Kataplexis

Tremolo picking, double-bass galore, and the deepest growls and highest shrieks this side of the TransCanada highway are all available in healthy doses in Kataplexis’ music. Kataplexis play a unique blend of death metal and Grindcore, but judging by their music, they seem to transcend the genre boundaries and focus on the music itself rather than on its genre.

Vocalist Kyle Ball goes from growls to powerful shrieks instantly, while the guitar assault of Jordan Schritt and Erik Anderson balances between melody and technicality. The guitars are definitely the main highlight of the songs, and they range from thrashy to slow as seen in Force Fed and PST.  The drums, although not anything revolutionary to the genre, are still extremely technical and get the job done. Bassist Rory Babkirk is a skilled bass player, but the Grindcore genre is notorious for having bass lines mixed very low. Nevertheless, Babkirk’s bass lines in songs like Razor Ramone, along with Dave Callahan’s furious drum fills, provide a great rhythm section that adds to the overall heaviness and skill of the music.

Having played with bands like The Black Dahlia Murder, Impaled, and Cattle Decapitation, Kataplexis have the necessary experience and talent needed to branch out and make a name for themselves in the metal world.

Kataplexis played their last show (for this year) at Vern’s on November 4th, and are currently in the pre-production stage of their upcoming full-length album. You can listen to Kataplexis’ music at http://www.myspace.com/kataplexis.

-M

Welcome To the Team M!

Here's a little bit about our newest team member, M!!  He is working on his premiere blog which will hopefully be up later this week.  We're excited to see what he has in store for us!


About me:
Im in my second year at the UofC, I like to listen to/play music, and will probably eat up anything that comes out of Thom Yorke's mouth, and I mean anything. I used to live in Dubai (+40 weather) and came to Calgary (-40 weather) in 2008. Finally, I like pie.

Favorite Movies:
The Motorcycle Diaries, One week, Space jam.

Favorite music:
Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Fleet Foxes, Delta Spirit, Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Pale White Gentlemen, Coldplay, Explosions in the Sky, The Grateful Dead, The Velvet Underground, Checkpoint 303 (awesome electro music from the West Bank) and Neutral Milk Hotel.



Cool!!

-S

Autumn Arsonists Unite!

Has anyone seen My So Called Life? It was big in the early 90s and I just love it. I'm not exactly sure when the guys from Autumn Arson were born (though they are in high school), but their sound perfectly coincides with that show. They classify themselves as a pop punk/ rock/ hardcore, and really which band these days is just one genre? Everyone is pushing the limits, trying to find their own sound. Why would you want to sound like someone else?

I personally think it sounds late 90s grunge, everyone is entitled to their own opinion right? Anyways what lacks vocals makes up with catchy instrumentals and over 600+ fans on facebook this band certainly knows how to market themselves. And did I mention that they won Airdrie's City View 2009 Readers Choice award for best local band/ musician? Check them out on their myspace page http://www.myspace.com/autumnarsonband or http://www.autumnarson.com/Home_Page.html

One cool tid-bit is that they call their fans Autumn Arsonists. And all the Arsonists will be heading over to their show on  Friday, November 20th at the John Dutton Theatre, 616 Macleod Trail SE. And the show will be running from around 5:00 to 11:00. This is actually the Break Your Band 2009, and a pretty big deal, so come out and show your support!

-B

Hi Friends

BIG NEWS

Tomorrow, we will be meeting with the newest member of our team.  We want to be able to get 2 blogs out/week but that is proving to be a challenge with our busy schedule.  BUT! The newest member of our team is going to make it all that much easier.

He is super cool, and songwrites/plays guitar so he will bring a unique element to the team.

We will get him to write a little bit about himself tomorrow, and hopefully we will be able to get 2 or 3 blogs up next week!

=)


The team

Happy November!!

Hey friends,

I hope everyones October, and more specifically Halloween was beyond amazing. I know from what I can remember of Halloween night it was pretty decent! I just wanted to talk about a sweet event happening this month.

I'm sure you all know the Grey Cup is coming to our lovely city. Even though this is mainly centred around the football game, there are some sweet bands playing at the Enmax Street fest on Stephen Ave:

Friday the 27th:

Cripple Creek Fairies, The Lions and The Dudes

28th:

Random Task Collective, Madcowboys, MBF

29th:

Fuzzcat

And of course, it's all free!! You would be a fool to miss these awesome bands.

Just a FYI =)

Caspa Interview

HI FRIENDS!

I just received the DJ Caspa interview back, time didn't really work out for a phone interview so we sent a bunch of our (and your questions- thanks!) off to him. We had a fun section at the bottom of some of your requested random facts and favourites, unfortunately they were lost somewhere, but we have the rest!

How did you get your start in DJ’ing?

I’ve always been into music…several members of my family are pretty keen record collectors so there have always been piles of vinyl around the house…DJing was just a natural step

Who has inspired you the most?

I appreciate anyone who does their own thing…in terms of an electronic act I think the way prodigy have developed and done things on their own terms is pretty inspiring

What makes dubstep different from other electronica type sounds?

Its fresh and its constantly evolving…maybe the fastest evolving genre of electronic music at the moment

Do you have any advice for people who want to get into the industry?

Go with your heart…do what you believe in…try and think long term

Who are your favourite artists that you have worked with?

I loved working on the kid sister mix..doing depeche mode was an honour…and deadmau5 is making some good moves

Who do you hope to work with in the future?

Brilliant artists-whether no-one knows em or everyone knows em!

What’s next for Caspa?

Canada!...More touring…more production…more remixing…and a new mix album!

Is this your first time in Calgary?

Canada is always brilliant…I love the enthusiasm every time I come

What are you most excited to see while here?

Crazy up for it Canadians having a brilliant time!

What makes your show the place to be this Halloween?

Where better for the dopest ghost in town to spend Halloween?;)

Cool! So as you know he is coming to What About Bobs this Halloween. Check him out at:

http://www.myspace.com/caspadubstep

In other news, we're doing a cool bit about this band called Kataplexis. We hope to have it up asap!! Keep checking back and sending us your comments/band news.

Happy Halloween! Be safe, friends!

-S

GOOD NEWS! We made Halloween plans for you!

I adore dance/electro music. It is fun to listen to, rarely sounds the same from artist to artist, and is a quick growing industry. I pride myself on being a pretty good fan, so I was very intrigued when I found about “dubstep”, and DJ Caspa.

According to www.urbandictionary.com (the source for everything non-academia related), dubstep is essentially music with a lot of bass, not very much treble, and a really smooth rhythm. Sometimes it is a bit mellow, but it isn’t a necessity. Lucky for us, a huge name in dubstep is coming to our city this Halloween.

DJ Caspa got his start back in the UK (yes ladies, he does still have that accent we adore so very much), and has been a growing name ever since. He has remixed some pretty major songs such as “I Remember” by Deadmau5, and “Black and Blue” by Miike Snow. I demand all of you, right now, to go listen to his “I Remember” remix. It’s awesome.

Anyways, I’m keeping this pretty brief because we are getting a chance to chat with Caspa sometime this week. Let us know if you have any questions that you want us to ask him!

Comment your questions, OR email us: calgarymusicblog@gmail.com

and check out Caspa Halloween at What About Bobs

-S

Ps.

Here are some sweet Djs to watch for in our city:

Smalltown DJs

For those of you U of C students, you will remember them from BSD last year. They also opened for MSTRKRFT and Steve Aoki, and you can find them at the Hifi Club! They always bring a sick party. We are hoping to get the chance to meet and chat with them sometime soon!

Wax Romeo

He often plays alongside Smalltown. Seriously, if you haven’t checked out the Hifi on a Thursday night, your partying life is not complete.

FMM

Ever wanted to hear Jesus and Fergie combined in a song bird angel fashion? Meet Fast Moving Mountains. I'm kidding of course, and so was Joshua Hughes, vocals and guitar. These boys have quite the sense of humor! I watched a brilliant video interview courtesy of LoveBeanMedia, and got to know Josh and Corey James- guitar and drums- pretty well. According to them Josh provides the more sensitive side and Corey brings the 'legit' rock side. I couldn't help but smile. These guys are probably used to this reaction from women though. Especially considering that they fully realize that Back to You is a mom favorite among their fans.

Your favorite song, is a song I would listen to when I'm doing something mindless (like anything at work). It reminds me of the endless possibilities I slip past everyday and wish I could have grabbed a hold of. And One Sided Phone conversation is a real heart melter. Take a listen! http://www.myspace.com/fastmovingmountains Because after all music wants to be played and heard.

-B

P.S. Here's the video if you want to find out just who bought their instruments!
click

We Haven't Forgotten About You

Hey Friends,

So sorry for not posting something sooner, this week was full of midterms and hectic work schedules. But, we do have some stuff ready to go that we will be posting ASAP (hopefully by the end of today or tomorrow) on this cool band called Fast Moving Mountains.

Also, we have been receiving a few emails that are beginning with "I don't know if you are still taking bands..." WE ARE ALWAYS TAKING BANDS! So don't stop emailing us and telling us about who you are and what you do. We love to hear about it, and the more we get, the more we will be able to post! Plus it's free publicity, how great is that?

There are a couple cool things that some people don't know about on the blog.

1. Comments: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF BLOGSPOT TO COMMENT! You can leave them anonymous!

2. Subscribe: If you have a blog, subscribe to us to get our updates to you asap!

Finally, instead of the typical Halloween get drunk thing, we're trying to find something different, full of fun people and good music. Any ideas?

P.S. To respond to the above or to tell us about your band we're at: calgarymusicblog@gmail.com

Matt Blais!

Matt Blais

I found Matt’s CD sometime last year when Play in Market Mall was closing. I was buying another CD and I figured I would pick something else up that was completely random. I had never heard of Matt at the time but I honestly bought it because I thought the cover was super cool. Anyways, I got back to my car and put it into my stereo, and I really enjoyed it! Although I am a bit more of a Death Cab For Cutie sort of indie fan, Matts music still made it’s way onto my itunes, and his song Oh, What Can I Do is pretty high up in my listens count.

Matt’s voice is entirely unique, and really fits into his old-style rock and roll music edge. If you are into classic rock, or just like a unique voice and refreshing style, his music is for you!

Unfortunately, you cannot find any of the songs on his EP that I have (The Matt Blais Connection) on his Myspace. This just means you will have to check him out in person in one of his upcoming shows (listed below). But for the time being, he does have this cool song called “I’m In Love” up. Being the romantic that I am, I am terribly curious to hear about the inspiration for this song, I’ll ask and get back to you!

You can check out Matt live in Okotoks tomorrow night at the Broken Stone.

Or: In Olds at Tracks Pub on October 23rd

Or for us city kids, at Cieli’s Irish Pub (803 8^th Ave SW) on Nov 7^th (For those of you who haven’t been to Cieli’s, it’s a great place! My friend had her first muff dive there, and the staff was amazing when she couldn’t figure out how to do it haha)

http://www.myspace.com/mattblais

à la Nix Dicksons

You know something’s up when both you and your mom are tapping along to the same songs. True story though, I guess The Nix Dicksons just have that effect on the young and old alike. And my mom being particularly choosy with her music- changing the radio station/ song every few minutes- genuinely enjoyed this local band's song King of Connecticut. Even listened to the whole thing, trust me, if you knew her this is shocking stuff.


My favorite song would be harder to choose. Big Kids absolutely speaks to me. Probably the blunt and honest lyrics, two things I never get enough of. And Curtis’ Zombie Movie is the perfect song to wake up to and get ready to face anything. Visit their myspace and let me know which song are you going to be humming all day long. http://www.myspace.com/thenixdicksons Like S said, comments are more than welcome!





I recently acquired their Panda EP (photo above) from a recent concert both S and I had attended and was pleasantly surprised at how diverse all the songs are, especially for a 6 track EP. Impressive in the least! With such a good guy attitude, and laid-back approach I know this band will make it far. And with a rad new bass player, she's sure to shake things up a bit. You go girl!


This brilliant EP isn't even out until the 18th and I am counting myself pretty damn lucky for having it before anyone else. But you too can pick one up at Megatunes or head to the FREE (you heard right) release party this Sunday, at Tropicana located in Marda Loop, and will be sold for a steal of $6. At that price you can grab one for a friend to hey? =) And be sure to wish the band happy first birthday!




Something special about The Nix is that they don’t take themselves too seriously, this band definitely knows how to have fun and they don’t use pretentious lyrics and try to sound philosophical by using silly metaphors that only the 'enlightened' one can relate to. Each song was very different sounding, and yet every one has that little bit of something special, à la Nix Dicksons.


-B

Imma Let You Finish, But Susie Forsyth...

Susie Forsyth

When Susie sent us a message I really didn’t know what to think. She was the first email we had received where the artist introduced herself as a singer/songwriter. I was honestly terribly intrigued to find out what she had to offer. It was a great surprise to hear her music. Some artists take a few listens before beginning to really enjoy them, while others you enjoy immediately; Susie is in the latter group. Being a typical girl, and loving Taylor Swift, I was very excited to hear the similarities. Although their voices are similar, Swift sounds a bit more country (which works out since Susie doesn’t consider herself country), this is not my favorite similarity. It is the real, genuine and honest lyrics, paired with natural talent. My song pick is When He Breaks Your Heart, it is one of those songs that captures your interest first by the music, then the lyrics come in and it’s so obvious that this girl has talent.

Okay, I know you are impressed, but she is only 17. There is no doubt this local singer/songwriter has a bright future!

Check her out this Sunday October 18^th, at the Ironwood Stage and Grill (1429, 9th Ave SE)

http://www.myspace.com/susieforsyth

-s

WE LAUNCH IN TWO DAYS

I'M SO EXCITED!

we have so much ready to go up and have so many ideas for weeks to come,

but we never have enough artists!

keep emailing us and letting us know who you are and what you do and how we can help!

OFFICIAL CMB LAUNCH OCTOBER 16/2009!!

Meet B

So hi. This being my first blog and all, and me being a mysterious blonde at the keyboard (I'll give you that much), we have much to talk about to get acquainted, I'd say. My best friend and I being young, beautiful and sometimes bored girls have found something to keep ourselves busy lately and this has resulted in the fabulous CMB. Though the official kick off date hasn't happened yet, I can say for one that I am Pumped. Capital P indeed. Yes everyone is always looking for the newest and hottest thing to keep themselves entertained with, but this doesn't have to turn all 'flavor of the week'.

I for one would love to be in New York right now, or some amazing place in Europe listening to all the kinds of music I have not yet had the chance to hear. This is what CMB is about. This is our own fair city after all, with all it's undiscovered gems. It's the chance to hear something amazing and real that a person possibly from the same city as you, possibly sitting on the train near you, possibly in front of you in line for a coffee at Tim's, constructed with their own sheer, raw talent. And let me tell you something about talent, everyone knows when something is real. For me, an amazing singer gives me goosebumps every time. Seriously every time. I'd say it mostly happens when I listen to live music; feel someone pouring themselves out to me, a complete stranger and feel completely honored that they trust me so.

I'd say a certain type of individual loves local music- the heroic type. A person that has maybe been in that position previously; wishes they would have the courage to be, or just loves believing in people who don't give up their dream of becoming the rock star. No, not for the fame but for the music, for the people. Someone who doesn't punk out and get a job in some corporation doing seemingly mindless tasks, while wishing for that one person that would take the change to listen to what you have to say. Well I'd just like to say CMB is listening, so go on pour your heart out.

Little Teaser!

Hey everyone!

First, thanks for your support! We have had a great response from the Calgary community!

Second, we just wanted to tease a little that we will be running stories on Matt Blais and the Nix Dicksons (they're kind of a big deal).

And finally, artists, do not hesitate to continue to contact us! The more artists who want to be promoted, the more we will be able to promote local music!

And we're off...

Welcome to The CMB! Your newest and soon to be most favourite source for all of Calgary's hottest local music.


With this blog, we hope to:
- Introduce readers to new and old bands, by writing reviews of their shows and singles.  
- Promote bands through the use of posted interviews and biographies.
- Essentially, to unite bands with fans in a new, simpler way.


Bands: We know you need all the promotion and exposure you can get, so do not hesitate to email us to let us know about your band at calgarymusicblog@gmail.com


We are currently in the process of building our collection of reviews and bands. We will officially launch on OCTOBER 16 2009!