Rocking Younger Minds

Hammer Records loves supporting the scene as much as we can and love seeing younger bands emerging! Rekindling our memories of in the basement with our friends dreaming of rocking huge arenas and stadiums. But for some of these bands it could be a reality, and with veterans Sharks! On Fire!

Goodnight Grace was rocking their set as we entered Tom Lee Music hall to a refreshingly large crowd of eager youngsters. With impressive skills on their instruments and amazing stage presence they looked like they were having the time of their lives. At times the vocals were pitchy or a little weak but I'm sure some lessons and years will craft it to a hard rock voice of the gods. They played the song they did their music video with, but we thought they could have picked a better single for their video frankly. The song following had much more dynamics, melodic vocals and catchier hooks. With some production and direction their album could be a great hit! Be sure to check them out on Facebook HERE

Solitary Silence was up next. This was an interesting experience. The guitarist and drummer were totally into it and rocking it up. But the bassist and second guitarist just weren't selling it to us. This kind of music needs super enthusiastic energetic. Also the vocals were very rough and not as melodic as the demos made us believe. Good music but just need to work on their live show. Check them out on Facebook HERE

After Our Juliet set up and without any real announcement started their set with a flanger heavy guitar riff. Seeming quite loose around the edges at the beginning of their set leading up to an actual "what-are-we-doing-now?" moment in their set after loosing track of their structure. Metal riffs, thrash riffs with melodic vocals and screamo created the sound of After Our Juliet. Great movement from the two frontmen, a kind of Ying and Yang essence between the hardcore screams and the soft melodic vocals. Nice improvisation when the guitarist broke a string and had to find a new guitar, they broke out into an random song to fill time. The bassist while playing fairly complex riffs didn't seem to move more than 5 steps the entire show. Would have liked to see him match the energy from the rest of the band. Near the end they seemed to be getting more into their groove, definitely would like to check them out at a later show! Check out their tunes HERE

Sharks! On Fire! are no strangers to the stage. Having even putting on their own music festival up in Kamloops these giants in the Vancouver music scene and are a great role model for all bands. Such an energetic and friendly band on and off stage. Their songs are always catchy and full of "rock-your-face-off" moments! Synth leads and thumping drums carve the hole for the thick bass and crunchy guitar. And the vocals sit perfectly on top of the carefully crafted sound. S!OF! Can play any stage, big or small, they will dominate it. This night was no exception, whipping the crowd into a sea of jumping arms and smiling faces. If you have not checked out this band go HERE and treat yourself.

Cellar Launch Party Week 3

The third week of the Cellar Launch Project has come and gone, and again there were some great acts. It also happened to be my birthday! Lift Off was due to perform, but had to unfortunately cancel. If anyone was looking forward to seeing them perform before they tour to Texas this March, you can catch them on the 28th at The Roxy for the Fox band of the month performance.

The first act of the night were the Whethermen. They had great melodies and a very full instrumental sound, though they didn't draw much of a crowd that night. I can see this 3 piece Blues-Rock group becoming very successful amongst an older crowd. I imagine them playing bars like the Yale, casinos, weddings, and even house parties. The Whethermen had very personable stage presences, and good movement - it seemed like they've been at it for years! They're catchy tunes are perfect for dancing, and singing along to. To find out more about the band, check out their Facebook!

Silent spring was next up. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from these fellas, having not heard them before, but they have a great rocky sound. With use of both electric and semi-acoustic guitars, fat bass runs, and heavy-hitting drums, I'd say they had a very dynamic sound that engulfed the entire room. I wish I could've seen a little more movement from the band, as well as from the crowd. With such a strong, and unique stage presence it's sometimes hard to fill a club like The Cellar versus something more "Stadium-like." For these guys, it's just GETTING there. They've got the talent, the stage personas, and even a manager. A few more performances out in the scene and I think they can really get somewhere! For more info on the band, and to check out their tunes - visit them on FACEBOOK.

Leave the Lion was the final act of the night. They had great movement and stage presence, though more eye contact from the lead singer would be an asset to their set. The drums were loud, in all the right ways, the bass lines were very recognizable through the guitars tight riffs, and the vocals were engaging and compelling. Over all, their groovy tunes were a great ending to the night. For more info on the band, and to check out their tunes - visit them on FACEBOOK.





To see all photos click HERE

Who Wants Free Tickets?

Hammer Records has a pair of tickets for an amazing show! All we ask if take a photo of you at a local show and post it on our Facebook wall! Support local music!

Take The Earth Beneath Us
http://www.facebook.com/taketheearthbeneathus

The Fallacy
http://www.facebook.com/thefallacy

Out Of The Ruins
http://www.facebook.com/outoftheruinsband

To Rise As Kings
http://www.facebook.com/toriseaskings

Bridges Out
http://www.facebook.com/bridgesout

So spread this around!

Cellar Launch Party Week 2

The party continues with 3 new bands hitting the stage last wednesday night! This week it was Gypsy Ray, Oh Village and Japanese Girls. We had never heard of any of them before so had no clue what was going to come of that night and we were pleasantly surprised!

Gyspy Ray opened the night up with some cross between ska, reggae and rock. Now I know being first is always nerve racking and when your in front of a panel and judges it doesn't make it any easier. But while playing well they seemed nervous. The guitarist made a couple mistake during the first song but nothing huge, no train wrecks. The vocalist had a unique voice, lots of natural vibrato and power behind his voice but it seemed more often he ended his phrase with vibrato which become a little tiring on the ears after a while. His stage presence was great and nice melodies over the instruments and great movement and personality. The bassist was grooving along but looked nervous and didn't make a lot of connection with the crowd or judges, same with the guitarist. We always say, play loud and proud! Better to make a couple mistake but rocking out on stage than being conservative. We definitely would like to check them out at another show and I could see them flourishing with a larger crowd, very dance and groove friendly music! Below is a song from their set to get a taste of their sound! Check them out on Facebook HERE

Oh Village followed up and was interesting seeing them set up. Keys, drums, Cello, Trumpet, Guitar, and Bass... yet only four people, instantly grabbed my attention wondering what kind of a sound would come from such a set up. After their first song I was blown away. Their vocalist reminded me of the singer from Beruit, a beautiful soulful voice with such power and dynamics it was like wine! This Abbotsford band had such a unique sound, a blend of folk, rock, alternative. Think Radio Head, mixed with Coldplay, and then taken and turned indie. Amazing musicians, each of them masters of their weapon of choice and as the set progressed their showed their versatility when the guitarist switched to cello and the bassist switched to trumpet. Every switch never drew away from the sound, but adding a unique twist to the track. All while playing around tempos, time signatures changes and key changes. Very personable they talked with their audience, great eye contact, and their energy just filled the room. Below is a track of the night and go check them out on Facebook HERE

The last band of the night was Japanese Girls, now these 3 lads were anything but fair skinned asian ladies, but captured the audience all the same! Now being the only straight up rock band of the night they were a little amiss but did let that stop their alternative sounding rock'n'roll from lasting loud and proud! Reminding me of the Arctic Monkeys and a couple UK bands their front man dominated the stage. A loose around the edges band with catchy chorus and a slight punk edge to them. The whole band looked like they were having a blast and it translated to their music. We will definitely keep our eyes on them. I could see them teamed up with The Broadway Bullies easily to put on a killer show. Below is a song of theirs from the night and check them out on Facebook HERE




To see all photos click HERE

Karaoke Will Never Be The Same Again!

Hammer Records went to its very first Hip Hop Karaoke at Fortune Soundclub! What an amazing experience! Opening up with a DJ spinning some tracks then the host brought up people who had signed up to rap their favorite tracks! It was a lot like any other Karaoke but this night had a special trick up its sleeve! Panther And The Supafly was in the house and after a few MCs they came up on stage and played backing tracks LIVE!

The crowd was huge! This night had been going on for almost 3 years so the crowd was very supportive and cheered for every person that got up and had the courage to rap. Seeing the band play the tracks was great. Such great grooves, riffs and made it such a unique experience. Panther and The Supafly then proceeded to play their own set which blew the lid off the venue! A couple new songs as well as some good old favourites! We will definitely be going back for the next one! possibly bringing Hammer Records artists to sign up!

To see full photos click HERE

No One After Parties Like LMFAO and Natalia Kills

Hammer Records was invited to the LMFAO after party at Josephs Richards. We arrived fashionably late and it was packed! Lots of good people and good drinks! Attached are a few photos. Thanks to Vernard for getting us on the list! Lots of dancing!

To see all the photos click HERE

First Hammer Records Artist Showcase!

Want to see what we have been cooking up for the past 4 months?

Come check it out at THE GATES, 333 Clark Drive.... thats halfway to hell. So come show support to your favorite Hammer Records artist! Here is the poster which has all the information. Any questions email hammerrecords@hotmail.ca

Videos From The Cellar Launch Party Pt.1

Supporting The Scene!

Roxy and I are out almost nightly trying to go see new bands, old bands, new venues, fundraisers, open mics and everything to do with Vancouver music. Tonight we hit two venues, Mad Hatters, a new underground venue, as well as Tunnel Nightclub for a new Friday live music night. Saw some old friends and a sick sounding band!

Mad Hatters is located near Main St sky train station. But just out of the way enough that it takes a fan of the bands to go venture to this location. It took us 20 minutes to find the place but after seeing the bouncer outside smoking we finally climbed the stairs to see what was in store. Stoned Moses was already well into their set and the whole room was dancing and jiving. Instead of the conventional way of going down a set list, Stoned Moses just jams and plays what ever pops into their head at the moment, and if it leads into one of their super catchy songs then so be it!

So after leaving we rushed over to Tunnel Nightclub, which has givens Fridays over to Magnetized Productions who started Friday Rock! This is vital to Vancouver. Please go check it out one Friday night! Go support local music! Go see a new band, go just for the heck of it! and with 9.95 for TWO Canadian beers... can't go wrong! Tonight it was Azimyth and Stealing Eden. The Headliner Ten Ways had to back out due to injury, but it was a great night none the less! We just caught the end of Stealing Eden and was blown away. Super tight professional sounding, great stage presence, amazing voice, shredding guitar, pounding bass, phat drums... classic modern rock.

Also to top it all off was an amazing cover band after Stealing Eden! Under The Covers plays modern, hard, and classic rock to end the night on a pleasing note! No top 40 here!


Great night for us! But go forth and conqueror! Go see new music, and if your at a show with your favorite band... show some enthusiasm! go nuts! dance, headbang, do what you will but do it loud and proud! Just a little rant from me!

Cheers!
To see all pictures click HERE

James

CELLAR Launch Project - show one!

The Cellar nightclub on downtown Vancouver's Granville strip is hosting another "Cellar Launch Project," and Hammer and I have the pleasure of being on the judging panel alongside other amazing industry professionals including: Chloe from Artropolis.ca, Ryan from Rednyne Productions, and Mr. Rockstar himself, Jordan Carriere (Static In The Stars) from Beatlab Studios! The competition will be held on Wednesdays throughout the month of February; the next dates are the 15th, 22nd (my birthday!), and 29th!

The first show was held just yesterday, the 8th of February. On the bill for the night were Exer, The Day He Quit, and Bridges Out!

"Exer" was first up - and the pressure was on! It's tough being the first contestant up in a competition, but these guys held tight and rocked through their set. They had interesting sound, sort of an Urban Metallica. The drums were nice and heavy hitting, and the the guitars/bass flowed together nicely, though it would have been cool to hear some more melodic solos coming from the lead guitarist. The use of three vocalists really gave them a distinct sound, and was very cool to see on stage. Would have liked to see a little more movement from these guys, though they carried themselves greatly and with confidence. Their last song of the night was definitely the favorite from their set list.  Unfortunately, we are unable to find a social media presence for these guys - so if you want to check their sound, click play on the teaser video below (Up Shortly)!

The second band up was "The Day He Quit," and let's hope not a single one of them do! These guys ROCKED, and rocked hard! It was fantastic to see such a following for this Vancouver Island band out on a Wednesday night, but once they started, I knew why! TDHQ had great movement and stage presence, let alone their radical Rock tunes! The vocals were so on-point it rendered me speechless!, the bass was distinct and fat, the guitars were played expertly, and were very melodic and pleasing to hear, and the drums were super heavy and had fantastic timing - creating some super cool beats! Add in the very personable transitions between songs and you've got yourself a show! I can't reveal any points rewarded, but I hope to see these guys go far! To check out their tunes, head over to their FACEBOOK.

The final band of the night have been featured on our site before, and are constantly played through our stereos here in 'Hammer Land'! "Bridges OUT" is a 6-piece post-hardcore/screamo/progressive band in the Vancouver scene. This band knows how to play each instrument to the best of their abilities, and create a unique yet very marketable sound. The use of synth/keys throughout, and between songs created a very clever way to introduce the next number. Bridges OUT uses amazing song structures, and catchy lyrics to draw their fans to the floor - and despite the lack of pre-sale tickets, they had a good group of people headbanging or grooving to the music. Some more movement from the second guitarist and bass player would have been nice, but other than that - an amazing set! Best of luck to you in the competition! Hope you go far! To check out some Bridges OUT head over to their FACEBOOK page!


To see who's playing in the coming weeks, including a special guest on my birthday (the 22nd)!, head over to the FACEBOOK EVENT HERE. Until next Wednesday!


Cheers!
Roxy

To See All Pictures Click HERE

Lost Girls OF Neverland -A Vancouver Musical

If your a fan of music, and a fan of dance, and a fan of the arts... then you have to check out this local musical! It will be at the newly renovated Anza Club. So come down and see the preview for the show at a special discount price on February 16th.

Set during Mardi Gras, this contemporary musical comedy is guided by modern pop music, dynamic dance numbers and fabulous costumes. The story follows the trials and tribulations of The Lost Girls, a dance troupe working at New Orleans' hottest Gentlemen's club, Neverland. The beautiful and innocent Wendy Darling is thrust into the spotlight encountering sex, love and the jealous and vain Tinkerbell. Meanwhile, across town at the Mermaid Lagoon, Madame Hook plots her revenge against her arch enemy Mistress Pan whom she has held a grudge against for years


For Tickets go to: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/222801