Morning Metal: Mosely – With Pencils In Hand (Album Review)

 

Mosely – With Pencils in Hand

Released – January, 2013

At the beginning of last year, the Ottawa based alternative rock band Mosely released their second EP release With Pencils in Hand independently through their own record label, House of Fish Productions. After releasing the EP, Mosely went on a four month tour with the non-profit organization Live Different where they promoted both the album and the organization’s message.

The band has been in the Ottawa scene for many years ranging from Your Portrait Here, a post-hardcore sound in Not Even Death to their now alternative rock sound in Mosely. The EP features six tracks drawing influence from old punk rock bands like Green Day and Blink 182.

Morning Metal’s “Modern Metal” Introduction

In the Spring of 2012 after countless hours, weeks, months and years of reading metal musicians biographies, YouTube interviews, album reviews and arguing with other metal heads about our mutual passion, I decided to put it all in one place.

I introduce to you all, “Modern Metal.” A collection of topics ranging from lyrical content, political involvement, musicianship, imagery, album reviews, music videos, album covers, endorsement companies and a look into where hard rock/metal is going. Every week, I will share parts of this “book” which will cover various topics on my mind.

All interviews featured in this story are real – with notes on where to find it for validation. If you have any comments that you would like to add to it, I welcome them. I am happy to share this with Ottawa Showbox, its creators and all of you.

Pony Girl & FEVERS @ Black Sheep Inn, Mar. 21

 

One thing we really love here at Ottawa Showbox are bills stacked with local bands. Yes, this night only had two bands playing, but two powerhouses of the Ottawa scene. Pony Girl and FEVERS are sure things, and the promise of a full night of top notch entertainment was planned out from the beginning.

The Queer Mafia’s “OFFBEAT: Mashed Up” was Hung Up Like Jagger (with video)

Take a bit of Madonna, add some Nirvana, season with Daft Punk, and top with Maroon 5. Those are just some of the ingredients to one helluva night at Babylon Nightclub. The Queer Mafia (an Ottawa-based network of queer identified individuals who are committed to supporting the community by throwing awesome parties) put on a mash-up of a show with DJ Dan Valin on decks, special guest KAPRI, and visuals by Bustedlimb.

The theme of the night: “Music is like a potato, it’s best served mashed up!” with partial proceeds going to the Ten Oaks (LGBTQ youth-oriented programming) project. DJ Dan Valin had the crowd on their feet, constantly moving to mash-ups like Britney Spears’s “Work Bitch” meets Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax.” I wasn’t sure whether to relax, or work, but Canadian-born singer-songwriter KAPRI changed all that, opening with (and making me) “Leave the World Behind,” a cover of the Swedish House Mafia’s hit song.

KAPRI’s powerful voice and undeniable stage presence had the crowd begging for more.

I had an opportunity to talk with KAPRI, asking her about the crowd in Ottawa. She enthusiastically commented on Ottawa’s embracing of its local talent, saying how there was a definite supportive community for independent music. This was not KAPRI’s first mash-up gig; she has been performing professionally for two years, and her love of mixes has had her performing all sorts of styles and genres.

The visuals from Bustedlimb featured artistically-edited motion graphics of dancers who were grooving to the beat. It all made for a well-rounded night. Hats-off to The Queer Mafia for booking a killer combo and packing the house. I’m still dancing.

Were you at the show? Did you have a good time? Tell us about it in the comments below – we’d love to hear from you!

Ottawa Explosion Weekend Announced – June 12 – 15, 2014

It’s that time of year when things quiet down and we wait for the warmer weather to come back. But it’s also time for some summer festival announcements! Ottawa Explosion Weekend, a.k.a. the loudest weekend of the year, has just announced dates and an artist submission form. No bands have been named as of yet, but you know we’ll give you the low down as soon as the lineup is announced. Just like last year, we’ll be there destroying our eardrums and bodies to keep you in the loop with what’s happening at the festival. More info below.

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OXW 2014 Artist Submissions

OXW 2014 Facebook Event

Ottawa Explosion Website

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OXW 2013

Ottawa’s ‘house-punk’ collective Silkken Laumann gear up for NYE bash & album release Dec. 31@ Babylon

After the release of three singles, two videos, and an arduous two-year wait, Ottawa’s Silkken Laumann are getting ready to put out their full-length album Not Forever Enough on New Year’s Eve (which falls on December 31 this year, if I’m not mistaken).

All you really need to know is that this is going to be the biggest, sexiest, loudest party in town. Our buds over at Babylon know how to host a mean NYE bash, and this year it will be pretty special. We were given some details of what we can expect at the event, including really tasty gourmet munchies and hors d’oeuvres, door prizes, limited edition album art for sale, and all kinds of danceable jams to carry us into the new year.

A Tribe Called Red is on the Polaris Prize long list, Again!

Ottawa’s one and only “Pow-wow step” innovators, A Tribe Called Red, have once again earned themselves a spot on the Polaris Prize long list.

Their outstanding sophomore album Nation II Nation made the list, just like their first album A Tribe Called Red did. Unfortunately their self-titled album did not make it onto the Short List last year, but this is a whole new year.  They are in tough though with such other critically acclaimed bands as Hannah Georgas, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Kid Koala, Corb Lund, Metric and Tegan and Sara, just to name a few, also making the list. The complete list of the 40 nominees can be seen below.

The Polaris Music Prize is a juried award for creative artistic achievement in Canadian recorded music. This national prize honours the best Canadian full-length album of the year  and awards a cash prize to the artist or artists who created it .

Now we wait until July 16th where we go from 40 albums to 10 albums as the Short List is announced. After that the winner will be announced at the Polaris Gala  on September 23 in Toronto.

Ottawa Showbox wishes A Tribe Called Red the best of luck!

The 2013 Polaris Music Prize Long List:

A Tribe Called Red – Nation II Nation
Alaclair Ensemble – Les maigres blancs d’Amérique du Noir
ANCIIENTS – Heart of Oak
The Besnard Lakes – Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO
Louis-Jean Cormier – Le Treizième Étage
Daphni – JIAOLONG
Mac DeMarco – 2
Evening Hymns – Spectral Dusk
Hannah Georgas – Hannah Georgas
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
Chilly Gonzales – Solo Piano II
Jim Guthrie – Takes Time
Hayden – Us Alone
Zaki Ibrahim – Every Opposite
KEN mode – Entrench
Kid Koala – 12 bit Blues
Kobo Town – Jumbie in the Jukebox
Pierre Lapointe – Punkt
Lee Harvey Osmond – The Folk Sinner
Les soeurs Boulay – Le poids des confettis
Corb Lund – Cabin Fever
The Luyas – Animator
Majical Cloudz – Impersonator
Metric – Synthetica
METZ – METZ
Danny Michel with the Garifuna Collective – Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me
AC Newman – Shut Down The Streets
Old Man Luedecke – Tender is The Night
Lindi Ortega – Cigarettes & Truckstops
Peter Peter – Une version améliorée de la tristesse
Purity Ring – Shrines
Rah Rah – The Poet’s Dead
Rhye – Woman
Daniel Romano – Come Cry With Me
Colin Stetson – New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light
Suuns – Images du futur
Tegan and Sara – Heartthrob
Al Tuck – Stranger at the Wake
Whitehorse – The Fate of the World Depends On This Kiss
Young Galaxy – Ultramarine

This is Raw Vol. One: Four songwriters, One stage

It may have been 4/20, but these four local singer songwriters were not blowing smoke at Avant Garde.

Kevin N. Hell, Keturah Johnson, Eve Chamberland and Ted Shehan took the stage amidst wall to wall World War II era Russian posters, Russian beers (Baltika is amazing), Vodka and delicious martinis.

Dubbed a punk rock singer songwriter circle, all four sat on stage taking turns playing a great mix of original pieces and covers.  They fed off each others’ energy, laughing and trying not to be too intimidated by the talent of the previous performer. I have never been to an event like this, but it was really wonderful with the ever changing sounds and voices.  It was like seeing four concerts at once, so I decided that the best strategy was to give them each a paragraph in the write up.

First off let us start with the brains behind the operation, the organizer, Kevin. N. Hell. A veteran of the Ottawa scene, having played in local punk rock bands such as C.R.B, Tonk & The Honkys and The Unremarkablesh, had a very bluesy folk sound to his original songs and quite the interesting voice. I really liked his original blues piece based loosely on his current task of planning a wedding.  He did covers ranging from Mojo Nixon’s “Are You Drinkin’ With Me Jesus?” to punk rockers The Deadboys’ “All this and More.”

To Kevin’s right, was Keturah Johnson.  Her soulful passionate rock is beautifully complemented by her powerful voice. She played a great mix of originals, including the touching “Boy with no care” and covers, which was highlighted by the very dark and moving “Waiting Around to Die,” by Townes Van Zandt. If this sounds like someone you want to see, and it is trust me, you can check her out today (Sunday April 21) at the Hintonburg Public House.

Up next in the rotation was Eve Chamberland, of the recently defunct celtic-punk band The Beer Barons.  Eve did not to follow suit with everyone else who had guitars, she played her songs on a banjo. The banjo gave her a more of a bluegrass and folk sound. Her original songs were very story-like, one of which was about her kind of creepy love obsession for Stephen Colbert. Eve mentioned “I should not have sat beside Keturah, tough to follow her up every time around.” But, Eve held her own very well and had a lot of fun with her covers.  Playing Camper Van Beethoven’s “Take the Skinheads Bowling,” “Fancey Beers” by The Two Man Gentleman Band and The Hives “Wait a Minute Now,” was my favourite by Eve.

Last but definitely not least, was late addition Ted Shehan of the local band the Chicken Bangers.  Ted has energy, a lot of it, and his constant foot pounding had Kevin jokingly mention that “we have our new Stompin’ Tom.” Joining Ted at the front of the stage was the rest of the Chicken Bangers who brought a long a guitar and a shaker to support their fearless leader through his songs. His originals had a punky high tempo country twang to them.  For his covers Ted played an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ song and best of all, in honour of 4/20 played Dylan’s classic “The Times they are a Changing,” which got the other three on stage to jump in for the first time.  They may have stumbled through that cover, but their energy carried it.

All in all it was a great night and an awesome showcase to help discover local talent.  I am very much looking forward to volume two.