Stereos 'Turn It Up'

On December 11th, Stereos hit the University of Calgary's Den with openers The Envy, The Artist Life, and The Midway State. The show, although scheduled at a typical 18+ venue, was an all ages performance, which meant a definite hoard of young girls would be expected to crowd the small space.

Stereos were seen on last season's finale of MuchMusic's disBAND, which saw the band go through the usual struggles to get a thumbs up from the show's judges. Surprisingly, the Edmonton born band went away with overwhelming praise, and also with a record contract from Universal. From there, they quickly hit the radio and television waves strong. The first single 'Summer Girl' off their self-titled debut disc saw the band pinpoint a unique and successful dance-pop vibe, and have continued that feel with follow-up singles 'Throw Ya Hands Up' and 'Turn It Up'.

Check out www.myspace.com/stereos for more information on the band.

Inner City Elegance: Hot, Dangerous & Ready for Action

With the release of their debut EP earlier this year, Inner City Elegance have been taking over Calgary's music scene in a powerful and strictly energetic manner. Lead singer and guitarist Bruno Rodrigues, originally from Brazil, moved to Canada in 2007, later forming the band with bassist Justin Parsons and drummer Spencer Kathrens.

Like any other band, they've had to put in a lot of time and effort to get to where they are today. "In the beginning, we tried to play as many shows as we possibly could," they said. "From there on we worked hard to build our fan base and get the word out about our band."

After bursting onto the music scene in late 2008, the three of them had the opportunity to record and release their first disc.

"The album was produced and engineered by the wizard Casey Lewis," the band told us. Lewis operates Echo Base Studios in north Calgary and has worked with a substantial variety of artists. "We spent four days in the studio to record the five song EP," the band also said. "The whole time was spent twittering, cracking jokes, and upgrading our musical superpowers."

The Independently released cd includes title track Hot & Dangerous and fan favourite Jager Baby, as well as others. The EP finishes with a song called Can't Always.

"Can't Always was a big step for us," the guys said. "We feel it made us realize where we were headed as a band, and it gave us the inspiration to come up with our next batch of music." That being said, during live shows the band always plays a whole set list that includes songs that do not appear on their EP.

All ages fans gathered at Tubby Dog on 17th Ave. on Dec. 5 to hear them play, despite the blizzarding weather conditions. Beverages, fries and hot dogs were provided by the venue, and Christmas lights and retro decorations created a completely unique atmosphere. The bands performed in a small couch-lined area with old Loony Tunes cartoons playing in the background.

Opening the show was another local band called When We Were Dinosaurs. Unfortunately, those guys had other places to be after the show and couldn’t stick around. However, t-shirts and cds were available at the front of the venue while the band played.

Inner City Elegance took the “stage” to a small crowd of loyal fans, most of them knowing the lyrics and loudly singing them back at Rodrigues. An all ages show provided opportunity for a larger number of younger and more familiar concert goers to attend, regardless of the conditions outside.

The show was originally planned to take place on the 4th at The New Black Centre, but due to noise complaints the venue was shut down. Luckily, they’ve recently been reopened and the band has scheduled another show with them for Jan. 29. “We had a blast playing there and wish that Calgary had more venues like it,” the band said.

Given their crowd-pumping energy and loyal following, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Inner City Elegance is making their way up the popularity charts; the band has all kinds of hopes for the future. "We are planning a cross Canada tour in 2010, as well as working on getting everything in line to record a full length album," they said. "We are also working hard to arrange a tour in Brazil, which would be a trip of a lifetime."

Visit myspace.com/innercityelegance for more information on the band or to check out their music. But keep in mind that listening online is nothing compared to their live show, so make sure you get your tickets for next month's gig at The New Black. All photos by fourfourbeat.

Three Days Grace Start A Riot w/The Used & Default

Three Days Grace hit the stage Monday, Nov. 30 at the Stampede Corral with openers Default and The Used.

Three Days Grace recently released their third studio album Life Starts Now with first single Break, following their highly successful second disc One-X.

The show was originally scheduled for the Saddledome but got switched to the Corral with suspected cause being low ticket sales. With this change there came tons of confusion and hassle with exchanging tickets. For people who bought them from ticketmaster locations, they actually ended up waiting until the day of the show to get them officially exchanged regardless of many conflicting statements from online and radio sources saying to exchange before the show day.

Half of the Corral stadium was made available for the show, which filled up substantially by the time the show began around 7 p.m.

Defualt brought a spotless performance as the first band to come out. They sang hits that included Wasting My Time, Count On Me and Deny.

When The Used hit the stage, the crowd began with the usual fist pounding mosh pit and consistent crowd surfing. The band brought a heavy, grunge act that was only topped off by lead singer Bert McCracken's greasy hair, crazy facial expressions and constant f-bombs that always got the crowd even more pumped and excited.

Three Days Grace came out with huge applause, singing many of their Canadian hits such as I Hate Everything About You, Never Too Late, Pain and newest, Break. The stands were on their feet most of the show rocking out to Adam Gontier's seamless rock vocals, the infectious guitar riffs, the pounding bass lines and the intense drum beats. The show finished with a three song encore ending the night with the crowd favourite Animal I Have Become.

For more information on Three Days Grace and their current Canadian tour, visit them at http://www.threedaysgrace.com/

PHOTO JOURNAL: The Latency w/State of Shock @ Cowboys

Faber Drive bring the heat in the blizzarding Grey Cup outdoor festivities

Faber Drive hit the Olympic Plaza stage for a free show a little after 5 p.m. Friday as part of the weekends Grey Cup festivities. Regardless of the worsening winter weather that was seen, fans began waiting much earlier in the afternoon trudging through the wind, cold temperatures and occasional snow falls to see the band up close and personal.

The band performed songs from both albums, Seven Second Surgery and recently released can'T keEp A SecrEt, and even touched Owl City's song 'Fireflies' to great audience surprise. The performance surely did not disappoint the devoted fan base considering the blizzard that scattered many of the football supporters indoors that were there previous in the day. The high energy and emotion seen from the band on stage seemed to warm crowd hearts as well as shivering hands and feet that filled the Plaza.

Hedley: The Show Must Go...On

The obnoxiously charming, chart topping and fan favourite band Hedley released their third studio album "The Show Must Go" Tuesday, Nov. 17. Stationed out of B.C, the band has had previous hits with On My Own, Gunnin, She's So Sorry and For The Nights I Can't Remember to name a few. From the minute they hit the Canadian Music Industry, Hedley's band identity has been defined with high energy live performances, huge public support, sincere and personal lyrics, and a true love for their fans. In high anticipation, their newest creation is one of the bands most daring albums to date.

Track one, Cha-Ching, presents listeners with an up beat and danceable spoof on reality television. It was the first single to hit airways from the new record, and was soon accompanied with humourous scenes from the band on such shows as The Hills, Survivor, The Biggest Loser and even the Idol franchise in the over the top music video. The band can be seen throughout the video sporting many costumes that include money-hungry business men, Idol judges and reality show contestants. The second track on the album, Don't Talk To Strangers is the second released single. The video for this song aired on Much On Demand Thursday Nov. 19th, where the band also appeared for a quick interview. Directly in tune with the song lyrics, the video features a "cougar on the prowl" concept.

The album continues with Scream, an up-beat track that is programmed a lot like their previous material from Famous Last Words; however, there is also a presence of more electronic beats and sounds, which are also the basis of Cha-Ching, Don't Talk To Strangers and bonus track Lucky, which was available through a pre-order from itunes. Always known for his passion, Lead singer Jacob Hoggard, brings a whole-hearted vocal performance. In terms of the instrumental, both the lead up to heavier set drums from the verses to the chorus and the lead up from the bridge to the final chorus successfully stabilize the song into a real pop hit, incorporating the more produced beats with real rock undertones quite well.

In the fourth track is where the album takes a more down-beat and almost a more sincere approach in the way it's arranged. The smooth and camp-fire-esque melody dares the definition of what the band has done in the past, but reforms listeners of what the band can do now, and do well. These melodies also set the album apart from their previous work as well as what's currently out in the music scene at the moment. The unique and "head-bopping" beat along with the in and out shakers accompany the song well, setting a definite laid back and honest atmosphere.

Amazing, track five, is where the band has previously said they were able to truly showcase one of their best composed songs to date. Accompanied by the piano and slower beats, Hoggard brings a steller vocal performance and is sure to hit a high note with the female variety for singing such lyrics as "You're amazing, you're amazing and it's true, no one can save me, no one can save me like you do". The band played Amazing live at We Day when it stopped in Toronto, showcasing an already fan favourite.

The next track off the record, Shelter, has a great bass line, which accompanies the island felt melody and simplified drums. The track could be compared to Never Too Late off their second album, but definitely shows high vocal growth as well as growth within the band. The tune and whimsical lyrics create a no doubt, catchy melody that will definitely not disappoint.

Young and Stupid is a fun, no limits track that is bound to get you noticed for singing along in public. The lyrics and tone suggest that it represents Hoggards', or even the bands' growth since when they started out, being that the song as a whole is a tribute to their old days, scars and "young and stupid" behaviours, which the band is countlessly known for. However, it is clear from the lyrics in the chorus, "At least we did it our way" the song expresses no real regrets with all heads held high.
Track eight, presents a "Perfect" collaboration of superb vocal performance, instrumental strings and heart-wrenching passion that truly brings eye-opening emotion to the forefront. The small vocal changes that are seen throughout ultimately bring the simplicity that allows the piano ballad to shine through. One of the stronger songs on the record, fans can really appreciate the flow of personal experience from Hoggard with this track.

Another stand out track, Sweater Song is a story from Hoggard's heart that is really evident upon first listen. The acoustic, stripped down approach allows this song to keep its musical dignity regardless of music industry standards, definitely gaining an inch of love from listeners. The fact the song lacks the usual 'verse chorus' structure really shows Hedley's ability to keep the song the way they invisioned and how it was meant to be heard from the start. The haunting tune and vocals surround the true emotions of the song, which ultimately are the trials and feelings during a long distance seperation.

Coincidentally being track '9', 9 Shades of Red brings an easy and upbeat listen that touches on a 'fun night out on the town' with lyrics "Holla back for a planned attack, on this unsuspecting town, We may be looking pretty, but we make an awful sound". With catchy lyrics and a sing-a-long melody, the ensemble really brings a fun and care-free aspect to the album. The slower drum beat and "head-swaying" bass lines accompany the bigger choruses well.

The final track to the album, Friends, successfully ends with a slower, more stripped down performance that showcases the more raw sound of Hoggard's vocals and the simplicity is yet again a clear and pivotal aspect of their new sound. With lyrics such as "You and me will always be friends" the album completes on a seemingly higher note for fans. Previously, Tommy MacDonald, the bassist, has said this track is one of his personal favourites.

Presently it seems the band is evolving into a role-modeling, hard working band that has a duty to be responsible for themselves as well as their largely growing fan base. These personal growths and realizations can definitely be seen on this album. From the hillbilly rock anthems, to the fast and fun, and back to the emotional ballads, Hedley has made a record that is in tune with them as artists as well as them personally, which cannot be faulted against them in the least. This continuously maturing Canadian band has made rock hits and pop favourites that have hit the charts at #1, but with this album, regardless of those standards, it's sure to go as far and farther with the risky exploration of melodies, structures and compositions seen on The Show Must Go.

For more information on Hedley and on their upcoming headlining Canadian 2010 tour w/Boys Like Girls, Fefe Dobson, Faber Drive and Stereos, vist them at www.hedleyonline.com or myspace.com/hedley. Also, follow @hedleyonline on twitter. All photos by fourfourbeat (except album cover)

LIGHTS, camera, action.

Thanks to MuchMusic, we had the opportunity to attend the Lights concert in Calgary at the MacEwan Ballroom on Thursday Nov. 12. Along with the tickets we were given the chance to meet her before the show to say hi, and get a photo and some autographs.

After waiting a week to hear about the meet and greet, we received a text message telling us to be at the venue in less than 30 minutes. Unfortunately, that time frame didn’t allow us to get there in time.

After texting the coordinator of the meet and greet a couple times, it was established that we would not be able to meet Lights, but could expect some personalized signed posters from Lights herself when we got there.

The line-up for the show went the entire length of the building. Amongst the crowd, many fashioned Lights’ signature style, complete with headbands and leggings. Two guys roaming around the line were sporting tin foil costumes and signs reading “Knights for Lights.”

The line started moving around 7 p.m. Before finding a spot in the audience, we searched for two elastic bands so that the signed posters wouldn’t get crumpled. Arriving at the merch table to try and find the elastics, we encountered Seventh Rain’s Rich MacFarlane, who was selling merch for the opening band Jets Overhead.

We had never before listened to Jets Overhead, but were pleasantly surprised by their melodic sounds; Antonia Freybe-Smith and Adam Kittredge had voices that blended well together. It was a nice change to see two girls on stage (Freybe-Smith and Jocelyn Greenwood) with their fellow male bandmates.

Lights’ name was projected onto the screen behind the stage to screams from the crowd, signalling the start of her set. She opened with The Listening, and continued with performances of many of the other tracks off her full-length album. The songs had a more high-energy vibe live than they do on the record.

Throughout the show, comic style cartoons were displayed behind the stage, depicting the story of her crash landing on a strange planet. In the story, her character, Captain Lights, needed to bring music back to the creatures of the planet. This unique storyline set her concert apart from other artists that we’ve seen.

Visit her website to check out her galactic ways at iamlights.com, and follow her on twitter @lightsnoise.

The Secret's Out

Faber Drive’s sophomore album can’T keEp A SecrEt hit stores on Tuesday Nov. 10, showcasing the band’s evolution. The first single off the new record, G-Get Up And Dance, is a step up in the dance world.

The 12 track disc includes everything from traditional Faber Drive sounds seen on You and I Tonight and I'll Be There, to synthesized dance tunes Give Him Up and G-Get Up And Dance. The 12th song, featuring Jessie Farrell, is a redone version of I'll Be There, which appears earlier in the album with Dave Faber singing solo.

Faber Drive covers Just What I Needed, originally done by the Cars, brings a modern dance spin to the track. Faber's vocal performance on the song is deeper than what's usually expected from him, especially in the verses. This showcases his exploration with his voice and mixes things up a bit.

Listeners won't be disappointed with the fresh sounds that form the album, but they'll be opened up to the latest side of Faber Drive, which for most won't disappoint. Their live shows are a good way to get the most out of them and their songs, including ones from the new album. Check them out on their upcoming Canadian tour with The Latency and The New Cities in your hometown.

For more information on Faber Drive, visit them at myspace.com/faberdrive

Seventh Rain Against Bullying

On Monday Nov. 9, Centennial High School in Calgary hosted a Seventh Rain show as part of the band’s anti-bullying campaign. The band has been able to play with Canadian acts that include Faber Drive, Hedley and Ten Second Epic and have played numerous times on the Coca Cola Stage at the Calgary Stampede. They've recently released their follow-up album to Byda titled The Ghost In Me. In their anti-bullying campaigns they focus on their personal experiences with bullying, presenting at high schools around Alberta.

Drummer Phil Grossi and bassist Lucas Sheppard were severely bullied during their school years. In school, Ryan Williams and Rich MacFarlane, the lead singer and the guitarist, were friends with the ones doing the bullying, but eventually realized that something as simple as saying to those people, “Hey, what are you doing?” can really have an effect on someone’s life. As a band that has a quickly growing fan base, they saw their experiences as a way to spread awareness to a wide group of people by offering to play in schools across the province.

To start the night off, the band shared these stories about bullying with the audience. Sheppard, who couldn’t find anywhere to fit in at his new school in a small town where children didn’t accept him, and Grossi, who was constantly teased and went through severe emotional suffering due to his weight problem, told especially moving stories.

Sheppard shared his past with the audience and the affects it had on him. “We moved out to this new school and I was instantly thrown into this group of kids that had grown up together their whole life... It didn’t take long before it was decided that I was gonna be the guy to bully.” Sheppard also said being picked last in gym class, being called names, and being embarrassed were some of what he experienced early on.

“The only thing you really feel the whole time is just fear, and you’re lonely. I had horrible self esteem, and you start to believe what they have to say, “Is there something wrong with me?”

“It all changed eventually when I finally had a friend. That’s all it took, somebody just finally stood up for me and I befriended them, all of a sudden the bullies backed right off. They were just gone, not interested anymore. And it changed my life forever. All of a sudden I started feeling a lot better about myself.” He stressed the need for people to stand up and say something if they see bullying being done, because something as easy as standing up, truly changed his life.

Grossi also told his story, which had started as early as grade 3. “I had a problem...carrying all that weight, there is nowhere to hide. You get made fun of everywhere and that’s something that I had to go through most of my life.” He said kids as well as adults used to make fun of him wherever he went. He thanks Williams for giving him a chance and giving him some hope for the future. “The littlest things can make a difference.”

Grossi also explained one of the bands early career milestones and addressed their appreciation to the fans in helping them hear themselves on the radio, which the band was grateful for.

“We ended up winning the Vibe 98.5 100,000 search contest about 4 or 5 years ago, and it was such an amazing experience... Not only were we able to further our careers in music, we got to be played on radio, and a lot of that is attested to you guys...I wanna say, and I know the rest of the guys wanna say, thank you very much.”

---- ---- ---- ----

The atmosphere quickly changed when the bands hit the stage. The Love Cats, who were given the opportunity to play after winning the school’s battle of the bands, opened the show to a round of applause. After they played some original tunes and a couple of covers, Seventh Rain took the stage.

As is commonplace at a Seventh Rain concert, the band gave a powerful performance which was only emphasized by the messages they delivered earlier that night. Opening with One To Fall, the first track off their new album, the band started to get the crowd pumped. The excitement grew throughout the show, leading to an encore consisting of one of the band’s own songs and a cover of The Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling, to which the entire crowd was enthusiastically jumping and singing along.

All the images by fourfourbeat. For more information on Seventh Rain Against Bullying, and on the band and their music, visit myspace.com/7thrain or http://www.seventhrain.com/

Halloween with Marianas Trench & guests

Calgary’s Mount Royal University hosted an all ages Halloween bash Saturday Oct. 31^st to a sold out crowd at the Wyckham House.

Marianas Trench, The New Cities, Carly Rae Jepsen, and The Mission District performed, stopping for the night in Calgary on their Beside You Tour.

Tickets for the event were $23.50 from Ticketmaster.

The New Cities, originating from Quebec, brought a high energy performance to the stage with their electro-pop sounds. The Mission District, also originating from Quebec, fashioned zombie make-up and opened the event.

Carly Rae Jepsen and band came out as the Rice Crispie Trio, Snap, Crackle and Pop, while The New Cities came out with matching, horror-like masks.

Headliners, Marianas Trench, had an epic entrance to the stage with Josh Ramsay, lead singer, in a blue knee length dress and a blonde shoulder length wig creating a “Little Bo Peep” costume. He was also sporting some heavy stage make-up, including blush, lipstick, and foundation.

The crowd roared from the sight of Ramsay’s Halloween costume.

The other members of Marianas Trench, Mike Ayley on bass, Matt Webb on guitar and Ian Casselman on drums wore black leotards and white shirts with Velcro fluff to represent Ramsay’s “lost sheep” to complete the group costume scheme.

Attendees wore a variety of costumes, which included a Pikachu, the Teletubbies, many vampires and a few traditional witches were also present.

Aeron Mundell, 18, came to see Marianas Trench and was thrilled with the costumes that the bands came out with.

“I hadn’t heard of the other bands,” said Mundell. “But everyone’s stage presence was good. The songs were really good too.”

Mundell dressed up as a witch for the event supporting the Halloween themed bash.

“I loved the costumes, and my camera got some great documentation of them.” said Mundell, happy at capturing the night.

Mundell was situated on the balcony, and saw the show “brilliantly.”

Many kids were pulled from the mosh pit during the performances. One girl had even hit her head before quickly being pulled out along with her sister, who were later deemed fine.

“I was somewhat concerned about that, largely just wondering why so many people were being pulled out.” said Mundell.”I later learned that it was hotter than an oven down there, which made much more sense.”

Doors to the event opened around 7:30 p.m. The show ran until around 11:30 with daylight savings in consideration.

All four acts stayed to sign autographs and meet with fans following the concert. All could be found at their merchandise booths, where fans could get t-shirt, stickers, albums and pictures with the bands.

For more information on Marianas Trench, visit myspace.com/marianastrench
For more information on The Mission District, visit myspace.com/themissiondistrict
For more information on The New Cities, visit myspace.com/thenewcities
For more information on Carly Rae Jepsen, visit myspace.com/carlyraemusic

PHOTO JOURNAL: Inner City Elegance @ The New Black

The New Black: Take the Shot w/The Artist Life

Take The Shot and The Artist Life hit the stage at the New Black Centre For Music and Art on Thanksgiving Monday, Oct. 12 to a crowd of a small devoted fan base.

The cover charge for the event was $5, doors opening around 7:00 p.m.

The New Black is situated on 9th Avenue and 9th street, in the trendy southeast community of Inglewood. Inglewood is minutes from downtown and has many convenient transit opportunities for commuters, especially concert goers. There was also parking spots available for those that drove to the event.

The show was held in an upstairs room, entrance at the back of the building. The Centre specializes in live and rehearsal spaces.

Take The Shot, a Calgary punk/hardcore band, are currently working on their debut full length record. Forming in January of 2009 with all but one of the current members, the band consists of Ashtyn Beaudette (Vocals), Ruel Gauld (Bass/vocals), Jon Garcia (Guitar), Alex Koebel (Guitar) and Jeff Oman (Drums). They have previously mentioned that their influences include All Time Low and Mayday Parade.

Opening the show, they played a bunch of upbeat and powerful songs, that included a crowd favorite Don't Tell Sarah which can be heard on their myspace (myspace.com/taketheshotmusic). Beaudette brought a needed strong and energetic female stage presence to counterweight the four guys that accompanied her. She also brought a unique vocal ability to the stage. The small crowd danced along to the songs, and a few hardcores were singing along.

Jessica Scott Pearson, a friend and fan of Take The Shot told us about her excitement on the show, and the venue::

{Fourfourbeat}: So you were here for Take The Shot?

{Pearson}: Yeah! I know some of the people in the band, so I came to see them and they opened up the show. Because of them I got to see the other bands, which I found that each of the bands had their own kind of twist to their music, which is really good. Just cause of the intimate environment here, everyone feels like really close to the guys, you get a chance to understand the music better, and feel more in the environment. Because there's less people here, you're in it more, just cause it's not that big, like stage lights and these famous artists or anything like that.

{Fourfourbeat}: Did you like the venue?

{Pearson}: Yeah for sure. The venue is sick! That's why I find these shows to become so popular, like little shows, even though there's not that many people you get that experience, and they become close with fans. I find they have a stronger fan base in the end just cause they've had those chances to get to know people, closer, and they take the time to meet the people after the show, so it's just a better experience all together, than going out to see some big famous band.

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The Artist Life followed with a fun set that showcased the band's newer and older material. A lot of the songs touched on the pop/punk vocals and melodies that got the crowd pumped. The sounds, filled with many 'whoa's', resembled that of a new age Blink 182 but with an old school feel.

The band was decked out, in black skinny jeans, black tees and converse shoes, a typical band outfitting.

One song played, a cover of the Ramones, Blitzkreig Bop was a highlight in the performance. The cover brought old school punk to the stage and showed true talent in The Artist Life, making it come alive all over again into a modern day show.

Go For The Eyes, the last band that hit the stage, brought a unique and heavy instrumental performance that also showed true talent with the lead singer and the band's songwriting skills. It was clear that they took influence from more classic rock acts, but they were able to bring a fresh and new sound to their material for the crowd.

For more information visit www.myspace.com/taketheshotmusic, www.myspace.com/gofortheeyesband or www.myspace.com/theartistlife

A Faber Drive-Thru

Pop/punk band Faber Drive, Mission B.C's proudest, jumped onto the music scene with their debut album Seven Second Surgery in May of 2007, signing with 604 Records.

Singles off of Seven Second Surgery give a taste of the "old" Faber Drive:
(1. Second Chance: An addicting love story crammed into 3 minutes and 42 seconds. (2. Tongue Tied: A foot tapping, slower beat song that touches on the trials of love. (3. When I'm With You: An emotionally charged ballad with string accompaniment. (4. Sleepless Nights (Never Let Her Go): Heartfelt vocals powerfully backed by instrumentals.

Their follow-up record is set to be released November 10th called Can't Keep a Secret.

The first single, G-Get Up and Dance, off the new album takes the band almost into un-chartered waters and is a 180 from what they brought to the table with hits from Seven Second Surgery.

At a recent Calgary show at the Gateway Restaurant and Bar, Krikit (Jeremy Liddle), bassist for Faber Drive and a member that's been in the band since the beginning said that fans can expect the new album to be a combination of newly inspired electro-pop, G-Get Up and Dance esque rhythms, but also original pop/punk vibes.

The single, G-Get Up and Dance successfully hits all the right notes with melodies filled with light beats, electronic edges and sing along, catchy lyrics that anyone can dance to. With such catchy and relatable lyrics for listeners, it shows that underneath the new album they still posses the"old" Faber Drive, that their fans love to love.

Another new transformation that is a biggy for the band is the recent addition of Jordan Pritchett on guitar and Andrew Stricko on drums with the absence of Calvin Lechner and David Hinsley.

It's been debated if the new additions of Pritchett and Stricko were the main inspiration for the upcoming album's melodic direction, but what can be said is that in anticipation for the album out in early November, fans will not be disappointed by any means.

To find out more information, visit www.myspace.com/faberdrive !

A True Rock 'N' Roll Show

4/4 beats

Edmonton-based rockers Social Code hit the stage at The Back Alley on Sunday, September 27^th, their last date on the Rev Theory tour w/guests The Armchair Cynics.

The Calgary nightclub set the scene for the live show with a definite “back alley grunge” atmosphere, filling up quickly with attendees before the first act hit the stage. Tickets for the show were under twenty dollars, making the three-act event well worth the price.

Social Code recently released their third studio album, Rock ‘N’ Roll following their 2004 album A Year At The Movies and their 2007 self-titled release. Their first single off the new record, Satisfied, is currently climbing the rock charts and was one of the later tracks played during their set.

Even by putting the name of the album out of your mind, it was clear from their performance that the new album contains more of a “rock ’n’ roll” vibe. Tracks played off of Rock ‘N’ Roll such as Nothing Left To Lose, Buy Buy Baby and Real Girl captured the essence of their newly discovered direction. Surprisingly, the set was packed full of songs from all three records, and focused evenly across the board. This gave fans the chance to experience the new album live, but also hear their favorite songs such as Bomb Hands, Beautiful and Whisper To a Scream, returning to their pop-punk melodies, whereas new listeners were given a taste of what Social Code have been, to what they are currently.

Lead singer, Travis Nesbitt brought his never fading high-energy and strong vocal ability to the band's performance. His signature emotional facial expressions also got the crowd pumped throughout each tune. A highlight in the performance was Social Code’s spin on the song I Believe In a Thing Called Love where Nesbitt’s high-pitched vocals got the audience into a “bopping frenzy”, adding a pink boa and an over the top pair of sunglasses to his attire. Backing him up were Morgan Gies on guitar, Logan Jacobs on bass, Ben Shillabeer on drums, and newly acquired guitarist Steve Faulkner, who never missed a beat. After the set, most of the members were available throughout the venue or by their merchandise booth where fans were able to obtain signatures, buy cds and shirts or get pictures. The band truly did not disappoint.

Following Social Code’s explosive performance, Rev Theory received a thunderous welcome onto the stage and rocked the house down with heavy rock anthems and a devoted bar audience. The night was a true rock ‘n’ roll show that brought something for everyone with the presented line-up.

For more information on Social Code visit their official site, socialcodemusic.com

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Brand New Eyes

3.5/4 beats

Tennessee-based band Paramore released their third studio album, Brand New Eyes, on Tuesday September 29th.

The album boasts melodies and intricacies that were not seen on their previous records, All You Know Is Falling, and Riot! It begins with Careful, which pulls the listener into the harsh and emotional concepts that surround the 11 track album. Such songs as Ignorance, Turn It Off and Playing God reinforce these struggles, as well as showing the triumphs the band mastered in getting them to where they are now. The Only Exception, Looking Up, and Where The Lines Overlap bring a more positive spin to the record.

Hayley Williams, the band’s lead singer, took a more stripped down and raw approach to her vocal performance. Jeremy Davis, Josh and Zac Farro, and newly acquired guitarist Taylor York, successfully back her up with their edgy guitar riffs, pounding bass lines and unique drum beats.

You definitely need to listen to Brand New Eyes from beginning to end to appreciate the strong messages behind it. Fans of Paramore are able to get an inside look into what the band was going through, and new listeners will truly experience Paramore at their best.

For more information on the band, visit their official website, paramore.net