EVENT PREVIEW: (GrounD) celebrates WMC at Empire Lounge

The boys from (GrounD) are throwin' down a big party tonight to celebrate the Winter Music Conference in Miami, Florida that takes place this week. The WMC is a huge networking music conference, similar to ones like NXNE or SXSW, but with a focus on the dance club DJ circuit. In honour of this conference, resident (GrounD) DJs Mach-X and J_Wild will be spinning tracks from the various DJs who are playing the event.

They're also using this party as a celebration of local Windsor DJ Matt Herdman, who's down in Miami spinning as part of WMC, first opening for Dubfire at the Sci + Tec Party at Space (this past Wednesday), followed by a set at the Shore Hotel as part of the Definitive Showcase tonight. Congrats not only from the (GrounD) crew, but from all of Windsor, as Matt Herdman shows that Windsor continues to make waves on the international electronic DJ circuit, following such Windsor trailblazers as Richie Hawtin (Plastikman), Marc Houle and Heidi Vanden Amstel.

Mach-X and J_Wild have been doing (GrounD) for a year now and have become Windsor's preeminent DJ party hosts and scene supporters. These guys are just as likely to be at a local metal show or folk performance as they are to be dancing at a club at 4 a.m. These guys are party hounds and they can sniff out a winner like few can.

So when these guys put on their weekly showcases each and every Friday night at Empire Lounge (128 University Ave., above California Sushi), you know that whether there's five people there or two hundred and five that it's going to be a great time.

There's a special guest DJ tonight as well, and Mach-X will be giving away free copies of his latest mix, Incondite (while supplies last).

Stay tuned for April's edition of WAMM Magazine for an in-depth interview with J_Wild and Mach-X about all things (GrounD)...

For more info about upcoming (GrounD) events, sign up to their Facebook Group or check out their website.

BREAKING NEWS: CJAM Granted Protected Status with move to 99.1 FM

That's right!

After months of battling, first with a small scare from CBC last Fall, then the news that a U.S. commercial station was swooping in at 91.5 on the FM dial, CJAM has finally won the coveted "Protected Status" it's been seeking for, following its move to a new home on the FM dial, at 99.1 FM.

Here's a quote from CJAM's website regarding the move:

Today the CRTC approved the application for CJAM FM to move its broadcasting undertaking from 91.5FM to 99.1FM. With this move CJAM will be officially designated as a Full Power “Class A” radio station, with “protected status”. This designation is critical for community radio stations like CJAM as it prevents other broadcasters from applying for its signal. This past fall CJAM faced this very threat when the CBC applied to move CBC Radio One to the FM dial at 91.5. The application was eventually withdrawn, but an American applicant for 91.5 was approved by the FCC, necessitating the move to a new frequency.

This is an historic day for CJAM and for the legacy of community radio in Windsor and Detroit, as CJAM will finally gain the long-term security it has deserved for so long. Thanks to the Commission for upholding the Broadcasting Act of Canada, and thanks to CJAM’s community of listeners, programmers and volunteers for sending letters to the CRTC in support of the application.

CJAM is now proceeding with technical changes necessary for the change in signal. More details on when CJAM will be changing frequencies will be made available soon.

For more information contact Station Manager Adam Fox at 519-253-3000 ext. 2525 or by email at statcjam@uwindsor.ca

Congratulations to CJAM and all who helped by lending their voice to the CRTC about this vital matter for local musicians and our community!

In a side note, the CJAM Jammy Award nominations are now up, where you can vote for what shows should be recognized for programming excellence in the past year, as well as vote for your favourite live music venue and best local live band. Vote now!

The 2009 Jammy Awards will be held Friday April 24th at The FM Lounge (the Old Fish Market).

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.

AND THE WINNER IS...: Winner for Tara Watts Contest announced!

And the winner of the Tara Watts Prize Package is....

Fayssoux Bombardier!

Faysooux doesn't get out much mid-week to support local talent, so she's been picked as the winner to show that great shows happen in Windsor throughout the week, not just the weekend! It was a tough call between some great comments! Thanks for entering!

Faysooux can collect her prize at the door of the event tonight. Just bring ID that proves you are you and you will get entry for two tonight, plus all those glorious CD's!

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest and we hope to still see you out at this great event tonight at The Room!

CD REVIEW: Tara Watts "About Love"

Tara Watts
"About Love" (2009, Independent)
Recorded and Mixed by Eric Welton
Mastered by Dwayne Iler

To say this is one of the year's most anticipated releases is almost over-stated at this point. For years, Tara Watts has been turning heads with her songs and performances and the lack of recordings has kind of been part of the package. There were demos that would surface on her MySpace page here and there, but there didn't seem to be any visible ship on the horizon when it came to an actual full length release.

Well, all that's about to change this Thursday March 26th when Tara Watts finally unveils the fruit of her labours, with her long overdue debut album, About Love. It's being released via a live music gala at The Room (255 Ouellette Ave., above Chanoso's) that will not only see Tara playing with a full band for the first time (a band that includes her brother Brendan Watts on bass, local enigma Johnny West on piano, banjo and backing vocals and Another Saturday Knight's Chad Howson on drums), but will also showcase performances by The Locusts Have No King (another fantastic band, which Tara has recently become a part of) and an opening set by Martin Schiller aka 87 Things For The Future, whose electronic experimentation has long been admired.

The Windsor Star's Dalson Chen reviewed About Love on Monday and compared her to Sarah Harmer. While I also find this comparison somewhat true, it almost feels like a Sarah Harmer more than it actually sounds like one. It feels rustic and warm - even when she's clearly sad or wounded. When listening to the album it almost feels like she's just come in from a day in the fields, working during a rainstorm, and while she's warming up by the wood stove in the kitchen, she's just matter of factly telling you how her week went. Some things that happened were glorious, some were pretty crappy. You feel elated when she is and an uncontrollable urge to wrap an arm around her and pull the blanket on her shoulder a little snugger when the stories seem a little painful.

Tara Watts' sound has long differed from a lot of the singer/songwriters - especially the female ones - in that it's never come across as pleading. She's not pleading for men to take her seriously, she's not pleading to the women to stand and revolt, she's not pleading for world piece, she's just simply telling her stories as they are. These are her stories, her words, and she'll tell it the only way she knows how: honestly, genuinely, and articulately (even if there is a few rough edges).

Her voice is unique in that it has an almost non-sexual tone. She's definitely a woman and this is definitely a strong woman's voice, but when you listen to her songs, you're never once stricken with the notion that you're listening to a woman - unlike some female singers who seem more intensely trying to prove they're a powerful female songwriter, Tara sings like she wants to prove she's simply a powerful songwriter - the notion of having to prove her sexuality seems foreign, that her songwriting will be simply good enough. And it is. Which is a wonderful lesson many women in music should follow.

Her album is a glorious listen and it rolls like a car ride through Northern Ontario - I'll bet nationally many people will assume she's from one of the Prairie provinces or somewhere a lot more Northern than Windsor. In fact, it's almost like a Lucinda Williams record, if Williams drank a lot more Merlot than whiskey. But Watts doesn't wear her influences on her sleeve (such as Iron & Wine or Sufjan Stevens) - instead, she's carefully soaked in just enough and let it permeate into her own voice, rather than emulate or replicate.

The lead track "Overeager Heart" sounds like something Johnny Cash should have written. Perhaps not during his Sun Records days, or even his 60's era, but something he'd have done for his Rick Rubin American Recordings. From the story to the arrangement, it almost sounds like an homage to his songwriting and storytelling, but it's done in a way that never comes across as a blatant attempt to plagiarize. It's simply a story, plain and simple, and the best way to convey it is to sing it.

"Hail Outside" has been a favourite of mine for years now, since the first demo recording showed up online. The final realization is equally as haunting (perhaps more so now that an accompanying video has emerged) and it pushes the ground that singers more her ilk (like say Marianne Faithful or Nico) have walked previously. But while Faithfull's muse always seemed to be taunting her with paradise only to rip it from her track marked arms, Watts' muse seems to offer a better sunrise somewhere down the line. There's always a feeling of hope in Tara's songs, no matter how bleak the surface story seems to be.

"100 Years Old" wouldn't seem out of place on Sarah Harmer's Songs For Clem or I Am A Mountain. It's a short track, barely two minutes long, but that's the secret about songwriting. The length is irrelevant as long as the story and intention is achieved by the time it's done, whether the song is 30 seconds long or 8 minutes. A short tale of obvious lament towards an awkward ex-lover, one who isn't far from the door and who she's not sure if she wants to walk back in or not. It's done with a playful jaunt, as if she both despises the ex-lover but despises more the thought that this is something she's not yet ready to be done with.

With such an interwoven storyboard, it's tough to single out her songs individually as the best experience is simply to listen to the whole album and let its interconnectivity wash over you while you listen. But it must be said that, for me, "Camels in Canada" is the album's best offering. It could easily be Harmer or Kathleen Edwards doing a Joni Mitchell cover, but thankfully it's simply Tara Watts being herself. It's a beautiful song that I swear you can hear her smiling on. In a recent interview on CJAM 91.5 FM, Tara admitted this track was written quite recently, seemingly assembled in the studio, and perhaps its the fresh energy of tackling something so new that seems to make this track sparkle just a little more, but whatever it is, this is a perfect song for a sprint time bike ride or a hayride in the fall. It's simply timeless.

After being a solo performer for so long, Tara had to assemble a backing band for the recordings and she held back no stops in assembling a talented core of assistance from some of the local indie scene's finest players. Eric Welton not only lent his understated production, recording and mixing skills to the CD, but also lent his voice on some backing tracks. Welton has recorded some great records lately, not only his own recent efforts, but also Travis Reitsma's overlooked Bluebeard. Welton has a knack for layering and enhancing recordings with just enough flair to make the steak sizzle but without detracting from the actual "meat". Another job well done for this local producer. Dwayne Iler, more known for his own band The Original Lady Eyes, did the mastering for the album. Iler's been picking up a lot of mastering work of late and he shines once again with this offering. The music itself was done by some A-list players, including the prolific enigma known as Johnny West, who played piano, banjo and also sang back-up. The percussion and drums were laid down by Sally Zori, perhaps one of the scene's most respected percussionists.

About Love is like a collection of short stories. Individually, they are little snippets into the autobiography of Tara Watts - her shortcomings, her tragedies, her loves and her triumphs - and collectively they form a story that is bigger than the sum of the parts. It courses through the air of your room, touching each ornament on the wall, looking at every photograph you barely remember taking, dancing around the aroma of coffee in the air, and sitting down nicely right beside you, wiping at the tear you'd hadn't even noticed shedding.

CJAM 91.5 FM and WAMM Magazine presents
Tara Watts CD Release Party with special guests The Locusts Have No King and 87 Things For The Future, Thursday March 26th at The Room (255 Ouellette Ave., above Chanoso's), doors at 9pm
Live Broadcast on CJAM 91.5 FM starting at 11pm

Tara Watts on MySpace

LOOK! A TARA WATTS CONTEST!

That's right kids, another contest! In preparation for Tara Watts' highly anticipated CD release party we're doing a special contest. All you have to do is write a creative comment below about why you want to win this prize package (or why you should win) then check back on Thursday morning to see who the winner is - if it's you, you will win the following Prize Package:

* Two (2) tickets for Tara Watts' CD Release Party at The Room, Thurs. March 26th
* One (1) copy of Tara Watts' About Love CD
* One (1) copy of The Locusts Have No King The Locusts Have No King CD
* One (1) copy of David Dubois' Protected Patterns EP
* One (1) copy of Johnny West's Absence of Sway CD

NOTE: Some people have claimed they are weary of putting contact info (such as emails) on their comments - all you need is your first and last name! When I announce your name on Thursday as the winner, all you need to then do is show a piece of photo ID showing you're the name given at the door to collect your prize package! Easy enough?

CAN'T COMMENT? If you don't have a Blogger.com, Google ID, or any of the initial things asked for when leaving a comment, use one of the two options given near the bottom - "Name/URL" gives you the option of giving your name and a website option (such as a band link) or "Post Anonymous" means you have to supply even less - BUT remember to leave your first and last name in your comment so we know who are winner's names will be!

WEEK IN PREVIEW: March 23- 29, 2009

Wow. That's all I can say. Wow. This week is so immensely packed with great shows - from two amazing CD releases, to video releases, to festivals, to just plain hardcore insanity - so I hope you've saved away some bucks to spend this week! So much to choose from that I've had to pick a couple Picks of the Week instead of the usual just one. Here goes...

Monday March 23

The Milkmen
Milk Coffee Bar (68 University Ave. West)
Another night of chillaxin' at Milk with the sultry improv jazz sessions of the Monday Milkmen.

Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
The always delightful Tara Watts hosts an eclectic open mic session on Phog's stage. For the first-timer to the stage veteran, you never know who will show up and sing a song.

Open Mic with Clinton Hammond
The Kildare House (1880 Wyandotte St. East)
Windsor's longest running Open Mic continues along without any signs of showing down! The charismatic Clinton Hammon runs the gauntlet of the Open Mic - sing a song, tell a joke, the stage is open!

Tuesday March 24

Ron Leary & "Mr. Chill" Kelly Hoppe
Aardvark's Blues Cafe (89 University Ave. West)
Ron Leary and Mr. Chill play a smattering of songs, with some choice covers mixed in with songs from Leary's brilliant debut CD, theroadinbetween, and Mr. Chill's fantastic Cold Testament.

The Last Trio
The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West)
Alan Penner leads a rotating cast of some of the city's finest players through jazz interpretations and beyond.

Clare Renaud's Session
The Kildare House (1880 Wyandotte St. East)
A real traditional Celtic feel to this impromptu jam session that has all the flair of a Cape Breton house party. You never know who's going to stop by with what instrument and play what song. And the beer ain't half band neither.

Open Mic with Stefanie Sarafianos
The Mill Tavern (3199 Sandwich St.)
One half of the sisterly duo Twisted Sisters, Stephanie leads a cast of musicians of all types of experience each week on the West end.

Open Mic with Andrew MacLeod
The Dominion House (3140 Sandwich St.)
Andrew MacLeod leads another Open Mic on the West end, showcasing many of the city's finest songwriters and drinkers.

Tuesday Night Music Club with Jamie Reaume
Twig N' Berries (2135 Wyandotte St. East)
The Golden Eagles' Jamie Reaume leads an all-star cast of local musicians through one of the city's wildest Open Mac jam sessions. The Golden Eagles will be releasing their debut CD this Saturday and you can win two tickets, CDs and a T-Shirt with our exclusive blog contest.

Wednesday March 25

River of Ghosts
The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo's)
The solo project from Willy Skullz, who cut his teeth in such bands as Mister Bones and Pitch Union, brings his dark Danzig-esque sounds to the stage at the infamous Coach and Horses.

Daren Dobsky & Josh Zalev
Aardvark's Blues Cafe (89 University Ave. West)
Dobsky and Zalev lead an occassional all-star ensemble through a series of covers, from Led Zeppelin to Jeff Buckley, rock and roll to the blues.

Kenneth MacLeod & The Windsor Salt Band
The Dominion House Tavern (3140 Sandwich St.)
Kenneth MacLeod is a one-man musical wrecking crew. His talent is overwhelming and his intensity equally so. A variety of music, from East Coast to contemporary, with a supporting cast featuring Max Marshall on bass and Sally Zori on drums.

Thursday March 26

The Windsor Scene on CJAM 91.5 FM
Randi Irving continues to host the on-air version and multi-JAMMY Award winning companion to "The Windsor Scene", each and every Thursday evening from 6pm to 7pm, on CJAM 91.5 FM, Windsor's Campus and Community Radio Station. Hear tracks from some of Windsor's current musical stars as well as nuggets from the vault, not to mention live interviews and peformances!

CD RELEASE PARTY:
CJAM 91.5 FM and WAMM Magazine presents
Tara Watts' About Love wsg The Locusts Have No King and 87 Things For The Future
The Room (255 Ouellette Ave., above Chanoso's)
Pick of the Week: One of the local music scene's most heavily anticipated CD for the past year, Tara Watts finally unveils her debut album with a special showcase at The Room. The electronic sounds of 87 Things For The Future kicks things off, followed by a rousing set by The Locusts Have No King. Tara Watts will be performing with a full band featuring members of The Locusts Have No King and Johnny West.

SMASH THE GLASS FESTIVAL: Day One
Lioness (Toronto, ON), Perilelle, A Young Wife (Toronto, ON), The Floral Prints and Erica Di Maio
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
Pick of the Week: Local promoter Sonia Nza's ambitious little local festival celebrating Women in independent music has blossomed since its inception and this year features an international flavour, as local artists are joined by some great acts from across Ontario and the U.S. Indie-electro popsters Lioness headlines this kick off night at Phog Lounge.

ALL-AGES: CUTTING EDGE MUSIC FESTIVAL featuring
Explode When They Bloom, Hello Bella, Radio Adelaide, Assassinate The Following, Sinnocence, The Oath of Ares, The Unthinking Majority and Falling From Glory
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
Put on in association with Toronto's new rock station, The Edge 102.1, this Battle of the Bands style showcase pits some of Windsor's indepenent talent against each other, with the winner playing at Sound Academy in Toronto on April 24, as part of Edge 102.1 Friday Night Live broadcast.

Huladog
The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West)
Always a great night of live jazz and funk jams by a group of Windsor's premiere players. Huladog have been at it for years now and they play the perfect blend of great jazz and booty shakin' funk.

"Mr. Chill" Kelly Hoppe, Tom Hogarth and Chris Borshuk
Mezzo Ristorante & Lounge (804 Erie St. East)
Mr. Chill teams up with the incomparable voice of Tom Hogarth as well as Chris Borshuk for this intimate showcase. A great night for dinner and some music.

Friday March 27

ALL-AGES: SMASH THE GLASS FESTIVAL: Day Two
Two Hand Fools (Cleveland, OH), The Love and Terror Cult (Mississauga, ON), Empty Hands (Kitchener/Waterloo, ON), Happy Living Collective, Brass Knuckles and Cold White North (Columbus, OH)
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
The Smash The Glass Festival continues with its second big night, this time featuring a decidedly heavier, punk flavour, shifting stages to The Chubby Pickle.
$5, 7pm

CJAM's Minced Meat presents
INSIDEaMIND (Toronto, ON) wsg Magnolius (Toronto, ON)
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
Put on in part by CJAM's Emily Copeland (of the program Minced Meat), this show will feature some experimental electronic hip-hop from Toronto's INSIDEaMIND and the great hip-hop stylings of Magnolius, who are off to play Europe following this special Phog showcase. If you're fans of Jurassic-5, you'll dig these guys.

Waking Without Remorse
The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo's)
A night of doom and gloom from Leamington's Waking Without Remorse. Another of the Nu-Blood of Windsor's metal scene.

"Mr. Chill" Kelly Hoppe and Greg Cox
The Tecumseh Roadhouse
Mr. Chill and Witness bandmate Greg Cox bring their guitars, harmonicas and extensive songbook to the Tecumseh Roadhouse for a night of great BBQ and great storytelling.

Saturday March 28

CD RELEASE PARTY:
The Golden Eagles' The Golden Eagles wsg Vultures! and The Tree Streets
The Liquor Box (2155 Wyandotte St. West)
Pick of the Week: Check out the CD review posted on Saturday for your chance to win two tickets to this release party, plus copies of the CD and a T-Shirt. A sure-fire rock and roll party, the Golden Eagles bring Vultures! and The Tree Streets to the dance.

CD/VIDEO RELEASE PARTY:
Living In Armour wsg Betrayer and 40 Sons and Daughters (Hamilton, ON)
The Blind Dog (671 Ouellette Ave.)
Out of the ashes of Dronefly emerged a new heavier, darker and more cohesive unit in Living In Armour. These guys are veterans of the scene and have perfected their aggressive melodic metalcore sound to a tee. They're unleashing their debut CD as well as their debut video this night, with help from local metal icons Betrayer and Hamilton's 40 Sons and Daughters.

Young Rival (Hamilton, ON) and Songs From A Room (Toronto, ON) wsg Death or Comber and The Legendary Sean Connery Supergroup
The Dominion House Tavern
Pick of the Week: Formerly known as The Ride Theory, Young Rival have carved out a niche as one of Canada's biggest indie buzz bands, with opening slots for Wolf Parade and King Khan & The Shrines to playing just about every festival out there. Their video for "Your Island" is one of the Featured Videos on MySpace right now. Toronto's Songs From A Room got their initial start right here in Windsor and have also been creating quite a buzz of late. Joined by the great Death or Comber and The Legendary Sean Connery Supergroup (featuring members of Water/Heart), this will be a high energy show to be sure.

The Jet Trio wsg Destroy Thy Will
The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo's)
Get ready to have your faces melted off as if you were a Nazi opening the Ark of the Covenant. The Jet Trio are one of Windsor's premiere riff masters and their brand of stoner rock is unavoidably infectious. Add in the sheer intensity of Scott Funnel and Destroy Thy Will and your face doesn't stand a chance. You've been warned.

"Mr. Chill" Kelly Hoppe and Greg Cox
Taloola Cafe (396 Devonshire Rd.)
Mr. Chill and Mr. Cox tone their songs to an even more intimate acoustic experience with a nice early showcase from 8:30pm to 10pm.

The Original Lady Eyes wsg Meters To Miles
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
These guys just get better and better, honing on such classic 80's college material as early U2, REM and The Cure, but mixing it into something modern, unique and inevitably Windsor. They're joined by newcomers Meters To Miles, featuring Dan Marshall, formerly of 90's power-pop faves B-Plan.

ALL-AGES: Malignacy (Yonkers, NY) wsg Our Lady of Bloodshed (Brantford, ON), Analyze The Catastrophe, Dismata (Tilbury, ON) and Abstractionist
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
It doesn't get much darker than New York's Malignancy - this is real death metal, akin to older legends of the genre like Cannibal Corpse. Add in some
This is an All-Ages show with doors at 5pm

Dean Lickyer (Hamilton, ON) wsg The Eclectic Chair
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
Hamilton's Dean Lickyer (a band not a person) was recently touted by KISS' Gene Simmons as the Best Band at Canadian Music Week this year and got a cheque for $10,000 from the Demon himself. They're joined by local grunge rockers The Eclectic Chair. This show starts about 10pm.

Sunday March 29

Walls of Jericho (Detroit, MI) wsg The Red Chord (Boston, MA), Turmoil (Philadelphia, PA) and Days Fade
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
Detroit's highly influential metal vets hit Windsor as part of their current tour with The Red Chord and Turmoil, with local hardcore kings Days Fade joining the bill. I'll bet someone loses a tooth at this show.

Dusty
Aardvark's Blues Cafe (89 University Ave. West)
One of the city's premiere entertainers, hand down, he plays an impressive mix of songs, from outlaw country to rock and roll to a little dab of hair metal. Genuinely super dude with a great sense of humour.

Open Mic with Dan Marshall
The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West)
Meters To Miles' frontman Dan Marshall leads an impromptu Open Mic at the Old Fish Market each and every Sunday.

CD REVIEW: The Golden Eagles "The Golden Eagles"

The Golden Eagles
"The Golden Eagles" (Independent, 2009)
Produced by Mark Plancke and The Golden Eagles

The Golden Eagles have landed.

A relative newcomer to the local music scene, this new power trio will be having their inaugural CD release party at The Liquor Box (2155 Wyandotte St. West) a week today, on Saturday March 28th. And it should be nothing short of a rock and roll party.

I recently received an advance copy of their CD, entitled simply The Golden Eagles, and all I can say is, I can't wait for the summer. This is a record full of great fun rock and roll with enough hooks to keep your head a rockin' while cruising down Riverside Drive. Recorded locally with Mark Plancke at The Shark Tank, The Golden Eagles have struck gold with the first surefire hit release of what promises to be a very exciting summer for local music.

First off, let me start by saying that although The Golden Eagles are relatively new to the scene, the players themselves are not. The trio is fronted by Jamie Reaume, formerly of Foreign Film Star (easily one of the local music scene's most underappreciated and overlooked bands of the past few years, especially considering how fantastic the last CD, Dim The Lights and Leave For A Better Place was), and is rounded out by Neil Tupling (ex-Lost Souls Division) on bass and Geoff Yunker on drums.

From the explosive guitar chug-a-lug of the opening track (and easily one of the standouts) "Cell Phone", The Golden Eagles is a blueprint for hook-driven power pop. Emphasis on the word power. The songs are well structured and each morsel is just enough to savor the flavour without choking on an extra verse or wallowing in unnecessarily noodling. Think if Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age got together and wrote an album with Rick Neilsen of Cheap Trick and you'll get an idea of what to expect.

"See You Coming" follows up with another hook-laden romp that expands on the first track. One of things that I really found impressive with this record is how well it flowed. This is something that every local band needs to be aware of - making a record flow. Your album should flow like a good story, even if the songs seemingly have nothing in common. It should be like riding on a boat in the Mediterranean, a pleasant ride. If an album's flow is "on", listening start to finish should be a painless experience. If it's disjointed, or songs are put in an awkward order, that Mediterranean gets mighty choppy. Luckily, the boys in The Golden Eagles have done a wonderful job of streaming their music together.

Integrated on the album are a few well placed instrumentals, such as "Bird of Prey" (which sounds ominously like a snippet from U2's "Bullet The Blue Sky"), with little "skit" pieces (a few seconds of dialogue) that make the entire album feel like it's a part of something bigger than just the songs. It almost feels like it should be a soundtrack to something.

"Go" carries forth out of "Bird of Prey" and it's another rocker, a tongue-in-cheek groove riding chug-a-lug riff (they have tons of those ones), where Reame snarls "Can you maybe show me how to dance/Pump and clap your hands/No more time for talk/Let's just fucking rock!" through what feels like a sarcastic impish grin. Another solid offering.

The album switches gears a bit with "Surfing At The Circus", a mellower tune that, of all of them, sounds most like Reaume's prior outfit, Foreign Film Star. It's a hazy head bopper that just screams to be played in a packed stadium with 25,000 people singing along to the "I know, I know, I KNOW!" refrain.

They quickly pull out of the mellow sentimental and follow it up with another rocking chugger, a dark and muddy greasy spooner called "Don't Wanna Know" that almost brings in vocal similarities to Frank Zappa singing for Alice in Chains.

"Twenty Something" brings in a bit of psychedelia into the power trio rock jams that have dominated most of the album so far, yet it fits in perfectly well, not over-used or exploited, but used with just enough grace to make the track stand out on its own and not get lost within the shuffle of all the other big rock numbers.

The dialogue excerpt "Dr. Shark's Leather Couch" is a great piece that slides into another of the track's highlights, the quirky ukulele pop ditty "The Duke". This track could just as easily be something off of a Scott Weiland solo album or an outtake from a Paul McCartney record. They couldn't have picked a better closing track for the album - after having your face rocked and roll for the past 25 minutes or so, the album seems to soundtrack its own end credits, with the three players going from being riff master jammers throughout the show to being three rag tag street musicians walking off into the sunset, having conquered yet another town from its rock and roll mediocrity and the day truly saved.

The Golden Eagles CD Release Party with special guests Vultures! and The Tree Streets, Saturday March 28th at The Liquor Box (2155 Wyandotte St. West). Tickets are $7 for just the show, or $15 for entry plus a copy of the album.

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HOLY COW! A GOLDEN EAGLES CONTEST!

Yes, the kindly gents in The Golden Eagles are supplying a special Golden Eagles gift-pack to one lucky reader of this Blog. All you have to do is write a comment here saying why you want to win the Golden Eagles prize pack (along with your first and last name) and I'll pick a winner at random on Friday March 27th, with the Winner being announced right here on the Blog! (so check back then to see if you've won!).

What do you win?

"The Official Golden Eagles CD Release Party Party Pack!"

* Two (2) complimentary tickets for the March 28th CD Release show at The Liquor Box - these are the $15 tickets that also come with a copy of the CD
* One (1) Men's Large T-Shirt sporting the ultra-chic retro Golden Eagles logo
* One (1) copy of The Tree Streets' "Right To Stand", their latest CD

So who wants 'em?

NOTE: Some people have claimed they are weary of putting contact info (such as emails) on their comments - all you need is your first and last name! When I announce your name on Friday as the winner, all you need to then do is show a piece of photo ID showing you're the name given at the door to collect your prize package! Easy enough?

CAN'T COMMENT? If you don't have a Blogger.com, Google ID, or any of the initial things asked for when leaving a comment, use one of the two options given near the bottom - "Name/URL" gives you the option of giving your name and a website option (such as a band link) or "Post Anonymous" means you have to supply even less - BUT remember to leave your first and last name in your comment so we know who are winner's names will be!