Telephone & Address - "Rust Orchid" Review!!

After looking at Treble Charger's debut album last month, we're back with new releases for this month's CD review (our 69th total on the site), as we're looking at local grunge/punk solo project Telephone & Address' newest album "Rust Orchid"! The seventh album from this project (though the third since their recent local resurgence), "Rust Orchid" was released online via Bandcamp on February 17th, with physical copies being launched earlier this month at a CD release concert at The Gore Street Cafe. Featuring project founder Chris Shoust on all instruments, this album was recorded last fall, is SOCAN registered, and was again released through Harmisntus Productions. Physical copies (with slightly varying artwork) can be bought through Chris directly in limited quantities for $15, while digital copies on Bandcamp (with a totally different cover) cost the same amount, and can be streamed in full there too. As well, all song titles linked below are to their Bandcamp copies.

Featuring 16 tracks coming in at around 38 minutes in total length, let's begin this review with the first song, fittingly titled "One"! The first of six songs on "Rust Orchid" to run for under 2 minutes (and of 8 to be titled by their track order), this song gives our first glimpse of the direction of the album, as it shifts from the bass/drum aggression of "Need Not Apply" to an instrumental ambient rock sound, with "One" harboring a dark, repetitive melody that still maintains Telephone & Address' lo-fi recording nature. It's an interesting track, but it ends before you really get into it. Next is "Abstract Poem", which is the only track on "Rust Orchid" to surpass 3:30 in length, and the title is an accurate representation of the song. Feedback-heavy instrumentation, programmed drums, and hard-to-decipher spoken word recitations are the theme here. There's almost a techno vibe at times, and while it's different from anything I usually hear for the site, it's intriguing in it's own right!

Third is "Factory Song", which again has a fitting title, with the instrumentation, drum beat, and effects helping give a vibe of a factory or machine shop, albeit with beeping effects that sound like they came from an old video game. The song has a dark marching quality to it, almost as if there was a factory uprising, but this song does get repetitive by it's latter stages. That's followed by "Slow Time/No Time", a slower ballad that features minimalistic guitar work and heavily processed vocals reciting the song title in the background here and there. This trajectory never really changes, and while it gives an ominous vibe, it ends too quickly and it feels like it's going somewhere that never arrives. Fifth is the appropriately titled "Five", which is an album-low 16 seconds in length, and comprises mainly of a techno-styled beat that fades in and out. It's not bad sounding, but as it's so short, it's also hard to compare to what came before.

Sixth is "Looking Glass", which comes the closest yet to a "punk" sound, but still makes use of a trance-like quality, softer effects that almost sound like an xylophone is being played, and more spoken word recitations in the background, including what sounds like "Paralyze" being said at times. This song has good qualities, and the instrumentation is solid throughout, but it's arguably the most jumbled song yet for what is played and added to it. The next three songs are fittingly titled "Seven", "Eight", and "Nine", with "Seven" giving off the vibe of slowed down carnival music amidst it's ambient instrumentation, and though it is well performed, it never really deviates from the existing melody and gets repetitive fast. "Eight" is just 52 seconds long, and comprises of distorted music for it's duration that almost sounds like an mp3 file is glitching up, while still maintaining a musical beat. It's not much of a song, but it's interesting!

As for "Nine", it has more of a techno beat for it's melody, which is almost danceable, but doesn't harbour the dark ambient qualities of the longer songs that came before it. Catchy, but there's more substance on the tenth song "Traffic", which has a stop-start guitar riff that continues the techno-styled beat of it's predecessor somewhat. This song in particular sounds unfinished, almost as if it was written for a full band that wasn't there, but it's not a bad listen! The next three songs (and last to be titled by track order) are "Eleven", "Twelve", and "Thirteen", with "Eleven" harbouring a feedback-heavy sound with what sounds like a minimalistic keyboard melody over-top. This song is a little challenging to listen to straight through given it's repetition, and I'd like the guitar to be more prominent here. "Twelve" is a slower darker number that's more standard in structure, but again, it gets repetitive by it's latter stretch, despite it's short length.

"Thirteen" continues with the dark themes of "Twelve", but with more feedback and with a slower, more deliberate pace. This song stretches on a bit long, but the tone is fitting given the unlucky themes around the number 13! That's followed by "Plumbers", a slow paced song that has another deliberate structure, though with a nice slow guitar performance and a bit of a guitar solo, which is a nice change of pace! This song more than any other feels like a full band is present, but it's not as ambient or dark as some preceding tracks, nor as aggressive as material on old albums. Second-last is "Sunrise", which has an optimistic sound that adds as much lightness to the distorted ambient rock on "Rust Orchid" as you can, and while it is a bit muddled, it's well performed, and Chris showcases his diverse talents here! Fittingly, the album closes with "Sunset", which is dark in tone, but also minimalistic with it's guitar work and effects, but it does reflect the title, and it's an effective way to turn the lights off on this record!

So, what are my thoughts on "Rust Orchid"? Overall, this is one of the toughest albums I've ever reviewed for the site, especially as we've never really looked at an album like this before. When Chris Shoust hyped that this would be very different than "Need Not Apply", he meant it! There's few glimpses of punk or grunge here, instead with distorted, effect-laden ambient rock, and all instrumental save for a few early songs with spoken word passages. I can't say I was bored by "Rust Orchid", and there were some effectively entertaining songs (like "Abstract Poem", "Factory Song", and "Plumbers"), but I'd argue that some of the shorter numbered songs don't really stand on their own as full "songs", and others still got repetitive or jumbled by their last halves. I like and appreciate what Chris has done with "Rust Orchid", and while as a punk and metal fan at heart, I did enjoy "The Rotten EP" & "Need Not Apply" more, this is a bold album that definitely deserves a listen, and I'd be curious to see how these songs are approached live! Check it out above!

I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! So, what album is coming next to review on the site in April? I honestly have no idea, but here's what I can tell you. In terms of what's not coming next, we won't be looking at anything from Telephone & Address, Treble Charger, SweetKenny, or The Bear Hunters next, as we're not past our 6 month buffer period for them to prevent showing a bias to them or against other bands. Thursday's next "Where Are The New Albums?" post will have some possible albums, pending if any of them come out next month, but if no major new metal, hard rock, or punk albums come out next month that we can obtain, we'll dip into the archives, but with only a handful of April concerts currently announced, it's premature to see what could possibly tie in with a band or artist playing next month. If nothing works, might we look at a Rising Tide album for the first time, or perhaps Woods of Ypres' "Home" single? We'll know for sure next month, and stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow! 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!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Cover Up), Telephone & Address Updates, And Much More!!

With a new week upon us, let's keep the news rolling, so what's in store today? Upcoming album updates, some unique new videos from bands on each side of the border, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you should know!

Three local punk/alternative bands will share the stage THIS FRIDAY at The Rockstar Bar, with newer local punk(?) quartet The Cover Up headlining! In case you don't know, they are the new band from Rising Tide frontman Dustin Jones, ex-Lion Ride guitarist Marco Pedalino, Late Shift bassist Clint Wilson, and Room 206 alum Mike Yorke, and while I don't think they have an online page yet, you may remember them from December's Tidal Records Christmas concert, and I believe they more or less replaced the similar Wing-Its. Strong lineup, and it will be interesting to hear how they do in their second public show! Clint's old indie/punk band Northwest will also return to The Rockstar Bar on Friday for their first show of the year, and they should put in an entertaining set of their own! This concert will be opened by rising young grunge/alternative trio The Pixo Control in their first ever Rockstar Bar appearance, and fresh off of opening for Treble Charger, you know they'll be riding high on Friday night!

Announced on The Pixo Control's Facebook page yesterday after earlier personal Facebook posts by performers, this show has a likely 10:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. For more details, visit the above links! This sounds like a quality concert for punk and Tidal Records fans, so keep it in mind for THIS FRIDAY, and remember, The Elements & Late Shift rock The Rockstar Bar themselves on Saturday night!

Next up, here's the latest from local grunge/lo-fi punk solo project Telephone & Address, who have revealed more on their next studio album! Yesterday on their Facebook page, project mainman Chris Shoust revealed the physical album cover (pictured) and track listing for their next CD "Rust Orchid" via new photos, so what do we know? The artwork doesn't reinvent the wheel from his last few albums (cardboard packaging, silkscreened art), though this likely won't be the exact artwork for digital copies on Bandcamp. Physical CDs are only available in a limited print run of 50 copies like usual, but what songs are featured? In listed order (and yes, half of them are titled by a number), the included tracks are "One", "Abstract Poem", "Factory Song", "Slow Timed No Time", "Five", "Looking Glass", "Seven", "Eight", "Nine", "Traffic", "Eleven", "Twelve", "Thirteen", "Plumbers", "Sunrise", and "Sunset", three of which have been previewed on Soundcloud.

Planned to be an experimental rock album (and possibly all instrumental), a release date is yet unannounced for "Rust Orchid", but for reference, last year's "Need Not Apply" was launched at a Telephone & Address concert, so might we be on wait for his next one? We'll keep you posted, but find out more on "Rust Orchid" at the above links!

Also today, here's a new Facebook video from Sault Michigan classical metal trio Theatre of Night, as shared from keyboardist Craig Harrison's personal Facebook page yesterday! The 33 second video is of Craig writing new drum parts for an new original song using a computer program (remember, original drummer Greg Giles left last year), and while it's not representative of how the full song will sound, it's a nice preview and sounds well written! Give it a look below, and hopefully we hear more soon!



Lastly today, we were going to share a new video from Kinross, Michigan hard rockers Banned on here that they shared on their Facebook page from a personal account, but for me at least, it's not viewable (it might have privacy settings so non-friends can't see it.) In it's place, here's a brief new video from the aforementioned Pixo Control's Instagram page, which the guys have teased will include more teasers into their debut CD's recording process. This video is extremely brief, but it captures some of the goings-on backstage at the Treble Charger concert last weekend, giving us a unique look at a different aspect of a local concert (including a cameo by The Lake Effect's Jay Case, a British accent, and shots of the food.) Give it a look below, and stay tuned for much more from The Pixo Control in the coming weeks, including their Bare episode!

Backstage...

A video posted by The Pixo Control (@thepixocontrol) on Feb 6, 2015 at 4:32pm PST

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes this week! Thanks everyone!