Canada's Music Round-up
This summer showcased so many bands, the music was never ending and that was the sunshine amongst the rain - literally. It rained almost every day! I am not friends with the rain myself but we get along better than snow. If it’s warm outside I don’t mind rain. Enough about the rain and the drama it brings, let’s talk about the most important thing, the music.
The first band I'm going to talk about is Ill Scarlett, they have been playing every single festival that Canada had to offer this summer spreading the word about their new album “1UP” that dropped in September. Never in my life had I seen Ill Scarlett live.
I got my chance to hear and see what the hype of Ill Scarlett was at Trudeau Park for the first ever Rock ‘N The Park.
ILL SCARLETT
Rock ‘N The Park was a big weekend jam out in the boons (Tweed, Ontario), people could camp out, party and catch some bands. The headliner for the weekend was Finger Eleven and My Darkest Days as direct support, all the other bands played prior.
A few bands blew ass, some tore it up and there was a new discovery. We arrived just in time to catch the last track ‘Hail The Villain’ performed! I thought I would be able to get to Trudeau on time to see a full set but Hail The Villain are another band that remain on the missed list, one track does not count! If people only knew the adventure we had just to get to Tweed, it was hilarious!
Ill Scarlett hit the stage, first impressions do make you or break you. Yes, there are second chances but that all depends on the first impression, always. The bands musicianship is pretty decent, Will Marr on Guitar has this laid back vibe and isn’t afraid to feel the music. Bassist Jonny D seemed a little lost at times but was jamming out when it counted. Drummer Swav Pior kept that beat tight, playing nothing too complicated, but he kept the flow. Ill Scarlet has a chill Ska Pop Reggae sound a lot mellower than the other bands on the bill. For a signed band about to release their sophomore record they came off as a band that is still in development.
Alex Norman’s guitar skills are better than his main requirement - Vocals. They were not good, he missed many of the notes, was pitchy and talked more than he sang. It was hard to keep my attention focused as I couldn’t handle his singing anymore. I would rather listen to the instrumental version. All of the guitar solos were truly music to my ears with this band. Norman can’t blame it on the mic levels because they had the best levels of all the performances that day and night. They played a few new tracks - none of which seemed like they would catch on as radio singles.
The crowd did not like the band, only a few people made some noise, I guess III Scarlett’s music was not what they were into. At that point in time I thought this was the worst performance from a signed band that I had yet to witness but as I write this now, I lied. There are so many asstastic bands out there with major recording contracts. Most recently Creed has earned the ‘Lifetime Ass Award’. As for Ill Scarlett they didn’t blow me away, far from it. They barely passed the test, Ill Scarlett needs to ‘1 Up’ their game, tenfold!
The only thing I didn’t like about the whole set up at Rock ‘N The Park was the stage and the placement of the speakers. A band I have never seen or heard in my life was about to hit the stage, they are called Grace Over Diamonds - a four piece out of Ottawa Ontario. Anything with a harmonious fusion of guitars and good vocals make my ears pay attention. A completely different sound from Ill Scarlett, this band was more alternative popera rock. The drums were on beat but sometimes when stick handler Jarrod Stroeder was backing lead vox it was pitchy. The mic levels for lead singer/guitarist Nate Snook were far too low, the band drowned him out and there were moments he looked confused with his axe.
I moved to the wings of the stage where I could actually hear the vocals on the stage. It was driving me crazy not being able to hear vocals from the pit. I know I’m not going deaf yet! The majority of the time I was flying up and down the stage trying to get good angles at the same time trying to hear the actual vocals. Grace Over Diamonds put on an excellent set, even with the sound issues, they actually kept my A.D.D self focused on them.
Any band that manages to keep my ears tuned to their music gets double high fives. Everyone must check out Grace Over Diamonds. They are much better live than on record but either way a brightly lit future is very possible for these ones. The rest of the band is Mikey Dall on guitar and Chris Lee on bass. A little slow getting into the groove was guitarist Mikey Dall but mid set he relaxed more looking less nervous.
Grace Over Diamonds
Wandering around exploring the surroundings was a must, especially when the ghastly bands were performing. Trudeau Park is a pretty good size, they have a lake, space for camping and a few hotel rooms. Eventually we migrated back to the stage area and this horrid band was still playing, so of course to the bar it was!
The sunset on the lake was so pretty and when it got darker it was a nice change to chill in the wilderness and see all the stars in the night sky. Trudeau Park is a great spot to hit up for a weekend of partying or chilling out.
My Darkest Days
My Darkest Days were scheduled to hit the stage right before Finger Eleven. I first saw the band at the Rivoli during North By Northeast 2009. For the longest time I kept missing this band but this summer I made up for a few missed shows! Since NXNE they managed to accomplish a record deal with Island Def Jam/Mercury/604/Universal, scored some gigs opening for Finger Eleven and Default who I will talk about later in this piece and had a few member changes Sal Costa of Three Star Seed is now on the Axe (Paulo is no longer in the band but was still with the band for the summer shows).
Clearly this band is hungry, currently working on their debut record dropping early next year. To make it in any industry you need to have the drive and commitment. With these guys, it’s blatantly apparent that they bust their balls just to hold their dreams in their hand, even if it lasts just a minute. Hearing and seeing their growth in such a short period of time is remarkable, they were far more tranquil resulting in a much better performance.
Brendan on the bass - he knows what to do, floating all over the place working the apparatus and the crowd at the same time, the bass lines sounded sick. In particular the opening line of the last track which was a medley cover of ‘Stutter / Apologize / Heartless.’ The guitars were fierce, Walst and Neta were in unison bringing the beautiful sounds of the guitar to everyone’s ears. Doug had those drums poppin’ the beat always sinuously thumpin’. Oliver also lends his vocals as back up to lead vocals as every member in the band does and every newbie band should take note of. Matt’s vocals have a lot of power and versatility, I’m sure if he explores his instrument a little more he can tap into the potential that’s waiting to be unleashed. Like any instrument you have to fiddle with the chords to find out what works. If you don’t try by taking that risk, you will never know the outcome and that detriments impending development.
This performance, vocals were commendable, a definite improvement from the first time. The sound was steadier, his enunciation was better and the head voice was not over used. Besides singing Walst rocked the axe for most of the set as he does every show and it makes me curious to see what other talents he may possess. After checking them live a few times now, I have come to the conclusion that My Darkest Days has many a hater. All the people that have a negative opinion regarding this band are definitely haters and will probably hop on the band wagon when they explode. Guaranteed they are the next Canadian band to dominate the globe, the haters will always be there, just ignore the nonconstructive and keep doing what you do. My Darkest Days float in a league of their own with cigar in hand, all they have to do now is find that fire to light it with.
Finger Eleven - where do I even begin? They were one of the first few bands I actually liked that came out of Canada; Burlington, Ontario to be exact. Their brand of hard edged multiple guitars with brawny melodious vocals is now mimicked by many bands, Finger Eleven (Rainbow Butt Monkeys) are the originals. I was excited to finally see them live. When I was younger I was underage and working or going to school the majority of the time so there was no chance of checking them live. They were a favorite for a while, until their sound started to soften but I still love the tunes!
The vocal levels were almost nonexistent and you could see Anderson’s struggle to understand what was going on. It also sounded as if he was sick, I do give him credit for persisting and eventually managing to pull off a half decent set when the levels eventually evened out. It was like every time there was a changeover they just couldn’t get the sound right at the beginning of each set. My Darkest Days had a few sound issues during their set but by far sounded superior than most of the other bands. Sad to say Finger Eleven, the newbs have stepped up their game it’s time for the oldies to try and reclaim the throne or they’ll end up with ‘Reversal Syndrome.’ “Reversal Syndrome” is when a once headlining band becomes the supporting act and the bands that opened become the headliners.
Finger Eleven
The ‘One Thing’ Finger Eleven has that no other band has is their secret weapon - Rick Jackett the Axe Fairy! This dude felt the music he was playing to the core, the guitar molded into his hands while he danced around like it was the Axe Ballet. I was in awe watching Jackett float across the stage swinging the guitar up over his head not missing a chord. James Black is also a phenomenal guitarist, he and Jackett have a side project together called “Blackie Jackett Jr.”
The band overall is awesome! Bassist Sean Anderson needs to liven up a little as he looked bored during a few tunes. Near the end of Finger Eleven’s set the levels were finally up to par, just in time for me to enjoy. They played many tunes I liked 'Absent Elements,' 'Above' and 'Paralyzer' being some examples.
The last band of this feature I will mention had completely flown out of my mind. It has been a while since their last record, now all of a sudden they are back with their new single spinning in rotation and about to drop a new LP “Comes and Goes” released September 29th 2009.
Default was the Erie Lakefest headliner with My Darkest Days and The Ryde as supporting acts. Both bands put on great sets, props to all. I wasn’t even planning on covering Lakefest but my friend had tickets to go check this band ‘Aberdeen’ and asked if I wanted to come along. Adventures!! I love them, being a very spontaneous character I thrive on living for today and tomorrow. Any escapade is welcome, adding music to the mix is even better! Off we went on a boon dock mission. This time it was a trek to the corn fields of Port Burwell, Ontario.
Default
Default was a band I liked when they first popped out with “The Fallout.” I will always remember certain tunes from that record 'Wasting My Time' being one of them because it still relates to many situations today. I haven’t listened to Default for a while and surprisingly I remembered most of their songs. They dropped a few fresh tunes from the new record including the first single 'All Over Me.' Totally loving the new Default tunes, especially 'Turn It On' which is a great track.
Most of the set was pleasing but during one of the songs the vocals cracked, it was a cringe worthy moment to my ears. Minus that brief malfunction everything else was good, all except the technical difficulties but that whole day was a technical difficulty! Smith brought out the acoustic for the current single 'Little Too Late' and a few others but the majority of the time he was migrating with the mic stand. I don’t know why there are no harmonies because it would sound a lot better with a few backup vocals here and there adding some flavour of life to the sound.
Guitarist Jeremy Hora looks like he’s on another planet when he’s rocking out, it’s too funny and exactly what I want to see and hear, the love for the sounds emanating from the instruments. Bassist Dave Benedict was meticulously entertaining the crowd, he was using the large stage to his advantage.
I loved this stage it was the perfect height, the speakers didn’t block the view and the lighting was wicked, occasionally blinding me but overall a great stage! Something that bothered me was why Default drummer Danny Craig was placed so far away? The other band members and his drum kit blocked him most of the time. It’s hard enough as it is to get pictures of the drummer and this set up was almost impossible to accomplish a good shot.
A little more team work could be present as there were a few discomfited moments where the chemistry amongst the four felt a little shattered. Defaults’ performance was better than expected, they did their thang! Would I recommend checking Default live? Yes, Default has been approved!
Next summer will rock harder!
LINKS:
The first band I'm going to talk about is Ill Scarlett, they have been playing every single festival that Canada had to offer this summer spreading the word about their new album “1UP” that dropped in September. Never in my life had I seen Ill Scarlett live.
I got my chance to hear and see what the hype of Ill Scarlett was at Trudeau Park for the first ever Rock ‘N The Park.
ILL SCARLETT
Rock ‘N The Park was a big weekend jam out in the boons (Tweed, Ontario), people could camp out, party and catch some bands. The headliner for the weekend was Finger Eleven and My Darkest Days as direct support, all the other bands played prior.
A few bands blew ass, some tore it up and there was a new discovery. We arrived just in time to catch the last track ‘Hail The Villain’ performed! I thought I would be able to get to Trudeau on time to see a full set but Hail The Villain are another band that remain on the missed list, one track does not count! If people only knew the adventure we had just to get to Tweed, it was hilarious!
Ill Scarlett hit the stage, first impressions do make you or break you. Yes, there are second chances but that all depends on the first impression, always. The bands musicianship is pretty decent, Will Marr on Guitar has this laid back vibe and isn’t afraid to feel the music. Bassist Jonny D seemed a little lost at times but was jamming out when it counted. Drummer Swav Pior kept that beat tight, playing nothing too complicated, but he kept the flow. Ill Scarlet has a chill Ska Pop Reggae sound a lot mellower than the other bands on the bill. For a signed band about to release their sophomore record they came off as a band that is still in development.
Alex Norman’s guitar skills are better than his main requirement - Vocals. They were not good, he missed many of the notes, was pitchy and talked more than he sang. It was hard to keep my attention focused as I couldn’t handle his singing anymore. I would rather listen to the instrumental version. All of the guitar solos were truly music to my ears with this band. Norman can’t blame it on the mic levels because they had the best levels of all the performances that day and night. They played a few new tracks - none of which seemed like they would catch on as radio singles.
The crowd did not like the band, only a few people made some noise, I guess III Scarlett’s music was not what they were into. At that point in time I thought this was the worst performance from a signed band that I had yet to witness but as I write this now, I lied. There are so many asstastic bands out there with major recording contracts. Most recently Creed has earned the ‘Lifetime Ass Award’. As for Ill Scarlett they didn’t blow me away, far from it. They barely passed the test, Ill Scarlett needs to ‘1 Up’ their game, tenfold!
The only thing I didn’t like about the whole set up at Rock ‘N The Park was the stage and the placement of the speakers. A band I have never seen or heard in my life was about to hit the stage, they are called Grace Over Diamonds - a four piece out of Ottawa Ontario. Anything with a harmonious fusion of guitars and good vocals make my ears pay attention. A completely different sound from Ill Scarlett, this band was more alternative popera rock. The drums were on beat but sometimes when stick handler Jarrod Stroeder was backing lead vox it was pitchy. The mic levels for lead singer/guitarist Nate Snook were far too low, the band drowned him out and there were moments he looked confused with his axe.
I moved to the wings of the stage where I could actually hear the vocals on the stage. It was driving me crazy not being able to hear vocals from the pit. I know I’m not going deaf yet! The majority of the time I was flying up and down the stage trying to get good angles at the same time trying to hear the actual vocals. Grace Over Diamonds put on an excellent set, even with the sound issues, they actually kept my A.D.D self focused on them.
Any band that manages to keep my ears tuned to their music gets double high fives. Everyone must check out Grace Over Diamonds. They are much better live than on record but either way a brightly lit future is very possible for these ones. The rest of the band is Mikey Dall on guitar and Chris Lee on bass. A little slow getting into the groove was guitarist Mikey Dall but mid set he relaxed more looking less nervous.
Grace Over Diamonds
Wandering around exploring the surroundings was a must, especially when the ghastly bands were performing. Trudeau Park is a pretty good size, they have a lake, space for camping and a few hotel rooms. Eventually we migrated back to the stage area and this horrid band was still playing, so of course to the bar it was!
The sunset on the lake was so pretty and when it got darker it was a nice change to chill in the wilderness and see all the stars in the night sky. Trudeau Park is a great spot to hit up for a weekend of partying or chilling out.
My Darkest Days
My Darkest Days were scheduled to hit the stage right before Finger Eleven. I first saw the band at the Rivoli during North By Northeast 2009. For the longest time I kept missing this band but this summer I made up for a few missed shows! Since NXNE they managed to accomplish a record deal with Island Def Jam/Mercury/604/Universal, scored some gigs opening for Finger Eleven and Default who I will talk about later in this piece and had a few member changes Sal Costa of Three Star Seed is now on the Axe (Paulo is no longer in the band but was still with the band for the summer shows).
Clearly this band is hungry, currently working on their debut record dropping early next year. To make it in any industry you need to have the drive and commitment. With these guys, it’s blatantly apparent that they bust their balls just to hold their dreams in their hand, even if it lasts just a minute. Hearing and seeing their growth in such a short period of time is remarkable, they were far more tranquil resulting in a much better performance.
Brendan on the bass - he knows what to do, floating all over the place working the apparatus and the crowd at the same time, the bass lines sounded sick. In particular the opening line of the last track which was a medley cover of ‘Stutter / Apologize / Heartless.’ The guitars were fierce, Walst and Neta were in unison bringing the beautiful sounds of the guitar to everyone’s ears. Doug had those drums poppin’ the beat always sinuously thumpin’. Oliver also lends his vocals as back up to lead vocals as every member in the band does and every newbie band should take note of. Matt’s vocals have a lot of power and versatility, I’m sure if he explores his instrument a little more he can tap into the potential that’s waiting to be unleashed. Like any instrument you have to fiddle with the chords to find out what works. If you don’t try by taking that risk, you will never know the outcome and that detriments impending development.
This performance, vocals were commendable, a definite improvement from the first time. The sound was steadier, his enunciation was better and the head voice was not over used. Besides singing Walst rocked the axe for most of the set as he does every show and it makes me curious to see what other talents he may possess. After checking them live a few times now, I have come to the conclusion that My Darkest Days has many a hater. All the people that have a negative opinion regarding this band are definitely haters and will probably hop on the band wagon when they explode. Guaranteed they are the next Canadian band to dominate the globe, the haters will always be there, just ignore the nonconstructive and keep doing what you do. My Darkest Days float in a league of their own with cigar in hand, all they have to do now is find that fire to light it with.
Finger Eleven - where do I even begin? They were one of the first few bands I actually liked that came out of Canada; Burlington, Ontario to be exact. Their brand of hard edged multiple guitars with brawny melodious vocals is now mimicked by many bands, Finger Eleven (Rainbow Butt Monkeys) are the originals. I was excited to finally see them live. When I was younger I was underage and working or going to school the majority of the time so there was no chance of checking them live. They were a favorite for a while, until their sound started to soften but I still love the tunes!
The vocal levels were almost nonexistent and you could see Anderson’s struggle to understand what was going on. It also sounded as if he was sick, I do give him credit for persisting and eventually managing to pull off a half decent set when the levels eventually evened out. It was like every time there was a changeover they just couldn’t get the sound right at the beginning of each set. My Darkest Days had a few sound issues during their set but by far sounded superior than most of the other bands. Sad to say Finger Eleven, the newbs have stepped up their game it’s time for the oldies to try and reclaim the throne or they’ll end up with ‘Reversal Syndrome.’ “Reversal Syndrome” is when a once headlining band becomes the supporting act and the bands that opened become the headliners.
Finger Eleven
The ‘One Thing’ Finger Eleven has that no other band has is their secret weapon - Rick Jackett the Axe Fairy! This dude felt the music he was playing to the core, the guitar molded into his hands while he danced around like it was the Axe Ballet. I was in awe watching Jackett float across the stage swinging the guitar up over his head not missing a chord. James Black is also a phenomenal guitarist, he and Jackett have a side project together called “Blackie Jackett Jr.”
The band overall is awesome! Bassist Sean Anderson needs to liven up a little as he looked bored during a few tunes. Near the end of Finger Eleven’s set the levels were finally up to par, just in time for me to enjoy. They played many tunes I liked 'Absent Elements,' 'Above' and 'Paralyzer' being some examples.
The last band of this feature I will mention had completely flown out of my mind. It has been a while since their last record, now all of a sudden they are back with their new single spinning in rotation and about to drop a new LP “Comes and Goes” released September 29th 2009.
Default was the Erie Lakefest headliner with My Darkest Days and The Ryde as supporting acts. Both bands put on great sets, props to all. I wasn’t even planning on covering Lakefest but my friend had tickets to go check this band ‘Aberdeen’ and asked if I wanted to come along. Adventures!! I love them, being a very spontaneous character I thrive on living for today and tomorrow. Any escapade is welcome, adding music to the mix is even better! Off we went on a boon dock mission. This time it was a trek to the corn fields of Port Burwell, Ontario.
Default
Default was a band I liked when they first popped out with “The Fallout.” I will always remember certain tunes from that record 'Wasting My Time' being one of them because it still relates to many situations today. I haven’t listened to Default for a while and surprisingly I remembered most of their songs. They dropped a few fresh tunes from the new record including the first single 'All Over Me.' Totally loving the new Default tunes, especially 'Turn It On' which is a great track.
Most of the set was pleasing but during one of the songs the vocals cracked, it was a cringe worthy moment to my ears. Minus that brief malfunction everything else was good, all except the technical difficulties but that whole day was a technical difficulty! Smith brought out the acoustic for the current single 'Little Too Late' and a few others but the majority of the time he was migrating with the mic stand. I don’t know why there are no harmonies because it would sound a lot better with a few backup vocals here and there adding some flavour of life to the sound.
Guitarist Jeremy Hora looks like he’s on another planet when he’s rocking out, it’s too funny and exactly what I want to see and hear, the love for the sounds emanating from the instruments. Bassist Dave Benedict was meticulously entertaining the crowd, he was using the large stage to his advantage.
I loved this stage it was the perfect height, the speakers didn’t block the view and the lighting was wicked, occasionally blinding me but overall a great stage! Something that bothered me was why Default drummer Danny Craig was placed so far away? The other band members and his drum kit blocked him most of the time. It’s hard enough as it is to get pictures of the drummer and this set up was almost impossible to accomplish a good shot.
A little more team work could be present as there were a few discomfited moments where the chemistry amongst the four felt a little shattered. Defaults’ performance was better than expected, they did their thang! Would I recommend checking Default live? Yes, Default has been approved!
Next summer will rock harder!
LINKS:
