SHORT CUTS: Sneak Preview of new Explode When They Bloom

After releasing arguably one of the best albums of the year out of Windsor last year with As The Animals Make Their Way Through The Crowds, Explode When They Bloom is back in the studio, working on a new record.

And today, as a special present, they have unveiled the first single, "Electric Love" (featuring a guest solo from Vincent Manzerolle (Measured In Angles, Poughboy), which features all the aggression we're used to with the EWTB camp. While EWTB has been compared to bands like At The Drive In or Fugazi in the past, this song actually reminds me of The Cult (perhaps the name is an homage to their two best albums?). Okay, perhaps not from the Love or Electric era, but the single that could have come out during their comeback a few years back. It has all the balls on rock-a-bility of such Cult classics as "Love Removal Machine" or "Wildflower", but it's got a fuller and richer sound than either of those. At least, it's the single they should have released - can't say I even recall what The Cult released for that. Thankfully though, this face melter of a rocker isn't The Cult though. It's our own Explode When They Bloom. And if it's any indication of the new record, they may have to change their name to Explode When They Boom.

You can check out "Electric Love" at their MySpace page now...

EVENT PREVIEW: Oh what a night! Tonight is Rich with Amazing Local Talent!

Windsor usually has good weeks of music to offer up to music fans, from the casual to the die hard, but this week has been/will be phenomenal. And the night with the richest pool of talent is easily tonight - so much great stuff going on, that I hope you can attend at least one of these tonight. There are three really big events going on, all for a great reason, and although all deserve your support, at least choose one of them - it'll be fantastic!

First up, The Golden Eagles will be the special guests of Randi Irving's on the radio version of The Windsor Scene on CJAM 91.5 FM tonight at 6pm. These guys are having their CD release party on Saturday, but tune in tonight where you'll hear a little interview and some preview music from their new CD (which is great, by the way). There's also still a couple days left in the Golden Eagles Contest I'm doing right now, so enter your comments for a chance to win two (2) tickets to their CD Release party plus other great prizes.

Tonight marks the first night of the third annual Smash The Glass Festival. Wow, three years. I remember when this started, it was a low-key couple of nights featuring a lot of familiar local ladies performing a diverse array of music. Well, now in it's third installment, it's blown up and now features national and international acts joining the fray. A celebration of women in music, both locally and on a grander stage, Sonia and her crew have done an amazing job in not only keeping the festival alive each year, but expanding upon it and watching it flourish. Tonight's kick off event is at Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West) and features an eclectic smattering of bands, headlined by the electro-pop of Toronto's Lioness. The rest of the bill includes local electro-diva Perilelle, Toronto's post-punk A Young Wife, and locals The Floral Prints and Erica Di Maio.

Speaking of local women in music, the beloved Tara Watts is having her heavily anticipated CD Release Party for About Love tonight at The Room (255 Ouellette Ave., above Chanoso's). You can read my review of her CD to get an inkling of what to expect musically (although the contest is now over!), but it'll be a grand affair, with locals The Locusts Have No King and 87 Things For The Future opening the show. Tara's been all over the media this week, appearing in The Windsor Star and various radio shows to promote this, so this looks to be a sell out. That means make sure you get there early to ensure your spot for this event. Doors open at 9pm.

The last big show for the evening is a Battle of the Bands-style event at The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.) in conjunction with the Cutting Edge Music Festival. A boat load of Windsor bands will be vying for the local winner slot to play this festival on Friday April 24th at Sound Academy in Toronto as part of the festival. It will also be broadcast live as part of The Edge 102.1's Friday Night Live. A great opportunity for a local band to get some great exposure, so if one of your favourites is on the bill, make sure you make it out to cheer them on! Your voice counts in this! Bands include Explode When They Bloom, Hello Bella, Assassinate The Following, Radio Adelaide, Sinnocence, The Oath of Ares, The Unthinking Majority and Falling With Glory.

PICK OF THE WEEK: Fiftywatthead, Explode When They Bloom, The Jet Trio and Ton at The Chubby Pickle Tonight

It's no secret that Windsor loves its loud music. Whether it be hardcore, doom metal or plain ol' heavy metal, Windsor has always had a big soft spot for the thunderous.

Tonight's line-up at The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.) is perhaps the greatest showcase of pure heavy rock and roll Windsor's had in years and if it had room for one more band (Fiftywatthead's sister band Lodown) it would be perfectly complete.

Fiftywatthead is on a national rise right now, following the release of their third album, Fogcutter, on Montreal's Signed By Force Records. Fogcutter perfectly captures the sludge and dirge of Fiftywatthead's explosive live sound and it's being recognized across the continent for it's power. Here's a brief look at what the rest of the world is saying...

"Nothing asserts their unbridled supremacy and command of meaty riffs, groove-laden beats and High On Fire/Clutch-inspired grind more than these eight blasts of agonizing hatred and ungodly bellowing...Fiftywatthead nail you to the wall and relish every bit of blunt trauma, redefining the terms of the statement “fucking loud” in the process." Keith Carman, Exclaim! Magazine, November 2008

"...basically takes traditional doom/stoner and brings it bang up to date with a touch of modern extremity." Michael Roberts, MetalReview.com, November 11, 2008

"...a good injection of riff sauce...", Stereokiller.com, December 2008

"Fogcutter is one of the better doom-metal albums I’ve heard recently. It’s very heavy and very loud, and the band is happy following their own musical path." Jeff Modzelewski, 411mania.com, December 30, 2008

"Riding on the wave of success brought forth by bands like Mastodon and The Sword, Ontario’s Fiftywatthead is another example of doom and stoner metal’s rise to prominence in the metal scene to fill the void left by metalcore and melodic death." All Metal Resource, January 19, 2009

The rest of the line-up is simply stellar. A nice blend of heavy sounds to lead up to the majesty of Fiftywatthead.

If Lodown is Fiftywatthead's sister band, then Ton is their little cousin. Their brand of heavy is unique amongst the scene, neither falling into the hardcore/thrash set nor the stereotypical stoner metal. But they've developed a faithfully loyal fan base in Windsor and continue to play just under the radar of their two bigger "cousins".

Sometimes The Jet Trio seem to be about one drummer away from being Spinal Tap, but that's primarily because they have perhaps one of the best senses of humour of any band in the scene. But despite their occassional lunacy, their music is anything but comedic. Their 2006 album Motoro was easily one of the year's best to come out of Windsor and their shows were epic forcs of nature. Their stoner rock riffage gained them legions of fans and after a length hiatus for much of 2008, it's nice to see the Trio (now a quartet with the move of bassist/vocalist Geoff Zanetti to being simply a vocalist/frontman and the role of bassist filled by Grand Marais' four-stringer Mark Muzzin) back in action. Hopefully 2009 brings us the follow-up to Motoro.

Apart from Fiftywatthead, perhaps no one in the city's hard-edged music scene is attracting as much attention nationwide as Explode When They Bloom. They successfully headlined Harvesting The FAM's mini-tour of Southern Ontario and their 2008 release, As the Animals Make Their Way Through the Crowds, was picked as one of the best albums to come out of Windsor last year by WAMM Magazine's editorial staff, not to mention critical acclaim for Metro Times Detroit, LondonIndie.com, and more. Their sound is distintive, combining a heavy sense of melody with an unbridled angst that creates a sonic web that is captivating, both live and on record.

This show is hands down my Pick of the Week as the show to be at. If I wasn't working my "day job" (or night job as it were), I would be there with bells on. So I encourage everyone to be there and have a drink for me...