It was destined to be a triple CD release party presented by Runway Records. Unfortunately, Shadow of the Gods had to pull out of their two back to back shows for medical reasons. My heart goes out to the members of the band and I hope everything is well. So, stepping up to bat for them would be Year of the Rat, and they hit a home run.
I promised the boys I wouldn't copy and paste my review from the night before with just a venue name change. I couldn't anyway, because this night was an improvement on what was witnessed at the Fort Street Cafe. A lot can be attributed to Logan’s Pub. First, the stage is bigger and the band could channel their energy to the full extent of its measures. Second, there is simply more equipment. I forgot to mention that at the Fort Street Cafe, guitarist Michael Sanderson didn't have a microphone. Back up vocals are very important in displaying and exploring dynamics. Gladly, Logan’s has more microphones than you could shake a stick at [if you are into that kind of thing]. Samuel Coll and Sanderson's vox compliment eachother much like salt does to pepper. Coll is a lower than average register, which some people have unfairly wrote off as Joy Division. I would say Coll puts more passion into his vocals than Curtis did. Of course, Ryan Stringer thumped his bass strings through several effect pedals without being distracting. He has definitely found the right balance. New drummer Tylor McNeil is still learning the ropes in his second show with the band, but does he ever hit hard. He was wailing the drums tonight. Another additional missing link was Samuel Coll's use of the vocoder. It brought a Kid A essence to their set. Remember when I said the band pledged to retire their cover of Zombie? Well, jokes on them. The guy beside me was shouting for it. Practically begging for it. When I broke the bad news, he was crushed, only to have his heart light back up when the group launched into the mentioned gem [for the last time?]. I can't say much about these guys than I already have. Not sick of them yet. Props for the drum solo.
Then we switched over to Handsome Distraction after being introduced by the same guy who was heartbroken/repaired by the Cranberries cover. I'm not too sure if he just wandered up on stage, but the guys in the band didn't cause a fuss. Devin Perfect on rhythm guitar/vocals never missed a note as the sweat beamed off his skin. If the man wasn't singing, he was doing a mix between hopping and jumping, which may just be the Devin Perfect signature rock move. Bryan Reiber, with stylish hat, beat his drums with precision [as always] and is one of the finest guys that can sing behind a kit. Bassist Chris Weaver was fun to watch because he makes it look easy. Out of all the band, he seems to be the most stoic. It's not a negative slag against the man. The important thing is he doesn't look bored. Corey Scheiding, lead guitar, always has a smile on his face. You may mistake him for the Matthew McConaughey. He's just on stage doing leads and having a good time. Like, if North Korea launched a nuclear missile, he'd still be cool with it. It might have been where I'm standing, but I found it hard to hear Perfect's guitar [and he hates when people say that after a gig]. I asked around, and people said they heard it alright. So, either I was just in a bad spot or I'm technically the male Helen Keller. A sweet moment was when the band wished Sarah Butcher a happy birthday complete with traditional song. The set was pretty solid, but I think they were a tad....and I mean like a SMIDGE better when I saw them at V-Lounge. That all comes down to opinion. I guess that's why I write reviews.
It was time to get dirty with headliners, Sons of Nova. Of course, they were here to perform some news tracks off Night at the Boneyard. From the get go of Oh Yeah [IWFU], you know what you are getting into. We are talking down and dirty sleazy stoner rock with progressive elements. You will find yourself singing along to some of the most ridiculous lyrics you have ever heard. It's quite a satisfying encounter singing "I wanna fuck you" or learning that women can also get hard ons. You have the roughness of Aram Heinze on bass. I sensed a lot of Lemmy from Motorhead tonight. Dude also busts a rad bass solo. I think there should be more bass solos in rock n' roll. The only thing missing from Sons of Nova's set is a drum solo. For the first two bands, there was plenty of dancing. That was over when Sons of Nova hit the stage. It got pretty crazy to the point I was not really sure what people were doing. Jumping against each other and just letting go, basically. Codine Vandal amazed the crowd with his command of the guitar. You can tell he always has fun over there. The guitar tone is very much Josh Homme but his voice is pretty different. Like, a lot of artists just copy other people's tones or quirks. I don't find that with Vandal. On the other side of the stage was Rex Gielfeldt, who I had never seen sing back up before and I liked the added dynamic of it. The only problem with three mics is it makes for more banter on stage when people crave for the group to kick into the next rocker. Adam Griffiths was going through drum sticks like a termite infestation. It seemed like after every song he was throwing remnants of wood to the side of the stage. I've seen him play better than tonight, but the dude's human...at least I think he is. I can't say enough about new tune It's On. A drugged out Walk This Way with a heavy set of balls. It's sure to get the party started. There was a contest during their set to give away a free shirt. Two guys got up on stage and it was their task to give their best pick up line. "How you doin'?" started things off and the crowd weren't impressed. I forgot what the other guy said, but it wasn't good enough either. So, they brought some ladies up on stage. Finally, we had a winner with the ol' "party in the pants" line. I've always been a fan of "Is that a mirror in your pants? Because I see myself lathering my dick in peanut butter and skullfucking your corpse". I mean, if any girl goes for that, you know she's the one!
It was a very loose performance. The guys are pretty comfortable playing as a band. I would say the prior bands performed better, but Sons of Nova had the most fun and so did the crowd.
It was another successful Runway Presents. Runway Studios is slowly [but surely] taking over Victoria, and I hope you all attend the next one at The Fort Street Cafe. The band and I will be performing with Madd/Love and Secondhand Habit. It promises to put hair on your chest. If you are a woman, it promises to put hair on your breasts. Until next time, Victoria.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Radtrux/Year of the Rat/Made in Bangs @ The Fort Street Cafe [Jan.9,2011]
There were two choices tonight. Synapse was playing at the V-Lounge. They are a former Zone band of the month. I hear they are pretty good, but I decided that I was much more in the mood for electro weirdness. Made in Bangs has always been a band on my radar, and it was time to see what their live show represented.
Before all that, we had Radtrux. This a band that borrows a lot from Death From Above 1979 to the point you could almost call them a tribute act. With Darren Spears on drums and Pat Cousineau on bass, their set ignited with their opening tune. If Death From Above 1979 had ever put out a second album, this would be it. Cousineau had Jesse Keeler's bass tone perfectly. That's when the covers started. Radtrux launched into Romantic Rights. I was psyched...but I don't know if it was the nerves or stage rust but Spears was struggling to remember the lyrics to the point of not singing at all. The music was there, but to put a dead stop on the vocals is a serious issue. It's better to improvise than to not sing at all. Most people won't even know the difference. After Romantic Rights, they launched into Black History Month. It set the tone for the rest of the set. As much as I like Death From Above 1979, they played too much of it! I think the final count was four songs from them. I really wanted to hear originals or maybe a new spin on a song broken down to just drum and bass. Their own songs had an Iron Maiden twist on the DFA 1979 format. It definitely struck me as a bit of power metal. Cousineau took over vocals for their finale, which they said was just for fun: Motorhead's Ace of Spades. His voice overpowered the microphone as he yelled out the lyrics, but that's the kind of stuff I want to hear. If you are going to have the DFA 1979 sound, you don't want to be confused as a tribute act. I also think the vocals weren't as strong as they could be and that maybe a third member would be an idea.
Year of the Rat has been a band I have seen numerous times. In fact, I also saw them the following night [stay tuned for that review]. There was a new addition to Samuel Coll's set-up. A nice new Korg keyboard. What's great about this is now the band can play without the benefit of a laptop. If you haven't seen the band before, they used to have pre-recorded bits that sometimes would work or sometimes they would malfunction. Now that Sam has the benefit of two separate keyboards, the band is free to feel the music. That's not all that was new this time around. New drummer Tylor McNeil shined during his first show that stepped up the complexity of the group's beats. He is still learning, but I am excited to hear what the band has come to be in six months times. As for the other band members, there isn't much to say. They've achieved flawless accuracy and no one can say a bad word about their stage presence. They dress well, which promotes a professional look. Even on a small stage like the Fort Street Cafe, they put their hearts into it. They played favourites like Harder Than Knowing, Every Night a Vampire and what was said to be their last performance of The Cranberries' "Zombie". Yes, they told the crowd that it was time for a new cover, but that's easier said than done. More on that in the next review. Seriously, though, the band is air tight. Check them out; they will grow on you like a fungus.
When I took a look at Made in Bangs, I was quick to dismiss them as hipsters. Daniel Becker [keyboardist/vocals] was supporting tight red pants and haircut that would make Flock of Seagulls blush. Shane Steinke [guitarist/vocalist] was clad in a wooly sweater that either contained moose or caribous on it. Taylor Byers [drums] had on a wolverine t-shirt and a red bandana. I didn't know what to expect, because they came across as an experimental Vampire Weekend. The first song saw Becker break away from his keyboard to blow on a horn at intervals. Why? I guess, "why not?" is the method of Made in Bangs. Though, as the set went on, I found a very talented band that may have seemed weird in the beginning, but once you get over the shock, they are a breath of fresh oxygen. Becker and Steinke traded vocal duties. I wouldn't pick one over the other. They both had their own quirks. At one point in the set, Becker did some sort of shimmy. Byers wasn't a kind of drummer that shows off. He sticks to the beat and leaves no room for error. A highlight for me was their unique take on Radiohead's "The National Anthem", though I was surprised not a lot of people recognized it. By having no bassist, the keyboard acts as the low end as well as high end. I'm not sure how to properly describe Made in Bangs but if you like bands such as The Unicorns or XX, you will probably dig on Made in Bangs.
All in all, after a sketchy start of the story, the night turned around. I'm sure if Radtrux practice more, they will match the caliber of Year of the Rat and Made in Bangs. I cannot say enough how great an establishment Fort Street Cafe is and it may be the best place to get local beer in the city.
Before all that, we had Radtrux. This a band that borrows a lot from Death From Above 1979 to the point you could almost call them a tribute act. With Darren Spears on drums and Pat Cousineau on bass, their set ignited with their opening tune. If Death From Above 1979 had ever put out a second album, this would be it. Cousineau had Jesse Keeler's bass tone perfectly. That's when the covers started. Radtrux launched into Romantic Rights. I was psyched...but I don't know if it was the nerves or stage rust but Spears was struggling to remember the lyrics to the point of not singing at all. The music was there, but to put a dead stop on the vocals is a serious issue. It's better to improvise than to not sing at all. Most people won't even know the difference. After Romantic Rights, they launched into Black History Month. It set the tone for the rest of the set. As much as I like Death From Above 1979, they played too much of it! I think the final count was four songs from them. I really wanted to hear originals or maybe a new spin on a song broken down to just drum and bass. Their own songs had an Iron Maiden twist on the DFA 1979 format. It definitely struck me as a bit of power metal. Cousineau took over vocals for their finale, which they said was just for fun: Motorhead's Ace of Spades. His voice overpowered the microphone as he yelled out the lyrics, but that's the kind of stuff I want to hear. If you are going to have the DFA 1979 sound, you don't want to be confused as a tribute act. I also think the vocals weren't as strong as they could be and that maybe a third member would be an idea.
Year of the Rat has been a band I have seen numerous times. In fact, I also saw them the following night [stay tuned for that review]. There was a new addition to Samuel Coll's set-up. A nice new Korg keyboard. What's great about this is now the band can play without the benefit of a laptop. If you haven't seen the band before, they used to have pre-recorded bits that sometimes would work or sometimes they would malfunction. Now that Sam has the benefit of two separate keyboards, the band is free to feel the music. That's not all that was new this time around. New drummer Tylor McNeil shined during his first show that stepped up the complexity of the group's beats. He is still learning, but I am excited to hear what the band has come to be in six months times. As for the other band members, there isn't much to say. They've achieved flawless accuracy and no one can say a bad word about their stage presence. They dress well, which promotes a professional look. Even on a small stage like the Fort Street Cafe, they put their hearts into it. They played favourites like Harder Than Knowing, Every Night a Vampire and what was said to be their last performance of The Cranberries' "Zombie". Yes, they told the crowd that it was time for a new cover, but that's easier said than done. More on that in the next review. Seriously, though, the band is air tight. Check them out; they will grow on you like a fungus.
When I took a look at Made in Bangs, I was quick to dismiss them as hipsters. Daniel Becker [keyboardist/vocals] was supporting tight red pants and haircut that would make Flock of Seagulls blush. Shane Steinke [guitarist/vocalist] was clad in a wooly sweater that either contained moose or caribous on it. Taylor Byers [drums] had on a wolverine t-shirt and a red bandana. I didn't know what to expect, because they came across as an experimental Vampire Weekend. The first song saw Becker break away from his keyboard to blow on a horn at intervals. Why? I guess, "why not?" is the method of Made in Bangs. Though, as the set went on, I found a very talented band that may have seemed weird in the beginning, but once you get over the shock, they are a breath of fresh oxygen. Becker and Steinke traded vocal duties. I wouldn't pick one over the other. They both had their own quirks. At one point in the set, Becker did some sort of shimmy. Byers wasn't a kind of drummer that shows off. He sticks to the beat and leaves no room for error. A highlight for me was their unique take on Radiohead's "The National Anthem", though I was surprised not a lot of people recognized it. By having no bassist, the keyboard acts as the low end as well as high end. I'm not sure how to properly describe Made in Bangs but if you like bands such as The Unicorns or XX, you will probably dig on Made in Bangs.
All in all, after a sketchy start of the story, the night turned around. I'm sure if Radtrux practice more, they will match the caliber of Year of the Rat and Made in Bangs. I cannot say enough how great an establishment Fort Street Cafe is and it may be the best place to get local beer in the city.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Sea-Sekshun - Tidal Cut
Sea-Sekshun are a local Victoria band that describe themselves as Ska-punge [a mix of ska/punk/grunge]. There's Jake Sunstrum on guitar/vocals. Tyler Swagar on bass. Ross Hobbs 2nd guitar. Tom Gracie rounds out the band on drums. If I'm not mistaken, Tidal Cut is their first EP which is produced by David Fraelic of Saul/Dead Eyes Open fame. Well, as much fame as you can get while keeping moderately known in BC.
Flyers comes across as a Metallica tinged grunge rocker. The sound is crisp and Sunstrum's snarl is very aided by Fraelic's skin tight production. It does have potential to be a single. That is, if we are ready for a grunge revival, which seems like Victoria is on track for. Many have attempted the Kurt Cobain and failed. In saying that, there were predictions Victoria could be the next Seattle. That prediction was made ages ago. We'll have to get out of the shadows of Vancouver in order to do that. With bands like The New Colors around, who knows what can happen.
A La Ska is a complete 180. It's a very fun song, and it's short. Tyler Swagar's voice is hard to pin point. It kind of passes you by. Suddenly it's over and you aren't too sure what has happened. It's such a wild card on the disc, it doesn't really have a point. I really enjoyed this song live and I have nothing against multiple singers, but it doesn't mesh with the disc. The song before contained no ska nor really any punk. It was almost all grunge. This one has ska and punk, but no grunge. Do I hate the song? No. If Sea-Sekshun wanted their EP to sound like a compilation of different bands, then they succeeded rather than presenting themselves as a cohesive band.
Cue-Kay starts with drums reminiscent of Tea Party's Temptation. The riff sounds a bit like L7's "Pretend That We're Dead" also. It's more in the vein of what the band represents. It has the same grunge sound as Flyers, but more in an Incesticide kind of fashion. It's nice to listen to, but it doesn't stick out. The way the drum mics are hooked up, it's quite powerful. You can almost feel the bass drum pump into your skull. You definitely understand its place on the disc and its purpose. Everything must have a purpose, afterall.
Her Story would be the ballad? Gone is the snarl. Sunstrum's voice sounds great on record. Better than it did live when I saw the band open for Weak Patrol. The song has that Green Day American Idiot vibe. The chorus is hooky. Could do well as a follow up single to Flyers. The back up vocals really do well to highlight the melody. Also, the best solo on the EP. It will definitely come as a shocker to the listener. Much like A La Ska, it's an awkward cut. You find yourself questioning if it is the same band or not. Unlike A La Ska, though, this is the difference between an alright one and something I would describe as ear candy. I just wish there was more bridging the gap. The EP comes across as a kid with ADHD that needs his Ritalin. On the upside, the band has shown what they are capable of. I can't help but feel they are trying too much at once. Trying to re-invent the wheel. This song has no grunge. No punk. No ska. It's pop rock. So, what exactly is Sea-Sekshun? A walking talking mixtape? This would make a better demo, than an EP. To show to labels what they can do.
I also felt like I wanted to hear more of the bass. I found the album to be fairly mid-level. Fairly equal. Nothing seemed to pop out. It sounded great, that's for sure. The vocals soared. All in all, I'd say it was a good listen. They've done something they should be proud of. The jigsaw isn't into place quite yet, and I hope they find the road they want to travel with it. Again, who are Sea-Sekshun? Because I've just listened to three versions of the same band clashing with eachother.
3/5
Flyers comes across as a Metallica tinged grunge rocker. The sound is crisp and Sunstrum's snarl is very aided by Fraelic's skin tight production. It does have potential to be a single. That is, if we are ready for a grunge revival, which seems like Victoria is on track for. Many have attempted the Kurt Cobain and failed. In saying that, there were predictions Victoria could be the next Seattle. That prediction was made ages ago. We'll have to get out of the shadows of Vancouver in order to do that. With bands like The New Colors around, who knows what can happen.
A La Ska is a complete 180. It's a very fun song, and it's short. Tyler Swagar's voice is hard to pin point. It kind of passes you by. Suddenly it's over and you aren't too sure what has happened. It's such a wild card on the disc, it doesn't really have a point. I really enjoyed this song live and I have nothing against multiple singers, but it doesn't mesh with the disc. The song before contained no ska nor really any punk. It was almost all grunge. This one has ska and punk, but no grunge. Do I hate the song? No. If Sea-Sekshun wanted their EP to sound like a compilation of different bands, then they succeeded rather than presenting themselves as a cohesive band.
Cue-Kay starts with drums reminiscent of Tea Party's Temptation. The riff sounds a bit like L7's "Pretend That We're Dead" also. It's more in the vein of what the band represents. It has the same grunge sound as Flyers, but more in an Incesticide kind of fashion. It's nice to listen to, but it doesn't stick out. The way the drum mics are hooked up, it's quite powerful. You can almost feel the bass drum pump into your skull. You definitely understand its place on the disc and its purpose. Everything must have a purpose, afterall.
Her Story would be the ballad? Gone is the snarl. Sunstrum's voice sounds great on record. Better than it did live when I saw the band open for Weak Patrol. The song has that Green Day American Idiot vibe. The chorus is hooky. Could do well as a follow up single to Flyers. The back up vocals really do well to highlight the melody. Also, the best solo on the EP. It will definitely come as a shocker to the listener. Much like A La Ska, it's an awkward cut. You find yourself questioning if it is the same band or not. Unlike A La Ska, though, this is the difference between an alright one and something I would describe as ear candy. I just wish there was more bridging the gap. The EP comes across as a kid with ADHD that needs his Ritalin. On the upside, the band has shown what they are capable of. I can't help but feel they are trying too much at once. Trying to re-invent the wheel. This song has no grunge. No punk. No ska. It's pop rock. So, what exactly is Sea-Sekshun? A walking talking mixtape? This would make a better demo, than an EP. To show to labels what they can do.
I also felt like I wanted to hear more of the bass. I found the album to be fairly mid-level. Fairly equal. Nothing seemed to pop out. It sounded great, that's for sure. The vocals soared. All in all, I'd say it was a good listen. They've done something they should be proud of. The jigsaw isn't into place quite yet, and I hope they find the road they want to travel with it. Again, who are Sea-Sekshun? Because I've just listened to three versions of the same band clashing with eachother.
3/5
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