Set Anchors - Galleon EP

Once again some new fresh tracks from yet another Ontario band. When I first was told to listen to these guys about 5 months ago I was really iffy when I checked out their myspace. I noticed that they were looking for a bunch of new members; and really when you see that on a bands myspace you wonder really what is going to come of the band in the next couple of months (example Straight Reads The Line has now lost Blake, what's next for them? I know what Blake is up to!). So after listen to the couple of tracks that they have up, I wasn't blow away with anything.

Come a couple of months ago I was on the Dancing With Paris' Facebook page and noticed someone named Evan wrote a comment about how amazing the DWP EP was (best EP the scene has heard in a long time) and that his band wanted to hook up some stuff together. See as I book the DWP guys I headed over to listen to this Evan's band and what do I find... Set Anchors. But now Set Anchors have a new line up and new tracks. After listen to the new tracks I loved the stuff right off the band.

Last week the guys through up this EP for free download (like many other Southern Ontario bands), but like many bands that do this, this one has killer song writing/structure, listening longevity, good production, and great room for growth. Now that I have been able to sit down with the Galleon EP and really take a listen, I have taken to these guys a lot more. There are a couple of things that bug me about the EP; it may just be because I'm a critical listener when it come to music, but where is the bass? That has to be the last problem for me, this is a very trebly EP, I can't even here a bass to tell you the truth and I know that they do have a bass player (Evan). Even after putting the base booster EQ on nothing really changed. Other then that at the end of 'Galleon' the cymbals and guitar get cut off very abruptly. Also I wish that the melodic vocals on 'Fading Sense Of Balance' were brought up in the mix, there are some really cool vocal line in the beginning of the song. Also this song has a great Misery Signals feel, throughout the last half of the song. 'City Under Siege has a very strong Bring Me The Horizon feel on it, couple of the vocal scream definitely have that same 'effect' on them, but when that 'effect' is used it's nice to hear the lower scream harmony under it, and that is another thing I wish was used more throughout the EP. 'Restless' is going to be the song that gets stuck in your head, and good on them to put that at the end of the EP.

Overall the EP is anything that hasn't been heard before, but it's the energy and drive that really pulls me into this band and EP, and I would love to work with these guys more in the future and can't wait to hear their new stuff. Also they have a couple of shows coming up this month with the guy in Dancing With Paris.

November 8th - Windsor
November 21st - Hamilton

Enough of this go and listen to the new EP!


Set Anchors - Galleon EP
Release: October 24th 2009

Galleon
Fading Sense Of Balance
City Under Siege
Restless

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The Canadian Scene (October 2009)

So here is the first installment of The Canadian Scene iMix. Each month I am going to be pick a hand full of bands that are being active within the Canadian independent scene. All of the bands that are featured on this iMix are either touring the country, have had a new release, turning heads or are just a hard working band that I feel needs to be noticed. If you like hardcore, metalcore, pop, indie, and want to find some NEW amazing home grown talent this is going to be the monthly playlist for you. Also every month the last two tracks are going to consist of a Canadian act and an International act that if you don't already know who they are you should, this month it's Straight Reads The Line and Architects.

This months playlsit is a little on the heavy side but 7 of artists (Kingdoms, Norris, Dead And Divine, Children Of Eve, Today I Caught the Plague, Silverstein, Architects) are either out on the road or about to embark out on the road, and I know they wouldn't mind a little extra coin for food. Well enough of the reading get to the best part, the listening!

Like this iMix please rate it, or leave a comment about it.

Thanks
Piers

*if you are interested in getting your band on The Canadian Scene all you need is your music on iTunes and e-mail pierssimpkin@gmail.com, with the subject 'The Canadian Scene'*

Kingdoms - Daughters of Atlas

So the Kingdoms boys are back and with a new EP??? Sort of, if you are hoping for all new tracks you are going to be a little sad to hear this. Their new release (which I think it has officially released) only has two new tracks on it and the remainder of the album is Atlantis all over again. I was fortunate to get my hands on this album at the end of August and really took a huge liking to the two new tracks 'Split The Sky' and 'The Bitmore Hotel' and when I loaded the album into iTunes I wasn't really surprised to see those two tracks run right into Atlantis. I have talked to the guys about this and yes it is the same tracks but they have been re-mastered, although comparing the tracks I really don't hear a difference.

So my last post about these guys they were doing great for themselves, an unsigned band that was really talking the Ontario scene by storm, well now a few months later they really haven't slowed down. Might as well give you a run down like last time ;0b

- Last spring they headed out on their first East Coast tour with Farewell To Freeway, Greeley Estate, and FACT
- Took a little brake from shows to play all the major festivals in Ontario, Cutting Edge Music Festival, Rock The Mill, Scenefest

- In July they announced that Underground Operation picked them up (that really wasn't a surprise)

- They are now out on tour on their fist CD Release tour with The Oxford Street Montage. Which they will join Silverstein on their last leg of their Cross Canada Tour, so out east watch on you are in for a treat once again.

- Looking to continue to be on the road once they are back from out east.

Once again these guys aren't bad off at all and congrats once again to everything that they have accomplished over the past year. It's almost been a year since Atlantis (October 3rd) has been up for free download and they have been on the scene.

I know that I usually right something about the way the album feels, what I don't like, what is awesome, but seeing how this is really just a re-release I'm not going to repeat my self (click here if you want to see what I thought of it. The only thing that I would say is in 'Split The Sky' I want to see if Hutton can hit the one held note around 3:20 in the song. It really sounds like he pushed his voice to the border of the braking point. Also the brake down at the end of the song, does anyone know who else uses that pattern? I have show it to a couple of people and we can't figure it out.

Well enjoy and go out see these guys and spread the love!


Kingdoms - Daughters of Atlas
Release: September 23rd 2009

Split The Sky
The Bitmore Hotel
Pyramids
Catharsis
Telegraph Static
Atlantis
La Serena

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Dancing With Paris - There's Something In The Water

FAIL!!! Yes that is directed to me, cause I really have been lacking on the postings on here and not sharing some killer music that I have been getting me hands on. You might ask so why have you been keeping us in the dark then.... we'll it's because of these guys; Dancing With Paris, I know that I have mentioned these guys a couple of times on here, and to get back into the swing of things I figured that I would show everyone what I have been working on over the past couple of months.

So this is the first EP that Dancing With Paris have ever released and with my help, as well as many other people that have becoming part of the DWP family. With the EP only being out a little less then two months these guys have already starting to stir up things in the Ontario hardcore scene. They have had a lot of comparison to Straight Reads The Line, to the point that people have asked them if Blake is the singing in the band, Holly Springs, Deftones, Vanna... yes all these bands are in a similar genre but the things that is setting Dancing With Paris apart from every other band out there is they way they mix everything together.

There really is something for everyone on this EP. It's got your full range of scream (high, lows, mids) some Fall Out Boy sing-a-long parts, breakdowns that make you question, what just happened, slow dance sections (go and see them live and you will understand that a little better) dance beats, equine cover art and the list can go on. A couple cool featured that the EP has is each song has it's own cover and the guys have been getting some great complements on it, and I'm sure it won't be the end of it. Also if you listen to the EP on an iPod Touch of iPhone you'll get an extra treat, click on the cover art while you are listening to it and you'll see what I'm talking about!!

So I can't really review this cause it would be supper bias, but I will say that I have put A LOT of overtime hours into this project and hope that everyone that downloads this enjoys it as much as I do, even after listening to it as many times as I have! All I ask for is, if you like this ep, PLEASE PASS THE IT ON TO EVERY OTHER PERSON YOU THINK WILL LOVE IT! Dancing With Paris have started to stir the water and soon everyone will see what what actually is in the water.

Sorry again for the lock of content over the summer, but I'll get back into putting stuff up you everyone, until next time, learn to love this EP!!


Dancing With Paris - There's Something In The Water
Release: July 8th 2009

Sand Castles
Bled Dry
Orange County
(Boardwalk)
Hardwalk (Of Champions)
Titanic
There's Something In The Water

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Dead And Divine - The Machines We Are

So last night I got my fingers on the new Dead And Divine album and figured that I haven't put anything up in quite sometime it was time to get back to pimping out the Canadian Scene once again.

So I'm not going to write to much about this, just cause I haven't sat down and really listened to it, I'm on my second listen right now, and to be honest, I feel that there is a lot more hype over this album then it is worth. There hasn't been anything that has blown me away with the album. The lyrics that Tobin has come up this time run very close to what Mike from Holly writes about (and come on you name one of your songs D.R.U.G.S. really...) BUT Tobin does not have the same deliverance and passion behind then what he is singing. If you are going to try and mimic something like that make sure you have the backing power. When it comes to the music, there are A LOT more dynamics and thought out parts compared to their last album The Fanciful but nothing that has given me chills or blows me away, which sucks. Finally after all the time these guys have been a band they finally have one of the most solid teams behind them and it seems like they have lost their drive and started to get lazy. I know a hand full of bands that if they were given this opportunity they would have run with it and brought something to the table that the scene did not see coming.

All in all I know that the kids are going eat this up when it first comes out but once the same kids find something that has more to offer and more of a want to better the scene, they are going to forget about this album and pass their new love on to everyone, to anyone reading this I STRONGLY SUGGEST DANCING WITH PARIS and not just cause they are my boys but because they are thinking outside the box and have just dropped an EP that has something for everyone on it. And if given the opportunity would slay D&D very night on tour, maybe not in playing, but in the way that kids will go away talking about them rather then Dead And Divine.

Again this is what I think and I know that a lot of people will agree with me but won't speak up and say so, so don't worry I just did for you.


Dead And Divine - The Machines We Are
Release: August 4th 2009

The Sugar Sickness
Creature
Chemical Valley
Neon Jesus
D.R.U.G.S.
For Your Health
Teeth
Mechanical Orchestra
Lovely Bones
Cassandra Syndrome

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Alexisonfire - Old Crows / Young Cardinals

Ok so I know that is has been way to long since I have posted anything on here but I have been really busy working with a band that I have started managing. I have mentioned them a couple of time on here, and for anyone that doesn't know who I am talking about they are Dancing With Paris. We have been prepping for the studio for the last month and that has been really eating up my time, in a great way. The new EP is shaping up to sound amazing, for example the track (working title "Brad's Song) that we were finishing up tonight is a mix of Misery Signals and classic Alexisonfire (but with more of a dance feel), curious I guess you will have to wait to hear what I'm talking about OR if you are in the Toronto area on TUESDAY JUNE 9TH they are playing at Holy Joes with NORRIS (great friends of mine) and Faceless Hulk or if you are in the Belleville, Ontario area on SATURDAY JUNE 13TH they will be playing in Campbellford with Amnesia Amnesia but other than that you are going have to wait until the EP drops!

But all that being said here is a little treat for all the Alexis fans. Just tonight they released another song called "No Rest" from their upcoming album "Old Crows / Young Cardinals" (which is due out June 23rd) and for your listening pleasure here it is.

ENJOY and I will be throwing more stuff back up here so drop me random views now and then and see what is new!



Alexisonfire - Old Crows / Young Cardinals
Release: June 23rd 2009

Old Crows
Young Cardinals
Sons of Privilege
Born and Raised
No Rest
The Northern
Midnight Regulations
Emarals Street
Heading for the Sun
Accept Crime
Burial


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K'naan - Troubadour

After spending most of your childhood watching a civil war erupt in your home country is something that most people only hear about and never really get to take in a full story from someone that has experienced that and turned all that negativity into drive, a drive to prove that it doesn't matter where you come from you can do anything if you put your mind to it. With K'naan's new album "Troubadour" (which defines as any wandering singer or minstrel; fitting because the definition of K'naan is "traveler") you can get a little taste of what he saw and experienced growing up in the beginning stages of the Somalia Civil War (which is still underway today) and what it was like for him making the transition to a Canadian lifestyle.

Now I know if I read that first paragraph I would pass this off as a political record of some sort and not give it a solid listen, BUT this album has nothing to do with that at all. The first half of the album K'naan takes you back to his days in Somalia and paints a picture of what it is truly like growing up an Africa war. The first couple of tracks "T.I.A" (This Is Africa), "ABC's he calls out almost ever rapper that has ever said that they are true gangstas, by true gangstas I'm referring to the Hollywood glorified gangsta, cause after listening to a couple of the things K'naan lists off (walking through The Lake Of Blood, seeing kids and "gangstas" carrying Oozes, learning the Africa ABC's on streets) would put any North American gangsta in their place. Once you listen to the first half of the album you'll see what I'm talking about. I have had the chance to see some of the things that K'naan mentions throughout the first part of the album and it is a reality to a lot of Africa's still today.

The tracks "Wavin' Flag" and "Somalia" are the turning points of the album, from here K'naan's lyrical content changes focus from his Somalian life to his new North American lifestyle. He still goes back and touches base with a few memories from africa but only to show that without his time in there he wouldn't be the same person that he is today. Over the next couple of tracks the content is a lot lighter and has more of a up beat feel to it; talking about Western Union, his lost love Fatima, inspiration, but once you get to the last track "People Like Me" it's almost like the album has gone in a full circle. I say this cause you find out more about why K'naan left Somalia and some major things that he had to leave behind. Overall this raps up the album in a great way!

I know that this album has been out for awhile now but I have been listening to it on and off from the day it came out, if you like any or all of the other Hip-Hop albums that I have posted on here, this is going to be another one that you will fall in love with. Looking at my ratings that I have given each track in iTunes that album gets a 4.6/5, take that how you want, but if that still hasn't sold you on it here are a couple of guest that K'naan has got to join him on the album. Damian Marley (actually K'naan tracks half of the album at Bob Marley's studio), Adam Levine (Maroon 5), Mos Def, Kirk Hammett (Metallica), and a couple ofthers.

Enjoy


K'naan - Troubadour
Release: February 24, 2009

T.I.A.
ABCs (featuring Chubb Rock)
Dreamer
I Come Prepared (featuring Damian Marley)
Bang Bang (featuring Adam Levine of Maroon 5)
If Rap Gets Jealous (featuring Kirk Hammett of Metallica)
Wavin' Flag
Somalia
America (featuring Mos Def and Chali 2na)
Fatima
Fire in Freetown
Take a Minute
15 Minutes Away
People Like Me

(Remember go out and support all the artist that are on Things I Get Up To, Here And There, buy their merch, albums, go to shows, with out your help these guys won't be able to keep doing this and bringing you new music)

IF YOU WANT THIS ALBUM MESSAGE ME AND I'LL GET IT TO YOU BLOGGER KEEPS TAKING IT DOWN