Telephone & Address - "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been..." CD Review!!

Merry Christmas, everyone! As a little early present for the occasion, here is our 90th monthly CD review at the SMS, and final one of the year, as we're taking a look at local punk/grunge solo project Telephone & Address' fourth official album "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been..."! Alternately titled without the final word in some physical copies, this album was recorded over the past year, and independently released through Harmisntus Productions on October 26th when they opened for Iansucks at The Gore Street Cafe, but it's digital release didn't occur until this month. Featuring project leader Christopher Shoust on vocals & all instruments, "A.Y.N.O.H.Y.E.B." is available for $8 on their Bandcamp page in mp3 formats, while you can order limited copies of the physical CDs (with slightly varying hand-drawn artwork of the cover character) for $10 through there. The album is also presumably available at upcoming Telephone & Address concerts, though note that prior releases were charged at $15 when sold that way.

And yes, you can stream the whole album on their Bandcamp page for free, but consider buying it to support Chris' work! Featuring 8 songs clocking in at 26 minutes in length, let's begin this review with the first song, "Army Song"! Musically, this song and album are basically a hybrid of his first two official albums, adding the guitar from "The Rotten EP" to the bass & drum-centric style of "Need Not Apply". The lyrics are repetitive (especially the repeated "Left! Right!" chorus), but it has a laid back, grungy feel that Telephone & Address fans will take to, and it gets the job done musically with enthusiasm, if you don't mind the repetition. Second is "He", a mid-tempo number that has more lyrical variance and a solid casual riff, but the song can be a little dizzy at times, and the lo-fi production may not have benefited this song as a result. Chris' high-registered vocals suit the material though, and fans should take to it if you like earlier material!

Next is the album's longest song, "Ignore The Platitudes", which takes more of a folksy punk bent, and keeps up the laid back feelings while retaining Telephone & Address' alternative stylings.  Repetition rears it's head here again, this time via over-long recitations of the song's title in the choruses, but beyond that, it works for Chris' established sound, and the drums suit the song's pacing pretty well! I imagine this song would work very well in an acoustic setting. Then we have "Not the Only One", whose drum-heavy instrumentation sounds like a lo-fi "Foxy Lady" on repeat. Again, we have repetitive singing of the song's title here, but in this case, that's basically the song's entire lyrics, and after a while, you get the idea. This is my least favourite song so far, especially with the minimal guitar usage aside from post-verse bridges, and the repetitive singing, but it is catchy early on.

Fifth is "Protest March", as self-identified by Chris at the song's beginning, and thankfully, this song has more varied lyrics, some of the best yet on this album. The track truly has a marching feel, with solid drumming and a fitting riff, while his vocals have a little more grit here than we have seen on some prior songs. For my money, this is my favourite song so far on "Are You Now...", and it has the most variance in structure and music styles so far! That's followed by "Sing On", a slower ballad of sorts that is well performed, but again dips into the repetitive song-title-as-chorus well, which hasn't helped prior songs on this CD. That said, this is another song that I have a feeling would work better as an acoustic number, as it has that mood to it, but if you can get past the repetitive lyrics, it works well enough!.

The penultimate song is "Test", which is a mid-tempo punk song that has a nice instrumental melody and steady rhythm, and while the lyrics are repetitive again, they're at least more spread and stretched out than they have been previously. Not the most memorable song in terms of music that this album has, it more sort of came & went to me, but fans of Telephone & Address' more reserved originals will likely be right at home. "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been..." closes with "You Say", which runs for an album low 2 minutes in length. Possibly thanks to that, this song doesn't get repetitive, nor does it overstay it's welcome, delivering some steady lo-fi punk to close this album in style, with his instrumental talents and distinctive vocals on good display! Solid track that suits Telephone & Address nicely!

So, what are my final thoughts on Telephone & Address' newest CD? Well, it's definitely a return to form compared to last year's highly experimental ambient CD "Rust Orchid", with Christopher Shoust tackling punk and grunge originals with enthusiasm and raw energy, seemingly putting together the pieces of his first two official albums to make more of a total package here. His nasally vocals and the lo-fi production quality may still be acquired tastes, but they suit his music and it's intent, and I like the back to basics approach here, even if this album is shorter than anything he's made since "The Rotten EP". The achilles heel of "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been..." is repetitive lyrics, particularly during choruses, as repeatedly singing the song's title did get old to me pretty quickly, but that might not be as jarring for devoted fans. That said, songs like "Protest March" and "You Say" play to his musical and lyrical strengths the most, and are among my highlights..

A return to form for Telephone & Address despite repetitve chorus lyrics, this album is well worth checking out for fans of Chris Shoust's lo-fi punk originals, so be sure to buy or stream this CD at the above links, and look for "Monster" in the new year, one assumes! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, but what's coming next month to start 2017? I'm not 100% sure at this juncture, but of course, a new CD would gain precedence if it is released and I'm able get a copy of it! In any event, "Monster", an archive SweetKenny album, or "The Din Does Laundry" will not be next, due to our 6 month anti-bias buffer. If we have to dip into the archives for review #91, an older album from A Fall From Innocence or a Mike Haggith project could easily come next to tie in with perfomers at next month's Live705 show at The Canadian, as could Stiffler's Mom's newly located 2004 demo, if any of Greg Simpson's bands play live next month. In any event, stay tuned for our next CD review in January, and have a Merry Christmas, everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (A Dire Setback), New Online Album Uploads, And More!!

Hello everyone, it's time for another news post at the SMS, and on this cold Saturday afternoon, we're tackling a new digital album posting or two, a new solo performance video, and first, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! Here's what you need to know!

New local alternative/punk quartet A Dire Setback will reportedly make their Canadian Nightclub debut TONIGHT when they perform at Underground Empire Records' first ever YouTube party! Apologies for the extremely short notice, we were waiting for official announcements on the lineup from promoters, which surprisingly have never came, but A Dire Setback confirmed their involvement on their Facebook page last week. This event is the first ever YouTube party in the Soo, which will feature DJs, live artists, and activities and competitions, though no word on if the YouTube branding means that there will be filming or streaming of any kind (this is the label's YouTube channel, just in case.) Money raised will go to developing future entertainment events and providing a venue for them, which sounds like a good plan!

Promoters still have not unveiled a performer lineup publically for TONIGHT, but for what it's worth, Underground Empire Records are primarily active in rap and dance music. Also, The Din expressed interest in performing, but they have not publically confirmed any involvement. Admission for TONIGHT'S YouTube party is $10 ($15 with a friend), this is a 19+ event, and doors open at 10:00 PM. I wish we had more info on this event, but hopefully A Dire Setback knock it out of the park for their second live concert set TONIGHT, and if we hear any extra details or fallout, we'll let you know! Visit the Facebook event page for more, and here's A Dire Setback live!



Next up, the newest album from local punk/grunge solo project Telephone & Address was finally posted to their Bandcamp page over the past week! Though originally independently released on October 26th when the Chris Shoust-led project opened for Iansucks at The Gore Street Cafe, it's digital release was delayed for unannounced reasons until this month. Officially considered their fourth album (anything pre-2013 isn't canon now), the album now appears to be titled "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been...", adding the final word that isn't present on all prior album references. A physical copy's artwork is used for the digital cover art too, in a departure from the separate covers used before on Bandcamp, while the hand-drawn character on the front will vary if you have bought your own CD copy. "A.Y.N.O.H.Y.E.B." was recorded over the past year, and it features eight songs, entitled "Army Song", "He", "Ignore The Platitudes", "Not The Only One", "Protest March", "Sing On", "Test", and "Your Say".

This album can be bought at the above links for $8 on mp3 format, or $10 for a physical copy plus digital download (only 50 are available!), but you can also stream the album for free on Bandcamp too. With this album now at access, I can safely say that Telephone & Address will be the subject of this month's CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, so give it a listen above, and stay tuned for our review in the next two weeks!

Also in the realm of album releases, did you know that local party/hard rock cover trio Stiffler's Mom recorded an primarily-original demo CD back in 2004? I knew about it and have alluded to it in the past, but it never crossed our radar in even a streamable form... until now! Last month, fan Alex Moore uploaded the demo, fittingly titled "The Demo", to his YouTube channel, and the EP-length release features Greg, Mike, and Jon playing four songs, including a cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald" and the originals "Yesterday", "Pearl's Necklace", and "Enjoy the Show" (originally by their predecessor band Sin Stereo.) This is a mock-up of the cover art, though the band's name isn't exactly the same font. It's great to finally hear this elusive demo in full, and it shows Stiffler's Mom's original songwriting talents that may have fallen by the wayside for many fans only familiar with their covers, but is "The Demo" possible for a CD review at the SMS in 2017?

By all means, yes, but as it's over 12 years old, it'd have to be in a month with nothing new obtained, though given how often singer/drummer Greg Simpson plays live with this and other bands, I'd have no problem tying it in with one of their gigs! Give the full demo CD a listen below, and kudos to Alex for posting this online!



Finally for today, here's a new original song in progress from Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night! Uploaded to their YouTube channel on Wednesday, the song is entitled "If I Could Just Tear Down These Walls", which keyboardist Craig Harrison noted was "for those walls our loved ones put up." I have a feeling there's some personal meaning behind this song, which currently exists as a melancholy piano ballad complete with a monochrome video to suit the mood. There's something here given it's emotion, but it does need extra instrumentation to fill it out, and perhaps lyrics if they wouldn't get in the way. Check it out below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Moon Tan, Project 421, Tym Morrison, And Telephone & Address), And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Another concert weekend is upon us, and due to a number of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (plus recent slow news stretches), this post is entirely devoted to weekend concert previews referencing concerts that hadn't been formally plugged on the site until now! Apologies abound here (especially for Project 421), but had we known about them earlier, we'd have covered them here earlier! That said, our preview of the previously announced Highway 63 shows in Sault Michigan is coming in our next post, in order to spread things out. Now, here's what you need to know for this weekend, and in one case, beyond!

Winnipeg progressive/funk rock trio Moon Tan will make their local concert debut TONIGHT when they rock The New American Pub! Apologies for the short notice, this was only announced locally via it's official Facebook event page on Friday, too soon to plug without a redundant similar write-up. Touring in support of their new EP "The Faceless Knight", Moon Tan have a very creative visual look (complete with moon phase-themed costumes) and technical prog rock originals, and they should leave a firm impression on local fans TONIGHT, so be sure to check them out, as they aren't a cookie cutter band by any stretch! Though the feature touring act, they are actually playing second TONIGHT, between headlining local alternative hard rock trio The Din (fresh off of the Bloody Diamonds show this past weekend) and funk/hard rock quartet The Elements to kick things off. Solid choices to compliment Moon Tan, so don't miss out TONIGHT!

I'm not entirely sure who is promoting this show (for reference, The Din alerted me to it), but it has a $5 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and 10:30 PM start time. This should be a fun way for Moon Tan to kick off their Canadian tour, so don't miss out on what should be a creative and funky night of hard rock TONIGHT at The New A, and here's Moon Tan live!



Next up, we'll add the month of October's concert slate for Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison, as he will (in all likelihood) continue his long-term weekly concert arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood with solo headlining concerts TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, plus the next three weekends (October 13th-15th, 20th-22nd, and 27th-29th!) Apologies for the short notice regarding this weekend's shows, we typically wait for Facebook confirmation of his solo shows in this lengthy run before adding another month's worth to the site. With his thrice-weekly schedule maintaining at The Quality Inn's house restaurant, fans can check out Tym's proven blend of acoustic hard rock hits this month, including TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, so don't miss out if you're up for a more reserved night of classics! No word though on if the 27th-29th weekend will have any Halloween themes.

As usual, these are 6:00 PM matinees with no announced cover charges or age limits, but remember that this is a formal sit-down restaurant. Visit THIS WEEKEND's official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live in concert a few years back!

Also new for this weekend, local classic metal quintet Project 421 will return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT for a headlining concert at The Rednecks Saloon! Profuse apologies for the short notice, this show was announced last Tuesday via it's Facebook event page, but in the midst of a slow news period last week, it got too delayed, hence why it's only getting wrote up here now. After taking a month off from the stage, this will be Project 421's first show since opening for Dumpster Mummy at The New A, their first Rednecks gig since June, and their first solo headlining concert since the spring, so if you want wall to wall classic metal favourites and select originals, head to the former Nicolet Tavern TOMORROW NIGHT! Just to clarify, there is no advertised opening band (not even Eclipse), so prepare for 421 all night! This show has no cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and a 10:00 PM start time, so visit the above links for more details, apologies again for the delay, and here's Project 421 live!



Finally for this concert preview post, local post-punk solo project Telephone & Address will return to the stage THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Gore Street Cafe when they open for Winnipeg indie pop quartet Iansucks in their local debut! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only just announced via it's Facebook event page on Tuesday, despite being the official CD release party for Telephone & Address' new album! No word on why this was announced with under a week's notice, but copies of Chris Shoust's fourth official solo CD "Are You Now or Have You Ever." (no "Been" at the end anymore) will officially go on sale on SATURDAY at the laundromat, so definitely consider a trip down to get your copies first! As for Iansucks, they're a somewhat gloomy yet poppy alt-rock outfit that should be a good fit at the cafe, so don't bypass them either if you're a genre fan! As is typical for The Gore Street Cafe, this is an ALL AGES, pay-what-you-can event, with an advertised 7:00 PM start time.

For those curious about the album, the above photo is a mockup of the front cover (based on this picture Chris shared on the event page), and it looks to be packaged similarly to his prior 3 albums, which will also be on sale on SATURDAY. No word yet on online availability, prices, or full track listing, but for reference, last year's "Rust Orchid" was sold for $15, and was also launched with a concert at the same venue. We'll keep you posted, but consider making it out THIS SATURDAY for Iansucks & the acoustic punk action, and here's Telephone & Address live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Highway 63 concert previews and more next! Thanks everyone!

Project 906 & Telephone And Address Updates, New Archive Videos, And More!!

I know things have been slow on the site lately, but we are back with a new news post on this Wednesday morning, which features some new archive video finds, details on upcoming albums, and more, but first, we have some big updates from a prominent local cover band!

Here's the latest from Sault Michigan hard/blues rock quartet Project 906! On Sunday, the band announced via their Facebook page that they're "taking a short break" from live concerts, as half of the band are either expecting or new fathers. They didn't publically note who the new dads specifically are, but congratulations all around to them! This somewhat mirrors the baby-related break that guitarist Joe Jenkins' old band Exiled took in late 2014, but unlike then, hopefully Project 906 do actually come back as planned! With the above post, Project 906 also put up this new compilation video (made using the WeVideo mobile application) that includes clips of their early Van Halen, ZZ Top, and Stevie Wonder cover videos, and the end of their Van Halen cover from their Brimley concert debut over the St. Patrick's Day weekend in March.

There's nothing pressingly new here, and the videos aren't optimal looks at the guys in action (Billy Bernier isn't in frame at all on most clips, the Pickles video is only the song's tail end), but it's a nice extra to help tide fans over to start Project 906's break, especially as they only cited "the time being" for it's length. Hopefully we see them back in the new year at some point, and check out their new compilation video below!

Next up, we have some long awaited album updates from Sault Ontario grunge/punk solo project Telephone & Address! In his first Facebook page posting in over three months, project mainman Chris Shoust revealed that their fourth "official" album" is "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been...", confirming the earlier announcement from former collaborator Sam Decter, who mentioned that the album would be released through his BGP Tapes label on cassette. Chris didn't acknowledge that, possibly due to Sam moving out of town, but he noted that it's "being pressed as we speak", implying that it will be available on CD. This also seemingly confirms that "The Rotten EP", "Need Not Apply", and "Rust Orchid" are the first three "official" Telephone & Address albums, indicating that anything pre-2013 isn't in this canon, not that they were publically available anyway. Chris also noted that the previously announced album "Monster" is on track to be pressed in November, and he blamed money issues for the delays on both.

This picture went up today along with the album news, but it's unclear if it's a planned album cover, or one of Chris' own art pieces (for reference, physical copies of Telephone & Address albums have tended to come out in minimalist cardboard cases with stamped artwork.) The planned last song from "A.Y.N.O.H.Y.E.B.", entitled "You Say", can be streamed at the project's Soundcloud page as well, and while I won't review the track yet pending a possible review of one of these albums, "You Say" bears musical resemblances to the 2014 album "Need Not Apply". It's great to hear more from Telephone & Address, so stay tuned for more on their next albums!

Also today, here's some new archive videos of defunct local metal band Hollow that were posted on YouTube on Monday! Courtesy of drummer Vinnie Milosevich's YouTube channel, these both come from concerts at the former Eastgate Hotel in the early 1990s, including this 1992 cover of Collective Soul's "Shine", and as embedded below, Pantera's "Cemetery Gates" circa 1993 when they opened for Wild T & The Spirit. As per Vinnie's personal Facebook page, the band's lineup on the "Cemetery Gates" cover features Bob Cook (a.k.a. Schloppy from Sault Michigan's Clownsack) on vocals, guitarists Terry Eaton (Mourning Wood) and Tym Morrison, bassist Matt Miller (ex-Tripod the Dog), and Vinnie (now of the Kitchener rock band Knee Deep) on drums. I can't confirm if the "Shine" cover has the exact same lineup, especially as only Terry & Vinnie were in each of their various incarnations, but I believe they're mostly similar. The video quality is mixed (the joys of VHS camcorders), but you get a sense of Hollow's talents on each!

Bob has a nice vocal range that wasn't always as evident in the Clownsack days, Terry & Tym are solid guitarists as ever, and they do get a good crowd response (look at the turnout on the "Shine" cover!) That said, if you're more familiar with their late 1990s incarnations with Gigi, Dan, Adam, and the like, you may not appreciate these as much. Check out Vinnie's newest Hollow videos above & below, and visit his channel for more old Hollow clips!



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

• Local alternative/hard rock quartet Id Iota will open for ex-Pixo Control frontman Mike Mikus during his first ever solo tour next month! Running from October 7th-16th, the tour run will see run through Southern Ontario & Sudbury, but it's not clear if there will be a Sault Ste. Marie stop during it or afterwards. Sounds like a good way to introduce Mike's new solo sound and material to the masses, and Id Iota should bring some heaviness as openers, so click here for details! For reference, the Sudbury show listed at "The Speakeasy" is not a typo for a local gig, Sudbury does indeed have a concert venue with that name also.
• Former Bring the Misery bassist Kyle Derasp has issued an open call via the Musicians Wanted Facebook group for local artists to come by a jam session at 124 Anna Street (the site of a few Blood Shed-affiliated house party concerts) this Sunday! No times were given, but if you're interested in attending, bring your amplifiers, chords, and perhaps beer. Keep this in mind if you want to jam with other musicians this weekend!
• Tidal Records is hosting a songwriters competition at LopLops Lounge on Saturday, October 15th, where aspiring singer/songwriters can showcase their original material for the chance to win recording time at Mission Control Studios and a digital release package for their song. Entry is $25 for competitors and $5 for attendees. No word yet on who's performing, or if there will be any semblance of hard rock or punk musicians taking part, but this isn't a traditional "battle of the bands", it's geared to solo artists. Just in case, visit the official Facebook event page for full details!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Band, Local Summer Festival Updates, And Much More!!

Here's some news and notes for your Saturday morning, including assorted updates, big updates regarding a returning summer concert event and the imminent future of some outdoor summer festival events, and leading off, a new local band, so here's what you should know!

We have a new local band to add to our band links, ans they are Caroline Divine, the new local rock trio that debuted at last night's Id Iota-headlined Gonqshow event at The Algonquin Pub, so what should you know on them? Not to be confused with defunct local hard rock band Borderline Divine (the former Stillbroke), Caroline Divine are essentially the successors to defunct pop rock band The Frasiers (albeit sans frontman Charlie Derrer), with their lineup featuring singer/guitarist Anthony Marcello, bassist Brenden Fitzgerald, and drummer Devin Williamson. Compared to The Frasiers, Caroline Divine definitely play heavier material, with their Facebook page describing their sound as "hair/glam metal infused power pop" and "party rock" that is reminiscent of bands like Van Halen and Motley Crue while remaining modern. Interesting description, and the guys have clear talent from their Frasiers run, but when can you check out Caroline Divine for yourself?

If you missed yesterday's concert, you can also see Caroline Divine TONIGHT at Lopstock II at LopLops Lounge and then at The Rankin Arena on Friday during fellow Lopstock performers The Pixo Control's fundraising concert, so definitely consider checking them out at either event! Stay tuned for more info and media on Caroline Divine as it comes in, like them above & on Twitter, and they're now in our band links!

Next up, here's some good (and bad) news regarding downtown outdoor summer concerts, starting with the good news: Rotaryfest's Second Stage is officially coming back next month! After earlier teases via The Bear Hunters' petition to get on that stage, the local summer festival's website has restored a "Stage 2" tab to their music section, which does confirm that Tenaris Algoma Tubes will return as presenting sponsors of the event. As you may remember, the Second Stage ran annually from 2005-2013 before financial issues forced it to take a hiatus last year, and it was the official Rotaryfest outlet for original local bands and select out of town acts, which will hopefully be maintained come July 16th-18th for it's 10th installment! No, the schedule isn't out for either the first or second stages, we will let you know when they're announced. With that said, will the Second Stage return to it's usual placement on Queen Street between Brock and East?

That appears to be up in the air, at the very least, as there's currently a push by some downtown business owners to disband The Sault Downtown Association, which helps organize and put on many downtown street parties and festivals on Queen Street, including some outdoor concert events like The Emergency Festival. Some local business owners want the Downtown Association abolished because they find that it's ineffective, isn't worth the cost that they put into it, and focuses on too small of an area, as they want to promote all of downtown rather than just a section of Queen Street, and there is a debate around this topic ongoing at City Hall. I won't pretend to be a scholar in finance, event promotion, or local business ownership, so visit SooToday and The Sault Star's articles for further details. While not publically stated yet, the fight to save or disband the Downtown Association will apparently result in Queen Street not hosting any further outdoor festivals or parties this summer.

No word yet on the new(?) location for Rotaryfest's Second Stage, but personal Facebook postings suggest that The Emergency Festival (which basically replaced the Second Stage for it's debut last year) will have a new home for 2015. Maybe that's why we haven't heard details on the stages and schedule yet? I hope things work out so that the Downtown Association can host events again, and hopefully there's a compromise struck that can please everyone, so stay tuned when we hear a resolution or details on upcoming outdoor concert events!

Finally for today, here's some assorted shorter updates from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

• Remember how Waterfront Legend (the former Docks Riverfront Grill) opened a restructured live venue named Club 89 in January? Well, updates on their Facebook page haven't came since March, and now, a new Facebook page for an apparent renamed or replacement nightclub named Club Current is now active, hyping the fact that it's a waterfront patio bar with live DJs. Fun idea, but are bands still a part of the plan here? We'll keep an eye on this and let you know if we hear anything!
• Have you noticed that local punk trio Redundant haven't played live or posted any updates all year? No word on where they've been, but bassist James White has indicated on his personal Facebook page that he's moving to Toronto in September for college. No word on what this would mean for Redundant or The Elements, but we'll keep you posted, and best of luck to James this fall!
• In recent days, you may have seen references to local lo-fi/punk project Telephone & Address adding Boxes of Boom's Sam Decter as their full-time drummer (making them a duo), as well as Chris & Sam launching a separate linked new band named Are You Now? or Have You Ever? (interesting name), but all references to the lineup addition and A.Y.N.O.H.Y.E. have quietly been deleted from Facebook without explanation. Hopefully nothing bad happened between Chris & Sam, but stay tuned for updates!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates in the coming days! Thanks everyone!