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Cheap Thrills December 19, 2007 - Review!
Cheap Thrills

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

First up this night was a new entry in the local scene called Quite Testy. A duo with drums, bass and a bevy of electronic toys, engaged in a game of voice manipulation.
From the first note I knew this was a more experimental experience.
I found it hard to really get into what they were putting across. Their tunes , at first, sound like early fragments of songs set against electronically fed helium vocals, drum pad fills, and keyboard blips.
As much as I appreciate an act that offers something different from the routine, I found their arrangements came across as rather disjointed, and ,perhaps, a little too irratic for my liking.
Although I did like the discord and angst of the last tune.
It was their first show and at least they were exploring.
A happy, drunken crowd of about 20 were situated to the right of the stage. They'd been around awhile, not really paying any attention to the music ,but, you can't begrudge them their fun, or can you. hahahaha...

Melody Unwinding, a 3 piece bass, drums and guitar combo from North Van, were rather predictable. They weren't terrible players, just not terribly original in what they offered. Suburban commercial rock. No real daring or chances being taken. They performed well enough and were generally happy to be there. There were a couple of songs that had decent dynamics and melodic turns to them ,but, something gave me the feeling they wanted to fast track their way to success by offering an already industry-friendly sound. Perhaps they'll break away from the formula one day. Congrats on your 4th year as a band though.

The band of the night was definitely Punch Charming.
This band definitely offered some daring in their vocals, and in their playing-mixing a funky drive with the dirt of punk with their tightly honed bass, guitar and drum attack. The kind of invigorating and energetic muse that I, and seemingly, that night's crowd was waiting for. The band had everybody listening and gathering closer to the stage to take in their newest discovery.
Punch Charming's lead singer really gets into character on stage. Very dynamic, focused and fearless. Prancing and careening on stage, running panties across her face, really getting into the moment. She indirectly reminds me of earlier indie / experimental / punk singers like Sook Yin Lee, perhaps Poly Styrine. Their solid rythum section and choppy guitar interplay reminded me of such bands as The Moral Lepers and The Work Party. The songs themselves may not be as fully developed as said acts were, but, Punch Charming has some real potential. I'm very curious as to what this band has in store in the future. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for them.

*Mark Bignell, along with co-hort, Arseniy Vodopyanov
feed the indie music starved airwaves every Thursday afternoon from 2:30-4pm, with Radio Bandcouver on Co-op radio 102.7 FM. Heard online from www.myspace.com/bandcouver!

*Three Chord Rebel Productions is a young, dynamic music promotions company born out of a burning desire to get independent musicians onto the stage and out to the world!
www.myspace.com/gordberry

'Cheap Thrills' Dec 12/07 Review
This week's Cheap Thrills Wednesday was a mixed bag.
Comedian Larisa hosted the show, dressed in rather shrimpy fishware. ( bad joke... aahhh!!!)
Between acts she would crack jokes connecting relationships to seafood.
"Used to date a tuna. He turned out o be totally shellfish." ..."Dated somebody with deep seaded issues." Yes, I know, totally cornball. Had to toast her for the deep seaded issues though.

Rat Silo, featuring vocalist/guitarist Jim Newton of Sons Of Freedom, and members from 54-40, Jackalope, Numb and and cover band Tainted Lovers, offered a fairly aggressive mix of groove and gutteral rock.
They're more intelligent and thought provoking than most of what you hear on the radio these days in Vantown.
Very much guitar-driven with a more imaginative brand and execution of lyrics.
One of the standouts being Jim's enunciation of such words as 'far' and 'bar' and the inpactful pause before the last syllable of selected verses.
Dressed in more formal ware, sporting a pair of glasses, Jim came across as having a slightly bemused reaction to the rather docile crowd. ( I was pretty much the only one willing to join in on the Rat Silo cheer.) The William H. Macy of Rock came to mind to my Radio Bandcouver co-hort , Arseniy. I thought that was fitting. A performer striving for something more understated and lasting, not the usual rock star type, vocally or lyrically. This is a good thing. Driving, dancible rock with some smarts is a welcome relief.
On their myspace page, Rat Silo describes their music as sounding like the sound your heart makes when you eat a hot dog.
This alone gives you the impression there's something to be further explored with this band. Watch for their album in January, and have a listen to them at: www.myspace.com/ratsilo.

Big Joe Burke was a last minute addition, as It's A Living Thing seem to be in a transitional head space at the moment.
He did his best, playing solo on acoustic guitar and dressed the part as a Country-Rockabilly troubadour, complete with the big white cowboy hat.
Big Joe definitely comes from the Buddy Holly meets Hank Williams school of music. Simple, snappy and to the point.
Would have been a fine addition to Ranchfest if it still existed today.
He seemed genuinely happy to be there just to play the odd original and even throw in a Merle Haggard and George Jones tune to the mix.
Have to give Big Joe props for coming down on such short notice and just getting up there and doing it. Not too many acts would do the same.
For more on Big Joe visit: www.myspace.com/bigjoeburke

Big Joe may not be everybody's cup of tea, but, once again, Cheap Thrills offered a much more accurate representation of Vancouver music. Vancouver has always had a wide variety of musical acts. Perhaps this is why the big companies and media that visit during the festivals or what have you, have a hell of time pinning down what ONE scene powers our fair town. I don't think it matters, as long as there's some worthwhile discoveries to be made. Eclectic isn't a bad thing.

The opening act was a bit of a mystery. The Hodos or is it Hoodoos?
Their choice of 335 and Rickenbacker-like guitars did peak the curiosity factor, but, musically they were a bit of a mess. I got the fact they were into perhaps a raw, 3 chord Punk rock feel ,but, it just sounded out of time and out whack with both the guitars and the drummer.
They sounded best when they covered T-Rex's '20th Century Boy' and had a go at an Iggy Pop/ Passenger sounding song.
I'll give them props for having the courage to get up on stage and plug way ,but, they could use a few more rehearsals.

*Mark Bignell, with co-hort, Arseniy Vodopyanov, feeds the indie musical starved airwaves every Thursday afternoon from 2:30-4pm, on Co-op radio 102.7FM. Online from www.myspace.com/bandcouver

*3 Chord Rebel Productions is a young and dynamic music promotion company born out of a burning desire to bring local/independent talent onto the stage and out to the world! www.myspace.com/gordberry

Cheap Thrills review : Wednesday, December 5, 2007
From Contributing Writer Mark Bignall of radio Bandcouver http://www.bandcouver.com http://www.myspace.com/bandcouver-

The first 3 weeks of Cheap Thrills have been a very rewarding experience.
There's been an encouraging variety of acts presented, offering a more accurate representation of West Coast talent.

The past Wednesday continued to provide even more pleasant surprises.
$5 for 3 bands and cheap refreshment sure doesn't hurt either.

The Rub are not an easy band to describe.
They are definitely unique and definitely eclectic.
The 7 piece band likes to playfully jump wherever their imagination takes them. From an almost New Wave-era feel to a hint of Prog-Rock, ( "That was so Prog", I was heard to declare, after one such number fueled that utterance. ),
to a waltz, to bosanova, to dancible grooves, and a hint of electronica via an old-school synth.
The huge synthesis of musical styles seemed to mesh and not sound forced.
They have a definite energetic vibe with some fine dynamics ( lots of chord and mood changes ), timely fills with keyboards, bass, guitar, drums and a touch of flute to offer a wider scope of possibilities.
One tune even brought to mind a space-age 'Rawhide'.
Frontman, Adam, seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself , adding some tasteful and well punctuate synth and keyboard contributions.
The harmonies, with as many as 4 people, added to the allure.
The delightfully abrupt time signature detours and sense of fun was very-much welcomed too.
Usually, eclectic bands can leave a feeling of confusion and unease with the listener. But in The Rub's case, it seemed to bring out the curious side, just waiting for the next moment of surprise.
Their music also gave a feeling of sunnier climbs than our rainy and damp town.
I was very impressed with their fearless expression.
Their guitarist even lent out his guitar when The Mohawk Lodge -1 had a 6-stringed emergency.
www.myspace.com/rubbingtherub

The Wicker Robot is an offbeat name that draws attention.
I'll let you solve that mystery for you own personal enjoyment.
When they first took the stage, I remembered that the lead singer was James Lamb, who I saw a while back at The Chapel, on a bill with Dan Mangan and Said The Whale.
Their music is for 'you to decide' as they aptly note on their myspace.
It's like a fusion of Folk and World music for one.
Lamb's finger-picking style reminded me of such vintage acts as Donovan and Nick Drake.
The whole band brought to mind ,perhaps, Fairport Convention and such fusion bands from the 60's and early 70's ,but, then again I'm not completely up to snuff on my Folk-fusion bands.
Warm, full harmonies played a big part in their songs.
Their lap-steel, cello and accordion additions finely enhanced the material, adding the right atmosphere to the deceptively calm music.
A seamless transition from their second to last, and last number further demonstrated a band of players who were well in synch with each other, providing each other the space needed that was conducive to a fine performance.
www.myspace.com/jameslamb

Ryder and The Mohawk Lodge -1 were more straight ahead with their style of music. 2 guitars, bass and drums.
I've always had a bit of challenge getting my head around their music.
It's an indie rock direction with a Neil Young-like spirit coursing through it.
I find their music can have an unfinished and unrealized feel about it.
Perhaps seeing them live gives you a better picture of what they're trying to put across. The art of songwriting and getting your ideas out in a way that best represents them, isn't always an easy feat to pull off-live or in the studio.
On this particular night, they did show an intensity and sense of humour not usually hinted at on their studio albums.
Ryder flailing away on his Gibson SG and moving about as he were weaving through traffic near a busy intersection.
Their drummer was solid and the bass was in all the right places.
But even so, I felt something wasn't quite clicking. It was an off night for them.
Perhaps the interplay between the guitars wasn't on. Whatever it was, the intangible ingredients, apart from the off night, hadn't quite been harvested...Give them time.
www.myspace.com/mohawklodge



*Mark Bignell hosts and produces Radio Bandcouver.
A long running local music radio show which feeds the indie music starved airwaves. Tune in Thursday afternoons from 2:30-4pm P.S.T. on Co-op Radio 102.7 FM or online from www.myspace.com/bandcouver

*Three Chord Rebel Productions, ( which hosts "Cheap Thrills with The Bourbon every Wednesday at 8pm ), is a young and dynamic music promotion company fueled by a burning desire to bring local / independent talent to the clubs and out to the world! www.myspace.com/gordberry

Mark Bignall of radio Bandcouver reviews Cheap Thrills on a weekly bases, here is his latest installment - and can be found at The Bourbon website

http://bourbonmusic.blogspot.com

http://www.bandcouver.com

http://www.myspace.com/bandcouver

The second in the Wednesday night installment of "Cheap Thrills" at The Bourbon, brought a couple of daring new acts. The price is not a big gamble for you: a mere $5 for 3 bands, and the kind of new musical discoveries you'll make can more than pay for itself. The cheap liquid refreshment helps as well for those with limited budgets for live music.

LOS MALOS, a 4, sometimes 5 piece ( acoustic, electric guitars, bass, drums and sometimes violin ), brought a very communal feel to the evening. Two of the members come from Mexico and another two by way of Chile, forming a natural kind of international musical union.Their an outfit which truly defines the term the whole is better than the sum of its parts. Not to say that they're not talented musicians.Their songs are a union of each instrument, communicating in a way where the music and the playing feed off each other. The fills from each musician complimenting the material. Nothing too showy or fancy, just some well-placed contributions from each player. Their front-person, Alejandro, is not so much a singer as he is an interpretor of the stories Los Malos weave of international relations and the day to day shit we all endure. I loved the natural transition from the quiet , introspective moments, to the full-on improvisational climaxes. Some welcome variation between tunes from funky, dancy grooves to more gritty guitar driven opuses. One of the impressions I got from taking in their show was an indirect influence of such bands as : The Velvet Underground, ( especially when the violin kicked in ), Jesus And Mary Chain, perhaps Television with the sometimes choppy guitar strokes. I can hear the influences ,but, Los Malos displayed enough of their own ideas that it wasn't a blatant lifting of them. A wise choice for the night.

BLUE & WHITE VAN are no-nonsense trio of guitar, bass and drums. They had a confidence to them that was immediately noticeable in a band so relatively new to the scene. Starting off with a fast, surging number was smart. I also admired the fact that all 3 members sing. Belinda on bass having a go at vocals and laying down a grand groove on the 4 string. "Go, Belinda!!" could be heard from the gathered throng. Go, indeed. Their drummer was solid as was the guitarist, who was wielding a see-through axe. Not that it makes a difference to their sound ,but, seriously, you don't see too many of them around. There was a tension in their music and a fair range of variation with stop-start attacks, tightly locked-in grooves, trance-inducing signatures, and what sounded like what could have been a Post-Punk update on the surf-instrumental "Pipeline". I could see and hear the spirit of such Post-Punk bands as The Pixies, and Sonic Youth in what they were putting across. But their sound offer enough originality to transcend direct comparisons.

In Affinity is a 5 piece act ( guitars, bass, drums and a vocalist who added the odd keyboard blips in between ) who seemed rather out of place at "Cheap Thrills". They're fine musicians ,but, what they brought to the stage was not the most original of material. They had an effective groove going ,but, the sound they create beyond that really makes it hard to separate them from the other post-grunge units in Vantown. The singer had a good energy and seemed genuinely into what he was doing. But the usual suburban, dare I say, CFOX rock habits were a little too obvious. If they're looking to get signed to a major straight-away, maybe their present sound might get them looked at. But, for a showcase like "Cheap Thrills", they didn't really fit the bill. It might do them some good if they took some chances with their song structures and presented something a little more unique and individual. It's early in the game for them, so time could bring some encouraging twists.

The End.

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