LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Nameus), Din Updates, And Much More!!

I wasn't expecting to have a full news post today, but with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALRT, we can't avoid it, so that leads off this post! Alongside it, we have some cool news from local radio, a local band's latest video and road trip news, and a belated song posting from a band of the late Guy Thiffault, who we memorialized this afternoon, so read that post below if you missed the original announcement. Here's what you need to know!

New local classic/hard rock cover trio Nameus (no formal new name yet) will make their Rockstar Bar debut TONIGHT! Apologies for the extremely short notice, we only got full confirmation about the show via the venue's Facebook event page this afternoon, though note that their physical marquee board had previously advertised "Travis Band" as playing today, which we now 100% know was meaning frontman Travis Sharpe. A one-nighter due to tomorrow's return of pop rock cover band Crush (formerly Cherry Crush), this won't be Nameus' last concert of 2016, but it'll be their last regular, non-New Year's Eve party event of the year, so if you want to take in some hard hitting covers, be at The Rockstar Bar TONIGHT! Also, note that this is the first publically announced Rockstar Bar show for a Terry Eaton/Steven Flint band at The Rockstar Bar since Mourning Wood played there back in February. There's no announced cover charges for TONIGHT'S 19+ show, and despite what the event page might tell you, expect a 10:30 PM-ish start time.

I wish the guys in Nameus would have plugged this show in some form of advance fashion (and/or launched an online page already), but if you're familiar with the guys' chemistry and backgrounds, you'll know that they should have a solid night of covers in store at The Rockstar Bar TONIGHT! Don't miss out if you can help it, hopefully videos turn up soon, and apologies again, we'd have covered this with our weekend concert previews had we known about it beforehand!

Next up, here's the latest from local alternative/hard rock trio The Din, starting with some intriguing news, as they're taking a road trip to Toronto for their out-of-town debut at The Revival Bar on January 6th! The show is part of Landmark Events' Showcase Festival, a concert series that will help rising musicians network with other acts, radio personalities, and industry professionals. No word on the complete lineup yet, but the show will apparently be live streamed as an i-PPV event, so if you buy an e-ticket, you can watch it online as it happens! It looks like their set is at 3:45 PM on January 6th, and e-tickets are $13, just $1 less than the regular in-person admission, for what that's worth. If you're interested in watching the stream, click here and visit The Din's Facebook event page for full details! For something new that you can watch free, The Din's eighth Cover of the Month video was posted to their YouTube channel yesterday, so what should you know on that?

Their first of this video series to have it's cover suggested by a fan, this month's cover is of The Gin Blossoms' "Hey Jealousy", but in this case, it was recorded at Mission Control Studios, where they have been recording something or another recently. The multi-camera video is well shot and the band sound as reliably good as ever, with the cover suiting their sound, but I'd have angled the camera up a bit for the wide shot, as too much of the table is in the road. Give The Din's latest cover a look below!

Also today, here's some surprising yet cool news from the world of local FM radio, as Brian Davie has returned to Rock 101 to resume co-hosting Scott & Brian In The Morning! The surprise announcement was made on air at 101.3 FM and via the show's Facebook page on Tuesday morning (also Brian's first day back), with co-host Scott Cook jokingly saying that Brian was back "by mediocre demand". A 20 year veteran of local radio, Brian originally left the Sault Michigan rock station in March of last year for personal reasons, with Scott hosting the morning show solo in the interim, but fans definitely seemed to welcome back Brian with open arms! He was always very kind and cordial to our work here at the SMS, and he always had a great chemistry and rapport with Scott in the mornings, which was often very noticeable over the past 21 months when Scott had no one to play off of. Tune in to the newly renamed Scott & Brian in the Morning weekday mornings from 6:00-10:00 AM on Rock 101 for music, infotainment, and much more for your morning drive!

Finally, here's a new song that I found online today from the late Guy Thiffault's mid-2000s punk band The Hangdowns! Guy himself posted this song to his YouTube channel (his only upload there) in October 2012, and it's of their original "No Man Is An Island", which notably wasn't on the band's MySpace page previously. I can't date this song specifically, but it could be from their planned 2004 album, which I can't verify if it ever saw a public release or not. The fireman picture is a little ambigiuous, but it's a solid fast-paced punk number of this missed band, so give it a listen below, and continue keeping Guy in your thoughts at this difficult time!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates over the weekend. Thanks everyone!

Another Older Punk Band Discovery, A New Album Release, And Much More!!

Before we get into our newest post, we have a note on TONIGHT'S Elements/Late Shift concert at The Rockstar Bar, as SooToday's newest "Soo-To-Do List" mentions that DJ Seith will be making a "special guest appearance" tonight as well. The Facebook event page hasn't confirmed this, but he should add his own flavour if true, so look for him tonight! Now, for our surprise second post today, we have info on the latest Tuned episode, the complete lineup for an upcoming battle of the bands, and a new album release, but first, here's another older punk band to add to our links! (And check out another new band addition, two new concerts, and more in the post below this one!)

We have another archive punk band to add to our defunct local band links, and they are Good Morning Gorilla! Active circa 2008-2010, you may remember them from their mid-2009 peak, where they opened for Upheaval of an Exorcist, Broadcast Zero, and Michael Froh at Oddfellows Hall concerts. I may be missing some members, but their original lineup featured singer/guitarist Craig Jackson, lead guitarist Montana Sebastiano, bassist Chas Dalton, and drummer Terrence Gomes (now of The Northern Tragedy), though Montana left the band later that year, and they would add lead singer Shawn Creedon, who partially inspired a late 2009 name change to Creedon & The Animal Detectives. Under that name, they're best known for finishing in fourth place at December 2009's Algoma University Battle of the Bands, but they would quietly disband in 2010. G.M.G. still have a surviving MySpace page & Facebook group, and the former has 3 songs, so how do they sound?

Harbouring more of a ska-punk sound than any of Terrence's later bands, Good Morning Gorilla had a slower and more casual style that had good qualities, but the vocals sometimes felt like they were held back, and they lacked the faster punk edge that The Northern Tragedy have. G.M.G. had promise, so give them a look at the above links!

Next up, we have a new local album release to take note of, as local grunge/punk solo project Telephone & Address released their seventh solo album "Rust Orchid" on their Bandcamp page on Tuesday! As previously teased via uploads on their Soundcloud page, the album features the same track listing that was previously unveiled on their Facebook page, but like with past digital releases, the album artwork is different from the cardboard & silkscreened version you'll get in physical copies. An experimental & ambient release that differs from Chris' bass/drum sound on "Need Not Apply", digital albums can be bought on Bandcamp for $15, which is likely also the cost for CDs, but a release date for physical copies hasn't been announced (though we should see them when Telephone & Address return to the stage.) With all of that said, when might we see our review of "Rust Orchid"?

While a review this month would make sense, we're not quite past our 6 month buffer period from our "Need Not Apply" review in September (to avoid accusations of showing a bias for or against any bands), but "Rust Orchid" has the all clear for next month, so might it be our March review subject? Stay tuned to find out, as well as which album we're reviewing next week, but check out the new Telephone & Address album above!

Also today, here's the complete lineup for next month's Speak Easy Battle of the Bands on Thursday, March 5th! As quietly confirmed by promoters on the Facebook event page in recent days, this one-day fan-voted battle at Algoma University's campus bar will now see local post-punk quartet Gnaeus (who are also competing in next month's VM Radio Battle at The Canadian), local solo musician Jesse Merineau (who you may remember from the Bon Soo Marquee), and a mystery band named Infinity Grinder, who I have absolutely no info on. We'll let you know if we hear anything! These acts join the previously confirmed Bear Hunters & Project 421 (both also in the VM Radio Battle), Long Shot, and Mike Haggith & The Din in this battle, completing the planned 7 act lineup, meaning that both battles will share 3 bands. Promoters have also confirmed that this battle is 19+... except for underage Algoma students with student I.D. cards, so if you fit the bill, you're in luck!

Infinity Grinder are still a question mark, but Gnaeus should put in a solid effort in their first battle appearance, and while it is unusual to see a solo artist in a battle of the bands, Jesse is a talented singer & guitarist that will hopefully leave a big impression! Stay tuned for more updates in the next two weeks on this second battle of the bands next month, and see the above links for current info!

Finally for today, here's Thursday's new episode of Local2's music spotlight webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper, which takes a look at the Treble Charger concert at The Machine Shop from earlier this month! The episode features performance footage that we hadn't seen before, including Treble Charger covering ZZ Top's "Gimme All Your Lovin'" during the set-ending cover jam (with the local openers and Ed Turgeon joining them on stage), before transitioning to an interview with Justus Veldman, the founder and CEO of Riversedge Developments, who were responsible for the development at The Machine Shop to turn it into a performance venue. Justus talks about what was envisioned about the building at first, it's potential for the future, and upcoming plans for the venue, so what's coming to The Machine Shop next? He said that they'll be booking events again starting next month, and they're looking for a long term operator for the venue as well.

The episode also features performance footage of local openers The Pixo Control and Frank Deresti & The Lake Effect (albeit sans prominent audio), while all 3 members of The Pixo Control talked about the energy of the venue and the experience of playing there. Ending with more footage from The 12 Musicians of Christmas at LopLops, this is a quality episode of Tuned again, and it's nice to get more info on the venue and future plans! Give it a look above, and also note that there's no concert calendar segment again, instead plugging 2 shows (including Friday's Cover Up concert) in text on the page.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

Two New Local Bands, Plus Much More Recent Updates!!

After our first off day of the year, we're back in swing of things with a packed news post, and yes, this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles are coming either tonight or tomorrow! For now, we have plenty of assorted news items and not one, but two new local bands, so here's what you should know!

One new-ish band to add to our band links are Orange, a post-punk/rockabilly duo featuring Telephone & Address frontman Chris Shoust! Also referred to as Orange: The Band in some instances, this project appears to be a revival of an earlier run at an undisclosed time, with a posting on Chris' other two man band The Red & Black's Facebook page last month implying that they're "now defunct." Orange united Chris on drums with guitarist Matt Zook (now living in Toledo, Ohio), who jammed in a series of "Sunday sessions" that took place in a local church "at the end of East Street" (do they mean St. Andrew's?) Orange's Facebook page was launched on December 29th, where they revealed that they will have an album released this year, though it's not established there whether it will be the split album with The Red & Black that they teased last month, or if Orange's album plans have drifted away from the split concept. In any event, four "Sunday sessions" tracks can now be streamed on Orange's Soundcloud page, so how does everything sound?

Very lo-fi like Chris' other recent bands, this music is reminiscent of some Telephone & Address work, but it's all instrumental. His drumming fits Matt's guitar playing, which has raw qualities and some melody, as well as a punk bite, and while it looks like Orange's revival is mainly to put out old material, at least they're getting more of a profile! I don't have a clue on when they were first together. Give Orange a listen above!

The other new band to add to our links today is Ten Kings, a new Sault Michigan hard rock quartet with some familiar faces! Just launching their Facebook page on Thursday, this new band (whose name is inspired by conspiracy theories involving a "New World Order")  haven't done much publically yet, but Nixxon Dixxon fans may want to pay attention, as their singer Brandon Carr is making his long awaited return to a local band with Ten Kings! We haven't heard much from Brandon since Nixxon Dixxon broke up in 2010, so it's great to see him back in the saddle! Their lineup is rounded out by former Bottom Line bandmates Joe Jenkins (also of Exiled) and Will Storey on guitar and drums respectively, while ex-Scofflaw bassist Barney Gravelle is also on board. Very solid lineup so far, but what will Ten Kings play? All that they've said so far is that they'll play modern & classic rock covers, so if you recall what Nixxon Dixxon & Exiled have played, Ten Kings shouldn't stray too far.

It's obviously too early to comment on how Ten Kings sound, but hopefully they establish a local foothold, as the talent is obviously there! Stay tuned for more as we hear it, and like Orange, they're now in our active band links!

Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist, show, or company name:

• This is overdue, but I've moved Sault Michigan bar and occasional concert venue The Back Door to our "Other Sault Michigan Links" section due to their recent closure after their final New Year's party. Facebook postings have indicated that The Back Door was bought by new owners, but it's not yet publically known if the venue will remain as a nightclub or not, let alone any other changes.  For now at least, we won't consider it as an active concert venue, but if the new owners keep things going there, we'll let you guys know!
• Frasiers frontman Charlie Derrer is once again looking to start a new band, this time confirming an intended genre of pop punk, as per his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on Tuesday. It'd be great to have more punk bands in the Soo, so message Charlie above or at this link for more info!
• New local goregrind duo Das Skalpell Kampf posted a new song named "Handing Out Headshots" onto their Bandcamp page on Tuesday! Sludgy and lo-fi, it sounds like it should be a lot longer than it's 52 second runtime, but if you love similar Blood Shed acts, give the song a listen above, especially as it may be on the upcoming 11-way split!
• Sault Ontario cannabis culture store Planetary Pride have put feelers out on their Facebook page regarding a possible new summer music festival (more or less, a spiritual successor to Hempfest, which moved 8 hours away to Moonbeam last year.) If they were to put on such an event, tickets would be $150 for the weekend, though other details are to be confirmed. There's some positive feedback already, but comment on Planetary Pride's Facebook post A.S.A.P. to voice your opinion!
• Local doom/punk band The Revolution have announced the addition of Haggith bassist Jordan Leach to their lineup, replacing the already departed Rainey Vincent. The news was announced on their Facebook page on Tuesday. Slightly surprising given how recently he joined Haggith, but this is great news for Jordan, and hopefully he contributes well with both bands!
• Long running Rock 101 morning show Scott & Brian In The Morning finally has it's own official Facebook page! As you may know, Scott Cook & Brian Davie play rock hits, discuss the news and "infotainment", and keep fans entertained on the morning drive from 6:00-9:00 AM weekdays on 101.3 FM, and it's great to see them get their own Facebook page! Become a fan above, and the show's now in our "Other Sault Michigan Links"!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon, and this month's Defunct Local Band Profile later today, if all goes well! Thanks everyone!