Friday, May 22, 2015

YouTube Channel Profile Series: John Mignacca.

For this month's YouTube Channel Profile, we're looking at just one randomly selected YouTube channel for the first time in nine months today, which seems like too long, but the joys of a random draw! As usual, this monthly feature series looks at 1-3 YouTube channels with at least 50% of their videos being relevant to local metal, hard rock, or punk bands and/or concerts, in order to spotlight their content and hopefully encourage readers to check them out and subscribe, and this month's (still updated) channel has lots of videos to check out, so here's what you should know!
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John Mignacca. (http://www.youtube.com/asitstands420)

Owner: Skeyes of Seven drummer, Dillinger producer, and former local concert promoter John Mignacca, also known from previous drumming work with bands like As It Stands & Out Of The Mouth Of Babes

Channel Timeline: Launched on August 9th, 2010; Videos posted from the following month through December 2014

Channel Summary: Originally intended to be a new official YouTube channel for defunct local hardcore quintet As It Stands, this channel first featured two A.I.S. studio tracks, a studio blog, and a loose rap jam between John and singer Justin Pregent. Since the band's last show in August 2012, John transitioned this channel into one for personal use, generally for solo drum covers (7 as of this writing), with other uploads including a solo electronic track, an improvised video of him drumming in a local music store, and a humorous clip of what appears to be his dog responding to an online video.

Why Should You Watch: Give John's channel a look for some solid late-era As It Stands material and for extended (and diverse) drum covers in particular, as he has wide ranging musical interests that come through in these uploads! However, there are no videos yet of John with Skeyes of Seven, there's only the one electronic song for Dillinger fans, and no A.I.S. material from before their 2010 reunion is included, but John does still actively use this channel. For reference, his original YouTube channel (which we profiled in this series in 2012) features two extra videos from his late 2000s band work.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

Rise Above - As It Stands (2010): The first two uploads on what was then As It Stands' channel were of studio recordings that the band held in mid-2010 at Stereo Soul Studios with producer Miguel Gauthier, shortly before he and the studio moved to California. Recorded not long after the band's reunion that summer, the songs are "One Last Chance" and (embedded below) "Rise Above", the only video on the channel to surpass 1,000 views. Featuring A.I.S.' classic & final lineup (including John alongside singer Justin Pregent, guitarists Garrett Masters & Albert Bourrier, and bassist Angelo Huckson), both of these songs demonstrate a heavier, tighter, and more intense As It Stands than had existed in the late 2000s, and with great production too! Fans can hear more select studio recordings on the band's online pages.



As It Stands - Studio Blog 2011: Though long-gestating plans for their third CD never saw their planned conclusion, As It Stands took a road trip to Mississauga in June 2011 to record tracks for the unreleased album (then considered an EP) at Metalworks Studio with producer Kevin Dietz, documenting the trip and assorted goings on with a cell phone camera for this vlog posting. The camera work isn't optimal at times given the vertical angle used for much of it, but you get strong audio of the guys recording their parts for the tracks (including their cover of Blink-182's "Stay Together For The Kids") and some fun moments including John getting acrobatic, a dancing chicken mascot, and even a stop at a beach. There was no third disc, but the studio blog gives a glimpse into what could have been!



The Rival Cycle - TREOS (Drum Cover): All of John's videos since 2013 have been of his own drum covers, including of a late As It Stands original (the curiously titled "Oh Herm, Herm Delish") as well as a diverse array of covers from the likes of A Day To Remember, Christina Grimmie, two different versions of Skrillex's "Avicci", and as embedded below, The Recieving End of Sirens' "The Rival Cycle". Specifically uploaded in January 2014, this is played on an electronic drumkit, but is solidly done like the others, with John clearly demonstrating his considerable drumming ability on each, but fans of his hardcore band work might not take to some of his cover choices.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Through 100% random selection, our next profile on June 22nd will be on the YouTube channel #TrebleCharger (we're not starting to use hashtags here, that's it's title), which features song uploads from four of the local/Toronto indie/punk band's albums. Watch for that next month, and stay tuned for more news in the near future! Thanks everyone!

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