Big Rock Finish… reviews of independent music

Just to step out of the reviewing sector for a moment, I wanted to mention how many websites there are that cater towards this type of industry. The music industry is big bucks. And the internet is the greatest marketing tool there is for new and upcoming musicians to get heard and find listeners. And I’ve always been a strong supporter for independent music for a good long while now, and it can’t just be because I think commercial music has totally gone down the drain.

In an effort to support music, and websites based around music, I want to mention the rap forum, a forum where hip-hop artists and rappers get together and discuss all sorts of concerns regarding the industry, and more specifically their genre of music. Since networking is so very important, I think it’s fantastic there’s a central place for these artists to get together. Whether it be to look for someone new to work with, to find some people to put a show together, to even just a bitch-fest on how you think you’re better than the 99% of the crap that is making 100 times more money than you. And I think the coolest part? From my impressions of rap, a big part is the battles that goes on, and I can’t imagine something more interesting than an online battle. Sure it’s no Eminem playing the starring role of 6 mile, but whatever!

Name: Cancel Winter
Album: LieStillNow
Released: December 2007
Members: (As listed on the album)
Nate Kreiswirth - vocals, guitar, synths, keys, programming
Nick Richard - Drums
Adam King - Synths, keys, programming, drums

Website: http://www.cancelwinter.com
Favourite Song: Stop the Lies (Track

Now that I’m actually listening to the songs on the album on my iTunes, I just realized that their packaging is quite misleading!! I was preparing to listen to 6 songs with pretty long names. But no. The fact that half the song title is coloured in and the other half is an outline means one thing. They’re separate song titles! Design genius!! Means I’m sitting here for quite a lot longer than I first expected, but whatever!

Cancel Winter wrote on their myspace page that they should be classified as Indie, Electro and Rock. Considering they have more than one guy who does “programming” I can’t hardly argue with the Electro tag line. And the guitars and drums makes for a whole lot of rocking out. And if it weren’t for them being an indie band, I wouldn’t be here reviewing them… and the fact that someone was kind enough to mail me a CD.

I will admit here and now that the songs Cancel Winter writes and performs are quite rock-oriented. There’s some slower songs like Change and faster paced songs like The Starting Block. A good mix to keep it interesting and to not make it sound like every song sounds like the last. I’m beginning to dislike main-stream radio songs because they do that now. All the mainstream stuff sounds the same and I can’t tell where one song ends and another begins. Thankfully, Cancel Winter does not do that, since they’re obviously talented to write more than one formula.

Next Tuesday March 25, Cancel Winter will be at Te Horseshoe Taven for Edge 102.1 NU Music Night. I detest that the bands I want to see after being introduced to this site are always playing on week-nights, but that’s what I get for having a 9-5 job that does not include a 90 minute commute to and from work. If I don’t make it there, maybe I could make it to Rancho Relaxo on April 17th. It’s a Thursday, but I’m better going in late to work on a Friday morning, than a Wednesday morning. Hope to see you all there!

Name: Abbie Gale
Album: Family Life
Released: Unknown
Members:
Evira (vocals)
Salvatore (guitar+baritone guitar)
Pedal (guitar+keyboards)
Achilles (drums+loops)
Bon Bon (bass)

Website: http://www.abbiegale.gr/
Record Label: Vacant Records
Favourite Song: Say the Words (Track 3)

Abbie Gale hails from Patra Greece. One of the more inspiring things I’ve noticed regarding musicians is the fact that many are able to record in a language that I’m sure is not their native tongue. Being from Greece, I’m making the broad assumption that their main language is… well… Greek. I do understand that English is taught in many countries for a global approach to world-wide domination… but like Celine Dion who had to learn English from learn-as-you-go cassette tapes well beyond her adolecent years… I can’t imagine trying to learn a new language that I’m not already 100% comfortable in… and then trying to write songs to it.

They register themselves under Indie, Pop and Rock on their myspace page. I don’t see any reason to argue so I will accept their labels as is. I definitely enjoy the diversity of the songs on this album. Every song could probably have one additional classification added to it, but still following the general “pop/rock” culture. Some songs are happy and whimsical, like Say the Words… others slightly more haunting like Kid Still Lives.

The songs on Family Life remind me of… a lot of European Pop songs. I don’t know if my readers know of my humble beginnings, but I fell in love with music when the pop market became super-saturated with boy groups, girl groups, or in essence, bubble-gum pop groups, but for some odd reason I was only ever really drawn to the European groups and artists, rather than their American counterparts. There was something at least a little bit unique about the European groups and artists, and I’m noticing that this happens whether they are manufactured for the masses or independent musicians making their mark on the world. There’s just a style that is uniquely European.

While I have no near-future plans to travel to Greece, I would like to see Abbie Gale play a live show. Partially to enjoy their music, as they are very talented musicians and song-writers, partially to see another international band, partially because I want to travel, and part to see their fan-base. Where I said earlier about being in awe for musicians to write and record songs in another language? To see their fans embrace another language because it is in a song.

So on March 4th, 2008 I was headed to Toronto to see a bunch of bands play at the Tattoo Rock Parlour venue. I was hired to see/shoot BROOMFILLER and obviously would end up seeing the other bands as well.

The first band of the night was local band called The Apollo Effect, then the headlining band Cold Driven who is on tour from somewhere out west and BROOMFILLER would close out the show. Of course, seeing as it was a school night, and a night where we were under threat of massive dumping of snow, I was not extremely pleased at the idea of staying super late. Alas, Cold Driven’s singer ended up sick and stayed in their massive bus and the show went ahead with the opening band, then the closing band immediately after, and my mind was rested the next morning.

The Apollo Effect hit the stage with what I felt like no introduction, a handful of well-dressed men came on and they started playing. I remember already being tired from a long & stressful day at work, and watching them was just nice to sit back and listen to some music. Thankfully, some really good music.

The guys on stage were very cool in the “I know I’m cool… but that’s okay, we’re sure you’re cool too” sort of way. It’s hard to describe since I’m writing based on a while ago at this point. I did very much enjoy the music, and while taking a few pictures here and there just to set up shots for later, I throughly enjoyed taking photos since all the guys are also quite attractive, a big plus in this industry.

It bugged me that the venue had a lot of red lighting and not much to cancel it out, meaning most of my shots include an in-focus lead singer, and not much else. I know that a band is more than just the lead singer, and like to portray that in my photography. Bah.

Their songs? Very well put together, like their outfits. The whole mood of the venue was one of a lot of people enjoying what they were hearing. The venue gave way to a lot of people sitting down and chilling out, so not a whole lot of excitement on the floor but everyone would have been able to see the band, everyone cheered the band on, and dare I say everyone who showed up enjoyed their music. I certainly did, and not having a clue who they were before hand, I can honestly say I’d definitely go see them again next chance I get.

Alright, so I’ll admit not a review of any particular sort. I met these guys (and the drummer, sadly, nearly impossible to take a good photo of a drummer as an amateur photographer…) while working a photo gig for the Showman’s League Presidents party.

And while I’m not into doing reviews on cover bands most of the time, they did some original jazz tunes during dinner, but I think what brought me to actually wanting to write about them… is that they were able to cover just about anything. You haven’t heard funky until you’ve heard Lil’ Jon & Usher’s song covered by a couple of French Canadian white guys (and girl) on instruments that are real and not computer generated.

Anyways, if anyone’s looking for a band to play some corporate function, I would actually recommend them. Also, while it’s near impossible to get a good picture of a drummer, it’s also near impossible to get a bad picture of a guy playing a saxophone.