Category Archives: Uncategorized

Formerly known as Alphababy

Yukon Blonde is Jeff Innes, Brandon Scott, Adam Newton, and Graham Jones – a band from the rolling hills of Kelowna, a city that enjoys, and is cursed by it’s own burgeoning scene. Going under the name AlphaBaby from early 2005 until late 2008, the band has conquered their fair city and toured through Canada extensively, playing some 300 shows whilst performing alongside bands such as Ladyhawk, The Constantines, Jon-Rae Fletcher, Magnolia Electric Co, Black Mountain, and Women. As AlphaBaby, (then a quintet) the band also released two EPs: “You Gentle Crustacean”, recorded by Colin Stewart of The Hive Creative Labs in Vancouver BC, and “AlphaBaby Live”, a homebrewed bootleg.

A band that borrows from the best; looking for influence in 60’s rock harmonies, thick yet simple hooks, and depression-era furniture upholstery, they have been compared to Supertramp, Fleetwood Mac, Crosby/Stills/Nash, and America. Yukon Blonde was formed by Innes, Scott, Jones, and Newton out of their love of nostalgic music and a need to make new sound in a screaming town.

After returning from a cross-Canada tour with Jon-Rae Fletcher, Yukon Blonde is settling down to record their debut full length album which is slated to be produced by Shawn Cole who helped Bend Sinister, YSP!WSD!, and Wintermitts. It will be available in most music retailers in North America on Nevado Records.

Sweatshop Union

Two-time Juno Nominees, Sweatshop Union are in the midst of a 90+ North American city tour in support of their fourth album Water Street, which hits the streets Oct 14th. They are rapidly becoming known for their distinctly musical conscious hip hop and a live show far beyond the average rap concert. With tens of thousands of sales of their critically acclaimed albums they have toured relentlessly and performed with the likes of The Roots, Black Eyed Peas, Jurassic 5, Blackalicious, De La Soul, Swollen Members and the Living Legends; building a dedicated following. Sweatshop Union are on the rise.

Thursday at Doc’s

Since the release of their debut album in 2004, The Sleepless Nights from Halifax have grown from a modest trio into a six-piece wall of sound that equally evokes Eric’ Trip and ELO. With multiple songwriters and vocalists, The Sleepless Nights cover a lot of musical ground while maintaining a coherent sound of dense yet ambient indie-rock. Their third album, Turn Into Vapour, will be released in January and the group will be on the road until their van breaks.

Thursday at Doc's

Since the release of their debut album in 2004, The Sleepless Nights from Halifax have grown from a modest trio into a six-piece wall of sound that equally evokes Eric’ Trip and ELO. With multiple songwriters and vocalists, The Sleepless Nights cover a lot of musical ground while maintaining a coherent sound of dense yet ambient indie-rock. Their third album, Turn Into Vapour, will be released in January and the group will be on the road until their van breaks.

Glockwork Orange – tonight

Glockwork Orange (AKA the Fighting Urges) has risen from the ashes to help raise money for the Central Okanagan Foodbanks for Christmas.

November 22 at the Mission Hall in Kelowna.

A couple of weeks ago, Glockwork Orange played a gig to raise money for a mutual friend diagnosed with ALS. In one evening they managed to raise over $50,000 which helped cover the costs of a new van outfitted with wheelchair accessibility.

This event is only $20 and all proceeds will be donated to Central Okanagan Foodbanks (Lake Country, Kelowna & Westbank equally) in time for the demanding Christmas season.

Nov. 19th at the Habitat

http://www.myspace.com/prairiecat
http://www.myspace.com/thebicycles
http://www.myspace.com/hotttpanda

When you get compared, in the same breath, to everything from Daniel Johnson to the Talking Heads, you know you have a sound that’s hard to pin down. Since their formation during the particularly chilly winter of 2006, the members of Hot Panda (Maghan Campbell, Keith Olsen, Chris Connelly, and Heath Parsons) have yet to sit down and have the discussion that goes: “So, what should we sound like?”. The result is a swath of tunes that sound like anything and everything. Brit pop, gypsy swing, opera solos, Robert Pollard style lo-fi jangles, glammy Roxy Music keyboards, and “melodies that will be impossible to dislodge from your temporal cortex” (ChartAttack), all find their home in the music of Hot Panda…sometimes all in the same song!

There are seemingly hundreds of contemporary indie pop bands that claim the bubblegum music of the 1960s as a prime influence. Few, however, manage to accurately reflect that sound in their own music, usually through an inability to lose the protective layers of irony and hipster cool long enough to actually write a bouncy two-minute pop song with enough hooks and harmonies to appeal to a discriminating Monkees fan. Then there are The Bicycles.

Prairie Cat is a project for home recording. Prairie Cat is Cary Pratt. Thanks to all of you that are listening and buying copies of “Attacks!”. The new songs will be done soon. Thanks for being you.