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Danny Brown's BlogPosted by Danny Brown Hey everyone, It's with a degree of sadness that I'm announcing I will no longer be the Feature Write for Indie Music at Suite101. Unfortunately, although I've enjoyed my time here immensely and met some wonderful bands and people because of it, I can no longer dedicate the amount of time to the site that it needs. With my PressRelease PR venture taking up the majority of my time now, as well as my other writing projects, something has to give. That something, sadly, is Suite101. I will continue to contribute to the site when time allows, and I will certainly be continuing to support all the bands, artists and otherwise I have met, whether it's via a working relationship with them, or simply buying a CD or going to one of their gigs. To everyone that's supported Suite101's indie section, you have my sincerest thanks, and I hope you continue to offer the new Feature Writer the same kind of support and new music recommendations that you gave me. In the meantime, feel free to visit me at PressRelease PR and maybe I can help you with your promotional needs from there. Have a great rest of 2007, and thank you again for supporting the best that new music has to offer. Here's to your future success. Danny. Posted by Danny Brown Live Nation, the online destination of the world’s largest live music company, announced today that it will webcast Pepper, Hawaii’s favorite rock trio, live from House of Blues Las Vegas, on Wednesday, October 17th, the first date of their 33-city North American fall tour. Fans of the band can watch the webcast live on Live Nation TV beginning at 8:15 pm PST here. The uninterrupted performance will be Pepper’s first live concert webcast, and will enable their fans from all over the world to watch their eclectic, in your face rock style. “Since the beginning, we have been a band built from the bottom up,” says drummer Yesod Williams. “Our fans have helped shape our sound and our style, so giving them the chance to see us live on opening night is the best way we know how to repay them.” The band formed in Kona, Hawaii in 1998, then relocated to Southern California in 1999, and is known for its eclectic island style and unique sound. With the band’s trademark penchant for the musically unpredictable firmly in place, their current album No Shame is a tasty and rewarding blend of styles and sounds unlike anything Pepper has ever recorded. Posted by Danny Brown One of the things that I hate most about the music industry is how the few have's dictate everything over the have nots. Of all the bands and artists that are making music, you're probably lucky to hear around 5% of it through the mainstream media. Only the really big hitters like Kelly Clarkson and James Blunt (ugh!) will get full record label backing, whilst the rest have to scrape by on what they can scrounge. Now this vicious circle has claimed yet another victim, with the news that British band Morning Runner have split up, due to the commercial failure of their debut album Wilderness Is Paradise Now. Signed to major label Parlophone on the strength of their indie following, Morning Runner have found out the hard way that yesterday's heroes are today's forgotten people, if your record doesn't sell a certain amount. What's really galling here is that they were making their second album more radio-friendly on the advice of Parlophone, who then decided to tell them it wasn't what they were looking for and let them go. I'm not sure what wasn't radio-friendly about the absolutely beautiful Burning Benches from the debut, or the You Said demo from the second now-defunct album, but it's just more confirmation that record labels have absolutely no clue when it comes to music. Posted by Danny Brown I'll be the first to admit, I'm normally one of the first to decry charitable causes by musicians as dubious, to say the least. Although there are certainly many genuine causes around, there are just as many that are used by the relevant stars to bolster a flagging career. However, with indie folk rockers Birds of Wales, the cause is not only a good one, but they're also giving their fans the chance to own their own piece of history. Frontman Morgan Ross has put the acoustic guitar he used at this year's Virgin Festival in Toronto up for sale on the bidding site eBay, with all proceeds going to the Virgin Unite charity. An offshoot of Virgin Records, the charity helps many organisations worldwide by promoting social and environmental changes. Whether you're a fan of Birds of Wales or not, the guitar itself is a worthy piece to own in its own right, and looks rather dapper with its red and blue flashes. Signed by Morgan himself, it's available for bid until October 14. Posted by Danny Brown Currently touring to promote his latest release Easy Tiger, American alt-country rocker Ryan Adams has again disappointed thousands of fans by cutting short a gig. While playing in Minneapolis on Thursday September 27, Adams showed why he's someone you either love or hate, by using the age-old "sound problem" excuse to leave the stage before his set had finished. Throughout the show, Adams complained about the sound monitors onstage at the State Theatre. It even saw him move not only his microphone and guitar pedals, but also two monitors as well. After just over an hour into his performance, Adams obviously decided he'd had enough - announcing the next track was "the last one", he promptly left stage and never returned, leaving seriously disgruntled fans booing and heckling the stage. Yet it seems that it was only Adams who noticed this sound issue, since even his guitarist said he didn't see what the problem was. Although no official comment has come out yet, many fans and insiders are already agreeing that it's just another addition to the notoriously haphazard live experience that is a Ryan Adams gig. Yet the difference this time is that even the most die-hard of fans are losing patience with Adams' spoilt brat antics. Personally, I don't blame them. Posted by Danny Brown Why is it that MySpace users, whether it's bands, artists or individuals, are not allowed to send mass messages (or Spam, as they call it) to other MySpace users, yet MySpace Records do it for their artists? Isn't this just a little bit unfair, not to mention hypocritical? So, it's okay for Tom or MySpace to spam us all with messages about Sherwood or any other band now on MySpace Records, but if a normal MySpace user tries it, they can have their account deleted? Where's the fairness in that? Isn't this just the same as Restriction of Trade? After all, if a company is monopolizing a media or consumer outlet at the expense of other similar companies not being allowed to trade the same way, that's surely unfair business practice. If you feel the same, write to Tom or MySpace Customer Service, complaining about this situation. There's also a Facebook group to raise awareness. Posted by Danny Brown Breaking news The White Stripes have cancelled all remaining tour dates through the end of the year, including fall dates in Britain. "They thank you for your understanding and well wishes," said a posting on the duo's Web site. Singer-guitarist Jack White and drummer Meg White had previously cancelled their September shows, saying "Meg White is suffering from acute anxiety and is unable to travel at this time." Spokeswoman Chloe Walsh, in an e-mail Tuesday to The Associated Press, said she had no further comment on the tour cancellation and White's illness. Ticket holders can get refunds at the point of purchase, the Web site said, except for the Austin City Limits Festival, which is non-refundable because it is a festival. Posted by Danny Brown Indie mixes with the Big Boys As you may know, this weekend sees the highly-popular Virgin Festival come to Toronto, and I'll be there covering it for Suite101. For your information, the bands I will definitely be checking out while I'm there are: SATURDAY 8th SEPTEMBER * Noah's Arkweld * Dragonette * Crowned King * The Wildbirds * Bang Camaro * The Most Serene Republic * Clothes Make The Man * Matt Costa * Arctic Monkeys * Voxtrot * Interpol * Mute Math * Bjork SUNDAY 9th SEPTEMBER * Earl Greyhound * Honeycut * Biffy Clyro * Closedown * Tokyo Police Club * Blonde Redhead * Stars * The Constantines * Liam & Me * The Red Romance * The Heights * Editors * The Cinematics * The Smashing Pumpkins Since there is Internet access in the VIP Media area, I should also be posting blogs during the day, time permitting, so be sure to check in to catch up with all the latest info. Confirmed interviews so far include Mute Math and Biffy Clyro. Thanks, and here's to some great music this weekend! Danny :) Posted by Danny Brown TIMA's Back With A Bang On Wednesday August 8th, the wonderfully atmospheric Jeff Healey's Roadhouse in Toronto (yes, THAT Jeff Healey!) plays host to the wrap party for this year's Toronto Independent Music Awards, or TIMA for short. And what a night it promises to be... Organised by the slip of a thing that is Daniela Oliva (she's still in her early 20's!), the TIMA's were originally recognition for all that's great about indie music in Toronto and Ontario, but have become so successful that they have expanded to include worldwide bands. And with sponsorship from the likes of The Indie Bible, Jagermeister and Indie911.com, it's an award show that's set to grow. Wrap Party Line-Up With the nominations for the awards due to close at noon this Monday, August 13th, with voting set to run up until the actual awards night itself on Thursday October 4th, it's not only an exciting time for the bands and artists in the running, but for the indie scene in general. Proof of this comes with the fantastic line-up of some of the coolest names in up-and-coming indie music for the official wrap party:
With all proceeds from the evening going to the performers, and the buzz already building for the awards in October, it promises to be a great night both for music and independent artists in general. More details about the nominees will follow in upcoming Suite101 features on both the awards and artists. Posted by Danny Brown Any PR Is Good PR? In my position as Feature Writer for the Indie Section here at Suite101, I've had the good fortune to not only hear some excellent bands, I've also been lucky to either meet them in person for an informal chat, or see them perform live when I may not have done otherwise. Usually, to arrange this, it entails me chatting to the PR people behind the band. Generally, this is a pretty easy process, with the majority of PR people I've spoken to being rather affable and more than happy to arrange interviews, press passes for gigs, advance copies of new albums and many other things too numerous to list here. They know that the band need the press as much as the press need the band. However, this isn't always the case... Who Made You God? For as many great PR people and companies out there (such as Mike Cubillos at Earshot Media and Jenna LaMonaco at Girlie Action), there are some outrageously egotistical ones as well. Not only do they feel that they're more important than they are, they feel that the press is something to be treated in the same way you would a piece of dog crap on your shoe. A perfect example is a recent interview and live gig review that was arranged and then fell victim to the curse of the uppity PR flunkie. Although I shall let the person in question remain nameless (though she really doesn't deserve the anonymity), it involved an excellent Scottish band who have just released one of the best indie pop albums of the year. An interview was set up for their stopover at Toronto, and I was scheduled for a nice chat and a live review after. The band was great, and all for it. Then Little Miss No-Nothing decided that the interview was to be cut to 10 minutes (which I didn't deem worthwhile due to travelling distance) so she could fit in a magazine (I know this wasn't the band's decision, as they don't even like that magazine in question!), and not only that, my press pass had been given to another publication. Unbelievable. Needless to say, her boss received a rather sharp email from me, and a few choice words from the band themselves. Let's All Work Together This isn't the only time I've had similar horror stories happen to me, and I know from my network of writing colleagues that this happens a lot. My question is - why? We're all in this business because we love music, and we genuinely want to see bands succeed. Why does it sometimes have to feel that we're enemies? Like I say, it's not all bad - the afore-mentioned Mike Cubillos over at Earshot Media is outstanding, and a feature will be appearing soon on how his company has been excellent for the indie music scene. Here's to more companies like Mike's in future - after all, without the press like myself and others as well as similar media, no-one would hear of a lot of bands in the first place... Posted by Danny Brown Burnlounge Gets Burnt? One of the biggest things to hit music recently, as far as the market where i-Tunes and Napster operate, has been Burnlounge, an online music retailer for downloads. Part of the reason for this is down to the offer for normal, everyday music fans like you and me to get involved in the music business, by having a free music store and selling your favourite band's music as well as more recognised artists. However, there was also the option of taking a more involved stance, and paying for a store, with packages starting at $29.95 per year for the basic store, up to $400 per year plus monthly site admin fees for the VIP Package. And it's these types of Burnlounge stores that the US Federal Trade Commission is going after. Burnlounge Nothing More Than A Pyramid Scheme? Although the premise of helping out bands by selling their music on a free store is sound, there's something decidedly odd when it comes to the next level of store. I sat in on one of Burnlounge's web seminars, to promote the service's imminent launch in Canada, and I have to admit that there was some vagueness with regards to how it all worked. They didn't mention that the downloads aren't compatible with iPods; nor did they mention the fact that you'd only really make any money back by signing up people to open their own stores and be part of your team, as opposed to making money through downloads alone (roughly 5 cents per album sale - not really going to do much there, huh?). FTC versus Burnlounge It seems the FTC agrees. They want to examine the books of Burnlounge, and see where the profits are actually made for store owners, and it seems highly unlikely that it's from record downloads. Indeed, one email I recently received from Burnlounge stated that "it's increasingly more important to maintain your BurnLounge store, and find effective ways to build a larger affiliate team. Enter the powerful, proven lead-generation system located at industryshift.com". Yet this is another $24.95 per month on top of your existing Burnlounge costs. So what happened to the Burnlounge team helping you grow your sales, if they're so user-friendly and "in it for the fans"? Seems like the FTC is onto something. As much as it pains me to say so, as I'm all for the fans of bands geting to help their heroes, this is something I would recommend you stay away from until the results of the FTC investigation are made public. Posted by Danny Brown It's A Big Bad World Out There! Hi all, thanks for dropping by again! Hope the upcoming weekend finds you well and ready for a wee bit of partying (or even a BIG bit of partying - it's your call!) So, I received an email from one of the readers here at the indie section, and as well as making me feel all warm and mushy (it basically said keep up the great work - great, I tells ya, not just good, but I digress, hehe), it also raised some pertinent points. Two of the questions I was asked were a) how do I define what's indie, and b) how do I pick what bands or artists to cover here in the indie section. So, without claiming to be right or wrong, here's what I said: Define Indie It used to be a lot easier to define what indie music was. Small bands working from bedrooms or tiny studios, making music that was independently released either on their own label, or some other small independent record label. Now, however, the lines are a little bit blurrier. Giant corporations like Sony and Universal have seen how small artists have made a decent living via the download scene, so much so that it's not the be-all-and-end-all to get signed to a major. Combine that with the popularity of Purevolume and Last.FM, and you can see why the majors are worried. So now you'll find literally hundreds of offshoots within the bigger companies releasing records by indie artists via a major label. Therefore, although you may see a review by an artist on here that you know is on a major label, it's because although they may be part of Sony or Warner Bros, etc, they're still inherently an indie act on a far smaller deal within that major. I hope that makes sense! :) How Do I Pick Who To Cover This is a lot simpler. As I mention in the indie section overview, I will still cover the so-called big boys of indie like Coldplay, Pearl Jam (a live CD review coming soon) and others. But to me, the true essence of indie is still these little bands that play live week in and week out, and can barely afford to make 100 EP's to sell at gigs, and who need the publicity far more than Chris Martin's boys do. So that's why I'll trawl the local gig listings, as well as check out sites like Last.FM and Purevolume, not to mention good old MySpace, and see what's being talked about. And hopefully, now and again, I bring a band to your attention that you feel just as good about. And then there's you guys - you keep sending me recommendations and I'll do my best to feature them. Unfortunately time constraints can mean I don't profile them immediately, but rest assured I do check out ALL your recommendations, so I thank you for continuing to contact me - don't stop, as we're all here for the same thing, and that's to enjoy great music! Have a great weekend all, until the next time, Danny :) Posted by Danny Brown And Now, The End Is Here… And just like the great man Sinatra could have sang, "NxNE has final curtain…". Yeah, I know, tenuous link, but hey – I never said I was a poet! So, after two previous days of highly impressive fare, I was really looking forward to the final day of this year's North by Northeast festival in Toronto. Not only would I be catching up with a cool friend by the name of Rob, but there was also (on paper at least) a really good line-up for the night. However, like my compatriot Robbie Burns once said, "the best-laid plans of mice and men gang oft agley…", and so it was for some of the acts on the last night of NxNE 2007. But it wasn't all a dead loss, and once again it was one of the late-night bands that took the deserved best of day. So, without further delay, here's my summary of Saturday night's bands as I bring my coverage of NxNE 2007 to a close. Sneaky Dee's After a false start at Free Times Cafe, where for some reason I ended up seeing a septuagenarian guitar player called Smokey Witt, who sang about yuppie love with songs by the name of Fax Me Your Heart (don't ask!), I managed to escape and head up to Sneaky Dee's for the first band of the night, General Miggs. A four-piece rock outfit from New York, they came across as a blend of The Smiths and Green Day. Different, but not necessarily for the better – a lack of stage presence didn't help their cause either. Not a good start for me. Rancho Relaxo Making my way from Sneaky Dee's, I was hoping that the first two acts I'd seen (yes, I am counting the old guy at the start of the night) weren't a portent of things to come. Thankfully, the night was about to start picking up. Arriving at the Rancho Relaxo (where I think the air-conditioning had broken down – it was a furnace in there), I caught the tail end of Canadian band Beth In Battle Mode. A three-piece prog rock cum punky garage band, they reminded me of classic Rush and Yes, with a dash of British rockers The Darkness thrown in for good measure. However, two songs weren't enough to form an opinion, so one for me to check out in the near future. Next up were New Yorkers The Vandelles, a four-piece avant-garde outfit that reminded me of how music would sound if The Jesus And Mary Chain got together with The New Bohemians and played songs by Buddy Holly. Using a film projector to beam images onto them throughout their set, they finally brought some of the NxNE feel to my Saturday night. Lee's Palace Alongside the Horseshoe Tavern, you can always rely on Lee's Palace to get your live music kicks, and once again, they didn't disappoint. First up was Tara Slone, a native of Toronto and one of the finalists in the Rockstar INXS television contest that aimed to find the replacement for the late Michael Hutchence. Having already tasted some degree of success with pop rock group Joydrop, Slone has a slightly heavier sound now, and it's one that suits her vocal style. Dropping in some of her old band's hits as well as songs for her album Just Look Pretty And Sing, the sultry songstress enjoyed a good set with an equally enjoyable crowd rapport. At this stage of the evening, I was meant to be going to see You Say Party! We Say Die! but there was something about the next band setting up that peaked my interest. Call it the ancient keyboard that was hauled out (had to be from the 60's!), or the intriguing figure of the keyboardist herself, but I decided to stay. And man, am I glad I did. Great Northern is one of these bands that you just can't pigeonhole into any style, and that is never a bad thing. If you had to describe their sound, you could throw in the likes of Arcade Fire; Sheryl Crow; Queens Of The Stone Age; The Dandy Warhols and many, many others. Yet none of these could mix all these sounds together and come up with the sonic landscapes that this four-piece create, especially on songs like the undeniably beautiful Low Is A Height. Ambient rock could be a term to use, but even that wouldn't do them justice. A close call for band of the day, you could do a lot worse than check these guys out for yourself, and it's a band I'll definitely be featuring more off here on Suite. The Horseshoe Tavern With the sounds of Great Northern still ringing in my ears, it was off to my favourite venue in Toronto, the ever-reliable Horseshoe Tavern. Here, as had happened on Friday night, I was to find the band that made my Saturday, and their name? In-Flight Safety from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The easy and lazy way to describe their music would be to say the Canadian Coldplay, but as I said, that would just be lazy. Besides, they have more stage energy than Britain's finest ever could. Blessed with an excellent sound mix, this is one band that I predict great things for, especially with songs like Surround and Coast Is Clear with their blend of catchy radio pop rock and hook-laden choruses that really deserve to be heard in your nearest arena or stadium. Check them out and be suitably impressed. Finishing my day off was Canadian power pop quartet Two Hours Traffic. With an impressive slant in triple vocal harmonies and an extremely tight sound, they brought to mind Placebo, as well as one of my favourite Scottish bands from the 90's, Teenage Fanclub, and were a good way to finish off my festival this year. Until Next Year So there you have it. Three days of trying to race about the metropolis that is Toronto's downtown area; getting harangued by door staff until you show your media pass; overhearing a bizarre drunken conversation by a potential lady of the night and a client (now that was hilarious!) and many other tales. But I wouldn't change it for the world. I hope you've enjoyed reading the reports as much as I enjoyed checking out the names that made them up, and if you ever get the chance, you should try and visit this great city at least once when NxNE is on. You won't regret it. Until the next time… Posted by Danny Brown Stuck In The Middle With Two… So, Thursday came and went and I made it back for more today (Friday) for the three-day music and film fest that is the North by Northeast Festival. And boy am I starting to feel the pace (and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I'm approaching 40 – gosh!!). After mixed fortunes on opening day, I was kind of pensive about what Friday may bring. However, apart from some dodgy pizza that had me admiring my bathroom wallpaper, it was a good day (too much information?). Anyhoo, Friday turned out to be a great day with a really good mix of bands and styles – in fact, the only downer on the whole day was the torrential downpour and thunder and lightning at around 6:00pm. Having to dump a parka during NxNE can be easier said than done – thank goodness for Jacki the photographer's office being nearby. So, here are some of the highlights from Friday night. The Rivoli Yeah, I know – after the catastrophe that was Thursday night's effort at trying to get into this venue, you'd think I would have bypassed this place. However, personal feelings aside, it's not a bad little venue. Plus, I'm not one to hold a grudge (not too long, anyhoo), especially when you have decent bands playing there. And so it turned out with the first two bands of my Friday night. First up was Canadian band Theset (pronounced The Set) from Victoria, British Columbia. Describing their sound as "rock jungle alternative", they were a good way to start proceedings. Mixing in the sounds of a better Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco, they still sounded unique enough to stand out on their own, possibly due to the vocals of Martin MacPhail. And the crowd beside me certainly seemed to know their songs (with special mention to the two emo boys at the front who sang and danced their little hearts out!). Following Theset was fellow Canadians The Blood Lines, a happy little pop rock quartet. With a little dash of My Bloody Valentine mixed in with Kings of Leon, I was pleasantly surprised by their sound. The fact that they are one of the few bands to have actually dressed up for the occasion so far definitely made them stand out – particularly resplendent were S.J. Kardash in his velvet jacket and frilly shirt, and keyboardist Maygen Kardash, with a full-on red ball gown and gloves. Thankfully the sound matched the exotic fashion! The Horseshoe Still one of my favourite venues in Toronto, probably for the atmosphere as much as the acoustics, The Horseshoe was my next port of call to see a band called Memphis. A little bit of history – vocalist Torquil Campbell also fronts Toronto sweethearts Stars, who managed to score a Top Ten hit without a record deal, thanks to their dreamy pop soundscapes. And so it is today, with Memphis offering a lilting summer soundtrack that brings to mind one of my favourite British bands ever, Scritti Politti, with a little bit of Danny Wilson (a Scottish cult indie band from the early 90's) thrown in for good measure. Adding sax and cello to the mix just emphasises how beautifully relaxing the music of Memphis is, and a band that everyone should see live at some point. The Cadillac Lounge Before making my way to The Drake for the final bands of the evening, I had to make a quick stopover at the Cadillac to check out The Jamestown Union, from Brighton in the UK. A band I've known of for a while now, they offer something different from the usual indie guitar-led fare. With influences ranging from The Beatles to Johnny Cash, they offer a uniquely British slant on Americana. And any band that downs a few stiff ones to get in the mood beforehand will always get my vote! The Drake With my bones suitably relaxed by The Jamestown Union, I made my tired but happy way to my final destination for the evening, the Drake Hotel, just off downtown Toronto. Here I was to see the best act of the day, but first there was the small matter of two other artists, both extremely different yet at the same time inherently similar. Melissa McClelland was up first, and what a find she was! Mixing pop, blues and country, this Toronto native's voice sent shivers down my spine, especially since there was only her, her guitarist and a drummer. And I dare you to listen to her song Two Snowbirds and not be moved! Then it was time for Ladyfingers, from New York. Just one man and his guitar, this guy made me laugh out loud a few times. With a style that can only be described as experimental rockabilly (complete with required whooping!), Ladyfingers is the brainchild of Adam Weiner. Combining manic acoustic guitar with his own take on the stompbox (a foot-led drum thingy – I believe that's the technical term…), his songs are funny, deep, hilarious and mad all at the same time. His rapport with the crowd was also excellent – how many acts do you know that can dedicate a song called Can Of Worms to the ladies in the audience and get away with it? Recommended. The final act for me for Friday was Birds Of Wales from Toronto. A band I've been following for the past six months, I've never managed to catch them live until NxNE – call it bad timing or being in different places, it's just never happened. But the wait was worth it. Their self-titled EP is impressive enough, but the new songs debuted at their Drake showcase take the band to a new level altogether. Songs like Cinderella (Has Nothing On You) show a new maturity to the songwriting, as well as a track so new it isn't even titled yet! Running through a tight and compact set, the easy charm of frontman Morgan Ross and cohorts sat well with the Drake crowd, and you can tell this is a band that are friends offstage as well as on it, so comfortable in each other's company were they. Finishing with the double whammy of live favourites Fine Art Of Ballet and Fall Of The 49 was a masterstroke in leaving the crowd wanting more. I expected to enjoy the set – to say I was hugely impressed is an understatement, and a full review of their set will appear very soon. Almost There... So, two days down and one to go, and I've not even scraped the surface of the festival. But that's NxNE for you – unless you're Superman (or at the very least, Mr Stretch), you just can't fit in anywhere near the amount of bands you want to. However, I'm trying to grab the ones that I feel should be shared, and any I don't make it to, I'll be sure to feature on site in the near future. Anyhoo, it's that time again where I need to be heading out to catch the last of the trilogy – Chicago stalwarts Urge Overkill is looking a definite to close the weekend! For some more info, check out my colleague Heather Larson over at the Pop section, or catch her podcast for Melody.com later this week for a report on this year's NxNE. Until then, I'll catch you on the flipside! Posted by Danny Brown Where's My Caffeine? So, here I am, Friday afternoon and trying to get ready for the next onslaught of musical delight that is the NxNE Festival in downtown Toronto. And what a first day Thursday turned out to be - a wonderful surprise for the opening act at the first venue I visited; a band with a toy fetish; the bizarre sight of seeing a performing act being told to come back to the venue when the crowd had died down; and all this before 10:00pm! So, here's just a slight taster of day one of this year's NxNE. There will be more in-depth features on the standout artists, but for now (and since it's as much as my addled brain can handle!), here's my snippet of Thursday's shows. The Horseshoe Tavern If you've already read my review of Mark Wilson's appearance at the Horseshoe, you'll know how impressed I was with this guy. Still just a baby in musical age, his set was one of those rare occasions where you witness something pretty special. Beautiful songs, heartfelt performance and a great sound, it was a good way to kick things off for my festival this year. He was followed by a band called Future Clouds and Radar - a psychedelic experimental outfit who adorned the stage with little toys (one of which was actually a small piano in disguise!). With a 70's theme running through both their sound and look, they're an acquired taste that may be better off with a new vocalist, at least live. The most bizarre sight of the night came when I trooped off to the Rivoli to catch We Are The Take, only to be met by a line-up from hell. If this wasn't bad enough, Craig from the band turned up to be let in, only for the doorman to say it was too busy inside and he'd have to come back at 10:00pm when he was due onstage. What?!? Hopefully Craig got in and the show went ahead, as I decided to go somewhere where the organisation was better - which was anywhere but the Rivoli last night! The El Mocambo While my mood was slightly down following the fiasco that was the Rivoli, it was lifted considerably by the set I caught at the El Mocambo, from Swedish indie rockers Last Days Of April. A three-piece outfit that brought to mind cult band Placebo, they had a wonderfully fresh sound and a genuine love of playing. With a sound that made a mockery of there only being three members, they brought the good times back to your trusty scribe. Lee's Palace After a quick sojourn at The Wrecking Club to check out Flatliners (which was a mistake - I thought they were the band Flatlined, a completely different style of music!), it was on to Lee's Palace, a grimy but cool venue, to finish the day off. First up was Jim Bryson, who was quite possibly the happiest and friendliest artist all day. Playing good old-fashioned two-step folk rock, Bryson had the crowd cheering along to songs like Sleeping In Toronto and Somewhere Else and was a definite gem to listen to. Next up was local singer-songwriter Justin Rutledge, with his mellow blend of Americana bringing to mind post-Eagles Don Henley, and who had an absolute star of a lead guitarist who was quite possibly the least hip performer all day - but man could he play! The night, however, belonged to Ron Sexsmith, one of Toronto's much-loved sons and one who's made the transition from indie label to major without losing any of his soul. With tracks such as For The Driver and Some Dusty Things, Sexsmith has that uncanny knack of knowing exactly what sweet spot to hit every time. If you've never seen him live, do so the first opportunity you get! Home... So that was my first day at this year's NxNE. There were some bands I wanted to see but just couldn't get to - but such is the nature of this beast. And, straggling home at 2:30am, I don't think I could have taken much more. Well, at least not until tonight, that is... See you tomorrow!!! Posted by Danny Brown Time To Get Busy So, first things first. It's been a little quiet lately here at the indie section, and for that I apologise. I won't bore you with the details, except to say it was a mix of vacation and having to sort out some official paperwork (I'm in the process of getting dual citizenship for both the UK and Canada). Ha, and I said I wouldn't bore you... sorry! Anyhoo, now that all that's out the way (kind of) and I'm free again - as in free time, and not that I was ever in jail! - there's a whole host of goodies coming this way as the summer months approach us. With the ever-present festival scene mixing all that's great with both the major and minor label indie bands, there will be reports on all the best ones going, staring with this weekend's North by North East (NxNE) festival right here in Toronto. A mix of 450 bands split over 30 stages in three days of crazy schedules, there are some really cracking bands lined up, and I'll be there to report on it all for you. Festivals, Features And Beyond As well as the NxNE festival, there will also be reports on the inaugural Canadian leg of the famed Virgin Festival, which has entrenched itself in the UK as a strong bedfellow to the likes of Glastonbury, Reading/Leeds festival and T in the Park. Add to that a trip out to Montreal to cover the Osheaga Festival in September, where the likes of Smashing Pumpkins, Damien Rice, Interpol and Arctic Monkeys will be performing, and I hope you agree there's a lot to look forward to! I'm also going to be taking a sidewards look at what affects indie music in these days of non-traditional avenues. I'm hoping to secure an interview with Zach Braff to discuss his friendship with the likes of Cary Brothers and Joshua Radin, and his knowledge of the indie scene. Then there's the small matter of Grey's Anatomy and how it's becoming as big as The O.C. for breaking some of indie's finest, including Brandi Carlile and The 88. All Aboard The Skylark Of course, I won't be forgetting about the usual CD reviews, interviews and live reports - after all, that's one of the main reasons we're here in the first place! And trust me, there are some brilliant CD's on the way, as well as maybe some not so good... So, thanks for the patience, and I hope you'll join me as the indie section continues to grow into the music-loving monkey beast that it is! I thank you for your support so far, and look forward to having you along for the ride! Posted by Danny Brown Every Journey Has A Beginning Forgive me for the Star Wars reference, especially since it comes from the inferior prequels (but then again, I'm biased - I grew up with the originals on first cinematic release, and yes, that does mean I'm old!!). But it's a more than apt reference for where indie music initially finds itself and then, just like Anakin and the Emperor( with indie music being the young Anakin and major labels taking the place of the Emperor), along comes power and wealth and influence, and you lose sight of what you believed in to start with. Okay, maybe that's a little too over-dramatic, but with fans of bands complaining of sell-outs and wishing for "the good old days" of fleapit gigs and EP's being the ultimate end journey for a performer, it does beg the question as to what constitutes indie, and how long that can survive on a major label. Don't Label Everyone The Same I'll be the first to admit, I've seen some of my favourite bands struggle for years on a smaller label, and I've wondered why they haven't had the success of so-called bigger acts. Bands like Your Vegas, Dashboard Confessional and Vib Gyor spring to mind (although Vib Gyor are still unsigned, but hopefully that will be changing soon with solid plans currently being formulated). Yet I've then watched the likes of Dashboard seemingly sell out, lose their identity and even antagonise their fans with multiple releases of the same or similar tracks. With the news that one of my favourite UK-based bands, Your Vegas, has been signed to Universal and are in the process of recording their debut, I'm in two minds as to whether I see this as a good thing or not. On the one hand, it's great that they're being recognised as a band who offer something different to the likes of Keane and Snow Patrol, but at the same time, I fear they'll lose the intimacy of their songs to over-production, and in the process lose a part of them that made them so appealing to me in the first place. Time will tell... Major Doesn't Mean Sell Out Although it's undoubtedly tough to survive as an indie artist, especially in the MySpace age where so many other bands and artists are competing, it can still be done, as the likes of Foreverinmotion has proven so conclusively with its latest release. The same with Melee who, despite being on Warner Bros, are steadfastly continuing to plough the indie route and doing all the small tours and homemade videos. And perhaps this is an indication of the future of indie. Major labels are realising that they no longer have control of the marketplace, yet still want a piece of it, and are creating offshoots within their ranks to be able to sign and promote indie bands without upsetting the fans in the process. Sony BMG are promtoing Cary Brothers' new CD, Who You Are (a review of which is coming soon), yet the American singer-singwriter holds a huge control over it via his own label Procrastination, as well as joining up with BluHammock Records. As seen by the pre-orders and his current successful tour, he doesn't need the full backing of Sony, but they're still a powerful friend to have. So maybe I can sleep easy, as can every other indie fan who worry about whether they can still like their favourite artist if they sign to a major, or have the backing of one. As The 88 prove, you can be a huge success on an indie label, and as Melee prove equally as well, being on a major needn't spell the end of indie idealisms either. And hey... didn't Anakin (as Darth Vader) finally redeem himself by defeating the Emperor and bringing good and evil together for the better good? It may just work... :) Posted by Danny Brown With a whole slew of new CD's falling through my letterbox, as well as emails recommending new bands, it's quite a busy time in the Brown household as I sift through what's good and great (and maybe not so much) in the world of indie music. I have to admit, I've been quietly impressed at the quality of the work coming through - whoever said indie music was an underground only genre surely hasn't heard the likes of the new Lost Ocean CD, or the cool indie rock vibe of The Morning Stars. It really gladdens the heart to hear the likes of these bands and more on my CD player, proving conclusively that indie music is perhaps the one genre where risks are continuing to be taken. So, as a taster of what's to come, here are just some of the bands and artists that will be coming this cheery way soon:
As well as these and many more, there are also some very cool interviews coming up soon, and include the likes of:
And, just in case that's not enough, I'll be trooping of to the following gigs for your reading pleasure:
I know I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks, and hopefully you will be too. And, as always, if you have a recommendation yourself, please feel free to email me and I'll make sure to check them out. Thanks, and have a great weekend all! Danny. Posted by Danny Brown When Apple first introduced the iPod, everyone was scrambling to get their hands on this sexy piece of kit. From the techno-savvy early adopters that want everything as soon as it's launched, to the consumers who'd migrated from Sony Walkman's to portable CD players, the iPod was THE must-have item to possess. Then the problems kicked in - you had to download the software known as i-Tunes onto your computer to download and store the songs. Worse still, songs that were downloaded from i-Tunes could only be played on an iPod, due to software known as DRM, which locked in the copyrights. On top of this, artists paid (and still do) a hefty price to Apple to sell their songs on i-Tunes. So from a company that claimed to be the saviour of music and moving away from the way the music industry was being run by greedy music executives, Apple had become the same kind of dictatorship, albeit in a different form. Now, because the public won't stand for this kind of one-upmanship, a new company has stepped into the fray, and this one looks like it's not only the ideal solution for the bands, but their fans too. Called Burn Lounge, it offers both bands and fans to "open" their own music store online and sell their songs and albums (although videos and other digital media is planned for later). However, the difference here is revolutionary. By taking the best of MySpace, i-Tunes et al, bands can have a store for as little as $30 per year, where they can sell digital downloads for their albums and make a bigger profit for themselves. Now, instead of paying the likes of i-Tunes a bigger slice of the pie, most of the revenue for each album sold goes back to the band, with only slight deductions for the cost of running the servers. Fans, too, can become involved, by having their own store and selling their favourite band's albums for them - much like an advanced Street Team, but with the added bonus of promoting your favourite band and being paid for it. With success in America behind it, Burn Lounge is now expanding into Canada before further plans into the UK and beyond. It promises to be an interesting time for digital music downloads... Posted by Danny Brown
Now in its third year, the Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour has become one of the most successful non-festival collection of bands in the alternative music scene. Having successfully toured countries as widespread as Australia, Great Britain, Japan, Germany, New Zealand and France, as well as many others, it is currently taking its multi-artist line-up across North America and Canada, playing 41 cities in an eight week schedule, making the Taste of Chaos Tour one of the largest concert tours of its kind. This year's Taste of Chaos Tour line-up is touted as the strongest yet and features The Used, 30 Seconds To Mars, Senses Fail, Saosin, Chiodis, Aiden and Evaline, not to mention the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands contest. With sponsorship from the likes of Smartpunk, Hard Rock Cafe, FUSE Television and Alternative Press amongst many others, there are a host of interactive activities to take part in at all the venues hosting the Taste of Chaos Tour. As part of the Canadian leg of the tour, the event will be coming to the Greater Toronto area, playing at Arrow Hall in Mississauga, Ontario, on Friday March 30th, and I will be there for Suite101 to bring you all the news, live reviews and a special interview with headliners The Used. Watch this space for more Taste of Chaos Tour 2007 news. Posted by Danny Brown
Indie Has A New Voice The wonderful thing about indie music is that it attracts and inspires such a diverse audience. Whether you're simply a fan of the genre, or an active participant in whatever forms that may take - musician, promoter, or a simple Feature Writer... - there's always the feeling that, due to the very nature of the music itself, you're a part of it. Compounding this very fact is the DVD/CD double disc edition of the already critically acclaimed film What Is Indie?, by the Canadian film-maker Dave Cool (and yes, that is his real name!). An irreverent look behind-the-scenes at exactly what it is that separates indie music and musicians from other genres, it includes interviews with such luminaries as Suzanne Glass (Indie-Music.com) and Derek Sivers (CD Baby), as well as artists like Ember Swift and Paul Cargnello. Funny, informative and entertaining, it's a must-buy for any fan of the indie genre. A full review of the DVD will be appearing on Suite101 soon. Posted by Danny Brown
A Proper Award Show I'm usually not that keen on awards shows. Many of them are just an excuse for overpaid and overhyped stars to pretend to be happy another celebrity won something they feel they should have. And something like the Oscars... well, let me just say that if you can win an award simply by marketing yourself as opposed to relying on actual talent, I rest my case on my stance on awards. The Indies are different. Presented by inDiscover.net, the recipients of these particular awards truly are worthwhile. With so many independent labels and bands out there, recognition from your respected peers is the name of the day here, and the winners bore testament to that. So, in no particular order, here are the results from last night's show:
I'd like to congratulate all the winners (but especially Neverending White Lights, who are AWESOME!), and wish them all the success in the year ahead. Posted by Danny Brown With the amount of albums that get released each month, sometimes it's just not feasible to cover them in a timescale around their release. With me moving house at the moment as well, this has never been more the case. Therefore, until I can get around to reviewing fully the following albums, here is a list of what's currently on my playlist, and are worth checking out:
As soon as I can get back to normal and settled into my new abode, I heartily recommend checking these albums and artists out. Full reviews of these and more will be featured on Suite101 soon. Posted by Danny Brown
The South By Southwest festival (SxSW) has been running for twenty years now. Bringing together the best that new music and media has to offer, it has long been a breeding ground for some of the brightest up-and-coming bands from all genres. Therefore, gaining an appearance slot there has become highly desirable. ReverbNation, an online new music website that specializes in bringing bands and fans together under different genres, combined this year with SxSW, to run a competition where two lucky bands would be given the chance to win such an appearance at the festival. Voted for by a panel of judges at the ReverbNation site, the winners have just been announced. Indie band Bennystrange are one of the winners and will play a coveted slot on Friday, March 16th 2007, at the Dirty Dog Bar as part of the SxSW festival being held in Austin, Texas. A five piece unit that combine lush arrangements with sweeping hooks, Bennystrange is beginning to generate a lot of buzz in the indie community. Their impending appearance at SxSW will only further that. I'll be reviewing their debut EP Nowhere Left To Run shortly here on Suite101, as well as running a feature on the band. Posted by Danny Brown
One thing that can't be denied about indie music - just when you think you've got the genre nailed, along comes a band who defy convention and throw it all out the window. Say hello to No More Kings. Currently on a major promotional push with their self-titled debut album, No More Kings are attracting a huge buzz at the moment. This is in no small way thanks to their infectious indie mixed with funk, and just the slightest touch of soul, bringing a whole new sound to the appreciative masses. The fun is compounded in the promo video for their song Sweep The Leg, reuniting much of the cast of the original Karate Kid movie to tell the movie from the antagonist's point of view. Now it's been announced that, as well as the current promotional tour throughout the US, No More Kings are to appear at this year's SxSW festival, playing on the Purevolume stage on Wednesday March 14th. If you're going along there this year, this is a band you really should make time to see. A review of their debut album will appear on Suite101 shortly. Posted by Danny Brown
As experiment-friendly and non-restricting being on an indie label can be, it's always beneficial to have a little muscle behind you, as many indie bands will tell you. As of February 20th 2007, the news that Canadian indie rock band littleSUNDAY have signed a deal with Yahoo Music Canada is a huge boost for this talented four piece, and confirms my belief in good music still being recognized. A band that I've been listening to intently for a while now, littleSUNDAY mix the indie musings of SoulKid #1, with the rockier leanings of Collective Soul and the funk-laden beats of early Red Hot Chili Peppers. With anthemic crowd pleasers such as Leave and Cross The Line, their songs have been uniting fans from all over the indie genre. The deal with Yahoo Music Canada couldn't be more impressive or timely. From early March, users of the Yahoo LAUNCHcast Radio service from all over the world will be able to find littleSUNDAY on the Indie Rock, Canada Rocks and Real Rock stations. With a potential worldwide audience in the millions, this is recognition indeed. Coupled with an imminent appearance at the legendary Horseshoe in Toronto as part of the New Music Nights tour (which I'll be reporting on and hopefully grabbing an interview with the guys), these are exciting times indeed for littleSUNDAY. Posted by Danny Brown
Many strange and bizarre things in life pique my interest. From walking naked cross-country to raise awareness of skin cancer, to dumping raw meat on a government minister's car to protest at the baby seal culling in Canada, there are a lot of ground-breaking initiatives out there to draw attention to a good cause. It's not often it's seen in music, however. That's about to change. Welcome one Benjamin Holland, from the mighty town of Ormskirk, Lancashire, in the UK. An acoustic singer/songwriter in the great indie traditions of Billy Bragg and Paul Weller, Benjamin is someone who I've been starting to follow via his MySpace profile. Having travelled Australia for a while before settling in the north of England, his journeys have afforded him a wonderful collection of tales. It's these very anecdotes that are inspiring a project so wacky in its ambition, you can only applaud the intent. With the idea of posting one song every week until the end of the year, it’s obvious that Benjamin is not short of a tale or two. Whether he can maintain the quality of the early entries remain to be seen, but it’s a good start, especially with the likes of the witty Everybody Needs A Friend. Coming across like a latter day Billy Bragg, social and emotional commentary is the lyrical stance of Benjamin. And so far, it seems to be working. So, if you have a spare five minutes out of your week, take the time to visit his profile and see how far he gets with his project. Personally, I’m rooting for him, as this is exactly what music needs nowadays – a maverick like Benjamin Holland showing the majors that it’s still all about the songs. Posted by Danny Brown When you're an unsigned or small label band, any type of promotion is good. One of the ways of doing this is having features and profiles of you by specialist media, such as our good selves here at Suite101, and other avenues. SPIN magazine, one of the more respected magazines out there, is currently holding an Artist Of The Year contest, in which it's chosen a set amount of bands from chosen genres, and put them against one another to be voted on by both readers of the magazine, and the fans themselves. The winners will then be promoted heavily by SPIN in a myriad of ways - a welcome boost to any bands career. In the Indie section, the following bands have made it through to the final eight, and here you can find who they're competing against: Cold War Kids vs. Deadboy & The Elephant Men Mute Math vs. Silversun Pickups The Rewinds vs. Crystal Skulls Bound Stems vs. The Format Take a pop along to have a listen and vote, if you have the time - just a few minutes from your day could go a long way to helping a new band get a foothold in the industry. Posted by Danny Brown If you've read my Upcoming Interviews post, you'll have seen the name of Hotspur already. A band that I predict huge things for, they've recently released their debut album BETA (which I will be reviewing shortly). Now it would seem that it's not only the specialised media who are picking up on the band. Anyone who watches the MTV dating show NEXT will also be familiar with the music of Hotspur, as at least half of the tracks from the debut album have been used so far in the show. Such has been the reaction to the songs that have been featured that Hotspur became one of the most popular searches on Google. If you haven't heard them already, trust me, this band have both the songs and the talent to be massive. Look out for the album review and an upcoming Hotspur feature soon. Posted by Danny Brown Towards the tale end of last year, Ben Folds invited some of his MySpace fans to a small, intimate gig in his personal studio in Nashville. This was a unique experience not only for Ben and his fans, but also MySpace, as it was the very first live-by-request webcast. The result of that evening is now ready for release on a special DVD, due for release on February 20th. Not only does Ben play some classic tracks from both his solo career and the Ben Folds Five period, but there is a cover version of Such Great Height, by indie band Postal Service. The DVD can be ordered via Ben's own website for a discounted price of $11.98. Posted by Danny Brown Ahh, winter. The falling of snow, the after-effects of Christmas (gyms, diets, credit card scary movies), and the knowledge that spring won't be so far away, and after that, summer, and all that entails (festivals, open-air concerts). At least, that's how it should be... Not for this put-upon scribe. Thanks to my wonderful landlords, I'm currently sat with a scarf pinned to the main window in the front room of my apartment, trying to keep the cold air out. Which is quite important, considering Toronto is currently about -10 in the warmer areas! The reason for this? My carbon monoxide alarm advised me that there were low levels of CO in the air, and that I should ventilate the room immediately. Fine, I open the window, which was an adventure in itself (it's a long story - suffice to say that there's an ongoing battle between me and the landlord, with the windows being just one issue), and let the fresh air in. But then, when I go to close the window, I find it's frozen stiff to the slide rail. Which leads me to about here... What does this have to do with indie music? Well, apart from hot soup and my trusty scarf, not to mention my lovely better half, it's given me a lot of time to catch up on some yet-to-be-listened-to CD's, as I sit at the computer and type complaint letter after complaint letter to my landlord. And there are some excellent EP's, albums and demos floating around at the minute, all of which I will be featuring in the coming weeks. It's also given me time to check out the local gig listings, as well as look ahead to the festival season in the summer, and see which bands and gatherings I should be going to. Once again, I'll be reporting on this, both in advance and after the event, so you can be pre-warned as to what's around the corner. Hopefully this may just help you decide between SXSW or Coachella and the likes. So, yeah, cold weather - great for frostbite, tobogganing and reasons to wear oversized snow boots. But also the time to find and appreciate a band it may have taken another month to get round to, and realise thirty-band extravaganzas are mere months away. Here's to a burst pipe! :-) Posted by Danny Brown Like the passing of winter to spring, or Walt Disney to Pixar, so the indie section has a new Feature Writer - me! :-) Music has been in my blood for as long as I can remember, and none more so than indie. From the early days of the 'classic' indie scene of the 'eighties in the United Kingdom, with the likes of Suede and James, through the 'nineties and the international arrival of Oasis, Radiohead, Wilco and Polvo, to the current media darlings Coldplay and Jimmy Eat World, and lesser-known bands such as the 88 and WeYesYouNo, indie is as diverse a genre as any. With the definition of indie being so widespread, I'd like to think of this section as being as much yours as Suite101's. If you have a band or artist that you feel passionate about, ask me to check them out. Start discussions about the state of play in the indie scene today, and where you feel it needs to go to continue strongly. Feel free to participate in upcoming polls on what features you would like on here, and help shape this section into a one-stop shop for all your indie needs. Hopefully, as the section grows, I'd like to think that I will keep you entertained and informed at the same time. If you feel I'm concentrating on too specific an area, let me know, and I'll do my best to expand. And if I don't - just holler!! :-) Thanks, and look forward to seeing you all around, Danny. |
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