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What does The Tragically Hip and Bath Ontario have in common

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So what does The Tragically Hip and Bath Ontario have in common? Well Canada’s ambassadors of Rock & roll, The Tragically Hip, has found this really cool place to practice their musical song writing artistry in the great city of Bath Ontario.

The band is an extension of Canada’s way of thinking and life style to most of us rockers up here. The village of Bath Ontario has the same sort of relationship to our country’s identity of the past and now the future. Bath was founded by United Empire Loyalists, who help forge our history as far back as 1784.

This village is found outside of Kingston Ontario, which happens to be the home town of The Tragically Hip.

I found this little bit of The Tragically Hips trivia while leafing through our latest installment of Macleans Magazine, a weekly Canadian News publication. It shows these intimate pictures of the band and their new castle! This venue would make any band jealous with envy!

So check it out and tell us if you had, or you knew a band that had, a practice hall quite like this before? I never had a rehearsal hall anything like this, but I would have killed for something like this in the past!

Keep on Jammin’





Heart is honoured by American society

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The rockers from Heart, ANN & NANCY WILSON, will be held in high esteem at the Annual Pop Music Awards in it’s 26th year! The ceremony will take place in the L.A. area this April 22, 2009 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers will praise the Vancouver sisters and the rest of the group for their contribution to the evolution of Rock and Roll. The recipients of the past include Burt Bacharach & Hal David, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Melissa Etheridge, Billy Joel, Annie Lennox, Sir Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Smokey Robinson, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Tom Waits, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young. Not bad of a line up to be associated with now is it!

ASCAP President and Chairman Marilyn Bergman commented: “Ann and Nancy Wilson have made an indelible mark on rock music history. Their success and influence helped pave the way for other female artists, and they continue to build their musical legacy with an artistic energy that remains as strong today as when they first started out over 35 years ago. They are true musical trailblazers and ASCAP is extremely proud to honor them with the Founders Award.”

When I was young, Heart was a band that was always on the airways but, never really close to my heart. Some of the guitar playing of Nancy Wilson was nice but, it was just a style of playing that did not appeal to me at that time in my life. Sure, the rhythm was catchy and all that but, there was maybe only one or two tunes that I bothered to pick up over that time period.

As the years rolled on by, I started to appreciate the band for what they were, distinct and unique!

So here’s to those loverly young ladies who created the band Heart and for their achievements over the years! Congrats Ann & Nancy Wilson!

Keep on Jammin’

We are the Bravest

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This is a Burlington based 6 piece band that, to the older crowd which I am included in, is more pop then anything else. I do have a soft spot for the pop movement, as long as it’s tastefully done while making the song challenging to play love and with no diva’s attached! These kidz, We are the Bravest, are not part of the latter.

This band has been together for around 6 months, but they have quite the mature features to their sound. This post is just another way to spread the newz about upcoming new Canadian acts. You know the ones, the ones that never get the wider exposure that some bands get! I came across the band from an old and dear friend of the family that I recently caught up with.

My first impressions of the band, through their main site, is eloquent but forceful! Their playing style is straight forward with a little bit of complexity thrown in for good measure. They are truly a garage band that is just starting to locate their distinctive groove.

The guy’s myspace site has some neat tunes that they’ve done in the past. They’ve also posted about some recent shows that they played at in my area and of coarse, I missed them, damn it!

I’ve been known for my love of intricate guitar styles, but these guys have a decent flare to them. At times their sound is simple and then they create a nice layer in colour at the right moments. The guitarist sound like they are having a blast and to most people that is what music is all about right? A feel good type of band.

The drummer has some admirable chops and drive in his approach to playing on his kit, the vocalist has this pure ring in his vocal that I’d love to hear live to see if he can pull it off at a live show. The Bravest have two keyboardist, yes to keyboardist! I honestly can’t recall too many bands on the road that have this number, please correct me if I’m wrong here guys! Both keyboardist levitate in and out of phrasing’s filling in between the odd gap! You’d think that they would be overpowering in the pieces but oddly enough they’re not.

So if your in the southern part of Ontario, with nothing to do some Saturday nights, then go and check them out. I myself have not seen them but next time they’re in TO, I’m there.

Keep on Jammin’

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