The Fairview was not prepared.
On Saturday night when I walked into the venue, I could tell right away that this out of the way bar on West Broadway did not expect what was about to occur. The room was packed, it was already sweaty, and the bar lineup was deep.
I was extremely geared up for Carpenter but got a chance to see the 2 openers. I really enjoyed Virginia Leaves who were just getting going when I arrived.
The following act called Northcote (is singer/songwriter Matt Goud) captured the audience easily with just a guitar and his very powerful voice. I'm not too familiar with his work but after seeing him, I wanted to get a CD and dive into his music. Here is a video of "Energy" from his current CD. He mentioned on stage that there will be a new record shortly and I'm looking forward to it. When he busted into a version of "Your Love" by the Outfield, everyone in the audience was singing along to every word. I had a feeling that would be common throughout the rest of the night.
Carpenter has rabid fans.
I fell in love with this band's music a few years ago and can sing along with most of their songs. Saturday night there were about 275 people that were as in love with them as me in a club that comfortably holds 200. When the band got going the venue was at complete capacity with a mix of people that share a common love of this great band that has written songs that speak directly to them about them and for them. These songs connect deeply with the individual. These songs are about a person who longs to be home and who has made mistakes and wants to prove himself in this world of failed dreams. These songs deliver messages of those people who party hard, live hard, and fear nothing. This band is more then a punk band. They have songs with subtle hooks that linger days after you've heard them. The band also has an electric energy on stage that shows passion and drive and Saturday night Every Single Person in the room was singing along to Every Single Word of Every Song.
Explain to me again how you've never heard this band or been to one of their shows (or supported your local farmer).
While Northcote was finishing his set Carpenter's bass player, Dana (who is an old friend of mine), was telling me some stories of the road and the pranks that were pulled on Dan (the singer of Carpenter & like myself, an avid Leafs fan). I love hearing war stories about the road. Touring is my favourite thing in life and seeing the yellow lines of the Highway 1 in Canada can be frustrating but when you're out there on the road, no one will quite understand it unless you have been. You sleep on couches in strange towns. You pass the time in the van laughing with your best friends. You drink way too much to numb your mind. You long for a warm bed with that girl you love but also you look forward to getting back on stage every night playing your favourite songs.
Carpenter exemplifies the dreams of those who have been on the road. Dan sings about a lifestyle that is hard to maintain, a lifestyle that in your head you know you need to quit, you want to give up, you want to walk away, yet in your heart you cannot. You have to sing these songs, you have to speak to the people, you have to keep connecting with those that are in love with every word you sing, everything you stand for, everything you believe in.
I don't ever want Carpenter to give up. They are the best band in Vancouver and they proved it on Saturday. If you missed this show, you missed history in the making. People will talk about this show for years. People will talk about how they remember Carpenter from when they we playing small clubs in Vancouver and how they wished they'd seen them then.
Download "Law of the Land" by Carpenter here
Download "Sea to Sky" by Carpenter here
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
February 21, 2011
February 17, 2011
Show Review - Dominique Fricot, February 16th, 2011 at the Backstage Lounge
There is a burgeoning local, independent, original, live music scene.
There are about 5 main venues that independent bands/artists/music groups frequent in the downtown core.
One would assume that as most people love music, a lot of people love the atmosphere of a small club, and then add the intimate nature of the singer/songwriter format, every one of these venues would be packed almost every night in
Wrong.
That being said:
It is very rare to see a place like the Backstage Lounge full on a Wednesday. Last night was one such rare occasions. I'm sure there were 100 people who made excuses why they could not make it to Dom's first show with a full band. They either heard about the show or know Dom personally but needless to say, these mystery 100 people missed something big. I'm not alluding to Dom's height (which is a common joke and a great conversation starter when you first meet this friendly giant), what I am alluding to is that he is a star.
Charisma cannot be taught. It cannot be practiced in a rehearsal space. You cannot take a course on charisma. I believe you can learn to get better at charisma but some people naturally have it. Dom has it. He has it in spades. One of his biggest talents is drawing the listener in with charisma on stage. I'm not sure if it was just last evening or if this is what every one of his shows is like, but he had the crowd in the palm of his hand. He could do no wrong. And he did not do anything wrong. Even when he told a personal story about a recent experience with the law where he was in the wrong it was not wrong. He could've fallen flat. A lesser showman would've but last night he was funny, and bold, and brave, and controversial. All things I love.
In a previous post I mentioned that Dom was in a band before he started this solo endeavor. 4 guys writing songs and creating a sound together. I don't want anyone to take offense to this but I feel that that band is only a shadow of what Mr. Fricot truly is. His voice commands the stage. How many times have you seen a singer carry the entire band? A singer who, when he sings requires little or no instrumentation to fill the room with sound. The timbre of his voice is extremely powerful. And he can sing. Man can this guy sing. And was the band good? Yes. Damn good. Let me tell you about them. Firstly, it was clear to me that these guys are great friends of Dom and only want to help him and be a part of what he is doing. Now I've always thought that if the bass player is really good, that you won't notice what they're playing. If he's really good you'll only notice when he's not playing. This guy was a perfect fit to this criteria. And the drummer could fill the spaces that needed to be filled and play to the song. He was able to build a song dynamically when, at times, he was only using brushes. There was also a 4th member of the band. He was the backup vocalist. He filled in where necessary and was very solid and filled the sound out nicely. I have barely any constructive criticism but here it is. Dom, I know you're reading this: Give him a tambourine and or a tiny keyboard to add a little bit of organ sounds in the background. I don't even know if it's a good suggestion because too much keyboard and too much instrumentation could ruin this already great band. But visually it may add to the group and give him slightly more stage presence and build on his existing talent.
Now you'll have to forgive me for not doing 2 things:
1) remembering the song names
2) remembering the band member's names
Now that you've forgiven me, let's talk about the songs.
I hate to go back to previous work, but. The previous original project Dom was involved in was “ok”. They were good live, they had good stage presence blah blah blah. Stifled. That's the word I want to use when comparing his old band with the new solo material. The new songs truly suit his voice, they truly suit who he is, and they truly represent him. They have lyrics that are so powerful and meaningful that you believe what he is singing. You believe he's lived these songs. You believe what he is saying what he is emoting what he feels. And to top it off all the original songs were extremely listenable. I have to be honest; I really want to hear all these songs again. On my iPhone/iPod, on my way to work, on a sunny Friday, when you have no cares in the world. That's what they made me feel like. They made me feel joy. And optimism.
He wasn't afraid to take a few risks last night. He played a beautiful cover of Neil Young's "Harvest Moon". He performed an acapella number written by a friend with just handclaps and foot stomps. He performed a duet of Sinatra with the 2nd act on the bill.
This is the kind of guy Dom is: There can be no live music in the Backstage Lounge until the Arts Club upstairs is finished. They were running a hair late. So what Dom did is play 6 songs to open the set and then the "opening act" performed her set (she was nervous as hell but she has a nice voice and has lots of "upside"). When she was finished Dom came back on and played 6-7 more songs. A heart of gold. It gave the crowd a chance to see both acts and if they didn't want to stay until almost 1 a.m. at least they got a chance to see some of the show. When he returned to the stage for his final set, I was considering ducking out about half way through. Hey, at least I'm honest right?
I could not leave. I was glued to my seat just like you would have been if you had been there.
Next time be there.
Dominique Fricot - Legend.
www.myspace.com/dominiquefricot
www.youtube.com/dominiquefricot
www.twitter.com/dominiquefricot
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
February 16, 2011
Cuba
In November I went to Cuba for a vacation.
It was intended to be a cheap holiday in a hot destination at an all-inclusive. Have you been to one of these?
All the food you could ever eat, all the booze you could ever drink, lots of sun, lots of blue ocean, lots of skin, and lots of fun.
After about 3 days of this, we decided to get out of the resort and go into the closest town. We were not in Veradero (the main tourist/resort area) we were in Cayo Coco which is an island in North Central Cuba and the closest town is called Moran. Initially I was semi-skeptical of leaving the resort because every single tourist website had said things like: don't rent a car, don't leave the resort, don't do this, don't do that.
I'll tell you the honest truth about Cuba, the more I found out about this beautiful country with beautiful people, the more I fell in love with it. It is one of the safest places on earth. They have a 100% literacy rate. They have low property crime. You can leave your camera on the table and when you come back it's still there. Other countries (like Canada perhaps) not so much.
So we met an amazing resort worker named Pirez who said he would give us a tour of his town on his day off. You have to realize something, these people work usually 6-7 days a week. I don't know why the people of Cuba, Mexico, etc get labeled as lazy. Most of the people I have met in these countries work harder and for longer hours then I do. To continue, Pirez was being very generous with his time to show us around. Obviously his ulterior motive was to make a little money on the side, but still, I felt that he went out of his way to show us around and spend time helping us see the culture. He took us to all of his family's houses and took us to all the famous landmarks in this little city. He explained the local culture and did the best to describe what Cuba is all about. I won't bore you with the details but let me put it this way and this is the point of this post: we as Canadian's take everything for granted. I learned so much about the country and communism and feel like I can now form better opinions of the rights and wrongs of capitalism vs. communism and developed an opinion for myself about the world I live in.
The things we take for granted?
- Borrowing money. In Cuba and other parts of the world, people can't just borrow money from a bank. They can't just fill out some forms and get a Visa and pay with future earnings. This is a huge advantage that we have in the modern world. It means that you can own a house. It means that you can buy a car. It means that you can go on opulent vacations once a year.
- Quality food. Cuba doesn't trade with the US. In fact it wasn't until the late 90's that Canada started trading with Cuba. They have to import from Argentina, Russia, & China. They don't always have quality food and if they do they can't just splurge on higher end beer. Or cheese. Or olives. Or bread or or or or...
And it's not like they can just go to Safeway. There is no Safeway. There is no Future Shop. There is no McDonalds/Subway/bullshit fastfood restaurant.
- Travelling abroad. Canadians are accepted into just about every country (unless you have a criminal record or something). Some citizens of some countries, like Cuba, cannot leave their country. They cannot experience the world like we can.
- Freedom of information. I can access google. I can access facebook. I can access CNN. I can access world news. Unbiased or Biased. Whatever I choose. Is it like this everywhere? No.
I could keep going literally forever.
Basically this trip changed my life.
The other point I would like to make is that Cubans are incredibly generous people. They also seem extremely happy even though they do not have things we have. They are an extremely family orientated society and put family first in almost all situations. The Cuban people live on the equivalent of $40 per month. They cannot buy property. They can't buy vehicles. Sometimes the country runs out of even the most simple household items such as toothpaste.
I learned a lot.
I grew.
I want you to experience Cuba. Maybe you'll feel the same. Maybe you'll think I'm out of line.
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
It was intended to be a cheap holiday in a hot destination at an all-inclusive. Have you been to one of these?
All the food you could ever eat, all the booze you could ever drink, lots of sun, lots of blue ocean, lots of skin, and lots of fun.
After about 3 days of this, we decided to get out of the resort and go into the closest town. We were not in Veradero (the main tourist/resort area) we were in Cayo Coco which is an island in North Central Cuba and the closest town is called Moran. Initially I was semi-skeptical of leaving the resort because every single tourist website had said things like: don't rent a car, don't leave the resort, don't do this, don't do that.
I'll tell you the honest truth about Cuba, the more I found out about this beautiful country with beautiful people, the more I fell in love with it. It is one of the safest places on earth. They have a 100% literacy rate. They have low property crime. You can leave your camera on the table and when you come back it's still there. Other countries (like Canada perhaps) not so much.
So we met an amazing resort worker named Pirez who said he would give us a tour of his town on his day off. You have to realize something, these people work usually 6-7 days a week. I don't know why the people of Cuba, Mexico, etc get labeled as lazy. Most of the people I have met in these countries work harder and for longer hours then I do. To continue, Pirez was being very generous with his time to show us around. Obviously his ulterior motive was to make a little money on the side, but still, I felt that he went out of his way to show us around and spend time helping us see the culture. He took us to all of his family's houses and took us to all the famous landmarks in this little city. He explained the local culture and did the best to describe what Cuba is all about. I won't bore you with the details but let me put it this way and this is the point of this post: we as Canadian's take everything for granted. I learned so much about the country and communism and feel like I can now form better opinions of the rights and wrongs of capitalism vs. communism and developed an opinion for myself about the world I live in.
The things we take for granted?
- Borrowing money. In Cuba and other parts of the world, people can't just borrow money from a bank. They can't just fill out some forms and get a Visa and pay with future earnings. This is a huge advantage that we have in the modern world. It means that you can own a house. It means that you can buy a car. It means that you can go on opulent vacations once a year.
- Quality food. Cuba doesn't trade with the US. In fact it wasn't until the late 90's that Canada started trading with Cuba. They have to import from Argentina, Russia, & China. They don't always have quality food and if they do they can't just splurge on higher end beer. Or cheese. Or olives. Or bread or or or or...
And it's not like they can just go to Safeway. There is no Safeway. There is no Future Shop. There is no McDonalds/Subway/bullshit fastfood restaurant.
- Travelling abroad. Canadians are accepted into just about every country (unless you have a criminal record or something). Some citizens of some countries, like Cuba, cannot leave their country. They cannot experience the world like we can.
- Freedom of information. I can access google. I can access facebook. I can access CNN. I can access world news. Unbiased or Biased. Whatever I choose. Is it like this everywhere? No.
I could keep going literally forever.
Basically this trip changed my life.
The other point I would like to make is that Cubans are incredibly generous people. They also seem extremely happy even though they do not have things we have. They are an extremely family orientated society and put family first in almost all situations. The Cuban people live on the equivalent of $40 per month. They cannot buy property. They can't buy vehicles. Sometimes the country runs out of even the most simple household items such as toothpaste.
I learned a lot.
I grew.
I want you to experience Cuba. Maybe you'll feel the same. Maybe you'll think I'm out of line.
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
February 15, 2011
The Tallest Man I know
I formally met Dominique Fricot a number of years ago at a music seminar I attended. I'd seen him around at shows and seen his band "the Painted Birds" play a few times and even played a show with them. We seemed to have a similar view on music and shared opinions on the state of the music industry and were able to offer each other constructive critiques of each others music. After that, I invited him to a few shows and last year we spent just over a week together on a holiday at the Coachella festival.
Last year he told me that the Painted Birds decided to go their separate ways and he was deciding to take the solo route. He wanted to change musical directions and show a new side of himself as a writer. At the time I was interested to see where this new path would take him and was looking forward to hearing some recordings.
Now if you talk to Dom, he'll tell you how many times I ditched out of attending one of his shows. Maybe he'll tell you I'm a bit of a flake. I don't mind. If you know him personally you will know that he will tell you exactly how he feels about you. Both the positives and negatives. I suppose this is the nature of an artist who wears his heart on his sleeve. He has an immense heart and I think it takes a lot of courage to challenge your friends to grow and offer real perspective into not only what they are doing right and why, but also what they should consider changing in their lives. He's recently given me some hard advice. I really appreciated it and have since been trying to fix the things he suggested I at least attempt to fix.
So he phones me this week. He has a show coming up and wants me to come. He's been reading the blog and thinks it's pretty good and I may have a talent. I said I'd love to attend as long as my rehearsal schedule does not conflict. He says, come on, I'm on late enough that you'll be able to catch it. I say ok, but I want to hear a demo song, and talk about it here.
Last night I get an email with a demo he wants me to hear. "What can I give" is the title.
My first impression is that yes this is a different direction. I'm not a huge "singer songwriter" fan but lately am becoming more drawn to this more simplistic art form. Want to talk about courage? Try singing a song on a stage with just an acoustic guitar and your voice. You better be damn good as a vocalist and/or a guitarist. Dom happens to be both. He has tone in his voice. He picks unique chord phrasing. He arranges tasteful wandering guitar lead lines. This song build from the start with just his voice and a guitar and builds with drums and bass and horns until the crescendo and then it's over. You want to hear it again. Here are sample lyrics:
I must be crazy cuz I'm thinking bout you all the time/I don't even know you that well/And what, the hell/I'll just call you up with something to do/You say yes you say maybe you'll say wait and see
I really like this song. Maybe I like it even more because Dom is my friend. My only small criticism of this song is related to production. I'm sure when it is recorded in a studio with real production it will be even better. I hope you come to his show tomorrow (Februrary 16, 2011) at the Backstage lounge (Granville island) and see what Dominique Fricot is about.
I will be doing a show review on Thursday so stay posted.
Here are his links:
www.myspace.com/dominiquefricot
www.youtube.com/dominiquefricot
www.twitter.com/dominiquefricot
Here is "What can I give" on Youtube:
Please download all of Dom's work here:
http://www.dominiquefricot.bandcamp.com/
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
Last year he told me that the Painted Birds decided to go their separate ways and he was deciding to take the solo route. He wanted to change musical directions and show a new side of himself as a writer. At the time I was interested to see where this new path would take him and was looking forward to hearing some recordings.
Now if you talk to Dom, he'll tell you how many times I ditched out of attending one of his shows. Maybe he'll tell you I'm a bit of a flake. I don't mind. If you know him personally you will know that he will tell you exactly how he feels about you. Both the positives and negatives. I suppose this is the nature of an artist who wears his heart on his sleeve. He has an immense heart and I think it takes a lot of courage to challenge your friends to grow and offer real perspective into not only what they are doing right and why, but also what they should consider changing in their lives. He's recently given me some hard advice. I really appreciated it and have since been trying to fix the things he suggested I at least attempt to fix.
So he phones me this week. He has a show coming up and wants me to come. He's been reading the blog and thinks it's pretty good and I may have a talent. I said I'd love to attend as long as my rehearsal schedule does not conflict. He says, come on, I'm on late enough that you'll be able to catch it. I say ok, but I want to hear a demo song, and talk about it here.
Last night I get an email with a demo he wants me to hear. "What can I give" is the title.
My first impression is that yes this is a different direction. I'm not a huge "singer songwriter" fan but lately am becoming more drawn to this more simplistic art form. Want to talk about courage? Try singing a song on a stage with just an acoustic guitar and your voice. You better be damn good as a vocalist and/or a guitarist. Dom happens to be both. He has tone in his voice. He picks unique chord phrasing. He arranges tasteful wandering guitar lead lines. This song build from the start with just his voice and a guitar and builds with drums and bass and horns until the crescendo and then it's over. You want to hear it again. Here are sample lyrics:
I must be crazy cuz I'm thinking bout you all the time/I don't even know you that well/And what, the hell/I'll just call you up with something to do/You say yes you say maybe you'll say wait and see
I really like this song. Maybe I like it even more because Dom is my friend. My only small criticism of this song is related to production. I'm sure when it is recorded in a studio with real production it will be even better. I hope you come to his show tomorrow (Februrary 16, 2011) at the Backstage lounge (Granville island) and see what Dominique Fricot is about.
I will be doing a show review on Thursday so stay posted.
Here are his links:
www.myspace.com/dominiquefricot
www.youtube.com/dominiquefricot
www.twitter.com/dominiquefricot
Here is "What can I give" on Youtube:
Please download all of Dom's work here:
http://www.dominiquefricot.bandcamp.com/
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
February 14, 2011
the Grammys, yeah, I know, I'm blogging about the Grammys
I watched this awards show last night.
Maybe you've heard of it? It's called the Grammy's.
You don't know this about me but I hate awards shows. How does Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Eminem really reflect what's going on in music these days? How does album sales/popularity reflect an artist receiving the "top award" in music?
I can cite hundreds of examples of artists who are currently breaking boundaries and although I will give the mainstream some credit for being influenced by some of the artists who are not mainstream and breaking small boundaries, I still feel that manufactured music is out of date.
One exception and the highlight in my opinion from last nights gala was Mumford and Sons. (notice I left out the Arcade Fire?)
Their performance at the Grammys was exciting. They showed that they will almost certainly be future stars and they blew me away with their empassioned performance and charisma. They also have songs that make you want to sing. The songs are full of life and passion. You want to know what they are about. They make you feel alive. They make you feel strong and feel love and feel moved. This is what music is all about.
As you know, Arcade Fire won for Album of the Year. Fair Enough. They're wonderful. The underground has now emerged into the mainstream. Well done. Again, this is my opinion but I feel like Win Butler and Co. are just a bag of hot air. They are pointing their fingers at us. They are trying to effect change by purposefully playing noise at the Grammy's. Why not change people's perception by performing material that is so great that it has to effect change or a shift in the ideas within the industry. We don't need to hear music that is unlistenable. In a way the first track that they played was just as horrible to listen to as an overproduced Lady Gaga song. In fact I would rather listen to Lady Gaga. At least I can appreciate the high quality production and skill of the songwriters that were able to put together a perfectly candy coated pop song. Again. My opinion only: a simple pop song with a strong hook that stays in your head for days and days is harder to write then noise. Arcade Fire's statement was lost on me. It was also lost on the crowd who looked bewildered at their weirdness.
Now: The awards am I really interested in?
In Canada we have the Polaris prize. Read up on it here
I recommend you read the FAQ's to understand where the judges come from and how the artists are selected. It's probably in ways similar to the Grammy's, Juno's etc, but I like that there is no prejudice. You can literally submit your record and have a shot at being shortlisted based on artistic merit stands alone.
Read the Rules here
I thought I would highlight a couple of the rules that really speak to me:
Rule #1a:
Maybe you've heard of it? It's called the Grammy's.
You don't know this about me but I hate awards shows. How does Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Eminem really reflect what's going on in music these days? How does album sales/popularity reflect an artist receiving the "top award" in music?
I can cite hundreds of examples of artists who are currently breaking boundaries and although I will give the mainstream some credit for being influenced by some of the artists who are not mainstream and breaking small boundaries, I still feel that manufactured music is out of date.
One exception and the highlight in my opinion from last nights gala was Mumford and Sons. (notice I left out the Arcade Fire?)
Their performance at the Grammys was exciting. They showed that they will almost certainly be future stars and they blew me away with their empassioned performance and charisma. They also have songs that make you want to sing. The songs are full of life and passion. You want to know what they are about. They make you feel alive. They make you feel strong and feel love and feel moved. This is what music is all about.
As you know, Arcade Fire won for Album of the Year. Fair Enough. They're wonderful. The underground has now emerged into the mainstream. Well done. Again, this is my opinion but I feel like Win Butler and Co. are just a bag of hot air. They are pointing their fingers at us. They are trying to effect change by purposefully playing noise at the Grammy's. Why not change people's perception by performing material that is so great that it has to effect change or a shift in the ideas within the industry. We don't need to hear music that is unlistenable. In a way the first track that they played was just as horrible to listen to as an overproduced Lady Gaga song. In fact I would rather listen to Lady Gaga. At least I can appreciate the high quality production and skill of the songwriters that were able to put together a perfectly candy coated pop song. Again. My opinion only: a simple pop song with a strong hook that stays in your head for days and days is harder to write then noise. Arcade Fire's statement was lost on me. It was also lost on the crowd who looked bewildered at their weirdness.
Now: The awards am I really interested in?
In Canada we have the Polaris prize. Read up on it here
I recommend you read the FAQ's to understand where the judges come from and how the artists are selected. It's probably in ways similar to the Grammy's, Juno's etc, but I like that there is no prejudice. You can literally submit your record and have a shot at being shortlisted based on artistic merit stands alone.
Read the Rules here
I thought I would highlight a couple of the rules that really speak to me:
Rule #1a:
Polaris Music Prize nominees and winners will be selected solely on artistic merit without regard to genre, sales history or label affiliation.
Is this how the Grammy's decide on album of the year? I doubt it.
Rule #1b:
All forms of contemporary music (including, but not limited to, pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B,
electronic, experimental, jazz, classical, instrumental, country and blues, or any combination of the above, and including genres not mentioned or invented at the time these rules were written) are eligible for the Polaris Music Prize.
Genres not mentioned or invented at the time these rules are written. This suggests that the Polaris Prize is encouraging artistic growth and for artists to break boundaries.
I don't want to get to preachy but here are a few of my favourites from the past few years that have made the top 40 on this list:
- Two Hours Traffic
both LPs from this great pop/rock band from PEI are great from front to back. Both albums have subtle hooks and melodies that stick with you forever. The lyrical content is also very subtle and it brings you back again and again.
- Plants and Animals
In my opionion this band will some day be bigger then the Arcade fire. They are a trio from Montreal and sound like a 10 piece band. I love the quirky sound selection and the arrangement of the songs aren't of the norm. This is a great band.
- the Stills
If you haven't heard the Stills just go buy all their music. Right now. They're one of the best bands in Canada and are very close to breaking through into the mainstream. Get into them before this happens so you can say you were there before it happened.
- Caribou
I downloaded "Andorra" only because I had heard a few songs by the 2008 Polaris list. This album grew on me every time I listened and I love the intricate sounds and hidden melodies throughout the record. Also it's really danceable. If you like to dance that is. Most people in Vancouver just like to cross their arms and frown when watching live original music.
Lastly:
- Stars
I have been listening to Stars since 2003 when they released a song called "Elevator Love Letter". I honestly am in love with Amy Milan. I'm also in love with Torquil. You will fall in love too.
That is my rant for today.
In closing:
Some musicians dream of standing on the stage accepting "Song of the Year" at the Grammys. I will never fall into that category. I dream of winning a Polaris Prize.
Love,
Marty Zylstra
Marty Zylstra
@martyzylstra
February 11, 2011
Hidden Talent
To change gears I thought we could start a different conversation. Hidden talents.
You know those small things that you can do that nobody (even the people who know you well) expects from you? Maybe it turns out you were (almost) a pro-skateboarder in your teens. Maybe you are almost an expert on botony or bird-watching. Or maybe you once learned to figureskate and competed nationally.
Everyone has that hidden talent. Either huge or small.
My very few hidden talents are fairly unexpected (if you know me) and also fairly unrelated but all stem from former odd summer jobs during college or after high school:
1) I can crack an egg with one hand or 2 eggs with 2 hands at the same time. When you're a musician learning your craft, you take the odd part time job and in my "college" years, I worked as a short order cook mainly in high volume kitchens where breakfast was the speciality. In these situations you have to learn to react quickly and breaking 10 eggs in a short period of time becomes a 2nd nature. I can also cook a mean omellette and pretty much any "standard" breakfast you can think of. I wouldn't call myself a chef but I do ok.
2) I can operate most tractors. Weird right? Again, when you're in college or in a band, you take odd jobs out of your field. For a few summers I worked in a bunch of garden nurseries either in shipping/receiving or in production and learned to operate about 10 different types of tractors. I also had a few other random summer jobs where I was in landscaping and there always seemed to be a tractor used for various large heavy duty tasks and got used to operating it. You'd be suprised at how easy it is. It's not really a great hidden talent but it's fairly odd so I always tell people.
What is your hidden talent?
Tweet at me: @martyzylstra
or just comment!
I'd love to hear about it!
Love,
Marty
martyzylstra@gmail.com
http://www.martyzylstra.bandcamp.com/
You know those small things that you can do that nobody (even the people who know you well) expects from you? Maybe it turns out you were (almost) a pro-skateboarder in your teens. Maybe you are almost an expert on botony or bird-watching. Or maybe you once learned to figureskate and competed nationally.
Everyone has that hidden talent. Either huge or small.
My very few hidden talents are fairly unexpected (if you know me) and also fairly unrelated but all stem from former odd summer jobs during college or after high school:
1) I can crack an egg with one hand or 2 eggs with 2 hands at the same time. When you're a musician learning your craft, you take the odd part time job and in my "college" years, I worked as a short order cook mainly in high volume kitchens where breakfast was the speciality. In these situations you have to learn to react quickly and breaking 10 eggs in a short period of time becomes a 2nd nature. I can also cook a mean omellette and pretty much any "standard" breakfast you can think of. I wouldn't call myself a chef but I do ok.
2) I can operate most tractors. Weird right? Again, when you're in college or in a band, you take odd jobs out of your field. For a few summers I worked in a bunch of garden nurseries either in shipping/receiving or in production and learned to operate about 10 different types of tractors. I also had a few other random summer jobs where I was in landscaping and there always seemed to be a tractor used for various large heavy duty tasks and got used to operating it. You'd be suprised at how easy it is. It's not really a great hidden talent but it's fairly odd so I always tell people.
What is your hidden talent?
Tweet at me: @martyzylstra
or just comment!
I'd love to hear about it!
Love,
Marty
martyzylstra@gmail.com
http://www.martyzylstra.bandcamp.com/
February 10, 2011
Old Friends
The first time I met Toby & Ben was so long ago I can hardly remember when it was specifically. What I do remember is that they were interested in what we were doing and that they had actually taken the time to support whatever musical project it was I was in back then.
A few years later their band (then called retrograde) came to Victoria (where I was living at the time) as part of a national tour and I really had wanted to see what this band was about. In typical fashion for Victoria on a Tuesday night there was hardly anyone in the room but a few friends. I do vividly remember that show. This band was heavy. This band was tight. This band had chops that you would never ever see in Victoria at that time. I hadn't been away from the island much other then the odd trip as a teen to Whistler or to the rare concert and I was completely blown away at that time as a young musician seeing this band tear the stage down. These guys had so much presence that I had to get the record, devour it, and when I did I had to get a band together as tight and talented as they were.
About a year later I finally did have this band together and got a chance to play some shows with Retrograde and it was great to become better and better friends with Toby, Ben, Brendan & Mark. We stayed in touch as the years went by and when I moved to Vancouver finally in 2004 Toby and I became extremely close. I even convinced Toby to produce a demo/EP for Sweetheart & then eventually he produced our full length. What a guy.
As more years passed and Retrograde as a band decided they needed a change to make a statement about themselves that it was time to move on from "Retrograde" and that name. They thought "Retrograde" was associated with an outdated sound in Canada, and wanted to try something new and fresh. At the time I vehemently disagreed, but understood it was their decision.
--
I was living with Toby in the "Rupert Mansion" (I think just about everyone I know has lived in this house at one time or another) a number of years ago when "Run the Red Light" was finishing their EP. I remember countless nights when Toby would be in the control room in the basement tracking vocal ideas for a few songs. I love the process of recording. I would pop my head in and throw my 2 cents in.
The sounds coming from the room were great. They were different from Retrograde. I was excited to hear the final product. I even added some vocals to one track.
When I got the EP I instantly was drawn to "in too far". Here are sample lyrics:
We're falling out into the dark/the sounds are so unclear/the stars that died will come to life/again to disappear/close your eyes/and say goodbye/
Too far, in Too far, Nothing lasts forever in this world
I could talk about the nuances of the sounds of that song/record or the powerful vocals or the excellent performances/production that I have associated with Toby for all these years. What instead I will say is that you should go find out what this band is about. Go find out what passion and dedication to the craft is about. Go find out why this band has been around and stayed together. A belief in the creation of truly magical music by truly amazing individuals. These people are my closest friends and would give you the shirt off their backs. I know because they've given me the shirt off their backs countless times.
Download their EP here
Check out Run the Red Light's website here
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
A few years later their band (then called retrograde) came to Victoria (where I was living at the time) as part of a national tour and I really had wanted to see what this band was about. In typical fashion for Victoria on a Tuesday night there was hardly anyone in the room but a few friends. I do vividly remember that show. This band was heavy. This band was tight. This band had chops that you would never ever see in Victoria at that time. I hadn't been away from the island much other then the odd trip as a teen to Whistler or to the rare concert and I was completely blown away at that time as a young musician seeing this band tear the stage down. These guys had so much presence that I had to get the record, devour it, and when I did I had to get a band together as tight and talented as they were.
About a year later I finally did have this band together and got a chance to play some shows with Retrograde and it was great to become better and better friends with Toby, Ben, Brendan & Mark. We stayed in touch as the years went by and when I moved to Vancouver finally in 2004 Toby and I became extremely close. I even convinced Toby to produce a demo/EP for Sweetheart & then eventually he produced our full length. What a guy.
As more years passed and Retrograde as a band decided they needed a change to make a statement about themselves that it was time to move on from "Retrograde" and that name. They thought "Retrograde" was associated with an outdated sound in Canada, and wanted to try something new and fresh. At the time I vehemently disagreed, but understood it was their decision.
--
I was living with Toby in the "Rupert Mansion" (I think just about everyone I know has lived in this house at one time or another) a number of years ago when "Run the Red Light" was finishing their EP. I remember countless nights when Toby would be in the control room in the basement tracking vocal ideas for a few songs. I love the process of recording. I would pop my head in and throw my 2 cents in.
The sounds coming from the room were great. They were different from Retrograde. I was excited to hear the final product. I even added some vocals to one track.
When I got the EP I instantly was drawn to "in too far". Here are sample lyrics:
We're falling out into the dark/the sounds are so unclear/the stars that died will come to life/again to disappear/close your eyes/and say goodbye/
Too far, in Too far, Nothing lasts forever in this world
I could talk about the nuances of the sounds of that song/record or the powerful vocals or the excellent performances/production that I have associated with Toby for all these years. What instead I will say is that you should go find out what this band is about. Go find out what passion and dedication to the craft is about. Go find out why this band has been around and stayed together. A belief in the creation of truly magical music by truly amazing individuals. These people are my closest friends and would give you the shirt off their backs. I know because they've given me the shirt off their backs countless times.
Download their EP here
Check out Run the Red Light's website here
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
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