#CMW Artist Showcase - Dresden Wolves

Coming all the way from Mexico, Dresden Wolves will be tearing up the Canadian Music Week stage. I had a quick chat with the band about their upcoming domination of the Canadian Music Week stage.

Hammer Records: Tell us what you think of when you think Canadian Music?
Dresden Wolves: Hmmm. putting aside the very-well known canadian bands like: DFA 1979,HOT HOT HEAT,CHROMEO,NEIL YOUNG,STEPPENWOLF,HEART,RUSH, ETC. We´ve heard a few canadian bands from the "underground music" like ANHA (we played with them back here in Mexico), the sole pursuit, academy killer, bloody diamonds,dress black, ps i love you, metric and we´re really impressed how good canadian sound has grown in such a perfect way, putting Canada back in the top!!!

Hammer Records: How did you get involved in Canadian Music Week?
Dresden Wolves: We saw the applicattion at sonicbids, we applied... amazingly we got selected.

Hammer Records: What do you have planned for Canadian Music Week?
Dresden Wolves: every show it´s special for us that´s why we give more than 100 % percent in every show, however playing at CMW would our first gig in Canada and we´re preparing something special for CMW that people will remember.

Hammer Records: What message do you want to send to Canadians listening to your music?
Dresden Wolves: "If you want to hear something different and good, check out our music !!! besides it´s free https://gridtrax.com/music/dresden-wolves

Hammer Records: Whats coming up for you?

Dresden Wolves: we have a little tour on Brazil this April, on May we have the CMW and New York and now we´re touring around Mexico. You cand find us here:

https://dresdenwolves.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/dresdenwolvesband

https://twitter.com/DresdenWolves

#CMW Artist Showcase - Eddie Paul

Montreal artist Eddie Paul will be bringing his music to Canadian Music Week. I had a quick chat with him about his upcoming performance.

Hammer Records: Tell us what you think of when you think Canadian Music?
Eddie Paul: Well, what comes to mind is  the French explorer Samuel de Champlain first arriving to the country at the beginning of the 17th century. I think of the first permanent Canadian settlements at Port Royal and Quebec City in 1608, and how from then, the country has produced everything from church and chamber halls, music conservatories and academies,  up to the Juno's, MuchMusic and Canadian Music Week.

Hammer Records: How did you get involved in Canadian Music Week?
Eddie Paul: Interesting story actaully. Some friends of mine in a band called Barren Acres, who are also on the line-up this year at the CMW, said, "dude we got accepted to play at Canadian Music Week!" And then I was like, "man,  really? Thats awesome, are they still accepting applications?" And they were all like, "totally". So I was like, " f#@k yeah". 

Hammer Records: What do you have planned for Canadian Music Week?
Eddie Paul: I suppose we'll see the sights and the shows and meet the people, you know, that sort of thing. Really looking forward to it. Anything special planned for my performance? No, not that I will mention. You'll just have to come to the show and see what's looming ahead, rather.

Hammer Records: What message do you want to send to Canadians listening to your music?
Eddie Paul: Well, there's no one intended message per se, or that I would limit it to just Canadians. I'd say the songs are more stories and reflections of life than messages, but, maybe on the next record I will encrypt some!

Hammer Records: Whats coming up for you?

Eddie Paul: Well, I'm working on some songs that could potentially end up on an album, spending time recording them and so on.  I will start some pre-prod for a new video for the spring and hopefully have it released by the end of summer/early autumn, and of course do as many festivals as possible this year.

https://soundcloud.com/eddiepaulmusic

https://www.facebook.com/eddiepaulqc

https://twitter.com/eddiepaulmusic

https://www.youtube.com/user/EmeryStreetRecords

#CMW Artist Showcase - Ella Fence

Cinematic folk music. Come witness the show that is Ella Fence at Canadian Music Week. We had a quick few words with Ella about her upcoming performance at Canadian Music Week.

Hammer Records: Tell us what you think of when you think Canadian Music?
Ella Fence: I think raw, true talent. Australia (my home country) and Canada are so in line with their music taste and industries, so I’m excited to bring my sound to a Canadian audience.

Hammer Records: How did you get involved in Canadian Music Week?
Ella Fence: I was in Brighton, UK, recording my new EP, staying with a few musicians from the Australian band Fairchild, who moved to the UK. They showcased at CMW in 2014 and their experience really inspired me to apply for my band. Shortly after returning to Australia, I found out I was accepted and started planning the next big trip overseas!

Hammer Records: What do you have planned for Canadian Music Week?
Ella Fence: The stage show is treat, but you’ll have to come along to find out why. The sound is a unique blend of film music and pop/folk led by powerhouse vocals, driven by the energy of one killer female drummer, blended together with the wide scope of synthesiser sounds. My drummer Sarah is joining me on the trip from Australia and we are working with a local Toronto keyboardist Reuven Grajner for all shows. 

Hammer Records: What message do you want to send to Canadians listening to your music?
Ella Fence: Byron Bay boys Double Deuce produced this film clip for my leading single Unknown Water. The visual element is so important for my music; for the full Ella Fence experience, click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C089Vi9hf10

Hammer Records: Whats coming up for you?
Ella Fence: Releasing a single I wrote while in London within the next couple of months and will follow this up with a second EP all written and recorded in Brighton UK. We’re heading to the Great Escape Festival straight from CMW to perform on an alternate lineup and an international tour is in the works in support of the new releases. On the way to CMW, we are also heading to LA, Nashville and NYC for songwriting and music hustling. Here's some links to my film clip and single: 
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C089Vi9hf10
https://soundcloud.com/ellafencemusic/unknown-water. 

Social links: 
Website: www.ellafencemusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellafencemusic / Ella Fence
Instagram: http://instagram.com/ellafencemusic / @ellafencemusic

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellafencemusic / @ellafencemusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ellafencemusic 

#CMW Artist Showcase - Black Lion

Toronto based Hip Hop Duo "Black Lion" will be rocking their way to the Canadian Music Week stage soon. We managed to get a quick chat with them about their upcoming performance.

Hammer Records: Tell us what you think of when you think Canadian Music?
Black Lion: For years Canada has featured some of the best musicians in the world across a diverse range of genres. It feels like in recent years the rest of the world has figured that out.

Hammer Records: How did you get involved in Canadian Music Week?
Black Lion: A childhood friend who's heavily involved in the Toronto scene was listening to some of our songs. He really liked what he heard so he sent me the application and encouraged us to apply for the festival.

Hammer Records: What do you have planned for Canadian Music Week?
Black Lion: We want to bring listeners some of the freshest, dopest beats and rhymes inspired by a variety of production styles, transcending genre and generation. The artists we've collaborated with for this show and in some of our recorded material also reflect this. Whether you're an old school hip hop head or a lover of today's new wave and sound we've got something in store for everyone.  

Hammer Records: What message do you want to send to Canadians listening to your music?
Black Lion: We are lucky, especially here in Toronto, to live in one of the most--if not the most--culturally diverse places in the world. Along with that comes a broad selection of musical talent and expression. There really is a lot of "untapped" talent right here at home. If you look a bit further than top 40 radio stations sometimes there's a lot more great music out there to enjoy. We hope people feel that way about our music when they hear it at the festival.

Hammer Records: Whats coming up for you?

Black Lion: We are currently working on a new project tentatively titled The Beautiful Side to follow up our 2015 mixtape Black Lion Presents: The Prodigy and the Architect. No projected completion date yet but we hope sometime later this year. We've arrived at a place where we are ready to share more of our music, and our sound with the world and hope to schedule more gigs in the latter half of 2016. Details to follow but look out for that as well. In the meantime you can find some of our material here:

https://blacklionsound.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/black-lion-productions/sets/the-prodigy-the-architect-full-mixtape

https://www.facebook.com/blacklionmusicgroup

https://twitter.com/BlackLionEmpire

#CMW Artist Showcase - Dress Black

Toronto Band "Dress Black" is taking their indie sound right to Canadian Music Week. We quickly spoke with them about their upcoming performance.

Hammer Records: Tell us what you think of when you think Canadian Music?
Dress Black: The first thing that comes to mind is the sheer amount of incredible artists over the decades that have influenced music on a global level. Neil Young, Rush, Leonard Cohen, Feist, Arcade Fire. And right now we have Drake, The Weeknd, and Bieber dominating the charts. It makes you feel proud to be a Canadian musician.

What is even more exciting is the incomparable talent thriving in the indie music scene. We can only hope that people are recognizing what’s going on in the bars down the street; what’s playing on indie radio stations and user-submitted playlists. There’s an energy driving independent music right now and it’s a lot of fun to experience.

Hammer Records: How did you get involved in Canadian Music Week?
Dress Black: As musicians based in Toronto, CMW is a part of our lives every year. We know bands that have played the festival to resounding success and wanted to share in a part of it. We are very grateful to join the festival for the first time this year.

Hammer Records: What do you have planned for Canadian Music Week?
Dress Black: Cheerleaders! No, but seriously, it’s going to be a full-on dance party in there. 

Hammer Records: What message do you want to send to Canadians listening to your music?
Dress Black: We want to say thank you to all the wonderful people out there who are supporting us and the music community. We write all our songs from a place of love and a shared appreciation of music past and present. If you have an instrument, play it! And if you want to dance… we’re here for you.

Hammer Records: Whats coming up for you?

Dress Black: Our self-titled EP is available on our website. We’re celebrating its release with a huge show at the Cameron House. 

We also have a couple of music videos in the works, which will be released over the next few months. A tour is imminent, but we'll talk more about that at a later date!

You can find all of our music and info at:

 

https://www.facebook.com/dressblackband/ 

http://www.dressblack.ca/

https://dressblack.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/dressblack

Bang Zoom Crazy ... Hello

Hello, from the Cheap Trick Side! This album is perfectly classic. Staying with a sound that everyone loves, not trying to push too many boundaries. Yet at the same time, not bound to stay "in the genre". No song on this album is cliched. It just sounds like 4 talented musicians wrote some catchy well written tracks.

Ranging from the upbeat track "No Direction" to the riff heavy "Do You Believe Me" the tracks range in dynamics and song structure so that each song has a completely different feel. The vocals have some really cool effects over them at points, some very pink floyd, some almost with a black sabbath feel. Both the bass and drums are locked together so tight I swear they were born twins. The guitars are so fat and thick that I can feel how many hours went into locking down some of these tones. Both of the guitars just fit perfectly together, never covering one up over the other.

"Blood Red Lips" has some Beatles-esq melodies but with the ferocity of Guns N Roses. From the opening scream to some Warrant style chorus vocals. I could see this becoming a huge stadium hit with some great crowd participation. One of my favourite tracks off the album for sure. Catchy hook after catchy hook, between the vocals and guitar you can basically sing the whole song front to back.

For any generation, this is not an album to miss. Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy on April 1st! Well written music by talented people mean some really tasty music for your ears!

I give this album 9/10 Hammers.

Pre-order the album: http://smarturl.it/BangZoomCrazy

 

Admitted To The Dead Asylum

March 11th saw the Rickshaw theater have another amazing, all local metal show, that really puts a smile on a fans face. With promoters such a Modified Ghost and local talent the  metal scene has been steadily growing, noticable even with the one short year I have lived here.

First band of the night goes by the name of Exterminatus. A tech death band with what seemed to have all the lyrics based off the tabletop game Warhammer 40k. So immediately the nerd in me loves this bands concept. As a whole I found this bands music really quite good, perfect mix of technical and melodic guitar sections. Nothing really new just good ole brutal death metal. Good opener, pretty slow show though. Their live set didnt match the music I was listening to and I found my mind more wandering to what t-shirts i'm going to buy later. Though it is what you expect with an opening act, and at the end of their set their drummer dedicated their show to his gandma who had passed earlier that week. So i'm sure anyone reading this is with me when I say, "May she rest in peace brother"

       6/10 Hammers goes to Exterminatus

Next up was a band that frankly was the biggest suprise for me. I had never heard of this band before and frankly im disappointed in myself for not hearing of them until now, Without Mercy. Immediatetly this band captivated me. They demanded and kept my attention their whole set. They played a textbook show. I really had a hard time finding anything wrong with their show as I was hit with hard hitting song after hard hitting song. Serious if you're a fan of the band Aborted you  will love these guys. As I said suprise of the night and I will keep my eye out for these guys. Great job.

7/10 Hammers goes out to Without Mercy

Third band up and another big suprise of the night. Revenger, a raw true metal band that has to put on one of the most fun shows i've seen from local talent. What is going on Vancouver? How are bands like these last two not pulling in bigger crowds. As far as im concerned they've been pulling out better shows then alot of the touring acts i've been seeing in the city. Revenger is seriously one of those bands that you can't get sick of seeing. Extremely interactive set, raw metal and just a hell of alot of fun. Keep your eyes out for these guys and go to their show. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

8/10 Hammers to Revenger

Co-headlining the show and next up to bat was Saints of Death. Now this is a band i've been hearing alot of buzz from. Even had friends make sure I heard their albums before I went as saw them. Though sadly I think that worked against the band. With all the hype I was hearing and their albums I was listening too, I went in with high expectations for this band. Though not a bad set I found that they didn't quite reach the standard I had imagined for them. Twan Holliday, bassist and lead vocalist, demanded your attention as the guy towered over you on the stage. Also one of the things I loved was that their guitar player Phill Henri reminded me exactly like Angus Young, with the way he moved on stage. All in all decent show, and I will be going to another one of their shows for sure.

7/10 Hammers To Saints of Death

Last on is a band that has officially become my favorite local band, Dead Asylum. What can I say about these guys that I haven't in the last review I did for them. This time I even told them I was going to be extremely tough on them, and what do they do? Stepped up to the plate and threw down a HUGE set. From beginning to end they never falter, they move the whole time and really draw you into their music. Thoroughly impressed with this band, and then to add to their music the whole band is really humble and very professional. Dead Asylum is the example for any other local death metal bands to follow. Great job!

10/10 Hammers (Don't know how i'm going to review them again without any biast towards them cause i'm a fan)