Heather Curtis

a new band:)

I was on myspace earlier today and I got a bulletin telling me to go check out this new band. I went to their myspace. They are called The Oxford Society. These guys have been a band since 2007, which makes them really recent, and they got their myspace account yesterday I think. I don't really know much about them because I listened to one song, but they are a band you should keep your eye on.

Lead singer Adam King seems experienced and comfortable with his voice. I really like listening to him. Nicolas Bonin, guitarist and pianist, seems just as experienced. I play piano, so I really appreciate pretty piano playing. While I was listening to his playing, I found myself itching to learn the song. With Jason Sulym's skill and ability on guitar, this new band sounds professional.

While I was listening to the song they have posted, I noticed how intelligent and mature the lyrics are. I, personally, would not be able write a song. It amazes me how it comes so easily to some people. The lyrics are deep and meaningful.

So, I know for sure I am definitely going to an Oxford Society show when they start booking. I am urging everybody to give this band a chance.

40 sons and daughters demo.

The second CD by 40 Sons and Daughters, The Monster's Face, is to have its release March 23 at The Underground, and I've been given a sort of mini-EP, which has three songs. I have never reviewed a CD before so I am going to give it my best shot.
The three songs on the demo are all excellent. They all sound different but they all have that hard 40SND feel. The band says the finished versions of these tunes will be even better than on the demo. I'm having trouble believing these songs can improved upon, because what I've heard of The Monster's Face is way beyond wow. I'm sure the band is right, though, and I can hardly wait.
In the three songs, there are a variety of sounds, and styles of music. Mike Repic's vocal stylings are top notch as usual. The way he sings makes you want to listen to the whole song and not skip over it. Cristiano Andreatta amazed me on drums. His playing is on par with any world-famous band's drummer. Lead guitarist Mike Szpakowski showed skill and experience with the guitar riffs he was pulling off throughout the whole demo. Graeme Hawkins' pulsing bass rhythms keep up the energy of the songs. Without him 40SND wouldn't be able reach its full potenial.
The first song of the demo is Arise. The song starts off with a rutting guitar, Andreatta hitting the cymbals as hard as possible and then a second guitar rings in. It's very rhythmic with a touch of reverb, which gives it an eerie, haunted sound, which matches the lyrics perfectly.
The second song is Walk With Me. It starts off with catchy guitar. Repic jumps in with complicated lyrics and rhythms. Repic's voice is astounding. I wish I could sing a quarter as good as he can. I'm sure veteran vocalists are listening to him and going, man I wish I sounded like him. I remember hearing this song at a recent show and they had the whole crowd head banging passionately. The way Andreatta sounds, you can tell he's hitting those things hard. And Szpakowski shows skill and maturity on the guitar way beyond his years. If he's this good as teenager ...
The third and final song is Waste You Call A Land. It starts off with with a quick intro of catchy- sounding guitar. Andreatta jumps in with pounding rhythms. Shortly after, Repic joins with soft, gentle vocals. (And that's one thing a lot of bands don't understand — dynamics. The way that music can sound even harder if it's somehow balanced with something a little less hard. It gives the music more of a sonic impact.) The guitar stays sort of burbling throughout all of this, really adding to the mood of the song. Repic sings quietly enough so you can't exactly hear what he's saying, which makes the song so much better, in my opinion. It leaves you wondering what exactly the song is about, and has you leaning into the tune, trying to figure out the mystery. Then, the mood changes and the band amps it up (that "dynamics" thing ...) and the volume of the band doubles. You'd have to have a strong voice to get it over such a loud and hard band, and Repic's voice does it.
All of which makes one thing clear, 40SND are as good in the studio as they are onstage, and they are very good at both.
The Monster's Face will be a seven-song CD, with an intro track. And here's a guess: it'll open doors for 40SND and, at least, be a big winner in this year's Hamilton Music Awards.
(Photo: 40 Sons and Daughters at a September show, courtesy 40SND)

mugshot at music centre

Last night, I was at the Music Centre in Burlington. We were really delayed. The first band was stuck in traffic and their drummer was sick. When the music started, it was awesome

Mugshot has a very large fan base of a variety of people. Mugshot fans include younger kids, teenagers, and older people. It's always nice to see a band with so many different people watching and enjoying their show.

The highlight of the show would have to be the two covers they played. The first one, Shakira: My Hips Don't Lie. This was a very big surprise. Lead singer and bassist Nick announced they would be playing a cover. I assumed by some famous old rock band. They then started with the My Hips Don't Lie beat, and the whole crowd went insane. I looked around and saw kids dancing around not caring what anybody thinks. It was a really awesome.

The next cover they performed was Hey Ya! by OutKast. Both of these songs are major club hits that you can't help but dance to. Evidently, I looked behind me and the most of the crowd was smiling and dancing around. It was a nice surprise to hear them play these songs. A little while into the song, fans ran up onto the stage and started dancing. I really like going to such energetic shows.

Singer Nick has such a strong voice. You can tell that he's been singing for his whole life. He is also so down to earth and nice onstage. He was a pleasure to listen to. He has a huge range, yet is always perfectly in tune.

They didn't play my favourite, Are We Done, but played another great song A New Appreciation. My friend and I danced around more than anybody else in the crowd and we had an awesome time. I sung along to the words I knew, and the songs I didn't know I still had lots of fun.

This was an extremely fun show. I finally got the Mugshot cd- Pause and Reflect and bought two buttons.

Shows you might want to go to....

High Voltage, Teenage Head, The Vapids, Jan. 27 2007, The Casbah, Hamilton Ontario, $12?

40 Sons and Daughters, Feb. 15 2007. Hill Park High School Hamilton Ontario, $5.

Porcelain Youth, Feb. 22 2007. The Underground Hamilton Ontario, $10.

40 Sons and Daughters, March 23, 2007, The Underground, Hamilton Ontario, $10.

fantastic music centre show!

I have been having really good show weekends recently. The weekend coming up will be no exception. This Friday I am going to drive down to the Burlington Music Centre to see this really good band. They are called Mugshot. They are from Toronto. I have never seen these guys before. I was coming out of the Silverstein show they had in Hamilton in June and these kids were handing out samples of bands. I ended up getting Mugshot. I came home and put the 2-song-sample cd in. I loved it right away.

So, my first ever show of them. I'm pretty excited, and I don't know what to expect. What I can expect is a lot of people. Mugshot has just released a full-length cd called Pause and Reflect. This cd has won them many fans in lots of different places. Also, just recently, they shot a video for their song 'Heart Vs. Mind'. They shot it in a gym. They filled the gym with Mugshot fans. All they had to do was send a picture of them to the casting director and they could be on tv. This is a good way to get more people into their music.

Mugshot is not like a band that you usually hear. They are energetic, poppy and fun. Powerful vocals, catchy guitar and slow, hard percussion makes up Mugshot. This band is really one of a kind. You won't see a mosh pit at Mugshots show, but you'll see huge crowds of kids having the time of their lives.

They have songs that really relate to everyday life. The song, Are We Done, talks about a fight between two best friends. I'm pretty sure everybody has had a fight with your bestfriend that has effected you and made you think of the relationship. Each song tells a story.

The doors for this show are at around 6:30. I'm urging everybody to come out. Even if you are into
'hardcore' music and you don't think you'll like this band. You might be surprised.

another awesome underground show.

I had been looking forward to this show for awhile now. The bands were all great. Euphorias Depression, Out of Options, 40 Sons and Daughters, and Beautiful Nothing.

Starting out the night was Euphorias Depression, Marcio Novelli. Euphorias Depression is one guy with an aucostic or electric guitar. One thing I found weird is that everybody stood socializing while he was playing, then gave him loud cheers when he's done. Either listen, and cheer, or if you don't want to hear it go outside and talk with your friends. About the set, this guy has skills on the guitar that are above anybody I have seen. He is just one guy, but his music is so powerful and strong. Even though this is the first time I've seen him, I've listened to his songs before. He is just as amazing live as on the computer. So, I wasn't surprised when he opened his mouth and that amazing voice came out. I really liked his set. I can't wait to hear him play again.

After Euphorias Depression, Burlington band Out Of Options graced us with their presence. I have seen Out of Options one other time in Hamilton. I was pretty excited to hear them again. My Out of Options favourite is Sober Sisters. When I heard the heavy bass and percussion I was in heaven. Singer John has such a great voice. I have became addicted to it recently. You can tell this guy has been singing for most of his life. All of these guys seemed to be very experienced with music. They were all obviously good friends since they would joke around constanly while on stage. Can't wait to hear them again.

After them, 40 Sons and Daughters came on. I have seen these guys a few times, and each time I love them even more. They get a crowd so into the music and they make everybody watching them head bang and jump around. Their sets are really great. Of course, they played my favourite song, Paint The Sky. It was cool to see all the kids banging their heads in perfect time. These guys have a way of totally controlling the crowds. It's so awesome because they are so young, yet so successful. Mike Repic has an amazing voice. Every time I see him he amazes me even more. So, an amazing set, an amazing band. If you didn't see them you missed out!

The last band for the night, Beautiful Nothing. I've seen them tons of times before. Each time I have just about the best time ever. This band never disappoints. Anthony as usual, was top notch. I don't think he ever makes a mistake or sings off key. And drummer Shane Ludgate seems to be right on time every single time he hits those drums. Bassist James Featherstone is exactly the same way. He always seems to be perfectly in time. Of course Mike Greggain and Luke Ludgate are that perfect with their playing as well. All Beautiful Nothing songs are so catchy they make you want to dance around and head bang. Anthony has such amazing stage presense as well. My first time ever seeing this band was at the Underground when they opened for the Trews. It was my first time ever going to an indie show. I heard Beautiful Nothing's first ten seconds to their first song and I loved them right away. After that show, I started going to Beautiful Nothing's shows. Then I saw other bands I liked at those shows and kept going to their shows too. So Beautiful Nothing is the band that got me into indie music. When they become famous they better play a few shows around here still :).

fun show at the underground:)

Last night I was at a really fun show at the Underground. The bands were Guilty, The Goodbye Celebration, The Graduation Day and Joyride. This was a great line up of really talented local bands. It's a shame that the crowd wasn't very big.

Starting off the night was Guilty. I saw them one other time in Burlington. I really like this band. Brad Vanderwoerd is a top-notch vocalist. I remember the first time I saw them that was what I noticed. He is just as good live if not better than he is on the cd. You can't say that about a lot of vocalists. Another thing that stood out for me was their drummer, Josh Vanderlaan. I was watching him, and he totally wowed me. He really hits those things with such passion. His pounding beats make Guilty so great. Guitarist Jon Crandell has amazing stage presense. I was watching how he plays and it was cool to see how fast his fingers move. Guilty had an amazing show. Anybody who didn't go missed a great time!

Next up was the Goodbye Celebration from Oakville Ontario. I have seen these guys I think three times now at different places in Hamilton. Each time I love their set even more. All of these guys are so energetic and they really connect with the crowd. A lot of times, you see a bass player just standing concentrating. But bassist Justin isn't like that. He was jumping around the stage and banging his head with a lot of passion. Lead singer Rory has a really good voice. It is a little soft and gentle at times, then is tough sounding. You could tell that these guys have been close friends for a really long time. They were laughing at each other onstage and making jokes. They had an amazing set as usual. They have a show coming up in Hamilton at the Club Absinthe on March 11. You should really check it out.

Next up, The Graduation Day from Whitby Ontario. This was my first time seeing them, but I already knew about them and liked them from before. Singer Chris Hepburn blew me away. He had amazing stage presence. He would do jumps off the drum set and go flying through the air. Also, while he was singing, he was really passionate. I really love his voice. Drummer Andy Hepburn was an amazing drummer. He was also a backup singer. This night seemed to be filled with amazing drummers. Usually in a show I see a weak drummer, but not tonight. Bassist Neil Christenson is a huge part of their sound. His fingers moved at lightning speeds. The band did an amazing job, and I can't wait to see them again!

The last band of the night, Joyride, came on. I have seen Joyride one other time at the Underground in the summer. They are really fast, and really hard. Vocalist Jay Campbell has a huge range. I stood there wowed by his ability to sing so high. Again, the drumming was amazing. (It's really sad that so few people were there to see these amazing bands.) Tommy Dawson's skill on the drums is on par to any drummer in any world-famous band you'd care to name. The difference between a band like Nickelback and a band like Joyride is slim to none.

Show Update:
There has been a band taken out and a band added to the Beautiful Nothing show on Janurary 13 at the Underground. The line up is now Beautiful Nothing, 40 Sons and Daughters, Euphorias Depression, and Out of Options.