This session was one of my favorites so far. The Balconies are a trio out of Toronto by way of Ottawa. They are so adorable, I just wanted to put them in my pocket and take them home with me. Adorable may not be the best way to describe a band but when you listen to their cover of The Beatles Revolution I think you will get it. Jacquie, Stephen and Liam are getting ready for a US tour this summer. They have dates with The Trews and U.S.S. They will also perform at Edgefest and at the Ottawa Bluesfest. Their Kill Count EP was produced by the very well known Jon Drew (Arkells) and their full length album should be out later this year. Enjoy!
Q107 was the first stop for Halifax band Alert The Medic. They are in town playing as much as they can for the month that they are here. They have a residency at The Supermarket (love that bar) every Wednesday as well as shows in Brampton, Hamilton and Ottawa. They also have a gig at The Underground this Saturday and The Horseshoe on May 4th. You can get all the tour dates here. Alert The Medic recorded “We Are The Weapon” in Toronto with Juno award winning Producer, Laurence Currie (Sloan, Wintersleep). We had a blast in the studio recording a kick ass Bryan Adams cover and the very high energy original tune “Hey Kid to the Back of the Line”. Enjoy!
The Box Tiger are a band out of Toronto. Sonia the lead singer has this strange yet fantastic vulnerability to her voice. She is definitely one of kind. Really cool vibe from this band. You can check them out for yourself at The Horseshoe on April 21st.
Poor Young Things just got back from touring with The Trews and are all set for another tour with Calgary band The Dudes at the end of the month. These guys moved to Toronto from Thunder Bay a year ago and what they have accomplished in that year is incredible! They recorded an EP with Arkells producer Jon Drew, toured with The Trews and got signed by Bumstead. To say this year has been a dream come true for the band is an understatement. 5 guys from Thunder Bay just working their asses off in the big city. The 5 of them actually live together like one big happy family. It was a blast having these very talented musicians in the studio. They even said my producing skills would give Jon Drew (Arkells) a run for his money. LOL. Check out this awesome Indie Invasion and make sure you go see them at The Horseshoe on April 28th.
Commuting sucks. The only way to make your daily subway/street car/bus/go train commute better is to listen to some good music. The more upbeat and fun the better. Everyone looks so miserable already so you don’t want to be listening to slow depressing songs. You need an upper and the Subway CD of the Month is going to be that upper. No prescription required. You just have to like good music. April’s Subway CD of the month is Foxy Shazam. Their name really says it all and the album is exactly what you would expect from a band called Foxy Shazam. Sheer awesomeness! I gotta give props to my former co-host Fraser for introducing me to this band. Thanks man.
Now if this album doesn’t make you want to dance on the subway even though people are staring at you, I don’t know what will. Enjoy!
Benhur brought 4 pedals with them to cover Pink Floyd’s Welcome to the Machine. They were really aiming for that psychadelic feel and I think they nailed it. This band consists of 3 brooding Brazilian men and “Wonderbread” Steve. The play all over Toronto so make sure you check out their website for tour updates.
Kevin Dorin from Bigger Fish Than Guns stopped by the studio while in town for CMW. He did a fantastic cover of Tom Petty and a real bluesy rock tune called Sour Face. I think you will be very impressed with this performance.
Drew Leith and The Foundation stopped by during their visit to Toronto for Canada Music Week. This Cambridge/Kitchener band has a showcase tonight at The Hard Rock Cafe at 9pm. Great group of guys and a really solid performance. Their original tune Bounce is a very well written and full bodied song. Sounds like I am talking about wine but what I am getting at is the song is complete. Great job guys. It was a pleasure having you in the Q107 studio.
Drew Leith and The Foundation cover I Shot The Sheriff
Drew Leith and The Foundation original tune called Bounce
This week there might be a few extra Indie Invaions as Canada Music Week is on and I want to get as many awesome bands in as I can. Some will be live in studio performances and some will be like this one from Gloryhound. With this weeks schedule so tight, I could not get the band in so I asked them to send me a youtube video of their Classic Rock cover.
We did a little Q & A via this wonderful thing called email as well.
Who are your classic rock influences?It is interesting to think how broad what is considered the classic rock canon has become. Just tonight we attended a Toronto Rock lacrosse game, and, more often than not, the pump-up music was from bands we love such as Guns N’ Roses, Judas Priest, and The Ramones. Other favourites include The Stooges, T-Rex and of course Thin Lizzy. All of them can now be considered classic rock and all were groundbreaking for their time.
Why did you cover Thin Lizzy?We covered Thin Lizzy because we love their song arrangements and attitude. Not only are their songs fun to play, but we have also had the chance to see how they are performed up close and personal. In March of last year we were given the opportunity to open for Thin Lizzy at the Sound Academy in Toronto. The night was a total blast and we offer “The Cowboy Song” in tribute.
If you had to pick one classic rock favorite, what would it be?One song that always gets cranked in the van is “20th Century Boy” by T-Rex. It can get kind of dangerous however, what with all the air guitar and steering wheel drumming.
Where can Q-107 listeners find out more about you? Q107 listeners may find more about us by visiting our website, www.gloryhoundband.com or checking out our facebook page. For smaller doses of the band they can also follow us on twitter under the handle @gloryhoundband.
Any upcoming shows?We have several shows coming up for Canada Music Week and beyond. For CMW we are playing The Horseshoe Tavern on Wednesday the 21st, the Agency Group showcase at Tattoo Rock Parlour on Thursday the 22nd, and a 6:35 performance at Sneaky Dee’s on Friday the 23rd for Canada Music East Coast style. While CMW is still going on, we will be taking the rock further afield, playing at The Casbah in Collingwood on Saturday the 24th with our pals from Monster Truck, and The Historic Red Dog in Peterborough on Sunday the 25th with a great band from Austin called The Bright Light Social Hour. If you’re hung over CMW but still want to hear more Gloryhound, please come check us out at Cherry Cola’s on Wednesday March 28th. It will be our last show in Toronto before heading East to the Junos where we will be playing at the Gibson Guitar party on Saturday night and ultimately home to Halifax.
And just for fun Pizza or Sushi?Sushi pizza! A Halifax and Toronto staple, sushi pizza is a delicious twist on typical maki fare. Tempura fried rice paddy, salmon, and wasabi mayo in the shape of a pizza. We’ll take 107.
Check out their video for Electric Dusk and make sure you follow them on facebook and twitter.
An old friend from Calgary was in Toronto at the Rivoli last night. Michael Bernard Fitzgerald (okay ladies, you can stop screaming for joy!) came in early this morning after last nights gig. Admittedly, we both might still be little hammered but that just made for a better interview and a few funny moments during MBF’s live performance. Michael has three shows for Canada Music Week. The Gladstone on Wednesday March 21st, Friday March 23rd in the The Royal York at the Library Bar and The Supermarket Saturday March 24th. Now let the fun (slightly hammered) times continue.
MBF interview. We talk Nenshi, Calgary, hot radio chicks and Michael says “Heyo” about 6 times:)
