Sound Seekers by Fateema Sayani is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine and follow her on Twitter @fateemasayani

The Ottawa Rock Lottery is a big ol’ love-in for the local music scene. It’s the community cup of spontaneous music-making that happens annually with proceeds going to charity. The fifth edition takes place this weekend with 25 musicians participating.

Daniel Spence, centre, of The Pelts will participate in the fifth annual Rock Lottery.

It works like this: on Friday night, organizers put the names of individual musicians into a hat. They draw out five names at a time and put those people together to form an insta-band. Over the next 24 hours, those five new bands create a half-hour set of original music to be performed on Saturday night for all to see.

The hilarity, camaraderie, rivalry, shining moments, and flubs are what make the show interesting, particularly to those who see live music often and are familiar with the city’s band-folk. The Ottawa Rock Lottery deck-shuffling allows those people to display talents that may be hidden in their other bands — or perhaps the deadline pressures will be evident. As organizers promise on their Facebook page: “It could be great. It could be awful.”

Sarah Bradley of The Fevers. Photo by Mélanie Broguet.

It is all in the name of charity. Proceeds go to the Ottawa Food Bank and the goal is to raise $1,500 for 10 emergency food baskets. Participating bands also get a chance to win a record session with Steve Foley at Audio Valley Recording Studio — though the best bait, for some, is the chance for creative growth.

Songwriter Kalle Mattson is participating for the first time this year. “I’ve been asked to play in the past, but my band and I have been on tour each time, so I’m really excited to be playing this year,” he says. “I’m usually the guy who writes the songs and sings them, so it’ll be really awesome to play in more of a supporting role.”

Singer Sarah Bradley of Fevers says the rock lottery requires a lot of effort and compromise in order to churn out a half-hour set in less than 24 hours. “You have to combine your different song writing processes, styles, and tastes to create music together. It’s a mega challenge, but it’s also kind of a bonding experience,” she says.

Singer Daniel Spence says he’s looking forward to a change of scenery after nearly five years of being “locked down with my dear lads,” in reference to his band mates in The Pelts. “There’s nothing like having a peek out into the world to make you appreciate what you’ve got back home, and maybe I can even bring back something new.”

Kalle Mattson

Bradley’s soft vocal touch is a big part of her band’s sound. In Fevers she sings contemporary indie-pop tunes, but is looking forward to branching out at the rock lottery.

“I learned how to sing by covering Destiny’s Child and Mariah Carey, and I feel like that says something significant about me,” she says. “I see the Ottawa Rock Lottery as an opportunity to unleash my repressed diva. I suppress some of my inner-sass with Fevers, but I am really excited to let my freak flags fly this weekend.”

Spence of The Pelts also hopes to loosen up this weekend. He says he’s not much for restrictions, despite having the stage name of Revered D. Spanx.

“I’m flexible, multi-instrumental, and not burdened with any particular notion of musical theory. I just play by gut and by ear, so my role will depend on the strengths and interests of my other rock lottery band mates and the chemistry we develop,” he says.

“My normal approach to song writing involves a great deal of solitary crafting on the guitar before introducing a nascent song to the band, where we re-work it for weeks until it starts to feel mature enough for our live show. With the ORL, I look forward to experimenting with pretty much the exact opposite way of writing music, relying on the talent and creativity of my fellow lottery winners to help make something beautiful crawl out of our little petri dish after 24 hours.”

Ottawa Rock Lottery. $10 or $9 with canned food donation. Saturday, May 18. Mavericks, 221 Rideau St. Doors at 8p.m. 19+. 

ALSO ALSO ALSO
On the subject of possible train wrecks, we bring you to the phenomenon that is Hip Hop Karaoke — that’s where people dress up and imitate their favourite rap tunes from the ‘80s and ‘90s. It started up in Ottawa last summer and it’s been a hoot to watch. The evening’s hosts are MC Atherton and DJ So Nice and they are gracious. Before an evening of hip-hop karaoke, they instruct the crowd with some ground rules. The first of them being that “everyone is a star at hip-hop karaoke,” meaning you can’t boo the tuneless ones off stage. There is also a no N-bomb rule. They suggest using the word “ninja” or “neighbour” in place of that word. (Think “Neighbours With Attitude” or “Sucka Ninja.”) The event happens monthly throughout the year. The summer schedule sees HHK go down on the third Friday of every month in the Mugshots Courtyard of the Ottawa Hostel.

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Sound Seekers by Fateema Sayani is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine and follow her on Twitter @fateemasayani

Three years ago, singer-songwriter Sherwood Lumsden rounded up the dads in his Preston Street neighbourhood to form a band. He knew Matt Young and Geoff Paisley for years before that — but he never knew their vocal talents until they started writing songs for their kids as the band Hey Buster.

The new album features cover art by Sherwood Lumsden’s son, Thomas Slaughter, 7.

Between the three dads — plus newest recruit Tom Stewart (Furnaceface, Slo’ Tom) — the band members have nine kids from the ages of two to 9. They write tunes for little ones without the preachy educational elements common to kids’ music. Their style hits somewhere between Junkyard Symphony and Robert Munsch with lyrics about family life that are observational and funny. Hey Buster’s first album called Bing Bang Bong was released in 2010 and includes songs about poo, pee, pink eye, and getting lice.

The song “Lice Twice” is about an experience familiar to parents of grade-schoolers. It rhymes hats with gnats. The chorus of “Pee Dance” describes the contorted moves kids make when they clearly have to go. “Oh no, I don’t have to go. No siree, I don’t have to pee!” goes the chorus.         

“We’re getting away from poo and pee on this second album,” Lumsden says. That album, called Yeti Likes Spaghetti, will be released at the band’s afternoon show on Mother’s Day. The album focuses a lot on routines and everything that gets in the way of those routines. “Without a Hat” is about leaving the house improperly attired, “Monkey Breath” is about getting out of bed, while “Go to Sleep” is a gentle pleading.

The vocalists are almost placid in their acceptance of the bumps of family life. There is no Go the Fuck to Sleep -like exasperation in these tunes, but that’s not to say that they lack energy. There is the same kind of revving excitement one sees in hyperactive toddlers in the driving rockabilly rhythms that make the songs fun for kids and a laugh for the hipster parents who would congregate at the band’s Elmdale Tavern shows. Hey Buster played there regularly when it was still a venue for live music.

Pints with the pint-sized! The band Hey Buster at one of their regular shows at the Elmdale Tavern.

It was a popular gig. “Sellout crowds, I’ve never had that in my life,” Lumsden laughs. He was a singer-songwriter active around Ottawa in the ‘90s. These days he renovates part-time and teaches songwriting at schools. Young is a Grade 2 teacher and also leads the Hey Buster dance numbers for kids in the audience. This summer the band will play a number of community events and a CHEO fundraiser.

Hey Buster’s CD release show on Sunday at the Westboro Legion will feature guest musicians Michael Ball, Al Bragg, Dave Draves, and Dave Kerr. 3 p.m. $7.50. Kids under two are admitted for free.

The post SOUND SEEKERS: Have You Done the Pee Dance? Hey Buster releases second CD of kids’ music appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

Sound Seekers by Fateema Sayani is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine and follow her on Twitter @fateemasayani 

How does “strip-hop” work anyway? Is it like a drinking game where you chug at the appointed cue? Hear a three-syllable word and everyone peels?

Jesse Dangerously, Pillar of Nerd Rap and Frequent De-Clother. Photo by James Dechert

“It’s not that integrated—I wish,” laughs Jesse McDonald, the Ottawa MC who goes by Jesse Dangerously.

Strip-hop isn’t about dropping your drawers for a choice rhyme; rather, it’s a night of performances by members of the city’s burlesque scene interspersed with music by electro pop team Billz & Woo and MC Dangerously.

“People are accustomed to me taking my shirt off at shows,” Dangerously says of his on-stage showmanship. Off-stage, on gig posters and websites, he subtitles his handle with the words “Genuine Independent Rap Legend,” in keeping with the genre’s boast-and-hype conventions.

Dangerously figures the burlesque organizers approached him for his messages about feminism and being body positive. Some of his rhymes push for loving pudginess:

“Although jerks have mocked that I’m fat since age ten / I work it, I rock it; ask your girl or a gay friend!”

“Half-stepping cats packing weapons ask for rap lessons / while I slap bad physicians on behalf of vengeance for Fat Acceptance.”

“If you don’t think that I could carry that burden / you don’t know the strength of a very fat person.”

Dangerously’s wordplay is sharp. He manages to rap about issues — without being annoyingly preachy. It’s a technique that balances heft with honey. He plays to an audience’s need for fun while trying to keep a kind of consciousness in the mix.

Just this week Dangerously got a chance to teach the next generation about rap. He led a class of 11-and-12-year-olds at Emily Carr Middle School as part of a Jer’s Vision program on anti-bullying. In the warm-up session, one kid freestyled this lil’ nugget: “I love Barack Obama. He’s my llama from another mama.” A cute start.

Although jerks have mocked that I’m fat since age ten / I work it, I rock it; ask your girl or a gay friend!” Jesse Dangerously. Photo by Frank Pomerleau

A political rhyme from Jesse Dangerously goes more along these lines: “No-one in my corner could never privatize healthcay-err / got to keep it public ‘cause I be a taxpayer!”

Those are the kinds of messages that will likely come out at the May Day gig Dangerously will play on Wednesday. It’s an event by the staunchly communist Proletarian Revolutionary Action Committee. He says it’s a group of passionate, politically engaged people.

“They’re more doctrinally communist than I am, but I’m happy about how passionate they are,” he says.

The May Day gig will be followed by a series of shows Dangerously is calling the Stay at Home Hip-Hop Tour. From there, he’ll dive into his next recording with co-producer Corboe (Dream Jefferson, Owel Five). They’re recording eight songs with 18 guests including Buck 65, Wax Mannequin, and Rae Spoon.

It’s tentatively titled, Songs About Anything Else But The Aching Voids Left By The Departures Of My Ex-Lovers, Nearly All Of Whom I Still Desire & Care For. “Fiona Apple-style,” Dangerously laughs.

It’s got more of a New Wave feel to it, a departure from some of the nerdcore style he’s known for.

“I haven’t interacted with synthesizers that much yet,” Dangerously says, who self-identifies as a lover of “Spider-Man spinnerets, itinerant webcrawler of general interest, inveterate yes-y’aller.”

Strip-Hop takes place Saturday, April 27 at Babylon, before the regular Grind party.

Dangerously returns to Babylon on Wednesday, May 1 for KeThe Proletarian Revolutionary Action Committee May Day party.

Look for Jesse Dangerously at The Herd Magazine launch party Friday, April 26 at the Mercury Lounge, and at Pressed Café (May 3) and ComicCon (May 11).

COMING UP
Her Harbour is the placid-pop project of Ottawa’s Gabrielle Giguere, whose tunes draw a line to contemporary indie artists such as Grimes and Groenland. She hosts a CD release show Saturday, April 27 at St. Luke’s Church in Chinatown.

Hilotrons hitmaker Mike Dubue returns to his other love — scoring for film — with a presentation Tuesday, April 30 as part of the Ottawa International Writers Festival. He and seven other musicians will play live on stage underscoring the fanciful, imaginative 1926 fairy-tale The Adventures of Prince Achmed.

The Ottawa Industrial League holds a two-night showcase (April 27 and 28) at Swizzles and Café Dekcuf. Check out their sampler  of music from Ottawa industrial musicians.

Calypso band Kobotown, popular around these parts in the ‘90s and ‘00s return to the scene Saturday, April 27 at Ritual with a CD release party for their new album Jumbie in the Jukebox.

DJ Peanut Butter Wolf, founder of hip hop label Stones Throw Records (ex-home of Aloe Blacc and J Dilla), is at Ritual Friday, April 26 with current label artist Homeboy Sandman.

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Sound Seekers by Fateema Sayani is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine and follow her on Twitter @fateemasayani

Of all places to pull from.
Director Steve Matylewicz is taking inspiration from the Bon Jovi song “Wanted Dead or Alive” for Shannon Rose’s next music video for her song, “If We Come True.”

Photos: Shannon Rose: She’s not a cowboy on a steel horse ride. Photo credit: Mauricio Ortiz

It’s a bit of a head scratcher, because the musicians’ styles couldn’t be further apart. Rose is an Ottawa pop songwriter concerned with all life’s little moments, while the pride of New Jersey wants to blow stadiums apart with eardrum blasting rock songs.

To clarify, Matylewicz — part of Rose’s band The Thorns and her spouse — says he likes the video’s context. (If you haven’t seen it in a while, “Wanted Dead or Alive” takes highlights from a day in the life of the band).

He’s not so inspired by the video’s style of painted-on pants, teased hair, and dudes making cheesy guitar sex face. Rather, he’ll apply the concept to a day in the life of Canadian indie artist Shannon Rose. The video will show Rose doing musician things including a sound check, being interviewed by a music writer (I’ll be making a cameo) and playing a show.

The show segment will be filmed tomorrow night at Irene’s, where Rose is playing with opener Christina Martin. Be part of the video’s wide crowd shots and hear tracks from Rose’s recent release Seasons. Doors at 9. Cover is $10. More at the event’s Facebook page.

ALSO
Four experimental-electronic artists expand the boundaries of the genre at the Mercury Lounge tonight. On the bill are a host of Montreal and Ottawa artists, including Andre and Michele, as well as a collaboration between installation artist Andrew O’Malley and songwriter Michael Glenwright.

Songwriter Ingrid Gatin amplified her cabaret tones by recording in a church in her hometown of Winnipeg. She refined her songs with producer/engineer Howard Bilerman in Montreal. See her tonight as Pressed as part of her cross-Canada tour.

Nick Catchdubs, head of DJ label Fool’s Gold, is at Babylon Friday.

Will “Quantic” Holland branched off from the Quantic Soul Orchestra and Limp Twins to produce more textured collections that move from jazz to soul to funk. His plans to release his 15th record later this year. Catch him at the Mercury Lounge for some dancefloor fire on Friday.

A gaggle of musicians gather to pay tribute to the late Stompin’ Tom Connors Friday at the Rainbow Bistro. Proceeds go to the Shepherds of Good Hope.

Gary Moore of Slim Moore and the Mar-Kays unveils his new dub reggae project, Ranking Yout and the Dub Pilots, Saturday at Ritual.

Fevers and The Good Luck Assembly  play the Black Sheep Inn Saturday. Both bands have new albums slated for release this year.

The post SOUND SEEKERS: Shannon Rose riffs off Jon Bon, dancefloor fire at the Merc, plus Stompin’ Tom saluts, dub reggae and more appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

Sound Seekers by Fateema Sayani is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine and follow her on Twitter @fateemasayani

In time for the gifting season, Sound Seekers shares this mix celebrating the work of a handful of top-drawer capital city musicians and bands that released new music in 2012. (Listen to the tunes here.) The list is bookended by two banger tracks with plenty of chill wave mid-mix and a nice nod to the city’s singer-songwriter roots too. Stream and get set to dance around the Christmas tree.

XOXO
Ottawa Magazine

TRACK LISTING

Sarah Bradley singing the verse of "Passion is Dead (Long Live Fashion)" for the song's music video. Photo by Mélanie Broguet.

1.       “Passion Is Dead (Long Live Fashion)” by Fevers
Ottawa five-piece creates a sing-a-long tune that’s dance floor gold. Pull out the hairbrush mic and say yeah! The song is actually a lament of sorts, but you wouldn’t know it upon first listen.

2.       “House of Common Problems” by Silkken Laumann (with guest vocals by Lidija Rozitis)
Songwriter Rolf Klausener says the title for this track came to him when he was cycling past Parliament Hill and was reminded of a cheating ex-lover. The band’s full-length debut, Not Forever Enough, will be released in 2013.

3.       “Braves” (Remix) by A Tribe Called Red
A hot track from the new five-song EP called Trap Line. The dance music producing trio of DJ Shub, NDN, and Bear Witness made headlines earlier this year when NDN (Ian Campeau) led a push to change the name of the football team The Nepean Redskins. (Download the entire EP here.)

4.       “Echo” by Zoo Legacy
Rhymes flow out just above a whisper in this indie-rap tune about home, place, and change. The four-piece released the song as part of their summer release called City Light Glow.

5.       “Under the Moon” by Shannon Rose & The Thorns
From the two-disc album Seasons, released December 2012, this tune is about big love and its ups and downs — when you’re over the moon or lying underneath it. Rose and her band will release the album with a party January 13, 2013 at the Black Sheep Inn.

6.       “Long” by Adam Saikaley
The beat-maker and jack-of-many-trades at CBC Radio pieces together a slow-burning, multi-textured lil’ symphony of sounds in this new tune.

7.       “Ascent” by Okpk (remixed by Math Rosen)
Okpk is part of the Place collective comprising a handful of Ottawa-Gatineau area experimental music enthusiasts. The Place label puts out music on cassette for the most part, but makes frequent forays into the digital realm, as they did with this online-only bonus track from Okpk’s Light Limited EP.

8.       “Capcity” by The Joynt (scratches by Mike DaSilva and Peter Joynt)
Rhymesayer Peter Joynt is so enthused about his hometown that he can’t help but unfurl rapid stanzas about taxpayer dollas, hollas, and even Scotiabank Place. This is a big, phat love letter to OttCity.

The post SOUND SEEKERS: Fevers, Zoo Legacy, and more earn a spot on our Ottawa Magazine mix tape — a present just for you! appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

Sound Seekers by Fateema Sayani is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine and follow her on Twitter @fateemasayani

Keeping with the spirit of the times, where publications (including Ottawa Magazine) produce lists upon lists of what to buy (for him! For her!), we have categorized your weekend parties for you for maximum enjoyment. You’re welcome.

Tom Stewart — also known as Slo' Tom — stops traffic on Gladstone Avenue in a don’t-try-this-at-home-kids move. Further antics will ensue this weekend.

THE TWO-NIGHT DEBAUCHERY FEST
Country tune-slinger Slo’ Tom Stewart (Furnaceface, Manpower), hosts two nights of “country-fied rock ‘n’ roll cheer” at Irene’s Pub this weekend. He’s calling it The Slo’ Tom Christmas Rodeo. Think of it as the Vinyl Café gone badass with Stewart doing a rawk version of the fireside chat while a turnstile of musical guests takes the stage to outwit and outrock one another. On Friday, comedian Josh Grace — better known by his stage name Remi Royale — kicks off the evening with crude humour, followed by performances from Ball & Chain and headliner Slo’ Tom and his band The Handsome Devils (listen for their seasonal tune “Bytown New Year’s Eve.”). On Saturday, Royale will again hype the crowd before Mercy Buckets and headliners Ukrainia hit the stage.

The Slo’ Tom Christmas Rodeo takes place Friday, Dec. 14, and Saturday, Dec. 15, at Irene’s Pub, 885 Bank St., 9 p.m., cover is $10 each night.

THE INDIE-INSIDER HARD TO FIND EVENT
For folks of a certain vintage, finding their way to Porter Hall to catch the concert of a lifetime involved towing along with a friend who knew the halls and trails of Carleton University quite well, or relying on a hand-scrawled map. The place was a stopover point for touring bands in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and many a beer was drunk during sets by the Pixies, Billy Bragg, and the Ramones.

Ming Wu, organizer of the 4in1 concert series, has been posting a series of helpful messages in the Facebook event page for people wondering where the heck The Pit is located.

Fast-forward to now and, well, plus ça change. The kids these days are still looking for precious gig space and they’re still heading to campus during exam time, when it’s near empty, to make some noise.

The venue of choice these days is The Pit, the open space inside Carleton’s Architecture building that’s used for exhibits and speakers — and concerts.

Ming Wu organizes the 4in1 Ottawa Music Sessions, where four up-and-coming bands play gigs in parks (the series moves indoors during cold weather), and is bringing the next session, on Sunday, Dec. 16, to The Pit. He welcomes attendees to wear an ugly sweater to fit with the season, while enjoying music by Salton Sea, Winchester Warm, The Yips, Adam Saikaley and Roberta Bondar.

If you have no idea how to find The Pit, fear not, Wu has been posting a series of helpful messages — with photos — in the 4in1 event page on Facebook to direct music lovers.

Kathleen Edwards tweeted this grade-school scrawling concert poster to alert people about her Manx show next week.

RARE GIG — SO RARE YOU HAVE TO BRING THREE, COUNT ‘EM THREE, CANS FOR THE FOOD BANK
At least that’s what this handmade poster says, as released on Twitter by @kittythefool — the account of singer-songwriter and heart-on-sleever Kathleen Edwards. She’ll be playing the tiny Manx Pub on Tuesday, Dec. 18, for the drinkery’s first-annual holiday charity gig. Tickets are $20, or $15 with the three cans. Expect the place to be extra packed (as opposed to regular packed) for this low-key performance by O-town’s rock daughter.

The post SOUND SEEKERS: An indie-insider hard to find event, a rare gig, and more in this roundup of weekend parties appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

Sound Seekers by Fateema Sayani is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine and follow her on Twitter @fateemasayani

Glorious MoonRockets (looking kind of mysterious in this photo) open for Finderskeepers at the Plaster Babies CD release party on Saturday.

Glorious MoonRockets are a new trio kicking out sludgy jams with a psychedelic bent. Their debut self-titled EP — released last month — was recorded in a Manotick shack to amplify that worn in sound. It was mastered by Paul “Yogi” Granger at Meatlocker Records, his studio that specializes in making metal and rawk bands sound their rawest.

The EP kicks off with a noise track — a big blast of feedback — to set the tone, before flowing into tracks called “Sharp Ends,” “Bus Stop,” and “They Can Really Shake (Ya Know).”

“We play fast and loud and we make a lot of noise — good noise,” says Chris Landry, 34, chief longhair and songwriter for the band. Landry used to write roots rock tunes in the band Harvey Kartel, before moving into rock ‘n’ roll with Glorious MoonRockets. (The band name comes from a Dave Norris lyric). Landry plays with Jamie Gordon (also of Golden Bulldozer) on bass and David DiMaria on drums.

Landry says technical perfection isn’t the band’s forte.

“I’m not a really great singer,” he says. “I’m not going to fool anybody with my voice because I’ve got an awesome range or something. I have to be behind what I’m singing for it to sound good.”

In punk tradition, they’re hoping to trade on their raw power and grit.

Glorious MoonRockets open for Finderskeepers at the Plaster Babies CD release party on Saturday, December 8. Burgers on Main, 343 Somerset St., W., 9 p.m., $7 ($5 with a food bank donation).

(WTF? It’s called Burgers on Main, since their Manotick location is situated on the prime thoroughfare. The Ottawa location is actually on Somerset, off Bank Street — FYI.)

MORE
Loviatar — the Ottawa band that does doom rock in an epic fashion — release their new CD called Widow’s Flame at the Dominion Tavern on Saturday with Alaskan and Barrow Wight (10 p.m., $8). Read all about Loviatar’s epic ethos in a previous post here.

The post SOUND SEEKERS: New band alert — Saturday night is your chance to check out the Ottawa trio Glorious MoonRockets appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

Sound Seekers by Fateema Sayani is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine and follow her on Twitter @fateemasayani

Megan Jerome tries out some of her songs on writer Fateema Sayani's old Heintzman piano.

Megan Jerome is in my living room playing my upright piano. It’s an old made-in-Canada Heintzman, bequeathed to me by a family member and it hasn’t been tuned in ages.

“That’s part of the charm,” Jerome, 38, says. Sitting on the claw-foot stool, her corkscrew curls piled atop her head, she works with the slightly warped sound and broken keys. Getting a feel for this particular piano, she tears into selections from her new self-titled album to an audience of one and a housecat.

The songs are sparse in their composition, but are made warm by a sensuous voice and sultry delivery. The song “Mike,” written about her husband (musician-composer Mike Essoudry), is a tender re-telling of warm exchanges in their long-blooming relationship. The song “Want” is more obscure on details, but is clear in its intention. Of the nine songs on the album, it’s the horndoggiest.

Jerome delivers this tune smoothly on the piano, and laughs loudly when we dissect the lyrics. (She rhymes “more” and “sore” in a yowza stanza). Other tunes display a sprightly sense of humour and an appreciation for the ends and bends of the piano — and the many ways you can manipulate it to get a great sound that’s more resonant.

Jerome heads to the NAC's fourth stage on Friday for her CD release show. Photo by Rémi Thériault.

She plays a tune that’s heavy on the bass-clef notes and we get to talking about Gonzales, the McGill-educated musician and producer who writes indie rock piano tunes and does some low-tech torquing, like adding more felt to parts of the inside of the piano, to expand the sound possibilities.

It’s an approach that piques her interest, as Jerome is looking to change things up. She spent a month in New Orleans for inspiration and, lately, started composing on a Wurlitzer to get a groovier sound than in her previous work. In the past, she led a jazz trio with Essoudry and Petr Cancura. They recorded two albums as the Megan Jerome Trio, while she released the solo album Bloomers in 2010. (Jerome likes sharp left turns. She studied engineering at Queen’s and worked in mining before she got her BMus in jazz composition from Carleton. She teaches music full-time.)

For her new album, Jerome recorded with producer Ross Murray at home on her Heintzman. She’ll try to replicate that candid, warm, living room vibe when she hosts a CD release show at the National Arts Centre fourth stage on Friday.

Megan Jerome CD release show, Friday, November 30, NAC Fourth Stage, 53 Elgin St., 7:30 p.m., $20.

The post SOUND SEEKERS: Megan Jerome brings the candid, living room vibe to her CD release concert at the NAC this Friday appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

Sound Seekers by Fateema Sayani is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine and follow her on Twitter @fateemasayani

Elephant Stone, with frontman Rishi Dhir (left) play Zaphod's on Nov. 28. Photo by Bowen Stead

Rishi Dhir can do a wild number on the sitar. He’s the main man behind the Montreal band Elephant Stone, which spins out tunes both dirgey and Desi and brings to mind Brit bands such as Kula Shaker and The Stone Roses.

Elephant Stone dispatches hippie wisdom in tunes with names like “Heavy Moon” and “Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin,” while showing a raucous appreciation for their mod-rock roots. Dhir’s previous bands included The High Dials and The Datsons and he’s recorded with Soundtrack of Our Lives. Elephant Stone recently signed to Hidden Pony Records (Danko Jones, Rah Rah, Said the Whale), who will release their forthcoming second full-length album. The band’s debut, Seven Seas, was nominated for the Polaris Music Prize.

Elephant Stone plays Zaphod Beeblebrox, 27 York St., Wednesday, November 28, 8 p.m., $8.

WEEKEND BEST BETS
Six bands will pile into the Antique Skateboard Shop at 9 Florence St. in Centretown on Sunday for an afternoon rock session that’s part of the 4 in 1 band series of concerts. The name 4 in 1 came from the fact that four bands could be found in one place for an afternoon of music. In the summer, there were shows in parks with bands playing a 30-minute set and there was no cover charge. The series continues this weekend with performances by Yanis, Sarah Jane Johnston, The Love Machine, JF Robitaille, Peas & Carrots, and Marxist Cowboy. 1:30-5 p.m. Find details on Antique Skateboard’s Facebook page here.

After the show, head over to 209 Gilmour St., near Elgin. That’s the site of the Record Shaap, a tune-haven since 2010. There will be a closing sale with deals on records and CDs from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Owner Matty McGovern says his upstairs neighbour, vintage shop Gypsy & Co., is closing that storefront and moving their business online and he decided it was time to move on to new endeavours as well.

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Sound Seekers by Fateema Sayani is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine and follow her on Twitter @fateemasayani

Dave Norris & Local Ivan

Dave Norris uses the story of Canadian bank robber Ty Conn as a jumping off point on his second album called They Let You Paint Your Darker Dreams. Conn busted out of Kingston Penitentiary in 1999. He was running free for two weeks, until police found him in a Toronto apartment.

“Out of sheer desperation, facing the balance of a forty-seven-year prison sentence if re-incarcerated, Ty Conn shot himself fatally in the chest,” write CBC reporters Theresa Burke and Linden MacIntyre in their book, Who Killed Ty Conn.

The story resonated with Norris, an Ottawa songwriter who performs with his band called Local Ivan. Norris read an article about the Conn case and then searched out more information.

“Ty Conn had such a horrible background,” Norris says. “His life was about going from foster home to foster home and a lot of the record, lyrically, is about that character — if not specifically Ty Conn, then that character.”

Norris takes artistic license in exploring the feelings and ideas of a man on the lam. The eight-track album opens with “There’s Lonely, There’s Lonelier.” It’s got a simple one-two chord opening, before the song bursts into a swirl of sky-searing choruses and lush embellishments. It’s a Norris formula to go from simple to soaring. He did it well on his 2011 full-length debut, Alma Mater, which was full of dynamic tunes with swooshy instrumental largesse.

This album continues in that vein with buoyant pop glory made by kids reared on The Beatles, but mired in contemporary conundrums.

Towards the end of the album, we see the results of a life like Conn’s.

When he shot himself, Conn was on the telephone with Burke, a TV producer at the fifth estate. Burke and MacIntyre met Conn at a Saskatchewan Correctional Institute in 1994 in relation to a story on the effects of child abuse. In their book, they say that Conn wasn’t a danger to society, but simply a man trying to come to terms “with a life of rejection.”

Norris’ song “Where You End Up” sums up the irony and anger he felt about a story like this.

Dave Norris & Local Ivan release their new CD Friday at Mavericks, opening for Kalle Mattson and Cuff the Duke. 221 Rideau St., 9 p.m., $17 adv.

ALSO
East Coast songwriter Jenn Grant is at the National Arts Centre for two dates: November 16 and 17.

The Souljazz Orchestra, back from a European tour, play Le Petit Chicago November 17.

Triple O-town songwriter bill: Ashley Newall, Andrea Simms-Karp and Shannon Rose & The Thorns play a free show at the Atomic Rooster November 16.

Gabba Gabba Hey! Sit in for a screening of that cheeseball Roger Corman classic, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School — the Ramones’ big-screen outing from 1979 — Wednesday at the Invisible Cinema. 8 p.m. Free.

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