Archive for the ‘Indie Music’ Category
Justin Quinton, from the “NoAudience” project has just released his second Podcast (give or take a couple days). To my knowledge, this is the only Podcast coming out Medicine Hat which is quite cool. It’s great to see the start of new forms of media emerge in Medicine Hat. If you missed the first podcast and introduction, please check it out and if you missed the first post explaining the NoAudience project, please view that as well. When I first listened to the Podcast almost a month ago, I was blown away with the quality of production as I was expecting a lot worse being the first Podcast I have ever heard coming out of Medicine Hat.
Justin even gave a shout out to Medicine Hat Media on the second podcast. Sorry for the delay on posting this one; give me a break, i’m currently on my holidays.
Medicine Hat JazzFest 2009 Logo
This year’s Medicine Hat’s own Jazz festival, “Medicine Hat JazzFest” will be taking place from June 19th to the 28th with events happening every day in between. I would first love to congratulate the team that brought together the graphics and design direction for the program booklet, the website, posters, and even the t-shirts – it is really well done and beautifully executed. If anybody knows who did it, I would love to find out.
Anyways, moving right a long, This year’s JazzFest has a crazy amount of events, musicians and gatherings throughout the full 9 days. I was at first going to list them verbatim from the program booklet, but alas, they were really organized and even have an online PDF for your viewing and reading pleasure. I will tell you though that it features more than 30 different events with almost as many different bands or performers.
You can also grab yourself a ticket pass which costs $139, but this allows you to get into every show without a cover charge, so it’s well worth it even if you plan on going to half the events. There’s a couple restrictions though, make sure you read the fine print on the ticket page. If you are really into it, make sure you read through the full program because there is some other events happening not listed in the schedule including events happening at places like Twist, The Ottoman Lounge and Devine to name a very few.
If you are broke, looking for free shows or just don’t like supporting local and national music for some reason (for shame!), there is also plenty of no charge events going on as well. More notably in this category, is the Vespa Youth Stage which will be a free BBQ as well as feature music by plenty of local young talents in the city including Jess Dollimont. This one will take place at Riverside Bandshell First St. S.E. (across from City Hall) starting at noon Thursday, June 25th.
Event Schedule PDF
Full Program PDF
Medicine Hat JazzFest Website
Warped Tour is geared up again for the year and hitting Calgary on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at The Race City Speedway.
Alexisonfire Moshpit, Warped Tour, Calgary 2006 - Photo by dristis-mudra
For those who are unaware, Warped Tour or Vans Warped Tour began in 1994 as a showcase for Punk Rock and Third Wave Ska music. More recently; however, it has begun incorporating different types of genres, including electronica, post-hardcore, metalcore and Christian rock, though punk rock bands still regularly play on the tour.
Along with featuring over 100 bands, the tour will host many more popular bands on the main stage, including Bad Religion, NoFX, Anti-Flag, Flogging Molly, The Bouncing Souls, Underoath, and much more. The tour will also offer half pipes for skaters and bikers (a tribute to the connection between punk and skate), merchandise booths for most of the bands that perform, independent magazines and non-profit organizations/sponsors offering their wares. It is not unusual to see band members at their merchandise booths before and after their performances to meet fans.
Beginning in 2006, Warped Tour has been committed to the Warped Eco Initiative. The cross-country tour buses now use Bio-diesel fuel, which reduces petroleum usage by 30%. One stage is entirely run on solar power. Catering now uses washable dishes as opposed to disposable dishes. And the packaging used is made from compostable corn and potato-starch.
Tickets can be bought through Ticketmaster. Check it out!
Warped Tour
Warped Tour in Calgary page
SoundProof Magazine’s 2008 Warped Tour Calgary coverage
dristis-mudra’s 2006 Warped Tour Calgary photostreak on Flickr
The Fast Romantics are an alternative (indie) rock band from Calgary and are most recently playing gigs to promote their self-titled debut album. Their sound kind of reminds me of a mix between Arcade Fire (to reference a popular band) and something kind of like piano-pop with some jazzy bits – with maybe a little mix of The New Pornographers, Hot Hot Heat, and The Strokes (in some of the synthesized stuff – more notably at the end “Stop Me”). Obviously with all of my references, they are a little hard to categorize, which is nice, because even though the genre isn’t my favourite, their music kept my quite satiated with an interest for they were throwing out on their first release.
The Fast Romantics CD Cover Design
It was all quite varied too, there’s a lot of different sounds going on throughout the album – but not exactly all over the place, it all worked together nicely. Very up-beat, very danceable (like lots of brit-pop and indie-rock) and overall a nice mix. I wasn’t shooting my mouth off about the “jazzy” bits either, “Mr. Magoo” features a trumpet, a clarinet, a trombone and a baritone sax (and a bass/guitar/piano/drums if those count too). If you want to get technical, several tracks also feature a viola, violin and cello as well. Keep in mind though, all of the external instruments are being played by external participants, or “special guests” which I list at the bottom of the post.
The album artwork is very nice with masterful and playful illustrations by Dave Barnes and design by Matthew Angus (the vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist of the band). The illustrations take place throughout the cover, the inside flap, the CD, under the CD and even on the back – it’s all great, beautiful, and typeset mostly in Trajan Pro (to ensure the EPICNESS).
Kirby, also known as John Kirby, is a talented Canadian folk artist and will be playing at The Ottoman Lounge, March 19th, and again on April 17th. Kirby has toured Canada solo three times in 2008 in support of his second release “The Good Fight EP”. Now, on this tour, he has 32 separate dates all across Canada.
The Good Fight EP Cover
Listening through some of his online stuff and even downloading his full set of releases; yes that’s right, you can legally grab all of his music (including demos and other stuff) in good ol’ MP3 form right off of his website here – he seems to be a very talented folk artist in the traditional acoustic singer-songwriter fashion, reminding me of John Mayer in my limited scope. Lots of his music seems depressing or more introspective on a basic level, but as one commenter put it, Craig Webster, on his blog,
“On the surface, you might think songs like “Defeat” and “Lost Loved Ones” are songs of sorrow and despair, but you’d be wrong. Instead, they are songs about overcoming your obstacles, and they show the listener that no matter how bleak life and its situations might look, there is an optimistic way to look at it.”
I think I would tend to agree with him, especially when viewing his first video single “The Good Fight” (shown below).
Videos and links after the jump!
Tomorrow (Tuesday, March 10th, 2009) The Ottoman Lounge will feature CD releases from renowned local musician, Brett Nelson and Thomas DiNinno’s new project entitled “Funs”. There will be DJ sets by The Overtone Documents, Chocolate Blake and Capital RRR’s. On top of all this, Thomas will also be launching the new Medicine Hat local music zine called “Fan Club Music Club”. Admission is $5 as usual but you will also be getting a free copy of the new 32-page Fan Club Music Club zine.
Fan Club Music Club
Show Poster
We’ll have more information about the zine in a later post.
The Ottoman Lounge
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
8:00pm – 11:00pm
502 South Railway Street SE
Brett Nelson @ MySpace
Funs (Thomas DiNinno) @ MySpace
Fan Club Music Club @ MySpace
Blake Jones, Thee Hoolies, and The Stolen Organ Family Band will be playing Tuesday (February 17th) night at The Ottoman Lounge starting at 8:00PM. Collectively they will be bringing you a mix of indie and acoustic rock, while The Stolen Organ Family Band pushes more into the more experimental/psychedelic side of things. There is a $5 cover charge as per usual.
Blake Jones, Thee Hoolies, The Stolen Organ Family Band - Poster
Blake Jones @ MySpace
Thee Hoolies @ MySpace
The Stolen Organ Family Band @ MySpace
Thee Hoolies Live at The Exchange (September 2008)
There’s a Young and Pretty Folk Music Association show going on tonight at CAPE School which means it’s one of those rare all-ages show. Thomas DiNinno, creator of the Young and Pretty Folk Music Association, states that they are talking a break from doing bar shows to do some all-ages shows.
Thwomp - Photo via MySpace
There’s a mixed bag tonight featuring Russia Attacks, an all-girl band from Medicine Hat that sing about Russian history. There’s Thwomp, a Calgary-based Nintendo cover band who cover songs from classics such as Chrono Trigger, F-Zero, Final Fantasy and more. Mordichia is Jonathan Micheal Walker from Medicine Hat who plays music that can be described as techno-indie experimental kinda stuff. Lastly is Ghostkeeper is some genuinely good indie-rock from Calgary.
CAPE School
830A Balmoral Street SE, T1A 0W9
Also keep in mind there is also a Gob show tonight happening in Redcliff (it’s kinda pricey though). Doors open at 8PM and admission is $5, and like I stated before, it’s an all-ages show so bring your babies – I’m talking about newborns and the like – bring em’ all.
Russia Attacks @ MySpace
Thwomp @ MySpace
Ghostkeeper @ MySpace
MORDICHIA @ MySpace
You heard right, tomorrow night (December 23, 2008) lasting from 9:00pm to 2:00am there will be a Christmas dance party of the indie-pop persuasion at The Silver Buckle. There will be a $5 cover charge and it will be DJ Bones’ first time DJing in Medicine Hat. The cool part is he will be taking requests all night as well he will be taking pre-requests via the Facebook Event board.
Christmas Indie Pop Dance Part at The Silver Buckle featuring Bones
The Silver Buckle
687 South Railway Street SE
Medicine Hat, AB
Featuring some tunes by the following bands/groups:
“The Strokes, Bloc Party, The Pixies, Franz Ferdinand, Of Montreal, The Stone Roses, Spoon, Rich Aucoin, The Unicorns, The Virgins, Boats, The Cure, The Pipettes, Metric, Two Hours Traffic, Komeda, Vampire Weekend, Mark Ronson, Spiral Beach, LCD Soundsystem, Modest Mouse, Wolf Parade, The Hidden Cameras, Belle and Sebastian, The Rapture, The Postal Service, The Shins, MGMT, Cut Copy, Black Kids, Sleepless Nights, Chromeo, Justice and way more…”
So basically half my iTunes collection. Too bad some of us have to work still! Also not to mention I hate the scene, haha. All photos/posters have been supplied by the Facebook Event.
DJ Bones -Photo by Mary-Jane Doucette
Mount Royal (or Mt. Royal) is a born and bread Medicine Hat-based band.
Image courtesy of Mt. Royal
The band operates primarily as a quintet, consisting of brothers Robert and Thomas DiNinno, Steve Lind, Ryan Goehring and Dustin Desharnais, but it is not unusual for other members and friends to drift in and out casually, most notably Mike Wallace and Nicole Brunel.
Mount Royal was initially conceived in the early 2000’s, starting out as a high school band by The DiNinno brothers. Since then, they have received much success mainly in the Medicine Hat area and most often play at The Ottoman Lounge. They often attract the majority of the student population of the Medicine Hat Visual Communications cousre to their shows, as The DiNinno brothers both participated in the course. Over the past two summers, Mount Royal has done two cross-Canada tours and in going between the east and west coast, have befriended many musicians along the way, always to return with open arms to their fans in Medicine Hat.
You can easily find out if Mount Royal is playing a show simply by looking around Medicine Hat for the craziest band posters. Extreme colour usages, crazy illustrations and fighting robots are among their intriguing way of advertising shows.
Mount Royal at The Ottoman Lounge
At shows, it is not unusual to see the crowd get into their music, or conversely, to see random people who have not witnessed them before have an awkward look on their face, not being sure what to make of the unique style of music. Such a response, I am sure, would make Mount Royal all the more happier with their performance. As The DiNinno brothers are from the Medicine Hat Visual Communications course, that makes them especially crazy, if not often times labeled as “those crazy art guys”, which so many of us art graduates become known as.
With two cross-Canada tours under their belts, Mount Royal continues to rock the Medicine Hat and lower Alberta music scenes. Shows are relatively inexpensive, usually it is about $5 per person to enter, which gets you access to seeing usually 2-4 bands. Think about it! You can either go to a two hour movie for $10 per person, or for $5 per person, you can witness live creativity in front of your eyes. Check out their MySpace for show times.
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