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Sofa City Sounds

Please Stand By

I had the pleasure of getting to check out Please Stand By's new album.

What a rush from start to finish. Very high energy. The whole album is fantastic. Very tight and clean instrumentally as well as very clean vocals.

I listen to the album a couple times and I won't lie, C U Next Tuesday is probably my favourite song, though this is definitely an album you can listen to start to finish. Among many great things about this album there are a few guests that appear on the album. Devon Groat jumps in on Burn Victim and Trauma features Taylor Kelly.

The album drops tomorrow, get it! The release party is Saturday Aug 31st at the Atria in Oshawa which is always a great spot for a great party.

 

 

HARM AND EASE

 
What a funky way to end a chill evening!

This band was something else on stage. They all have their own style but mesh well technically, musically and personally. They were quite the show themselves let alone their stunning performance. Each one of them are unique and down to earth in their own way. Their music is nothing short of original and upbeat. Note for note they were spectacular. No matter what type of music you listen to I highly suggest you check these guys out! 
 

 

 

ATLAS LET FALL

 
I have seen these guys twice now. They are quite the party on stage. They have a super high energy during their performances and as musicians all connect together musically really well. Each one if them is incredibly talented in their own musical roll.

Off stage they are all great guys. All very personable and very respectful humans. Each of them with a personal element that makes Atlas Let Fall the band they are.
Songs like Selfless and Cowards Way Out hook you right from the first note.

If you want a wow show, these are the guys to see.

 

 

PUNK-A-DOODLE-DO AT TAPS

 

Well, I waited a bit to put this article out so I could re-spark the memory that gives us goosebumps from that legendary day. I'm not even sure where to start.

First off, I got to be a part of this first of hopefully many punk a doodle festivals at Taps Brewhouse to happen and I have to say a huge, huge thank you to every single person involved in making this event happen.
What a fuckin day!!

Now this isn't a long article or a technical one. This is just to bring back our memories of that wonderful punk filled day.

Paige Kopp and Foolproof kicked everything off with super high energy and a heavy hint of grunge (what is more punk than kicking off the festival with a grunge band). This band is nothing short of an amazing time.
As the day went on DBoy, Heart Attack Kids and Dawghouse Rose (all three I had seen for the first time and were a pleasant surprise for my listening holes)torn up the stage. Making way for Creepshow (who in my opinion may have stolen the show) Lucky Ones (who are always a party) and the legendary Mahones.
All these fuckin crazy bands were the lead up to the Forgotten Rebels who closed the show.

As I am writing this I am getting that feeling in my gut. That feeling you get when you reminisce about the hightlights of the greatest shows we have ever been to. That moment when the crowd roars in unison and all of the hairs on your body collectively stand up to confirm that feeling of weightlessness and connection...I'll leave you with that.

 

 

WELLAND WASTED

 
Oh my fuckun Gawd! These guys! Its grand to see a band that actually recognizes and respects the definition of the word punk to the fullest. There is never any telling what front man Morgan Tayti is going to do. From walking on the bar to sitting on the ground in the street screaming well and wasted. He is always sure to make sure his milkshake is better than yours.
This band as a whole is entertainment the entire performance. For as punk fucking rock as they are, they are some of the most down to earth guys you will ever meet. There is a million reasons to get out and support your local and these guys are one of them. I see them every chance I get. 
 
 
 

JOHNNY NOCASH

 
I love when I can walk into a venue and just feel in the room that it's going to be a great show. This was the case with Johnny Nocash and the Celtic Outlaws. The whole show from start to finish was one hell of a party. I usually bounce around the venue, see who is there, check out the merch. Not this time. It's a repeat event for me to be at Cherry Cola's in Toronto, it's easy to get from anywhere in the bar to the front door. I stayed next to Elvis all night. I didn't move. I had a perfect view of the stage and I wasn't giving it up.
The entire show was a blast from beginning to end. It was the CD release party for the album In the Gallows. There wasn't a still human in the room.
If your looking for a raw party I highly recommend this band. They have a sound like no other band. They are an unstable mix of metal country and death that makes you want to shoot whiskey and dance on the bar tops. The riffs are heavy but the atmosphere they create is fun and memorable. I have a select few repeat bands (I will find a way to get to the show even if its last minute and in another city) these guys are for sure one of them.
If you don't have the new album (or any of their music for that matter) get it. No merch? Buy it! Haven't seen em? Do it! 
 
 
 

Borealis


This band has a great vibe. Not just heavy music but heavy on their instruments. I love when you can feel how hard the instruments are hit. The drummer is right into it. Every smash of the drums is epic. Putting a stamp on melodic metal their sound is unforgettable. These guys are 100% a give it all you got band. Furious with every riff. Serious with every smash.

 

 

Gypsy Chief Goliath

 

By far one of the greatest bands to see live. Gypsy Chief Goliath know how to work a room, and everyone in it. They are high energy and on top of their game as far as being performers goes. I normally write my reviews from the sidelines, so I can capture the feeling as it is happening but these guys. I had to just watch, to just soak it all in. Every note, every sound, every lyric, is right on point with these guys. Hailing from Windsor Ontario Gypsy Chief Goliath are all over Ontario. I highly recommend seeing these guys live they are not just great musicians but they are fantastic humans. They are a mix of stoner metal rock and roll and blues. They pull the mixture off nicely.

Every time I turn on my social media they are playing another gig or topping another chart. And why not? These guys know how to translate sound into energy. I would see these guys every time I have the chance. With amazing songs like Holding Grace and Uneasy Kings, once you start listening you are a fan. Their album Masters of Space and Time is definitely a repeat album. It is on my top 5 go to albums right now. Al 'Yeti' Bones is a master manipulator of his vocals. Complementing the musical genius of the rest of the band. Each member of the band brings magic to what is Gypsy Chief Goliath.


 

Crimson Shadows

 

The fact that I even get to write about these guys is a high point in my career writing about music. I have always liked this band. After getting to see them I am pretty sure I am in love. Epic Power Metal is not a strong enough description for them. After seeing these guys, on my travels home, nothing was heavy enough. Lead vocalist Paul Zinay has amazing range. He has an outstanding ability to go from guts to glory with his vocals.

I am just blown away. The energy is stupid intense. Every one is going ballistic! It's fantastic! I was going to duck out early due to having a nice quiet work night in my room but Walter, Walter! texted me about coming this evening. I had no idea there was a show happening tonight. Especially not to this caliber. I feel like I was spoiled by only having to pay 20 at the door. I love writing the article as the band is playing. I write how I feel at the moment instead of having to remember the feeling and translate it to paper later.

These guys man! My phone is going to die and I'm going to write about Crimson Shadows until it does. This has been the best surprise work night ever! There has been many bands that have shocked me when they start or blow me away as the night goes on but these guys have it all and give all the fans when they get on stage.

The crowd is just high energy insane. The last time I saw a stage dive? Grunge was still a thing (in present time). Interaction with the crowd is important. Crimson Shadows make the crowd (the entirety of the venue really) part of the show. There is no force to bang your head to Crimson Shadows, it comes free of charge with their melodic sound.

 

 

Blackguard

 

These guys are fucking amazing!

I have to say there isn't a metal band I have seen this last little while that I didn't like but these guys really stood out for me. I can still hear them. Blackguard are out of Montreal and heavy as fuck. Fast and on point. It had been recommended to me to check these guys out a little while ago but sadly the opportunity came and went. Seeing them during this show was a fucking awesome surprise. I didn't ask any questions about the evening when I was asked to go to the show. I just said yes, so I was like a 17 yr fan girl when I discovered they were on the bill. Now I haven't been in a mosh pit in years and I was right in the middle during these guys. The feeling this band created for me was one of invincibility. There was no hesitation. Being in the pit added to the atmosphere the band had created along with the already dark and melodic feeling of the bar itself. The entirety of the bar was into watching these guys perform. I recommend Blackguard a million times over to any metal fan that hasn't heard them yet. I am for sure a lifetime fan.

 

 

Lutharo

 

Lutharo. Its fucking off the wall!

Slingshotted out of Hamilton to land on the Coalition stage in Toronto, this band was by far the best surprise of the evening. All bands were fuckin' fantastic, but these guys were, just, wow!

I had no idea what to expect. 

The sound that comes out of that woman. What a performer! At just over 5 feet tall she goes from sweet and melodic to a guttural riot with the flip of a switch. This girl makes Arch Enemy look like preschool. Such grace and guts. What a beautiful thing.  Krista Shipperbottom is one bad ass vocalist. And a genuinely sweet woman. She is backed up by some of the craziest musicians. This and just blows you away with every note.

I walked into the show blindly. I didn't learn anything about the bands before I walked in. I walked passed Krista a few times, clearly not knowing what I was in for. As soon as the show started and this tiny girl appeared on the stage, the wondering what to expected happened. It only lasted a second. Without warning the band started and my ear holes were instantly attached to the sound. I recommend a million times over seeing these guys!

 

 

The Mahones

 

When you're not supposed to be working, but, the Mahones!

The energy in the Horseshoe Tavern is something else. You feel the history when you walk in the door. The closer you get to the stage the more you are drawn in to the raw energy of the building.

Ruddy Ruckus opened the show. They were great! An all around fantastic party band. They are out of Hamilton Ontario and have been frequenting the scene since 2012. Incredibly high energy. They really got the crowd going.

The Mahones were on fire. I have been sober for over 10 yrs. I was promised by the time the Mahones were finished I would feel drunk. This was NO lie! I was intoxicated by the energy these guys let off and filled the room with. It was like they threw a drink bomb into the crowd and there was nothing any of us could do to stop it. Embrace was the only thing that could happen. This show was sort of a champagne birthday for the boys. The band turned 29 and so did Gui their drummer.

Their accordion player flew in from Germany to grace the stage with the Mahones. What a woman. What a balance of grace and punk she had on stage. The Mahones are always good for having some kind of trick up there sleep when on stage and this shows was no exception. Finny Mc Connell (the lead singer and guitar player) pulled Christie Hails of the Battered Egos up onto the stage for a bone chilling tribute to Delores O'Riordan of the Cranberries. They performed zombie. I have seen Christie perform a few times but oh man did something take over her that night. Christie belonged on stage with the Mahones that night. The set list was fantastic.  One high energy hit after another. Oldies and goodies. The energy was intoxicating and everybody in the horseshoe tavern left a little drunker and a little more Irish than when they walked in.

 

Snake River Redemption

 

Snake River Redemption is fucking amazing! They absolutely make you feel what they play. Their instruments are very much an extension of themselves. They are 100% on point with complimenting each others talent with more raw in your face talent.

As a music writer I feel spoiled or privileged when I  get to see bands like this in such an intimate setting. I was hooked from the first note. My ear holes were flooded by awe. Straight out of the Toronto metal scene, these guys really know how to take control of a stage and show their fans a good time. All the way from Bulgaria, Geni is an amazing drummer. He has incredible control of his speed and timing. He is precise with every smack of the skin.

With influences like Dime Bag Darryl, and bands like Texas Hippy Coalition, Josh, their guitar player, natural and effortlessly tears every note he plays apart.

Jay, the bass player and lead vocals is on fire. His vocal energy violates everyone in the room as manipulates his bass with ease.

Being my first review of Snake River Redemption I can't lie, I was blown away by their larger than life stage presence (that may or may not have to do with the fact that Josh is some where around 6 1/2 feet tall). I would recommend seeing them every chance you get. They are genuine guys with a smash fast vibe.