New VM Radio Battle Of The Bands Videos, Das Bunkerfest II Updates, And More!!

As we slowly wind down the month of March, we have a new news post for your Sunday afternoon, which includes some assorted updates, a big change for a hyped upcoming concert event, but first, we have new videos from this month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands via one act's own uploads and the last of a local webseries' coverage, so here's what you should know!

We'll start with our long awaited look at the last of Local2's four part video look at this month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands at The Canadian Nightclub via their newest Tuned episode! Notably guest-hosted by VM Radio's Derek Turner (also Garden of Bedlam's drummer) in lieu of Donna Hopper, who was under the weather at the time, the episode otherwise follows the structure of the last three episodes, starting with a recap of the previous week's semifinal by judges Rob Speers and myself (no Dustin Jones again due to scheduling conflicts), before featuring introductions and performance footage of the finalist bands (the fourth place Apocalypse Afterparty, runners-up The Bear Hunters, third place Mannapool, and winners/wild cards Gnaeus), before showing the first place award presentation to Gnaeus. Though shorter than I expected (with no footage of the individual award presentations), this is a another solid episode of Tuned, and Derek filled in well as guest host!

No word yet on if there will be a judges' recap video on the finals, but if called to do one, I'm open to it! This was a great battle of the bands, so be sure to check out all four of these Tuned episodes to get caught up on this event that was! (Note that while this episode features a new video player on Local2, it still doesn't visibly allow external embedding.)

Next up, one of the bands from said battle have posted some new videos from their semifinal set onto their Facebook page, they being week #3 competitors Mike Haggith & The Din! The alternative/acid rock trio were filmed by an attendee playing original songs "Of Cars & Criminals", "We Met As Surrogates", "This Potato May Be Used As A Flotation Device", "Cowardly Hearts Beneath The Stars", and (as embedded below) their cover of Live's "Lightning Crashes", with all uploaded to their Facebook page last week,  though note that "Cowardly Hearts..." is filmed on a sideways angle for one reason or another. All are well filmed with solid audio quality from up close to the stage, though Mike remains hard to hear on vocals like he was live at the event. I concede liking their older jam rock style more, but the new Din material is more focused and direct, so check out the new videos above & below! (And yes, I saw the teased Haggith lineup changes, we're waiting for more info on that.)



Also today, here's the latest on this August's Das Bunkerfest II, including a major planned change to the venue. Co-promoter/AlgomA frontman Boyd Rendell (a.k.a. Darby Wigwaus) revealed on the Facebook event page last week that the show won't be hosted at "Das Bunker" in Garden River like it was last summer, as Boyd has opted to hand ownership of the property over to his sister, but he is planning to host Das Bunkerfest in a new location to be determined, citing that he has "THE best minds in SSM show promoting it", so he's not worried. Before the announcement, there were two lineup changes, as Saskatchewan stoner metal band Chronobot dropped out due to frontman Darius Simonot & family expecting a new baby (congratulations!), but Toronto punk band The Cola Heads (featuring Detroit alum/Soo native Curtis Faux) were added to the lineup as well, which is awesome if things hold up!

That said, things can change in the interim, and Boyd isn't forecasting ticket availability until late May, so visit the above links for more details as they roll in, and hopefully Das Bunkerfest II goes on as planned at a new home!

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

• Though not the focus of the article, a photo of Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide's set, plus one of Tidal Records artists (including The Pixo Control) are included in Donna Hopper's photo album from The Boot Hill Crooners' CD release party at LopLops on March 20th, which you can check out on SooToday along with an article on the event! Nicely written, so be sure to read it if you're a Crooners fan or missed the show! For reference, their set did include a Hank Williams III cover.
• Local indie/punk band Northwest will be featured in an upcoming episode of Local2's new acoustic stripped-down performance webseries Bare, as per this photo shared on their Facebook page, which confirms that frontman Wayne Watkins and guitarist Greg Callaghan will represent them in the episode. This should be a good one, so keep an eye out for it in the near future!
• I've deleted defunct local recording studio The Smoke & Oak Room from our "Other Sault Ontario Links" section due to the deletion of it's Facebook (and only online) page. Ran by Blackwater alum Dave Pihlaja, the studio was used to record Crimson Crusade's EP and Beaumont Avenue's initial studio tracks for their yet-released debut album, but Dave moved to Toronto in late 2013, so that might be connected to the page's closure. Hopefully he stays active in music production and bands as well!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more this week, including this month's CD review likely next! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Band, New Airbourne Concert Videos, And Much More!!

After a couple of news-free days at the SMS, we're back with some big updates for this Monday morning, so what's on tap? A lot of assorted shorter recent updates, but first, we have a few more Airbourne concert videos and (leading off) a new addition to our band links, so read on below for what you need to know!

We have a new local hard rock band to add to our Sault Ontario band links, as The Thrill Junkies have finally launched their own Facebook page! Originally plugged on the SMS in March, they're essentially the successors to both Turner Up & Havadder, with all but two members of their last lineups forming this new act earlier this year. Their lineup includes singer Travis Sharpe (formerly Turner Up & Havadder's bassist), guitarists Jason Nisbet (Havadder only) and Robert Brown, drummer Scott McLurg, and new bassist Justin Langlois (Redundant), who replaced Jamie Cameron in the band earlier this summer. Described as "five guys who love to party & bring the rock", they'll cover everyone from Alice In Chains & The Foo Fighters to Slash & Volbeat, but they'll also apparently be working on original material, something that their predecessor bands weren't known for. While their first public local show has yet to be announced, they debuted in Spanish at the battle of the bands in April to find openers for this year's Rock 'N Roar Festival, and after following in Havadder's 2012 footsteps with a 5th place run, they opened for Loverboy & Lee Aaron at said festival last weekend!

Note that the cover photo on their Facebook page features former Turner Up singer Krista Marshall along with the band during their Rock 'N Roar set, but she's not credited on the page, so I assume she was a guest performer. I'm very curious to hear some media or local shows from The Thrill Junkies finally, especially with Travis singing in a local band again and the core of Turner Up living on for this new project, so stay tuned for updates on their local debut and upcoming news!

Next up, here's some more new videos from last week's Airbourne concert at The Canadian Nightclub! Filmed by attendee/local guitarist Neno Jovanovic and uploaded to his YouTube channel on Thursday, they're of Airbourne playing their songs "Diamond in the Rough", "Runnin' Wild", and (as embedded below) "Live It Up", so click each link to check them out! Neno had a great first row angle of the Australian hard rock standouts in action, but all but the "Live It Up" video are noticeably abbreviated, and the "Runnin' Wild" video was filmed on a sideways angle for some reason (but we get good footage of Joel O'Keeffe smashing a beer can into his head and spraying it on the front rows!) The audio on each is hit & miss, with heavier stretches often sounding choppy, but the angle and closeness to the action is very welcome, so give Neno's Airbourne concert videos a look above, and here's "Live It Up"!



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

• Local film company 62nd Chamber Productions (ran by AlgomA's Boyd Rendell) revealed on their Facebook page last week that they filmed Giwakwa & Shit Liver's full sets at last month's Oddzfest 2013 Metal Mash-Up on multiple camera angles, but the audio quality was described as "a farty nightmare", so it will instead be re-purposed for stills in upcoming projects. I was wondering what happened to those videos, but I trust their judgement, and hopefully we'll get to see new videos soon!
• Among some other event pages for upcoming punk-headlined concerts, local promoter J.D. Pearce launched one for his eighth annual Halloween Party yesterday (making it's Roosevelt Hotel debut on October 26th), and while full public details are minimal, the previously announced Ripcordz are still headlining, and he confirmed that there will be at least 3 other bands, so the larger post-Coch's lineup will be back. Stay tuned as more updates come in!
• Local bassist Jason Lang (who recently posted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group looking for a new band) is now in a new "rock & hard rock" project with a guitarist & female vocalist, but now they need a drummer. Like before, this is just a bar cover band for the fun of it with no tour plans, and for age range, all he said was that the current members are "older working players". If you're interested in trying out on drums, message Jason at this link or at the Facebook group linked above!
• Former Valentine's Day Massacre/Chillum drummer Kyle Umgeher is again looking for a new local music project on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group, but this time, he's preferably looking for a funk band with a jam space. Funk could have heavier applications, but either way, this could be a unique addition to the scene, so message Kyle at this location or at the group above if you're interested!
• Sault Ontario acid jam/hard rockers Mike Haggith & The Din have officially added talented local solo musician James "Delusionair Lionhair" Watterworth to their lineup as (believe it or not) a saxophone player, making them a quartet. My source is Mike's solo Facebook page on Thursday, and James already contributed at their last couple of live dates. This should be an interesting addition for a heavier band, so stay tuned for more as we hear it!
• Wondered why we haven't covered local recording studio The Smoke & Oak Room much over the summer? As it turns out, owner Dave Pihlaja moved to Toronto with the studio in May (as per postings on their Facebook page), which is disappointing, but hopefully Dave succeeds further down south, and at least we got some quality work from Crimson Crusade & Late and Loud there beforehand!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile on Cross Dog in our next post, either tonight or tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Another Local Metal Video Showcase!!

Here's one more post before we preview this weekend's metal/hard rock concerts (we'll likely have that up tomorrow morning), and for the second time in the past week, it's a local metal video showcase! This time however, the videos are mostly new (only one's from before 2013), and they include new audio tracks from two local hard rock musicians and a Shaw TV interview relating to a recently active recording studio, qnd some new solo guitar cover videos! However, we'll start today with new original material courtesy of Sault Ontario grunge quartet Haggith, who uploaded the studio version of their new song "Clifton Hill" onto their YouTube channel on Sunday! Oddly not featuring bassist Caleb Cachagee (Curtis McKenzie handles vocals & bass on the track), this song is slated to be a part of their forthcoming third album "Deuce", and without fully reviewing it (I'm waiting to look at the whole album), it's an upbeat rocker that should please existing Haggith fans! Give it a listen below, and if you're participating at this year's Relay For Life, don't miss Haggith's first live sets in two months on Saturday!



Next up, here's the latest solo original songs from Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison! Uploaded on Monday, these include a re-recording of Tym's 2011 original "How I'm Wanting You More" and a new-ish instrumental named "Classical D", but how is each? The former track is very similar to the 2011 version, but Tym produced it clearer, and he's added some extra guitar flourishes and backing effects, which add to it's slower emotional feeling! "Classical D" is a completed version of a song Tym wrote in high school, and while it too isn't heavy, it has a soft ethnic feel and is clearly well performed! No word on if either of these songs will appear on Tym's long-gestating second solo album, but if you're up for some (sort of) new performances from this talented local metal frontman, give his new audio recordings a listen above, and "Classical D" is below!



Also today, Ashes to Dust guitarist Alex Hemy has uploaded three new solo guitar covers onto his YouTube channel! Posted over the last three days, these include covers of Three Doors Down's "Away From The Sun", and (in his first hard rock/metal covers since the fall) Three Days Grace's "Riot" and System of a Down's "Toxicity"! The videos all make use of multiple camera angles (though continuing with the lack of on-screen title bugs), and all feature the original song faintly in the background, but while the heavier videos are just of Alex on an electric guitar, the Three Doors Down cover features him on both acoustic guitar & bass, and he handles both well! The other videos show Alex's skills nicely, and the camera work and angles give them a very professional feel that I hope people caught on his previous clips! Check out his cover of "Toxicity" below, and check out more at the above links, including a preview of YouTube's new "YouTube One" channel layout!



And finally for today, here's a new-ish Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie interview piece with local folk musician and Smoke & Oak Room Studio owner Dave Pihlaja! This was actually aired in November before being uploaded to Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie's YouTube channel, but as he hadn't began his 2013 work with heavier bands, I missed it at the time. Done with Free Beer alum Christian Lemay (who handles most of the hard rock-relevant news pieces for channel 10), it features Dave discussing the inspiration for the studio's name, his post-secondary background which led to his studio work, how the Smoke & Oak Room was built up and started, and his then-recent work with acts like Al Wood & The Woodsmen, Hornepayne folk project Lyndon's Frozen Lake, his ex-Blackwater bandmate Cody McMillan, and ex-Stillbroke keyboardist Joseph Kargi, along with the rewards of his production work. It's a nice video that shows Dave's work and projects well, and it's a nice preview at how professional and high quality Dave's work is! Check out the video below, and get in contact with The Smoke & Oak Room if you want to do some recording!



That's likely all for today, but stay tuned for this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Suicide Kings & Unbound Updates, Plus New Solo Performance Videos!!

It was February 25th when we last had a day without a post on the SMS, and I'm very glad to see things picking up and staying newsworthy in what's often a light time of year for news! In this latest post, we have some new solo videos from a pair of local hard rock artists, as well as news on a new local band's debut concerts (they're not where you think), but first, here's what's new from a recently prominent outfit, and what's on the horizon!

We'll start with the latest news from local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings, who have a busy spring on the horizon (including with their Nicolet Tavern show on Friday), but before then, they'll be focusing on recording sessions for what their debut EP! According to their Facebook page, the sessions are taking place at The Smoke & Oak Room Studio with producer Dave Pihlaja, similarly to Late & Loud and Crimson Crusade's recent recording sessions. Dave's been doing some great work with a wide variety of local acts since starting The Smoke & Oak Room last year, and hopefully this continues to grow and fill more of the need for local recording studios, so become a fan at the above links, and the Smoke & Oak Room's now in our "Other Sault Ontario Metal Links" section! Drum tracks are now complete, with guitar tracking beginning today, and while I can't find the post I saw this off of, I could swear a Suicide Kings band member said on Facebook that they hoped that their EP would be finished by their set opening for 40 Sons at The Rockstar Bar on April 5th, with a free distribution planned there rather than selling the discs. Seeing as I can't find that post, plans might have changed (and/or it may have been a premature announcement.)

Finally for Suicide Kings' news, the guys have quietly cancelled their planned St. Patrick's Day gigs at Docks Riverfront Grill next weekend, as per the deletion of the shows' Facebook event page on Sunday. A reason wasn't announced, but bassist Mitch Sirie will be in Sudbury on the 16th for his other band The Bear Hunters' next out of town gig in Sudbury, so that's likely related. Disappointing, but the rest of the spring sounds very promising from their camp, so stay tuned for more Suicide Kings updates!

Next up, here's the latest news from new Sault Ontario hard rock outfit Unbound! The band featuring State of Misery & March Into Regression alumni will make their live concert debuts this month with concerts this Saturday & on March 29th... just not in Sault Ste. Marie. Instead, the guys will be taking a road trip to Thunder Bay to play at Pier 61 this weekend, followed by a suicide awareness fundraiser there named "Out Of The Darkness" at Crocks on the 29th alongside electronic acts. The almost-9 hour drive for their first shows may seem odd on the surface, but as you may remember, Unbound's late original frontman Justin Fratpietro was a Thunder Bay native, and their involvement in the latter show is especially significant given Justin's untimely passing in January. Details on Unbound's Sault Ste. Marie debut have yet to be publically unveiled, but hopefully we'll see the guys around town this spring! I fully understand the Thunder Bay debut & connections, and hopefully many Justin's family and friends will be able to see music he helped create in person this way! Keep an eye out for more Unbound updates in the near future!

We'll close today with a pair of new solo performance videos from local hard rock musicians, including this new cover from Ashes to Dust guitarist Alex Hemy! Though both his solo YouTube channel & the whole band have been fairly quiet so far in 2013, Alex did upload this cover of Green Day's "Nuclear Family" onto YouTube on Saturday! Using multiple camera angles and a nice quality camera, he does another good job on this cover, but if you're hoping for metal covers, he hasn't posted any since the fall. I have to ask though, where's the titles & logos like on his past clips? Still, give Alex's latest guitar cover a look below!



Finally for today, RedStone Riot bassist & ex-Riot! By Night frontman Ryan Harrison uploaded three more "pajama sessions" solo acoustic covers onto his YouTube channel yesterday! The covers are of The Counting Crows' "Right Here", Butch Walker's "ATL", and (as embedded below) Blue October's "Worry List", and all were filmed similarly to his last solo clips. These are very similar in sound to his last videos, and his talents are clear on all 3 (so I'd say how you'd rank them would depend on liking the original artists.) Check out his cover of "Worry List" below, and hopefully Ryan will revisit singing in a live band again in the future!



That's probably all for today, but stay tuned soon for more news & notes, plus this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews! Thanks everyone!