RENDEZVOUS – Brendan McCarney (Last Frame Pictures)

I chatted with filmmaker Brendan McCarney of Last Frame Pictures to get the lowdown on his latest documentary, Authentic – Young Rival’s Journey Through Canada.

The tour doc premieres this Thursday, June 13th at Toronto’s NXNE.

— Read interview —

Poster by Anne Douris

MAY PLAYLIST

May’s Playlist features Dawn and Marra, Young Rival, PUP, Pete Van Dyk & the Second Hand Band, Language Arts, Rhythm Church & more.

— Read blog post —

Dawn and Marra

PLAYLIST - BEST OF 2012

This was really fun to work on - a countdown of my favourite local music of 2012.

— Read blog post —

PLAYLIST - NOVEMBER 2012

This month’s mix is a fun one! Listen to tunes from Young Rival, Diamond Rings, Death From Above 1979, Gillian Nicola, Cowlick, The Balconies, Cadence Weapon & more!

— Read blog post —

Diamond Rings. Photo from ION Magazine.

OCTOBER PLAYLIST

This month’s Playlist features local artists D’LUXE, Matthew de Zoete, The Dirty Nil, Redanda, Pete Van Dyk & The Second Hand Band & more!

— Read blog post —

OPERATION: YOUNG RIVAL - February 11, 2012

The Casbah 306 King Street West

We were long overdue for a little Casbah action! When hometown boys Young Rival announced their show, we knew we’d be there with bells on. Or, in this case, with buttons on! Did we mention we have buttons now? Somehow, Avi and I developed a spy theme for the night. We felt like spies on a covert mission, in our matching pink and black coloured outfits, leather jackets (which, by the way, we didn’t even plan on. We’re just cool like that) and Tour buttons. We were on duty, ready to rock. Operation: Young Rival. It was a weekend of Young Rival as we tag teamed it with Carly – she hit up their Kingston show the night before and it worked out well that we could divide and conquer across the two cities.

I know it had been a little while since my last Casbah show, but the main room looked different to me, and I couldn’t quite place what it was. Chatting with owner/promoter/beer connoisseur/band booker extraordinaire William (Brodie) Schwendiman, he pointed out that they just painted the ceiling black. A-ha! Maybe I should rethink my status as a spy if I fail to notice such a fairly obvious detail. Nevertheless, I like it – it adds to the intimate yet rock’n’roll feel of The Casbah. To further the spy motif, we spotted a couple of walkie talkies behind the bar, which got us thinking, those could come in useful as added accessories on tour stops.

With a packed venue, Hamilton band Magic Shadows opened up the show. Maybe this is a bit of a stretch but we thought the elusive, mystical band name worked with our spy theme. They certainly made their presence known as their sounds blasted through the space – loud, thumping, percussive, two drummers (who played while standing!) At one point, one of the drummers was drumming with one hand, and clutching a beer with the other. Didn’t miss a beat; total pro. We have a penchant for percussion instruments so we appreciated the added flair of the drums and tambourine.

Young Rival

Dinosaur Bones were next in the lineup. The Toronto band has been playing shows with Young Rival and you can tell the bands really enjoy each other’s music and company. We caught them play back-to-back at Supercrawl and it was great to see them together again. You could feel the love as the boys even dedicated a song to their friends in Young Rival. They also played a brand new track, “Criminal”. As we Tweeted during the show, we were diggin’ the Dinosaur Bones.

We chatted with the guys of Young Rival before they hit they stage and it was great to touch base with them again. We filled them in on what we’ve been up to and even got a few recommendations from them for our Breakfast Month. Then, with the classic multi-coloured Young Rival sign in place around Noah’s drums, it was time for them to hit the stage. They opened with a rip-roaring rendition of “Authentic,” which is one of my favourite tracks of theirs and made my Playlist for the month. They played a solid set of classic Young Rival tunes - “The Ocean” is always a hit, and another highlight for me was “Modern Life”. The crowd sang along with the “Ohhhh’s” in “Just Can’t Stay Here” - it was a sing-a-long, hand-clappin’ dance party. They also introduced some brand new tunes from their upcoming album, which I’m sure will produce even more hits. The audience ate them up!


I kept trying to think of how I would describe Young Rival’s sound. They’re pure rock’n’roll – they hammer out so much energy and such a loud sound as a three-piece. They have a real 60s throwback sound, with a modern edge. There is something so effortless about Aron’s vocals and stage presence, and he, John and Noah are so much fun to watch. They gave a heartfelt shout-out to Hamilton and you could really feel the love and pride they have for their hometown. We couldn’t agree more!

I know our Tour of the city just wouldn’t be complete without Young Rival. Not only are they one of the city’s finest, but they’re great guys and it’s always a pleasure when we get to interact with them. I’m sure we’ll see them again soon enough in our travels.

Mission: accomplished!

- Kristin

“IT’S JUST ROCK’N’ ROLL.” - February 10, 2012

The Grad Club 162 Barrie Street, Kingston

 During my time in Kingston, The Grad Club has become a bit of a staple. It is one of two great music venues in town, and has been able to book some great acts while I’ve been here. Even before I got to Kingston, I was being consistently disappointed when Hamilton bookers scheduled some of my favourite bands, being fully aware that I would not be in the City. My music lover’s heart still breaks just a little bit each time when I get a Facebook invite and there is absolutely no way to put my research on hold, come home for a weekend, and see a great show. Along with The Mansion, however, The Grad Club (almost always) makes sure that those same groups make a tour stop in Kingston. Alas, it is like clockwork: a couple of days after I get event invites from This Ain’t Hollywood or The Casbah, I get corresponding Kingston ones. I breathe a sigh of relief, my heart gets put back together, and my social calendar fills up mighty quickly.

 Kristin had let me know that Young Rival was playing in Kingston and suggested that, since they are a Hamilton band, we start the “Detours” segment of the I Heart Hamilton Tour blog. This is where we leave Hamilton and, hitting the road as any good and proper tour should, support fellow Hamiltonians who are breaking through outside of the City. Getting into the show was a bit more interesting than any regular IHHT assignment, though.

 The night before, I joined the historians for The Grad Club’s weekly trivia night. Well, not just the historians. Our team, Rock the Tesla, is actually made up of some engineers and pretty cool biochemists, too. We kind of rock, and have actually become one of the major teams to beat. So, as I was walking to our couches on the second floor, the first round of general trivia for that night was about to start. Announcing that Dinosaur Bones and Young Rival tickets for the next night were up for grabs, the group of us got down to work, played an expert round, and won. Thus, I had Friday night plans.

 To be honest, I was really looking forward to Dinosaur Bones. I had been introduced to them when I went to a show at The Garrison in Toronto a few years back. The concert is actually legendary, as far as I’m concerned. A few friends from Toronto said that there was this ’50s show going on and invited me to check it out. Unaware that The Garrison is a pretty hip concert venue on Dundas St West, though, I was thinking that a record player and a large amount of older folk of the senior citizen variety would be digging the tunes of their day alongside us youngins. I was completely up for it, and knew my friends and I would still have a rad time. Needless to say, though, I was incredibly wrong. Members from a ton of incredibly hip up-and-coming bands were actually the ones responsible for putting on this 1950s dance party. Modernboys Moderngirls, The Balconies, and the Dinosaur Bones, along with a bunch of other incredibly talented people, were dressed to the nines in poodle skirts and leather jackets. I have not seen so much slicked back hair since, well, ever. With Jailhouse Rock set up on a loop to play on a screen behind the stage, and a ton of kids singing and dancing their hearts out, it remains one of the most musically-talented and fun nights that I’ve ever been to. You can actually check out one of the tunes here.

 What I have heard about Young Rival, though, came straight from Kristin and all of her gushing about their performance at the Supercrawl. Interestingly, after the IHHT went to Supercrawl, I went to the record store in Kingston to get some new music. I was looking for Memphis or Zeus. There was no Memphis to be had, but I saw Zeus’ name and grabbed the CD behind their header. Surprise, surprise – it actually ended up being Young Rival! I knew that Kristin was impressed with the band, but I had yet to give them much of a chance. So, I put it back in the proper place, because Zeus had ended up being where Young Rival ought to have been, and left with the album that I had come for. After this concert, however, I B-lined it for the merch table to pick up Young Rival. At this concert, I have to say, I was simply as impressed as I could possibly have been.

 Oh, what a preface! Fast forward to Friday – Molly and I walk over to The Grad Club and wait for the concert to begin. Spotting a couple of our friends reading for their Latin Club on the second floor (really, we are the coolest grad students ever), we were able to convince Beth to join us downstairs for the show.

 The Grad Club is a few floors high and a beautifully old house. It’s on the corner of campus, and has a ton of the unique touches that we Tour Girls really dig in a music venue. Picture the Casbah Lounge as the stage, This Ain’t Hollywood’s length, and an architectural effort akin to The Baltimore House’s Victorian style. Throw in a slew of tables and black couches spread out on all three floors, and a ton of graduate students looking for a break from the everyday doldrums of study, and you have the Grad Club.

 Cue Dinosaur Bones. They take the stage and got the night started off right. “Ice Hotels” was definitely a highlight, and the boys in the band were giving it their all. Bassist Branko Scekic’s performance was a complete and utter distraction for us girls, though. Being so into their own tunes, he was bouncing back and forth with the music as most bassists are bound to do. Something important to note, however: the Grad Club’s stage is not very high. As a result, the audience is quite close to the band who is playing. Thus, there was this girl in front of him. She was really enjoying herself and not paying quite enough attention to her surroundings. On the opposite side of the stage, this is why Molly, Beth, and I could not stop staring – the proximity between his headstock and her face got closer every time that Branko swayed his bass. I have no idea how, but nobody got hurt.

 Then it was Young Rival’s turn. Aron D’Alesio, Noah Fralick, and John Smith put on one of the most unexpected and talented sets that I have ever seen. Frontman Aron had some footwork that rivals Jacquie Neville of The Balconies. With his right leg quivering as he played, I could not help but make the jump to a performance akin to a tamer, rockabilly, and pre-punk Joe Strummer of the 101ers variety. These boys are simply passionate, and you can really tell with their live show. Noah’s endearing laugh at the end of their set and John’s bass skills rounding out the band, the show was nothing short of inspired. They play with heart, they play with soul, and they play it all incredibly well.

 This is where Beth comes in. I had not yet been back to Hamilton to get my Button Pushers button that the rest of the girls had in order to separate me as an IHHT blogger from the crowd. I did, however, have my summer Tour tee. Wearing it, I was hoping that the bright yellow would make me stand out enough for the band to come to me. Silly, I know, but that was my thought process. After the set, they and the Dinosaur Bones were hanging out by the bar. I did not want to interrupt, so, I walked back upstairs to meet up with Beth, Connor, and Molly. Beth, being as amazing as she is and seeing that I had not gotten a chance to talk with the boys from the band, insisted that she help me have a quick interview with them. We ran down a couple of flights of stairs (because we have gotten to treat the Grad Club like any other house) and Beth paused. She was unsure of where the boys were. Aron passes by, I point him out, and Beth sprints down the hall, grabs him by the shoulder, and says, in all of her adorability, “You guys were great. My friend, Carly, she’s really smart.” Now, formally introduced, Noah joined the conversation and we had a great (but way too short, as far as I’m concerned) conversation about Hamilton, our blog, and their tour. Surprised with their sound, I had to tell them how interesting and original their show was. Aron’s response, “it’s just rock’n’roll,” was as appropriate a label as any. Hesitant with the description that night, insisting that they were something better than that, I have since come around. Young Rival is what you expect from good rock’n’roll. And that is what separates them from their peers.

 Listening to the album (a Sonic Unyon record), I enjoy every track. My favourite is a toss up between “T-Shirt and Shorts” and “Authentic.” With the opening riff on “Got What You Need” sounding like the Kids in the Hall intro, I immediately understood why Kristin (not only a Gleek, but also a Kids in the Hall fanatic) was attracted to their sound. The lyrics and voice reverberations of “Just Can’t Stay Here” come close to a Julian Casablancas sound at some points, and “Don’t Make A Sound” is a throwback tune reminiscent of The Zombies. I cannot help but think of Young Rival as a more clear shimmering stars, with an added dose of rockabilly grit and proper rock. Their stage show translates into a tight and rousing album that any rock’n’roll music lover should add to their arsenal. And, with a new album slated for late summer, there’ll be new songs, a new tour – and new opportunities for them to impress a slew of new fans.

xo Carly.