Tuesday 25 February 2014

No Operator

Bad hair day, my ass.  This weekend I was cursed and the powers that be decided to hand me a fucking smack-down.  I spent Friday night doing my taxes....yeah, good times....not.  The government is keeping with its practice of stealing from the poor to feed the rich....god dammit I gotta win the lottery!  If that wasn't bad enough news, thanks to being broke and mother nature (fucking snow), I had to bail on a show I've been looking forward to over a month.

Carry the Storm and Two Years and Counting opened for No Operator at my favorite bar in Nanaimo.  First let me tell you about the Cambie...it's not fancy, it's in a questionable neighborhood and it fucking rocks!  The drinks are reasonable and so far I haven't come across another local venue that supports local artists and kick ass rock and roll more!  So, if you find yourself in Nanaimo, BC on a Saturday night, there's always a good time happening at the Cambie!

I was especially disappointed to miss this show for a number of reasons. First, as stated above, the Cambie is always a good time on a Saturday night.  Second, Carry the Storm is an amazing thrash metal band and I try to make it to as many of their shows as possible.  Third, I haven't had the pleasure of seeing Two Years and Counting perform, though I have checked out their digital album on bandcamp and they fucking rock hard! Finally and possibly most importantly I fucking love No Operator.

No Operator is one of those uber talented rock bands whose audience is often made up of other musicians.  They have garnered the respect and admiration of their peers and let me tell you boys and girls....that's the type of band you want to support!  They are the Velvet Undergrounds of our time and generally ahead of their time.  They know their craft and are not afraid to break new ground.

That being said, No Operator is getting respect from music fans as well.  They are becoming a fast favorite, playing gigs across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland as well as getting decent airtime on local radio stations.  Here is a taste of why....and again, No Operator is breaking new ground because I rarely share live performances....to be honest I find the sound quality usually fucking sucks, but not so in this case.  Please, take a listen to With All Sides by No Operator performed live at the Cambie in March of 2013.....

WITH ALL SIDES


So there you have it.... and that's just their mellow stuff - when No Operator ramps it up they're a force for reckoning..... and why I'm so fucking pissed I missed this show!   I'm not quite sure who's so fucking pissed at me they felt they needed to curse me, but when I find out, they'll be getting a personal smack-down of their own!  After all, I have been taught it's better to give than to receive.......... ; )

You can find No Operator on facebook at www.facebook.com/nooperator.  You'll find all their info and their music there.  If facebook isn't your thing, please take the time to review their music on their bandcamp page at nooperatormusic.bandcamp.com.  If you dig it (and I know you will) make sure you buy it! 

Monday 17 February 2014

Leona's Sister

Here's to the girl who lives on the hill, she won't rock n roll but her sister will!  Hell yeah!  That rings fucking true for Canadian rockers Leona's Sister.

Based out of Toronto, Ontario, and originally a recording project developed by JT (lead singer and song-writer) in 1988, Leona's Sister would evolve into a band with a recorded EP by 1999.  Unfortunately that same year, JT would suffer an accident that would halt the band for another 11 years.  In 2010, regardless of still suffering with some of symptoms of her injuries, JT decided she needed to let loose the songs she had been writing over the years and revived Leona's Sister.  She's joined by Barb Piatkowski on drums, Barry "Bazman" Twohig on bass, and Deputy Dave Hanson (this guy is fucking funny) and Len O'Sullivan on guitars. 

Their rock n roll style takes us back to the simpler times of rock.  They're not heavy with synths or special effects....and auto tone - well, fuck that.  No....Leona's Sister is about the music....they're all about the lyrics that speak of real life pains and pleasures; they're all about crunchy guitar riffs and timeless rock rhythms.  And man...you just gotta fucking hear JT's vocals! Incredible!

NIGHT TURNS INTO DARKNESS



Leona's Sister doesn't need to dress up what they create....it stands strong raw, naked and fucking proud!  Oooo yeah baby!  That is what rock and roll is all about!.....huh, weird.... I suddenly have an incredible urge to dance naked....... ; )

For more information about Leona's Sister visit their webpage at www.leonassister.com ...you'll also find more videos, music and links there!

Tuesday 11 February 2014

Small Repreive....kinda....

Hey music fans!  I have good news and bad news....so which one do you want first?  Did you say good news?  Too fucking bad....I tend to like to rip the bandaid off so you're getting the bad news first....

The posts in Cat's Litter Box are going to slow down tremendously.  I know, I know....you'll miss your daily dose of new music as brought to you through me by the incredible musical talent from around the world but that brings me to the good news.

I started writing this blog a few years ago because I wanted to write a book.  I couldn't find the discipline to write everyday to make that a reality so I figured in the meantime I would write a blog...y'know, little bits to get me into the habit of writing.  Well, I didn't expect the fucking outstanding response I've since received from all of you!  It blew me away and kept me writing....still partly for me, but more so for you and for the artists I've featured on these pages.

Something happened to me this past weekend (it was a long weekend here in beautiful British Columbia).  I wrote the very first chapter of my very first novel!!! I'm so fucking excited.  It started as just another of my fun erotic stories and it took me over.  The whole story (well most of it) is trapped in my head, longing to be penned, so I want to use as much writing time as possible to set it free. 

I will still post a music post here once a week....I'm thinking Music Monday may be the most fitting day of the week, so please watch for it!  In the meantime, please feel free to check out Chapter 1 of my new erotic thriller in progress.  I've posted in The Cat House here > Hell Hath No Fury

Thursday 6 February 2014

Walk

It's a Pantera kind of day........

WALK


Maybe next week I'll be back to walking on sunshine but for now, if I'm gonna feel angry I can't think of a better way to express it than through Pantera.......... ; )

Wednesday 5 February 2014

Downfall 2012

It's hump day boys and girls, so let's do it fucking HARD!!!! I fucking love it when peeps fucking share kick ass music and The Epic Texan never fucking lets me down when it comes to metal!  In case you haven't noticed, my language gets somewhat more, uh, colorful when I'm excited.  Well, I'm fucking excited and it's all due to Downfall 2012!

Texas fucking rocks hard and now especially Houston where Danny Gil, Boo Rogers and Casey Bowen are fucking kicking it into a whole new fucking gear with their band, Downfall 2012.  They compare with the fucking kick ass metal such as Disturbed, Sevendust, Mudvayne and Hell Yeah....all fucking favorites of mine and now I can add Downfall 2012 to that list.

These boys are getting airplay on traditional radio as well as internet and college radio, deservedly so!  If you haven't fucking heard them yet, well, hold onto something metal heads because their sound is going to fucking blow you the fuck out of your boots.  Turn it up and break that fucking knob right off!

FACE TO FACE



And the ass kicking doesn't stop there!  I've been hanging out at their website at www.downfall2012.com listening to the rest of their stuff and I'm fucking in LOVE!! Well, perhaps love isn't the right word....if my black heart doesn't feel love, at the very least it's fucking deep in lust with Downfall 2012......... ; )

You can help feed the music of Downfall 2012 and support them in their efforts to keep doing what they fucking do best by visiting and donating to their cause at www.feedthemuse.net/downfall2012!

Tuesday 4 February 2014

The Burning Crows

Mmmmmmm......I'm in the mood!  That's right rockers.....I've found another band that gets me hot and bothered!  The Burning Crows are fucking hot!!  Their brand of kick ass rock and roll is enough to get the heart racing and blood burning AND they are definitely not hard on the eyes either!

Their sound is hard enough that the guys will think they're cool and they're fucking sexy enough that women will want to throw their underwear at them.  That's right....they're bringing sexy back and making it fucking cool to listen too!  It was exactly this back in the days of horny teenageness that turned me on to rock in the first place.  I can pretty much guarantee that any guy that takes his girl to a Burning Crows show is not only gonna enjoy the music, he's also gonna get fucking lucky after the show.....probably in the fucking parking lot!

TIME



Based in the UK, The Burning Crows have me wondering if swimming the Atlantic would really be that difficult....hmmmmm, maybe I should try a few laps in the pool first........ ; )

Check out their website at www.theburningcrows.com!  They got everything there....tunes, videos, links, tour dates!

Monday 3 February 2014

Gentlemen Husbands

Happy fucking Monday.....seems like a contradiction of terms, doesn't it.  Especially for Bronco fans after yesterday's game.  What a slaughtering!  I like horror but that was just way too fucking much....even for me.  Anyway, congratulations Seahawks....you played a hell of a game!

Now....I think we Bronco fans need something soothing to lick our wounds to so I'd like to slow it down a little in the Litter Box today.  As much as I love kick ass sexy rock and the fucking hard sounds of Metal, I also enjoy the softer sounds offered by artists such as The Wallflowers, Blue Rodeo and Tom Petty.  This weekend my friend Roy Galpin turned me on to a band out of Cobourg Ontario that is all those artists rolled into one....Gentlemen Husbands.

Gentlemen Husbands take songwriting to the next level and combine it with easy rock rhythms to create a sound that is not only easy to listen to but easy to relate to as well.  Made up of Derrick Ballard - Vocals, Ryan Hutcheson - Guitar, Dan Farrell - Drums and Jed Atkinson - Bass these boys are getting a lot of attention and for very good reason.  Here's a taste and one of my favorites so far, this is Bloodlines from their recently released House of Cards EP......

BLOODLINES


As stated earlier Bloodlines is just one of my favorites from this band and as they gain even more attention and popularity and are able to release more, I can guarantee that list is going to get very fucking long....... ; )
 
Visit Gentlemen Husbands on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gentlemenhusbands for more information about the band and to listen to the EP......I have it on good authority that there's a free song download link there as well!