Turn It Up To Twelve

New and Groovy

Posted by Headbangerwoman on March 27, 2013

Posted in: Bands, Live Shows, Music, New Releases. Tagged: Carmen Castro, Chestnut Radio, Elliot Schneider, Grok Rock. Leave a comment

Witchrock down Magneta Lane

Posted by Headbangerwoman on March 27, 2013

Posted in: Bands, Interviews, Live Shows, Music, New Releases, Review, Visual. Tagged: Canada, Eone Canada, Eric Alper, French, Girl Band, Lexi Valentine, Magneta Lane, Nadia, Toronto, Trio, Witchrock. Leave a comment

When people cannot box you into a catagory or music genre you are generally labelled rock and it is left at that.

Toronto based band, Magneta Lane are not about to leave it at that. Of course, this all female trio has already learned to embrace the Girl Band monicker as they have aged. But they were so on the ball with the most recent release on EOne records Canada, that they generated their very own genre. “People will always catagorise music, but we took back our power and did it on our own terms.” Lead vocal and bitching witch, Lexi Valentine told TiTT.

Witchrock

Released on February 14 2013, Witchrock was bound to raise a few eyebrows. The content is not all love and romance “and if you don’t treat him right bitch, I will,” is the general direction we are headed! Dark humor disguised as love songs, for a Valentines day release.

When Valentine told discussed all things Magneta Lane with TiTT, she made it quite clear from the start that it was tongue in cheek and a sense of humor was necesary. A ten year veteran of the music business and yet still only in her mid twenties, Valentine is smart, savvy and sounds shit hot.

If you are a 35 plus listener, or just an avid fan with a wide ear, you may well hear the influence of Grace Jones, Shirley Mansun, Kate Bush and Hazel O’Connor in the singers voice and there is a definitive Brit Pop topping mixed up in Witchrock!

Witchrock

Valentine tells TiTT “I was a classically trained singer until I was twelve, then I just started to sound like a pubescent boy. I do think my voice is getting better with age though.” So, from Soprano to Pavarotti. While the beard and belly is not evident that is of no matter! “Of course there were also rules in the training, which I never liked. So many rules. But after I heard rock and discovered there were no rules, I knew right away that is where I fit in.”

Musically Valentine; vocals and guitar, Nadia; drums and French; bass, have no formal training. Valentine seemed very proud of that fact. “I had, I think one guitar lesson and realized my hands were too small and so taught myself. Nadia just bought a pair of drum sticks and started beating out tunes on furniture and French has never had a bass lesson. It has been great that our parents have always been really supportive of us as far as music is concerned. Nadia was 15 when we were signed. I was 17. Everyone thought were 19. The clubs wouldn’t have let us play if they knew we were not 19! I hope, in 100 years, if I decide to have children that I am a parent that doesn’t tell her daughter no. It could certainly have a very negative effect on a young girl. I know that once you have a passion for music you are stuck with it. It was very weird having to figure things out at such a young age. Nadia had to change schools with about a year and a half left because we had a video on Much Music and the girls at school were starting to find out what we were doing.”

Valentine explained that Witchrock was a kind of stop gap for them musicallly. “We still have more songs in post production, but we really wanted to give our listeners something new, it has been so long. Also we wanted to still be passionate about the songs while they were still fresh. You can expect a full length record hopefully by the end of the year. A video for Burn will be released shortly and we are already putting together ideas for a tour of Canada, The USA and then hopefully Europe, all before the end of the year.”

This could be seen as a re-birth for this very talented and smart trio, is that how they percieve it?

Line in the sand

Valentine is very adamant when she says “We are so much more involved in the business side of our business now. We were not so much when we were younger, we had a lot of other people working for us. But it can save your life to be in involved. Kids want to be Kurt Cobain, but you really have to be Donald Trump too. It is important to be smart. You know the girls that make videos with thier boobs hanging out, they need to be smart. For me know I’m older it is less of a selfish endeavour and that helps too.”

Valentine is so right. She is giving up her life, to give you art that should be listened to, enojyed and cranked fucking loud. Be sure and take a trip down Magneta Lane.

Lady Bones from 2010’s Gambling with God

https://www.facebook.com/magnetalane

by Karen Graham 27 March 2013

Guitarist Courtney Cox recently appeared on The Monsters Of Rock Cruise with Femme Fatale.

While on the cruise, a custom vest was taken from her room. This dispicable act should not have happened. Music fans do not behave in this manner and if they do they should be held accountable. Family is important. Respect and treating others as you would like to be treated should be how the world works. Words from Courtney below.

“its really tearing me up now so as my last attempt.. I WILL BE OFFERING A CASH REWARD TO ANYONE WHO RETURNS THIS TO ME FROM THE MOR CRUISE. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. GIRL JUST WANTS HER VEST. PLEASE. MESSAGE ME IF YOU HAVE THIS IN YOUR POSESSION. PLEASE REPOST FOR ME EVERYWHERE!”

Attention all Kylla Custom Rock Wear fans! Someone on the Monsters of Rock Cruise stole the custom Mercyful Fate vest I made for Courtney Cox! This item is one of a kind and really special, if you see anyone wearing it, please contact us!

Contct TiTT, Kylla Custom Rock Wear, Monsters Of Rock Cruise or Courtney Cox with details.

You know you need to do the right thing.

Summer 2013 will see the Twentieth anniversary of Canadian band Billy Talent. Unlike many bands that have endured a lifetime together, they still speak to each other and thankfully, they are still hellish tight on stage.

Friday March 22 2013 saw them play the SCC Edmonton and not for the first time. In fact, the first time they played the Shaw they were being given a shot by another Canadian band, SUM 41, fronted by musician and sometime husband of Avril Lavigne, Deryk Whibley. That was some fifteen years ago. Returning a very generous offer, Billy Talent, who spent their first five years as PEZZ, shared the stage once again with their Canadian brothers, only this time Billy Talent played last!

The floor showed much support for SUM 41, even on an impromptu rendition of Queen hit, We Will Rock You, which even though it came as a surprise of some older audience members, was actually given a great reception.

Billy Talent singer, Ben Kowalewicz made several references to fans throughout the ninety minute set and was gracious and thankful for the many years of support. He recognized “some depleting numbers” in the crowds these days, but non the less, gave his absolute all afront those very enthusiastic fans that attended. No age restrictions at this venue, really showed the breadth of the dedicated following that they have gathered in the past two decades..

Spewing hits from the offset, Viking Death March, from September 2012 release Dead Silence was the opening shot and there was not a moment of rest for the band during the entire set. The headliners played hit after hit and the audience loved it. Shoes and clothing from crowd surfers were hitting the stage from the first note and tired, sweaty bodies were pulled out one by one by security guards through the show. Some less exhausted from the heat, managed to squeeze their way out to the back of the crowd, they were soaked in sweat, but happy.

Dedicating Rusted From The Rain to recently deceased, Canadian legend Stomping Tom Connors, who was well known for travelling Canada coast to coast with, in the words of Kowalewicz, “a big black cowboy hat and a wooden board”, he then admitted that they were in fact “Canadas biggest flag waving patriots”, although he was also quick to diss the Edmonton Oilers hockey team and bait the audience against the previous nights viewers in Calgary. All good clean fun!

Adding older hits such as Red Flag, Fallen leaves and Surprise, Surprise toward the end of the set fuelled the fire in the fans and those in the seats could surely feel the vibrations. Guitarist Ian Michael D’Sa, Bassist Jonathan Gallant and Drummer Aaron Solowoniuk put their bodies and souls into a show that was very well appreciated by all in attendance.

There was sweat aplenty on and off stage and hoarse voices on exit from the venue show that true music fans still enjoy a great live music show. The energy, vim and musical talent was felt throughout and one first time attendee of a Billy Talent show was heard to say “Wow, the digital recording they use on CD really doesn’t do them justice.”