Biography
From Grandpa I got my storytelling. His visits were rare, as he and grandma lived in St. Catherines Ontario, and we lived just outside Calgary, Alberta. They spoiled all 8 of us children (according to my dad) but the biggest gift Grandpa always gave us was to tell us bedtime stories of the “olden days”.

Grandpa’s stories usually involved exciting stuff like runaway teams of horses, shooting at wolves, or somebody getting body parts torn off. His tales were filled with gestures and sound effects. He really had a way of bringing them to life. And he listened when a kid told him a story. He made you feel your stories were important.

From Mom and Dad I got music. My Dad and my other Grandpa were both musicians. Grandpa Hubele (of whom I knew very little) was a very good organ player. My dad played fiddle in his early years, touring around southern Alberta with a country dance band. He and Mom would, very occasionally, play duets on fiddle and piano when we were little kids.

I can remember waiting til my parents went out. Since I was the oldest, I often babysat my brothers and sisters. I would sneak into Dad’s fiddle case to take out the fiddle and play it. Except I was always trying to make it sound like a guitar, and I played it like one.

We moved back and forth across the country, from Ontario to Alberta and back many times as I grew up. Dad kept trading up for jobs, and I was in a new school almost every year. I became a loner and a rebel. I turned to humor to make up for my small size. I’d find the biggest kid in class, figure out how to make him laugh, and I didn’t have to worry about the rest of the bullies. It pays to have friends in high places.

I believe I had an undiagnosed hearing problem caused by a trauma (now confirmed as a severe hearing loss). I never could quite understand the lyrics on the radio which was always on in our house, so I made up my own.

My earliest memories were of crossing the big empty fields which made up the neighborhoods of my youth, singing at the top of my lungs and making up words as I went along. My mom says she could pick me out of the flocks of kids coming home from school. I’d be waving my arms and singing to myself as I walked across the prairie.

I started writing songs in a serious way when I was 21 years old. A friend, who had been showing me how to play guitar, and I went out to live on the beach on Vancouver Island at Pacific Rim Park. I was picking away when a simple line kept repeating itself in my head. I wrote it down, and in ten minutes I had a song. It seemed to open flood gates, and for the next 2 or 3 years I wrote a song or two a week. I average about a song a month now. But, they are better songs.

(over)

Biography, page 2

To write successfully, I usually have to be alone, have all my chores done and time on my hands. Words and melody most often develop at the same time. It takes from 10 minutes to 1 hour to write a song. It takes me two weeks to learn it. I like to wrap a song around a good story line. They always come from my own experiences.

I was fascinated with the blues from the get-go. I came in through the back door. J.J. Cale, then Hot Tuna. Then B.B. King, Freddy King, and Muddy Waters.

When I heard Bonnie Raitt play slide guitar, I was gone. I had to learn how to do that. I followed her trail back to Mississippi Fred McDowell. “You want rock, you gonna have to put me in a rockin’ chair. I plays the straight and natural blues.”

I also paid attention to the songwriters, my favorites being Paul Simon, Harry Nillson, Willie Dixon, and Tom Waits.

My interest in jazz developed through my association with other musicians like Calgary’s late Chuck Tracy, a gruff, funny, kind of crazy lounge musician. He introduced me to Tom Waits, Mose Allison, and Fats Waller amongst others.

As well, it became a habit to listen to the great Alberta radio station CKUA on Saturdays. Bill Coull’s Jazz Show was a fifteen year course in ‘Everything You Should Know About Jazz’.

I also have a life-long addiction to comedy movies and comic books. One of my Dad’s jobs was as a projectionist in a small town. Once a week on Saturday night the local community hall was turned into a theatre. I was very young (3 years til 7 years old) but those old black and white 16mm movies of the Marx Bros, Chaplin, and W.C. Fields remain deep in my psyche.

I think this was a great influence on my writing. Most of my songs have a little humor and a strange twist to them.

I have worked as a laborer and heavy equipment operator and truck driver since leaving the University of Calgary after 4 years of unrelated courses and wandering interests. Previous to that, I had worked at the CPR as a ticket clerk. I began working at age 14 at the steel mill where my father worked. I did not graduate from high school.

I have written songs for 32 years. Recording began for me in 1978 with the Acme Sausage Company with Holger Petersen broadcast on CKUA. Since then, I have been on countless radio and tv programs. I have recorded 6 albums of original material, and I just finished recording my demo for the 7th, and most exciting, CD - ‘Down In Davis Bay’.

•  Somewhere down the midnight cafe

Spygirl plays lush, melodic, elegant, and dark pop/rock. If Spygirl were a martini, they’d be equal parts sonic assault, naked duets and lush harmonies with a dash of drum & bass, and garnished with a twist of Canadiana - shaken vigorously, of course. If Spygirl were an outfit, you’d look geek-slick, full in all the right places and your ass would look hot.

Spygirl recently completed their second full-length album, pieces of evidence, slated for national release March 2008.

Spygirl was overjoyed to work once again with favourite musical wizard Tom Rothrock, who mixed a few songs on their 2000 self-titled debut. This time he came on board as Producer in full. Mr. Rothrock (who has also created records with some of popular music’s great recent innovators such as Beck, Elliott Smith, Elbow, Sloan, Badly Drawn Boy and James Blunt) helped the band create a spontaneous, relaxed and raw recording, due in part to his laid back mix of confidence, spontaneity, knowledge and love of music, and in part to recording much of the album live off the floor. The result is a group of songs that belong together, sharing a landscape that is lush, melodic, elegant and dark.

This is the band’s 12th year. The Vancouver-based 6 piece group was born out of a musical bond between founders Koralee Tonack (lead vocals, guitar) and Jane Gowan (trumpet, keyboards). The two initially formed Time Waits - the acoustically charming mother of today’s luscious pop child. The group included Jon Roper (guitar), performing mostly original songs written by Gowan. Several recordings were released on cassette. Now those are hidden away in boxes...somewhere. Eventually James Ong (keyboards) and Eduardo Ottoni (drums) joined, and with a fuller sound developing, the band released their debut CD entitled This Thin Disguise.

A collective desire to streamline the sound resulted in a less acoustic, more pop/rock sound. The viola da gamba and accordion, previously played by Ong and Gowan respectively, were abandoned in favour of keyboards, fender rhodes and trumpet. By this time other band members had begun contributing to the songwriting, creating excitement and freshness. As the direction of the music changed, so did the name, and the band’s self-titled debut (informally known as The Yellow Album) was recorded just as the transformation to Spygirl took place. The disc was nominated for a West Coast Music Award and also gained much positive media attention.

In 2005 Al MacInnes (bass) joined the band to add substance to the style. Now with a full line-up to carry the tunes, Spygirl released a 5-song EP as a precursor to the full-length album in August, 2005. The songs on this disc are homages to the band’s constant quest for the perfect pop epic. All the tracks from this disc were re-recorded on pieces of evidence.

Spygirl has toured in Canada and the UK, and plans to be out on the road again in early 2008 to support the new album.

•  Powerful voice. Melancholic sounds.
•  Hauntingly powerful
•  honey and sugar

Vincent Van Gogh “loved life so bad, his paintings had twice the color other paintings had”. So sings Jonathan Richman (on Rockin’ and Romance).

And that tells you something about musician Allison Crowe.

A modern lover of music, blogger Muruch frames it like this: "There's really no way to convey through mere words how much the music... moves me, or how I want other people to listen to and adore it as much as I do. Allison sings with such an intensity of emotion, it's easy to see why she's often quoted as saying 'Why music? Why breathing?'... that kind of artistic passion seems extremely rare these days."

"I love singing for people," says Allison Crowe. "It's a way to connect and share with others. Communication is crucial. Just being able to do what I do, to write and sing and perform, makes me feel not only alive, but incredibly lucky. Knowing at any moment everything could change, I don't take one second for granted."

Born 26 years ago, on an island, in the harbour city of Nanaimo, B.C., today Crowe's reach is global. The audience for her music videos and song downloads numbers in the millions.

"Allison Crowe has a voice to fall in love with," says UK music industry journal Record of the Day. "She is from Vancouver Island in Canada, descended from Scottish, Irish and Manx stock. She's exactly the sort of artist who can make serious headway on her own label and that's just what she's doing."

When this phenomenon 'from the islands' reached the mainland she steered a path clear of what Joni Mitchell knowingly calls the record industry’s “style inventions”. With Ani DiFranco and Loreena McKennitt as models Crowe created her own label. Since 2003, Rubenesque Records Ltd has released five critically and commercially successful albums: Lisa's Song+ 6 Songs; Secrets; Tidings; Live at Wood Hall; and This Little Bird.

"The first thing you notice about Allison Crowe is her voice. Rich and dark, it seems to come from a place most singers can only dream of accessing. Then there are the songs. Filled with raw passion and accompanied by Crowe's eloquent piano playing," writes Clodagh O'Connell (The Courier). Hers is a joyous sound: "Elton John meets Edith Piaf."

A sensation at the UK’s John Lennon Northern Lights Festival, “Canadian angel Alison Crowe gave one of the weekend's most magical moments," says The Scotsman. Festival Director Mike Merritt describes Crowe as "awesome" and "spine-tingling", noting her performance “put hairs on the back of your neck! She brought the house down."

A true grassroots success, Crowe’s praised not only as a singularly talented songwriter - on themes personal as well as worldly - and as a visceral performer, but, also, as a supreme interpreter of song. Her vital takes on such 21st century standards as Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and Joni Mitchell's "River" are applauded as "truly transcendent". Her Tidings CD, a mix of traditional carols plus songs of joy, peace, and redemption from the secular songbook, is an emerging classic: "music for the season and all time".

"Her voice celebrates the music with a bluesy rock-gospel intensity; her controlled vibrato, silken rasp, and powerful projection rivet your attention. This is no casual background music. be prepared to be amazed," says Hamline University Professor Of Law - and CD reviewer - Carol Swanson. "Every song radiates sincerity, creative flair, and emotional intensity."

”It takes a lot of self-confidence to tackle Aretha (Franklin)'s version of 'I Never Loved a Man...' but Allison does and nails it just as good as the Queen of Soul herself. Her piano playing is equally exquisite," says Bob Muller, curator of song covers at JoniMitchell.com in his review of Crowe’s newest album, This Little Bird. He sums up: "Treat yourself to one of the mightiest talents on the singer-songwriter scene today."

David Powell, Welsh-based tech writes: "I'm listening to 'Effortless' on (Allison Crowe's) This Little Bird album with my Pro-Ject headphone amplifier turned up about a quarter more than on most modern records. It sounds fantastic because unlike most modern records it hasn't had the **** compressed out of it to raise the loudness."

Vocalist, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, engineer, producer and arranger, Allison Crowe now lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia and Corner Brook, Newfoundland. From these home-bases, (spanning the full 7000 km breadth of Canada), she tours steadily, earning a reputation for exciting live shows that stir together her original songs with much-loved interpretations in an organic blend of rock, jazz, folk, Broadway, gospel and soul.

"Ever wonder what it would have been like to listen to a gifted singer/songwriter from Saskatchewan in a small, intimate hall before she became Joni Mitchell? Don't fret the missed opportunity. There's no need to turn back the clock. Check out Allison Crowe," says Robert Reid in The Record.

"Allison has a special gift that is so very rare in musicians today. She is true to her mind, heart and spirit," says Ross Hocker, long-time public broadcaster with NPR affiliate WGTE. Hocker, whose musical taste embraces Thelonious Monk, Bela Bartok and Charles Gounod, calls Allison Crowe's live performance "the most honest, heartfelt, and directly intimate concert in my entire life."

"In an entertainment world that increasingly genuflects at the altar of instant fame, Crowe seems an anomaly, building her career slowly and carefully," notes Adrian Chamberlain, of Canada's Times Colonist newspaper.

"Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music is what I want to make," says Allison Crowe.

You can lend an ear...

Rio Bent is carving a new niche in the genre of punk rock. With powerful female vocals, intense guitars and explosive percussion Rio Bent is kicking out elegant raunch for the ages.

Winning over audiences wherever they play with a riveting ‘can’t take your eyes off them’ stage show.

They’ve appeared nation-wide on Much Music, toured from Vancouver to Montreal and shared the stage with such indie-punk greats as the Mad Caddies and the Black Halos.

Rio Bent is on the brink of releasing their debut full length CD, produced, recorded and mixed by Paul Forgues (Slayer, Hatebreed), Blair Calibaba (NoMeansNo, Propaghandhi) and Dave Rave Ogilvie (Nine Inch Nails, 54-40).

Graceful, tasteful and highly attractive,
Rio Bent is the grit and glory you’ve been waiting for.

•  the kids are alright
•  Pure Punk

Playing the compositions of Cam May, Sandy Barron, and Lara White, Remote Kid is a seven piece pop-rock band based in Calgary. An enjoyment of carefully controlled noise, vocal harmonies, and difficult arrangements is their hallmark.

•  They're back!
•  Another great one from Remote...
•  Really great stuff!

With life spinning out of control on tour in the UK as "The Ryecatchers," Danny and Mark decided it was time for a change… Returning to Vancouver, Danny bumped into an old flame, Shannon, and after a few drinks she decided she would rather be in a band than a relationship with him. Danny reluctantly agreed, phoned Mark, and formed Danny Echo in the fall of 2005! Since then the Vancouver music scene has embraced the incredible vibe of Danny Echos’ rock and rollio presence. “Half the audience knows the words better than I do,” Danny said at a recent Railway club show. And even if they don’t know the songs, audiences still get into the energy and sounds of Danny Echo. With influences drawing from the greats like The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Beatles, Radiohead, Oasis, and U2, Danny Echo reverberates with all that is melodic, all that is catchy, and all that is rock and roll. As Mark observed, "it's all that it should be, damn it!! In between rockin' out around Western Canada and playing around Vancouver, a 5 song EP has been recorded and is now available for download at dannyecho.com. The full length album is currently being written and arranged, and will be out in time for Christmas - but only if you behave yourselves, you spoiled little brats!

photo by - Darlene Murray


Melody Park is a female fronted band with an eclectic collection of rock and pop music. This full-time professional group captivate an audience with their high energy live performance that breathes life into songs filled with catchy choruses and melody. The rich and powerful vocals flow through the music and tight performance of the band inducing sonics that find a place ringing over and over in your head. Melody Park has been compared to classic artists such as Blondie and Pat Benatar while resembling modern artists Bif Naked, Gwen Stefani, No Doubt, and Kelly Clarkson.

Melody Park originaly formed October 2004 in Terrace, BC, Canada. The group began recording in Terrace and later moved the project to Greenhouse Studios in Vancouver the summer of 2005. Once production was complete Melody Park released their debut CD "Playground of Sound" in January 2006. After a brief tour of northwest British Columbia, supported by Standard Radio "The Mix 590", the drummer and bass player left the group. The remaining members Christa (Melody) Klukas, Brian Condie and Rossano Valmonte moved the main base of operations to Calgary, AB, Canada in August after searching many markets in Canada for players. Melody Park emerged performing in the Calgary scene June of 2007 with bass player Randy Burton, while new drummer Greg Collins joined the band in February 2008. The band decided to diversify their business and incorporate a cover show based on artists the group sounds like to use it as a vehicle to showcase their original music. That decision has made Melody Park one of the most popular bands in the region, keeping them booked and working full-time. Performing the cover show has enabled Melody Park to expose and market their own music every night in clubs that don't book aspiring original bands. With people cheering and dancing to their songs everywhere they play, Melody Park is eager to take the show on tour in Canada and other International markets in 2008. Every audience is a chance to make new fans of the "Playground of Sound" and Melody Park.

In 2007 Melody Park accomplished releasing their debut video for the single "Hello", track 1 from the "Playground of Sound" CD. The video's release had been delayed and somewhat bitter sweet as only 3 members remained since filming the production. However, the feedback and response to the video has been a welcome and learning experience which the group plans to utilize in a new video production sometime in 2008.
Amidst all the video planning and live performing, Melody Park is also busy writing and developing new music for future singles and eventually a full length CD.The group already has 40+ songs in pre-production but there is presently no set timeline for completion of a new CD. However, the band would like to record and release some new music to fans before the end of the year.

Achievements

- independant release 11 song CD "Playground of Sound" 2006
- independant music video production, "Hello" 2007 (Playground of Sound 2006)
- airplay on "The Mix 590" Standard Radio / Northern British Columbia division
- airplay on CFNR 92.1 / Canada's First Nations Radio : British Columbia
- airplay on "The Kong Radio 93.5FM" in Kaui, Hawaii
- airplay on "Music Radio 97FM" in Trinidad & Tobago
- album available at ITunes, Napster, Emusic, Sony Connect and many more popular digital sources
- over 1500 CD's sold at shows and online since the 2006 printing
- 80 live shows in 2007

This is Melody Park

•  
•  An excellent album

Formed haphazardly in 2003 at an apartment above Hot Wax in Kensington, Calgary. Originally just some songs and fragments of songs that were shoved through some wires connected to an 8 track recorder that had a convenient USB output for connecting to a computer. Less than a year later a few more friends climbed on board what will heretofore be known ominously as 'the harrisonford project' and Ian's love for Billy Bragg, trumpets, keyboards and female singers amalgamated into a solid nugget of pure, unadulturated rock goodness.

Goodbye, living room.

•  Peaceful and warm

ONEYEDJACKS ON ITUNES:
Click the below link to be transported to our iTunes store...

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=214816658&s=143455

The Tale of Oneyedjack...
Since 2004, the band has been steadily mining cold gold and pleasuring the Vancouver music scene with their blend of Blunk (blues n' punk). January 2005 marked the release of their debut album "YARRR!" on Cardeo Records which was well received by Canadian College Radio Stations. The Jacks followed up their debut release with a tour of Western Canada which included stops at Warped Tour in Vancouver & Calgary. In the past, Oneyedjacks have also shared the stage with touring acts like The Horrorpops & Crowned King.

Fast forward to 2007, the Jacks have added and lost an accordion player, played several shows around BC and added a Blues Harp into the works. The band has also finished recording a bunch of ne

•  Real punk .. ?
•  Wow, real Punk still lives!

Ryan McMahon grew up in Ladysmith, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, where he began playing in local bars on Vancouver Island at the age of 17, under the moniker “Citizen Strange.”

There, he befriended several promoters that allowed him opening support slots for bands coming through town such as Nickelback and Wide Mouth Mason, allowing him the opportunity to hone his craft alongside those already established.

In 2003, Ryan moved to Vancouver and began playing with two musicians who would become his best friends, Mike Rogerson (who produces all of Ryan’s material) and Dustin Young, both of whom still play guitars for him to this day. Together they formed the band, “Ryan McMahon & the Dirty Five,” along with drummer Jesse Smith and bassist Thomas Dowding, and the band toured throughout British Columbia and Alberta, but was never really afforded the opportunity to take it further.

Wanting change, and a more diversified sound, Ryan, Mike, and Dustin stuck together and headed to Baker Street Studios in North Vancouver, to begin work on what would become Ryan’s first solo album, “Better Days Gone By.” They recruited several friends throughout the music industry, including Hamish Thomson (the Hermit), Jon Frederiksen (the Hermit), Doug Elliott (the Odds), Pat Steward (Bryan Adams, Matthew Good, the Odds), Jesse Smith (Jeff Johnson, the Dirty Five), Thomas Dowding (the Dirty Five), and Craig Northey (the Odds).

The result? A 12-song rock n’roll roots album that showcases Ryan’s love for playing rough, honest music, which people of all walks can easily relate to.

With themes ranging from infidelities (“Liar”) to the music industry itself (“Song Says So”), “Better Days Gone By” is a well-rounded honest album that will surely communicate well in both the rock and acoustic formats.

Rye’s dynamic, genuine personality, combined with his unique emotional style will definitely offer fans of roots rock a true kindred spirit.

For a better tomorrow, vote Ryan McMahon.

Contact Information:
Geoff Goddard @ Fronstide Promotions - 604-648-2782
Ryan McMahon - 778-892-6974

www.ryanmcmahon.com
www.myspace.com/mcmahonryan

•  Like it lots
•  just found it again
•  This scratches my musical itch
•  A wonderful song!
•  Catchy

I am a 23 year old musician who has loved music since before I was born. The rumor is that when I still in the womb, my mother went to a Supertramp concert and I was apparently kicking along to the beat. Now whether she made that up or not, I have loved music as far back as I can remember. Whether it was out at the cottage when I was 3 "playing" on the guitar, or in 6th grade when I actually started learning how to play, or in 7th grade when I joined the school band to play the trumpet, or in 8th grade when I discovered turntables, music has been in my blood.

I write music for two reasons: 1) to inspire and lift myself, and 2) to express myself. Just like anyone else, I need to be lifted or inspired sometimes, and I write music that I can turn on when I'm down and get me back up. And then for the obvious reason that I want to express myself. I want people to see the world through my eyes, if only for 3-4 minutes. Just like I love listening to music to become the artist for that 3 or 4 minutes, I hope that my fans would do the same for me.

The Disposable Cars are Sandy Barron and a rotating cast of characters. They dropped out of grad school to play rock music with Remote Kid and by themselves. They don't own a car. They don't even own a bike. Just some Russian classics. But not in Russian.

•  Rent a Car and Leave...
•  Sweet Tune

BIOGRAPHY

There was a house in Calgary with its own name, “Rock Central"... 1997…

It was an old house; however, for the individuals living there, it was affordable. Cheap living, more beer, music - it made sense. There were pimps and hookers outside. There were crack addicts. No one complained about anything though. There wasn’t any reason to.

The Dudes played loudly and endlessly in their filthy basement.

They were in close proximity to the infamous ‘Calgary Stampede Headquarters’. Customers attending the Rodeo would park in the streets, the back alleys, and on front lawns. The Dudes realized that for one day, they’d have an attentive audience for their four rock songs (or what they called ‘songs’).

They built a stage in their backyard, and they put on a Do-It-Yourself rock show. ‘Rock Central’ was, and continued to be a yearly event. People would enjoy free pancakes. They also brought beer.

Soon after putting on the first ‘Rock Central’ show, The Dudes became the ‘fill-in’ band for a nearby pub. They would play for a pitcher of beer as payment.

In the beginning, the band’s shows would closely resemble a circus. Rubber tire tubes were harnessed around each Dude, and fastened to wherever a screw could be drilled in. The members would lean forward at an impossible angle, and be sprung back, all while rocking out on whatever was awesome.

They also had a mascot. The ‘Dude Bomb’ wore a large blimp-like creation on his head. It was constructed out of left-over couch cushions, tape, and an orange blanket. The band had fully embraced the DIY entertainment of those that had inspired them, they had no limits.

With a growing indie fan base, The Dudes began recording on an old reel-to-reel. In 2001 the band released their first limited-press CD, titled ‘This Guy’s the Limit’. They achieved University Radio airplay.

They also realized that they had an extremely well-crafted songwriter in their midst. Dan Vacon, the lead guitar player began stepping-up to the plate – and local and national indie audiences began to notice the band.

The Dudes went through an array of drummers including the host of a day-time children’s show, a country troubadour, and a ‘prince of nacho chips’. The band finally settled with Scott Ross, who has done a great deal in developing the band’s current sound.

Soon the band found themselves chosen to share the stage with bands like mudhoney, 54-40, Joel Plaskett, The Supersuckers. They had success, and great possibilities were being presented to them.

In 2005 the band signed with Load Music, and up-and-coming player on the independent music scene. Russ Broom, a Juno-nominated producer, engineer and songwriter, was contacted, and the band launched into there most promising recording they’ve made to date.

Armed with their new CD, Titled ‘Brain Heart Guitar’, The Dudes are determined to inspire and uplift their fellow humans.

Though, before that ever happens, a name change took place. (extend).

The Dudes will do whatever they can to bring the music to the people, and they mean it, honestly and sincerely.

•  Slick!
•  Thanks to Stewie
•  Good Song: Perfect Summer Tune
•  Perfect Pop

greetings opus people

rise up, the dawn has drawn it's self above the tree line and we ride for higher ground. You there leave the Chaos behind and press forward into warming light. Rock.

Bella are a trio whose music gets you all tangled up in a West coast indie pop synth dream, replete with soaring guitars and unique vocals. Bella are known for their energetic and unpredictable live shows that feature multiple instrument swaps and hip-shaking dance moves to entice the audience. They have been critically acclaimed by local music magazines across the country, and Britain's NME called their song "Didn't Mean to Break Our Love" a "standout tune"... Currently working on their second full-length album, Bella are sure to deliver another pop gem for the kids to dance to! -Exclaim!

Bella has performed with bands such as Pretty Girls Make Graves, The New Pornographers, Imperial Teen, and Phoenix. Please visit the official bella site or myspace for more info www.bellamusic.org

•  Fun song

“I know we have followed, the road so few take

Too scared to awake the angels inside

And if their darkness surrounds us

We’ll cast demons aside, open our minds when our worlds collide”

-Discourse Poetic, (La Di Da)

dis·course n.

Serious speech or piece of writing.

Serious conversation.

A discussion of a subject, either written or spoken.
The process or power of reasoning.
po·et·ic adj.

Sensitive or insightful: characteristic of a poet, especially in possessing unusual sensitivity or insight, or in being able to express things in a beautiful or romantic way.
Written in verse.
Involving strong sentiment, powerful imagination, and beautiful insights or thoughts.

With Discourse Poetic, you can never be sure what you’re going to hear. The Calgary based band has a vast collection of original material covering an eclectic range of emotion, sound and thought. Band members Amy Thiessen and Jarred Nicklen each draw from unique life experiences when writing, and yet somehow combine their diverse styles into a truly original sound. Depending on what song the band decides to open with, an audience member on a Tuesday can make a different first impression of Discourse Poetic than someone listening on a Thursday. Yet each song adds another brushstroke to the sound that is their exclusive musical canvas.

Whether writing individually or together, they complement each other while never repeating themselves musically. The diversity of each song is also reflected in the different musical influences Jarred and Amy draw from. Amy Thiessen cites Ani DiFranco, Lisa Loeb, Janis Joplin and Fiona Apple as major influences, while Jarred has drawn inspiration from artists such as Tori Amos, Tom Waits, the Indigo Girls, U2, Sarah Slean and ColdPlay.

From keys to guitar, pop to alternative, the music of Discourse Poetic is getting positive reviews and feedback. In one moment listeners can be haunted by the melodic seduction of the piano intro to ‘Drown You’, then be whisked to a dark highway in the captivating guitar tune “Follow the Moon”. Other songs such as ‘La Di Da’ mix up the atmosphere with a refreshing, upbeat attitude that makes one think of summer and a carefree existence. Lyrically dynamic, acoustically adept, and altogether compelling… Discourse Poetic delivers.

Amy Thiessen (Lead Singer)… Amy believes that triumph and tribulation form the underscore to anyone’s being. Through her music, Amy has found the ability to overcome life’s obstacles. Writing and singing have been a staple in her life and she has come to realize that her passion can become her reality. Amy’s spirit is her driving force, her power, her energy. Involved in yoga and meditating, Amy is able to not only find drive but beauty and love; assets that propel her in music and creativity. A 3 month journey throughout India confirmed that for her. As her spirituality strengthens and as she grows as a person, her music follows suit... guiding her and lifting her to her own equilibrium. “It’s not what we accumulate in this lifetime... it’s who we are and what we can give to the world.”

Jarred Nicklen (Piano, Guitar, Vocals)… Sometimes music is the only way out. Sometimes music is the only remedy. Sometimes music is the only thing left. Music has been Jarred Nicklen’s greatest saviour growing up. While most of his friends were consoling a bottle of Baby Duck on a Friday night, Jarred would be soliciting his piano for spiritual guidance. The Piano has been his best friend since he was 8 and has stuck with him through every change in his life. Jarred decided to add another friend to the mix when he picked up the guitar a few years ago, adding a new element to his musical prowess. Jarred hopes Discourse Poetic’s intriguing melodies and lyrics will fix any craving for some good soul-healing music. “It’s ok to feel good about feeling sad. “

…

Experience Discourse Poetic and get ready for something big.

•  Interesting blend

We have survived
6 albums, 2 ep's and 12 singles, 5 different vocalists, 1 major label, 2 songs in Billboard and 1 in Rolling Stone, 1 tour with Zymox and gigs with Pete Shelley, The Fixx and The Cramps, 1 AWOL singer, 1 drunk guitar player shooting a gun outside our tour bus in Tijuana, 1 album with producer John Fryer (Wire, Fad Gadget, Love & Rockets), 1 nice letter from producer Martin Hannett (Joy Division), countless samples and endless laughter.

•  Killer Track
•  80's Feel
•  I thought this was New...
•  A killer tune
•  Awesome stuff, Tom!

•  Wow!

I am currently a solo artist/songwriter creating all my own music with drive and ambition to pursue my talents as a career. I have recently relocated to Vancouver from Calgary to further the opportunities to network with the industry. I am working to create an original sound and identity that will substantially differentiate me from the standard artist. Always looking to collaberate with other musicians to create a new sound!! Ideally I want to meet other artists, to start doing some shows with and getting out on the scene! Send me a message if your interested! Downloads are not yet available, but feel free to add my demos to your myspace page!!! Going in to record my album so keep posted for release dates!

If anyone is interested in being a part of my band, please send a message my way, either on here or my email:

Thanks for checking out my music!! ENJOY!

•  Post Punk Fun
•  Fun 100!