Lindi Ortega - Little Red Boots

10 years after her debut album, Toronto's Lindi Ortega seems ready to finally break through and gain the commercial attention she deserves. I stumbled upon her music on MySpace (remember MySpace?) three or four years ago and was instantly taken in by her stunning voice. This woman could sing the phone book and the crowd would be transfixed. I hate to make comparisons, but Ortega's pipes are a beautiful blend of Dolly Parton, Jeff Buckley and Emmylou Harris.

Aside from her mesmerizing voice, Ortega proves that she is one helluva songwriter with Little Red Boots. From start to finish, this album is pretty much flawless. The predominant feel is rootsy alt-country, with a bit of bluegrass, folk and blues thrown in for good measure. You can tell that Ortega's record collection includes plenty of old school country artists like Dolly, Waylon, Willie, Johnny and Merle. (It's sad that real country nowadays is referred to as "alt-country" while Taylor Swift and Shania Twain are "country." But I digress.)

Album opener "Little Lies" is an uptempo country stomper, complete with some killer stand up bass. "Blue Bird" is a fun, rollicking 2 minute bluegrass number with some impressive banjo picking throughout. "Angels" is a breezy, midtempo, rootsy tune that'll stick in your head for days, much like the rest of the album. "I'm No Elvis Presley" is a firecracker of a tune that is self-deprecating, yet manages to raise the middle finger to her detractors ("I'm no Elvis Presley, so who the hell are you?"). I'm pretty sure anyone who has stepped onstage can appreciate this song.

Ortega's 12 original tunes would make an incredible album by itself. However, she closes the album with an absolutely transcendent version of my favourite Bruce Springsteen song, "I'm On Fire." If your heart doesn't melt and the hairs on the back of your neck don't stand after hearing this version, then we can never be friends. This is hands down one of the finest recordings I've heard in years. Period. What a perfect closer to a pretty perfect album. This is easily one of the top 5 best albums of the year so far. And in a year that's seen releases by PJ Harvey, R.E.M., The Strokes, Steve Earle, etc, that's saying a LOT.

You can check out her video for "Angels" and a live version of "I'm On Fire" below.

No Fly List – Blaze On

I recently acquired a No Fly List record called ‘Blaze On’. It’s a rock’n’roll record that was released by the Ottawa trio this past April. Originally starting as a jam band, the No Fly List quickly had momentum building around their area. They have been playing local venues, which originally consisted of showing up for open mic nights. It quickly turned into a serious band selling out Irene’s Pub in Ottawa for the release of their debut record.

Blaze On is a rock’n’roll record, and a solid one for sure. It opens with ‘4 Chords Away,’ which is a very Canadian song. Think 54-40 meets Blue Rodeo. It’s rockin’ and hooky with fun riffs all over the place. Next up is a really smooth transition into ‘A Secret Amongst Friends’. To me, it’s the mellower singer/songwriter sister of the first track. Next is ‘Shock Therapy’, and it’s the tastiest track on the record. It’s definitely the danciest. Almost at the midpoint of the record is ‘Up For Air’ which is an instrumental ditty reaching just over a minute in length. I would describe it as atmospheric, classical pop. Following this is ‘Ambush,’ an acoustic lament turned shoegaze-style song that is almost epic in quality. It’s nice how the clean guitars mesh with distorted guitars. It never gets out of control which is good. It’s not too much and stays within the realm of what it should be. The next three songs stay on the mellower side of things with ‘Blaze On’, ‘Upstate’ and ‘Ambush (Reprise) which are all good songs in their own right. ‘Self Discipline’ picks it up again with a fun feelin’ bass heavy rock track. Lastly is a track which showcases the band's musicianship and songwriting abilities.

Overall ‘Blaze On’ is a strong debut record from the No Fly List. I really think their strengths lie in their alternative rock’n’roll style of songs. That being said, the songs on the lighter side still hold their own. I can only imagine that the No Fly List puts on a hell of a show. One could expect that the rockin’ tracks are full of energy and the mellower ones are as captivating as all hell.

Highlights: 4 Chords Away, A Secret Amongst Friends, Shock Therapy and Self Disciplined

I look forward to seeing the boys in action. If you are in the Ottawa area you are in for a treat because you can do just that. The No Fly List play at the Elmdale Tavern on June 30th located @1084 Wellington St W in Ottawa with Life in 2D opening.

Cheers Rockers,

www.noflylistmusic.com
www.facebook.com/noflylist
*listen here: http://noflylist.bandcamp.com/album/blaze-on

The Criminal Kid: It Isn’t Enough

I have known of The Criminal Kid for some time but just haven’t had the chance to see them. I have wanted to, it’s just one of those things. This past Saturday I went to the Artesian see a local band ‘Chad Kichula and the Douglas Avenue Garage Band.’ While Chad put on a good show, I was disappointed to find out the CK had opened and I had missed it. I was however fortunate to run into the bass player of The Criminal Kid, Jeremy Pilon and received my copy of the bands ep ‘It Isn’t Enough’.

The Criminal Kid I am told, have transformed into something different than what they originally set out to be. Having known a couple of the members previous projects, when I am told they used to be a band that was on the hard side and toned it down and become more a rock’n’roll band I knew exactly what they meant. The Criminal Kid can only be described as that band you never knew but saw at a festival like the 90’s Canadian touring Edgefest and were blown away. Sure there were bands that you have listened to for years, but pound for pound this band is the treat on the bill. They give me that kind of feeling. They are more than what I expected.

‘It Isn’t Enough’ opens with the title track of the record and if I have one objection to the record it’s minor things in this song. Personally I think that the opening guitars in this track and opening vocals should have both been double tracked. The singers (Allysia Kerney) vocals should be bigger and so should the opening guitars. Keep in mind those are just minor things. The record as a whole is very well done. Now that all that constructive criticism is out of the way, we can move on to the good stuff. Allysia’s vocal stylings really are perfect for the song. The song has a nice momentum to it that you can’t help groove to. Jeremy and drummer Mike Van Betuw really kill it on this track and Vic Roman has great stinging guitar solo that couldn’t be better suited for the song.

I love how this band pulls from what I can only imagine was a shit ton of influences. There is some 80’s and 90’s stuff in here but it still remains really modern. Keys open the second song ‘I Have a Beautiful Dream’. The vocals on this track are thick but sexy. The keys mixed with Vic’s clean sounding guitars create a crisp full sound. The track has an atmospheric sound with a steady rhythm that is full and gripping. It peaks just when it should. It’s a slow dancy number that the kids will cry for.

The last track on the record ‘You Are’ is probably me favourite. Kind of a Rainbow Butt Monkeys meets Holly McNarland kind of vibe. I broke two sticks playing air drums to this one. ‘You Are’ is an up tempo ditty made for the charts.

The Criminal Kid are a band that have discovered how to make their own sound that is that is likely to appeal to anyone. It’s pop, rock, dark and fun all at the same time. They have well written songs that are sure to hit homeruns with any listener. I wouldn’t change a thing about this band. I look forward to a full record from these talented Regina rockers. I can’t wait to see these guys live… can’t wait!

Below is a real treat, a scaled down acoustic of The Criminal Kid's new track 'Little Wind'.

http://www.thecriminalkid.ca/

http://www.facebook.com/TheCriminalKid

Cheers Rockers,

The Cars - Move Like This

The Cars' catalogue has always remained current and fresh to me. They have never sounded liked dated 80’s music to me. So when I heard that Ric Ocasek and the band had reunited and were going to release a new record entitled ‘Move Like This’, I was unsure what to expect or what it was going to sound like. Were they going to sound tired or try to go in a new direction and be something they aren’t? Bands like BTO (now just Bachman and Turner) and Trooper just can’t seem to pull off relevance anymore. Maybe that’s a bad example since to me those bands were always just 3’s dressed up as 9’s. Nonetheless, when I think of those bands, the first thing that comes to mind is “Oh great, more rehashed, tired old crap”.

Not the case with the Cars, however. ‘Move Like This’ beams into 2011 as fresh and relevant as they ever were. The only difference is that now the artists that were inspired by the band that recorded albums such as their self-titled record and ‘Heartbeat City’ can now hope to share the stage with them. ‘Move Like This’ is the comeback that makes 1987’s ‘Door to Door’ album forgivable. They picked up were their peak left off and put out a modern new wave record that is worthy of any Cars fan. In the 70’s and 80’s, the Cars made really great complete songs and have done so again. This album could have come out in 1988, 1998, 2008 or as it has now. It doesn’t matter when it was released because the Cars have put out a fresh record that is not dated and is stylized in their classic sound. That is everything I would want in a new Cars record.

While the late Ben Orr’s physical contributions are not there, his spirit is definitely on the record. The song ‘Soon’ is very reminiscent of ‘Drive’ and ‘Sad Song’ let’s us know that this is still the band your best friend's girl listened to. That being said, ‘Keep On Knocking’, ‘Too Late’ and ‘Hit’s Me’ are my personal favourites. The record is an instant classic for any Cars fan (or for any rock’n’roll fan in general for that matter). If I had to pick one that I don’t dig as much as the rest, it would be ‘Blue Tip’. I like it, but it seems a little like an 80’s novelty song one would get sick of. A little too talky sounding in combination with the synth is what I think gives me that vibe. Again it’s still a great tune.

Minus Ben Orr, the original band is still intact with Ric Ocasek on rhythm guitar/vox, Elliot Easton on lead guitar, Greg Hawkes on keyboards/synth and David Robinson on drums. ‘Move Like This’ is simply a record you must pick up. Ric Ocasek has done what many bands have forgotten how to or never have known how to do, and that’s write great pop rock’n’roll songs where the songs themselves are the focus. There is not one bad cut on the record which is pretty impressive for a band in their late 50’s and early 60’s.





Cheers Rockers,

Kalle Mattson - Anchors

Anchors is the second long-player from Ontario's up-and-coming Kalle Mattson, following 2009's Whisper Bee. The brainchild of singer/songwriter Kalle Wainio, Kalle and his band have constructed a fantastic batch of tunes with some diverse influences. I hate to make comparisons to other bands, but sometimes that's the easiest way to begin discussing a new artist. To me, Anchors sounds like a mix between The Weakerthans, Stars and Pavement with some folk and garage rock thrown in for good measure. But forget about trying to peg this band. They're just damn good. Each of the ten tracks are standouts, but my personal favourites are the rollicking "Thick As Thieves" and "Good Morning, Good Night." Featuring mixing by famed producer Howie Beck (Feist, Jason Collett, Jason Rouse), this album is a must for folkies, hipsters and rockers alike. Do yourself a favour and check it out!

You can stream the album here:

http://kallemattson.bandcamp.com/

As well, you check out the cool video for "Thick As Thieves" below:

Johnny Hatch - Happiness Instead

Regina's own Johnny Hatch is definitely a "glass half full" kind of guy. His new album Happiness Instead just oozes with positive energy. If you're not smiling by the time this album is over, you might as well just jump in front of a bus right now. There is no hope for you. Hatch's latest batch of tunes are full of uplifting, melodic folk, rock, pop and dance tunes that will stick in your head for days. As an original member of a little known band that would become The Waltons, Hatch's music is firmly entrenched in what many people (myself included... yes, I am getting old) would call the "golden age" of Can-Rock. If you love early 90's Canadian bands like The Lowest of the Low, Rheostatics, Barenaked Ladies, Odds, Grapes of Wrath (and yes... The Waltons), then you will really dig this album.

Hatch writes pop songs in the classic sense of the term. The emphasis is on melody, with a template based on mid-tempo folk/rock/pop tunes. However, he gives each song the appropriate treatment it deserves. The end result is a diverse, yet cohesive, album that flows naturally from one song to the next. Album opener "Echo" is a fantastic folk-rocker which blends nicely next to the dance-rock of "In L.A." I can't wait wait to see Hatch and his band play "In L.A." live. I guarantee that people will be shaking their butts to this killer tune. Other highlights include "Lucky Seven Yeah!" (which almost matches the number of "yeah's" found in Nirvana's "In Lithium" and R.E.M.'s "Man on the Moon"), the ska-induced "Precious Time" and the garage rocker "Find The Door." At only 9 songs, Hatch makes a bold, compact statement and leaves the listener wanting more... which is a good thing.

This album is definitely worth your time and hard earned moolah. Make sure to check him and his band out when they tour in the next few months! You can check out his music here.

Interview w/ Ripperz Drummer Travis Warkentin

Three of my favourite independent bands are bands that unless you follow the independent music scene you may not know of. Luckily the Hot Blood Bombers and the Bystanders are from Regina. However, one band you will want to see seven days from now is Winnipeg's rock n' roll specialists the Ripperz.

On August 22, 2009 I randomly walked into Regina's O'Hanlon's Irish Pub for a pint with a girl whose name escapes me at the moment. Her name is not important, what is important is that I saw one of best rocks bands western Canada has to offer. In fact, I thought they were so good that I nerded out and asked the singer to sign their record that I had just bought. He advised me that he'd love to but would prefer to sign his. Apparently we had missed the opening act Hard Feelings and the guy I bought record from was a Hard Feelings member... not the Ripperz roadie I thought he was. That's alright, that night I left with two really great records.

It will be nice to get some new and old friends out to see the Ripperz back at Ohan's this Thursday April 7th. It was a long year and a half wait but I suspect it will be worth it. Their self-titled record is flawless and their show is even better.

I have posted a couple examples of their work 'Elephant Blues' and my personal favourite...today: 'Baby, Let's Go Out'. Each of them are quite different so be be sure to check them both out. For more highlights like 'Fly' and 'Born Fighting' I will see you Thursday.

I am please to present to you my interview with the man behind the kit, Ripperz drummer Travis Warkentin.

Cheers Rockers.

SPUN: For someone just getting into your music how would you characterize your music, how would you describe it?
T.W: Generally, we are an indie rock band. We don't try to sound like anybody else so its hard to say what we sound like.

SPUN: Who is in the band? Who plays what?
T.W: Chris Sawatzky guitar and vocals. Mark Wiebe bass. Travis Warkentin drums.

SPUN: How long have you been a band? How did you come together to start playing?
T.W: We have been a band for around 10 years on and off, mostly on. We have been taking things seriously for about the past 4 or 5 years.

SPUN: Who has been your greatest inspiration?
T.W: For me, the band itself is an inspiration. I love watching it grow and develop. I like seeing how people react when they have never seen us play before. Getting a good reaction form a new fan is all the inspiration I need.

SPUN: Which one of your songs is your favourite?
T.W: 'Fly' is my favorite song to play. I would compare it to the same feeling you have when you are leaving work on a Friday.

SPUN: What do you want your fans to take away from your music?
T.W:I just want our fans to have a good time after a hard day at the office. I want our music to make people want to interact with someone they have never talked to before.

SPUN: I have wondered since I first heard the name, where did you come up with the name the Ripperz?
T.W: The name comes from the TV show Full House. The band on the show was Jesse and the Rippers. We had to tweak it slightly.

SPUN: Do you prefer to play at home or to play the road?
T.W: I love playing on the road most. I love catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. Plus there is always a chance we might have to sleep in our astro van. We only did that once.

SPUN: There are a lot of great bands/songwriters in this country of ours. Why should I come see your band? What makes what you so special?
T.W: We have "it".

SPUN: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
T.W: Our biggest challenge so far has been making the band into a full-time job. We are always at war with this dragon and as of yet, Bard has not brought down Smaug.

SPUN: When you aren't playing or writing, what occupies your time?
T.W: We as a band will kick anyone's ass at street hockey.

SPUN: What was the first record you ever bought and do you still own it?
T.W: I can't remember the first record I bought. But It was probably Zao, Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest. I still listen to that album all the time. It's a classic.

SPUN: Is there anything the band listens to between cities that you may be embarrassed to mention?
T.W: Dan Hill 'Sometimes When We Touch', the Boney M Christmas album, and Yakety Sax (the theme from the Benny Hill show)

SPUN: Do you have any worst show stories? Trainwrecks or funny blunders?
T.W: We haven't really had any over-the-top mishaps onstage yet but I am sure one day a tossed beer bottle while find its place with one of our foreheads before our time is up.

SPUN: How many records have you put out? Do you have plans for more?
T.W: We have one record and about another album worth of poorly released material prior to that. We are planing on hitting the studio in June and by fall we should have something new out again.

SPUN: How can fans to be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with samples songs and/or where can they get a copy of music?
T.W: Fans can gain access to our music via our website www.theripperz.com or our myspace at www.myspace.com/theripperz , or via facebook, search the ripperz friendz.

SPUN: What is coming on the horizon for the Ripperz?
T.W: The open road.

SPUN: Lastly give me two words to end this interview.
T.W: Have fun!

Photo Credit: Jordana Meilleur

Elephant Blues


Baby, Let's Go Out