April 14th, 2010 - Matthew Barber
w/ Bodhi Jones
$10 (+$1.50 tx & sc) Buy your tickets for this show here
$15 at the Door
Doors at 8pm
"True Believer" is the forthcoming release from Toronto-based singer-songwriter Matthew Barber. For this, his fourth full-length album and follow-up to the internationally acclaimed and Juno-nominated record "Ghost Notes" (2008, Outside Music), Barber enlisted producer Howie Beck (Hayden, Jason Collett) to man the helm. The result has been an artistic alchemy that takes Barber’s trademark melodies to new heights.
"True Believer" is an uplifting record, continuing the trajectory that began with "Ghost Notes". Of course there are pensive moments - Barber, after all, made his name crafting beautiful but heartbreaking “sad” songs on earlier records like "Means and Ends" (2003, Paper Bag) and "Sweet Nothing" (2005, Warner) - but the overarching themes of love, hope and wonderment ultimately carry the day. The title track is possibly the most exuberant proclamation of love ever penned by Barber - never shy to buck trends and wear his heart on his sleeve.
Stylistically, "True Believer" continues in the same vein as Barber’s previous albums, but the presentation is markedly more crisp and confident. It’s also diverse: "True Believer" is a hearty homemade soup with a broth heavily steeped in the rock’n’roll singer-songwriter tradition of Young, Petty, Dylan and Springsteen; yet it features dashes of the ashes of Hank Williams, the spirit of Paul Simon and the timeless essence of The Band.
The opening track 'I Think You’re Gonna Feel My Love' is a Wilbury-esque pop romp with hooks-a-plenty that sets the tone for what is to come; 'Revolution of The Sun' is a meditation on the passage of time, musically reminiscent of a 70’s Lennon ballad; 'While Away' is an ode to a lazy summer day and features a gorgeous vocal contribution from Matthew’s sister, the accomplished chanteuse Jill Barber; 'Hawks On The Highway' proves that Barber hasn’t given up on fist-pumping rockers, this one lamenting but accepting the inevitable death of the road-trip in an age of shifting environmental consciousness. 'Got That Lonesome Feeling On My Mind' (from the original play Haunted Hillbilly for which Barber composed the music) pays homage to the song-stylings of a bygone era; 'Comeback Baby' tells the story of a man driven mad by the siren song of a flirtatious bird to whom he has a mysterious attraction; 'Insanity or Death' alternates between introspection and an outward despair for a world that seems increasingly insane; 'The Little Things' is a tender reflection on what really matters in life; and 'Suddenly' is an ode to the dignity of a long life lived and the bittersweet memories of those who soldier on in the wake of loss.
The album was recorded largely in Howie Beck’s small but classy 4-walls studio in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, after laying down the bed tracks at Canterbury Studios with veteran engineer Jeremy Darby. Beck and Barber played almost everything with Beck handling the drums and bass, while Barber handled the vocals, guitar, piano and percussion. For the fancier parts, some of Toronto’s finest musicians were called in including Dean Drouillard on lead guitar, Jesse O’Brien on piano, Daniel Stone on percussion, Paul Mathew on upright bass and a crack horn section led by Bryden Baird.
Bodhi Jones spent his early years with his mother and sister on Saltspring Island, located between mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island. The Island has had a colorful past and boasts a population of talented artisans. He affectionately refers to it as a “hippie paradise” and said spending his early years there was a magical experience.
When Bodhi was ten his mother moved the family from Saltspring to Vancouver in search of greater opportunities. Though the move provided these expanded options, Bodhi initially felt extremely isolated and was often home sick during his first few years of city life.
In May of 1999 he joined his first band, Empty Box, Which was comprised of 4 of his closest friends. His passion for music was ignited and so began his long musical journey. Empty Box eventually broke up due to 3 of the 5 members wanting to pursue more stable careers. Bodhi’s next musical endeavour would come together in 2002 with a group called The Living – It was around this time that he remembers getting “serious about music”. The Living recorded one full length album titled “How To Hold A Candle” which is still one of Bodhi’s proudest musical achievements. The band played a countless number of shows locally and throughout British Columbia for over two years but were unable to stay together due to personality conflicts.
The next venture, Rider Jones, was a partnership with long time friend Phillip Rider. Rider Jones recorded 4 EP’s and one full length album entitled “Strange Days”, selling over 10 000 copies while performing on the streets of downtown Vancouver. They received favorable reviews and airtime on both local radio (CBC, The Fox, and CITR) and print (Georgia Straight, The Province, and Youthink). After enduring numerous ups and downs, Jones and Rider eventually parted ways in 2007 due to Philips long battle with substance abuse. (He has been clean and sober for over a year now).
In January of 2007, Bodhi was at a crossroads in his life. It was now or never and never wasn’t an option…he didn’t want to go down the singing in a band route anymore, he wanted to go it alone but there was one catch, he didn’t know how to play guitar, So he made his way to the closest book store and purchased “Guitar for Dummies.” Over the next six months Bodhi devoted every spare moment to learning guitar and writing his first solo effort. In July of that year he assembled a backup band and played numerous sold out shows in Vancouver. His first solo EP, “From January to June,” sold 500 copies and gave him the affirmation that he was heading in the right direction with both his life and his music.
He recently wrote, recorded and produced his self-titled full length album in February 2009 and took his talents to the streets of downtown Vancouver. Of this time he says that “it was tough to physically go out on the streets day after day knowing I needed to make enough money for rent, bills, and food, but it was definitely not all bad”. “It re affirmed my belief in the goodness of people, we’re all in it together and I’m so grateful for the love and support I’ve received from both the people of this city and it’s visitors”. One of these visitors, was Sharon Robinson, a writer/producer/and vocalist with Leonard Cohen. Sharon discovered Bodhi performing on a street corner while on a tour stop in Vancouver, she liked what she heard and he soon found himself whisked off to LA to meet with the Head of A&R at Universal. Unfortunately, although the meeting was favorable no deal was reached.
Bodhi returned home with a fire in his bones and began entering various local music contests, leading to a selection by Virgin Radio as the BC Artist of the week in July of 2009. He was also selected as one of the top 20 out of more than 400 artists to be a part of the PEAK Performance Project.
He says of his music, “I wanna provide companionship through my music; to let people know that I’m feeling what they’re feeling. I want them to know that I’m going through it with them – through it all and it’s gonna be alright cause surviving is what we do, I want the listener to know I get it.”
Bodhi is currently working on some collaborative projects with other local artists and is finishing up a new album, set to be released in April or May of 2010.
$10 (+$1.50 tx & sc) Buy your tickets for this show here
$15 at the Door
Doors at 8pm
"True Believer" is the forthcoming release from Toronto-based singer-songwriter Matthew Barber. For this, his fourth full-length album and follow-up to the internationally acclaimed and Juno-nominated record "Ghost Notes" (2008, Outside Music), Barber enlisted producer Howie Beck (Hayden, Jason Collett) to man the helm. The result has been an artistic alchemy that takes Barber’s trademark melodies to new heights.
"True Believer" is an uplifting record, continuing the trajectory that began with "Ghost Notes". Of course there are pensive moments - Barber, after all, made his name crafting beautiful but heartbreaking “sad” songs on earlier records like "Means and Ends" (2003, Paper Bag) and "Sweet Nothing" (2005, Warner) - but the overarching themes of love, hope and wonderment ultimately carry the day. The title track is possibly the most exuberant proclamation of love ever penned by Barber - never shy to buck trends and wear his heart on his sleeve.
Stylistically, "True Believer" continues in the same vein as Barber’s previous albums, but the presentation is markedly more crisp and confident. It’s also diverse: "True Believer" is a hearty homemade soup with a broth heavily steeped in the rock’n’roll singer-songwriter tradition of Young, Petty, Dylan and Springsteen; yet it features dashes of the ashes of Hank Williams, the spirit of Paul Simon and the timeless essence of The Band.
The opening track 'I Think You’re Gonna Feel My Love' is a Wilbury-esque pop romp with hooks-a-plenty that sets the tone for what is to come; 'Revolution of The Sun' is a meditation on the passage of time, musically reminiscent of a 70’s Lennon ballad; 'While Away' is an ode to a lazy summer day and features a gorgeous vocal contribution from Matthew’s sister, the accomplished chanteuse Jill Barber; 'Hawks On The Highway' proves that Barber hasn’t given up on fist-pumping rockers, this one lamenting but accepting the inevitable death of the road-trip in an age of shifting environmental consciousness. 'Got That Lonesome Feeling On My Mind' (from the original play Haunted Hillbilly for which Barber composed the music) pays homage to the song-stylings of a bygone era; 'Comeback Baby' tells the story of a man driven mad by the siren song of a flirtatious bird to whom he has a mysterious attraction; 'Insanity or Death' alternates between introspection and an outward despair for a world that seems increasingly insane; 'The Little Things' is a tender reflection on what really matters in life; and 'Suddenly' is an ode to the dignity of a long life lived and the bittersweet memories of those who soldier on in the wake of loss.
The album was recorded largely in Howie Beck’s small but classy 4-walls studio in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, after laying down the bed tracks at Canterbury Studios with veteran engineer Jeremy Darby. Beck and Barber played almost everything with Beck handling the drums and bass, while Barber handled the vocals, guitar, piano and percussion. For the fancier parts, some of Toronto’s finest musicians were called in including Dean Drouillard on lead guitar, Jesse O’Brien on piano, Daniel Stone on percussion, Paul Mathew on upright bass and a crack horn section led by Bryden Baird.
Bodhi Jones spent his early years with his mother and sister on Saltspring Island, located between mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island. The Island has had a colorful past and boasts a population of talented artisans. He affectionately refers to it as a “hippie paradise” and said spending his early years there was a magical experience.When Bodhi was ten his mother moved the family from Saltspring to Vancouver in search of greater opportunities. Though the move provided these expanded options, Bodhi initially felt extremely isolated and was often home sick during his first few years of city life.
In May of 1999 he joined his first band, Empty Box, Which was comprised of 4 of his closest friends. His passion for music was ignited and so began his long musical journey. Empty Box eventually broke up due to 3 of the 5 members wanting to pursue more stable careers. Bodhi’s next musical endeavour would come together in 2002 with a group called The Living – It was around this time that he remembers getting “serious about music”. The Living recorded one full length album titled “How To Hold A Candle” which is still one of Bodhi’s proudest musical achievements. The band played a countless number of shows locally and throughout British Columbia for over two years but were unable to stay together due to personality conflicts.
The next venture, Rider Jones, was a partnership with long time friend Phillip Rider. Rider Jones recorded 4 EP’s and one full length album entitled “Strange Days”, selling over 10 000 copies while performing on the streets of downtown Vancouver. They received favorable reviews and airtime on both local radio (CBC, The Fox, and CITR) and print (Georgia Straight, The Province, and Youthink). After enduring numerous ups and downs, Jones and Rider eventually parted ways in 2007 due to Philips long battle with substance abuse. (He has been clean and sober for over a year now).
In January of 2007, Bodhi was at a crossroads in his life. It was now or never and never wasn’t an option…he didn’t want to go down the singing in a band route anymore, he wanted to go it alone but there was one catch, he didn’t know how to play guitar, So he made his way to the closest book store and purchased “Guitar for Dummies.” Over the next six months Bodhi devoted every spare moment to learning guitar and writing his first solo effort. In July of that year he assembled a backup band and played numerous sold out shows in Vancouver. His first solo EP, “From January to June,” sold 500 copies and gave him the affirmation that he was heading in the right direction with both his life and his music.
He recently wrote, recorded and produced his self-titled full length album in February 2009 and took his talents to the streets of downtown Vancouver. Of this time he says that “it was tough to physically go out on the streets day after day knowing I needed to make enough money for rent, bills, and food, but it was definitely not all bad”. “It re affirmed my belief in the goodness of people, we’re all in it together and I’m so grateful for the love and support I’ve received from both the people of this city and it’s visitors”. One of these visitors, was Sharon Robinson, a writer/producer/and vocalist with Leonard Cohen. Sharon discovered Bodhi performing on a street corner while on a tour stop in Vancouver, she liked what she heard and he soon found himself whisked off to LA to meet with the Head of A&R at Universal. Unfortunately, although the meeting was favorable no deal was reached.
Bodhi returned home with a fire in his bones and began entering various local music contests, leading to a selection by Virgin Radio as the BC Artist of the week in July of 2009. He was also selected as one of the top 20 out of more than 400 artists to be a part of the PEAK Performance Project.
He says of his music, “I wanna provide companionship through my music; to let people know that I’m feeling what they’re feeling. I want them to know that I’m going through it with them – through it all and it’s gonna be alright cause surviving is what we do, I want the listener to know I get it.”
Bodhi is currently working on some collaborative projects with other local artists and is finishing up a new album, set to be released in April or May of 2010.
- Categories: Indie Rock , Acoustic , Past Events , Concerts
