Many bands try their damnedest to capture the essence of a sound from another era while wrapping it up in a bright and shiny modern wrapping paper.

The majority of these bands will not gain much credibility. Even if they do acquire some instant indie success via the bandwagon kids, their staying power is fairly marginal. The reason for this is rather simple: it’s a facade. You can’t just decide to be a band with a retro sound because a particular throwback style is all the rage. You have to actually be retro at heart and in love with, if not raised on, the genre you’re attempting to emulate.

This is why Toronto’s own Bella Clava are garnering such buzz and exposure- they sweat out a blend of female-fronted, blues infused, psychedelic tinged classic rock (with a modern twist, mind you) that could only be perfected by those with a true passion and knowledge for that musical style.

Get yourself into impossible fantasy mode and imagine that Led Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age (who are both enthusiastically loved by our subjects) are out for a rip-roaring night on the town, and pick up Shirley Manson at her snarliest and Grace Slick at her peak. The result could very well be Bella Clava.

Lead vocalist/keyboardist Caitlin Dacey and guitarist/vocalist Steve Suttie are Thunder Bay imports, having played together as a duo before making the crucial move to Toronto in 2006. Since then, they’ve built Bella Clava into a full-blown unit, adding local boys Zack Mykula (drums) and Scott Hannigan (bass). Their 2010 EP Craig: An Ephemeral record was produced by none other than Steve Albini (of Nirvana, Pixies and Cheap Trick fame), and their first LP, Holy Crow, is set for a September self- release, crediting legendary Canadian songwriter/producer Ian Blurton (Change of Heart, C’mon) with production.

Minutes before they hit the stage at Rancho Relaxo for their North by Northeast performance, the band stands in a semi-circle around me, talking excitedly about their endeavours. “This is our third time playing North by Northeast,” says Dacey, brushing a strand of chocolate-coloured, elbow length hair behind her ear. “It’s more exciting this time. Most of our set is new stuff, so we’re really excited about that. I think people are liking the direction we’re taking,” she continues. A big part of that direction includes fan appreciation. “Through being nice to people, you can make some amazing connections, and that’s something you’ll be forced to pick up at North by Northeast,” adds Mykula. Dacey chimes in: “Everyone who comes to our shows ends up being our friends.”

And they’re playing for the right reasons. “We like playing music because we like playing music. We all just love doing it. We’re not making money; it’s not been about that at any point. It’s just fun, you know?” says Hannigan. Suttie injects a bit of blunt truth: “Also, we put on a pretty good live show”.

Which is why Bella Clava is here tonight, and it’s why they have to cut our brief interview short. They’re whisked up the stairs to the stage, where they assault the willing crowd with a tight, loud set. Black leather, hippie beards, cascading organs and monstrous guitars, topped off with vocals that are equal parts beautiful and guttural — this is Bella Clava. Beats that will make your neck ache in the morning, bass that you feel in your toes, and the feeling that you’re in a time warp yet somehow still very much in the present — this is also Bella Clava. As a writer, my job is to describe the scene, to paint pictures with words, to create an audible impression with nothing but letters and syllables. But when it comes to a band like this, I can only go so far without wanting to scream: “Just see them, already!”

Because Steve Suttie was absolutely right, though he put it a little mildly; Bella Clava doesn’t just put on a pretty good show. Bella Clava puts on an epic show.

CM‘s Chad Brown recently caught Oshawa’s Organ Thieves before a set in Hamilton. Pour vous:

The misty lights of Hamilton’s historic Corktown Pub glow, bathing a humble stage soon to be immersed in a spectacle of good ol’ rock and roll from Oshawa’s Organ Thieves. Now when I say “good ol’ rock and roll,” I’m not referring to the classic rock many of us have grown to love; I’m talking about the nitty-gritty sounds that demand your attention – the pulse of electric resonance that excites the nerves and plucks your heartstrings – and maybe even breaks one.

Somewhere Between Free Men and Slaves is the title of Organ Thieves’ unsparing debut album that has the ability to not only steal your attention, but also your heart and mind. This painfully honest expression is what music, in general, is all about.

Chuck Coles and Dave Baksh sat down before their set at Corktown Pub last weekend to speak with yours truly about the road to making the album, and what you can expect from the band this summer.

You may remember Baksh as the former lead guitarist for Sum 41 and Coles as the lead guitarist for defunct pop-punk outfit Cauterize. Since then, the two performed together in Baksh’s heavy metal brainchild Brown Brigade prior to the formation of Organ Thieves. “I had all these songs and I was like, ‘I really want to start doing my own thing if I want to keep playing music,’” explains Coles. “I kind of wanted to get rid of them in my mind so I took a chance on my own.” As a fan of stripped-down sounds, Coles writes his songs on his acoustic guitar. Throughout the years, this practice has amassed a virtual autobiography of song that he keeps stored in his parents’ garage. “I told them to burn it if I died,” he mentions wholeheartedly. “I had a lot of dark times in my life and there are songs in there from travelling. I just started picking pages out of it and making songs and thought, ‘Fuck, I should just do this.’”

Adapting his acoustic sound to electric, Coles met an eager companion in band mate Baksh. Brown Brigade came to a crossroads when the band’s love for heavy metal overshadowed the interest in the old ways of the genre. “We played a show and felt that cats that have been listening to metal for the past 30 years were being shunned by little kids. This was at the time where Chuck was like, ‘Yo, play some dub shit over top of this more rootsy kind of rock,’” explains Baksh. It wasn’t long after that they began jamming as a band. “I was kind of orchestrating because it was my project. I took the talent that everyone had, like: ‘Our drummer’s really good at this shit. Dave can do this here; he can paint more colour stuff.’ I started writing songs around the sounds in the room,” explains Coles.

The refreshingly modest frontman credits his band mates with his complete confidence in the project. “I’ve never been the singer for a band or the main writer for a band; I’m just blessed to have these people. I mean we make the songs together. I have the initial idea, but what’s possible is outrageous.”

The band’s current line up includes Coles, Baksh, Mike Smith, and the most recent addition, Theo McKibbon, who, during the interview, suggested Coles shoot a music video on the second level of the Corktown Pub, where someone was rumored to have hung himself. Apologetic, McKibbon introduces himself and encouraged Coles to take a look. Even approaching me later to apologize, McKibbon certainly has a personality as large as his later onstage performance would prove to be. The band’s performance, as a whole, only further exhibits their hunger for the energy and passion they breed. Baksh explains: “We take everything that we do so seriously and really achieve what we want out of our performances.” It did feel odd watching such a big performance in such a small venue.

If you’ve never had the chance to see them live, Somewhere Between Free Men and Slaves includes a 23-minute live in studio DVD, directed by Davin Black, to provide some context for the recording of the album. “I wanted to document it because there are a lot of things to learn about the way sounds are made,” says Coles ¬– noting, “what [Black] did, to me, speaks volumes. The record’s there but this thing really speaks a lot for what we put into it.” You can expect to see a six-part online series featuring the studio recording process set to release “in the next few weeks,” says Coles.

The recording process itself was smooth sailing for the five days they spent at B Town Sound Studio in Burlington, ON. “We did it live off the floor. That was something I really wanted to do,” shares Coles. “We did, like, eight takes for each song. Me and Dave were in this little room sweating like crazy,” he notes. Recording live off the floor is a process sought after by many for its textural qualities and authentic nature. For this approach, Coles was eager to seek out producer Greig Nori. Working with Nori is nothing new for both Coles and Baksh. “I work with him constantly,” says Coles, speaking of a recent trip to New York with Nori. Baksh also spent a lot of time working with the Treble Charger front man during his stint with Sum 41. “It’s crazy how much he learned and became a wicked, really really good producer,” adds Baksh. The band also recruited Canadian Musician contributor and dynamo Dan Weston to mix the album. “His ability to excite a track is kind of what the rough mixes just don’t have. His abilities are incredible,” explains Baksh.

In writing the album, Coles tried to capture moments in his life that others could relate to and gain support from. As a whole, the album details a feeling of disillusionment coupled with a reflection of the good times and the bad. “Music is a good thing. It got me through everything in my life. If I can give that back to anyone, it’s the least I can do,” says Coles.

It appears to be full steam ahead for the eager thirty-something rockers. With several shows and festivals on deck for the month of June, the band also plans to release an EP featuring some songs from the B Town sessions. “There are a few songs that we recorded that we didn’t put on this record, then we’re doing a 7” with Saint Alvia, and we’re going to demo another 13 songs. We’re at this point, so it’s time to really get it going,” Coles says.

If I may have one more moment of your attention – to anyone who happens to be a fan of hard-hitting narrative-style lyrics set to punk rock chord structures with bang on guitar solos, you could most definitely appreciate Organ Thieves. That’s pretty much everyone, right?

Canadian Musician magazine along with Steam Whistle Brewing are offering music fans a chance to win a prize pack to the June 1^st edition of UNSIGNED, featuring Amos the Transparent, Wilderness of Manitoba, and Cai.ro. The prize pack includes tickets, refreshment tickets, and Steam Whistle swag (UNSIGNED shirt, opener, Steam Whistle Pilsner glass, 1-year subscription to CM). All you need to do is comment “I want to see ____ (band name) at Steam Whistle’s Unsigned #22” at the bottom of this post, or on Facebook by mentioning Canadian Musician followed by “I want to see ____ (band name) at Steam Whistle’s Unsigned #22”, or on Twitter by mentioning @Cdnmusician and tweeting “I want to see ____ (band name) at Steam Whistle’s Unsigned #22”. A winner will be randomly selected from all mentions.  (more…)

So our current issue of Canadian Musician has a feature written by the great David McPherson about properly using today’s social media tools to engage your audience and further your careers. For the piece, David was in touch with John MacPhee of PEI pop/rock band Paper Lions, who’ve had a string of interesting social media successes over the past few months – most intentional, but some totally coincidental. Check this out:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2012/05/15/pei-paper-lions-million-video-584.html

The band gets into more detail in the May/June 2012 issue, alongside others like Walk Off The Earth (’nuff said), artist-auctioning artist Jadea Kelley,  and Corin Raymond, the Trump of Canadian Tire money, so check it out! Figured we’d help the band practice what we preach…

Canadian Musician’s Chad Brown caught up with Roland Pemberton – aka Cadence Weapon – on a trek from Montreal to Toronto to perform some dates supporting his new disc Hope In Dirt City. Check it out…

Hip-hop is about painting a picture; it’s the process taking language and moulding it into something bigger than stanzas and simple rhymes. To be an MC, you need to not only be a cunning linguist, but also have a strong connection with who you are and where you come from – all the while showcasing originality in style and presentation. It’s a tough game, but one in which Roland Pemberton, aka Cadence Weapon, has been well seasoned as he gets ready to drop his third full-length, Hope In Dirt City, May 29th.

Following his debut release Breaking Kayfabe in 2005, Pemberton established himself as an unconventional artist. Steering clear of the derivative lyricism that has had a firm stranglehold on the mainstream side of the genre, Cadence Weapon carried a flavour of old school rap in a recipe fit for a new school audience. Sophisticated, silky-smooth baritone vocals laid over electro, sometimes Nintendo-sounding beats is what we came to expect from Pemberton between Breaking Kayfabe and his second release Afterparty Babies. Now set to drop Hope In Dirt City, Pemberton says he’s optimistic about the release though admits it does stray from the sound he’s established.

“I feel, ultimately, it’s the most mature example of my music so far,” says Pemberton, speaking with Canadian Musician while preparing for a trek from Montreal to Toronto. He adds: “I feel like it’s the clearest representation of Cadence Weapon.”

The 11-song release carries an evident connection to Pemberton’s hometown of Edmonton. When referring to the title track, the newly-established Montreal resident explains: “The end of the song, I’m doing the singing where I’m like, ‘I know you found someone new, I can’t get over you’ that’s kind of my way of saying goodbye to Edmonton. It was almost like a love song to Edmonton.” When you live in the same community long enough, it inevitably becomes part of your being. Needless to say, Pemberton had a strong connection to his city. “That song came in a part of my life where I was really disillusioned about Edmonton. It came together really quickly and was also tied to a poem I wrote while I was (Edmonton’s) Poet Laureate called ‘Dirt City (New Strathcona)’,” he explains.

After serving as Poet Laureate, Pemberton says he felt the need to step up and diversify his lyrical content – a conscious effort. Since some had been comparing his lyrics to more traditional and structured poetry, he says: “People are really going to be looking at my shit now. People, here and there, have given me props for my rhymes before but I wanted to be on the level of Black Thought or something. I want to be taken seriously as an MC, so with a track like “Get On Down,” I was going for the head, you know?” says Pemberton. And like the Method Man he “severed the head from the shoulders.” “Get On Down” explodes as the first track on the album into a flurry of alliterations, rich rhymes, and some criticisms of the rap game. Dope track.

Crafting your own beats is always a bonus in rap music. This time around, Cadence Weapon’s sound originated from the desire to have a more organic feel, drawing influence from specific artists of whom he’s fond. “Specifically Game Theory by The Roots, or some of the UGK records – Outkast, Devin the Dude, DJ Quik for sure. A lot those albums are so musical, just so much live instrumentation but done in a way with the kind of grit and texture of drum machine and sampling. That’s an unbeatable combination,” explains the artist and fan. His method of crafting the beats was definitely a significant undertaking. He first made a composition of beats and samples. Next, he took those to Chemical Sound Recording Studio in Toronto and started a band. He then sampled the results of those recordings and turned them into beats. The hard work and attention to detail is noteworthy.

Collaborations have always been a steady constant in hip-hop. Cadence Weapon albums have been scarce in that respect. “I feel like when it comes to albums, I like to collaborate on other people’s tracks more often,” says the Canadian rapper. “In my future albums I think there’s a way to do it in which I don’t have to limit my voice or give up too much sonic real-estate but I guess I’m just a control freak when I comes to my records,” he muses.

Starting this month, the Cadence Weapon experience will entertain crowds with rock duo Japandroids in the UK, east and west coast United States, as well as some shows in Eastern Canada, eventually ending in Edmonton. “I’m probably going to be touring this record for the rest of the year,” he figures.

At the end of the day, for Pemberton, it’s about staying power. He wants to be forever etched in the memories and multi-disc changers of his fans. “I just want to create a sonic document that outlasts me. I want to create something that will be timeless. I believe it’s possible to do that in 2012 and I want to be the person who does it. I want to create something like Rumors by Fleetwood Mac, you know? Something with real permanence,” concluded the always hungry Roland “Cadence Weapon’ Pemberton, and indeed, if you had to compile a list of candidates that could achieve the feat, his name wouldn’t look out of place on it.

www.cadenceweaponmusic.com