Keep up to date with all that is happening with Smallman and all of our no-good bands. As well, we’ll be running exclusive giveaways for the mailing list (pieces of carpet, old fax machines ... you know, “cool stuff”), so sign up now to be part of the magic.
October 16th, 2008
Catch Sylvie on air at CFRE
CFRE in Toronto will be interviewing Sylvie this afternoon at 2pm EDT (1PM CDT/12 PM MDT/11AM PDT/2PM ADT/2:30 NLDT ...holy crap, can we have any more timezones in this country?). You can listen live at http://www.cfreradio.com/ . Click the listen live menu toggle, and it should open up in your iTunes.
Category: Sylvie
October 15th, 2008
A Review from Abort Magazine on the first stop of the Through The Noise Tour
See the full review at: http://abortmag.com/?p=2212
This show was sold out, as have been the last four along the tour. It made it’s stop in CBK’s hometown of Winnipeg last night, and much hooting and hollering ensued. About 800 people, and each one doing this classic hardcore (see picture) move on each other. 400 people strangled to death by the end of the show. Only the strong will survive.
Category: Comeback Kid
October 15th, 2008
Special Pre-Order Price This Week.
Travel over to http://www.mymerchtable.com and we’ve got the sylvie disc up there, in all its glory, for $8 plus shipping. This price will only be around until next Tuesday, when the CD officially comes out.
Category: Sylvie
October 11th, 2008
Andrew talks with The Uniter
Comeback Kid’s Andrew Neufeld talks about Sights & Sounds
When I caught up with Andrew Neufeld of Comeback Kid on Sept. 30 to interview him for the CBK article that appears in this week’s issue of The Uniter, he was in Gibsons, a small coastal community in southwestern B.C., with his other band, Sights & Sounds.
The band was there recording their first full-length album with renowned metal musician and producer Devin Townshend (Strapping Young Lad, Lamb of God, Misery Signals).
“He’s sick of metal, so he’s doing this,” Neufeld said with a laugh, adding that the band had been in Gibsons for a month and was a week away from finishing recording.
“We have the end in sight right now and we’re just trying to put all the pieces together.”
Formed on a whim in 2005 by Neufeld (on vocals and guitar), his brother Joel (drums) and friends Adrian Mottram (guitar) and Matt Howes (bass), Sights & Sounds released a six-song EP last year on Winnipeg’s Smallman Records. Rooted in the band’s shared punk history, the songs also incorporated acoustic guitars, piano, MIDI and choir-like vocals. The result was an atmospheric sound that at times recalled Mew and at other times, Blink 182—two of the band’s influences.
Of the full-length, Neufeld said, “It’s way, way, leaps and bounds beyond the EP. The EP was a demo we did ourselves, and we never really intended for it to come when we [recorded] it.”
Neufeld said the band has recorded 12 songs for the full-length, and that Smallman Records will release it in Canada. The band is currently trying to figure out who will release it outside of the country.
If things go according to plan, it will be released in either March or April, giving the world an idea of what Sights & Sounds can really do.
“Hopefully it will properly represent our band, which we don’t feel we’ve been able to do yet,” Neufeld said.
Category: Sights and Sounds
October 10th, 2008
Grave Maker Van Accident Last Night.
We just got word from Andrew in CBK that the Grave Maker tour van rolled on the highway between Kelowna, BC and Calgary AB last night. A horrific accident that may have completely destroyed the Grave Maker van and trailer. Though it sounds like there are some very severe injuries, we are extremely, extremely thankful that no one was killed. Andrew himself was in the van and was still in shock when we spoke to him. We’ll have more news posted once we find out.
Category: General
October 10th, 2008
Stream the full album on Myspace.
Myspace Canada will be streaming the entire Trees and Shade are Our Only Fences from October 17 to October 20 - the couple days leading up to the release date on October 21, 2008. Go to http://www.myspace.com/sylviemusic to give the whole album a listen before you buy it…
Category: Sylvie
October 10th, 2008
CBK return to Australia in January 09.
As part of the “Boys of Summer Tour”, Comeback Kid will be co-headling the tour with Australian’s Carpathian. Check out the dates on our tours page, and below is the official official press release.
2009 will see the return of one of the country’s most loved single-stage festivals. Since it’s inception, the BOYS OF SUMMER TOUR has played host to some of the biggest local and international hardcore, punk and rock acts, including Evergreen Terrace, Misery Signals, Parkway Drive, Set Your Goals, I Killed The PromQueen, Silverstein and The Getaway Plan. In this, it’s forth year running, the ELEMENT BOYS OF SUMMER TOUR will travel to more cities and towns then it ever has before!
And here is the line up… CARPATHIAN, COMEBACK KID, VERSE and AGAINST!
Melbourne straightedge hardcore band, Carpathian, will lead the ELEMENT BOYS OF SUMMER TOUR 2009 onslaught. The Carpathian story is one of set backs and frustrations, but overall triumph. After various line-up shuffles, Carpathian found their winning formula after guitarist Martin Kirby took back over the vocal reigns from I Killed The Prom Queen frontman (turned short-lived TV celebrity), Michael Crafter. After ripping through UK and Europe alongside label mates Parkway Drive and US act On Broken Wings, Carpathian returned to Australia with more determination, more passion and a more brutal sound. Their second full-length album, ‘Isolation’, was released by Resist in July of 2008 to a massive #19 ARIA debut. Full of rockin’ heavy hardcore riffs, furious lyrics, blood-curdling vocals and world-class production, ‘Isolation’ is an emotioncharged, energy-fuelled behemoth that the band only improves on live. Don’t miss the wrath of Carpathian on the ELEMENT BOYS OF SUMMER TOUR.
Next is Comeback Kid. These Canadians formed with one simple purpose in mind: to get out and play some fast, furious hardcore. Two critically acclaimed albums later and after tirelessly touring in the UK, Europe, Canada, USA, Japan, New Zealand and Iceland with bands such as Rise Against, Sick Of It All, Madball, Bad Religion, Dropkick Murphys and Terror, Comeback Kid have become one of the biggest names in hardcore today. For the ELEMENT BOYS OF SUMMER TOUR, Comeback Kid will once again show Australian fans why they have cemented themselves as one of the world’s best live acts.
s the second international act on the bill, the ELEMENT BOYS OF SUMMER TOUR will bring US group Verse to Australia for the very first time! Since releasing their second full-length album ’From Anger And Rage’ here on Washed Up Records, Verse’s Australian fanbase has growing rapidly. They are a defiant band; taking risks, expressing opinions and exploring ideas. The band has always had the anger expected from hardcore bands, but with a more stylistic approach. Their latest studio effort, ‘Aggression’, demonstrates their epic songwriting, screaming vocals and political ideas.
Rounding out the stella line-up is Brisbane boys, Against. Against is one of the true stalwarts of the Australian hardcore scene. With a slew of successful releases under their belt through Common Bond Records and more recently, Trial And Error, the five-piece is set to drop another full length in early 2009. With a new line-up in place and a more intense, metallic sound, Against will be on a mission to remind us all what they are capable as they take their well-earned place on the 2009 BOYS OF SUMMER TOUR.
The ELEMENT BOYS OF SUMMER TOUR 2009 will hit Toowoomba, Brisbane, Nambour, Mermaid Waters,Wyong, Sydney, Canberra, Summerville, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Freemantle during January. Tickets will go fast so don’t miss your chance to catch what may be the tour of the year!!
Category: Comeback Kid
October 10th, 2008
S&S is working on their new full length right now.
Check out the pictures from the studio in our ‘Goodies’ section. From the studio, Andrew from S&S wrote:
We’re recording our album right now in Gibsons, BC. Just a hop, skip, and ferry ride away from Vancouver. Its great out here. Lots of bears and the beach is close. We have Devin Townsend producing the album, and he is awesome. Like most geniuses he works in mysterious ways. We’ve been adding layers and layers to the songs and trying to come up with a really big powerful sounding record. We’re experimenting with adding elements and coming up with some really cool sounds. This is definitely the most interesting recording experience I have ever been a part of. We’re in here for just over another week and putting the finishing touches on everything. It all feels really fresh though. We’ll be putting some videos on the myspace soon with some studio footage soon i think. One thing that takes awhile for us is deciding on song names but here is our tentative track listing with some real names, and some studio names.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
WILL
Sorrows
Heavy Down
Storm & the Sun
Matt Lite
Reconcile
Neighbours
Adrians Song
Pedal Against The Wind
Night Train
Borderlines
Subtle, Severe
Sorrows II
Goose Lite
Category: Sights and Sounds
October 10th, 2008
Riva speaks candidly with a writer from Chartattack.com
Interview taken from http://www.chartattack.com/news/61491/sylvie-becomes-bigger-family
SYLVIE BECOMES BIGGER FAMILY
Sylvie are hitting the road this week in support of their third full-length, Trees And Shade Are Our Only Fences.
The band will set out on a short tour from their hometown of Regina to Montreal, and fans will have the chance to pick up a copy of the disc before its official Oct. 21 release. A round of U.S. gigs with Minus The Bear will follow before the quintet embark on a proper cross-Canada jaunt in November.
“[Drummer] Jeff [Romanyk] was just remarking how awesome it’s going to be,” says very excited bassist Riva Farrell Racette. “We’re looking at seven-to-eight weeks of pure tour-ness for October and November.
“Folks who come to the shows will be subject to our new songs, which we are very proud of. Essentially, there will be lots of playing, singing, dancing and sweating.”
Trees And Shade Are Our Only Fences was written in 2006 and early 2007 and recorded last summer with talented musician/producer J. Robbins (The Dismemberment Plan, Against Me!) at his Baltimore, Md. studio. The disc marks the recorded debut of keyboardist Erin Passmore, guitarist Joel Passmore’s younger sister. Racette praises her contributions on the album and on stage.
“We all knew that Erin had a wicked set of pipes. Plus, like her brother, she has a natural gift for creating music and coming up with parts that fit well with what is going on. For the older stuff, she has come up with some melodies on keys, and sings harmonies. Sometimes she jumps on speakers.”
Joel and Racette are married, so Racette now gets to spend more quality time with her sister-in-law, albeit not always in the nicest of places.
“I can say that, on a social level, it has been really nice to have Erin in the band,” she explains. “It’s nice having someone else getting ready for shows with me in random filthy bathrooms.”
While Erin’s addition helps close the gap between the number of males and females in Sylvie, Racette says that it hasn’t made the band’s boys any more gentlemanly.
“The guys still do not abstain from passing deadly gasses, nor have we all stopped swearing like sailors. We can be a loud and abrasive lot, but Erin had already come out on one of our tours with Wintersleep and definitely knew what she was getting herself into.”
According to Racette, there’s a feeling of optimism running through the Sylvie camp. This is much different from the pessimistic leanings which preceded the unveiling of their rightfully praised pairing of post-punk and indie rock on 2003’s I Wish I Was Driving and 2005’s An Electric Trace. She cites the quality of the singing on Trees And Shade Are Our Only Fences as one of her favourite things about the recording and shares her picks for best tracks.
“We threw everything we had into this record: emotionally, creatively and economically. There is a real sense of accomplishment for us all. ‘Breakout For Summer’ is one standout track because every time we play it live, I feel like people know what Joel is talking about.
“For me, personally, ‘When We Were Young’ is of particular relevance. The vocals are about the residential school experience and the tone it set for generations to come. For this song to come out the same year as the long-awaited apology from the federal government has been very significant for me and my family, to say the least.”
Here are Sylvie’s Canadian tour dates:
Oct. 10 Regina, SK @ The Distrikt w/Ghosts Of Modern Man and Said The Whale
Oct. 11 Winnipeg, MB @ The Lo Pub & Gallery
Oct. 12 Thunder Bay, ON @ Jacks
Oct. 14 London, ON @ Call The Office
Oct. 16 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Oct. 17 Ottawa, ON @ Zaphod Beeblebrox
Oct. 18 Montreal, QC @ Club Lambi
Category: Sylvie
October 1st, 2008
Carpenter is featured in this month’s issue of AP Magazine as one of the four bands to watch out for.
Here’s what they say: Ever longed for the ability to listen to all of your John Cougar Mellencamp and Piebald records at the same time? Probably not. But Vancouver’s Carpenter have gone ahead and smashed the two together anyway, and the results are (maybe unsurprisingly) epic, catchy and unstoppably energetic. “I think we’re such a mishmash of different genres, people can pick and choose what they want to like about us,” says vocalist and guitarist Dan Sioui. “It’s been exciting to see the way people who aren’t necessarily into punk have connected with our songs. And at the same time, there’s an aggression hardcore kids are getting into, too.” Warning: Continued exposure to their full-length debut, Law Of The Land, may make you want to sell your apartment, get full0sleeve tattoos, buy a truck and move to the country.
Category: Carpenter
