Uxbridge, Ontario based Air Marshal Landing announces the independent release of their Vitamins EP, available online June 19th, 2012. Produced and mixed by Nygel Asselin (Half Moon Run) the five song offering is the trio's sophomore release, following quite slowly on the heels of 2009's The Industry EP.  Vitamins is also the precursor to the fall 2012 release of their debut LP, and will be supported by tour dates across Ontario throughout the summer. The complete track-listing for the EP can be found below.

Vitamins continues the band's tradition of writing versatile rock songs. Written at various stages over the past 5 years, each track contains its own unique flavour. The title-track is a deliberate attempt at spontaneity and 'down-home-ness', while tracks like "Meteor" and "Eve's Apple" exhibit higher levels of production and a wider range of instrumentation. The EP marks a transition, an evolving sound that is explored further on the band's upcoming debut LP, currently in the final stages of mixing.

Slowly and surely Air Marshal Landing is driving a creative stake into the Canadian music scene, carving out their musical territory. This summer marks the beginning of the next chapter of the band's young career - these 3 young men have been taking their Vitamins and are ready for whatever comes next.

Vitamins track-listing:
1. Already Dead
2. Dagger
3. Eve's Apple
4. Meteor
5. Vitamins

Visit www.airmarshallanding.com for more information as it becomes available.

Watch Air Marshal Landing's "Tender Moments" video series:
www.youtube.com/airmarshallanding

The Australian acoustic virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel embodies everything the title "guitarist" should convey. For fellow pickers and fans of finger-style guitar, seeing Emmanuel perform was like coming face to face with god. Rating the skills of Tommy Emmanuel is like determining if god did a good job on creating the planet…if god was a guitarist he would be Tommy Emmanuel.

Tommy and the stage are one being, he has been playing for over 50 years but he doesn’t seem to be bored or one bit tired. He may be getting older but still jumps around the stage like a 20 year old playing punk as if his life depends on it...actually it does…He talks with the audience makes jokes but is focused completely on the performance.

Playing songs both old and new he had everyone in a trance as they watched in awe. I heard one guy say, “It’s like the guitar and him are one”. I couldn’t agree more.

He told several stories throughout the night, one of them was about how he was 7 years old when he first listened to Chet Atkins, one of the greatest and considered, a pioneer in fingerstyle guitar. He said he knew someday he'd meet Chet, and they did meet eventually of course and they even recorded an album together, they were really close friends. When asked by Chet if they would like to record an album together he said he replied with "Is there a moustache in Mexico? Does a one legged duck swim in a circle?” more lame jokes which everyone found rather amusing.

Emmanuel cannot be faulted for exhibiting so little restraint. His playing is more than energetic, it’s borderline frantic, but doesn’t come from being desperate to impress. On the contrary, watching him perform, it’s abundantly clear that his kinetic exuberance for attacking the guitar melodically, harmonically, rhythmically and VERY quickly is a direct reflection of an insatiable joie de vivre, a zest for life that is readily seen in the sparkle of his eyes when he plays. The man smiles and laughs at the slightest provocation, and would seem one of the most genuinely happy guys in the world. Such a blessing could not help but permeate anyone’s playing, and it certainly forms the root of Emmanuel’s joyful noise.

At one point he said, “you know, people often ask me where I live, and I always say “nowhere’… as in ‘now’ & ‘here’. Who knows what tomorrow may bring? But tonight, I am right here, right now. This is my home, up here, and now I’m playing for you.”

One tune he performed (dedicating it to Les Paul) was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. TE’s deft handling of the melody and chords would be enough for most fingerpickers, but that lingering; rising and falling cascade of artificial harmonics (ala Lenny Breau) is something else. That particular technique is very hard to do, and if you manage to ascend and descend the scale once without duffing a harmonic or missing the alternate string with your ring finger, you’re doing well. To ascend and descend time after time, so quick and clean, with NO duffed harmonics or dropped notes, making the guitar sound more like a glissed harp than a plucked guitar… well, it’s mind-boggling, frankly, and perhaps more than any other trick he pulls out of the hat demonstrates the level of devoted practice and attention to detail TE brings to bear on his instrument.

I can't say enough about Tommy as a performer and a person. He is so much fun to watch, the raw passion, his talent and energy really invigorates everyone who watches. Since it's just him up on stage the whole concert feels really personal and Tommy speaks to the audience in a personal manner too. He tells stories which everyone loves and plays the songs he feels like. Towards the end of the show he checked his watch and said, "I'm sorry I didn't realise it was so late! Usually I just play until I think I've had enough". That really impressed me because it's not so much a traditional concert with a set list and a start and finishing time. It's just "Tommy Time", where he does what he feels like and I think that's what everyone loves, Tommy just being himself and doing what he does. He left the stage to a standing ovation, returning for the encore. He left the stage once again to another standing ovation and that was the end of another wonderful evening of my life.

If your ears haven’t had the pleasure of listening to Tommy Emmanuel then you’re missing something truly special.

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by Craig Winterburn

Catch Crystalyne on their NAVIGATE Tour kick-off show at Sneaky Dee's in Toronto on June 2nd, 2012!

It’s probably only as kids that we aren’t completely disgusted by the prospect of being pressed up against another sweaty human being to the point where your face finds a perfect groove inside someone else’s armpit. As kids we understood the unspoken rules of the mosh pit, and we lived one day to the next, till we were back in it again. 



On the inside there was this atmosphere of camaraderie and it was simply understood that everyone was there to have a good time. For 40 minutes while the band played, those people around you were just like your brothers and sisters so you picked them up when they fell down. When someone signaled to you that they couldn’t breathe and the crowed was just too much to handle, you kicked into survival mode, regardless of whether you knew them or not because there was only one way out and it was up. 

Whether you were crowd surfing to safety or just for the thrill of it, as kids we found beauty in the curving and contortion of a body being raised above our heads by unassuming hands. And, when the guy in front of you plummeted you in the side of the head, you didn’t mind, because he didn’t mean it. 

Hacking it out in a mosh pit was about being in love with rock and roll and falling in love to it. Seeing your band perform the song that you found yourself in for the first time, that does something to your body. There is nothing like being inside a crowd 1000 people deep right before the chorus comes in; the anticipation that builds in that moment is the finest kind of high there is. 

It starts in your gut and just rises and rises. Then all of a sudden there’s a pause – knees bend and there you are hovering an inch above the concrete and it just happens, it comes crashing in. Toes hit the ground and ground rattles; it’s chaos, it’s everywhere, and it’s so beautiful. 

It was the sharing it with the people around you part that was really something special. When the room went black and you were just somewhere in the middle of it all, you’d see that mic go up in the air and you instinctively knew how to respond to it. Everyone took a deep breath and just belted it out, top of their lungs. 

In those moments – because that’s what they really were – we’d just hang there, together, feeling alive. There was this pure, pulsating, human electricity that radiated from one person to the next and as kid’s we’d stand there with our arms outstretched and our faces to the ceiling, just hoping we could bottle the feeling forever. 

There are likely zero moments in a person’s life when they will ever feel as if 400 other people have their back – that is except if they’ve ever found their way in a mosh pit. The thing was, we knew going in that we might get hurt – it was a very real possibility – but, it was and for many of us will remain, one of the only places on earth that we’d ever willingly take a beating. The blood and sweat, it still equals war scars in our books – real badges of honor for the band’s we grew up and out of. 

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by Juliette Jagger 

Saturday, April 7th, 2012 we had the chance to relax and chat with AJ & Cody of The Dangerous Summer in their van.  The band was in town for the Toronto stop of the Terminatour with Ten Second Epic and Brighter Brightest at Sneaky Dee’s.   We talked to the band about why they love Canada so much, life on tour, kickstarter, what’s next for the band and more.

(AJ Perdomo: AP / Cody Payne: CP)

So you guys have been on the Terminatour for a few weeks now how has it been going for you so far?
AP: Uh, few mishaps but overall first full run of Canada.  Didn’t really get to touch these markets before so we are happy to get to them.

Usually when you come up here you only get to see Toronto and Montreal how is it getting to see these smaller cities this time?
AP: It’s weird. Definitely weird, Canada is a weird country. Not in a bad way though, it’s very small cities very different vibe. Toronto is very American and you can get out to a lot of American establishments.

How has the reaction been in these new cities you did a lot of shows in the east coast?
AP: We had a really good reaction, we got out to Halifax; and we had a lot of surprising reactions in uh.
CP: Even last night in St. Catherines.
AP: Yea last night, everywhere in Ontario has been really big and really awesome.  East was kinda like new but we had lots of fans that knew us out there.

One of the things I see you guys actually come up here a lot, mostly to Toronto and Montreal; and even in your song Symmetry you mention Winnipeg. Why do you love to come up here so much?
AP: I think we’ve always had a big Canadian fan base. I mentioned Winnipeg we actually have never played Winnipeg, I’ve just been there before and I used to see someone from there way back in the day.  Other than that I don’t know the shows at like Sneaky Dee’s we play sold out and it’s amazing kids come out and actually really bring it. There is something about Canada that appreciates the music better than America does sometimes.

On this tour you have seen a lot of Local opening bands, have there been any that have really caught your eye?
AP: Not so much locals but Brighter Brightest on this tour have been one of the bands that we’ve talked about being one of the best bands in Canada right now.  I think they have a lot of promise and a lot of stuff they can bring to the U.S.

So, maybe a The Dangerous Summer, Brighter Brightest U.S. Tour?
AP: That would be awesome.

You guys have been all over the world.  Is there anywhere you still want to go to?
AP: Asia.
CP: Yea, Asia places like Japan stuff like that.
AP: South America.
CP: Mainland Europe.

Is there any talk about those locations yet?
CP: Yea, there is talk it’s just the matter of getting promoters to want to bring you over, having a release coming out stuff like that.

What goes into choosing a set list for a tour you are supporting rather than a headliner?
AP: I think we kind of just pick the songs that are like a mix of what we think are the best songs to give to a crowd and what people wanted to hear.  Like this tour we played a lot of songs off of War Paint because we are supporting War Paint.  Like this is the record cycle for War Paint we are trying to get everyone to go grab that album.  It’s just weird because on a supporting tour we only get to play seven songs unlike in America where we get to play thirteen to fourteen songs, so you really have to cut it down people aren’t going to be completely happy no matter what.

After this tour you go to the UK with Deaf Havana and than head to Australia with Tonight Alive.  What are you plans after those two tours?
AP: We have a big run coming up this summer and it also has to do with our kickstarter, we are filming a DVD and all sorts of stuff.  We are also going to write and work on new stuff, we just have to keep writing it’s a touring business and as soon as you know it we have to go in and record the new album.

Finally, still early in your careers but what message do you hope to leave your fans for years to come with your music?
AP: I’ve always been about the whole stay positive vibe, you know the grass is always greener.  Like I always try to keep a really positive vibe musically, like I hope our fans take away that in dark times just listen to our music and you will find something better.

For more on ‘The Dangerous Summer’ check out the bands Facebook page.  Catch the band this summer on their headlining tour with From Indian Lakes & New Empire.


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by Joey Porpiglia

Band: Low Level Flight
Date: Saturday May 12, 2012
Venue: The Virgin Mobile Mod Club
Photographer: Matt Klopot

You didn't need a time machine in Toronto last week. The moment Dolores O'Riordan belted out the opening notes of Dreams - one of those songs you somehow know all the words to despite not having heard it in more than a decade it was just like being back in 1995.

That's when my love for The Cranberries began. It was one of my first concerts - All I remember from the momentous occasion was seeing the tiny O'Riordan jump around on stage in a black leather outfit and the crowd going crazy in the moshpit in front of us. It was the 90s, after all.

Appropriately framed by a velvet backdrop, they played hit after hit – Dreams  Linger, Salvation, and, of course, Zombie - with the unbridled enthusiasm you would expect from a band just starting out.

There's always that fear, when you go to see a band this well-loved and well-known, that they will torture their audience by playing the old hits just once every five songs in an attempt to make people catch onto their new material.

But The Cranberries gave their fans exactly what they came for - the chance to reminisce about a simpler time where life was not as fast paced or hectic. It was great to see so many mature faces and young faces alike. Just goes to show that the band still has what it takes to draw a crowd and new fans.

O'Riordan's vocal chords don't seem to have aged with the rest of us. She still has that distinctive, polarising, sharp Irish twang which is a hallmark of The Cranberries' style. It's her voice that makes the new stuff blend in almost seamlessly with the old.

If I did have a time machine I wouldn’t take myself back to 1995. But there's a chance I'd take it back to the start of the night, just to have another evening basking in the familiar guitar chords of a well-loved old favourite band.

The band’s 2012 crop, Roses, simply picks up the melodic strains of yesteryear and carries on. The reformed quartet continues to showcase the distinctive Gaelic lilt of vocalist Dolores O’Riordan over chiming guitars, silken strings, and military rhythms. With longstanding producer Stephen Street at the helm, the overall effect is pretty seamless. There’s a sense of mutual respect that shines through the tight ensemble playing. The record shows a certain growth and maturity, but if you were hoping for a sharp left turn in musical direction, you won’t find it here.

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by Craig Winterburn

Miike Snow fans waited 40 mins after set was due to start at Sound Academy but the cheers as the band took the stage showed no frustration from the fans. By the time the intro had finished people forgot all about the wait.

Miike Snow is a Swedish “Indie Pop” band that didn’t think that they would end up where they are today.

Miike Snow is Miike Snow's eponymous debut album. It was recorded in Stockholm and released in the United States on 9 June 2009 by Downtown Records. A single for the track "Animal" was released on 17 February 2009. Upon a UK release of the song later in the same year, the track reached number 98 on the UK Singles Chart. The second single is called "Black & Blue". Both singles have made the BBC Radio 1 Playlist B-List.

Miike Snow has remixed tracks for Depeche Mode, Passion Pit, Peter Bjorn and John, Kings of Leon, I Blame Coco and Vampire Weekend.

Their music has been remixed by Mark Ronson, Crookers, Peter Bjorn and John, Treasure Fingers, Tiga, Caspa, Style of Eye, Emalkay, Fake Blood, Benny Blanco, Savage Skulls, Netsky, Hood Internet and DJ Mehdi, amongst others.

Their song "In Search Of" was originally collaboration with Crookers for the song "Remedy". The band liked the end result so much that they decided to create their own version for their album.

In 2011 they won a European Border Breakers Award for their international success.

You can check out the bands cool website if you want to know more.

http://www.miikesnow.com/

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by Craig Winterburn

Bands: Fun., Miniature Tigers 
Date: Wednesday April 25, 2012
Venue: Kool Haus 
Photographer: Amy Buck

Fire And Ice Tour 
Bands:  We Came As Romans, Emmure, Woe Is Me, The Color Morale
Date: Thursday April 5, 2012 
Venue: The Opera House  
Photographer: Amy Buck