[1]

THE

SUBSTRUCTURE

THE SUBSTRUCTURE

AWARDS: AWARDING THE GREATEST

CANADIAN ARTISTS OF 2012

PAGE 14

BLACK LABEL SOCIETYGETS HEADS BASHING AT THEGUELPH CONCERT THEATREPAGE 7

INTERVIEWS FROM HAWK AND STEEL AND PREEMINENTPAGE 8

5 TIPS TO GET YOUR INDIE BAND NOTICEDTORONTO MUSICIAN OFFERS FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCEPAGE 15

DEC 2012/JAN 2013: VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

December 2012/January 2013

4 | NEWS THE AFTERIMAGE, THE DIRTY NIL, ATTACK ATTACK!, NORTHERN PRIMITIVE, UPCOMING RELEASES

6 | PHOTOS

8 | FEATURED 8| HAWK AND STEEL 12 | PREEMINENT

14 | THE SUBSTRUCT AWARDS

16 | EDITORIAL 16 | INSIDE THE MIND 17 | A BOX OF STORIES 19 | THE THRIFT MOVEMENT

21 | REVIEWS 21 | MUSIC REVIEWS 24 | LIVE REVIEWS

Boxer The Horse sets the stageon fire [6].

Jason Krypt talks candy, career and Canada [21].

Mother Mother takes the crowd through ‘The Sticks’ [24].

substructnews.com

EMAIL: admin@substructnews.com

EDITOR: Marielle TorrefrancaART DIRECTOR: Shonda White

CONTRIBUTORS:Andrew Vance, Marco Currie, Mari-elle Torrefranca, Meaghan Ritola, Mike Yorke, Peter Sanfilippo, Shon-da White, Zack Godfrey

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Meaghan Ri-tola, Marielle Torrefranca, Shonda White

COVER: Black Label Society by Shonda White

The contents of this magazine are the personal opinions of the au-thors and do not reflect the opin-

ions of the publisher.

INSIDE THE COVER

LEWES HERRIOT is an English artist and musician from Birmingham, UK. He plays guitar for the UK band John-ny Foriegner and works as a commis-sioned artist. He frequently designs, posts, album art, and book covers.

For a look at Lewes’ ongo-ing artwork, please visit: http://lewesherriot.weebly.com/

THE AFTERIMAGE RELEASES “THE SEEKING” AND ANNOUNCES

CROSS-CANADA TOUR BY SHONDA WHITEThe Afterimage, now a six-piece progressive metal band from Barrie, ON has a ton in store for us. Originally a five-piece band, they have announced the addition of guitarist Andrew Wilson, previous guitarist for Dancing With Paris.

The Afterimage also released their newest single, “The Seeking,” and boy, are we ever pleased about this one. Vocalist Kyle An-derson sweeps through the song with both screaming and clean vocals, really balancing out the note heavy instrumental track. An-drew Wilson is not featured on this track, but he will be featured on the full-length which the band is currently working on.

The band also tops it all with the ultimate cherry: a cross-Canada tour alongside Be-heading Of A King from Montreal, QC and Take The Earth Beneath Us from Vancouver, BC.

4 The Substructure

BRO

OKS

REY

NO

LDS

NEWS

Feb 21 Toronto, ON Sneaky Dee’sFeb 22 Newmarket, ON The Jam Spot

Feb 23 London, ON Eastern Star TempleFeb 24 Guelph, ON ANAF Club 344

Feb 25 Hamilton, ON Club AbsintheFeb 26 Peterborough, ON The Red Dog

Feb 27 Kingston, ON Time To LaughFeb 28 Montreal, QC Cabaret Underworld

Mar 01 Quebec City, QC LagiteeMar 02 Halifax, NS The Pavillion

Mar 03 Fredericton, NB Kinsmen CenterMar 06 Ottawa, ON Club Saw

Mar 07 Barrie, ON Strangeland StudiosMar 08 Sault Saint Marie, ON Mar 09 Thunder Bay, ON Black Pirates PubMar 10 Winnipeg, MB Ellice TheaterMar 11 Saskatoon, SK Leppsmar 12 Edmonton, AB Avenue TheaterMar 13 Calgary, AB The New BlackMar 14 Red Deer, AB SlumlandMar 15 Kelowna, BC Lake City Bowling and BilliardsMar 16 Vancouver, BC Columbia Theater

UPCOMING RELEASES

This Is How The Wind Shifts | SilversteinFebruary 5th, 2013

The Afterman: Descension Coheed & CambriaFebruary 5th, 2013

The Other SideTime Chaisson

February 19th, 2013

White Paint Hollerado

February 26th, 2013

Girl TalkKate Nash

March 5th, 2013

...On The HeartWildlife

March 5th, 2013

The Next Day David Bowie

March 12th, 2013

Afraid of HeightsWavves

March 26th, 2013

Comedown MachineThe Strokes

March 26th, 2013

The Substructure 5

BY SHONDA WHITEDundas trio The Dirty Nil are no strang-ers to releasing seven-inch records, and they’re back again with a split seven-inch shared with Welland’s Northern Primitive. Their newest single, “Zombie Eyed,” graces side A with the expected thick covering of grit and grime we love from these young rockers. Yet, this track is definitely one of the most maturely composed we’ve heard from The Dirty Nil to date, and it goes with-out saying that we’re impressed.

Northern Primitive grasps the B side of the record, getting your attention in a very unique way. “Positive Bondar” is more calm and relaxing, but it’s haunting and ee-rily addictive. In the literal sense it makes it hard to breathe and keeps you on edge.

It remains unknown if we’ll ever see a full-length album from The Dirty Nil, but we’re pretty content with their productive use of seven-inch records.

BY ANDREW VANCECaleb Shomo (Vocals) and John Holgado (Bass), will no longer be playing in the Ohio-based metalcore band, Attack Attack!

Attack Attack! began back in 2005 with ex-frontman Austin Carlile who got the band off to a roaring start. After recording only one album, Someday Came Sud-denly, he was replaced mid-tour by Nick Barham, for-mer vocalist of For All We Know. Barham, however, only lasted a year before calling it quits. Lucky for Attack At-tack!, Caleb Shomo stepped up to the plate, moving from synth and backup vocals to front man. Shomo has been Attack Attack!’s longest running frontman, but his reign still only lasted a measly 3 years. He saw the re-lease of the band’s self-titled album Attack Attack! in 2010 and this year’s This Means War, which brought

a more mature sound for the band. It seems like this band definitely has some line-up issues!

It has been confirmed that Phil Druyor of I Am Abomi-nation will be taking over as frontman. Even as a fan of I Am Abomination, I am not sure whether Druyor can step up to this challenge or not. Sure, he has an amaz-ing vocal range and his cleans are killer, but can he can match the deathly growls of Carlile or Shomo? There aren’t any screamed vocals at all in any I Am Abomina-tion tracks other than from guest vocalists! As for bass, there has been no word on a replacement yet.

The future of the band does look iffy and could be frightening for fans. How will these departures and new vocalist affect their sound? We’ll just have to wait and see.

ATTACK ATTACK! SAYS GOODBYE TO CALEB SHOMO ANDJOHN HOLDHAGO AND HELLO TO PHIL DRUYOR?

“STICK STICKLY” AND “SMOKAHONTAS” METALCORE STARS UNDERGO A LINEUP CHANGE

THE DIRTY NIL AND NORTHERN PRIMITIVERELEASE NEW SPLIT 7”

AT THE SCENEBOXER THE HORSE

Even though Boxer The Horse is on a short hiatus while relocating to Montreal, the four-piece band still finds time to make it out to Toronto for just one night of fun. Blasting classic-sounding pop tunes, Boxer The Horse set the stage on fire with quirky dance moves and a couple of sassy gestures.

After a grand opening by Elos Arma and Johnny Foreigner, Nabi Lonely of The Med-icine Hat serenaded the crown in Guelph, ON.

DOWN AND DIRTY WITH THE DIRTY NIL

The Dirty Nil admits there were times when they played shows to disappointing crowds in Guelph, ON, but late November made the three-piece band eat their words. Kitchener’s Teen Violence opened up the show at the Jimmy Jazz, and by the time The Dirty Nil began their set, they were playing to nearly a full house, many of which were clearly fans, The Dundas band tore the venue apart. We brought out the drinks, they dove into the crowd during solos, the crowd sang along, and we all got sweaty and dirty.

6 The Substructure

FISTS IN THE AIR FOR BLACK LABEL SOCIETY

Los Angeles heavy metal band Black Label Society rocked the Guelph Concert Theatre’s ass off, alongside openers Messer, Pop Evil, and Protest the Hero. Singing over a pile of bones, frontman Zakk Wylde is pictured left. With a stage adorned with skulls and viking helmets, could this possibly be more metal?

BOXE

R TH

E HO

RSE,

THE

MED

ICIN

E HA

T, T

HE D

IRTY

NIL

, AND

BLA

CK LA

BEL S

OCIE

TY B

Y SH

ONDA

WHI

TE; S

AID

THE

WHA

LE B

Y SH

ONDA

WHI

TE A

ND M

ARIE

LLE

TORR

EFRA

NCA

SAID THE WHALE

In celebration of the 100th Grey Cup, Vancouver’s Said The Whale graced the streets of Toronto for the TELUS Street Festival on November 24th. Despite the freezing temperatures, the indie rock icons warmed up the crowd with both familiar and new tunes. While the band was in the middle of their US tour, a set under the lights of the CN Tower was exactly what fans needed.

The Substructure 7

[1]

Hawk and Steelbraves the ‘Danger Road’

The Victoria, BC alt-country band talks music, snacks and growing as a band in their hometown

By Marielle Torrefranca

COURTESY OF HAWK AND STEEL

Hawk and Steel is braving the roads with their first full-length release. Danger Road. Released on November 19 this year, the album showcases the Victoria, BC band’s varying tastes and experiences. Overcoming the time difference and distance, we reached out across the country to talk music, touring, snacks, and The Tick (yes, The Tick). To start things out for anyone who hasn’t heard your music yet, how would you describe Hawk and Steel’s sound?Peter: Some sort of hodgepodge of alt-country, folk, rock and other things? Sometimes quiet, sometimes loud, sometimes too loud. I’m never good at describ-ing that.

Variety is good though! Some of your songs, I find, even have a sweet, relaxing lullaby-like sound to them.Ian: We’re very much fans of the quiet ballad, alt-coun-try thing.

A couple of your tracks have a female guest vocalist as well, and it really stands out. What inspired that addition?Peter: I think it comes from my love of classic coun-try. So many of my favourites have that dynamic. Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris are the big ones. It just adds a level of dimension in a way that two of the same gender’s [voices] can’t quite do. Though I would say my biggest musical aspiration would be to sing a song with Emmylou. I’d take that over selling out the Madi-son Square Garden or having the best selling record in the world any day. Ian: We’ve worked with Julia in the past and she has been amazing to work with. I think as long as she will keep saying yes we will work with her.

And Julia sounds great on the record. How about you Ian, do you have any influences that can be heard in Hawk and Steel’s sound?

Ian: Well, I came from a punk rock background, which, to be honest, has made my approach to this band slightly different than Peter’s. I have never played in band that wasn’t “too fast” before.Peter: But I think that’s a great thing. If everyone came into this band saying “my favourite band is X,” then it’d probably just end up being a band that sounds way too much like X. Everyone in this band has huge, eclectic tastes. I think bringing all that together into the skel-eton of the songs take it to places I never would have thought of originally.

That’s really interesting actually. So, Ian, what was it that helped you get more comfortable with playing a more alt-country sound?Ian: Peter has shown me so much great music since I started with him. My playing has really matured, as well as my tastes. Every song is a challenge for me to come up with [as it's] something out of my comfort zone.

So, your album Danger Road was just released, what’s something you want fans to know about this album?Ian: I just want fans to listen to the songs and enjoy what we have worked so hard to make for them. This is in fact our first full-length record and has songs that [spanned] a pretty long chunk of time writing-wise.Peter: Yeah, I think that’s what [is] unique about this album. A couple of these songs were written around two years ago, before this band was even together. Whereas “Ghosts” was written a month before we went into the studio in the spring. This record spans a big chunk of time for us, and I think everyone in the band would agree we’re all real proud of where these songs have gone and the weight behind them.

I also think it’s great that you guys are coming out of BC, since, especially recently, some great names have been coming out of the area. What’s it like growing as a band there?

“If everyone came into this band saying ‘my favou-rite band is X,’ then it’d probably just end up being a band that sounds way too much like X. Everyone

in this band has huge, eclectic tastes.”

The Substructure 9

FEATURED

Peter: One thing we’ve really noticed is [that] there is a real culture here. Granted we haven’t gone too far from our home base, so I’m sure there’s other places like this too, but where we’re from there’s such an appetite for live music and an appreciation for art. People just go places to see bands, even if they don’t really know too many of the people on the bill. There’s a couple ven-ues, especially here in Victoria: the Fort Cafe (which sadly just closed its doors) and Victoria House Concert B, where they always have some people showing up to just check out what’s going on that night. The venues themselves give everything they can back to the artists. It’s that kind of support from the general public that makes this place a supportive and inspiring community. Ian: I agree completely. You will always hear from peo-ple after you finish your set. People here are really part of the community.

What’s next for you guys? Planning any tours?Peter: Even though we just put out this record, we’ve got a handful of new songs that we’re going to start working on in the new year. And as far as touring goes, I may do a little solo run in the winter to Al-berta and back. And, we’ve got some tentative plans brewing to head out to Western Canada in the late spring/early winter, so fingers crossed that comes to fruition. We’re just kind of taking it one step at a time and seeing where the pieces fall into place. Ian: It can be difficult, planning this sort of thing. A lot of us have school and work to think of. Getting this many guys to agree on a good time to leave can be a task, but it will happen sooner than later.

[That] brings me to my next question, what’s your major goal as a band for your future music?Peter: For me at least, my biggest goal is to just keep-making music I’m proud of and having fun. I’ve never really set out to be a rock star, I just want to do some-

COURTESYthing I love to do, when I can do it. And so far, it’s going pretty well.

It’s so nice to hear that. It’s what playing music should really be like, something like a labour of love.Ian: I would love to see this get to a point where we could do it every day, that’s the dream for me.

Now, if you guys are down for it, we’ve got a few fun ‘pop quiz’ type questions just [so] fans [can] to get to know you a little better! Twizzlers or Nibs?Peter: Neither! Licorice is gross!Ian: Oh, nibs for sure! Peter hates all things tasty.Peter: I like some things! Just not a lot of things What would be your favourite snack then, Peter?Peter: As far as candy goes, anything cola or cherry cola flavoured is usually my go-to. I like those sour 5 cent cola bottles a lot. I think I like the candy more than I like cola. My tastes are so stupid, even I don’t under-stand them…

Ian, [Menno from Hollerado] once told us he likes mixing Nibs with popcorn. Have you ever tried that?Ian: I’m running to the store after this. That sounds awesome. Salty and sweet is my favourite combo.

Next one, would you rather live in a place that only has snow dogs or horse and carriages? Peter: Horse and carriages, because I dream of being a cowboy.Ian: Dogs, for sure. I took a horse carriage ride once for a friend’s birthday. It was just awful… Slow and stinky!

Guessing you wouldn’t mind the cold weather, Ian?Ian: I’m naturally insulated! Beard and belly combo make for comfortable winters.

10 The Substructure

Next one’s interesting. If you could be any superhe-ro’s sidekick, which superhero would you pick?Peter: Oh man! That’s the hardest question anyone’s ever asked…Ian: I have too many choices to think about. Hmm…. Probably The Tick.

Holy, that was the last thing I ever expected anyone to say.Ian: He would be too funny to not want to hang out with. SPOON!Peter: I don’t know. I mean, my favourite comic book hero is Moon Knight because he’s a depressed, mani-acal anti-hero. All my favourites are always crazy and hate help. Maybe that says something about me I don’t want to admit! Though, Moon Knight is mega rich so that’d be a cool perk of being his sidekick.

I think the whole dark [mental issue factor] is what makes some superheroes so interesting. That’s one of the reasons why I’m in love with the Batman series.

Peter: Moon Knight and Batman are pretty similar. In fact, I’ve seen Moon Knight described as a “Batman with multiple personalities.”Ian: The Tick could beat up Moon Knight.

What’s an album that you can’t stop listening to at the moment?Peter: The new Jason Collett record is really blowing my mind. I’m super glad he got Howie Beck to produce this one again, because I think they work so well to-gether. It’s a really powerful album. Very political, very inspiring.Ian: We recently played with The Wooden Sky, and I haven’t been able to stop listening to If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone.

That’s all I’ve got. It was a lot of fun talking to you guys, and I wish you luck with what you’ve got in store for the new year!Ian: Yeah, thank you very much. SPOON!

COURTESY

The Substructure 11

FEATURED

PREEMINENT TAKES ON THE NYAN CATOrleans, ON metal band, Preeminent, is hard at work promoting their new EP and

upcoming full-length album. We caught up with guitarist Laurier Lachance to talkabout their January EP ‘Cycles’, searching for bandmates, booze and… Nyan Cat?

BY MARCO CURRIE

Let’s get into the band’s story. How did Preeminent come to be? It all started with Nathan, our cur-rent drummer and myself. We met in high school. We learned that we both liked metal, so we started playing guitar together, having jam sessions and playing covers… We grouped up with a drummer, but we needed a bassist so I thought of my friend Zach. [Zach’s] also a pro-ducer, so I knewthat if he had him

in the band we could get some sick recordings and sick videos. Then for Mikey, our screamer, I knew him from a few years before. I saw his old band at a show, playing guitar and doing backup vocals… We’re pretty much a full band of guitar-ists. When we needed a screamer, I asked [Mikey] if he wanted to come fill in, but he didn’t want to join a second band — he’d be too busy. He came to practice though, and he decided this was the band for him and [that] he really wanted to keep going with us. Eventually, af-

ter going through three drummers that couldn’t play the parts the way Nathan wrote them, we decided that it was for the best that Na-than should be on drums and have everything be played the way it’s meant to. Right now, we’re four of-ficial members, and we’re currently in the process of accepting a new member, another guitarist who’s an old friend of mine. I met him at a summer camp in 2008, and we’re coming back together. It’s working out pretty well, so hopefully we have the final band all together.

COU

RTES

Y

12 The Substructure

COURTESY OF PREEMINENT’S VIDEO, ‘PREEMINYAN’

How do you like Canada’s capital as a venue?

Well, I can’t say that I’ve played that many other venues than Mavericks. I’ve also played Capital Mu-sic Hall. I played Murphy’s Inn in Cornwall, and we played the Rockland Arena one time, but it’s mostly going to be Mavericks, and I can’t complain. There’s a really good booking agent, and he’s the guy who books the big guys like August Burns Red, The Agonist, all that kind of stuff. Whenever there’s a big show in town that suits our style, he’ll send us a message and most of the time we’ll say yes. So we get to open for sick bands that we listen to, or that we don’t, but it’s still awesome playing for a big band. We usually get a pretty big crowd, so we’re definitely going to try to explore other cities once we’re ready to go tour. We’re definitely gonna go play a show in Toronto at one point, definitely Montreal – you know, big cities. If other opportunities come up, we’re usually not too picky, as long as we know that it’s a decent show worth playing. Bottom line, I like Ottawa so far, but I don’t know an thing else, so if you ask me that in two years, I should probably have an awesome answer for you. What if I told you that, right now, you could play anywhere in the world. Where would you pick? Hmm… Japan. Yeah, Japan is freaking hardcore. So much metal over there, and so many people! Just going all the way to the other side of the world… You know, metal doesn’t have a language, it’s just all mu-sic in general. So to play for people who, in general, don’t understand—having them listen to us and just seeing their reaction to it – it’d be a good experience.

What’s your take on the variety of metal that’s out these days? Are there any sub-genres that you par-ticularly like?

In general, I’m not gonna base my opinion on any sub-genre, ’cause there are so many now. I mean, there’ll be like post-hardcore and then there’s like grunge and grunge-core, all that kind of stuff… We like to label ourselves as heavy metal, not to have one of those post-whatever things… If a band is a certain sub-genre, I won’t pay attention to that. I’ll decide if I like a metal band on whether or not they have good melodies, good rhythm, originality, something that grabs my interest really. The band released their first EP, Cycles, earlier this year. Which songs would you consider the best and why? All of those songs touch our hearts in different ways, but I think the best song on that EP is “My Name Will Prevail.” It’s the one that the crowd reacts to the most, and that’s awesome, but that’s not the reason why it’s our favourite. It’s mostly because of the giant build-up throughout. It’s not the hardest to play on guitar or drums at all, but it’s still very unique and car-ries a great vibe. We end most of our shows with that song, to have an epic ending. It’s always fun to play! What’s next for Preeminent? Is the band recording any more stuff?

We had a music video drop on Doomsday (Decem-ber 21st). It’s for our cover of the Nyan Cat theme song, we called it Preemi-Nyan. We recorded it a few months back, and our bassist Zach built himself a giant Nyan Cat costume! We actually decided to make a cover of that since we had the costume to go with it. We played it live, and the screamer had the giant mask on, head-banging; it was really fun! We decided to make the music video since it’s a song everybody knows already, but it’s our own take on it. I feel like we could get a lot more exposure, because more peo-ple are likely to watch a video of the Nyan Cat running around downtown Toronto than of a random metal band they don’t know of. All of the shooting is done; it’s just up to Zach to edit that baby. It’s just our way to get out there, and so far it’s looking pretty good!

The Substructure 13

THE SUBSTRUCT AWARDS

14 The Substructure

As 2012 has come to an end, we’d like to celebrate all the hard work of Canadian artists who have put our northern country on the musical map. We are pleased to announce the winners of the first Substruct Awards,

which include a variety of Canadian-focused categories and an award for International Artist of the Year.

All artists who have released new music within 2012 were eligible for nomination. Winners for each category were voted for by the public from a series of shortlisted nominees chosen by

the Substruct team.

DEBUT ALBUM OF THE YEARLUKE LALONDE

Rhythymnals

EP OF THE YEARALEXISONFIRE Death Letter

ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEARSAID THE WHALE Little Mountain

POP ALBUM OF THE YEARHANNAH GEORGAS

Hannah Georgas

METAL/HARDCORE ALBUM OF THE YEARCANCER BATS

Dead Set On Living

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

MUMFORD & SONS

The Substructure 15

It’s been a good year at the races for Hollerado. While the nacho-loving dudes from Manotick, ON did not release a new album in 2012, that doesn’t mean they had any less of a presence. They’re no strangers to the radio waves, and they’ve clearly showed Canada that they’re willing to stick around. After following up their 2010 radio hits “Ju-liette” and “Americanarama” with the quirky and fun “Good Day at the Races” in 2011, they have already released the first single, “Pick Me Up,” from their upcoming album White Paint. And why do we already think White Paint will be a success? Well, Hollerado and good paint share the same key factor: great consistency. “Pick Me Up” is infectious,

light-hearted, and catchy, yet still has that underlying powerhouse drive that made Hollerado a fan favourite with Record in a Bag.. 2012 saw an abundance of summer festivals and Canadian shows for Hollerado, as well as an opening stint in the US for Passion Pit. In addition, they’ve announced that they’ll be opening for Billy Talent’s 2013 Dead Silence Tour alongside Sum 41 and Indian Handcrafts, to which we simply said, “Holy shit.” It looks like success is a sure shot for Hollerado, but we’re not only awarding them for their work, but also for their attitude towards their fans too. As part of the White Paint “Super Duper Deluxe” pre-order package, Hollerado offered fans a custom song just for them, which they would deliver personally via email. Yeah, pretty cool. How-ever, the coolest part of it all is that they’re in it for a good time. The Juno-nominated band has an admirable go-with-the-flow attitude, and as bassist Dean Baxter offers, “If you feel like going after a guy with an axe, go after a guy with an axe.” (But we offer that more in the metaphorical sense, so we don’t really recommend doing that.) “It’s not about the Junos or winning or losing or any of that stupid shit,” lead singer Menno Versteeg said during our interview with Hollerado at Low Key Festival. “It’s about playing your instrument and having a good time with your friends.” That’s the kind of work ethic and mindset we like. So whether you care about winning or not, we’re throwing this damn award at you, boys. Congratulations, and here’s to a successful 2013.

CANADIAN ARTIST OF THE YEARHOLLERADO

SHO

NDA

WHI

TE

“IT’S NOT ABOUTTHE JUNOS, ORWINNING, OR LOSING,OR ANY OF THATSTUPID SHIT. IT’SABOUT PLAYING YOUR INSTRUMENT ANDHAVING A GOOD TIMEWITH YOUR FRIENDS.”-MENNO OF HOLLERADO

INSIDE THE MIND: GETTING NOTICED

Mike Yorke gives a peek into the mind of a local musician and shares his personal

experiences. Here, he tackles how to give your indie band a presence

BY MICHAEL YORKEAs a musician (Roadside Bandit, Rosedale, Bosa), I know it’s not easy to promote your music, and there’s a lot of hard work involved. I have essentially designed this article to be aimed at any musicians who are look-ing to get their name out into the music scene by giving you all the crucial steps to do so!

Step 1The biggest factor of getting your name out is pretty simple: it all starts with practice. If you’re absolutely serious about being a musician and making it big, prac-tice is a requirement. You practice, get better, practice more, learn new techniques, practice even more, learn new styles, and then repeat. Usually, when I practice, it’s for about four hours depending on my learning pace, otherwise it could be closer to 6 hours. Or maybe you’re one of those people that needs to start out with a smaller commitment of an hour or so a day. It doesn’t matter what you play or how often, but practicing fre-quently is your key to success in the long run.

Step 2Network. Tell everyone you know about what you’re doing, make new musician friends, try to get in with the right people. Sooner or later, your musician friends will need a bandmate. Guess what? You’re a musician, too! Make strong connections, form friendships, show your support for their work, go to shows together. This will be the foundation to a beautiful thing called “the band”, and will also lead to networking with the right

people. I cannot stress enough how important this will be as you begin to meet other musicians and industry professionals and how that will help you out in the fu-ture. Knowing bands who tour North America, produc-ers that have probably recorded with your favourite bands, and promoters who are willing to hook you up with real gigs will have your efforts noticed in no time.

Step 3Promotion is key, as mentioned previously, but you can do part of it on your own without professional promot-ers. Social media is a huge deal for any musician since technology is a great way to reach out to millions of people with little effort. Cover a hit song and post a video of it on Youtube. Tell all your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Spamming everyone’s newsfeed is also a requirement for success (but you might want to mod-erate doing that). This is basically your kickstart into making yourself known to the public and social media is one of the most important tools right at your finger-tips.

Step 4Play a show! Find some cool musician friends to jam with, write some cool music, learn some covers, and go to an open mic night at your local pub. You don’t need to be in a “band” per say to play a show, and it’s a great way to get a feel for performing live if it’s some-thing you’re not used to. Also, this goes back to Step 1: PRACTICE. For the first little while, maybe a month or two, the most improvement will be made by practicing everyday. Being a really tight musician is another factor that will get you noticed.

Step 5Have fun! Don’t be boring and stand still during a performance (although, this style is called shoegazer and can be very effective in some cases). Get noticed, move around, jump up and down, shake your hair... Do whatever it takes for someone to say, “THIS GUY IS SO GNARLY!” Feel free to adjust your performance accord-ing to the adjective you wish to be described as. Never be afraid to push the limits and step out of the bound-aries, because that’s what it takes to make it in the mu-sic industry. It’s important to show why your the band should be booked for upcoming shows, and people can tell whether you’re passionate or not. Being comfort-able with where you’re at is important too, and once you get really comfortable with the crowd, you’ll have the most fun of your life!

SHO

NDA

WHI

TE

16 The Substructure

EDITORIAL

BY PETER SANFILIPPO

The other night, I did something I have often tried and failed at many times in the past. Most nights, if I’m kept awake, it’s safe to say I’m up and troubled by some impending doom (final exams, articles that need to be written, the Republican Party, the lack of bacon and eggs for breakfast – you know, grown-up stuff like that). But on this particular night, I decided to take on the task of plotting the last six years of my life in the form of a playlist. Those years have easily been the most pivotal so far. For most, this goes without saying. Teenage years are a time when one learns and experiences a lot of things for the first time and goes through immense changes. I wouldn’t say my years were any different than anyone else; I was happy some days and I was angry others. I had my heart broken, and I might have broken a heart or two. How I feel about any of it is irrelevant, but the marks that each of these experiences leave on us are still important.

A BOX OF STORIES

BECAUSE SOME SONGS JUST MARK THEIR PLACE

IN OUR LIVES

For all the “big” events in the last few years of my so-cial life, there have been songs to go along with it. The majority of my music collection have little significance to me past superficial enjoyment (“I Got Bitches” by Lil B and pretty well any Blink-182 song have about as much substance as their lyrics), but there are songs here and there that have some deeper, ingrained meaning. They’re songs that I was listened to a lot when something important t o me happened and they now remind me of that particular event or time. These

COURTESY OF PETER SANFILIPPO

The Substructure gets cute: Peter Sanfilippo in his early years.

The Substructure 17

songs instantly transport me to some point in my past. This is a phenomenon that I think any music lover has experienced. Perhaps there’s a song that reminds you of a dance with a girl you had a huge crush on, or the first time you finally kissed that guy you were crazy about, or maybe you have a song that reminds you of the first time you got your heart broken or the last time someone treated you wrongly. Maybe your songs aren’t so distressing (I really hope not). Maybe they bring you back to a great summer you had growing up, or a trip you went on, or they bring back memories of a close friend who shared a love for that same song. It doesn’t really matter what the song signifies – what matters is this strange power music has over our memory. Music can be linked to a distinct memory far more easily than any other art form. For example, I have a memory that’s linked to a song called “Dandy Life” by Collective Soul. The song was on the 1999 album Dosage, and I remember being seven or eight on one December night and driving around with my brother while look-ing at Christmas lights. That album was in the car all the time when my brother drove back then, and sud-denly, it disappeared from my life. For several years following that, I never heard it. I pretty much total-ly forgot about the album in a flood of Van Halen and Metallica that my pre-teen years granted me. Then somewhere around the age of 15 or 16, I grabbed that album again, and the once murky memory of lights and a Ford minivan became vivid. It was like I was back in the Aerostar again.

18 The Substructure

“I think that’s one quality that makes

music so invaluable. It carries with it the

weight of emotion for both the creator

and the consumer,and when it’s

exceptional, it cantranscend time.”

Sanfilippo recovers pastmemoriesthrough playlists.

COURTESY

I was kept awake that night because I wanted to put together a sensory script for the points in my social life that I feel are important. I wanted to see what it would be like to be wrapped up in one vivid memory, and then jump into another, and create a biography of myself that only I can really experience.

For the most part, I failed. I under-estimated the scale of such a task,

and ended up constantly noticing points I was missing. I don’t know if I’m just a scattered individual, or if I listen to too much music, or if I’m just a dramatic, I think it’s for those unique reasons that music means so much to people and to myself. It’s not only a form of enter-tainment, it’s a way to look back at oneself and learn something, and a way to track one’s emotional ex-perience. When I listen to those old songs, I think about how much they meant to me then, and I learn a lit-tle something about myself from that. Those songs are little time capsules of emotions and thoughts that I get to dig up and enjoy when-ever I want. I think that’s one quality that makes music so invaluable. It carries with it the weight of emotion for both the creator and the consumer, and when it’s exceptional, it can tran-scend time. It’s a piece of someone else, another person we’ll often never really know, that becomes a part of ourselves. I find that truly amazing.

THE THRIFT MOVEMENT

“The lines ‘I found my admirably tacky earrings atthe garage sale down the street’ and ‘I hemmed mygrandma’s dress and wore it to homecoming’ now

gain a weird response of respect.”

BY MARIELLE TORREFRANCA

EDITORIAL

COURTESY OF MACKLEMORE X RYAN LEWIS MUSIC VIDEO, “THRIFT SHOP”

20 The Substructure20 The Substructure

30 million people is a lot of people. And who knows, maybe Seattle emcee Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis didn’t expect that many peo-ple to be bumpin’ their track “Thrift Shop” off their al-bum The Heist. Macklemore, who was previously mentioned in our interview with Sudbury rapper Dynasty, surprised me when I saw his visually catchy music video circulate through social media networks. Audio-wise, this track has the trend potential of Asher Roth‘s “I Love College”, which became a lyrical anthem and Facebook caption for many Friday night party photos. Through his hyperbolically pretentious music video, Macklemore pretty much says what you were afraid to say aloud: Thrifting is cool. And by the looks of this Youtube comment that was posted literally 35 seconds ago, Macklemore’s ideology is refreshing.

“This song makes me wanna go to the thrift shop… Way better than listening to a song about

being rich, or having ‘bitches.’”-Youtube User

While the video and song are a little ridiculous, Mack-lemore may be the most level-headed artist (and shop-per) so far with these lyrics:

They be like, “Oh, that Gucci – that’s hella tight.”

I’m like, “Yo – that’s fifty dollars for a T-shirt.” Limited edition, let’s do some simple addition

Fifty dollars for a T-shirt – that’s just some ignorant bitch (shit)

I call that getting swindled and pimped (shit) I call that getting tricked by a business

That shirt’s hella dough And having the same one as six other people

in this club is a hella don’t Peep game,

come take a look through my telescope Trying to get girls from a brand?

Then you hella won’t

“[Macklemore's] gonna change a lot of mind-sets and everything,” said Dynasty in our inter-view with him. “[He] brings a lot of lyrics, as well

as flow, to the table – an all-around good artist, so be on the lookout for that.” Well, yeah, a lot of rap-pers wanna change mindsets and bring their visions to the world, but Dynasty seriously wasn’t kidding. See, we’re in the middle of this strange age where “in-die” is the new mainstream. While One Direction fans may still line up on the other side of the street, we’re still able to see acts like Mumford & Sons, The Lumi-neers, and Fun. top the charts. While $500 fur-lined bomber jackets and parkas still litter the sidewalks here and there, a growing group of people are out with the new and in with the old. Dumping their re-tail outlets for love affairs with Value Village, people have started this movement where they look a little less like they live in a penthouse, and a little more like their grandpas and grandmas. Our music tastes have grown to keep up with our combat boots, oxford flats and Pin-Up styles. Record players have crept their way out of our attics and back into our bedrooms. Vinyl is back on the most wanted list. Folk is in. The lines “I found my giant, admirably tacky earrings at the garage sale down the street” and “I hemmed my grandma’s dress and wore it to homecoming” now gain a weird response of respect.

I mean, this could be good. Certainly for your wallet. As opposed to the brand-loving, self-conscious fifteen-year-olds some of us used to be (*blushes*), and the toddlers who now learn how to operate iPhones be-fore the alphabet, appreciation for the save-savvy may be what we need. Just like Macklemore says in his track, get out there and cop it, wash it, then go and get some compliments.

GRE

G N

ISSE

N

The Substructure 21

Q&A WITH JASON KRYPT VOCALIST OF AVICENNA

What are you up to?Funny you ask me, actually. I’m attempting to finish writing this song, and yet beer is my only inspiration right now. What’s one of the nicest things someone has ever told you at your show?One of the nicest? Bear with me here, but someone ran up to me, asked if I’m Jason Krypt, then told me my band’s debut album was absolute shit. I thought, “Man, you got through seven tracks despite knowing the first one was bad, and you still came to this show? I applaud you.” Isn’t that a little strange? Hey, he took the time to listen to every track. What else could you ask for? You can’t expect everyone to love your music. You’re bound to have people who will go out of their way to show their distaste for you, but you can’t take every-thing close to heart. What’s your favourite part about being Canadian?The fact that every Canadian takes Ameri-can politics a lot more seriously than their own, or the fact that the rest of North America is under the impression that we live in igloos and ride polar bears to work. All jokes aside, I feel as if Canada is a pas-sive country. We’ve got a lot to be thankful for. What was the first CD, cassette, or LP you bought?I was with my sister, and I believe at this time we lived in Chicago. I was maybe six or so, maybe a little older. We walked into [a] store to find a Demis Roussos cassette. [Roussos] had a wicked beard and he re-minded me of a Columbian Santa. Hell, I still listen to that cassette.

4.7

OLD ENGLISHPROSE & KAHNS RELEASE DATE: FEB. 5, 2013LISTEN TO: “WE’VE BEEN HERE BE-FORE”, “LOTTERIES AND TENTS” & “FARMER’S TAN”

BY ZACK GODFREY

It took three years of recording in various basements and bedrooms. Six cities in three countries, over 20 collaborators, constant working and reworking was involved, and Prose & Kahns, the debut album from Old English, is most definitely worth the wait.

Let me start out by saying that I’ve never considered myself a huge fan of shoegaze/dream pop-style music, but Prose & Kahns may bloody well change that. Matt Henderson, the lead singer and mas-termind behind Old English, has crafted an exceptional, multi-fac-eted debut that brilliantly combines and hones influences from all over the musical spectrum. He’s an actor-director, if you will, bring-ing out the best aspects of his fantastic ensemble and driving the music in an unimaginably magnificent direction.

It would’ve been easy to mess this all up. The heavy synthesizers, dreamy vocals, guitars, and drums are to be expected. But a glock-enspiel? A flugelhorn? A banjo??? At some point it becomes exces-sive, distracting and tedious. Yet Old English finds a way to fuse all of these instruments and much, much more into a cohesive whole that’s so much more than the sum of its parts. From the brit-rock “We Can Never Have It All” to the straight indie rocker “Farmer’s Tan,” there are constant surprises around every turn that somehow make complete sense with the stylistic whole. The driving synth and constant sound effects pull the songs together and tie them in a neat little package.

Prose & Kahns is an airtight ship with no leaks, no unnecessary frills. Everything is appropriate and essential to the sound (even the Star Wars-esque blaster sounds in “Layaway” seem fitting).

Are there negative aspects to this debut gem? Yes. However, you’ll have to point them out to me, because I’m having a very hard time finding them. Guys, this is a debut album. If that doesn’t get you excited for what Old English can offer in the future, I don’t know what will.

I never expected to enjoy Prose &Kahns like I did. The album will “fill your ears with sounds and melodies that will tug on your heart-strings and rattle your bones,” living up to the big pledge from the band. It took me completely by surprise, and I hope that you’ll take the time to enjoy a nice little surprise, too.

REVIEWS

22 The Substructure

LUKE LALONDERHYTHYMNALSRELEASE DATE: OCT. 20, 2012LISTEN TO: “GRAND (RHYTHYMNALS)”, “MY FRIEND AR-CHIBALD (R.I.P.)” & “WAVE”

BY SHONDA WHITE Luke Lalonde‘s boyish good looks combined with his distinct vocals aren’t often passed up by the avid Born Ruffians listener. With this lead singer and guitarist’s stylish voice and restless instru-mentals, it’s hard not to expect a similar sound from his solo project, yet Lalonde showed us up with his debut solo album, Rhythymnals. From start to finish, the entire 10-track album encases you in a bubble of the unique sounds. Each track is just as powerful as the last but greatly differs, transitioning from the loud and bouncing vocals of “Grand (Rhythymnals)” to the soft acoustics of “A Great Man”. In the centre of the album you find more edginess, such as in songs “Shove Off” or “My Friend Archibald (R.I.P.)”. No matter where you start, your heart races to catch up with all the emotions and cre-scendos. Even the only instrumental song on the track list, “Calm”, keeps you on your toes. Some of the best qualities of this album is the attention to detail and the uncommon situations Luke places himself in. At times, Lalonde pushes himself to an almost uncomfortably deep vocal range, so far that it is unrecognizable. In doing so, he pushes you to your own uncomfortable place and surges you full of emotional waves that push you close to tears. Luke Lalonde is one of the few musicians to create a new world of sounds, thoughts, and emotions. Often left breathless while listening to Rhythymnals, it’s hard to not consider him as one of the greatest surprises of the year.

THE TOM FUN ORCHESTRA EARTHWORM HEARTRELEASE DATE: NOV. 13, 2012LISTEN TO: “LUNGS”, “BOXCAR LULLABY” & “ULYSSES”

BY MARCO CURRIE The Tom Fun Orchestra sounds like a kids band if one takes a glance at their silly name, but once you hear their pro-gressive take on the pop-rock song structure and the seri-ous themes explored through the lyrics, it’s evident that this band is composed of mature, experienced musicians. Their new album, Earthworm Heart, holds surprises for both fans and the uninitiated alike with a slower pace (for the most part) and a blend of emotional turmoil and cheerful tunes. The variety of acoustic instruments brings about an organic sound that’s distinctively Eastern Canadian, what with sub-tle additions of accordions, trumpets, and even a banjo; a proper, yet eclectic orchestra that creates, with its diversity and expertise, a unique sound. The ensemble is at its ut-most best on “Ulysses”, a creative and masterfully crafted song towards the end of the album. In fact, the ending is undoubtedly the strongest point of the album, as it climax-es with their epic “Sympathetic Wolf”, which really reso-nates with the band’s spirit and creative force. However, one thing that struck the ears of this humble crit-ic was the strong, dark emotion behind the lead singer’s voice. Even though his raspy tone and smooth rhythm went well with most songs, like the beautiful “Lungs”, the notion that the vocals didn’t suit the accompanying music was overwhelming at times. That being said, The Tom Fun Orchestra redeems itself and more with tight, powerful, lyric-driven songs that can reach you in unexpected ways. Although no solo will melt your face off nor will any chops make you rock your air guitar, the overarching grooves can nonetheless touch your soul with as much power as some brutal metal. Earthworm Heart was a notable risk-taking feat from the band, for even though some of the experimentation left some awkward moments, it eventually revealed itself to be for the expansion and the betterment of the band’s overall sound.

3.54.6

The Substructure 23

ELOS ARMA MOTHER/FATHERRELEASED: JULY 9, 2012LISTEN TO: “SAN DI-EGO”

BY MARIELLE TORREFRANCA Toronto’s own Elos Arma has set the table with a wholesome meal for your ears with their newest release, Mother/Father. The 6-track EP contains both conceptual and extremely relatable lyrical content, which all sounds super mature on the sur-face in contrast to last year’s release, T.I.T.S. (This Is The Shit) EP. However, it settles down to the fact that Mother/Father sounds eternally youthful with its energetic choruses and offbeat rhythms. Intelli-gently layered and textured, Elos Arma somehow gets a sweet mellowness, youthfully eclectic in-strumentals, and grand vocals to sit down and get along for a 20 minute play date – and some of us may know that the most unlikely friendships can be of the best kinds. EP opener “We Play For Keeps” plays around with unexpected jumps in energy that get you rockin’ along in unison, which is pretty energetic for a song about tortured charm and a sinking feeling. Fol-lowing up is the sweetly sung “Feet Here”, which is powered by a synth engine and sugary background vocals. Just when you think you can wine and dine a mademoiselle to this tune, it explodes into lay-ered and shouting vocals, to which you may pause with your glass halfway to your lips and realize, “No wait, this totally works.” However, the EP winner is the single “San Diego” whose singable chorus and smooth bass easily make it the catchiest track of the record. While Elos Arma takes their edge and grit and com-bines them unconventionally with a smooth yet quirky ambience, the bottom line is that Mother/Father is a pretty damn good record. And just at how effortlessly they pull it off, it’s almost as if to say, “Hey, we’re Elos Arma, and the simple truth is, we can do shit like that.”

4.0

UNDEROATH ANTHOLOGY 1999-2013RELEASED: NOV. 6, 2012LISTEN TO: “A BOY BRUSHED RED LIVING IN BLACK AND WHITE”

BY ANDREW VANCE

“Can you feel your heartbeat racing?” sings clean vocalist Aaron Gillespie at the beginning of Underoath’s 11th track, “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White“, which is off their final record, Anthology 1999-2013. Well, my answer is a resounding, “YES!” This album is quite a throwback for hardcore Underoath fans, bringing you all their greatest tracks from their sev-en previously released studio albums. Also in the mix are two brand new songs, which provide a final farewell to their adoring fans. Anthology 1999-2013 chronicles Un-deroath’s journey through a changing lineup and matur-ing sound, documenting how they became who they are today. Oh, the nostalgia Underoath jumps right into one of their brand new songs, “Sunburnt,” and I’m happy to report that they have not lost their touch. It begins with a great amount of energy that makes you instantly excited for what’s to come next and continues with catchy riffs, meaningful lyrics and a rhythmic drum beat that all merge together perfectly. Al-though, the problem with this energetic buildup is that it becomes somewhat slow and repetitive as it nears the end of the track. This elongated ending does make sense when put into context, as it leads into the much slower track, “Unsound”, the second new song released on the album. Lead singer Spencer Chamberlain’s vocals are very passionate, filling the song with emotion. Although it may not be as heart pumping as some of their older songs, it does have a mature sound to it. There are 17 tracks in total, encompassing many fan fa-vorites such as “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White” and “In Regards to Myself”. The album is playlist that showcases who the band used to be and who they are today, truly putting their best on display. It is a blast of nostalgia worth having as part of a collection or keepsake, but you could easily pull up iTunes and listen to the tracks that are already in your library.

4.0

24 The Substructure

LIVE REVIEW:MOTHER MOTHER TAKES THE CROWD ON AN ADVENTURE THROUGH ‘THE STICKS’BY MEAGHAN RITOLA

What happens when you combine a brilliantly talented band, killer lights and a huge crowd of passionate fans? One kickass rock show! Heading into their last stretch of The Sticks Tour, Mother Mother tore the roof off the Kool Haus Saturday night as they played for the crowd-ed Toronto venue. The show promptly began with opening act Hannah Georgas, who wowed the audience with her angelic and chilling voice. During her set, the crowd cheered her on as she flawlessly held on to her final notes, letting them linger over the astonished crowd. Soon after her exit, a flurry of activity hit the audience as anxious fans made their way closer to the stage, all the while keeping watch as the instruments were swapped out and the stage was readied for the headlining per-formance. Finally, the lights dimmed! With the crowd cheering wildly, the ee-rie recording of “Omen” rang out through the darkness as the young child’s voice set the stage for the band to make their appearance.

After everyone got into place, the open-ing riff of “The Sticks” reverberated through the entire building as the lights exploded into an amazing spectacle rem-iniscent of the old laser light shows of the past. The show continued on with a fan favourite, “Body of Years,” showcas-ing singer Ryan Guldemond’s renowned androgynous vocals. Pumping out more of their biggest hits, Mother Mother had the place rockin’ as the crowd of their adoring, loyal fans sang out the words to every song. As the show went on, they delved into the past, performing the song “Verbatim” off of their first studio album, Touch Up. Giving the song a hip-hop fla-vour, the ladies of the band, Molly Gulde-mond and Jasmin Parkin, faced off as if they were engaging in a rap battle as they began to sing the song’s opening tune. Another standout track of the night was “Ghosting”. The entire audience began to sing along, accompanying the band in a beautiful ensemble. Pressing on, Mother Mother played their hearts out, performing almost all of the songs off of their new album, The Sticks, and ending the show with the amazing single “Let’s Fall in Love.” As the band wrapped up the song and began to leave the stage the entire audience exploded into screams, calling them back for an encore. With a grateful and humble atti-tude, the band returned, playing not one, but three songs for the encore. During one of the encore songs, “Love it Dissi-pates,” Hannah Georgas was invited back to the stage to lend her vocals. Officially ending the night, they performed their last song, “Wrecking Ball,” reminding ev-erybody that all good things must come to an end. With such an amazing performance, here’s to hoping that we don’t have to wait too long before Mother Mother re-turns once again to Toronto to play an-other breathtaking show!

The Substructure 25

ABOUT THE SUBSTRUCTURE

Substruct News is an online publication dedicated to bringing you the latest in music news, concert listings, album reviews, live show coverage, and exclusive interviews with your favourite bands. We take pride in our major focus on the home-grown talent that arises from between the coasts of Canada. Whether bands are playing stadium tours or their parents’ garage with an audience of three, music still has limitless potential – and we want to help share and make that potential known. And that’s what we believe: music is the substruc-ture.

The Substructure magazine is directly owned by Substruct News.

All news and featured articles have been taken from the official Substruct News website(substructnews.com) for the publishing of this issue.

All articles have been written by Substruct News contributors. The Substructure, Substruct News, and their sole authors hold ownership over the articles.

The Substructure and Substruct News have no direct affiliation with any of the artists, albums and record labels. Any unoriginal information, music, videos and images are not owned by Sub-struct News or The Substructure. The above are used for news or promotional purposes only. If there is something you would like removed, please feel free to contact us.

WINTER PICKS by

MEAGHAN RITOLA

GUTS by ALEX WINSTON

LITTLE PISTOL by

MOTHER MOTHER

FOR PRAYER by WYE OAK

DRUNK by

ED SHEERAN

STAY DOWN(FT. NICK DIAMONDS) by

EL-P

TO THE WORLD(FT. R. KELLY) by

KANYE WEST

THE FALLOUT by CROWN THE EMPIRE

SHOOTING THE MOON by

MONA

WHITE RABBIT by JEFFERSON AIRPLANE

WE HAVE EVERYTHING by

YOUNG GALAXY

POWER HAPPY by CON BRO CHILL

FEATURED STAFF PLAYLIST

LAST WORDS

22 The Substructure[1]