If you've been following my Instagram stories lately, I've been in a bit of a 90's R&B mood. Different Ways from Toronto-based R&B singer Cyokilo (produced by Paul Nanuwa@nanuwamusic & Dj DMS) is giving me that same vibe, so into the "Chill Tunes" playlist it goes!
I love a good R&B song, especially if the artist happens to be from Toronto and has an esthetically-pleasing music video (directed by Gifty Singh) to match!
As a mental health awareness advocate, I have a great appreciation when artists step up and use their platform to raise awareness on issues people tend to stay quiet about. American rock band, A Killer's Confession (led by vocalist, Waylon Reavis) is one of those bands. The latest video for their single Numb off their upcoming album The Indifference of Good Men is an effort to encourage those struggling to speak up when help is needed, and the drastic, devastating effects of internalizing issues.
Men are 3.5x at a greater risk for taking their own lives than women, due to internalizing their feelings rather than speaking up. According to the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention 47,173 Americans died by suicide in 2017 alone. More statistics are found here. The end of this powerful video shares the Suicide Prevention Lifeline number in times of crisis. In times of non-emergency when you need an unbiased ear to vent to, dial 311 to find free help lines in your region. Talking it out long before the issues build up can make a difference. For new releases, announcements and tour dates, get social! Follow A Killer's Confession on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! @thatchickkrys
When I think of artists who are "triple threats", Cody, Wyoming-based metalcore band, Righteous Vendetta comes to mind. Their music would appeal to fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Bring Me The Horizon, and Asking Alexandria, but with a dash of modern pop seasoning. Armed with massive stage presence, multi-dimensional talent, and movie star good looks, I knew these guys could easily cross over to other genres if they wanted to.
In recent weeks, RV front man, Ryan Hayes released the music video for his debut pop single In The Meantime, onwhich he teamed up with RV guitarist, Justin Olmstead. Together, they are proven genre chameleons. If you're a fan of The 1975, The Weeknd and Charlie Puth, you'll dig this new single, below! Righteous Vendetta has graced stages across the globe with heavy-hitters such as In This Moment, Red, Lacey Sturm, Hellyyeah, Like A Storm, The Veer Union, Linkin Park, Rob Zombie.. just to skim the top of the list, and are scheduled to head back to Germany this fall for CVJM Loud and Proud Festival! To stay in the loop on tour dates, new releases, etc., get social! Follow Ryan: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter Justin:Instagram, Twitter Righteous Vendetta: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter @thatchickkrys
If you dig bands like Breaking Benjamin, Sevendust and 3 Years Hollow, you can add four-piece rock band, One Day Waitingto your playlist! Hailing from Hudson Valley, NY, these hard-working guys have shared the stage with some of the best bands out there within the past six years (Can we say Nothing More, Jinjer, Nonpoint, A Killer's Confession, Adelita's Way, and September Mourning, just to name a few?? Whaaat!!) Check out the video for their latest single Buried Alive below!
Like what you hear? Get social! Follow the guys on Facebook,Instagram and Twitter for updates on new releases and shows near you!
After the summer break, I'm back with an interview with Toronto-based rock band Drop Top Alibiwhosesingle Summer Nights & City Lights will drop this Friday!
Congrats on winning 97.7 FM’s Rock Search! That’s awesome! What did you guys do to prepare for the contest? Thanks Krystal! It was a fun ride for sure, and honestly came rather unexpectedly. We submitted our entry very early on, and a few months went by before they announced the Top 16, so we kind of forgot about it. The morning that they did, I woke up to a number of congratulatory messages and thought, 'Holy S**t, we got in this year!' We knew that if we got to the semi’s and had a chance to play on stage, there was a good chance we could win. We had been playing a lot and were in the midst of recording some new material. The confidence in how tight we were playing was there, so we didn’t change a single thing. Luckily for us, with the support of everyone who voted and the HTZ FM staff who scored us into the Top 8, we had a chance to let the music do the talking. It was a bit of a toss up between a few bands, and we were happy we won. I will say though, those two shows were two of the best shows we’ve played and it felt good to know that we were good enough to stand out among a group of talented bands.
Last time we spoke, you guys were working on new music in the studio- do you guys have an album release date set?
Our next single “Summer Nights & City Lights” will be released on September 20th, 2019! What happens next you’ll just have to stay in tune for.... ;) Sometimes people can get problematic at concerts (getting too drunk/annoying/harrassment, etc.). No one likes it when something kills the show’s vibe. How do you diffuse the situation while remaining professional at your shows in these instances?
Honestly, we haven’t had anything too crazy happen yet. Sometimes we will address the fans who are moshing, especially if photographers or women standing in the front are getting knocked around and don’t seem to be enjoying it. One time, a couple of drunk folks in Streetsville started getting into it in front of the stage and we just had security take them out. Having a microphone is handy for sure. Ultimately, we want people to feel like there is nothing to worry
Photo: Francesca Ludikar
about at our shows and that people who don’t or won’t respect that will be removed and dealt with. If and when the day comes that someone is being harassed at one of our shows, it will be dealt with right away and if it’s something we can see from the stage we won’t hesitate to stop the show until it’s dealt with. As musicians -who have the weirdest schedules at times- how do you guys stay mentally grounded as your band progresses? The biggest thing we’ve all noticed is that staying hydrated and getting enough rest is the most important thing. Mental strength is much easier to have when you’re not fighting other debilitating circumstances like fatigue. It helps keep everyone’s moods level as well, which means communication is strong and tension low.
Drop Top is also made up of members who have been grinding away in the music business for almost ten years. We have earned everything by ourselves, and oftentimes by burning the candle at both ends. The biggest thing keeping us grounded, is the fact that we now have a strong platform to have people listen, and if it starts to really move along, we won’t want to ruin it with ego and addiction. Maintaining the band of brothers mentality of partnership and compromise will be important as well. What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen at a show you’ve played so far? The first time we ever played in Hamilton, was at an outdoor
motorcycle festival on Hess Street. We were on the last song of our set, and this astonishingly hammered dude insisted on Dylan (Lead Guitar) letting him sing into his microphone. We were mid song and this dude starts trying to muscle his way to the mic and shoved Dylan. I think his guitar got unplugged in the process as well! We sort of forced this dude away from us, and he proceeded to try and fight everyone watching. This other guy, who was also drunk, decided he’d try and scrap the guy so he started egging the dude on a bit. The drunk guy who shoved Dylan then says, “15 years for murder, and I’d do it again...” Definitely the strangest thing we’ve seen so far, and to top it off this dude got picked up by the cops down the street and they smashed all his booze. Classic. Anything else you would like to add? Rock n’ Roll is alive and well! We will be playing a double-single release show at Lee’s Palace October 4th in Toronto with our brothers in The Crooked. They are also releasing a new song, and you definitely don’t want to miss this party! Thank you guys for your time and I look forward to hearing more from you! Follow Drop Top Alibi on their social media found here!
Just when I thought young people these days only listened to either pop music or super-angsty tunes, it was refreshing and an honor to meet Old Time duo, Dixie Dave Allen and Kayla Charlene. Hailing from South Carolina, together they play and write Southern heritage music. In 2019, they've just released their debut album, followed by their first European tour!
Here is my interview with them:
Between the January release of your debut album In The Heart of Dixie, to your European tour in April, your schedules must have been hectic! How do you stay centered and focused?
D: I set time for everything so that we can stay ahead. It’s really important to plan ahead so that we don’t feel rushed. I set time for practice, but I also set time to relax and reflect.
K: I keep a mindset of “I get to...” rather than “I have to...”. It takes a lot of mental work and meditation to stay positive and not be overwhelmed.
What is your favorite song on your album “In the Heart of Dixie” and why?
D: That would definitely be “Dawn on the Mountain” because that is the first song we wrote together as a duo. K: I completely agree.
What were the highlights of the European tour?
K: We were visiting a castle in Aberystwyth- a beautiful town on the coast of Wales- and a woman jumped out of her car and said “Hey are you Dixie Dave?”. Her name was Rose, she is a fiddle player from Wales. She took us to her home and played music with us. It was the most serendipitous moment of my entire life maybe. Our favorite part of playing music is sharing folk songs with people who love what we do. I will never forget it.
That sounds like an incredible experience! You two are a gorgeous, young couple. Have people had misconceptions about what kind of music you play prior to actually hearing your music?
D: Yes. Everyone assumes that it’s bluegrass because there is a banjo and what we do is Old Time.
What do you enjoy the most about the genre of music you play?
D: I love everything about it. The way it makes me feel, the music, the history, and the fact that it’s our heritage.
K: I love how universal it is. There are songs for every emotion, but somehow I find a way to dance to even the high and lonesome songs.
If you were to go on a dream tour with any artists -dead or alive- who would you tour with?
D: Oh man. Roscoe Holcomb, Doc Boggs, and the Skillet Lickers.
If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?
K: Pursue what you love fearlessly and have fun doing it. Never stop growing and learning.
D: To quote Brisco Darlin from the Andy Griffith Show- “If you’ve got time to breathe, you’ve got time for music.”
It's always exciting to see artists from your local scene get out there and do big things like gearing up to tour Europe and opening for national acts at a notable music festival in your city.
I got the chance to chat with frontman and guitarist, J.C. Sandoval of Toronto-based alt-rock band The Crooked about all that and then some! Here is the interview:
How did you all meet?
I’ve known our drummer Dell’Orso through the Toronto music scene for many years now and then the both of us met our bassist Russ in a similar fashion. We may or may not have met our lead guitarist Neelesh through the Casual Encounters section of Craigslist.
[laughs] What are the highlights of the band’s career so far?
We've done many things in a short time, but getting asked to play the main stage at Norway’s Rockstream Festival this summer is it for us right now. We’re beyond excited for this show when we tour Europe
Photo: Kirsten Sonntag
this summer. We’ll announce dates soon.
That's amazing! Congratulations! That sounds like an amazing opportunity! Favorite thing about playing your style of alternative rock?
From the start, we’ve always tried to be unconventional within rock music. For example, we fused calypso rhythms with heavy guitar riffs on our song Tarot Cards. Lately, we enjoy adding subtle dissonance to our songs. We’re essentially tricking the audience into liking something “ugly” by rewarding them later with something pretty or familiar. What is your favorite song you guys play live?
At the moment it’s an unreleased song called Villain. It’s getting a really good reaction from the crowd. We’re planning on recording it this month, and releasing it in the fall as a single. I see you guys are playing a showcase at CMW on May 11. How do you prepare for events like that? Is the prep any different than that of regular shows around the
Photo: Dylan Weller
city?
Nothing prepares you for a big show like hitting the road. We’ve almost completed the Uncivil Service Tour. We have one more show in Barrie on May 9, and then play with Danko Jones at Horseshoe Tavern for CMW the following Saturday.
Photo: Kirsten Sonntag
If you were to form a dream tour with artists -dead or alive- who would be on it with you?
We would love to form a tour where we open for ourselves in disguises and play extremely bizarre music. That “band” would then amass a large cult following, which would demote The Crooked to openers for the next tour. This is the kind of stuff we think about. [laughs] I would be interested in seeing this happen! If there was one message you would like to spread to your fans, what would it be?
We think the world right now could use less conformity and a lot more of the peculiar. Open your ears, open your mind and open your heart.
Amen! Thank you so much for your time, J.C and I look forward to seeing what's next for the band! For upcoming tour dates, announcements and new music, get social! Follow The Crooked on Spotify, Facebook,Instagram, and Twitter! @thatchickkrys
