My original plans for this post was to be all Sault Michigan-related, with the back half to be devoted to touring band dates at Kewadin Casino lounges for later this year. However, those have been postponed to our next news post tomorrow, as we have a bunch of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to get to! We knew about the two in Sault Michigan, but as Sault Ontario is now in Phase 2 of pandemic re-opening, socially distanced and regulated concerts can occur once again, like we saw from June-December 2020 and February-April 2021. As such, Sault Ontario dates are popping up quickly, so we'll end there, but let's start in the E.U.P. with a debuting (and very familiar) quartet!
We have a new local band to add to our Sault Michigan band links, and they are Rhythm & Brews, a supergroup featuring two members each of defunct local hard rock bands Nixxon Dixxon and Highway 63! Their lineup specifically includes Nixxon Dixxon bandmates Brandon Carr (ex-Ten Kings) on vocals and Chris Hubbard (ex-415E) on guitar, joined by Highway 63 alumni Chris Leask (ex-Power Slug)
on bass and Ron Suchey (ex-Monkey's Uncle) on drums. The new band's
name does appear to be more of a pun to reference both music & beer,
rather than an indication of their sound, as their past résumés would
indicate that they will play hard and/or classic rock, and they have
already called themselves "the U.P.’s hottest new rock band" on their Facebook page.
Other than that, all they have posted so far are pictures (including of
Chris' guitars), so specifics on their setlist & potential original
material are forthcoming, but when can you see them live for the first time?
How does TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT sound? While the band proper has not acknowledged these dates on Facebook, Kewadin Casino's entertainment page confirms that Rhythm & Brews will be the first band back as they resume live weekly concerts at The Rapids Lounge in Sault Ste. Marie this weekend! Of course, apologies for the short notice, we only learned about these dates earlier this week when Kewadin's new shows went public. These are the only Rhythm & Brews dates at either local Kewadin branch this year, so coupled with the lack of advertising by the band, could they see this more as a tune-up/test launch? Time will tell, but if you're in the E.U.P. and miss Nixxon Dixxon and/or Highway 63, keep Rhythm & Brews' live concert debuts in mind TOMORROW & SATURDAY! As usual for Kewadin lounge bookings, these are 21+ shows with no cover charge and 9:00 PM start times, and please follow any advertised public health guidelines. Visit the above links for more details!
Next up, let's head to Sault Ontario, where the local concert scene is resuming (with strict pandemic guidelines) TODAY, as the relocated Low & Slow barbecue restaurant will be hosting three live musicians on their patio, including veteran hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison and ex-Elements frontman Rob Speers in a rare solo concert! Apologies for the short notice, Low & Slow only announced this show on their Facebook page on Tuesday. As you may recall, a concert at Low & Slow used to be common enough when they had their upstairs bar Room 21 at their old Albert Street West location, but they moved to 648 Queen Street East (the former J. Caroline's) shortly before the pandemic began, and thusly stopped having concerts... or so we thought. This may be a special occasion given that they have their patio open for the summer, let alone on Canada Day, but if you want to see some live music, come by TODAY to see all of the action!
This will be Tym's first show since playing at Reggie's Place in March, while Rob's solo set will presumably be similar in tone to his lead vocal songs with The Wyld Stallyns (more on them tomorrow), so Stallyns fans shouldn't be out of place. The third musician TODAY is a singer/guitarist named Elijah Russell (or Elijah Steven) who I know nothing about, but come out at 12:00 PM to see what he has in store! Each musician has a four hour block to perform in, with Rob's set beginning at 4:00 PM and Tym's closing at 8:00 PM, so this is definitely a very long concert! You could argue that it's three separate shows, but they do flow right into each other. It's also worth noting that Low & Slow did host a live musician (Jazmine Ladouceur) on their patio over the June 18th weekend while we were still in Stage 1, so there is precedent for today's show to be done safely. TODAY'S sets don't have stated age limits or cover charges, but given that this is a restaurant (let alone their patio), buying something may be preferred to attend.
Of course, please respect and follow all of Low & Slow's public health recommendations if you come out today, including wearing a mask where mandated, and keeping social distance as much as possible, to ensure that you and everyone else is safe. Vaccines are making the rounds in the province, but we're not where Michigan is yet, so let's not take a step back here. Visit the above links for more details on TODAY'S concert on this sunny day off, and for a preview, here's Tym live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for another new news post full of new concert announcements tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
Before we begin today's weekend concert preview post, just two quick notes. One is that The Rad Zone re-opens at 721 Queen Street East (the former Foch Cleaners) TOMORROW at 10:00 AM, so head downtown to see how the new storefront looks and to buy some wares once again! I hope to be in myself shortly. The other note relates to this busy weekend's concert previews, as we'll be holding this weekend's Theory of a Deadman, Eric Martin, and Peril concerts for tomorrow's post due to their relatively later scheduling. Look for them then, and now, here's what you should know for half of the hard rock shows this weekend, all with advance notice!
We'll start in Sault Michigan, where local hard rock band Tarnished (or members therein) are expected to continue their "every Thursday" run of matinee concerts at Biggby Coffee TODAY! Alex and company have yet to post an update on their Facebook page in the month of February, and the venue hasn't newly plugged an acoustic matinee for this week either, but "every Thursday" means what it means unless otherwise stated, and both band and venue have went weeks between advertising gigs in this arrangement. As such, expect Alex (and Josh or Nathan?) to be on hand with more unplugged hard rock covers for tips and coffee, so don't miss out on their well received tunes this afternoon! As usual, this show has an early 12:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and no age limit, but mind the locale. See above for more details, and here's Tarnished live!
Next up, a handful of familiar faces will gather at Room 21 TOMORROW NIGHT for a Valentine's Day-themed concert called Acoustic Heartstrings! What originally began as just a seasonal concert has developed extra resonance this month, as Room 21's sister barbecue restaurant Low & Slow (located downstairs) have announced that they are leaving 480 Albert Street West after Friday. The restaurant will re-open on February 21st at 648 Queen Street East (the former J. Caroline's location), and while their announcements did not elaborate on Room 21's future, Acoustic Heartstrings co-promoter Daniel Horton indicated on the Facebook event page that he believes that "this is the last night for Room 21", which has been open since the fall of 2017. I don't know if Low & Slow plans to host concerts in some form in their new location, but hopefully the downtown locale is a boost for their business and operations, even if concerts don't continue there!
As for the concert proper, the three acts are advertised to take part, with the advertised headliners being Big Mistake, the new local acoustic pop rock quartet featuring the aforementioned Daniel Horton on guitar alongside singers Robert Nevitt (ex-Re:Born) & Taylor Emlaw, plus fellow guitarist Rick Atkins. You can hear Big Mistake cover Justin Timberlake's "Say Something" at this link, and while they are a big departure from Dan & Rob's better known projects, they have a lot of talent on hand! Resurgent alternative/punk trio Handsome Sandwich are fittingly sandwiched in the middle slot for this rare unplugged set, and the guys should adapt themselves well to the more intimate setting! Finally, the advertised openers are another debuting new band from Daniel Horton, they being his new hard rock quartet The Bridge Heads, reuniting him with his old Haggith and/or Eclipse bandmates Curtis McKenzie, Caleb Cachagee, and Chris Thompson after 2+ years apart.
While not a fully representative debut set for The Bridge Heads (see them plugged in opening for First Jason in April), this should be a fine way for them to shake off the stage rust, so don't be late! This 19+ concert has a $5 cover, and doors open at 9:00 PM tomorrow. It's sad to see Room 21 close up shop after 2½ years as a reliable source for live musical entertainment in a more casual locale, but hopefully Acoustic Heartstrings sends the venue off on the right notes! See the above links for more on the move/closure and this concert, and here's Handsome Sandwich live!
Finally for today's previews, we'll head downtown to Gliss Restaurant, where prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return for his usual acoustic matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY! After a busy weekend with four shows at three locales, Tym is only visibly scheduled to play at Gliss over the Valentine's Day weekend, and given that the big day is tomorrow, might Tym have some love songs ready to cover for the occasion? In any event, his covers always deliver a positive reception, so if you want some dinner-time cover action, you know where to go! As always, tomorrow & Saturday's Gliss shows are 6:00 PM matinees with no cover charges or age limits, but mind the locale, this isn't a nightclub. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live last year!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Theory of a Deadman, Eric Martin, and Peril concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!
After a quiet weekend, we're back on this Father's Day with a new news post, so what's in store today? Lots of assorted shorter items, including three removals from our active band links, plus a surprise interview of a local punk band from 18 years ago, but first, here's a new album release!
Dafter, Michigan solo hard rock musician Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton is back with another new score album, so what should you know on it? Quietly released on Wednesday, this album is titled "Management", and is his 26th official solo album and third put out in 2018 alone. Going along with his mid-late 2010s focus on scores intended for use in other media, the intended storyline is about a CIA agent named Kenneth (of course), who finds a spy in "management", and has to find and stop the spy before the Russians do. Definitely a jump in intensity from "Music For The Body", if nothing else! The 12 song score album is available on iTunes for $9.99, but the album is oddly not available yet on SweetKenny's Bandcamp page, similarly to last year's "Music Composed For Film". In any event, you can stream it for free on his website and on Spotify. That all said, is a review of either of SweetKenny's last two albums imminent on The Sault Metal Scene?
Not in June, as it's the last month of our 6 month anti-bias buffer from our review of "The Dogs Are Watching" in January, but next month is entirely possible! Given the intensity, themes, and length, I would go with "Management" over the fitness/aerobics-themed "Music For The Body" for our next SweetKenny album review. Stream or buy these and other albums from this prolific E.U.P. artist at the above links!
Next up, here's a surprise new video find of Sault Ontario/Toronto indie/punk quartet Treble Charger, as uploaded by YouTube user Miker Phone yesterday! The channel is best known from commercials and bumpers from children's television channels, and that's perfectly in line with this video, a late 2000 interview with Treble Charger conducted by then-YTV PJ Pat Kelly (now of CBC Radio One's This & That) during their after school programming block The Zone, specifically following a Rugrats episode. After a clip of the "Friend of Mine" music video, the interview proper kicks in with Pat talking to the guys at a playground (remember, YTV) about their then-new album "Wide Awake Bored", though an advertised quiz segment where Pat tested their rock 'n roll acumen has not made this channel... yet? The interview footage here isn't too long, but it's nice and casual, and Greig even name drops the Soo at one point, so give this interview a look below, and don't miss them at Rotaryfest next month!
Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news stories from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:
Local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback were added as late openers to The Elements' Rockstar Bar show last night, as per the Facebook event page. Solid choice, hopefully A.D.S. delivered a solid set and helped out before The Elements took the stage! Apologies though for this not making the site beforehand, we admittedly couldn't rush a new post in time to include mention of them being added to the bill.
We have moved local hardcore quintet As It Stands back to our inactive local band links due to a year's inactivity. After their prior local runs from 2005-2014, the band had reunited last spring to play at the CKY concert on June 8th, 2017, but quietly dropped out beforehand, with no public statements following their exit. It would have been awesome to see As It Stands back on stage after far too long, one-off or not, but hopefully we see Justin, Garrett, Albert, Angelo, and John back together at some point down the line!
We have also moved local death metal band Exploring Detritus to our inactive band links, as they have not posted a new Facebook page
update (a flashback video share aside) since June 1st of last year.
Primarily active with a handful of live dates in 2016, nothing much
really followed last year, but hopefully Joey, Dan, Jeph, and Kevin
resurface at some point, they had a lot of promise! In our band links,
they're now listed under their old name Kaepora Gaebora, which their
concerts were played as, but if they resurface under the Exploring
Detritus name, we'll change it back.
Local indie/acoustic project The Autumn Roots and indie/prog quartet The Wild Iris have both indicated on their respective Facebook pages that they'll be playing Rotaryfest's Stage 2 this year, expected for Saturday, July 21st at Clergue Park near the Art Gallery. These acts have not
been confirmed by Rotaryfest proper at press time, but if accurate,
this would seem to indicate that Stage 2 is not going with the band
reunion theme like Stage 1 is doing, or at least not as in-depth. We'll
keep you posted when more comes out on this year's Second Stage!
In one more band link alteration, we have removed local punk duo Slow Children Playing from our
band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page for
unannounced reasons in recent months. Active as a sporadic studio project from 2014-2017, Slow Children Playing had some promise and originality, and while I wish they hadn't deleted their page, hopefully Don and Caleb turn up in this or other projects in the future!
Reunited classic/hard rock cover veterans That's Chester reformed for the first time in almost two years when they played during drummer Ric Datson's regular jam night event with his current band Mojo at Reggie's West on June 7th, as per That's Chester's Facebook page. Hopefully that was a fun way to shake off the rust in advance of their (otherwise) one-off reunion at Rotaryfest next month!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
This is a quiet weekend for hard rock, metal, and punk concerts in the Soo this weekend (granted, the W.T.F. Festival has many of the local entertainment headlines), so we've padded out this concert preview post with some new videos from a prominent Sault Michigan act, plus some assorted recent news and updates! Now, let's kick things off with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, and give our June Jam concert video showcase post from this morning a look below this one!
Joining his already announced Gliss Steak & Seafood matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY, prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will play a special afternoon concert set THIS SATURDAY at 12:00 PM when he plays at Mark's Breakfast Plus' first anniversary celebration! Apologies for the short notice on that concert, it was only announced on via it's official Facebook event page yesterday. As a way of honouring their first anniversary at the Market Mall, the west end diner will also have prize giveaways, free anniversary cake, and hourly specials on hand on SATURDAY, while Rock 101 DJ Allison "Alli J" Miller will reportedly be broadcasting on site with sister station Oldies 93 concurrently with Tym's concert (source here), so keep all of these angles in mind! Of course, Tym's ongoing weekly run at Gliss continues with two more matinees tomorrow and Saturday, with the latter unusually being the later show on a two gig day!
All three shows have no announced age limits or cover charges (though remember, both are sit-down restaurants), and while the Gliss shows are 6:00 PM matinees as usual, SATURDAY'S show at Mark's Breakfast Plus is at 12:00 noon, so don't be late! Congratulations to everyone at Mark's for their first year in business, and hopefully this weekend's bash, and Tym's Gliss gigs, are all big hits with fans and patrons alike! For more details, click here and visit the above links, and here's Tym live! (Note: we will separately cover Tym's Mark's Breakfast Plus concerts this coming Monday-Wednesday in our next news post, as it's too soon yet to tackle them.)
Next up, here's this weekend's only other advertised hard rock/punk concert, an unusually big one scheduled for Room 21 TOMORROW NIGHT! So big, in fact, that promoter J.D. Pearce had to move it downstairs into their sister barbecue restaurant Low & Slow, so keep the shift in floor in mind! This concert will see local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades and alternative/punk trio Handsome Sandwich make their venue debuts as support for British Columbia alternative folk musician Jesse Stewart, who fans may recognize from his rapidly growing online profile with energetic, passionate, and punk-inspired performances on YouTube. These helped him win a contest to appear in the Trailer Park Boys season 9 finale, and if you haven't seen Jesse before, definitely do so, I've never seen anyone this lively and intense while playing a mandolin! Regarding the openers, this will be Jack Spades' first concert since March, while it'll be Handsome Sandwich's first of the year.
It's great to see each group back at it, and hopefully Johnny delivers the goods as he pulls double duty with both bands tomorrow! While this 19+ concert had sold out it's limited 50 tickets at the end of April, the move downstairs to Low & Slow opened up as many new seats, so head to Low & Slow/Room 21 on Albert Street West A.S.A.P. just in case it re-sells out! Tickets are $15, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. This should be a fun concert of punk, alternative, and folk intensity, so visit the official Facebook event page for complete details, and here's Jack Spades live!
Also today, here's some new videos from Sault Michigan classical metal group Theatre of Night's Facebook page, as shared via keyboardist Craig Harrison's personal Facebook page on Saturday! Craig posted three clips, which feature him and guitarist Steve Giles jamming at a table, with Craig also manning an effects board on his tablet. One video is entirely focused on Steve performing a very classical-sounding number, but the other two have the guys recording what sounds like the same song, which has more of a 1970s classic rock vibe from what I can detect (one is embedded below, the other you can watch here.) Casual, but well performed, so give them a look too!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:
This past Sunday's Dumpster Mummy concert at The New American Pub in Sault Ontario was quietly cancelled that same night, as per the headliners' Facebook page.
The band cited "venue complications out of our control" for the
cancellation, and while the Facebook event page was taken down at 10:00
PM on Sunday, there was never a public acknowledgement of the show's
status from local promoters or openers. Hopefully nothing too serious
happened, it'd have been cool to see Dumpster Mummy back in the Soo!
We have replaced local progressive death metal band Gates of Winter's link on the SMS with their Reverbnation page,
as their Facebook page was quietly taken down in recent months. Now,
this is usually a reliable sign that a band has broken up, but given Gates of Winter's
acknowledged slow pace to public updates, and a personal Facebook video
of Bryan and Steve jamming that was posted online in April, I am
inclined to believe that the page was automatically deactivated due to
disuse, as what happened to Destroilet last year. Hopefully they are
still together, I know fans are still eagerly awaiting the "Perihelion"
release!
The Gore Street Cafe's closing party will take place on Wednesday, June 27th at 5:00 PM, and they're going out with a bang, with a massive lineup including Edmonton experimental duo Wares and a stacked local opener lineup with such SMS-familiar artists as M.D. Dunn, Jacob Quarrell, Conika, DJ Seith, Vol. side-project Mik & Steve, and much more. Tickets are $25 for this all ages bash, and food will be included with admission. There's no major hard rock or punk component to their final event (yet?), but everything sounds like the perfect way to send things out for regulars! Click here for complete and current details!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!
For our final post of January 2017, we have a stacked lineup of stories, including a new solo performance video, and leading off, no less than three new additions to our band links! Two active, one defunct, but there's some talent to be had, including new videos from the two new acts, so here's what you should know on this Wednesday morning!
The first of today's new bands to add to our band links is Re:Born, a new quintet that are effectively the successors to defunct classic metal veterans Project 421! Guitarists Blair Burch & Frank McGillivray have returned from that band alongside three new performers, including singer Robert Nevitt (who I'm not familiar with from prior local bands), former Eclipse bassist Fred Dunn, and former Din drummer Brandan Glew. Describing themselves as playing "classic power-rock with modern energy", and as "bringing (a) gen-X attitude into the millennial era", Re:Born publically launched on Monday, but had been in the works since shortly after 421's demise last fall. Note that this band is not related in any way to Re-Born, the 2014 renaming of Brutally Fatal when they briefly played lighter music before their first breakup, so I can't see there being an issue with the new band's similar name. A live concert debut is to be confirmed, but Re:Born have a few videos to check out, so what can be said so far?
Posted to their Facebook page from a recent jam session, the videos include Re:Born covering AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie" and Iron Maiden's "Powerslave", while also playing two prior Project 421 originals, namely "Into the Darkness" and (as embedded below) "Running Away". From what I can hear, the guys sound good, and Robert can carry a solid tune vocally with a good edge! Of course, Blair and Frank have pre-existing chemistry, which certainly doesn't hurt either! Not an optimal look at Re:Born yet due to the guys' placement for the session, and the audio's a little muffled, but so far so good, and check our Re:Born above & below!
Next up, here's that other new-ish band, namely Slow Children Playing, a two man punk band that launched their Facebook page back in May 2016, but had previously formed back in 2014! Profuse apologies for missing this band for coverage on here at the time, but as they've never played a known public concert, it was easy for them to stay hidden. While their identities are not listed on their Facebook page beyond the nicknames "Floppy" & "Sloppy", their newest video for "The Christmas Song" gives credits at the end, confirming that their singer/guitarist is Mayadevi alum Don Henderson, and their drummer is Caleb Pitaro, formerly of RXN (more on them in a bit.) Three audio recordings are posted as Facebook videos to check out, namely of the songs "Vimy Ridge", "Slow Children", and "Gypsy Road", but their newest track "The Christmas Song" (from December) actually has a full video featuring outdoor footage, inverted and monochrome colour filters, and Don walking to a home to jam the end of the song with Caleb.
Also, "The Christmas Song' features a guest performance by Bizotic trumpeter Louise Lamothe, and while she isn't seen in the video proper, it's nice to hear her add a unique element here! Slow Children Playing have potential and a solid punk base, but the audio quality of their older songs is mixed, Don's vocals are after hard to make out if used at all, and a bassist and/or second guitarist would help fill out their sound. Apologies again for missing Slow Children Playing on the site for this long, but hopefully we see them live at some point, and check them out above & below!
Finally for today's new bands is the aforementioned RXN, who I discovered when researching Slow Children Playing, so what can be said on this band? Pronounced "reaction", this band appears to only have been active for a short while in 2009 & 2010, and only appear to have an online presence via this Blogger page, but as they have a full biography there, they just barely have enough content to warrant an addition to our inactive band links. A high school-age hard rock band founded by guitarist Tukker Patry, their lineup was eventually rounded out by singer Shawn Dunn, bassist Josh "J-Sus" McEwen, and the aforementioned Caleb Pitaro on drums, though Josh left before their final public update. RXN had indicated plans to record studio material (with Tukker playing bass) , and had been working to purchase necessary recording equipment, having wrote original songs while in classes, but updates ceased after April 2010, and the band appears to have permanently dissolved by year's end.
As I only know Caleb musically, and as RXN didn't post any known media of their music, I can't comment on how they would have sounded, but there did seem to be clear ambition and goals at last word, and hopefully everyone remains musically active in some form!
Finally for today, here's a new video from former Bring the Fallen guitarist Andrew Chiarello's YouTube channel, marking his first upload there in three years! The video is of a guitar solo played on Andrew's Ibanez Premium RG721FM guitar, and while just being 59 seconds in length, it's a skillful solo with a progressive flourish, and it's a shame that he's not in an active band right now, as he'd be a huge asset! Very solid overall, so give Andrew's new solo video a look below, and hopefully there's more to come!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site tomorrow to kick off the month! Thanks everyone!
Keeping this steady stream of news rolling, we have recent concert videos, new studio songs, and lots of updates from a rising young band (including a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT) to touch on, so here's what you should know!
Local grunge/alternative trio The Pixo Control will play an acoustic headlining show at a unique venue on Friday, December 19th, when they make their debut at Low & Slow Smoked Fusion BBQ! If you're not familiar with it, Low & Slow is a relatively new restaurant at 113 Gore Street that specializes in slow cooked barbeque items with an open concept, and they also appear to be getting into the acoustic concert promotion game, having hosted Jay Case & Frank Deresti there last month (source here.) As such, I don't know a lot about Low & Slow as a concert site, but an acoustic setting is nothing new for The Pixo Control, having played some unplugged gigs at Gusto's Bar & Grill earlier this year. They should deliver a solid set, so keep it in mind for in just under two weeks time! For reference, 113 Gore Street is the former location of Hunter's Grill and Grazia's Italian Restaurant, not the old GLOW/Other Place building (that's 119 Gore Street), but it's nice to have another active concert venue on Gore Street either way!
Promoted by Boxes of Boom mainman Sam Decter, this show has a 9:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and given the restaurant setting, may not have a designated age limit. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an interesting show, so keep it in mind if you're up for a more reserved night of original action! The Pixo Control have been keeping busy in recent weeks beyond their live shows too, as they mentioned on their Facebook page on Saturday that they are working on a debut CD, confirming earlier teases via some recording session photos shared by veteran local musician Keith Conway, like the one here. Details are otherwise minimal, but it'll be interesting to hear the final product! The guys have also been subject to a handful of recent video postings, including this video posted to their Instagram page last month, which initially confirmed the album plans, and features bassist Steve Edwards recording a bass track.
This is the first Instagram video that we've ever shared on here, and though it's short, it does give a glimpse into The Pixo Control's album recording process! It's great to finally have full confirmation of their CD plans, and I'm curious to see where things go, so give their new Instagram video a look below, don't miss them at Low & Slow on the 17th, and stay tuned for more!
Speaking of albums, local alternative/blues rock quartet Sykotyk Rampage officially released their newest "album" on November 29th via their Reverbnation page! Entitled "Bring The Heavy", this is officially considered the band's 47th album, and will likely be their last of 2014's recording batch, barring a resurrection of the four dropped 2014 albums that they had once planned, like "Wyrd Radio" & "Double Live". We won't post the album artwork here though, as it's content is partially not safe for work. I have yet to hear "Bring The Heavy" in full, but love appears to be a partial theme for the tracks, with songs like "Her Love", "Love Is Good", and "Love Her So" among the 18 tracks, though no word on if any of the songs are holdovers from their three cancelled albums. Like the band's prior studio output with their current lineup, the albums have not been posted in a full album sale format (you can buy separate tracks individually, but that's all), but fans of Sykotyk Rampage's creative improvised hard rock will be right at home, so give "Bring The Heavy" a listen above!
Finally today, remember how Staind frontman Aaron Lewis headlined a solo country concert at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino last month? Well, we have a pair of YouTube videos of him covering songs that will be familiar to Staind fans! Attendee Dana Howland uploaded 9 videos from the show onto her YouTube channel just in the last day, and while they're mostly of his new country originals and genre covers, one is of Aaron covering Staind's biggest song "It's Been Awhile", and the other features his cover of Pearl Jam's "Black", which became a solo radio hit for him in the early 2000s. Both are naturally played in a country music style on this tour, and while "Black" adapts better to that genre (partially due to being slowed down), fans of his hard rock work should like these! It's just a shame that Dana only got under 40 seconds of each song, but two of her videos from Aaron's set do surpass three minutes. Well recorded with a good camera angle (despite the orientation), so give "It's Been Awhile" a look below, and see more above!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more Toystock fallout and more in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
