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Posts Tagged ‘CD release’
Ottawa’s Music Community Working Together for Haiti
Cover art by Yvon Villarceau
It began with a desire to help in the face of disaster.
Over the past 2 years, OttawaTonite.com has grown from a fledgling blog/web site about the Ottawa arts and culture scene into a hub of community and connectedness. It’s helped to bring artists together many parts of the city, and created a space where they can not only feature their work, but where they can share a glimpse of what it’s like to be a creative person in our city. Most importantly, it’s brought artists together, and created some powerful relationships.
This web site has enabled the community to become more connected, and it’s that connection that spawned the idea to bring artists together, to try and help the people of Haiti in any way possible.
Photo by Sean Sisk
Ottawa for Haiti is a remarkable CD compilation put together by many artists in the Ottawa music community. The project, headed up by Ottawa Tonite founder Cheryl Gain, is the culmination of many months of work by a team of generous and talented people. The CD contains 14 tracks from a broad range of local musicians, such as Lindsay Ferguson, Silver Creek, Jill Zmud, and Juno Award winner Kellylee Evans. It is a magnificent recording that truly showcases the many talents of our local music scene.
All proceeds from the sale of Ottawa for Haiti will go to Hope for Haiti, a wonderful organization that is working on the ground to help Haiti’s people rebuild.
I sat down with Producer Cheryl Gain to discuss how this remarkable project came together. (If you can’t see the video, click here.)
Photo by Sean Sisk
This project would not have been possible without the efforts of the many people involved. In addition to the amazing contributions of the artists and their songs, much appreciation goes to recording engineer Matt Ouimet, mastering engineer Philip Shaw Bova, artist Yvon Villarceau who designed the gorgeous album cover, graphic designer Ben Welland, photographer Sean Sisk, web designer Steve Donnelly, Jester Creative for lending a hand with the web site and video, Darner Media for tech support, and our amazing sponsors, Jeff O’Reilly of D’arcy McGees, and Chris Saracino at Standard Media.
Ottawa for Haiti is being officially released on Saturday, April 30th at 8pm at D’arcy McGee’s on Sparks Street in downtown Ottawa at a special show featuring artists from the album. Lindsay Ferguson, Shannon Eddy-Smith, Megan Jerome, Ken Voita, Jill Zmud, Kellylee Evans, Matt Ouimet, and more, will all be performing tracks from the album. We hope you can join us!
The CD will be available at the show on April 30th and is being sold at Compact Music for $7. You can also purchase it online at www.ottawforhaiti.ca or download it from iTunes.
Chris Page at Compact Music
February 16, 2010 was the official release for Chris Page‘s A Date With A Smoke Machine (Review).
He did an in-store session at Compact Music on Bank St.
Despite being at noon there were some people who were there to hear him play.
Don’t worry Chris will be playing an official CD launch show for his album on February 27th at the Dom Polski.
It was a fun session Chris put on.
Here is a short clip I took of the in-store session:
Ming Wu
The Polymorphines make it work with Transistor Sistor
Here’s the sad truth: bands like the Polymorphines don’t really exist anymore.
There are a few here and there still dishing out original hard rock, but most groups that sound like this are rehashing the tired old Zeppelin and AC/DC covers in places like the sad wreck of what once was Barrymore’s. But the Ottawa-based combo is creating new material, fresh energetic rock that is a far cry from simply aping the old masters.
I’m not sure a lot of people still listen to music like this, outside of live venues, although there are several instances I can think of where the Polymorphines’ new Transistor Sistor would be appropriate. For example, while hanging off the side of a 747 in mid flight, or being chased down the tracks by a runaway locomotive; or, say, parachuting into a VietCong encampment during the Tet Offensive, circa 1968. Those kind of special occasions.
Then again, this is the kind of group that, once they start playing, all notions of stylistic pigeon-holing disappear.
They produce sweaty, riff-driven hard rock without the pretension of much mid-to-late 70′s fare (even Zeppelin was guilty of this). There are no 25-minute keyboard solos, no flowery lyrics about hobbits and wizards and magical stairways, but the band kicks up a solid groove and keeps it going throughout the record. Transistor Sister has a remarkably consistent feel from start to finish.
Like a lot of 70s rock, their music is heavy on guitar, drums and a particularly fluid bass, but there is a unique feel to the recording that sounds like a cross between a church basement and Shea Stadium.
The band lists Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath and Neil Young among their influences and they’ve absorbed and synthesized elements from all of them.
Outside of standard blues-rock groups, not many rock acts have tried to incorporate a harmonica player. Aerosmith does it once in a while when they’re trying to revive their flagging rock cred. Mick Jagger fooled around with it in the early years before discarding the harmonica in favour of sexually ambiguous gyrating. There are a few scorching harp solos on this record that will make your ears burn.
The Polymorphines make it work, too. Transistor Sistor, is a full-length collection of high-powered rock songs that evoke sweaty bars, mosh pits and beer-fueled dance marathons. It sounds like a live album from the studio floor and is tastefully underproduced by Dave Dudley; the group is tight and obviously very used to one another, which is why the record sounds like they stepped right off the stage and into the booth.
A major highlight is “Dirty Cop”, which is one of the funnier tracks on the album, a tongue-in-cheek skewering of overstuffed authority figures. There’s a lengthy harmonica solo on this one and a cool beat. “Goodbye Kiss” woudn’t sound out of place on a Black Sabbath record, circa 1970, only this is even heavier and the band seems more concerned with sound than image. “Black Sky” has one of the hottest opening guitar licks you’ll hear in this day and age.
Another high point is “Wicked Woman”, where the beat momentarily slows down and they channel the ghosts of early-70s Santana. (Santana’s not technically dead, but the music sure is.)
In the end – and without denigrating the studio effort in any way – this is a band that will make its reputation through live performances. What the album gives you is a keyhole glimpse into what must be an amazing stage show.
You get that chance March 20th at Babylon for their CD release party.
Listen to The Polymorphines here: http://www.myspace.com/thepolymorphines
Jehan Khoorshed is a music reviewer for Ottawa Tonite, and can also be found here: http://www.myspace.com/jehankhoorshed
“Oh Jesus” The CD Release: A Special Invitation
Hey Boys and Girls! It’s that time of year again!
It’s…(insert: drum roll and party whistle sound)
A Brand New MAtt Ouimet CD RElease!!!!!!!! (insert: sound of 150000 people losing their sanity)
That’s right. It’s been 354 days since he released “Silently” so it’s about Time for A NEW Awesome Disc!!!!!
This time it’s “Oh Jesus” :10 Super hits on 1 Super Super Disc!
but wait, there’s more…
YOU CAN BUY THIS DISC!
It will be for SALE at the Release SHOW this Saturday Night (Jan 16th) at the Elmdale House Tavern.
(it’s also available on CDbaby.com and in local shops starting the week of January 18th)
Enjoy the opening acts of:
Steve Durand
Gamelan Semara Winangun
The Golden Seals
and then stick around for THE BEATLES!
…or matt and his band….whomever wins the coin-toss in the pre-game show will play.
For samples of Oh Jesus check out mattouimet.com or myspace.com/mattouimet
Be there or Be Square or better be Both!
- bye bye,
Matt
If you need to know more, reply to this message/also join the facebook event for more info.
Lisa Poushinsky packs a “stiletto punch”
PRESS RELEASE – Ottawa-based singer-songwriter, L. Poushinsky, is already well known for her hallmark dramatic vibrato and rich, lyric-driven song-writing. Self-styled, “feverish cabaret folk rock for lovers and wolves,” as she calls her material, she combines intimacy and naivety – in the French chanteuse tradition – with a stiletto punch.
Her 3rd CD, “Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter,” to be released with a live performance in Ottawa (at the Ecclesiax Church, 2 Monk Street) on Friday, Nov 13th with many special guests, and cookies too.
Ottawa’s excellent country crooner Trevor Alguire will open the show.
Doors open at 8:30, music starts at 9.
Tickets will be sold at the Monk St entrance. $10 per ticket, and $20 at the door gets you a CD too.
Like her previous releases and more than 100 live performances (with bands Red Fey, Hollow Water, and as a solo performer,) Poushinsky delivers deliciously interesting compositions about love and life that are musically textured and emotionally exposed.
But there’s no self-indulgence here.
Poushinky does not wallow.
With a subtle touch, Poushinsky navigates her audience through a raw emotional landscape with a quirky, flirty, even frolicky bounce. The complex jazz-fusion instrumentation throughout “Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter” provides a sweetness to the vulnerable femme fatale vocals that are powerful.
Her band is first-rate, and includes many notable Canadian musicians, including:
Adam Fogo (upright electric Zeta bass and bass guitar); Craig Pederson (trumpet); Brian Simms (electric lead guitar and b.u. vox); Brendan Allistone (electric lead guitar and b.u. vox); Mike Schultz (trombone); Ashley Newall (bass guitar and b.u. vox); Evan Runge (violin); Kader Blaine (banjo and b.u. vox), Tim Watson (drums), and even Bova chips in with hand claps, back up vocals, and maracas.
Now Poushinsky is taking her new material on the road in her CD Release tour, first to Ottawa, where she’ll recreate the CD in its entirety with 12 accompanying musicians at the Ecclesiax Church (on Monk St. in the Glebe); she’ll share the bill with Ottawa alt-country crooner Trevor Alguire.
Then Poushinsky will take the show on the road and tour Southern Ontario with Dave Norris and Local Ivan for a series of double CD release parties that promise to be a true musical tour de force.
Ottawatonite will be sharing in the Ottawa performance and bringing some special moments from the show to YOU. Come on down to the Glebe on Friday November 13th and take in Lisa’s show, share in her spirit and cookies too!
To hear sample tracks from “Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter,” and a regularly updated tour calendar, visit:
www.myspace.com/lpoushinsky
Sarah Hallman “Likely”
Sarah Hallman hit the ground running, launching her new album Likely with an effortlessly professional release party. Sarah’s sound is emotionally charged but still cool and collected, and her slick backup band does a solid job of filling in the gaps without overwhelming the lead.
Sarah and lead guitarist Brian Simms have the comraderie of long-time associates, weaving their lines together to the point where it’s difficult to tell one from the other. The rhythm section kept the band tight and focused.
But it’s Sarah’s voice, melody and lyrics that anchor the show.
There’s a weary maturity in her words and music that strikes you the moment she opens her mouth, and despite her natural shyness she has an easy rapport with her audience. The set, about an hour in total length, didn’t overly focus on the new record as the band played songs from her earlier records as well as a few unrecorded selections.
The high quality of material on Likely and new tunes like “Old Country” (not featured on the album) show that she’s got more than a few great records in the pipeline.
The Black Tomato was an appropriate venue for Hallman and her band, but it would be interesting to see what she could do in a bigger room with a larger audience.
