar tour in the UK.

Q: Can you give us a little more info on how Lick And A Promise came together in 2005?

A: Jochen and Manuel have been playing together in different bands like, forever and recorded their first real album in 2006. A year after they’ve founded Lick And A Promise. The record, which they had to produce on their own after some falling out with the original producer (but he’s a homefuck anyway), was alright, but things just didn’t really work out with the other band members. So the band kinda drifted apart without ever having played a single gig together. Continue reading →

Alexisonfire’s George Pettit talks curses, self-scrutiny, why Cancer Bats should tour less and shows off his best East Coast Canadian accent

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For nearly a decade, Alexisonfire has been a testament to just how great Canadian music can really be. The Juno-nominated band has been impressing audiences and gaining critical acclaim ever since its debut, self-titled album went gold. Two platinum records followed and the band’s latest full-length, 2009’s Old Crows/Young Cardinals, was the fourth gold certification for Alexisonfire. Clearly, they’re not going anywhere any time soon and on November 2 they surprised fans with a four-track EP, Dog’s Blood, which introduced a whole new side of Alexisonfire to the world. A Canadian tour followed the release and vocalist George Pettit sat down with me backstage at Montreal’s Metropolis to talk curses, self-scrutiny, why Cancer Bats should tour less and even took the time to show off his best East Coast Canadian accent.

Q: You’re just finishing up your Canadian tour, how did the road treat you?

A: It was nice and cold, as it usually is at this time of year across Canada, but the shows have been fantastic.

Q: So nothing too out of the ordinary happened? Continue reading →

Growing Younger: Montreal’s Michou will school you on happiness

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After watching Michou’s video for “Growing Younger,” I was immediately intrigued by the band and ended up spending about an hour browsing through different uploads of them on YouTube. From a Christmas song they recorded last year to hilarious clips that they regularly post while touring, I could not stop clicking ‘next video.’ In every clip that I saw, each of the band members was always smiling and laughing, which incidentally had the same effect on me. So when Mike Hargreaves showed up for our interview in his slippers and with a big smile on his face, I immediately knew that my feeling about this band had been right.

Hailing from Windsor, Ontario, Michou is a fun band that is there to make you smile. What’s good about them is that while they don’t take themselves too seriously, they always come up with well-written songs that provide instant happiness. The group is made up of four close friends: Mike Hargreaves (vocals), Ryan Frith (bass), Sasha Cvetkovic (trumpets) and Stefan Appler (drums). The boys enjoy each other’s company so much that whether they’re on tour or back home, they always meet for a big daily breakfast, which is Mike’s favourite part of the day. Continue reading →

With Bloc Party on hiatus, Gordon Moakes is now focusing his energy on Young Legionnaire. Here he talks new music, being a drink and playing with Broken Social Scene

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Young Legionnaire was started by Gordon Moakes (formerly of Bloc Party) and Paul Mullen (formerly of The Automatic/Yourcodenameis:milo) who met when they worked on a track called “Wait a Minute” for Milo’s collaboration album, Print Is Dead. Two years later, Young Legionnaire formed, having picked up drummer Dean Pearson along the way.

The band released a single on Holy Roar Records in August, which featured two songs, “Colossus” and “Iron Dream,” and their first full-length album is expected to come out in February or March of 2011 on Witchita.

The songs off the single are truly epic alt rock masterpieces. There is a calculated kind of rawness present. Young Legionnaire’s music may be seen as new post-hardcore, on account of the softer, sweeter moments juxtaposed with the heavier ’90s-esque sounds. After Gordon Moakes mentioned the Smashing Pumpkins and Pavement, two of my favourite bands of the past, it made sense that Young Legionnaire is responsible for the best new music I’ve heard in ages. Continue reading →

They may best be known for their hit ’80s tune, but The Outfield are back in full force and ready to please again with their upcoming 2011 release

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2011 will mark the return of the original trio behind ’80s pop rock sensation The Outfield – John Spinks (guitar, keyboard), Tony Lewis (bass, vox) and Alan Jackman (drums). The new album, due out in the spring, does not have an official title yet, but there have been rumors it will be “Pennyfields.” Grammy award winning producer David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, The Strokes and The Outfield’s Voices of Babylon) plays keyboards on two tracks for the new album, “California Sun” and “In Your Company.” All of the new songs have been written by John Spinks and produced by The Outfield with executive production by John Spinks. In addition, Sony Music Group will be releasing a new Best Of: The Outfield as part of their Playlist Series due out in January of 2011, which will include the forthcoming single, “California Sun.” In the meantime, we caught up with the members of The Outfield to find out more about the band – past, present and future.

Q: It has been a long time since we’ve heard from The Outfield, especially as the original trio! How does it feel to be up at bat once again?

Tony: Alan came back and re-joined last year and liked the material we were working on. He wanted to play drums to a couple of tracks and we ended up recording Alan for every track! It’s great having the original trio back. It’s more special this time around. Continue reading →