In memory of Mike Jenkins and in support of his daughters Lucy and Violet.  

All proceeds will be donated to their trust fund.

Friday, February 24th, 9:30pm

Elmdale House Tavern (1084 Wellington St. W., Ottawa)

Tickets: $10 (suggested donation at door)

Hippie Campfire: http://hippiecampfire.com/fr_home.cfm

Jimmy George: http://jimmygeorge.bandcamp.com/

Hibernation Nation by Andrea-Simms Karp is now available on iTunes.   

Connie Bernardi plays the roll of radio announcer on Majic 100 in Ottawa, full time music blogger and seeker of new music. 

That’s where Fevers comes into play.  Fevers are an Ottawa-based five-piece unit that call refer to themselves as the purveyors of independent, electronic pop but with their own unique take on the genre. Their unique modern sound comes from combining indie rock and electronic music.

Fevers are Colin MacDougall, Jim Hopkins, Martin Charbonneau, Mike Stauffer and Sarah Bradley.

I recently had the chance to speak to Jim and Colin about the band, their musical influences and the electronic scene in the nation’s capital.

How did Fevers come together?

Jim: It’s kind of a long story! Colin and I met through mutual friends a couple of years ago – I was fresh off the boat from England and looking to play in a band. We started jamming together just to have some fun really. Colin was already in a band, so it was a side project of sorts. We started writing some songs together, and nearly had an album’s worth. We recorded everything on my laptop, adding electronic instrumentation here and there. We then met Martin, our sound genius – this was a pretty big turning point, as we started doing regular practices. Colin then left his old band, bringing Mike with him to play drums. The final piece of the puzzle was Sarah, an incredibly talented singer and keyboardist, who joined in early 2011. Since then we’ve been practicing, recording, and playing shows when we can.

Colin: Jim is being a bit modest.  I was completely over-steeped in “indie rock” music, having written & played a similar style of music since the age of 15.  Jim basically swept in and said “hey, why don’t you consider stepping out of your comfort zone”?  I couldn’t.  But thankfully he took my comfort zone, added wicked beats & loops to it, and made it into something a little less comfortable.

If you had to list music that has influenced your sound what artists/bands would appear on that list? 

J: That’s a tough question. Our song writing method varies a lot – sometimes it’s the traditional approach of writing a song on the acoustic guitar and building from there, and other times it’s simply a synth part that we create a song around. So the influences vary on who starts writing the song. Usually I end up mixing the final song, so I’d say my influences for our sound are contemporary electro/indie acts like M83, Passion Pit or LCD Soundsystem. 

C: I actually haven’t changed my music listening all that much in a number of years.  I try to keep up with the M83′s and Passion Pit’s, but often find myself coming back to the Pixies, Breeders, Radiohead, and perhaps The National (if I’m trying to feel ‘contemporary’).  But whether it’s Jim or I who has the first skeleton idea for a song we do, the end result usually does sound more like Neon Indian than Blonde Redhead.  Funny what beats & loops can do.

How would you describe the Ottawa electronic scene?

J: I actually don’t think there are a lot of bands doing what we’re doing here – there’s definitely a healthy indie, punk and metal scene in Ottawa, but as far as an electro-scene I don’t know! Maybe we don’t get out enough!?

C: Agreed.  If there are other bands doing this kind of thing in Ottawa, please write us!  We feel guilty booking shows as the only band with the ridiculous rig including 3 synths & 2 samplers!  (Also agreed that we don’t get out enough…)

Any story behind the single ‘Passion Is Dead [Long Live Fashion]‘? 

J: I’ll leave that one to Colin.

C: Ooooh… thanks for throwing me the hot potato, Jim. Well, I will perhaps simply say that all of the songs that I have recently written usually fall into 2 categories: cynical love songs or songs about a Zombie Apocalypse (pilfered from my ongoing but mainly-failed attempt to write a Zombie rock opera.). PIDLLF falls primarily into category 1 (with a touch of “lamenting the Hipster Apocalypse” thrown in for good measure). 

As a band what music are you listening to now that you can’t get enough of?

 C: I’ll leave that one to Jim.  I’m just getting through listen #6,929 of High Violet…

J: Our music tastes really vary across the band, but right now I’m listening to a lot of Hooray For Earth, Of Monsters and Men, Youth Lagoon, Neon Indian, James Blake… I listen to this awesome Seattle radio station called KEXP – I find a lot of my music that way.

Favourite spots to source out new music in Ottawa?

J: There’s some really cool venues in Ottawa – Raw Sugar Cafe, Mavericks, Babylon, Zaphods, Cafe Dekcuf – they get some good acts playing there. I guess I’d say you just need take a chance every now and you’ll see something unexpected!

 C: Club Saw is also a pretty awesome place. Nothing like listening to interesting music surrounded by interesting art.

So the single that I’ve had on repeat all week long on my shiny red iPod is ‘Passion Is Dead [Long Live Fashion]…check it out here. Love it x 1000.

You can catch Fevers live on Friday, December 2nd with Distractor (MTL) and Dreamphone (Ottawa) at Café Decuf (221 Rideau Street). Licenced 19+ event. Doors swing open at 8PM and it $6 at the door.

The Fevers latest EP, Passion Is Dead,  is available for free at BandCamp.

The concert featured:

• Ana Miura [Website]

• Amanda Rheaume [Website]
• Leela Gilday [Website]
• Tara Holloway [Website]

• Annabelle Chvostek [Website]

The show took place at St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts.
More photos can be found here.

Left to Right: Daniel, Andrea, Alejandro, & Fabian

I stumbled upon an amazing band in 2007 at a local bar in Gainesville, Florida called “The Sidebar” while out with friends. I fell in love with their sound after just two songs, but had to leave during their set and didn’t think to grab their name in my rush. It took months of Googling and Yahooing before I found them again. The band was called Boyce Avenue, made up of three brothers; Daniel, Fabian, & Alejandro, who sing covers of songs as well as original music. Over the next few years I bought their music and became really impressed with them, but I never had a chance to make it out to a show until now. The concert here in Ottawa was the first time I’d seen them, since that night nearly 5 years ago. It was also the first time we’d officially met face to face.

I walked into the venue for a meet & greet, which I had purchased weeks earlier to see the band before my interview. When that wrapped, Boyce Avenue and I sat down for a one on one chat*:

Who’s idea was it to start a band? What drew you three to music?

Alejandro (A): It wasn’t really a concrete idea, it was just something that naturally happened. We got into music as kids. And we are brothers, so when one of us picked something up, we’d all join in for fun. It all happened organically pretty much.

How long have you been playing together?

A: We’ve been playing together for about 6 years give or take.

Do you find that touring has changed you as a band in any way? How?

A: I think it’s helped our musicianship a lot. We can play more with little to no downtime in between.

Daniel (D): I think we get along better on the road, we bond and get to experience adventures together. Off the road it’s more business, and focus on management, but on the road we can focus on playing.

Where do you hope to be 5 years from now?

A: Doing what we’re doing now, but to more and more people ( laughs).

And personally?

A: Of course from a family standpoint, we want to continue to grow. You know kids, wives.

D: Wife, not wives!

A: Right, one wife for everyone.

Well, two of you (Daniel & Fabian) are already married so, you mean one wife each?

D: Right. Each of us only having one wife. Not multiples!

That’s Cool. Who are your core influences?

A: Goo Goo Dolls, Coldplay, Dave Matthews, Oasis, John Mayer…

Fabian (F):  (under his breath) John Denver

(Laughs)

A: and John Denver

I’ve noticed that there is some familiarity (in a good way) in your music with some of the bands you listed as influences, like the Goo Goo Dolls for example.

A: It’s kind of natural since we all kind of grew up listening to 90’s rock or melodic rock. I don’t think you can help writing stuff that sounds like the music you listen to, if that’s where your heart is. If you like that sound and those are your favorite songs, then it’s going to feel right when you have an acoustic in front of you to play riffs or music that is like that.

Some of your songs, no matter how sad the subject matter is, actually seem kind of hopeful to me. Is that the overall message you want to convey to your fans?

A:  Yes! That’s true.What appeals to us is being a bit more emotional, which kind of lends itself to being a little sad. But we always seem to have in every song pretty much, the vibe that “It’s not perfect now, but it’s going to get better” you know that kind of vibe. And we hope that’s fairly relate-able, you know since we go through that. You never feel–I hope you never feel– that you’re completely finished as a human being, but striving to get better.

The Show
The event opened with youtube sensation Alex Goot & a band of Texas rock-gods called “Green River Ordinance” or GRO who by the end of their set, had the audience wrapped around their fingers. Alex performed an upbeat cover of “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton which is a hit with many of his Youtube fans. Lead Singer of GRO, Josh Jenkins primed the crowd with their popular single “Dancing Shoes”, before surprising everyone with a rock n’ roll sing along of the Justin Bieber hit “Baby”. Josh’s pitch was perfect through the entire song, and I must say GRO put Mr. Bieber to shame. Electric guitarist Jamey Ice immediately drew my attention the second he walked onstage. He reminded me of a younger, blonde, and considerably more animated Slash from Guns N’ Roses. The way he played his LED-lit guitar and entranced the entire room (especially the ladies) no one could keep their eyes off of him when he worked the crowd. I was at the front of the stage and could clearly see how passionate GRO was about getting the audience on their feet. They made their mark on this crowd for sure.

Alejandro took the microphone and introduced himself and his brothers and then the concert began. “Daylight” an earlier song, came first, and drifted into “Tonight” flawlessly. “Not Enough” came second as veteran Boyce fans (myself included, thank you very much!) mouthed along and pretended to be mini-Alejandro’s. This song also featured the first of a few amazing standout guitar performances by Daniel and Fabian, respectively. Next, came Boyce’s stunning cover of “Rolling in The Deep” by Adele. I loved this performance, and found it soulful and well arranged. When “Find Me” played, I looked up to watch the band and for one moment during the chorus all three brothers had closed their eyes at the same time. It was just for a micro-second, but I could tell they had a vibe between them and were really feeling this particular song together.

Lead singer of Boyce Avenue: Alejandro Manzano

The energy-lifter of the night was the Boyce Avenue rendition of Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite”. There was fist pumping, lip syncing, even some jumping on my part as I lost myself in that song. Daniel worked the Cajon with a magic all his own, as his brother Alejandro joined in to battle him. “Just The Way You Are” slowed everything back down again as Alejandro crooned the chorus to a sea of tightly packed fans, before the band took a moment to tell the audience about their next song, “Briane”. The mood was somber as Daniel explained that this song is what his friend’s wife, who committed suicide, might have wanted to say to her husband in the aftermath.

“Broken Angel” flowed right to the core of the crowd as every girl, myself included, swayed and used the music to heal any sadness that lingered within us. “On My Way” is  lead singer Alejandro’s love letter to his future soulmate, who he knows is out there, but hasn’t met. It had us all swooning before we kicked it old school to Boyce’s cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”. Drummer Jason Burrows shined all through this concert, but I really liked how he played during “Fast Car”.

It wasn’t until “When The Lights Die” came on that I felt that familiar feeling that originally drew me to Boyce Avenue. When Fabian started rocking to the music, eyes closed, in his own world, I couldn’t help but smile and think back to 2007, when I saw him doing the exact same thing. I was 8 feet from the speakers which most people would probably hate, but it only intensified what was happening. It felt as if the speakers were pumping the music into my whole body, thrumming it into my heart, and back out towards that stage. This feeling was what I had waited all night to experience. “Every Breath”, a popular fan favorite was played as a fake-out ending, but as the crowd chanted “Encore!” Boyce returned to play “Dare to Believe” and “Iris”. The set then truly ended after Alejandro led us all in a sing along to “Hear Me Now”, a song that has become somewhat of an anthem for this tour. The next time Boyce Avenue is in Ottawa, I highly recommend you check them out. They truly love their fans, and for one night they’ll make you feel like they played every song just for you.

Special Thanks:
I’d like to thank Boyce Avenue for taking the time to do this interview, with everything they had going on during their time in Ottawa. Also, the show both looked, and sounded fantastic, thanks in large part to tour manager Erich Jackson, Merchandiser Anthony Hook, as well as their crew of stage hands. These guys attend venue after venue making sure the tour runs as smoothly as possible. Everything from scheduling my interview to running the stage during the show was primarily handled by these guys, and it is greatly appreciated.

*Want more Boyce? Click the links below for video from the interview, and their fan Q&A! (copy & paste links in new browser)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP0lO-ufiqE

http://getboyced.blogspot.com/2011/10/fan-q-with-boyce-avenue.html

To learn more about Boyce Avenue, please visit their website, Youtube, Twitter and Facebook:

www.BoyceAvenue.com
www.youtube.com/boyceavenue
www.twitter.com/boyceavenue
www.facebook.com/BoyceAvenue

Alex Goot:

http://twitter.com/alexgoot

www.youtube.com/gootmusic

Green River Ordinance:

http://twitter.com/GRO

http://www.greenriverordinance.com/

For links to my other interviews please visit:

http://www.wix.com/mongoose3687/shespeakselite

Thursday October 27, 2011

Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts

310 St. Patrick Street, Ottawa

Tickets: $15 in adv; $20 at door

The compilation CD features 17 original songs by Canadian singer/songwriters ranging from a Juno award winner to the best of up-and-coming Canadian talent.  Largely made up of female artists, the compilation also features a track from Craig Cardiff to represent the men who have contracted breast cancer but also the men who stand behind their mothers, sisters, wives, girlfriends and friends during their journey.

“We are thrilled to be releasing our first B4B compilation album, to continue to support the women and men who are on their breast cancer journey through funds, awareness and the positive power of music,” says Ana Miura, Babes4Breasts founder and local singer/songwriter.

The concert will be held at the Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts in downtown Ottawa featuring five women in song-circle format who also appear on the compilation: Leela Gilday, Annabelle Chvostek, Amanda Rheaume, Tara Holloway and Ana Miura.  Compilation CDs will be sold at the concert for $5 but will also be available starting today online digitally through iTunes and CD BABY as a special pre-release opportunity. Physical sales available at numerous Ottawa retailers including all Bridgehead Coffeehouses, Ottawa Folklore Centre, CD Warehouse, CD Baby, Compact Music, Chez Lucien Restaurant, Mint Hair Studio, Physical Therapy Institute, Morning Owl Coffee Shop and mymusic.ca.

Proceeds from the concert will be used to build upon the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation’s Survivorship Centre’s music therapy program, while proceeds from the sale of the album will go to a variety of breast cancer related charities including the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society.

Founded in 2003, Babes4Breasts has raised tens of thousands of dollars for breast cancer related charities on their many successful tours across Canada. 
For a list of featured artists on the CD, please visit http://www.babes4breasts.com

Online sales of CD or Tickets for Concert:
For Tickets, head to www.ticketbreak.com and search for Babes4Breasts ($15 in advance)
For Compilation CD, head to cdbaby.com or iTunes ($9.99 each)

Advance Physical copy of CDs and physical tickets:Advance Tickets as well as CDs on sale as of Friday, September 23, 2011 at: Ottawa Folklore Centre, all CD Warehouse and Compact Music Locations, Chez Lucien Restaurant, Mint Hair Studio and The Physical Therapy Institute.
Advance copies of CDs will also be sold at all Bridgehead Coffeehouses, Ottawa Folklore Centre, CD Warehouse, CD Baby, Compact Music, Chez Lucien Restaurant, Mint Hair Studio, The Physical Therapy Institute, Morning Owl Coffee Shop and mymusic.ca.

I came across the Ottawa band, The New Records, earlier this year (right around Record Store Day oddly enough)…they’re young, passionate, love music and they’re really talented.

Record Label: Unsigned (Members of Shine Studios)

Members: Cameron Wyatt (Lead guitar/vocals), Keith Hoddinott (Rhythm guitar/vocals), Zach Hofley (Bass) & Chris Labelle (Drums)

Genre: Pop/Rock

Last week, I had a chance to chat music with Cameron Wyatt, lead singer for the band and Twitter master in training…

Was there a moment – a concert you attended, a song you heard, a movie you saw that was your ‘A-HA!’ moment that made you realize that making music was something that you all wanted to pursue?

I would say that the first time was when I joined my first band. I was in the band program at HUmmingbird Music where they ask you your musical interests, what istrument you play and then place you in a band. At that time I played bass and I remember how amazing I felt to be a part of the cool music I was hearing. And ever since then I have been playing in a band.

Roller

 O-Town Hoedown organizers announced today that twenty-six bands will perform over ten nights during the fifth annual O-Town Hoedown which will run from September 23rd to October 2nd 2011 in Ottawa.

The O-Town Hoedown is a concert series, which will take place in five different venues in Ottawa  (The Rainbow Bistro, Irene’s Pub, The Manx, Elmdale House Tavern, and Zaphod Beeblebrox), and will showcase the diversity of the Canadian alt-country scene. Musical genres on offer will range from rockabilly to cowpunk to folk-rock to bluegrass and everything in between. This year’s musical acts will include: Brothers Through The Hill, Silver Creek, Joey Only Outlaw Band, Ginger Saint James, The Woody Allens, Lynne Hanson, Brock Zeman, The Dusty Drifters, Morgan Friend, The Sick Sick Sicks, Marie-Josée Houle, The Kingmakers, and many more.

The O-Town Hoedown is organised by local country music impresario, Lefty McRighty, in association with CHUO 89.1FM, CKCU 93.1FM, Compact Music and Steamwhistle.

Spokesperson Lefty McRighty said:

“The party’s not over yet – the REAL Hoedown doesn’t start until September 23rd! It’s O-Town Hoedown 2011!!! If you’d like a sampling of the music featured at the Hoedown, or if you’re on the radio and are looking for some tunes to play, check out
otownhoedown.com/music  for free mp3 downloads from a selection of this year’s Hoedown roster. And don’t forget to check out www.otownhoedown.com for complete listings, and here for our great promotional video!”

Video courtesy of Kevin Burton

Wyatt was the band chosen by fans in an on-line contest to appear as an opening act at this year’s Capital Hoedown. The Saskatchewan band took a few minutes during sound check to talk with our Kimberly G.

Now this is more like it…lots of jam fun….
There were people available to sit in and an audience that filled the room and were supportive and attentive the whole time….this made for a lovely evening of music…

After the opening set by the house trio (which is always fun and full of surprises), the first segment of jamming involved players from Tania Gill’s quartet and Pink Martini. Bassist Phil Baker and guitarist Dan Faenhle played with Jim Lewis on trumpet with Nancy and Nick. They played three tunes…a medium Gone with the Wind, a smoking Charlie Parker tune called Segment (and a ballad I can’t remember the name of)…a great mini-set of listening and interaction..

The second group to come up consisted of players from various places..local bassists Norman Glaude, young guitarist Justin (Duhaime?) and finally Drake (I think that is his name) – a drummer with the Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam show at Scotiabank Place.  Two nights ago, we had fun with the saxophone player from the circus and I am happy they are starting to make a trip into town to play. They played All Blues and How Insensitive.

The final configuration featured Nick and me playing with pianist Tania Gill – tunes were a spiky I Remember You, Bud Powell’s Parisian Thoroughfare and a blues I think…

 We the house trio finished off the night with a tune…thanks to the quiet and respectful audience enjoying the music and showing their appreciation the whole night…things felt really good in the room.

After-hours jazz jam sessions are being held during the Ottawa Jazz Festival at the ARC The Hotel.

Location: 40 Slater Street, Ottawa

Thursday, June 23rd  thru Sunday, July 3rd, 2011 (excluding Canada Day)

Time: 10:30pm – onward