I Heart the Music: Your Online Source for Live Music Reviews and Interviews in Toronto!

Saturday, March 13th was met with many challenges for anyone looking to jump from venue to venue during CMF. With tons of rain and fierce winds, we were grateful to take refuge at the Rivoli for The Nova Scotia Showcase.

We unknowingly walked into the private party just as Paul Murphy (Wintersleep guitarist & vocalist) graced the stage. The performance featured Paul’s most recent musical endeavor, Postdata. Collaborating with his brother Mike Murphy, Postdata is a culmination of songs inspired by the recent passing of the pair’s grandparents. That said, Murphy gave a somber and subdued performance conveying his message through his powerful voice.

Taking the stage next were The Stanfields. With a blitzkrieg of blue grass, Celtic, heavy metal and rock and roll melodies, the band delivered a performance powered on high octane energy. Playing a combination of old and new tracks (“The Boston States”), they created total anarchy. For audience members new to the band, they were in for a rude awakening if they were standing in what quickly became a crazy mosh pit of Celtic dancing. In attempt to dodge the insanity, I moseyed on over to the other side of the stage where I was greeted by the energetic front man as he jumped into the crowd for his guitar solo. Just when I thought I was safe, a Celtic dancer went down and launched his entire pint onto me. That being said,  it was well worth it! Their debut album comes out in two months on Ground Swell Records.

Transitioning from rock to hip hop, Three Sheet took ownership of the stage. Although difficult to define, this powerful five member band is reminiscent of Black Eyed Peas and Swollen Members. This group knows who they are and with a little work, they should have a label in no time. When you check out Three Sheet, keep in mind that they don’t use samples or synthesized drums. They are a rare combination of strictly beatboxed percussion courtesy of EMC, female vocals courtesy of Vanessa Furlong, O’Quinn’s electric and classical guitar, bass by Kev, and relevant story telling lyrics by band MC Expedyte. Like so many acts seen and heard during CMF, the true brilliance of Three Sheet can really only be realized when you see them live. “At the End of the Day” was a standout track which they delivered with insurmountable passion and intensity.

Stumbling across this showcase turned out to be a serendipitous occasion as i heart the music was introduced to the genius that is Rich Aucoin. Along with Joel Waddell (drums), Erik VanLunen (bass), and Darryl Smith (“other stuff”), Rich had our attention from the get go. There are many moving parts to their set up and watching it brought back memories of panic during school presentations. To their credit, they were faced with a greater challenge; projecting images onto a screen throughout the set. Rich conveyed messages such as “SMILE”, “DANCE”, and “EAT MORE VEGETABLES.” He performed songs from his Personal Publication EP, which was recorded over a year with one microphone and holds more than 25 different instruments. It was written to sync with Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) which he also projected on the screen using hollow neon images. Listen to “It” on their MySpace page and picture the entire crowd kneeling on one knee and subsequently jumping up in unison for the chorus. Everything about this performance was invigorating and inspiring. You can’t help but want to tell everyone you know to stop what they are doing and check this guy out. So please, do yourself a favour and check this guy out! They are back in Toronto on April 24th at Studio City Toronto for Alternative Fashion Week.

as reviewed by Catherine Russell

photography provided by Renee Rodenkirchen

Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker (or USS) consists of one part vocalist/guitarist Ash Bucholz (“Ash Boo-Schultz”) and turntablist/hypeman Jason Parsons (“Human Kebab”). Don’t ask us where these names came from, just know that it IS an indication of how crazy and out there these two guys are! Having garnered acclaim through being “hearted” by Toronto radio station 102.1 the Edge, this duo have taken Toronto and Canada by storm. With the recent release of their album Questamation gaining more and more attention from music lovers alike, we felt like it was time to for us at iheartthemusic to delve deep into the minds of the duo and get serious about who they are…well as serious as we could get!

iheartthemusic: The past two years have been pretty nuts for you two eh?

Jason: Yeah, going from being left to obscurity, to how do you catch up, to how do you get bigger now.

iheartthemusic: That’s true. I mean you did win the CASBY awards last year!

Jason: Yeah it was amazing.

iheartthemusic: Can you pinpoint at all one defining moment for you in the past two years?

Ash: I was actually in Texas and that’s when I found out that our music was on the radio, but not even just on the radio but getting played like seven times a day!

Jason: Also the fact that he [Ash] was in a different place mentally doing some incredible things for himself and I was working in Alberta at the time; that in itself was a pinnacle! It is actually true that the little band that could, without major label support or any label for that matter, could actually still find its way into that realm. Most bands would think that you would have to sign with the four majors and spend all this money and stuff, but we just stayed positive.

Ash: We are in total alignment with the idea that if you truly love something, you let it go. You can push so hard and you can try so hard to make something work and at the time we both were just like “let’s just let this go man”. We were driving ourselves nuts.

iheartthemusic: I truly believe that if you are meant to do something or be somebody then you will and I feel like you guys are a true testament to that.

Jason: It’s like Ben Kowalewicz from Billy Talent has a tattoo on his collar that says never give up and when I saw that I was thinking that I didn’t know if I’d ever get that tattoo but he was basically saying  that no matter what happens, it’s going to happen- which is totally true.

Ash: I mean if we weren’t here having a good time and laughing and telling jokes, we’d be on a roof somewhere digging ditches and dirt.

iheartthemusic: But probably still having a good time and joking around!

Ash: That’s what just kicks our asses!  You know you can dream about something your whole life, but you have no clue what its going to be like until it actually happens. Its hilarious because I still wake up in the morning and my instinct is to put on my work boots but its actually like no, I get to put on these colourful shoes that don’t need to have a big hunk of steel in them because hopefully nothing is going to fall on my toes today!

iheartthemusic: And now you have the cash that if you ruin one pair you can get five more! [laughs]

Jason: [laughs] Exactly!

iheartthemusic: You have had such great success which, I’m assuming, meant that major labels were knocking on your door, so what made you decide to not go the major route?

Jason: We started  our own label basically. We realized that we had a good grip on a business model, but we also had a good manager and an excellent team behind us that we felt that we had found the pieces to start putting the puzzle together. Right now the puzzle is almost complete; we’ve taken it as far as we can take it now based on what we have currently. We financed the whole operation, made all the management and creative calls.

iheartthemusic: It must be nice to retain that control over what is ultimately your future success.

Jason: That’s the compromise you have to make. If that [signing to a major label] is your goal then that’s what is going to happen for you. Like Avril Lavigne signs with SONY in New York, but her only interest at seventeen years old was probably to be taken care of for the rest of her life and be an absolute superstar.

iheartthemusic: And where is she now? [laughs]

Ash: Actually I was listening to Avril Lavigne this morning in my kitchen on top of my fridge next to a sweet potato…I really should not have that sweet potato anymore. I’ve had it for a really long time and it’s got to go in the green bin. I have this habit where instead of putting stuff in the green bin, I just throw it out the window into my backyard. Like if I have a pit of an avocado, I’ll just think that that can just go in the bushes.

iheartthemusic: I feel like that is totally fine!

Ash: I don’t want to hit a squirrel!

Jason: I still have a problem that I can never number two outside. Even if I had to, I would just hold it until the next fifth wheel or something.

iheartthemusic: Far too much information for this interview! [laughs] So how has the process been from self-releasing your first album Welding the C://, to now having a label (your own) backing your recent release of Questamation?

Jason: Creatively, the process seems to work in Ash’s favour no matter how random it gets or how focused it is. The business side of it, which I’m more involved with and our manager, we just try to plug in as many resources and networks as possible for the three of us to make it all happen in sync. It is really hard to maintain deadlines when there is only three of you, but you are still trying to maintain that level of control and of course creativity while at the same time create future opportunities, play shows, do interviews, be places, try to live a normal life and be healthy. I mean it’s a balancing act!

iheartthemusic: And a lot of musicians definitely cannot do that.

Jason: No they can’t and its unfortunate that it happens, but we’ve been through enough emotionally already that this is kind of easy compared to that.

Ash: Yeah, when we were recording our EP, I was roofing for fifteen hours a day, six days a week and then bringing my laptop to work and I was on a roof covered in tar and dirt and it was like ninety degrees and I would have my headphones on thinking I’ve just got to finish this drum part because we have to get it done by tonight. So the process was a bit different because we were still under pressure with this album in terms of getting it out, but in totally different circumstances. It’s just one of those things where its like; life on the road is such a grind, but roofing seventy hours a week while trying to record an EP is a grind. So it makes us very greatful if anything.

iheartthemusic: I wanted to ask you about your “Laces Out” video. How did you guys come up with the concept for that?

Ash: I had been talking about the idea of this neo-vaudeville, so it kind of came out of that. There’s the circus thing, but then there is just randomness: question marks on parachutes falling from the ceiling, etc. Then we kind of put it into the hands of the production company after planting the seed and we showed up day-of and were just like “nice growth”.

iheartthemusic: So the dude in the video isn’t actually a guy that comes to all your shows?

Jason: Yeah we know him. The film company is called Brook Street Pictures and they are from Ottawa and they are incredible dudes. They did their first feature with the guy who played Freddy Krueger.

Ash: Because they mainly make horror movies.

Jason: But they were absolutely inlove with our sound and then came out for a bunch of shows and the director saw something that Ash was talking about and then through the phone between Toronto and Ottawa put together the storyboard and then we went to the Sound Academy and the production company hired like sixty people and it was a full-on production.

iheartthemusic: One thing that I found pretty cool with this new album was that you guys use something called a “z-card”. Can you explain why you decided to use it for your album?

Ash: The ironic thing about that is that I worked in a factory on a machine that made the z-card. I worked there when we [Jason] met during a time when I was not really that accessible or available to society. It’s okay though because Jay kind of helped guide me back to relating to the rest of the world which was really great. It was handy to meet a person to do that.

ihearthemusic: He’s a good husband eh? [laughs]

Jason: [laughs] Exactly!

Ash: Father, son, brother…

Jason: Idiot.

Ash: Yeah, whatever you want. Putz! That’s a good one.

Jason: I hate that word!

Ash: I know eh, who likes that word!? So when the album came along I was like “we should make something that is like a map” and then it kind of came back to where it started.

iheartthemusic: What’s on the horizon for you guys?

Jason: Hopefully we will see Canadians at their various post-secondary institutes in the fall!

iheartthemusic chatted it up with band members Ian and Nate from electro/indie group Passion Pit before their higly anticipated and sold out gig at Lee’s Palace. These two young gents did not look like your “typical” electronic musicians, they reminded me a lot of Michael Cera.  Nonetheless, it doesn’t matter if they look the part or not, Nate and Ian are passionate about the music and are rediculously talented. If you missed their show this time around check em’ out when they are back in August.

iheartthemusic: How different was it making your full length album Manners than your previous EP Chunk of Change?

Ian: Completely! Chunk of Change was Mike and a laptop in his bedroom by himself. No one really came in and said “hey, you should try this and you should try that.” He just kind of did his own thing. Manners was a full studio record, everyone was in and out of the studio having different people giving you ideas. It was two different worlds.

iheartthemusic: Creative difference as well? 

Ian: I’d say so. Our songwriting improved a lot. The rest of the band and producer Chris Zain and our engineer and everyone kind of had a lot of input on the songs, it wasn’t just Mike doing what he wants.

iheartthemusic: You guys are pretty young hey?

Ian: Yeah, everyone is 23 or 22.

iheartthemusic: Holy shit eh! You guys are talented. Manners has been so successful, did you know when you released it that it was going to be a hit or were you surprised when it flew off the charts?

Nate: Only Kanye’s like that!

Ian: We were happy with the record but we didn’t think it was going to be huge or anything. We liked it and i’m happy I am involved in this record but I wasn’t like “this is going to change the world.”

iheartthemusic: Being modest about the work is the best.

Ian: It’s always surprising when you hear anything about if you’re doing well or not. Like this whole tour has been blowing me away everyday. The fact that we’re in Toronto for the first time and the show is sold out, you don’t expect that ever.

iheartthemusic: This is your first time in Toronto?? Did you just come in today?

Ian: We got in last night.

iheartthemusic: Did you guys tour the city a little bit or were you stuck in your hotel room??

Ian: We saw a little bit driving around earlier. It’s cool, it’s like 6 different cities all in one almost.

iheartthemusic: It’s cool eh??

Ian: Yeah!

iheartthemusic: There are so many different places of the city to discover, i’m still discovering it. On to the next question, I read that Michael started the band, how did the rest of the band form??

Ian: Actually I was in a couple of bands with him already before Passion Pit started and then he started writing all of these songs on his own and he did a show which was just him and a laptop which wasn’t that great. This is when he released the original “Chunk of Change.” I came up to him and said “hey, we should play again and play the Passion Pit songs but with a band,” and it kind of just went from there. So then members started joining and then we were swaping members but I think the line- up we have now have been together since August 2008.

iheartthemusic: Going strong??

Ian: Doin good!

iheartthemusic: Were you all from the get-go on the same page creatively??

Ian: Everyone has their own completely different genre that they’re into.

Nate: We’re still not on the same page but I think that’s what makes the album as eclectic as it is, that everyone has their own “oh that’s too this” or ” no I like this.” Than it comes down to an agreement or settlement.

iheartthemusic: What kind of bands were you in before? Were they all kind of the same indie/electronic??

Ian: No, that was the thing, other than Nate who is an amazing electronic DJ/musician no one else really did electronic music before. Actually like Mike, Ayad and I are all guitar players. This playing elctro-pop music was something completely new.

iheartthemusic: Are you influenced by electronic music??

Ian: The past couple of years this band has opened me up to a lot of new music but it’s not the only music I listen to.

Nate: I think for our palette and estetic, electronic music is very influential of how we sound the way we do and why we sound the way we do. But I think song form wise pop music is really the main influence and what we kind of study. That form is what we do and what we all grew up on.

iheartthemusic: Was it a dream and a passion from a young age to create music?

Nate: It’s a pipe dream and for some reason i thought it’d be okay to go to music school and it worked out somehow. I think the odds of winning the lotto are lower.

iheartthemusic: Did you take music in post-secondary or did you take music throughout your childhood?

Nate: Yeah, we’ve all been training for a long time but most of us met at music school in Boston. So when you get to that stage of “what do you want to do with your life?” and it’s not like the little kid “what do you want to do when you grow up?” It’s actually what do you want to spend all of your time on, I think we made the decision a long time ago that it would be music and we’re really lucky.

iheartthemusic: Yeah it’s super lucky! Do you have any other inspirations do you have?

Ian and Nate: Film.

iheartthemusic: What are you watching right now?? What is your favorite film that came out recently?

Nate: “Wild Zero,” well it’s not recent but it’s a Japenese B Zombie movie that’s really, really cheesy and bad but really amazing at the same time. Guitar Wolf is the main character and that’s his real name.

iheartthemusic: Yeah!

Nate: Guitar Wolf. It’s the name of a Japenese rock band, it’s kind of a throw back – they are all kind of 50’s pompedors but they all play like hard, noisy garage rock but are also movie stars.

iheartthemusic: So I should go check that out then.

Nate: Yeah.

iheartthemusic: Okay, let’s talk about your stage show…

Nate: Costumes, choreography….

iheartthemusic: What should the audience expect from it?

Nate: We sweat a lot, jumping up and down, lots of energy. Hopefully it makes people move and they get into it. It’s not like a sit down theatre type of band. We’re a little bit sloppy it’s because we’re really into it and we’re too hyper.

iheartthemusic: Do you guys think of your show as much as the effort that goes into your albums?

Ian: Yeah, definately.

Nate: I think more because this is transient, you know it’s never going to happen again. Hopefully people want to keep coming back as for the album if it sucks the first time it’s going to suck the second time and the third time.

iheartthemusic: True enough. So, when your fans leave your show what do you want them thinking or feeling??

Ian: That guitar player was so good! i don’t know…

Nate: Just happy.

Ian: Yeah, I want them to be in a good mood.

Nate: Hopefully they can’t sleep.

iheartthemusic: They can’t sleep cause they are…

Nate: so excited!

iheartthemusic: They’re going to follow you around like groupies.

Nate: No that’s terrible please don’t do that, do something with your life.

Ian: Eat pixie sticks or something.

iheartthemusic: Pixie sticks are good, I don’t know when the last time I had one was.

Nate: They should want to go skinny dipping.

iheartthemusic: Oh my!

interviewed by Kristen Tignanelli

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