November 26th, 2009 - Moneen
with Sights & Sounds & Passenger Action
$12 advance, $15 door (+$1.50 tx & sc) Buy your tickets for this show here
Doors at 7pm, show at 9pm, come early for dinner!
Though the band's fourth full-length offering 'The World I Want To Leave Behind' features a number of “firsts,” Moneen vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Kenny Bridges assures us that this isn't a new band: “We weren't trying to reinvent ourselves as much as we were trying out some things that we would have been scared of on previous records.”
One wouldn't think a band that's effortlessly able to weave such a wide array of influences into their output would be “scared” to try anything. After all, Moneen has always thrived on their trademark melee of melodic components – pop that has no business being so profound; rock that shouldn't be so ambient; punk that has no right being so delicate. While that familiar formula is what ultimately drives 'The World I Want To Leave Behind', Bridges, bassist Erik Hughes, guitarist/vocalist Chris “Hippy” Hughes, and new drummer Steve Nunnaro have slightly shifted their take on songwriting this time out.
“We enjoy writing music that makes us want to jump off the walls and roll around on the ground – while still maintaining a song's integrity, of course,” offers bassist Hughes of his band's general take on music making. Indeed, this has been the template for the band's writing ever since forming in 1999 and dropping the 'Smaller Chairs For The Early 1900s EP', a release that would introduce the band's shimming guitar interplay and passionate, personal lyricism to the world. Subsequent records, including 2003's 'Are We Really Happy With Who We Are Right Now?' and 2006's 'The Red Tree', have seen a continual refinement of the band's writing and wordplay, this effort being no exception.
“We took a more simplistic route this time around to allow the songs to breath, and to really let certain parts shine when they needed to,” adds Hippy. Bridges agrees, explaining that with 'The World I Want To Leave Behind', the band wanted to start out simple when structuring a track – letting the components work for the song and not the song for the components.
Indeed, the album is the first with drummer Steve Nunnaro, who the remaining band members cite as a significant contributor when it came to crafting these 12 songs. It's also found the band experimenting with new instruments – and who's playing them. Still, this is Moneen – in the shape that those who've sweated out the enthralling experience of their stage show know so well.
“We pushed ourselves harder than ever for this,” says Bridges with an air of pride. “We knew there was no way we could fool around with these songs. They were too important to us.” This mentality translates through the music with ease. Though there's still plenty of “jump-off-the-wall” jamming to be found, it's clear Moneen have truly invested themselves into this offering, which makes it all the more special to be invited into.
The foiling of new mentalities with old mannerisms is what makes 'The World I Want To Leave Behind' such a culmination of creativity for Moneen, though the journey isn't ending anytime soon. Says Hippy in anticipation: “There is still a lot to come, and I feel like everything old will start to feel new again.”
Smallman Records releaseed Monolith, the debut full-length album from Sights & Sounds, on May 26th, 2009. Produced by Devin Townsend (Ocean Machine, Misery Signals, Lamb of God), Monolith is a collection of 13 songs that are both intricate and powerful - an experiment in sounds that has created a truly exceptional album. Post-hardcore influences subtly underscore the entire album, layering perfectly to create a stark atmospheric soundscapes that is both aggressive and imaginative.
Sights & Sounds is vocalist/guitarist Andrew Neufeld, drummer Joel Neufeld, bassist Matt Howes, and guitarist Adrian Mottram. This eclectic and experienced group of musicians first came together in 2006 and had an immediate musical rapport. In 2006, their self-produced demo caught the attention of Smallman Records who subsequently released their eponymous debut EP in 2007.
You know the old adage: When God closes a practice space door, he opens a cargo van window. And so it was with Passenger Action. Members Shawn Moncreiff and Clay Shea recently wrapped up a 13-year run in Choke, a band that created and defined the term tech-rock. Playing faster and more complexly than anyone at the time, these boys trail-blazed a sound for many acts that followed. Ryan Podlubny (Pud) played most recently in Toronto’s The Fullblast. Playing on the 'Short Controlled Bursts' record, touring with Rise Against, Alexisonfire, Boys Night Out, and shooting a video for the record filled up most his time with them. Prior to that he was playing bass in Detroit’s fordirelifesake. Allan Harding was born into a family/wedding band in his hometown of Wadena, SK. He went on to play a variety of instruments in some 41 acts (!) and is most noted for Edmonton’s now defunct Thirty Nights of Violence.
Passenger Action came together in September 2006. A natural chemistry fueled the writing of their Debut EP 'Acoustic Blueprints', which was independently released in the summer of 2007. Recorded with Braden Sustrik, Acoustics Blueprints was mixed and mastered by Greg Dawson (Moneen, The End). Passenger Action toured in support of Acoustic Blueprints with Moneen, Ghosts of Modern Man, and Attack in Black.
$12 advance, $15 door (+$1.50 tx & sc) Buy your tickets for this show here
Doors at 7pm, show at 9pm, come early for dinner!
Though the band's fourth full-length offering 'The World I Want To Leave Behind' features a number of “firsts,” Moneen vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Kenny Bridges assures us that this isn't a new band: “We weren't trying to reinvent ourselves as much as we were trying out some things that we would have been scared of on previous records.”
One wouldn't think a band that's effortlessly able to weave such a wide array of influences into their output would be “scared” to try anything. After all, Moneen has always thrived on their trademark melee of melodic components – pop that has no business being so profound; rock that shouldn't be so ambient; punk that has no right being so delicate. While that familiar formula is what ultimately drives 'The World I Want To Leave Behind', Bridges, bassist Erik Hughes, guitarist/vocalist Chris “Hippy” Hughes, and new drummer Steve Nunnaro have slightly shifted their take on songwriting this time out.
“We enjoy writing music that makes us want to jump off the walls and roll around on the ground – while still maintaining a song's integrity, of course,” offers bassist Hughes of his band's general take on music making. Indeed, this has been the template for the band's writing ever since forming in 1999 and dropping the 'Smaller Chairs For The Early 1900s EP', a release that would introduce the band's shimming guitar interplay and passionate, personal lyricism to the world. Subsequent records, including 2003's 'Are We Really Happy With Who We Are Right Now?' and 2006's 'The Red Tree', have seen a continual refinement of the band's writing and wordplay, this effort being no exception.
“We took a more simplistic route this time around to allow the songs to breath, and to really let certain parts shine when they needed to,” adds Hippy. Bridges agrees, explaining that with 'The World I Want To Leave Behind', the band wanted to start out simple when structuring a track – letting the components work for the song and not the song for the components.
Indeed, the album is the first with drummer Steve Nunnaro, who the remaining band members cite as a significant contributor when it came to crafting these 12 songs. It's also found the band experimenting with new instruments – and who's playing them. Still, this is Moneen – in the shape that those who've sweated out the enthralling experience of their stage show know so well.
“We pushed ourselves harder than ever for this,” says Bridges with an air of pride. “We knew there was no way we could fool around with these songs. They were too important to us.” This mentality translates through the music with ease. Though there's still plenty of “jump-off-the-wall” jamming to be found, it's clear Moneen have truly invested themselves into this offering, which makes it all the more special to be invited into.
The foiling of new mentalities with old mannerisms is what makes 'The World I Want To Leave Behind' such a culmination of creativity for Moneen, though the journey isn't ending anytime soon. Says Hippy in anticipation: “There is still a lot to come, and I feel like everything old will start to feel new again.”
Smallman Records releaseed Monolith, the debut full-length album from Sights & Sounds, on May 26th, 2009. Produced by Devin Townsend (Ocean Machine, Misery Signals, Lamb of God), Monolith is a collection of 13 songs that are both intricate and powerful - an experiment in sounds that has created a truly exceptional album. Post-hardcore influences subtly underscore the entire album, layering perfectly to create a stark atmospheric soundscapes that is both aggressive and imaginative.
Sights & Sounds is vocalist/guitarist Andrew Neufeld, drummer Joel Neufeld, bassist Matt Howes, and guitarist Adrian Mottram. This eclectic and experienced group of musicians first came together in 2006 and had an immediate musical rapport. In 2006, their self-produced demo caught the attention of Smallman Records who subsequently released their eponymous debut EP in 2007.
You know the old adage: When God closes a practice space door, he opens a cargo van window. And so it was with Passenger Action. Members Shawn Moncreiff and Clay Shea recently wrapped up a 13-year run in Choke, a band that created and defined the term tech-rock. Playing faster and more complexly than anyone at the time, these boys trail-blazed a sound for many acts that followed. Ryan Podlubny (Pud) played most recently in Toronto’s The Fullblast. Playing on the 'Short Controlled Bursts' record, touring with Rise Against, Alexisonfire, Boys Night Out, and shooting a video for the record filled up most his time with them. Prior to that he was playing bass in Detroit’s fordirelifesake. Allan Harding was born into a family/wedding band in his hometown of Wadena, SK. He went on to play a variety of instruments in some 41 acts (!) and is most noted for Edmonton’s now defunct Thirty Nights of Violence.
Passenger Action came together in September 2006. A natural chemistry fueled the writing of their Debut EP 'Acoustic Blueprints', which was independently released in the summer of 2007. Recorded with Braden Sustrik, Acoustics Blueprints was mixed and mastered by Greg Dawson (Moneen, The End). Passenger Action toured in support of Acoustic Blueprints with Moneen, Ghosts of Modern Man, and Attack in Black.
- Categories: Concerts , Past Events , Indie Rock , Rock
