The Sidewalks' Infectious Ska

Charlottetown's The Sidewalks haven't been around for long, but they've been making big waves on the Atlantic coast with their hard rocking style of ska music. The five piece band, comprised of Chris Gallant (Guitar, Vocals), Jamie O'Brien (Bass, Vocals), Robyn Verhoeven (Trumpet, Synth), Steve Giddings (Trombone, Vocals) and Josh Pitre (Drums), only started gigging in June of 2008. The band started working with Sandbar Music Group later that year, and scored a key gig at the ECMAs, selected based solely on the quality of their music and live show. Recording continued through 2009 until, just recently, their debut EP - Better Late Than Never - was released.

Better Late Than Never is an excellent debut for a young band which shows enormous promise. Ready, Set, Go! sets the pace from the beginning: the song opens with a simple but big guitar riff, making you think this is going to be a straight up hard rock song. But the horns join in almost immediately, and then that fantastic ska beat steps up. A foot stomping chorus, with plenty of great horns and hard guitar, this is a showpiece track that should get radio play near you. S.O.S.(From the Burlesque) keeps the ska energy going, with a cool bass line, awesome organ sound, and of course those great horns. Vocals here are just infectious as the music - Chris Gallant's voice has a great range, which is powerful and exuberant and more than able to carry the ska banner. I am reminded of Ed Robertson of the Ladies, but also hear a bit of Bosstones and even Sublime.

The Sidewalks certainly know their ska pedigree - and while imitation is the highest form of flattery, the band still maintains to put out a unique sound. So, while most of the remaining tracks keep up the ska pace, others explore areas of alternative rock. A Better Way is more of slow groove stoner song (think 311) and On Empty is a hyped up rock song with horns, big drums and a cool slide guitar solo. Down Too Fast ends with a pretty horn riff - not really part of the song, but a small twist which evokes the best of the great jazz horn players like Davis and Coltrane. These guys know their roots.

I caught up with Chris Gallant via the internet and asked him some questions about the band - here's our exchange:

NxEW: When we hear about East Coast music we tend to think of rootsier music, often celtic inspired. Ska seems to be about as far away you can get from that sound. How did you get into ska music in that milieu? What's it like being a ska band on the east coast? In Canada?

Chris: It was a desire to do something different than what everyone is already hearing on the East Coast. Being the only “ska” guy in the band I immediately thought of the music that's always on my playlists at a party: Sublime, Reel Big Fish, Save Ferris. But we didn't want to make it overly cheesy, either: when it's too cheesy it dies in a couple years. We wanted to push the envelope a bit in terms ofstyle—the musical diversity within the band members allows us to do that and still keep the crowd dancing and enjoying themselves. We use “ska” as a descriptor but not as a catch-all term for our music because it's really just the backbone in our sound. Being in a ska band on the East Coast is a lot of fun. People don't realize how much they like this kind of music, and those who do embrace what we're doing. I think it's refreshing for both ourselves and our listeners. Everybody likes to have fun and we love to have fun with everybody. When you come off that way people respond positively.

NxEW: Your web info says that you gained popularity from your energetic live performance and your stage antics. What are these stage antics? Are they part of you as a group or do they also come from the ska style of music?

Chris: Our antics stem from our camaraderie as a band combined with oura ffection for satire regarding pop culture and internet memes (we watch an unhealthy amount of YouTube...). Each one of us have our own way of showing our excitement on stage. Whether it be Josh's facial expressions behind the kit, Jamie's one liner's or Robyn hopping around the stage with a tambourine, it's always genuine. We all seem to think that we're comedians, too. The audience loves the energy and gets excited which further fuels the band even more and it's a continuous circle until the end of set. You're left thinking: “Whatj ust happened to me? That was fun!” I think a part of it also comes from the style of music, though: the off-beat is the dance beat, and ska is definitely centered around the off-beat.

I could be completely wrong, though. Maybe it's because our trombone player, Steve, is so full of rage that he scares the audience into dancing...

NxEW: You were able to score some gigs at the 2009 ECMAs. I view the ECMAs as being an excellent showcase of local talent and a source of new, great music in Canada. What do the ECMAs mean to you? What was it like to perform there this year?

Chris: Performing there was great. We were invited over purely on merit and our live show—we didn't have an album out at this point. We actually recorded, “Ready, Set, Go!” just a week before we hopped on the boat so that there would be something to listen to if anybody wanted to check us out before or after a show. There was constant music at the ECMAs—if you walked around with a guitar or a cowbell you were sure to find a kitchen party to jump into. We took in a lot of concerts and workshops. We learned a lot from all of the artists on the East Coast and had insane amounts of fun.

The ECMAs gave us a chance to experience what touring life will be like and to grow together as a band. It also gave us a chance to get our drink on, network and chum around with other local bands we hadn't really interacted with previously. Having not been on the road previously we were nervous about what aggravations would boil up in small quarters but nothing like that happened. The ECMAs solidified us as a five-pack of fun-loving musicians.

NxEW: For me, ska music is totally infectious. Yet ska does not seem to enjoy the popularity it deserves. Do you have the same sense? What reaction do you get doing shows across the country?

Chris: Any place we've been to so far we've been uproariously complimented on our musical flavor. "Man, we don't hear stuff like this EVER!" or "I didn't like that cover of *so and so* before I heardyou guys play it!" are things we've often heard after performing for a new audience. We take pride in our diversity and wield it as a weapon to slay skeptics and squares alike!

I would say in general that ska does not get the recognition it deserves. I think it just needs to be presented the right way, though—we call our music “Skalternative Rock” because we don't want the prejudice of ska being cheesy and shallow to reach the audience before we have. We've had metal heads come up to us after a show and tell us how much fun they had. Ska music is not just a sonic entitybut an entire entertainment package. If we just stood in one spot all night, didn't move and played our music, I think we'd find different results. Ska is about the atmosphere as much as the sound. It's about everyone having fun, dancing and being involved in the music.

NxEW: You refer to your version of ska as 4th wave, with a mix oftraditional ska sounds but plenty of pop and hard rock influences. Was that deliberate - to make your ska sound more accessible? Or is it just a natural result of the music you listen to?

Chris: It's both deliberate and not. We didn't want to limit ourselves to one sound—we wanted to evolve on ska by taking our influences and shaping it. At the same time, we [wouldn't] sit down and say:"Alright, today let's write a hard rock song so that the hard rock crowd likes us.” It just comes together without force. I'll usually show up to jam with a new riff and someone else will almost immediately hear a real vibe the song is setting. We extrapolate on what the song tells us and what it makes us feel, then use everyone's feedback as the hands and spinning wheel to sculpt the mood into one of our skalternative gargoyles. It helps that we're not all straight up rock and roll guys. I'm the ska and alternative guy, Josh sports the indie tunes, Robyn loves classic rock, jazz and funk, Jamie is the resident metal head and Steve brings his classical training into play. With all these colours we're able to make the music that we do.

NxEW: Your debut 7 track EP has just hit the streets. What's next? What are your tour plans? Thoughts on the next record?

Chris: We'll be hitting the road every chance we can to promote the new album. We're confirming our stops around the Maritimes this Fall and plans to tour Ontario and Quebec are in the works for the Spring. We write a lot and get excited over new material so a new record will likely get cut in time for a Summer release in 2010. And like “Better Late Than Never,” we're not going to force anything in the writin gprocess. We want our records to reflect the mood at the times they are written.

Thanks Chris for that great exchange! The Sidewalks are currently gigging around Eastern Canada - you can see them at the following fine venues:

20 Oct 2009 The Capital w/The Brains Fredericton, NB

21 Oct 2009 Hunter’s w/Attack In Black Charlottetown, PEI

24 Oct 2009 Club 1668 w/Little King Hunter Halifax, NS

7 Nov 2009 Baba’s w/The Idler’s Charlottetown, PEI

13 Nov 2009 The Harmony House--Youth Showcase Hunter River, PEI

26 Nov 2009 Baba’s Lounge w/City Sirens Charlottetown, PEI

5 Dec 2009 Club 1668 w/The Stogies Halifax, NS

Racoon Bandit Review: Campcraft EP

It's hard not to fall a little bit in love with Racoon Bandit. Their debut release, Campcraft EP, is a charming romp through love, growing up, and traveling the (presumably maritime . . .?) countryside. They fit in entirely with the incredible scene that is Charlottetown in recent years. Frontman Fraser McCallum warbles with conviction, his lyrics so sincere and honest that you can't help but develop a huge crush.

This ambitious quartet are pretty much all musical veterans. The album is a gritty alt-country/roots affair that relies on intelligent harmonizing, quick guitars, and really-fucking-catchy riffs. Listen to stand out songs Hat and Bloody Bone and then avoid having them stuck in your head for like, a week afterward. I dare you. Produced by themselves, guitarist Adam Gallant has recorded many recent Charlottetown albums, notably, Boxer the Horse, Smothered in Hugs and The Robots.


Crunchy guitars and a down-home free remind me immediately of Fleet Foxes, Neil Young, Midlake, Sea Wolf. Not a bad crowd to join.

MP3s:
Racoon Bandit - Hat
Racoon Bandit - Bloody Bone

In Depth with In Flight Safety

Since they're starting a tour co-headlined with Library Voices, I was pretty stoked to talk to Atlantic homeboys In Flight Safety about what they've been up to. The answer to that question is incredibly far-ranging. Having created their own label, Night Danger, this year, they've also been featured in National Post's top 10 Canadian acts and named Halifax's The Coast's favorite local act. They rounded it all off by making, advertising, and promoting their own album. On top of that, they seem like incredibly cool guys.

And so, the interview:

NxEW: Let's talk about Night Danger for a second. What is Night Danger? Who's on it? What prompted you to start your own label, and what do you look for for bands that you're going to sign?

John Mullane: hmmm... Night Danger is an imaginary beast from which danger is born... just kidding. Actually, Night Danger is a label we started amongst ourselves and with our friends. It's going to be a place from which we can organically build a musical and artistic family. It's very much in its infancy at this point. Milks [and Rectangles, from Charlottetown PEI] and In-Flight are officially on it. Unofficially we have Daniel's solo stuff... and my future autotune/electronica ventures coming in fall 2012.

We decided to start our own label out of necessity. Before starting Night Danger, I believe we sent our newest record to Arts n Crafts and Paperbag in the early stages of planning. They both very graciously passed, and then it was like ... um... I have no idea where we fit in this musical landscape. We've always bonded with bands like The Acorn, Oh Bijou, Young Galaxy, Stars, Dog Day, The Most Serene Republic . . . but we are all scattered in different labels and different parts of the country.... so we had to call a spade a spade are start building up our little label on the east coast. There are some interesting labels out east already (Forward Music, Just Friends, Noyes, and Collagen) but we don't fit on those. We needed to fill the synth pop/rock/not-afraid-to-do-touch on the darker side of pop kind of thing. So we look to the black sheep bands that don't fit on those other labels. Milks are a perfect example of this. We'll basically only be signing friends of people we meet in our travels. I don't see us being a label that signs someone who wants to send in a demo tape - although we won't rule that out.

NxEW: On the topic of labels, what prompted you to leave Emm Gryner's label, Dead Daisy Records?

Mullane: I think we grew as much as we could on Emm's label. She took us from the sapling stage right to the point where we are at now. In this weird spiritual way we knew the only way to progress was to mix things up for ourselves. Not too mention we can do things now and not worry about how it fits in with the image Emm has built for herself. I think it was as much for her as for us that we moved on to a new pasture. Not necessarily a greener one - but if feels new and exciting.

NxEW: You've been a band for awhile now. Do you think there are any significant differences between starting a band now versus then?

Mullane: We started as a bona fide band sometime around 2003/2004.I feel for some reason that it IS totally different now than it was. I think the main difference now is that there is way more competition than when we started.... with the advent of downloading/blogs/internet music searches and such... there is so much more for your average fan to digest. That climate also demands a higher artistic standard which is good for everyone. Also, when we started it seemed like local bands were celebrated a bit more.I feel bad for young bands because it seems like the time has passed for bands to become celebrated locally. It's like fans are overwhelmed with new bands and are very leery to jump on a "new" band wagon in the local scene. So, yeah, that feels different too.
Dan Ledwell: Definitely. Seems like every fool with a computer and a guitar is “putting out a record”. Hilariously, I am one of those fools. I think the music listening audience has become overwhelmed and disenchanted with bands. It seems hard to get anyone's attention these days.

NxEW: What's it like to be a musician from Atlantic Canada? What impact has being from this region had on your music? Professionally, would there be much advantage to live in Ontario or Quebec?

Ledwell: Having never lived anywhere else it is hard to say, but I think being a part of a small music community where everyone is friends is great. That I like. If you aren't willing to get in a van and drive for 22 hours to perform for 20 minutes, then I would say no.

Mullane: Being a musician from Atlantic Canada is amazing. But also carries a weird stigma. I think the generalization is... people either want you to reflect the 90s Halifax pop thing OR they expect that you will have Celtic or folk influences deep down and that can be a downer. However, with all the new bands carrying new torches... it's been pretty exciting to be a new band from Atlantic Canada. The musical demographic is changing and there is a renewed excitement about being a band from the East Coast.

NxEW: Dan, you've semi-recently put out your own (awesome) solo album. What effect, if any, has this had on the band?

Ledwell: I would say it had absolutely no effect on the day to day workings of the band. I hope that it it just continues to help spread the word about the band, the label, and the East Coast music community.

NxEW: Your recent album, We Are An Empire, My Dear, has done quite well. Are you happy with the reception it's received? How do you feel about getting out and promoting an album all by yourselves?
Mullane: Thank you. We are very happy with how it's been received. Specifically from music fans - they have been over the moon with the new album. The critics still feel the need to put us in the some kind of Brit pop wannabe category which we want nothing to do with. you'll find most of the reviews of Empire say VERY little about the music... but more about what box the critics so desperately want us to be filed away in - something that is frustrating to the band. but at the same time.... the critics that really "get" the band have offered some glowing reviews that mean a lot.

Ledwell: I think we feel great about all of this shenanigans. I know we are super excited to be touring the country this fall.

NxEW: What should we be listening to that we're not already (no cheating - the bands can't be on Night Danger)?

Mullane: We are on a huge Smiths kick these days, how about Julian Plenti, still loving Deerhunter's 'Microcastle', Nerd Army, the new Dog Day is mega, still looking for that next new band that will blow me away. Can you offer some suggestions??

Ledwell: Here is a random list of some favorites!

coeur de pirate - coeur de pirate
phoenix – wolfgang amedeus phenix
midlake - trials of vanoccupanther
laura viers - saltbreakers
kate bush – the hounds of love
donovan – mellow yellow
the mary onettes – the mary onettes
sandro perri – tiny mirrors

Check out In Flight Safety's video for their song Actors from We Are An Empire, My Dear, and then, when you love it, Buy We are An Empire, My Dear

Preview the New Two Hours Traffic

I don't think I need to explain to readers of this blog who Charlottetown's Two Hours Traffic are, but just in case a quick recap: In 2003 they released the highly praised 'April Storm' EP and got the attention of Joel Plaskett who produced their album. After a self titled debut and another EP they released "Little Jabs" which was short listed for the polaris and grabbed an East Coast Music Award for Best Pop Recording. They've toured extensively, festivaled extensively, acquired a reputation as a great live act and now they are coming back, as of September 8 with another Plaskett produced full length 'Territory'. Here is a preview

Two Hours Traffic - Territory



Download Territory (mp3) Territory the single, not the album = )

New Royalty, The Barnkats, and Rah Rah in Charlottetown

I could hear the music pumping from a block and a half away as I walked to Baba's Lounge for what proved to be an excellent show. On the bill, New Royalty, The Barnkats, and all the way from Saskatchewan, Rah Rah.

New Royalty was already making their loud loud rock/dance power pop and had people moving. I've only seen them once before, but I think this band has a lot of potential. They've got a unique sound, and seem to be playing more and more around town. They start recording their second album next month, and I can't wait to see what they come up with. They were an excellent warm up band.

Next up was Rah Rah, the much talked about six piece from Regina, SK. I was impressed by how many times they all switched instruments, I think some of them played around three different ones during their set. They are obviously a tight well knit band, and produce a great sound. They had a lot of fun with accessories, including pop rox, and some kind of exploding glitter ribbon thing. They played the songs I was familiar with from CBC Radio 3, and had a really good crowd out for a Monday night in Charlottetown.

Finishing the night was The Barnkats, who somewhat jokingly said they thought Rah Rah were mean by making them follow, because they were really good. Even though they were sporting 2 new/temporary members, including Tristan from New Royalty on drums, they sounded like they'd been together for years. There was lots of great energy during their set, and people were up dancing.

I'm glad Rah Rah decided to make a stop on our little island, and I hope they had fun. It's not often a band from West of Montreal choose to play here. Come back soon!