Ottawa Tonite.com : Section Title
Posts Tagged ‘Ottawa artists’
Moments.
Silver Creek is a hard working band based out of Ottawa and is currently in studio tracking their third record. Sequestered at a little studio in a small town in Pennsylvania for the ten day session, these blogs chronicle their experience and provide a look inside what happens when a band makes a record.
Music is all about a certain moment. It distills a specific feeling or series of feelings experienced by the artist. A single song can tell the story of an actual moment in time or encompass years in the life of the songwriter. These things are then passed on to the listener and if the emotion is conveyed honestly and accurately he or she can then apply it to their own life and experience it in an entirely different and personal way.
Life is meant to be lived in analog.
As an enthusiastic fan of music I can relate to the feeling one experiences when the play button is pressed, the needle is dropped and the song starts to play. The room fills with someone else’s emotion and somehow I can relate to it. I’ll go out on a limb and assume that most people can admit to having this same vicarious relationship with music, but let me try to explain a little about the parts that only a few people get to know.
Most days we get up at nine-thirty get cleaned up, drink a coffee in the hotel lobby and are at the studio ready to work for around eleven. With the exception of a couple of breaks here and there for food and fresh air we work on forming sounds, perfecting and capturing tones and crafting our songs until well into the night and next morning, generally falling into our beds around three or four.
Mark and the Rickenbacker.
We are now on day five here in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania and things are slowly starting to come together. We are in an different universe. Here tempers flare and minds come together. Things move frustratingly slow then blow by at an incredible pace. It’s difficult to describe the atmosphere and dynamic of the studio as it shifts from day to day, so I will leave a lot of it to your own imagination. What I can describe, however speaks more to what I was talking about earlier: little moments.
The other day at one o’clock in the morning I watched my friend and long time band mate Jeff Rogers sit down at a piano with a microphone in front of his face while the tape rolled and reach a level of performance I have never seen. As he lost his mind entirely within a song, a control room full of grown men jumped up and down with excitement like children.
The Shane train.
Earlier in the day our drummer Shane was having a difficult time with one of the tunes. We solved the problem by joining him in the live room and played for the first time since our arrival as a full band while the tape rolled. All in one instant Shane nailed his take, and I as looked around the room at my friends I could literally feel the song take on a new life, a small turn in a direction it hadn’t gone before.
Yesterday afternoon our guitarist Blair played a guitar solo that would make Neil Young jealous and the rest of us huddled around a speaker on the other side of the glass, hair standing on end, knowing we had just witnessed and captured something rare and beautiful…
The moment that a song comes together in studio is a purely personal moment for the band that creates it. We are fortunate enough to be in an occupation that allows us to experience this side of music. We get to make what most people only enjoy vicariously. We are so close to this music that we are making. From the small moment when they were conceived in my mind as a lyrical or melodic thought, to the moment the band first put their own impressions on that thought and sometimes changed it entirely; we have been breathing these songs. We are quite literally living every second of them over and over again and watching them grow. They are ours, and I can only hope that once we give them to you and move on to making new ones that you can get close enough to them to hear the little moments that made them.
This is Blair Hogan in Heaven.
The snow is falling softly outside and a small town is bustling about its day, but in here great things are happening over and over again. I can hear Mark warming up for his next take on the bass. All is well in Bellfonte, PA.
Laurent Bourque’s Debut Album: “What We Talk About” – gets personal
Review by Jehan Khoorshed
Laurent Bourque, like so many Ottawa-born musicians, decided to seek his fame and fortune away from the city. But despite having moved to Montreal at age 17, he retains a strong Ottawa connection.
What We Talk About is Bourque’s first album, an interesting debut of breezy pop melodies and personal lyrics. He’s been taking that blend on tour through the northeastern U.S., Ontario and Quebec in hopes of breaking through in a difficult field.
The record was produced by Dean Watson of Ottawa’s Gallery Studios and he lends Bourque’s tunes a very clear, crisp sound. This is music that is easy on the ears, some light fare to help you wind down at the end of a long night.
Instrumentation is strong throughout. Bourque is clearly a masterful musician who does not allow his talent to overshadow the song; so there is no 15-minute guitar solos, no Spector-esque mountain of strings and vocals, no endless chorus. The songwriter plays almost every part except drums, which are handled by longtime associate Jamie Kronick.
Highlights include “All You Beautiful Girls”, which wouldn’t sound out of place on any Adult Contemporary station; this is probably the single and is easily the catchiest tune. It has a 90′s vibe with 2010 sound quality.
“Animals” is another strong entry, veering into Neil Young territory with heavily distorted guitar until Bourque’s voice takes over, settling things down. “Calm Down” rises to a powerful crescendo, ending with an uplifting chorus featuring some great harmonies with an (unknown?) female singer.
The best to me, however, is the opening track “At Your Door”. There’s a cool, vaguely menacing tone that sounds a little like Sufjan Stevens for its detached intimacy.
This is a solid album from a first-time recording artist. As he matures, it will be interesting to see what he comes up with next.
http://www.myspace.com/laurentbourque
OR www.laurentbourque.com
DEFENDOR
defendor artist poster
DEFENDOR plays at the Bytown Cinema (325 Rideau) Thursday April 29th at 9:05. Come a few minutes early and meet the official movie illustrator and get a signed poster if you utter a quote from the movie (check out the trailer below) or wear something from movie, like a t-shirt with the letter D duct taped to it.
Arthur Poppington (aka DEFENDOR) is an unlikely superhero. He has no superpowers and uses marbles, wasps and lime juice as weapons in his quest to take down Captain Industry. Arthur is played superbly by Woody Harrelson, perhaps one of his best acting roles ever. He is joined by a fantastic cast that includes Kat Dennings, Sandra Oh, Elias Koteas and Michael Kelly. The movie was directed by Peter Stebbings and filmed in Hamilton.
There is also an Ottawa connection. Artist Dominic Bercier began working with the team several years ago with the intent of creating a comic book to precede the movie. That didn’t work out but with the movie’s success at film festivals and distribution deals with Alliance Atlantis and Sony Pictures it was time to take another shot. Dominic teamed up with Ottawa entrepreneur Allan Isfan to pitch the director and studio once again. A deal was struck and the team secured rights for derivative art from the movie and a comic book pending approvals from all the actors.
Become a fan of the movie here, and join Allan and Dominic tonight (April 29) at the Bytown Cinema (325 Rideau st). Show up at 8:30pm to get your hands on the first art piece from the movie.
Ottawa Folkfest Auditions: Saturday, March 20th @Raw Sugar Cafe (692 Somerset West)
This will be my first Folkfest audition.
I moved to Ottawa from Niagara Falls in the Fall of 2008.
In Niagara I was part of a Downtown Revitalization project which sought to bring art & culture to a dilapidated city core.
Folk musicians were everywhere and the community gained a sense of identity through the celebration of gathering and song.
The movements and words spoke of familiar instances and commonalities in a way which I found best described as ‘true’.
Thoughts and feelings were expressed with acoustic guitars and djembes in a matter which was always inviting and communal.
The songs were full of spirit and always accessible.
When I moved to Ottawa I immediately noticed a shift in dynamic and accessibility. For one, this is a much bigger city than small town Niagara.
Also, I no longer felt a strong tie to my community; everything here was new to me. But the lesson from Niagara wasn’t lost: Music and art bring people together.
So I headed into Spaceman Music and introduced myself to the guy behind the counter, Eric Vieweg. Eric started running through the notable venues and open stages in town to give me a better sense of direction.
Then Davey popped behind the cash and Eric had him humbly count off all the projects he was involved with. I think it was 7.
From there my girlfriend and I met Gianna Lauren at The Manx, and Susanna and Matt from use every part of the deer.
Then I joined Harvey Cartel (as a drummer) for a recording session and some shows, including my first stop in Wakefield, Qc. I mention Wakefield because I feel there’s a strong appreciation for art and community there. (see the attached photo)
The Wednesday Open Stage at Kaffe 1870 introduced my guitarist Benny Gutman and I to Andy Roberts, who now plays stand-up bass with us. We get together at Andy’s place in Wakefield on Tuesday nights for music and coffee.
I’ve also been doing some drumming for Dave Norris & Local Ivan which features Graham Boyle, Lisa Poushinsky, Craig Pedersen, and Luke Donovan, all amazing human beings and wonderful Ottawa musicians doing what they do in the name of art.
I guess the point here would be it’s always about the people.
The people define the moments which give life a sense of meaning and purpose.
Folk music is as unpretentious as it comes: Just folks gathering and sharing energy.
I’m excited for Saturday.
Brandon Agnew can be heard here: http://www.myspace.com/brandonagnewmusic
Right By Midnight – In The Studio
The control room at The Gallery
It’s a cold winter weekend in January, the Glebe area hustling and bustling with afternoon shoppers. Tucked away from it in the basement of the Gallery Recording Studio, Kris Ward and Charles Downey are setting up guitar amps while engineer Dean Watson is running cables and placing mics. Ward greets me at the door, and leads me into the serene chaos that is the control room of the Gallery. It’s a tangle of cables, instruments, nic-nacs, CDs, and cold war era equipment running side by side with units that look like they’ve been borrowed from NASA. This is the typical studio environment, and as a musician it’s easy to feel the creativity oozing from every item. There’s a song playing on the speakers, with some brand new drum parts that were nailed just the day before. “We got three drum tracks done yesterday, one take each!” says Ward, who’s understandably happy with the progress they’ve been making. The song is thick and rich, a simple arrangement spiced tastefully with layers of delayed guitars and vocals. The next song is a full turn from the easy going and sleepy pace of the former; a full on rock song complete with huge riffs and hammering bass lines. Comprised of Ottawa music scene veteran Kris Ward on guitar and vocals with Charles Downey and Joey Patrois on guitar and bass, respectively, Right By Midnight is a brand new band. They formed last fall and decided to take a slightly different path than most bands by recording a full length album before ever hitting the stage together. I went down to the studio to catch a preview of what they were working on and ask them a few questions.
KW – Kris Ward (vocals, guitar, keys)
CD – Charles Downey (guitar, vocals, keys)
JP – Joey Patrois (bass, vocals)
Patrois and Downey at rehearsal
How did you guys prepare to record the album? Was it difficult to form a band and jump straight into the studio?
CD – No, it’s really been quite a simple process for the songwriting, at least in my opinion. Jumping in the studio I think builds character and a sort of teamwork attitude for the band, also we can get all the little issues about parts and harmonies sorted out right away.
KW – Personally I found it easier to jump into the studio right away. There was no being bogged down with shows or anything. We were able to take our time and focus more on writing the songs and coming up with good parts that we were happy with.
You’ve taken a slightly untraditional route and decided to record a full length album before playing any shows. What made you decide that this was the best way to go about it?
JP- Every other band I’ve been in has put off recording which makes playing out almost useless. If there is no music to promote or show then you are selling yourself short. Its really cool to be able to make a good record first then see where it can take us.
KW – In any band I’ve ever been in, or started up, it’s always started the same way and this time around I discussed with Charles about how I would like to break that pattern. Usually what happens is: a bunch of guys get together in a room, write some tunes that probably aren’t their best, rush a live set together, hit a stage with no tangible product to sell people, and play to empty bars. There’s nothing memorable about doing that. You can’t leave any sort of impression on the listener by just rushing things together too soon. My belief is that songs need to be nurtured and built properly from the ground up. In this case, we really took our time writing what we feel are great songs. We’ve done some acoustic shows to start getting the name out there a bit and now we’re focusing entirely on the recording process, without having to worry about rehearsing our live set.
What is the difference between your approach to writing and recording coming from various backgrounds?
JP- I’ve been writing music for as long as I can remember and I’ve written with a lot of different people. I like the fact that with this group we all have a mature and easy-going attitude towards writing. Personally I write very different than Kris and Charles but I think the music evolves and grows from that.
CD – I took guitar lessons for a long time and while I learned a lot, I think it may have impacted my creativity. Kris on the other hand is self taught and I believe it gives him the ability to write in unorthodox and very interesting ways. That and he’s just good at writing songs. But when teamed with my textbook-ish approach to riffs and writing, plus Joey’s country attitude and considerable homegrown skill, we’re a pretty damn good combination.
KW – I think each album presents it’s own challenges regardless of experience. Each time you lay the groundwork for a new recording of some kind you have to be ready for whatever comes your way. In this case, what I like is the enthusiasm that Charles and Joey bring to the project. I’ve been writing and recording with various projects for over 10 years now and I will be the first to admit that sometimes I can get a little jaded and frustrated. But it’s nice to have some young, fresh, eager blood in the band and just when I’m at my worst, Joey and Charles will kick me in the ass and get me going again.
Ward tracking rhythm guitar
Describe the writing process for the songs on the album.
KW – I think the writing for this album kind of happened in 3 big steps. As alluded to earlier, Charles and I began initially writing in and around August. Our first couple of sessions actually yielded about 8-10 songs. We threw a bunch of those out after our first acoustic show and kept maybe 4 of them, songs like Sound the Alarm and Ocean, which will both be on the record.
CD – Drinking, playing guitar, and singing out of key at various locations in the Ottawa valley…Magic.
What made you decide to record the album with Dean Watson at the Gallery? What does he bring to the table as producer/engineer that you find appealing?
KW – I’ve worked with Dean on a few projects now and I really like his laid back attitude. He’s very easy to work with and he’s not afraid to jump in with advice and suggestions as well. He acts as a mediator and devil’s advocate when you need him to, but he’s also got a great sense of humour which helps keep the vibe in the studio light and easy going. He’s also a great musician and I think that’s his biggest asset. He’s been there before, he’s got a great knowledge of theory and can really help you out of a jam musically. He knows his stuff.
CD – The whole recording experience so far has been an absolute blast for me. It’s way more entertaining than I expected, and Dean is great at helping us, especially me get our parts down perfectly. Also, he puts up with my bullshit, and one time he bought me coffee and a brownie, so I would whole-heartedly recommend him.
When will the album be done and how many songs will it include?
KW – We’re hoping to have the album done by May 2010 and it’s slated to have 12 songs.
What do you plan on doing when the album is finished?
KW – We’re hoping to play a lot of shows throughout the summer culminating in a tour of some kind for the fall. We’ll also be working with a local publicist too so we’re hoping to get our name out there quite a bit.
CD – Going on the fall tour, living in a van, not showering
JP – Tour!
The boys have been kind enough to post a preview or the album on their myspace page, and I highly suggest you check it out. They’ve got an acoustic show planned for February 27th at the Avant Garde Bar.
You can follow them on Twitter for regular studio updates or check out their Facebook group.
Article by Mark Laforest
Dave Cooper’s latest inspiration
When a pomegranate isn’t just a pomegranate
Painter and illustrator Dave Cooper might very well be Ottawa’s best known visual artist whose international reputation seems to, sadly for Ottawa, overshadow his local rep. His paintings of pillowy women that are, at once, erotic, innocent and can veer into the mildly disturbing, sell in New York, Los Angeles and Paris while his current hiatus from the graphic novel world is also mourned internationally.
In “Nice Ottawa”, his work is occasionally on display in “one-night stand” format at Ottawa’s black sheep of the visual arts scene, Galerie La Petite Mort or recently at the Ottawa International Animation Festival.
But perhaps his latest series will be found to be more palatable to the more conservative in Ottawa.
When a pomegranate isn’t just a pomegranate
Cooper’s latest mini-series could loosely be termed as “the erotic innocence of fruit”. Pomegranate A (below), B (left) and C (top) were originally conceived as a triptych with “A” being unabashedly lush, B” a balance of age and vitality and “C”, a literal balance of opposites.
Luckily for me, “Pomegranate C” is snapped up. (Yes, I’m the culprit. It was an extravagant birthday gift paid in sweat, paint and affection.)
Still, it’s worth following Dave Cooper’s visual arts site and sniff around the galleries in town to see if Dave will explore this new concept further or return to his “pillowy girls”.
Dave Cooper is accepting commissions. You can contact him at dave [at] davegraphics [dot] com.
Images all © Dave Cooper. Republishing available with permission.
