Musical Notes

07.30.10

It’s safe to say that all bands want an appreciative audience. Depending on the mood that they are delivering, they are looking for anything from polite applause in between songs to hoots and hollers throughout the show.

06.28.10

Kootenanny Hootenanny! By Carolyn Nikodym and Rebecca Hall

Kaslo is truly the little fest that could. Nineteen years strong, the three-day schedule offers a class and style of music you don’t often get to enjoy all in one place, never mind that place being one of the most stunning locations in the world.

06.01.10

They've Got Legs

Mud-spattered grins are descending from the woods in full force these days. Shorts and sunshine. It’s the I-came-for-the-skiing-and-stayed-for-the-summer season. And there are plenty of men out on the trails, but there is some very serious representation by the women. “She’s got legs, and she knows how to use them.”

04.28.10

Mi Casa es Su Casa!

When the Grand Central decided to offer itself up as a rehearsal space to local bands, the decision happened pretty organically. Anybody who has lived here for longer than a month knows that space of any kind is a premium. It’s hard to find a place to live, let alone one that will allow you to make a ton of noise on a drum kit. There are a couple of longstanding local bands like Big Bubba Tres and the Runs who have secure rehearsal digs, but where do some of the newer bands get together to hone their skills?

04.01.10

Welcome Back, Cotter

It is easy to hear that the natural world inspires Andy Cotter. The evidence is in his music. He sings about the leaves changing colour in “Concentrate,” a track off his solo album. He even has a song called “Baby Tree.” It’s also easy to see; the photos on his MySpace page tell the story of a day in the woods, catching zees in the mists of a raging waterfall. He has a thing for the Rockies. He likes the fact that even in his hometown of Fredericton, New Brunswick, he’s never very far away from the forest.

02.27.10

From DC to BC

Even though Washington, DC isn’t Canada’s capitol, it’s pretty hard not to see politics as that city’s principal export. But if you dig a little deeper, DC has another important legacy: music. And we’re talking some serious street cred, here. Duke Ellington, Marvin Gaye and Roberta Flack. Henry Rollins cut his teeth there before heading to California and Black Flag. Bad Brains, Fugazi and Dischord Records. Deep Dish, Thievery Corporation and ESL Music

01.30.10

The Wooden Sky

It’s not difficult to see how life in a band is a lot like a marriage. There needs to be certain chemistry between members. Life on the road and the creation of music involves decision-making and compromises for the good of all players, and it’s pretty difficult to continue happily when there isn’t a shared vision of the future. It’s not difficult to see because it is the relationship between people.

12.30.09

Where You Lay Your Guitar is Home

You walk into a bar on a cold winter’s night and its warmth greets you. Some folks at the back are laughing and talking, but the ones closer to the stage are quiet. You notice the band on stage and immediately recognize something familiar. When the singer’s closed eyes open and alight on you, the moment lasts, like she is singing to you, singing the words right out of you.

11.26.09

The Day the Music Lived

We’ve all heard the cries that the music industry is dying, but the cries are more bombastic than anything. Music is older than writing and older than words, and it’s impossible to imagine a world without it. A good band or DJ sets the mood, whether it’s wafting out of a home stereo or blaring out of the bar’s double-stacks.