October Sky - Fall Tour 2013

Well, it's official....we are definitely going to have to fucking change the name of month from October to Roctober!  I'll be seeing One Bad Son with Crash Karma on the 8th, Joe Satriani on the 19th, and now I hear October Sky is coming back to my neck of the woods on October 12th.

Last fall it was my one of my greatest pleasures to go to Vancouver to catch Montreal rockers October Sky live at Joe's Apartment.  Well, another fall has come and October Sky is back on the road.  They'll be at Joe's Apartment once again and I'm going to do my damnest to be there!

Lucky for Canada, Vancouver isn't their only stop.  In fact they've already started playing to packed audiences.  If you're fucking smart (and I know you are) and love great music (and I know you do) you will be in at least one of their audiences.

But then again, perhaps you're skeptical....perhaps you haven't heard of October Sky ....well, I don't know what fucking rock you've been living under but let me lift it up for you and show you the light. This is lead singer, Karl Raymond, performing an acoustic version of one of my favourite October Sky songs Prisoner of Nothing from their killer album The Aphotic Season.....

PRISONER OF NOTHING

I think the reason I can really relate to this song is because I too am a prisoner of nothing......well except maybe booze, sex, cigarettes, caffeine, music......okay, maybe I fucking spoke to soon.......... ; )   

I highly recommend you check out October Sky when they roll into a town near you.  Here are their tour dates.

Alex Ryder

In case you haven't noticed, Canadian chicks are smart, beautiful and badass!  Though I may possess those qualities, it's not me I want to draw your attention too.  I need to introduce you to Alex Ryder because not only does she possess every one of those qualities, she fucking rocks as well!

Hailing from our nation's capital, Ottawa, Alex is a capital talent. Yeah, I may not be proud of everything that happens in Ottawa (politically speaking), but due to talents like Alex, I can stand proud and say Canada fucking rocks!  She represents everything that's great about the great country I live in....beauty, intelligence and yeah, super nice (and I'm not just fucking talking about on the eyes fella's, though as you will see, she's that too)!

Released in 2011, this is the title track from her CD Won't You Listen.....

WON'T YOU LISTEN

For more information about Alex drop into her website at www.alexryder.com.  And if that's still not enough to get your rock on, she just happens to be the featured guest this week on the popular online radio show The Ray and Joe Show with Joe Calautti - hi Joe (schoolgirl giggles) - and Ray Viola, broadcasting on several online radio stations!  You can also catch it on demand at  www.sarahmasonmusic.com.  Ray and Joe are fucking hilarious and they play the best independent music out there today including Alex Ryder.  You know I'll be listening.....and I'm not just fucking saying that because I have a huge crush on Joe....... ; )

No Operator can Trace the Sky and Carry the Storm

CARRY THE STORM

Wow...what a time for music!  I've had my fill of fucking great music this last little while.  We have greats like Black Sabbath and Eric Clapton releasing new stuff, I've been hearing some great Indie stuff online like Screaming Eagles and Jemile Aka BaghdadBad Boy (two very different styles but man I got to tell you about these guys in more detail!) and then if that isn't fucking enough I caught some great island local live music on June 7!

And it's that show I'm going to tell you about first!  I've traveled off the island to the big city of Vancouver to see shows in the past...and there is no fucking doubt, Vancouver rocks!! But I found out first hand this weekend that Vancouver Island and more specifically Nanaimo fucking rocks too!

On our way to the show our designated driver was telling us about his new favorite band.  It was a band he had caught live the weekend before and as luck would have it, he had the CD!  The Body Politic is a hot new Progressive Metal band out of Nanaimo, BC and they are building quite the fan base.  Any fan of Tool would definitely get off on the vibe that The Body Politic is laying down and vice-versa.   As a matter of fact I asked our designated driver (my friends kid, just turned 19) if he heard the similarities in sound between Tool and The Body Politic.  He asked me who Tool was...... fucking kids!

The show we were on our way to see was at a small club called the Cambie in Nanaimo.  A cool little dive with limited seating and a small stage.  Taking the stage that night were three bands.  These bands, though diverse, all have something in common....members of each group have played with who I was going to see.... Blake Deal.  I was excited to finally hear Blake perform.

Blake Deal - Carry the Storm

Blake's band, Carry the Storm, opened the show with face-melting Deathcore Metal - what my sister-in-law refers to affectionately as kill your mother music.  Blake's demonic vocals led Riley Anderson and Steven Bekker on guitars.  Their fingers flew over their guitar strings, the friction surprisingly not setting their guitars on fire, but definitely alighting something in the souls of the audience! I had five words for Blake after their set.... GET INTO THE FUCKING STUDIO!  He tells me in a couple of months....and when they have something recorded you can bet your ass that I'll be sharing it with all of you!  In the meantime you can find more info and photos by visiting and liking their facebook page at facebook.com/Carry-The-Storm!!!

Trace the Sky hit the stage next and let me tell you, these boys know how to rock.  Their alternative style has a pop punk edge much like what made the Offspring and Green Day so popular.  Liam Glaim has come out from behind the drums (used to play drums in a band he shared with Blake) to come out front with the two Matts (Harder and Gladman) to play guitar and sing.  They definitely had the crowd jumpin!  Here's just a sample of what we heard......

Check out Trace the Sky on facebook to listen to more - facebook.com/tracetheskymusic

Headlining the show was another fucking awesome band from Nanaimo!  No Operator has a hard rock sound that definitely appealed to this hard rocker!  And wouldn't you know it....Oliver Galloway (Ollie) - guitar and vocals - used to play in a band with Blake as well!  Either Blake really gets around or Nanaimo is a small town.... well maybe a little of both, hahaha!  Anyway... these guys are really making waves on our island.  Take a listen to the lighter side of No Operator and you'll understand why!

Visit No Operator on facebook to learn more about this up and coming band - facebook.com/nooperator

Needless to say, I had an fucking great time!  What more could a girl want than hot bands on a hot summer night........ ; )

Callin The Kettle Black

Don't you just fucking love it when you hear a song for the first time and you connect with it immediately?  You can't help but move something, whether you gotta tap your foot, your hand, bob your head or do what I do ...all of the above, plus shake my ass and clap my hands.  That's the reaction I had when I heard C-Leb and The Kettle Black for the first time!  The song was Can't Get That Low and it fucking rocks.  You gotta take a listen....

I tend to get a little excited when I hear new music that I like.  I buy at least one album a month, sometimes more.  I have to limit myself though...a limited income plus the fact that like everybody else I have other shit to buy too... you know, like concert tickets and tee shirts and such.  But when I come across a band like C-Leb and The Kettle Black it doesn't matter how many albums, tickets or tee shirts I've purchased that month...I will buy their album immediately after hearing that one song.

And holy fuck baby, I am so glad I did.  The Kettle Black only took one listen to become one of my all time favorite albums.  It definitely ranks up there with The Black Crows ~ Shake your Money Maker, Dire Straits ~ Brothers In Arms, Lynyrd Skynyrd ~ Pronounced 'Leh-'nerd 'Skin-'nerd...these were also albums I only had to listen to once to fucking love them.  To be ranked as one of my favorite albums means that I will listen to this album over and over again until it is emblazoned in my mind.  I'm well on my way to having The Kettle Black synced onto my brain's internal mp3 player.  That way if my plane ever goes down and I end up stranded on that deserted island, with no power to plug in my devices, I will be able to listen to their album in it's entirety in my head.  In my opinion it never hurts to be prepared.  Take a listen to some more tracks below, you'll see what I mean...this whole album is fucking awesome!

C-Leb and The Kettle Black consist of C-Leb - amazing vocals and mouth harp, he's so fucking cool; Jazz Turnbow - keeper of the beat and very fucking sexy, I'm gonna ask Santa to bring me Jazz this year for Christmas; and Jesse Strasbaugh - killer slide guitarist, I love Jesse, Jesse has serious playing and writing skills!

C-Leb and The Kettle Black hail from Seattle and like so many Seattle bands and musicians before them (Jimi Hendrix, Heart, Nirvana, Pearl Jam just to name a few) they have reinvented music to make it their own, only this time in the form of Urban Blues.  Their soulful sound gets into your bloodstream pumping adrenaline throughout your entire body, taking you over and filling you with energy and excitement.  The lyrics are smart and honest and speak of the everyday difficulties of trying to get fucking by or in the case of Hott Mess of just trying to get fucked (sorry, couldn't help myself *giggles*).

I am so glad I got to hear these guys early... and the chance to connect with a couple of the members personally.  These guys are currently unsigned and taking the Indie route.  I don't think that's gonna be the case for long.  Somebody has got to recognize the huge talent these guys present and offer them major dollars to make their music.  I am going to name drop like crazy when these guys are huge... and oh yes, they will be huge.......... ; )

Visit C-Leb and The Kettle Black on their official website and catch all their links here ----> http://c-lebsounds.com/

The Slice is a Slice!

March 29, my kids talked me into going to see a show with them at The Slice Bar and Grill in Lethbridge AB.  Now, don't get me wrong....I love to go see live shows and normally do not have to be talked into attending but it was the end of the month, I was broke and I hadn't heard a lot from these bands.  In fact I had only heard a few tracks from the headliners, Murder By Death.  You might be wondering why 18 year old boys wanted their mother to escort them to the bar to see a show....well that's easy.  They're even broker than I am and they needed a financier.  Also, music is the area that my boys and I have always connected.  To this day they still bring me their laptops and say, "Mom, listen to this!"  In fact, I first heard about Murder by Death through them so I think they would have wanted me to go regardless....at least that's what I tell myself.  Anyway, they talked me into attending and am I ever glad they did!  What a fucking great show!!
Surprisingly enough it was the first time I had been to The Slice.  I was a little surprised at how intimate it was considering almost every band that comes through Lethbridge at one time or another plays at The Slice.  I know this because almost every show I went to in Lethbridge this year, the band announced, "The last time we were in Lethbridge, we played The Slice."  The Slice Bar and Grill has live music almost nightly and an open mike night on Tuesdays for locals to stretch their live performance muscles.  And that's on top of great pizza and beer!
Black Mastiff opened the show.  This three piece band from Edmonton Alberta is made up of Vasilios (Bob) Yiannakoulias – guitar and lead vocals, Allan Harding – drums and vocals and Clay Shea – bass and vocals.  They have a powerful soulful sound reminiscent of Jimmy Morrison and The Doors that I instantly fell in love with.  Their show and their sound were tight and they really got the hipster crowd swaying and paying attention.



Big John Bates was next and they had me out of my seat and jumping.  This Vancouver based dynamic duo of Big John Bates and Brandy Bones surprised the hell out of me.  Fuck, I'm trying to put a genre on it but I hear blues, rockabilly, burlesque, punk, metal, hard rock (yeah, I hear a bit of Alice Cooper in there)...and probably more....so I'm not quite sure how to define them.  Brandy is an upright bassist and pure fucking metal.  Yet her vocals are unbelievably versatile, ranging through all the different styles of  Big John Bates' songs.  Their performance blew my mind and I have to say their show is a must see!


Then the headliners....the one's my boys had wanted to see, Murder by Death.  These guys bring new meaning to cool.  If their music hasn't been in a fucking Quentin Tarantino film, it must be because Quentin hasn't checked them out yet.  Oh wait....the song "Comin' Home" from Red of Tooth and Claw was featured in a trailer for Quentin Tarantino's award-winning film Inglorious Basterds. And it's featured on Sons of Anarchy Season 4 soundtrack as well!


Haha...told you they were fucking cool!  I am so glad my boys talked me into checking out this show.  Not only did I get to patronize one of Lethbridge's biggest Indie music supporters, The Slice Bar and Grill but I was witness to 3 amazing talents in their own right, live in an intimate setting.  Thanks guys! Life fucking rocks..... ; )

Check out these great bands further by clicking on the links below
Black Mastiff on myspace
Big John Bates official website
Murder By Death official website