andPOP » Ottawa

Large Stephen Harper Photo Appears At Nickelback Show

Sara Harowitz — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:50:22 +0000

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This is technically old news, but it’s too hilarious to ignore.

CHARTattack.com has reported that a giant photo of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper appeared as part of a photo montage during an Ottawa Nickelback concert back on April 11.

Apparently Nickelback’s lead singer Chad Kroeger met with the PM earlier that night at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa. But it was when the band took the stage at Ottawa’s Scotiabank Place that things started to get a tad more - erm – political.

According to the Ottawa Citizen, the prime minister and his son were at the concert. The paper’s review of the show talks about a photo montage of the Nickelback guys that played on a big screen behind the band as they played their hit song “Photograph.” But apparently it wasn’t just Nickelback who showed up on the screen.

As a photo on CHARTattack.com shows, a big head shot of the prime minister himself can be seen behind a tiny-in-comparisson Kroeger.

Hilarious? Yes.

Could this be the magical work of Photoshop (props to that person) or a true aspect of the show? Did the audience applaud when our leader’s face appeared on screen? Did they cheer? Boo? Was this a special treat for the Ottawa show or a part of all Canadian dates? Perhaps even dates in the USA?

So many questions. Nickelback, we want answers.

If you feel like doing some research, check out one of Nickelback’s concerts (still on tour supporting 2008′s album “Dark Horse”):

May 14 Wichita, KS @ INTRUST Bank Arena
May 15 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
May 18 Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
May 19 Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
May 21 Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center
May 22 Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
May 24 Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
May 25 Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center
May 27 Fargo, ND @ Fargodome
May 29 Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
May 31 Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome
June 1 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
June 3 Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place

Interview: DUBBS Plans To Show Electro-House Like You’ve Never Seen Before

Jeremy Singer — Sat, 08 May 2010 19:43:32 +0000

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Don’t say you’ve seen an electro-group perform live, until you’ve seen DUBBS.

It’s only fair really.

Instead of going up on stage like most groups only to then just press a play button on a laptop, DUBBS re-creates every aspect of the beat-pumping tune with a variety of equipment- giving the audience the most real-live dynamic electro-concert experience possible.

The three-man Canadian team consists of brothers Alex (Vocals) and Chris (Drums) Van Den Hoeff, and Ottawa producer Martin Sinotte, who hope to make a name for themselves with their revolutionary club-bopping tracks and unique live sound-experience.

“Most DJ’s just turn knobs to play a hit song. That’s it,” says Sinotte. “But then you have us who play the song with a live beat pad, live keyboard, live everything. You have Alex singing, Chris on drums. It gets wild.”

Adds Alex, “It’s a poppy-techno sound with a twist. We call it a new age of electro-house.”

The recognition so far has been a small fraction of what the unsigned group can do in less than a year: over 130,000 MySpace views, winners of MuchMusic’s disBAND Audition Tour competition, an upcoming gig performing alonside Canadian Pop singer Danny Fernandes, and an invitation to play at the COCA showcase festival this summer.

“It’s honestly been crazy,” says Alex. “But we’ve been working 24/7 over the past few months, just networking, planning the next steps, so we’re just really psyched to show people our potential.”

One of the reasons for their success so far is their uncanny bro-manship and the credentials that each of them brings to the table.

At 13-years-old, Alex and Chris began working with Canadian producers such as Steve Rizun (Illscarlett, Alexisonfire), and Mitch Hall and Martin Davis Kinack (Brocken Social Scene, Stars, Feist). Over the next few years they would release their first demo and full length album which brought hundreds of live performances and radio air-play.

The up-and-coming duo then ended up being introduced to on-the-rise Canadian producer Sinotte, known throughout Ottawa as the “Beat Chemist.” Sinotte’s well-rounded 15-year background experience in the production scene was a perfect match, as he’s worked/recorded with Juno Award Winning artist Belly, Capital Prophets Records artist Danny Fernandes, and D12′s Bzarre- to name a few.

The trio hit it off immediately, and went to work in Sinotte’s brand new recording studio that he opened up in his house a year ago.

“The first night we met, we wrote a hit song,” says Chris. “We were just messing around until four in the morning.

“Ever since then, when we crash at his place, we wake up, go downstairs into the beat chemist’s ‘laboratory,’ and start recording stuff. And the best thing is that we have a relationship where if one of us has a beat that doesn’t really fly well, we’ll just be like ‘nah, scratch it man,’ but we’ll understand.”

As they anxiously await for the release of their debut album in the summer, the group agrees that it’ll be a contagious array of party-rocking tunes- modeling after artists like DeadMau 5, Black Eyed Peas and David Geutta.

“It’ll have a pop radio friendly vibe,” says Alex, “something that will get people partying for sure. It’s also got a few instrumental stuff for DJ’s to mess with and a few upcoming hip-hop artists featured too.

“Even though we wanted to get that house sound, we wanted to also incorporate a hip-hop vibe too.”

It’ll boast their raging singles so far like Here We Go Again, Generation Party, And We Don’t Stop, and Dance Bitch. Add in the music video that they hope to release at the same time too, and the group hopes that it’ll set them on course to eventually take on the international scene.

“Worldwide recognition man,” says Sinote.

Adds Alex, “we’re just starting out, but we feel like we have so much to show everyone, just non-stop tunes to get the crowd wild. I know we can do it.”

Check out all DUBBS info at www.dubbslive.com for new songs and all their upcoming shows:

May 27, 2010, 8:00 p.m, Rockpile Nightclub- Shock Thursday’s Party Night, Toronto, ON

May 28, 2010, 8:00 p.m, Private Yacht Party, Toronto, ON

June 16, 2010, 8:00 p.m, Nightlife with Danny Fernades, Sault Ste. Marie, CA

June 24, 2010, 8:15 p.m, COCA Showcase 2010, London, ON

June 25, 2010, 4:00 p.m, COCA Showcase 2010, London, ON

July 9, 2010, 10:00 p.m, Mansion Nightclub, Ottawa, ON

August 27, 2010, 1:00 p.m, North Bay Festival, North Bay, ON

Amos The Transparent Work For More Than Lemons

Emma Renda — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:56:18 +0000

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Note: See the bottom of this article for a free download from Amos The Transparent, plus their new video!

Most bands don’t go from recording their debut in a bona fide studio to tracking the next release in their drummer’s mother’s basement. Or at least not of their own will. But that’s exactly the unlikely order of things Amos the Transparent have chosen, and it’s turning out to lead them along a favourable path.

After hefty studio bills the first time around and struggling under time restraints, the band decided to go easy on themselves for the next record. They split time between lead singer and mastermind Jonathan Chandler’s home and the basement of Chris Wilson’s mother while she was away in Florida, and rather than setting a deadline, they got together sporadically over what ended up being a nine-month period.

And so was born their sophomore EP, My, What Big Teeth You Have.

Chandler credits the laissez-faire approach to a better product, an album worthy to come on the heels of their acclaimed debut, Everything I’ve Forgotten to Forget. And one that has qualified the band for a Verge Artist of the Year nomination against nearly every heavyweight Canadian act out there. (Think: Feist, Tegan and Sara, The Tragically Hip, etc.)

“Honestly, I don’t expect to rank that well. All of our peers are in that list too,” Chandler said. “It’s an honour to be nominated and considered in the same category but we’re not really going to hope for too much. That’s kind of the people we are. It’s a cool nomination but we’re not gonna spend the money before we have it.”

When Chandler says “the people we are”, he means a laid-back group of musicians with full-time jobs and families and lives on the side. Though he insists they treat Amos with as much responsibility as their other jobs, its clear the band is sort of a side project to life.

Based in Ottawa, Amos was born of Chandler’s solo writings outside of his former band, The Architects, and their fan base is a smattering of followers of each member’s prior projects. Chandler credits Wilson for urging him to pursue the solo endeavour, but the music Chandler had in mind necessitated a full band. Hence he recruited Mark Hyne (guitar, synth) and James Nicol (bass), as well as Dan Hay (guitar) and Kate Cooke (percussion, vocals) for this album.

For 2007′s Everything I’ve Forgotten to Forget, Chandler and Wilson helmed the captain’s seat alongside studio engineer Jason Fee (“pretty much the unseen seventh member of the band”, according to Chandler). The album is a lush blend of post-punk angst and folk undertones, and immediately earned praise as a hidden Canadian gem. Having Amy Millan of Stars sing a duet, “After All That, It’s Come to This” probably didn’t hurt either.

“I think it was at Bluesfest two years ago . . . whenever we go to shows, we always try to get backstage I guess,” explains Mark Hyne of their run-in with Millan. “Somehow we were all hammered and Chris wanders off back stage, and then he’s able to get the rest of the band backstage. We drank a bunch of Malajube’s beer, one thing led to another and we got John singing directly to Amy Millan asking her if she wanted to record on the record and it worked out.”

Chandler took a different, more sober approach to piecing together Teeth. Aside from the fluctuating attendance and intermittent recording sessions coming after work, before dinner and on weekends, Chandler said the entire band was more involved in the songwriting aspect.

“The writing process now is becoming a lot more of a six-person collaborative,” said Chandler. “It’s less of me arranging entire songs, like “”I hear this, I want you to play this.”" I have an idea of what I want to hear, but I won’t demo or voice it. I’ll wait and see what the rest of the band wants to offer.”

Having a broader input from all the members led to the selection of “Lemons (aka BigPondLittleFish)” for the first single. It’s a soft, twangy number that allows Chandler’s husky voice to float atop the music carrying his simple poetry to the forefront.

Chandler let another brain in on the action for “Lemons”, production company Digital Henchman who approached the band to put together the music video for the single which premiered on andPOP this week.

“The video was pretty awesome . . . we hadn’t even seen it until the night before the [release] show,” said Hyne. “We were all pretty awestruck. It’s all cartoony, it’s neat to see the animators’ renditions of the band in cartoon form. Dan looks like a character from He-Man. I look pretty much exactly the same . . .”

Teeth won’t be released in full online until Oct. 13, but the band have already been selling hard copies of the album at shows for months. They even put their guitar tabs on their website so fans can learn to play Amos like Amos, and it was also a thrifty way of getting their music out there without giving away downloads.

“It’s really cool to get fans’ perspectives, whether they are good or not, it’s really cool someone would take time to sit there and learn our songs,” said Chandler. “It’s probably one of the biggest compliments you could ever get. I remember growing up learning guitar . . . I would never be like, “Hey, Joe Perry from Aerosmith, I learned how to play your solo.” We want to make it really accesible. Don’t try to learn it, don’t waste your time.”

Hyne laughed that sometimes even the band has to refer to the tabs to get through rehearsal. Because when it comes to balancing a family and a full-time job alongside the formative years of a music career, even the most dextrous musicians need a hand sometimes.

“When I have to take off for a week and a half from work [to go on tour], I get scared. Am I going to have a job when I get back? Am I going to be able to pay my mortgage?” said Hyne. “Pretty much as soon as you get in the van driving down the 401, you forget about everything else.”

CLICK THE DOWNLOAD BUTTON FOR A FREE TRACK FROM AMOS THE TRANSPARENT

Amos The Transparent Video – Lemons – Exclusively On andPOP

Robert Ostfield — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:40:36 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Fully animated video for Amos The Transparent’s newest single Lemons (aka Big Fish Little Pond) by uber cool animation studio Digital Henchman. Vote for them in the XM Verge Music Awards! http://www.thevergeonline.com/vma/

Under The Rock: Once Upon a Passion Pit

Emma Renda — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:45:55 +0000

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Passion Pit are a lesson in modern romance. Ever since I heard their backstory – lead singer Michael Angelakos crafted the EP Chunk of Change as a Valentine’s Day gift for his girlfriend – I knew they would be more to me than just a fling in my musical lifetime. But I never imagined my first close encounter with them would pan out like a fairy tale of its own.

The show was sold out when my companion (I’ll call her Merv) and I arrived at Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ottawa’s go-to live music club. It was shocking enough that a band this sought-after detoured so far into Canada, and even more surprising that the resident’s of Ottawa had enough forethought to buy advance tickets. Not about to give up on our night, Merv and I stuck it out in line until a lush pair of hipsters were escorted from the premises, freeing up some elbow room for the two of us.

The timing could hardly have been more perfect: Passion Pit hit the stage the moment Merv and I were safely inside. They played “Moth’s Wings” and “The Reeling”, and captured the layered essence of their recordings by cramming the stage with a drum kit, synthesizers and more than one stringed instrument. Angelakos sauntered about the clutter, exuding a sort of romantic sex appeal that comes only from a hairy-chested twenty-something singing love songs in falsetto. He hardly spoke a word to the crowd until he announced the last song, “Sleepyhead”, and yet the crowd was hanging on every pulse of the music.

During the beat-heavy intro, I was struck by a cold drop on the back of my neck. It wasn’t the warm sweat trickling from my hairline, nor the condensation from the beer bottle being waved above my head by the girl behind me. It was a drip from the ceiling, releasing its own blend of perspiration - the sort of moment John Hughes would have orchestrated.

On our way to the dingy bathrooms to clean up after the show, we bumped into Jeff (bass) and Ayad (synths/samplers) who informed us Nate (drums) was hosting an after party at a yet unknown venue downtown. In our individual stalls, Merv and I stressed how on earth we were going to find this mystery location. Because after seeing Passion Pit, the only thing you want is more. Then a voice floated under the door: “Cafe Dekcuf.” And I kid you not, when we emerged to the sinks, the bathroom was empty. Spooky.

Dekcuf yielded little more than one dedicated V-necked dancer, but the bar was lined with drenched showgoers desperately trying to rehydrate. Not much of a climax, just a welcome rest following the show. But the state of the audience certainly spoke to the calibre of Passion Pit’s stage presence – all sweat, smiles and perhaps a stumble here or there – it was one of the most successful dance shows I’ve ever attended.

And here I was doubting Passion Pit would mean anything to me in two weeks time. I’m not being facetious when I say there’s a happily ever after here.

Search For Most Talented Band In Ottawa Is On

Eva Lam — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:20:03 +0000

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Ottawa radio station LiVE 88.5 FM has announced a contest to find the most talented band in Canada’s capital.

The stakes are high in the LiVE 88.5 Big Money Shot competition, now in its third consecutive year: The winners will receive a whopping quarter of a million dollars.

The contest aims to give emerging artists a helping hand, with the prize money going toward talent development.

“The competition is a fantastic way to develop our home-grown artists,” Lee Wagner, LiVE 88.5 FM’s director of Canadian talent development, said in a statement.

“We love having the opportunity to take a hands-on approach and make a difference in the careers of new artists. Bands are actually moving to Ottawa just to be a part of the contest and the thriving music scene!”

Interested bands are asked to submit a five-song demo.

The winning band in 2007, Sojourn, has toured central and eastern Canada, and runner-up The Prefect is preparing to record an EP with Juno Award-winning producer Gavin Brown, who has worked with Billy Talent and Three Days Grace.

Teen Sitcom To Film In Ottawa

Eva Lam — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:19:56 +0000

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Ottawa has landed the plum job of playing host city for a new $10 million sitcom.

The family series “Dad’s in the Attic” will film at a defunct Ottawa high school, Montreal-based independent production house Muse Entertainment announced Thursday.

“This is what we call, by Canadian terms, a premiere series,” Jesse Prupas, Muse’s VP of development and distribution, told CBC News.

“We try to be modest about talking about the figures, but this is a $10 million project. … It’s very, very exciting. It’s much larger than anything we’ve brought here.”

The half-hour live-action comedy, which will air on YTV next year, follows three teenage siblings and their newly-fired workaholic dad, who decides to set up an office at home.

Twenty-six episodes of the hi-def series will be shot at the former Laurentian High School in Ottawa’s west end. The school closed in 2004 because of low enrolment.

Some of the school will also be turned into mini-studio space.

Ottawa doesn’t usually attract major scripted TV productions, and “Dad’s in the Attic” will be the biggest TV production the city has ever had.

The show, which has begun casting, will film this spring and summer, likely with the aid of crew from the Ottawa area.