Big Rock Finish… reviews of independent music

Name: Strap-On Tools Album: Phase ThirtyNine Released: Warped Tour 2006 Members: Brando – Vocals/Guitar Chaddy – Drums Dunk – Lead Guitar/Vocals Mikey S. – Bass Guitar Website: www.strapontools.org Label: Label Records Favourite Song: I Wish My Lawn Were Emo (So it Would Cut Itself)

The long-fabled EP released by Strap-On Tools for their debut performance at Warped Tour. Got to love the Clerks the Cartoon reference. Phase Thirty Nine is in reference to the first (real) episode of Clerks the Cartoon only available on DVD. In it, there was a diabolical plan to take over the town, with which Phase Thirty Nine of the plan was Robot chickens. (Quick, turn your CD over right now. Notice a robotic glint in the chick’s eye?)

I would classify Strap-On Tools as 98% pop and 2% punk. The right amount of punk in which they play their own instruments, write their own songs, wear their own clothes, and only jump when they’re in the mood for it. Their songs are similar but they’re original. Does that make sense? They use some of the same elements in different songs, but in different ways I suppose. The lyrics are always catchy, and insightful while many times being really funny.

Personally, I don’t get a lot of the deeper meaning behind some of the songs since the band has a tendency to go heavy on metaphors and smilies. I generally take things at their face value, and not look deeper. I have yet to figure out how “Rugburn” is a true story, but I haven’t asked. I’m a big supporter in the song titles not being a lyric from the song, and an album title not being one of the song titles, it makes it confusing for me to remember what song I’m listening to.

This is definitely a CD I keep in my car on a regular basis, and it’s something I’ll listen to while chilling at the computer, or in my room. And they would make a great kegger-party album. Some songs are high enough energy to bring to the gym, but not all of them, leaving me to rip/mix/burn to an available mp3 player first.

Alright. There was a time I figured this website wouldn’t get ANY hits and wouldn’t receive ANY contributions. That’s why the reviews take so long to get posted. 10 days is a long time to wait when you live in the world where 30 seconds is too long for e-mail to be sent halfway across the world.

And I thought I was being smart by cutting that down to 8 days after 3 months, and after another 3 months to cut down to 6 days between reviews. (And mini, mostly live-show reviews between those album reviews)

Only… I can’t take it anymore. I’ve been getting so much support from the music community as a whole, and I’m getting SEVERELY backlogged with the amount of CD’s (and other goodies) that I’ve been receiving, that after April, I’m cutting out the 8 day stage, and heading straight for reviews every 6 days.

Not only am I getting support from the music end, I’ve been getting loads of support from the fans/writers/music appreciation end so I think I can afford to do this. But it’s more of a “have to” rather than a “want to” since my projection on the popularity of this site shows that I will literally be swimming in reviews by the end of summer.

Heaven only knows if this is going to make or break my website.

But tune in, starting May, reviews will be coming at you faster, and furious…er?

So it’s taken a while, way too long in fact, but I’ve finally gotten around to writing about seeing Random Order (www.randomorder.ca) at Sneaky Dee’s back on March 3rd. 3 weeks late. What can I say, I’m learning what it is to live the life of a musician, along with their (non-existent) time-management skills. Here’s what I remember. They’re a really fun band. I had no expectations going in since I wasn’t there to really see them, but I liked what I both saw and heard.

Their music is really pop-oriented I would say. It’s fun and catchy and very uplifting. I do believe I detect what some would call Ska in there as well, since I was watching people dance in what I believe to be the authentic fashion of what people dance like when listening to ska music.

Heh, there was a trombone. That was just awesome.

Other than that? Instrument sex. My friend Alex offered to lend a guitar when the band’s guitar’s string broke. They declined. Then we found out why. While I’m not opposed to the idea, I just never thought of inter-instrument sex to be a very popular thing, but Random Order proved me wrong. Guitar-on-trombone sex was super hot, even if the trombone “came too quickly”. Guitar-on-Bass sex was pretty hot, but somewhat disturbing since they’re pretty close cousins, and considering I can’t envision myself doing it with a monkey, it was just strange.

Anyways, if anyone gets a chance to see them, go for it. They rave about being a political band on their page, but maybe it was my earplugs, or lack of interest in politics, but I really didn’t notice. So if you’re also anti-politics, go see them anyways because at least it’s not offensive politics.

Name: Socialight Album: Change is Everything Released: 2006 Members: Robbie Turner: Lead vocals/guitar Corey Favell: Lead guitar/ vocals Mark Fougere: Drums Website: http://www.socialightmusic.com Favorite song: fatt head

Socialight is a punk/rock band from St. Catharines, Ontario. They write their own music, play their own instruments and talk to their own fans.

Ok so this album all the songs are amazing, I already chose all the songs for my favorite song but I think right now at this moment my favorite song would be “fatt head” just because the lyrics in it are interesting to me right now, not like it fits my personality I don’t think that at all, but it’s just interesting to listen too and it’s loud and upbeat.

If you like the loud punk/rock music and want to just listen to songs very loudly; Socialight is for you!! All their songs on this cd are loud and sounds very good when it’s blasting! There is two songs that is close to being slow songs not romantically slow but where it’s not beating through your skin and those songs “endless summer day” & “Devil Doll” but this song sis also a very loud upbeat song.

<3 ~Connerz

So I was invited to the Fjord Rowboat CD release party, and one of the bands supporting them was Raised by Swans. And Justin from Fjord Rowboat told me that even if I hated his music (which I don’t, for the record) I should still come to the party to see Raised by Swans. And if one band is touting another band in such a fashion, how is a girl to resist?

You read last week about my parking troubles, I’ll spare you the headache of reading it again. We got in and when they started, it was pretty cool.

I’ve never heard of them before this encounter, and had no idea what kind of music they played. I understand the entire event was a bit of a Shoegazer-a-paloza so I can safely assume that, as with Fjord Rowboat, they also played shoegazer music.

Then I realized the lead singer of Raised by Swans wasn’t wearing shoes. What a smarta$$.

Anyways, I enjoyed listening to their music even though I wasn’t familiar with it (I tend to like seeing live bands when I know what they’re like, it makes it easier to enjoy how a song is going) but it was pretty nice and easy to listen to. Non-offensive is where it’s at (for me anyways) and they did quite well.

I definately would attempt to cross-paths again with these guys. No complaints here.

Name: Señor Kasio Album: I Love It EP Released: 2007 Members: Steve Diguer – razor-sharp synths and vocals Alex Brûlé – sleazy seventies guitar Adam Warner – big, pounding rock-n-roll drums Website: www.senorkasio.com Favourite Song: Face Down on the Sidewalk Bleeding [Track: 3]

It’s an EP. It has three official tracks plus a bonus track. Señor Kasio actually stems from a well popular band from many moons ago called “Brother Love Canal” I’ll leave your own minds to imagine what that could mean. (Because few want to venture into mine.)

The songs are electronic. They’re techno beats. They’re stuff I recognize that if it were still 1995 I would be listening to. Not that I wouldn’t listen to it now, but I just remember buying my first Dance Mix ’95 tape, and these songs kind of remind me of those, but with more fun and better, sillier lyrics. While I can totally see “Face Down on the Sidewalk Bleeding” being a true story (after having enough people comment and touch MY tattoo without prior permission) sometimes to get your point across you have to get a little punchy.

If I ever threw a big gay bash party I would play Señor Kasio loud, and would play it proud. I’ve been listening to this EP in my car and it’s fun as hell, there’s nothing like screaming along at the top of your lungs to “I Wanna F***” just because it’s available to scream along to.

Anyways, onto the show…

Sneaky Dee’s on March 3, 2007. Like anal without lube, Señor Kasio started their set unexpectedly and without warning. As far as I know, their first show ever with the current line-up, you would expect a tall bald gay rockin’ cowboy for someone who claims to be “The gay-electro Garth Brooks of the north.” Well, he delivered.

For consisting of a bald guitarist, a bald drummer, and a bald singer with a cowboy hat, there’s a lot of energy on that stage. The songs are f*cking hilarious. I’ll say it about the show and I’ll say it about the EP. The crowd helped a lot, I haven’t seen that many people actually dancing on a dance floor in a good long while. But go to a show. you’ll soon find it’s impossible to not dance. Even if you are on fire, you will dance. (Trust me, I was attempting movement that can be described as dancing with a dSLR camera, a camera bag, and a messenger bag strapped around my neck/shoulder in 3 different directions)

Steve’s voice cut out early which was a bit of a downer, but as a true showman, the show went on. Even when a female show-goer jumped the stage and started stripping the singer. The bar was kind enough to provide a glass of hot water and lemon. The songs worked well with a voice that was cracking under pressure, not sure how well it worked with his throat though. I think everyone was having too much fun to attempt to critique what everything sounded like. I haven’t had this much fun since… discovering gay cowboy electronic rock music.

By the way, did I mention my tattoo is down my pants?

jemo played at Holy Joe’s on March 2nd, 2007. I’ve been in that building before, and been downstairs, and upstairs, but not up-up stairs. So I was throughly confused. But cruising through the second floor I vaguely recognized almost everyone I passed. Later. Got to the third floor where Holy Joe’s is located, and was met with a wall of people. The place was beyond packed (at least the back was) and waited until the band playing finished to move up and start saying hi. I liked the first band I saw, Who’s Army, I’d seen them at the Lee’s Palace show as well.

The second band I saw wasn’t thrilling nor exciting. Was interesting. And brought I believe every Asian person in the room except me. Because they all left soon afterwards.

jemo closed out the night, whether you call that a headlining band or a closing band. But I finally got front row seats. On a couch with no legs. And pointy metal bits sticking into your back. The sound was great to me, my recording went out pretty perfect. And I got to throughly break in my new Nikon dSLR camera. I make jokes I bought it to run www.jemounofficial.com … but I can’t really say if it’s 100% a joke, or if there’s a lot of truth in it. Brought my friend Alex with me and amused him with my singing along with every jemo song. Screamed like a teenage girl at an *N Sync concert. And finished off the night with the sound guy telling us to get the hell out. In a humourus manor.

I was able to get copies of jemo’s Ciao Edie Roxx show on CD to them, and told them all that jeff had all 3 copies so they should bother him for them. James razzed me for not keeping jemounofficial up to date. And since this was an all-ages show, Jeff had invited many of his former students (he was a high school teacher, now I believe he teaches elementary school) to the show as well.

Remember me saying I recognized many people on the second floor, but vaguely like we’d met once before? I figured out why. The Creepshow were headlining the show in that venue. And I was supposed to go with all my friends. I thought it was the next day. But I caught the last song and a half, enjoyed from the rear, and was happy I finally got to see them live (even if only for 6 minutes) since I’d heard so much about them.