Canadian Musician magazine showcases unsigned Canadian acts in our Showcase section. We publish this section online to help further promote Canadian artists.
Liftoff might not be big on self promotion (their website offers little in the way of biographical information) but that works fine because they don’t seem like the kind of band that’s too caught up in maintaining a website or writing one-sheets anyways. In fact, it took a trip to their Bandcamp page to discover that their upcoming Naked LP is their third full-length since they debuted with a two-song EP in 2000.
These British Columbians boast an alternative mainstream rock sound that sounds akin to a more rock-oriented Green Day (vocalist Carmon Leeson is a dead ringer for Billie Joe Armstrong) or an older Simple Plan while at the same time harnessing the alt-rock fashions of mid-’90s Canadian alternative rock.
Liftoff might spread themselves a little thin trying to pack variety (or eligible singles) into their releases, but standouts such as “Falling Apart” and “All Alone” are excellent testament to the fact that, if they stick to the up-tempo numbers, they’re going to get somewhere.
Freeman Dre And The Kitchen Party don’t have the most ordinary name on the block, and neither do they have a typical style. The Toronto-based band recently won a NOW Magazine readers’ poll that named Freeman as the city’s best songwriter. It’s no wonder; the band’s anecdotal songs tell tales of life in their Parkdale neighbourhood, a stretch of blocks known for its diversity of people and culture. With songs about everything from relationships to 2010’s G20 protests, there are few bands that are able to cover this much lyrical ground with any success.
The lyrics are paired with output from a six-piece band that plays a quirky alternative style, going from alternative to folk to eastern-Europeon accordion jams and back. But forget descriptions; some bands just don’t need them!
Freeman Dre And The Kitchen Party are worth checking out on record, but word on the street is that the real spirit of the band can only be captured at their legendary live shows, so make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to catch them next time they are in your hood.
Listen to Freeman Dre & The Kitchen Party – Saturday Night In Parkdale…
Static In The Stars blast right out of the garage and into your stereo at a ferocity best experienced with your volume knob cranked. The Vancouver-based quintet plays loud stadium-ready rock n’ roll with huge guitars and soaring vocals. The band’s latest EP, Kings Of Last Call, is short, but packs a powerful punch. It’s a follow-up to their 2009 effort, No Grace In Goodbyes, and transfers just as well to the stage, which they’ve shared alongside acts including Pearl Jam, Wintersleep, K-OS, and Billy Talent.
The band has spent the last year touring, picking up some awards here and there and catching the ears of people like Hedley’s Tommy Mac, who produced Kings Of Last Call, and JUNO-nominated engineer/mixer Dean Maher (AC/DC, Bryan Adams, Nickelback, Rise Against), who also lent his talents to the effort. If the doctor has ordered you to listen to some straight-up rock ‘n’ roll, look no further than Static In The Stars.
Welland, ON’s Sikadime isn’t your typical hip- hop artist. The 27-year-old has been releasing music independently and through various record labels for the past seven years. In that time he’s released 12 solo albums of his tweaked version of ‘90s west coast hip hop and toured through Canada, Europe, and the United States.
While he’s yet to break through into the mainstream, he’s received plenty of recognition from those within the hip-hop industry, including members of Cypress Hill (he contributed a verse on “Ride Out” from the group’s co-vocalist B-Real) and Sweatshop Union. He’s also won a number of awards and has shared the stage with Choclair, D12, Maestro Fresh-Wes, Onyx, and others.
After releasing his last album, Chronicles Of Eli Razar, Sikadime moved to California in an effort to get more exposure. While we’ll have to wait to see if that pays off, there’s always his dozen other albums to spin in the meantime.
If anything can be said of Matthew Genovese, it’s that the Toronto-born singer/songwriter has a work ethic that would be hard to beat. After graduating from Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Genovese Loved from Toronto to Los Angeles to team up with producer Justin Gray. Working together, they managed to release Change, a six-song EP, before getting back to the drawing board to write a full-length.
Along the way, Genovese worked with vocal coach Roger Love (John Mayer, Gwen Stefani, The Beach Boys) to further develop his vocal abilities. Genovese says that after his lessons, his vocals had improved to the point where he felt it necessary to re-record the vocals on all the songs they had already finished. East To West is the final product of Genovese’s work. Now that it’s done, he’s excited to share his radio-ready pop rock with the world. Fans of Coldplay, Kings of Leon, and John Mayer should find lots to like in his music.
