Category: Music

Ska/punk has been neglected for the past few years and here to bring back this fabulously up tempo and vigorous musical style are The Johnstones.
The members, Ryan Long on drums and vocals, Jarek Hardy on guitar and vocals, Brent Marks on bass, Julian Warmé on trombone, and Rene Gillezeau on lead guitar, trumpet and MC, have been playing together for years.
Mixing fast-paced rap-style lyrics like those of Jimmy Pop of the Bloodhound Gang, and chant style choruses, give The Johnstones’ sound its uniqueness.
The guitar playing is comparable to the punk style of Blink 182, while the high energy horn sounds, resemble that of Less Than Jake, completing this sound and making. The Johnstones’ music infectious.
Jarek Hardy took a few minutes to answer a few questions for us about what makes The Johnstones tick.

On this album are there any concepts or major ideas?

How cool we are. It’s a fun album, we’re trying to bring a sense of humor to everything that we do and we obviously have fun with what we’re doing, and we try to incorporate that into it. I guess a side note is that we want everyone to know how cool we are and how badass, how strong, and how muscular we are.

I’ve noticed that a trademark in your performances & videos is to show a lot of skin, can you explain this naked fixation?

First of all, we like to have our shirts off because it’s more comfortable. What actually happened when we were playing was that we were getting so sweaty because we were jumping around and stuff and we’d get offstage and our stuff would be wet and we’d have a ruined shirt. So we just decided to start playing with our shirts off, and said fuck it let’s make it our shtick. And it’s definitely a shtick now; it’s also very practical.

How did growing up in the music industry & starting at such a young age affect you guys?

Pretty much we started in high school, Ryan and I started jamming together, I didn’t even know how to play guitar when we started the band. Then we went to University and still had fun with it, so in the last year of University we thought this could be a real job. We took it seriously and up until lately it’s been more fun than business, now it’s more business, but still very fun as well so it’s kind of matured us a little bit.

What has been your band’s greatest accomplishment so far?

I guess the music video. Getting on Much Music has helped us, and we didn’t even expect Much Music to take it, let alone put it on the count down. It was an independent video and it had big success.

What would you like to see happen next for your band?

We want to take over the world, one city at a time, one step at a time. I guess the next step would be to make a new album; we’re going down to Los Angeles actually, to work with Flashlight Brown’s two main songwriters. Then we’re gonna make a brand new album and make another music video, stuff like that. That’s in the near future, but the end result of all that is to take over the world.

The Johnstones play Foufounes Electriques on Sat., Nov. 10
with Mustard Plug.

Finger Eleven has been keeping it tight since 1995. The acclaimed rock quintet joined forces with Sum 41 and is currently on the appropriately named Strength in Numbers Tour.
Finger Eleven vocalist Scott Anderson talks success and strength in numbers.

How did two small words like finger and eleven come to have such colossal meaning?

When we were looking for a name we were already in the studio working on our first record. I was cutting vocals for “Thin Spirits” and singing the lyrics: “Finger eleven pointing the other way.” The idea behind the line is about following your heart and doing what you want to do. The guys were listening behind the glass and stopped me, “Dude, what are you talking about? Finger eleven?” So I explained it to them. The guys immediately liked the idea and we adopted the name. It certainly made for a convenient mission statement for the band.

How does it feel being the frontman of a band that has kept it together since your first recording in 1995?

I’m not sure I consider myself a frontman. My rock and roll duties are shared between a drummer, a bassist and two guitarists. The guys do so much work. They bring so much energy on stage that all I really have to do is sit back and sing which is a wonderful position to be in. If I look left, right or behind me there is so much kinetic energy happening that it’s quite contagious. It feels good.

It must feel good to comeback after four years and have the album so well received.

A lot can happen in four years. If you have the balls to be away for four years and then put a record out, you’d better not expect anything from the public because they’re expecting a bad ass album at the very least. We took all things into consideration. That’s why we took the time to deliver something that we thought was great.

What is your definition of success?

Success as far as Finger Eleven goes is defined right when the album is finished. How much did we compromise? When everybody is happy that’s when it was time to release the record. If the record worked out the way we wanted it to then that’s where success comes from.

Did you foresee Them Vs. You Vs. Me’s success?
No. It’s mind blowing. Sometimes you put a record out and it flops, and sometimes you put a record out and if the stars align, somebody else outside your band cares about the album.

Numerous musicians venture outside of their bands to pursue solo projects. Has that crossed your mind?

It’s too much fun being in a band. I never thought of going solo. I just don’t have the yearning. We were friends before we were a band and I’m not sure why I would go anywhere. I feel indestructible in this band.

Is Finger Eleven’s strength in numbers?

Yeah! The other day our bass player went home for a couple of days while the band stayed on the road. We had three days off on the road and we started feeling like we were missing a component. When you’ve been on the road for six months staring at the same faces, you get sick of everyone. But as soon as somebody leaves you get separation anxiety. It’s an incredible sense of solidarity. Nothing can replace that. There’s definitely strength in numbers when it comes to Finger Eleven.

What have you accomplished with the band that you couldn’t have as a solo artist?

We learned how to make a career out of doing what we love together. That’s our biggest accomplishment.

Before becoming an accomplished band did you have any idea of how long you wanted your career to last?

I know exactly how long I want to do this for. When the next album is not as good as the one before that, I’ve got to pack it in at that point. The point when we’re doing this for something other than the music would be an embarrassing time to be a band. There’s a quality control within the band and when that quality diminishes I’ll know we have to stop making records.

This Halloween will mark the one-year anniversary of GrimSkunk’s return after a three-year hiatus. One of the key founders of the Quebec “alternative” scene are back, armed with a brand-new bassist (long-time friend Vince Peake, formerly of the Groovy Aardvark). Fires Under The Road, released last year, marked the return of the classic GrimSkunk sound.
Guitarist Peter Edwards claims that producer Garth Richardson, or GGGarth, originally had apprehensions about having a song like “America Sucks” on the record. He eventually gave in, recognizing the importance of the message the band wanted to transmit. “That song is written in the context of thinking about things that both you,” explains Edwards.
“The people who are outside of North America can easily look at North America and say, ‘Oh, this sucks . . . or that sucks about North America,'” Edwards said. “And the thing is, within North America, people are looking around and saying the same thing. [.] In Europe, Canadian travelers are often encouraged to sew the Canadian flag onto their backpacks, because the sentiment there towards America is sometimes negative. And why is that? You have to look around and take responsibility and ask yourself where that is coming from.”
But the guitarist is quick to stress that unlike other politically active punk bands, the members of GrimSkunk are merely trying to express their own opinion via their music, not “swaying a whole movement of people into going along with their idea,” as Edwards puts it. “We use music to make our own commentary,” he said. “I think our belief is that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.”
Such is the case with “Vive Le Quebec Libre,” another song that stirred controversy upon its release. Again, Edwards is quick to specify that this is not an anti-sovereignty song, but rather a pointed finger at old-fashioned mentalities than one can often come across in this province. “It’s not for or against [an independent Quebec],” he clarified. “It’s just saying, ‘look how caught up people are in their nationalism.'”
The band may not have been trying to cause waves on purpose, but as a publicity campaign it certainly worked – and it hasn’t all been bad. MuchMusic recently showed interest in the band’s video for the title track of the latest album, a year after its release on MusiquePlus. It is now currently on rotation on MuchLoud. This may or may not have contributed to a very successful tour in Western Canada last September, which included multiple sold out dates.
The members of GrimSkunk have been in a band together for nearly two decades. Three are daddies now and get to bring their kids, who range in age from three to eight, along on tour.
“We played with Manu Chao this summer in Quebec City, and all the kids were there,” Edwards reminisces. “After our show was over, all four of them were lined up on the side of the stage watching Manu Chao. They’re becoming very educated, musically.”
“They like heavy music. They also like The Strokes, and they like The Hives a lot. They like GrimSkunk.” In fact, the guitarist joked about being worried that his band has got competition: “I think they’re going to start their own band soon!” he laughs.

GrimSkunk plays Club Soda on Nov. 1. The show will be videotaped, so don’t hide your Halloween costume in the back of your closet just yet – come disguised!

With Cassandra Ford’s powerhouse vocals (reminiscent of an early Gwen Stefani and Save Ferris’ Monique Powell) backed by the Kirkham brothers (Robbie on guitar, Chris on bass and Anthony on drums), together The Vincent Black Shadow is packing a punch with their debut album Fears in the Water.
From the stages of the Vans Warped Tour and the Virgin Festival this Vancouver quartet is well into their own headlining tour. Between American tour dates and preparation for a European tour, Cassandra Ford talks about the horrors under the sea and the demon behind their smash single “Fears in the Water”.
“There’s something scary about the sea. It’s big, deep and there are things lurking in it that we don’t know about. It’s not folklore. There literally are horrible monsters under the sea. A lot of deep sea fish look like something out of a horror movie. I’m sure crypto zoologists have field days thinking about all the weird, evil, slimy, horrible, ugly creatures that are hiding at the bottom of the ocean.
“In Asian culture there are all sorts of spirits. Water spirits, tree spirits, stuff like that. They all have their own “customs” attached to them. Some are good and some are bad.
“My friend had some sort of water spirit that had become attached to her when she was a baby. “Fears in the water” is loosely about that. Whenever she was in the bath something weird would happen. She’d scream at something that wasn’t there, splash around and freak out like something was pulling her under.
“Her mom got her a crucifix to wear and the weird stuff stopped for a while. But then a maid lost it and weird sh– started going down again.
“I’ve had some supernatural experiences myself while in the Philippines. I was thrown off my bed at 2 a.m. by something that was violently shaking it. I thought it was an earthquake but there was a glass of water next to my bed that was completely still. I still can’t explain that. I’m a logical person and I inspected the bed after it happened. It was so heavy that it would have taken two people to shake it that much.
“That’s about all I’m willing to share. I don’t want to look like I’m possessed.
“Just don’t go to the Philippines alone! I should really work for the tourism board.”

Canadian heavy metal band 3 Inches of Blood’s guitarist Shane Clark discusses a haunting rumour surrounding the bands latest album Fire up the Blades, heavy metal in the horror genre, his top five horror flick picks, and the Boogeyman.

There is a rumour that your engineer saw a ghost in the studio while you were recording your latest album Fire Up the Blades.

Yes he did. We did the recording of this album in a few different studios the one in question is called Mushroom Studios in Vancouver. It’s a very old building that was built from the ground up to be a studio in the late 60s early 70s. There are legendary stories of this place being haunted. I’ve heard crazy stories from people. Once someone swore they heard a piano falling from the ceiling in the next room and they walked in the room and the piano was just fine. Apparently the manager of the building died in California and made his way back to the building and still goes to work every day.
Dan Turner, our engineer was in the control room and the manager’s ghost was looking over his shoulder and checking his work.

Why is heavy metal and hard rock so prominent in the horror movie genre?

It’s all about the aggressive sound. Some people listen to aggressive music when they work out because it gets them pumped up. The aggressive nature and the minor keys that heavy metal is usually played in almost sound scary. I don’t think you’d have the same effect if you’re watching a horror movie with Michael Myers walking around the corner and have Norah Jones playing in the background than you would if Slayer is on the soundtrack.

What are your top five horror movie favourites?

1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) is a timeless movie and one of the scariest movies I have ever seen. It has the good looking girl being chased scenario but it doesn’t have the melodramatic soundtrack. It’s grainy and it’s almost like you’re there. There are so many elements that make this movie freaky. It’s just a horrible situation that makes your skin crawl. A good horror movie is disturbing.
2. Night of the Living Dead (1968) was the first of its kind and an amazing movie. George A. Romero invented the rules of zombie movies that all other zombie movies do or should follow.
3. 28 Days Later (2002) A complete apocalyptic scenario! The movie scared the sh– out of me! The topic is eminent. I’m also a fan of post-apocalyptic movies like Mad Max.
4. Return of the Living Dead (1985) is a really silly billy 80s “punk” movie. It’s horrible but really funny.
5. Evil Dead (1981) comes in last but definitely not least!

Do you believe in the Boogeyman?

I believe there are dark souls on this planet. There is an actual trial going on in B.C. about a situation much like the theme of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. A serial killer owned a pig farm and they found DNA of so many missing women on this farm. It’s horrible. The real Boogeyman is the dark side of humanity. Watch your back and live life to the fullest.

Burlington, Ontario’s punk/hellbilly foursome The Creepshow are known for their sing-along horror film/Halloween themed and inspired music.
For those who missed their Halloween party at Foufounes Electriques last Saturday, guitarist/vocalist Sarah “Sin” Blackwood sets the mood with her Halloween essentials list and shares a personal nightmare.

Sarah Sin’s Halloween Essentials:

“You’ll need chocolate, zombies and everyone has to dress up. If you don’t dress up, you’re lame! You should have a costume competition and a lot of fake blood!
Go to a dollar store. You’ll need the 60 minute Halloween soundtrack from dollarama! Creaking doors, ghost, scary voices and bats. It is the raddest thing I have ever heard. Those are just essentials for a Halloween party.
And movies like my favourite horror movie Nightmare on Elm Street III, Stephen King’s It, The Blair Witch Project and 28 Days Later.

Sarah Sin’s Nightmare:

“I lived in a house north of Toronto that I’m sure was haunted.
I had dreams of who I think were ghosts in the house. I dreamt about a woman who lived upstairs in the house. The same thing happened when I slept in the basement, except it was an older man. The lady was fine, but this man was pissed off.
I told my room mates about my dreams and they thought this was so crazy. They had a psychic come in months before I moved in and she said that there was a woman’s ghost upstairs and a man’s ghost downstairs. I guess they were hanging out with me while I was sleeping!
The lady was fine, but this man’s ghost was pissed off. The creepy man and his son apparently lived in the house. The man would pick on his son and beat him up. This man was just an old angry person. Finally, one day the son had enough and pushed him down the stairs. He died falling down those stairs and is stuck in that basement all pissed off. I’ve never experienced dreams like that before.”

The world of commercial music is cut-throat at best, and the chances of getting signed to a record deal for any band are slim-to-none.
As a result, countless musicians have resorted to various self-promotion tactics, ranging from the straightforward, like having an attractive singer, to the downright weird, like cutting your body with broken glass (look up the name GG Allin: I promise you’ll waste a whole afternoon finding out about the biggest nutcase rock has ever spawned).
Still, even the most jaded music industry veteran will tell you it’s easy to market a bunch of freaks in costumes. So in the spirit Halloween, let’s look back at some of the most interesting masked musicians.

The Original Freaks: the Residents

Not much is known about these avant-garde musicians, as they have never permitted interviews with the media. In fact, the band has remained anonymous by only appearing in public wearing their trademark costumes, consisting of tuxedos, top hats and, wait for it, masks shaped like a giant eyeball.
Despite the odd costumes, the residents have managed to retain a strong underground following since their formation in the late 60s, allowing them to release over 60 albums!
Their approach to the media-band interface is a precursor to Daft Punk, the French electronic duo who has also managed to maintain member anonymity by dressing up as robots.

Disco’s Macho Men: the Village People

This collaboration between a police officer, a construction worker, an American-Indian chief, a biker, an army G.I. and a cowboy led to some of the most iconic hits of the disco era, such as “Y.M.C.A.” and “In the Navy.” Though their on-stage costumes looked ridiculous by any standard, they managed to sell over 85 million albums and singles and it is safe to say their legacy should be preserved for a long time, judging from how often their hits are played at sports events.

Glam Rock Glitter: David Bowie

While Bowie began his career as a folk pop singer in the late 60s, it wasn’t until 1972’s release of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars that he attained worldwide fame. Adopting an androgynous persona in the character Ziggy Stardust, Bowie wore a red wig, elaborate face paint and colourful sequined outfits, as he brought T.Rex’s glam rock stylings to the masses.
Bowie’s one year stint as Ziggy Stardust has made him the most iconic of all glam rock artists, inspiring acts like Kiss and Marilyn Manson to dabble in face paint and weird outfits.

Metal Madness: Slipknot

Wearing jumpsuits and individualized fetish masks, the nine-member band Slipknot are arguably the most popular band in costume today.
Their music is overtly dark and aggressive and their lyrics have been a source of controversy in the media.
They have also garnered lots of publicity because of their live performances, which are all-out physical affairs that often lead to members of the group injuring themselves. In many ways, they are descendants of the band GWAR, who are the pioneers of aggressive metal band in costume, albeit without GWAR’s obsession with fantasy and aliens.

Four years may not be a long time, but in the world of electronic music it’s an eternity. “If we were a rock band, I think you could say it’s brief,” said Xavier de Rosnay, in a thick Parisian accent. De Rosnay and Gaspard Augé form the French electro duo Justice.
“We were really anxious we would disappear when we released our album. This is what happens to most of the electronic bands, you have big hype when you are just putting out EPs and when you give your album to people are switching to other bands. We’re really happy we didn’t disappear,” said de Rosnay in an interview Friday at the Metropolis before they played.
Instead of disappearing, Justice got bigger. Their debut album, “+”, came out July 11 and caused a stir on both sides of the Atlantic. In France the album has sold over 75,000 copies and remains in the top 40. The album is characterized by fat, heavy beats, pop melodies, flashes of noise and draws influences from disco, hip-hop and heavy metal.
De Rosnay and Augé don’t look like they make electronic music. Augé in a leather jacket, his t-shirt featuring a metal band looks more like he should be in, well, a metal band, but it’s this crossover, this blurring of the lines that has led to their popularity.
While the band has been together for four years they’ve only been playing live for a few months. Before that all the band’s shows were DJ sets.
“We just started to tour since April, like a proper tour,” said de Rosnay. “For the two past years we’ve been playing on Fridays or Saturdays and going back to France every week. And since we started to play live shows at Coachella we’re making a real tour. And it’s good because this is how we learn how to make our live show.”
“We need to learn without any real preparation. The set up is a bit too big for us to take home so we can never rehearse. So the only moment we can try some thing is when we play. It makes everything fun but also a bit dangerous.”
The show now consists of a mixture of live synthesizers and pre-recorded samples. “We built a bigger machine it has things like a synthesizer and a sequencer. But this machine is also used by the light guy for the things we have on stage like the cross,” said de Rosnay of the set-up.
In addition to being the title of their first album, a large lit up cross is front and center during their live shows. De Rosnay is cryptic when he talks about it. “It’s not an idea that came from [anywhere in perticular], we didn’t choose it. We were chosen by the cross and we have to deal with it.” When asked to elaborate, he refuses with a long, drawn out “no”.
Success has come almost by accident to Justice. While both de Rosnay and Augé played in bands in high-school, de Rosnay said they were not “proper bands. They were like three guitarists, one bassist and no drummer.” Instead of studying music, they both initially studied graphic design. It was here they were introduced by a mutual friend and began to make remixes.
Their second remix was a song called “We Are Your Friends”. They entered the song in a remix competition, put on by a Parisian radio station. The song caught the ear of Daft Punk manager, Pedro Winter, who signed them to his label Ed Banger. The song also became the bands first hit.
“So far it’s crazy,” said de Rosnay in between puffs of a cigarette. “The cool thing about it is that it makes us realize that production or skills are not important. The main idea was just fun.”

Scott Normandy’s first solo effort My Future My Past has everything going for it. The 11 track album is packed with honest lyrics and catchy hook choruses tightly wrapped in pristine pop/rock folk. Just think John Mayer minus the ego.
“I put my heart and soul into each song. All the songs are about the past, but the album is my future,” Normandy said on his solo start. By the sound of his debut, Normandy’s future should be bright and promising. Catch Normandy in his humble beginnings before his intimate sold out cabaret shows turn into amphitheatre performances.
Scott Normandy plays O Patro Vys with The Calm Wed., Oct. 24 9 p.m., at Reggie’s on Oct. 25 at 5:30 p.m. and performs a live acoustic set on CJLO Fri., Oct. 29 at 3 p.m.

Portland, Oregon has an answer to class acts like Radiohead, Cold Play, Keane and The Postal Service. It lies with Jason Bell, Kevin Calaba and Daniel Orvik who form Stars of Track and Field.
The trio’s sophomore album Centuries Before Love and War is a treasure chest full of what is precious in contemporary rock. The Stars use intrigue and curiosity fully to their advantage with cold dark imagery as they project light and warmth in all the right places. Bell and Calaba’s guitars shimmer and soar one moment and are hushed with precision the next, while Orvik plays God of the drum kit and electro programming throughout Centuries.
Take a closer look or strain your ears a little and you will realize that this three piece band lacks a bass player but that realization is quickly clouded over and extinguished if it can be made at all. The three didn’t set out to find the missing link. Instead they pulled together to form one tight threesome. Kevin Calaba talks about the trio’s critically acclaimed album Centuries Before Love and War.

Can you tell us about the themes on your album Centuries Before Love and War?

It’s a conceptual album that embodies three themes: love, war and time. These things seemed to be very prominent at the time we were writing these songs. I was going through a very hard time in my relationship and the U.S. was invading anywhere they wanted. Everybody is tired of it. We wanted to comment on that, not on a soapbox so much, but just shed light on it.
Was there ever a time before war?
In an ideal sense, I’d like to say yes. But it’s unfortunately a natural thing for man. When the first caveman threw a stick, that guy was a dick. I guess there are still cavemen and that’s too bad.

Do you think love has changed and evolved over time? Do people love the way they used to in the past?

The definition is definitely changing with time. I can only comment on a North American sense because that’s where I live. Love in America is largely connected to materials and people love their materials. Do they love their suburban house, their success, or do they really love each other? It’s interesting to see what people focus on as far as love is concerned.

May I take a shot at your manliness and ask when the last time you cried over love was?

I went through a divorce so that was a very, very painful experience. There were a lot of tears there.

Parts of Centuries Before Love and War are reminiscent on lost love. When love is lost can it be found again?

I think that love is built on such an ethereal sense and it’s something you can’t describe, name or point at. If it’s built on that and that goes away, how are you supposed to find it? It’s such an abstract theory. If the flame isn’t burning it’s hard to figure out why not.

There is a huge sense of loss in the song “With You”. Who was it written about?

Jason wrote it about a friend who committed suicide.

Songs can get a little personal and Jason and you share writing duties. How do you feel singing each other’s songs?

I have a different relationship with my songs that I do his. I get to experience his as a second person and that’s really nice. His songs go through an evolution that mine don’t. I have to learn them because they’re melodies and lyrics that I wouldn’t have come up with. It’s fun for me to figure what they’re about and to present them. I’m really fortunate to be able to sing Jason’s songs.

Can you tell us about your song “Centuries”?

I think “Centuries” is my favourite song that I wrote on the record. The chorus is: “Put your coat on and don’t ask why.” Like pick up your gun and don’t ask any questions. It’s about the blind faith that a lot of brave soldiers have. They’re not allowed to question their leaders and if that’s the definition of a soldier, I believe that there is a large problem in that theory. Give a bunch of huge guys with muscles guns and take away their brains? That’s very dangerous. It’s a flaw in warfare and in human nature altogether.

If you were drafted to go to war what would you do?

If we were invaded I’d stay and fight. But if we were going to take over and insert a democracy somewhere on false pretenses, I would have a problem picking up any sort of weapon. I’d come live here in Canada or Europe. I’m a citizen of the European Union, my mother is from Germany.

On the subject of geography, what is your interest in Antarctica?

Our song “Movies of Antarctica” is largely based on the potential of an empty landscape or an empty room and what you can do with emptiness, like how it takes a blank slate to create something. A lot of people are scared of things being empty or wiping the slate clean but a white canvas has a lot more potential than a black one.

How do you feel about the shape of the ice caps these days? It looks like springtime.

It’s a tragedy and Gore is doing the best he can to put it on an international level and raise the level of concern so we can stop going to war for resources and figure this out before it’s too late. It’s going take a global change and a huge amount of awareness to create the overhaul that is needed. Hopefully it won’t take a cataclysmic event to raise the awareness that we need.

Could you imagine what the next century will be like?

I’m hoping that this overhaul will start to appear and that people are aware of what they’re consuming. It’s becoming affordable to become economically friendly so hopefully it won’t take a cataclysmic event to raise the awareness that we need.

Guitarist/vocalist Max Comeau and vocalist Rachel Diabo are the founding members of The Calm. Two became four when Matt LeGroulx on bass and Chris Dimini on drums joined the duo to make The Calm’s full length debut Are You On My Side?
“There are insecurities that come across in the songs and we liked that element in the title Are You On My Side. You know, we can’t really do it on our own. We need you,” Comeau said of the album title.
Human weakness is a common vein that runs through the quartet’s 11 track debut. “It’s something that is so universal,” the guitarist explained. “Everyone can relate to heartbreak, disappointment and shattered dreams.” But insecurities are merely the subject matter. The Calm delivers a solid brisk pop/rock album with songs of high energy like the boisterous title track, the brutally honest “Boyfriend”, “Night Train” and the captivating “Songs of You” that evokes the familiar sound of fellow Canadians Great Big Sea. The Calm found their footing in the Montreal music scene receiving praise and applause. This is only the calm before the storm.
Get on their side.
The Calm plays O Patro Vys Wed., Oct. 24 at 8:30 p.m. and Reggie’s Thurs., Oct. 25 at 5 p.m.

Cutting edge indie music might not be the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Griffintown, but in the midst of this forgotten industrial neighborhood exists a hidden oasis of artistic creativity, Friendship Cove.
Founded by musician Graham Van Pelt (Miracle Fortress, Think About Life) and artist Jack Dylan, the Friendship Cove has been host to some of the most interesting music in the city, having put on dozens of shows for bands and artists ranging from experimental synth-noise to whimsical folk pop. Since the demise of its similar art/music collective predecessor, The Electric Tractor, which was also started by Van Pelt and Dylan, Friendship Cove has filled the void and come to be one of the most beloved venues in the city. Situated in a modest sized loft, which is also used as a jam space, recording studio, art gallery, and permanent residence, it provides an intimate and aesthetically unique experience for the musicians and the concertgoers. Since it began having shows in October 2005 it has been host to such bands as, Sunset Rubdown, Athletic Automaton, and The Great Lake Swimmers, but more importantly has given many local independent bands and musicians a place to perform.
On Friday, October 26, in celebration of their 2nd anniversary FC will be putting on what could be one of their best shows to date, as Brooklyn lo-fi dance punk duo Japanther, will be joined by local indie synth funkers Telefauna, and Secrets of Mana, to show what friendship is all about.
Japanther is comprised of Ian Vanek and Matt Reilly who sing through telephone receivers and play drums and bass respectively as well as whatever other assortment of cheap Casios and lo-fi tape samplers they choose to bring with them. They’re coming off the release off their latest album Skuffled Up My Huffy, which keeps in tact their past ethos of raw stripped down punk grooves but fortunately due to a slight improvement in production value (it’s not hard to improve on nothing) on this album, gives a better sense of what the band are actually capable of sounding like at their best without being lost in a sea of murky reverb.
“Indie art funk” might be one of the annoying sounding genre descriptions ever (just behind Latino jazz/metal fusion) but that is what Montreal band Telefauna do, and they do it well. They have been performing together since 2004 when they made their debut at Pop Montreal, and have just released a double single entitled Under the Underground Water/Bamboo Shoot.
Kicking off the party will be Secrets of Mana, a new band featuring Kyle Fostner and Brendan Reed from the unfortunately defunct Les Angles Morts. So make sure to get to the show early, because if they’re even half as good as Angles Morts they should not be missed.

Friendship Cove is located at 215A Murray Street.