Ottawa Bands Vie for Big Money

I'm not a big fan of commercial radio, restricting my listening habits to CBC 1, 2 & 3 and of course CKCU, the Mighty 93.1 FM (disclaimer: I have a show there on Thursday mornings....). BUT....Ottawa's Live 88.5 has done a great job promoting local talent via their Big Money Shot contest, a major initiative to develop local talent through judging live shows and rewarding bands. Ultimately the winner can earn upwards to $250K to develop their career.

The contest is underway for 2009 as well, with the first four bands scheduled to appear this Friday, May 8th at the Live Lounge in Ottawa. I'm very excited to see two local bands I've been following on this first bill.

Arms of the Girl appeared on my show, the Thursday Morning Special Blend, last December. Born in the winter of 2006, the band combines musical interests ranging from country to metal. The result? Not chaos, but musical fusion. In March 2008, the band released their debut cd, Recipe for Living, which represented a shift in focus for the band and a determination to cultivate a more professional, polished image and sound. Arms of the Girl perform poppy, catchy tunes, all anchored by a sunny guitar sound with lilting vocals.

The second band of interest to me is The Love Machine. This band has legs - to dance with and to move on with. In their own promo info:

Their eponymous debut EP, released a year after the band’s formation, established their sound with definition. Jangly yet intense guitars, huge synth melodies, pulsing bass, stomping drums, and more vocal harmonies than should be legally allowed compose their energetic pop sound. Each piece of the sound is equally important in the songwriting, as the band writes without a primary songwriter. This collective approach to writing, along with the fact that every member in the band contributes vocals, makes The Love Machine’s sound an extremely unique and fresh one in the crowded pop scene.

I caught them opening for Metric at last year's Ottawa Bluesfest, and they were awesome. Crowd pleasers for sure, but fantastic performers and excellent musicians as well.

Check out Arms of the Girl and the Love Machine this Friday at the Big Money Shot here in Ottawa, along with Transit 14 and Hearts in Stereo.

Support Live Local Music!

Best Music You've Never Heard: paper and metal

Ottawa based paper & metal is largely comprised of singer/songwriter Liam Sanipe, now joined by this brother, Kiente. Last June I had the pleasure of being literally blown away by this immensely talented young musician.

Soft spoken and shy, Sanipe's performance on my radio show was one of his first ever in public. Later that evening, he was at Cafe Deckuf for what was a stellar show. paper and metal rarely perform in public; if you get a chance to see a show, grab it.

Sanipe's musical influences are wide. The paper and metal myspace page lists "the notwist, aphex twin, modeselektor, autreche, radiohead, sigur ros, apparat, john mark mcmillan, owen, david bazan, will stratton, akron/family, nick drake, great lake swimmers, 13 & god" as influences. An impressive list, yes, but hardly the way to describe this amazing music. The greatest part of Sanipe's sound is his incredible ability to blend acoustic and electronic music. No easy task for any musician, Sanipe has an innate talent of capturing the essence of both styles/elements of music but also creating a unique blend of the two. (The name 'paper & metal' is a metaphor for these elements.) Check out his E.P. "Battles and Storms" from last year to hear this great music.

Sanipe tells me that he and his brother have been writing songs and are working on a new full length paper and metal record. Liam has been writing a lot of acoustic music lately, and so the brothers should have plenty of material to choose from for a new record. You can check out a couple of samples of new tunes at the paper and metal myspace page.

Listen to paper & metal when you can, and watch this blog for updates.

Ottawa Punk Band Snatchback Live on CKCU

If you want to hear some local Ottawa skatepunk performing live in studio, then tune in to the Thursday Morning Special Blend on CKCU tomorrow just after 8:00 a.m. Snatchback will be playing live, talking about their tunes and pumping their upcoming tour supporting SNFU. From the band's myspace page:

a skate punk band not limited by genre or 'the scene'. we play what we want and what we love. and goddammit we are good at it. highly competent strings backed up by amazing drums, fast, heavy, 'balls out' skatepunk. we have songs that girls will love, songs that punks will love and generally something for everyone seeking relief from the 'mainstream'. we have an upcoming release on our own label 'snatch vinyl' and are hitting the studio hard for our second album in mid may.

Caveat here: the Thursday Morning Special Blend is my radio show, but I love having live bands in the studio. You can listen to CKCU in Ottawa at FM 93.1 or anywhere on the internet at ckcufm.com.

More on the Kelp Records 15th Anniversary Weekend

Not too long ago I did a post on the Anders Parker/The Acorn/Jim Bryson concert that Kelp Records is putting on (at the Mayfair Theatre) as part of its 15th Anniversay concert weekend here in Ottawa. But don't think that's all that's going on. Every year, the Kelp anniversary weekend is jam packed full of great shows by awesome musicians. If you live in Ottawa, check some out (Kelp will dare you to go to all the events). If you don't live in Ottawa, this is your chance for a nice weekend away. Here's the schedule:

THURSDAY APRIL 30 9pm
Mayfair Theatre (1074 Bank): The Acorn, Jim Bryson, Anders Parker

FRIDAY MAY 1
6pm Kelp 15 Art Show WIP Gallery (73 Preston @ Elm):Piet Masone, Andrew Vincent (solo)
9pm Elmdale Tavern (1084 Wellington): Camp Radio, Andrew Vincent, Andy Swan, Micarza Camaro
1am Raw Sugar (692 Somerset): DJ Geoff Brown + special guests

SATURDAY MAY 2
12pm Steve Vardy Pulled Pork Party! Carleton Tavern (223 Armstrong): w/ Chris Page, Yellow Jacket Avenger, Centretown Cripplers
9pm Gluepot Pub (340 Queen): Nutsak (members of The American Devices), The Flaps, Flecton Big Sky, Rhume

Weekend passes are only $15 (the Thursday Parker/Acorn/Bryson show is ticketed separately).

Help Kelp celebrate 15 years of great music!

Marc Charron's Hard Work Pays Off

Marc Charron is a workhorse of a singer/songwriter/musician. In a recent facebook posting, Marc noted that, since July 2004, he has performed over 1000 shows, on 6 Canadian tours, 3 Western tours, one Australian tour (with Seismic), and one Eastern Canadian tour (with Lure). But then, in what is either a lament or a challenge, Charron notes "YOU still haven't seen me play..."

I've seen Marc Charron play. I've been most fortunate to have him perform, too early in the morning for most musicians, on my radio show, the Thursday Morning Special Blend on Ottawa's CKCU. His performances are always spirited, well crafted and fun. He's a great performer.

Charron's new record is entitled Coming & Going. It's been generally available at some of his shows in a pre-release form, and I am fortunate to have a copy. Coming & Going showcases the classic Canadian musician: child of the road enjoying the trip, experiencing love and heartbreak on the way, with a longing for home. In contrast to most of his solo shows, this record features a full band, with guests including Eric Grosvenor, Chris Bartos and Stuart Watkins. This is Charrons's first full studio record, and it shines.

"Snowy Frost"'s light acoustic strumming beat, and sing-a-long "doooo do do do do do do" chorus, perfectly captures the cool light inherent in the title, while evoking the loneliness of the road - whether you're on it or not. While "Canaday I Oh" features fine instrumentation with lovely strings, the beat and the strains of the violin also turn your mind to the vastness and difficulties of this land, especially for a DIY solo musician, with a chorus of sounds that seems as primitive as the wind. "Sun Breaks" maintains the outdoor theme, with references to simple Ottawa Valley life, this time using a standard, mid-tempo rock beat. But the acoustic melody breathes pleasant sunlight into the song, and we know exactly what it means when the sun breaks.

The standout track is "Just Like That". Listeners to my show, and Ottawa fans, have probably heard the original, stripped down version of this song (from the Collector's Item EP), which featured simple acoustic guitar melodies and a belting beat from Charron himself. But on Coming & Going, Charron takes full advantage of the band, which perfectly wraps the simplicity of the original track in a much grander setting. The strings here provide wonderful support to the tune, but Charron throws a curve ball mid way through, shifting into a funky reggae beat and back. Themes of the road, the outdoors, and perseverance are there as well - with stunning results.

Go see Marc Charron perform. Bring a friend. Buy his new CD. Of course, Charron is further evidence of the great live music scene we have in and around Ottawa. He has a lot of gigs in various places over the next number of weeks. These are 'cover' shows, but be sure to ask Marc to play some originals - you'll thank me. Check his myspace page for dates and locations.

Marc Charron Live Halloween Night!!!

Souljazz Success Story

One of the greatest Canadian music success stories over the last five years or so is the Souljazz Orchestra. The Ottawa six-piece (Pierre Chrétien - electric piano, clavinet, organ, percussion, vocals; Marielle Rivard - shekere, tambourine, vocals; Steve Patterson - tenor sax, percussion, vocals; Ray Murray - baritone sax, percussion, vocals; Zakari Frantz - alto sax, flute, percussion, vocals; and Philippe Lafrenière - drums, percussion, vocals), perform room lifting, butt-shaking soul music in all its many forms.

In 2002, these musicians started mixing a blend of jazz, R & B, African, Latin and more influences, creating a delicious stew of funky music which starts in the groove, grabs hold of your heart and soul, and keeps you moving 'til the end of the show or the record. Their first record, Freedom No Go Die (Toronto based Do Right! Music), was released in 2006 to much critical acclaim, notably catching the attention of BBC DJ Gilles Peterson. Peterson's listeners eventually voted "Mista President" as one of the top ten tracks of the year.

The band also had a regular gig at Ottawa's eclectic Babylon Nightclub, where local music fans were treated regularly to Souljazz's legendary, energetic live shows. But the band is no stranger to touring outside its home base, spending plenty of time honing their chops during tours across North America and Europe, often sharing the stage with world music luminaries, including the likes of Femi Kuti and Etta James.

Last year, Souljazz released the stellar follow up, Manifesto (Do Right! Music), which made many top 10 lists for 2008. From the Souljazz website:

Manifesto is the Souljazz Orchestra's latest endeavour: the powerful chants, majestic brass, overheated organs, chicken-scratch guitars, hypnotic bass and polyrhythmic percussion mix dirty funk and tropical jazz to the band´s signature militant afrobeat.

Not content to stay with their already wide-ranging world/funk/soul sound, Souljazz recently collaborated with reggae legend Horace Andy, re-arranging "Watch Me" into a 'bumpin' afro-reggae thing'. That record (on Strut) is set to be released in the next few months.

Souljazz is another testament to the success of Canadian music abroad. Souljazz hit Europe again in April and May, starting in England and ending up in Finland, with many stops in between. Ottawa fans, however, are in for a treat: Souljazz Orchestra return to the Babylon Nighclub on April 4th starting at 10:00. Don't miss your chance to see a phenomenal live show from an awesome Canadian band, and wish Souljazz Orchestra well on the tour.

At the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival, with new track "State Terrorism":

Indie Darlings Chad VanGaalen and Women Tour US and Europe

Canadian Indie artists continue to present strong showings in the U.S. and Europe. One of my favourite music blogs, Aquarium Drunkard, is promoting a show at Los Angeles landmark Silver Lake venue Spaceland, featuring quirky but mellow Westerner Chad VanGaalen and melodic noisemakers Women (also from the West). Aquarium Drunkard notes that their latest, Van Gaalen's Soft Airplane, and Women's self titled debut, were among the strongest recordings of 2008 (the right opinion, by the way). Yet here in Canada, they often can't even fill medium sized venues. Indeed, here in Ottawa, the two acts performed together at Ottawa's Zaphod's, a small intimate club which is a magnet for great indie acts. Both acts also recently did a show at Toronto institution the Horseshoe Tavern.

Van Gaalen and Women will continue to tour the American West Coast this Spring and then split on separate jaunts to Europe (Women noticeably supporting DeerHunter at gigs in Paris and Amsterdam).

Next time any great Canadian indie acts come to that intimate little club in your Canadian city, think about the folks in major American and European metropolises scrambling to get tix in areas where the population is so much larger. We are lucky to see these acts at home - check out those live sets when you can!

VanGaalen's Molten Light, with visuals and music created by VanGaalen:



Women w/ VanGaalen in hometown:

Don't Miss Aaron Allen's Next CD, and Tour

Ottawa's venerable Elmdale House Tavern is becoming a focal point for live music in up and coming Hintonburg. With a focus on rootsy, country bands, in a simple, homey setting, the Elmdale is now a great destination for live shows.

Last June, I had the great pleasure of seeing Aaron Allen and the Small City Saints at the Elmdale. Despite a small crowd, the band played a fantastic, energetic set. Based in southwestern Ontario (where my hometown is!), Aaron Allen is an excellent songwriter, with a penchant for crafting intimate stories about regular people, including himself, with intricate melodies.

The self-titled Aaron Allen and the Small City Saints (Yellow Bike Records, 2007) is a great record, with heartfelt tales sung to well crafted roots rock/alt-country a la Steve Earle. "Drinkin'", which Aaron tells me is one of his favourites, is a standout track. The refrain "I hate myself, sometimes" kills me every time. But Allen is also wonderful with more mellow, singer/songwriter solo songs, and his first solo CD, Aaron Allen (theFutureKing, 2006), is an excellent example of Canadian "americana". His voice and tempo remind me very much of Matt Pryor (New Amsterdams, Get Up Kids), and the songwriting is just as good.

It turns out the Small City Saints band members quickly departed after last year's tour, and Aaron was left to solo mode again. The next CD, entitled A Place Called Hell, is, in part, a family affair, with his brother and wife contributing on drums and piano/vocals respectively. With engineer Andy Maggoffin on drums/bass/guitar, Dan Bratz on harmonica, Ken Archer on guitar, and Allen on guitar and banjo, this promises to be an awesome new CD. I've been lucky to hear the title track, and it sounds great, with a moody banjo line and hard guitar solo at the end, reflecting, well, the place called hell.

The new disc will be mastered in April and should be out in May. Allen is hoping to do an Ontario tour. Don't miss the chance to see a great Canadian troubadour.

Kelp Records Celebrates 15 years!

Ottawa music followers know that Spring means great music in the form of the Kelp Records' anniversary concerts. Kelp Records, in business in Ottawa since 1994, is a gem of an independent label, with a roster of great Canadian acts over the years including Andrew Vincent, The Acorn, Andy Swan, Flecton Bigsky, the HILOTRONS and, of course, one of Ottawa's favourites, Jim Bryson.

This year, the 15th Anniversary concert on April 30th promises to be a special treat. Featuring Kelp Records stalwarts The Acorn and Jim Bryson, the bill will also include American Americana specialist Anders Parker. Although "Americana" may be loosely used to describe Parker's music, his influences stretch from Bob Dylan to Wilco to Neil Young to the Replacements and back to plain old good songwriting. For many years, Brooklyn-based Parker recorded and toured as Varnaline, but of late has used his own name on several criticallly well received discs. According to his website, he hasn't toured since the fall of 2008, and rarely comes to Canada. On his own, this show is well worth checking out.

What makes this extra special is the combo Jim Bryson/The Acorn bill as well. I last saw that set up at Barrymore's in 2004, and it was a fantastic show. The Acorn are fresh from a bill supporting indie rock phenoms Fleet Foxes as well as Elbow in the U.K., and we'll all be thrilled to hear the band go through their wonderful Glory Hope Mountain, an homage to songwriter Rolf Klausener's mother. Glory Hope Mountain is a stunning CD, filled with lush arrangements and interesting stories. The Acorn are one of Canada's best kept secrets abroad.

Bryson has spent a fair bit of time touring as part of Kathleen Edwards' band, but the demand for his solo shows in Ottawa is never satisfied. A gifted songwriter with a wonderful ability to graft curious lyrics onto pretty and intricate melodies, Bryson recorded a fantastic record with 2007's Where the Bungalows Roam. He will undoubtedly hold his own on this bill, but the combination of these three great acts makes this show one of the best you'll see in the nation's capital in 2009.

One last but noteworthy fact is that the show will be at the newly revamped Mayfair Theatre, Ottawa’s oldest surviving movie theatre. The Mayfair entered a new era this year under new ownership. It will be a perfect venue for three awesome musical acts. Tickets are $20 each and available through Ticketweb.