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Bands vs Filmmakers II
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After last year’s amazing concert and visual event in support of Cinematheque, the Winnipeg Film Gro...After last year’s amazing concert and visual event in support of Cinematheque, the Winnipeg Film Group’s Cinematheque and WEST END CULTURAL CENTRE join forces again to present BANDS VS FILMMAKERS II.
With Winnipeg icon Sylvia Kuzyk as host, five of Winnipeg’s finest independent filmmakers present their film and video work live to accompany electrifying performances by five of Winnipeg’s hottest independent bands. Each artist will work individually with a particular band to create an incredible visual and musical experience. Filmmakers will project their work from the back of the hall which will be simultaneously screened behind each band’s performance.
The film and music mind melding experience begins at 8 PM on Thursday, May 31st, 2012. Bands vs. Filmmakers II. Featured bands include some of Winnipeg’s finest including Cannon Bros., Nova, Magnificent 7s, This Hisses, and SitDownTracy.
Each group is working with a different independent filmmaker including Danishka Esterhazy (acclaimed, award winning director of Black Field ), Curtis Wiebe (sculptor, puppeteer and filmmaking wizard) Stéphane Oystryk (Franco Manitoban rebel and independent artist), Rhayne Vermette (emerging independent filmmaker and participant in this year’s Mosaic Women’s Project which premieres in June) and Scott Fitzpatrick (an outstanding emerging visual artist who is breaking new ground in experimental film).
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WATCH: Winnipeg band SitDownTracy breaking out with new CD
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Manitoba Scene
WATCH: Winnipeg band SitDownTracy breaking out with new CD
Posted by SCENE Producer...Manitoba Scene
WATCH: Winnipeg band SitDownTracy breaking out with new CD
Posted by SCENE Producer, Kinzey Posen | Saturday April 21, 2012
SitDownTracy (sitdowntracy.com)
They may be called SitDownTracy, but their music will lift you out of your seat.
This young Winnipeg indie band has moved in a whole new creative direction since their debut album Roaring Noon came out in 2009.
Gone is the raw off the floor sound they started out. It's been replaced with intricate multi-voice harmonies and a variety of instruments.
The band consists of Janelle Mailhot, Trevor Graumann, Aaron Zeghers, Matthew Powers and Sean Perkins with guest cellist, Natanielle Felicitas. This time around, the group has endeavoured to capture a more poppier sound, with more complex arrangements that take them to the next level.
SitDownTracy enlisted the help of Ryan McVeigh, who's recorded Boats and the Consumer Goods and mastering producer, Harris Newman. His credits include Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade among others.
Come June, the band is preparing to go out on tour of Central Canada to support the new album.
Saturday, April 21, Winnipeg band SitDownTracy releases their second full-length album called Twenty Something Winters. It all takes place at the Lo Pub starting at 8:00 p.m. The show will also include sets by the Modern Romantics and by Scotch + Tape.
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SitDownTracy – Best Friend A Go-Go (live)
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An eclectic concoction of instruments and personalities, SitDownTracy is an energetic indie pop band...An eclectic concoction of instruments and personalities, SitDownTracy is an energetic indie pop band based in Winnipeg. Besides guitars and drums, the band’s rich sound comes from keyboards, strings and brass. SitDownTracy is recognizable for their intricate vocal arrangements, which combine up to four voices at once. Within their poppy framework, the band infuses bits of classical, jazz and folk influence. The song is the thing, and SitDownTracy creates arrangements that are expansive without sacrificing tightness. This penchant is showcased on the band’s 2012 full-length release Twenty Something Winters, and can be seen by audiences throughout Canada in summer 2012.
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Local Shops Put a Spin on Things for Record Store Day
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Music fans anticipate sifting through the bins on April 21 in celebration of Record Store Day at loc...Music fans anticipate sifting through the bins on April 21 in celebration of Record Store Day at local shops throughout the city.
Founded in 2007, the art of music is celebrated internationally by musicians, music fans, and independently owned record shops with festivities that include special vinyl and CD releases, promotional items, and even parades. But Record Store Day is not just for audiophiles digging for deals and rare finds. This Saturday, local record shops join the celebration and treat their customers to live music.
Music Trader in Osborne Village offers a Disintegration Records showcase featuring Cannon Bros. and Greg MacPherson. Get there early to grab a piece of cake too (while supplies last).
Meanwhile, the needle is dropped at Into the Music with DJ sets by Hunnicutt and Bridapres, performances by The Manic Shakes, The Bokononists, Jenny Berkel and a special preview show by SitDownTracy, who will be releasing their new album Twenty Something Winters at The Lo Pub that night. Click here for a free download SitDownTracy's "The Phone".
Down the street at the Winnipeg Folk Festival Music Store and the Folk Exchange, customers will be serenaded by Scott Nolan, English Moccasins, Slow Dancers, Les Sexy, Louisiana Cockfight, and a performance and signing by Frank Turner. Doors will be open between the shop and the Folk Exchange venue.
Planet of Sound, Winnipeg's oldest independent music shop, is also participating by bringing in special releases and limited time offers.
Admist the celebrations, Record Store Day in Winnipeg will also be met with mourning for the (hopefully temporary) loss of War on Music. The cooperatively owned record store dedicated to independent music fell victim to a fire in the Exchange District on April 19. Read more in the Winnipeg Free Press.
Check out the Live Music Calendar for Record Store events and more!
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A New Chapter
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"If people haven’t seen us in a year, they have no idea."
SitDownTracy multi-instrumentalist A..."If people haven’t seen us in a year, they have no idea."
SitDownTracy multi-instrumentalist Aaron Zeghers is taking about his band’s soon-to-be-released sophomore record, Twenty Something Winters, which does indeed mark the start of a new chapter for the local indie pop band. Eschewing the stripped-down arrangements that characterized its rough-hewn, live-off-the-floor 2009 debut, Roaring Noon, SitDownTracy opted instead to use the studio to its fullest potential. The result? A densely layered album with big, bold-strokes soundscapes and plenty of orchestral flourish.
Over coffee, Zeghers, 25, along with bandmates Sean Perkins, 30, Trevor Graumann, 27, and Matthew Powers, 29 — Janelle Mailhot, 30, was absent — detail the long road to their new sound. As it turns out, they had scrapped a full-album’s worth of material once the songs that would make up Twenty Something Winters began to emerge. As Powers puts it, there was a vibe developing that was too strong to ignore.
"I think the fact we added a member who’s a multi-instrumentalist was huge," he says, referring to the addition of Perkins.
"It fired us up a bit more to experiment," Zeghers agrees. "These songs are more layered, more orchestral."
"The vocal harmonies have also become such a focus for us, which is another big difference," Graumann says.
To help achieve its more expansive sonic vision for Twenty Something Winters, SitDownTracy teamed up with local producer Ryan McVeigh (Consumer Goods, Boats), who recorded the album at Private Ear.
"It was a great experience working with him," Powers says. "As much as I think it was something different for him, he really took to it. He really gave the songs depth with the care he put into them."
"It was the first time working with someone who was creatively invested," Graumann says. "He was like another member of the band."
While the addition of strings, keys and horns certainly adds colour to SitDownTracy’s formerly four-on-the-floor setup, recreating the new songs live has thrown the band a bit of a curveball.
"It’s a challenge — not so much in terms of instrumentation, but technically," Zeghers says, noting that he plays three different instruments while Perkins plays five. "The tech set-up has been the most challenging to date."
That said, "We didn’t want to do anything we couldn’t recreate live," Powers says.
As for the recorded counterpart, Graumann, Perkins, Powers and Zeghers are unanimously proud of it. And they should be — it’s a fully realized, ambitious pop record. It’s also a solid re-introduction to SitDownTracy.
"I hope people just check it out," Zeghers says. "I hope people give us another chance and hear what we’re doing now."
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11 Questions with..... SitDownTracy
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On Saturday, April 21st, local act SitDownTracy is releasing its second record, Twenty Something Win...On Saturday, April 21st, local act SitDownTracy is releasing its second record, Twenty Something Winters, at our friendly neighbourhood Lo Pub. Also on the bill are Modern Romantics and Scotch+Tape.
I caught up with the band in advance of the show and threw 11 questions its way. Here's what Matt, Sean, Janelle, Trevor, and Aaron had to say:
11 Questions…
1. Where are you right now?
Matt, Sean, Janelle, and Trevor: Band HQ (The Fontana)
Aaron: Aaron: At home nursing my inconveniently timed throat infection!
Let’s talk Winnipeg…
2. Who is the most underrated Winnipeg-based band/musician?
Janelle: Our friend Dana Moore aka Gt. Dane
Matt: He's constantly working, always writing, and he's still a big part of Winnpeg music, even though he's temporarily based out of Toronto.
Trevor: Dana's a great musician. He's the unique songwriting style people would remember from All of Your Friends. It's always a treat to work with him.
Sean: He had us out to his cabin for New Year's Day and took me skating on Falcon Lake. I am indebted to this man for life. I'm not saying I would take a bullet for him; I'm saying I already have.
Aaron: In addition to being a stellar musician and amazing friend, Dana did the cover design for our album and is also my personal stylist.
3. What is your favourite local venue?
Sean: That's easy. It's the Lo Pub right?
Matt: Oh yeah, it's gotta be. That place kind of reminds me of my parent's basement: cozy.
Trevor: They have a lot of great acts there, like this local act everybody's been talking about: SitDownTracy.
Janelle: Yeah, I hear those guys are on fire.
Aaron: That must hurt! Lo Pub is definitely our favourite. Also worth mentioning is the upstart alternative venue Atomic Gallery. They've been doing some really great stuff since opening less than a year ago!
4. Where do you shop for music?
Sean: Value Village and garage sales.
Matt: In many ways, the hunt for music is even better than going to a store and knowing you can find what you're looking for.
Aaron: And of course we'll be stopping by the impeccable Into the Music for this year's Record Store Day, and perhaps even a live performance... who knows!?! (hint hint, nudge nudge, say no more, say no more)
5. Where is the best place in town to catch a bite?
Sean: Vjs – Burger/Fries/Shake; The Wagonwheel - Clubhouse
Matt: New Hong Kong on Notre Dame – Shrimp Dumplings, Sweet Bean Bun, Peking Perogies
Matt: There's 10 things on the menu, they are ALL good.
Janelle: Ken Hong's (aka Shanghai Shwartz) – Wanton Soup
Aaron: I'd say Sals House but it's all gone down hill since Burton Cummings sold his shares. Late-night menu? What the hell is that?
6. How many Winnipeg Jets games have you watched this year?
Trevor: Matt and I saw Will Arnett and Sam Katz at the same Jets game. Sam wouldn't buy us a beer for some reason.
Matt: We asked him to. He said no.
Janelle: I saw the same game, but I was in the nosebleed section having quality time with my daddio. We had burritos.
Aaron: I think I watched a game once but it was mostly just an excuse to drink beer (aka. our national pastime).
7. What’s the worst bus route in the city?
Sean: Taking the 16 north out of South Osborne is the most insulting transit experience in the city. Because the transit station is right down the street, there are like 5 times more “Not In Service” busses than there should be. Your hopes are dashed every few seconds.
Janelle: Well, at least they apologize for that now.
Sean: Yeah, that's nice.
Matt: I don't take the bus.
Let’s talk music…
8. What are some albums that completely changed your life?
Trevor: Fleetwood Mac – Tusk; The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour; New Pornographers – Mass Romantic; B52's – Self-titled; The Misfits – Legacy of Brutality
Janelle: The Sadies – Favourite Colours; Moody Blues – Days of Future Passed
Matt: Nirvana – Nevermind (made me want to become a drummer); NIN – The Downward Spiral; Por
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SitDownTracy Live Session
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In advance of the CD release show for Twenty Something Winters, local act SitDownTracy came in to pe...In advance of the CD release show for Twenty Something Winters, local act SitDownTracy came in to perform some of their new material on Griffin & Graham's Free Range Tuesday!
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More Music This Month
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Local indie pop rock five-piece SitDownTracy is about to unleash its second disc, Twenty Something W...Local indie pop rock five-piece SitDownTracy is about to unleash its second disc, Twenty Something Winters onto an unsuspecting audience. Recorded with Ryan McVeigh (Boats) semi-live-off-the-floor at Private Ear and mastered by Harris Newman (Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade), the record was a long time coming.
“We did (the bed tracks) over the course of a weekend, and then took several months to finish overdubs of vocals, percussion and saxophone,” drummer Matthew Powers says by email.
With a slight shift to a more poppy tone, the disc is sure to raise a few eyebrows, but it’s pure SDT.
“The poppier sound of this album is largely a result of people bringing in songs that are more idiosyncratic, more a part of their personal style,” Powers says. “In the past we wrote within something of a definite genre, whereas things are more diverse now. So the poppier sound is not a conscious decision, just the natural result of songs being allowed to be what they are. This attitude also helps to explain the appearance of more diverse instrumentation (saxophone, strings, keyboards).”
The main question every band has to face is if it is going to do this full time and take the fruits of its labour on the road.
“We want to play everywhere,” Powers says. “With so many avenues for online promotion we’re finding new ways all the time to expand beyond Winnipeg.”
SitDownTracy releases Twenty Something Winters with a show on Saturday, April 21 at the Lo Pub. Modern Romantics and Scotch + Tape also perform.
Visit http://www.sitdowntracy.com.
- Nicholas Friesen
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The power of the ‘stache
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You’ve probably seen them around. They’ve colonized your boyfriends’, your brothers’ and your father...You’ve probably seen them around. They’ve colonized your boyfriends’, your brothers’ and your fathers’ faces. They’re ridiculous and they’re for a good cause. They’re moustaches, and pretty soon they’ll all be gone.
Movember is at once a month-long facial hair festival and a marvel of modern public health marketing. Started in Australia in 2003 as a way to raise awareness and money for prostate cancer research, Movember truly became an international phenomenon in 2007, the year that it became an official entity in Canada and quickly started to expand.
But the moustache was already here. Local band SitDownTracy hosts an annual moustache party, and as bassist Aaron Zeghers recalls it, the band had already recognized the social allure and the marketing potential behind the ‘stache before its members had even heard of Movember.
“We just had this moustache party because we thought it would be fun and funny and a unique way to get people out,” Zeghers says. “It was in November of that year (2009) that was the first time that we heard about Movember being an actual thing.”
Ahead of the curve as they were, SitDownTracy realized that they could continue to capitalize on moustaches while also contributing to a cause that supports men’s health.
“So we decided to do another moustache party just six months after we did the first one,” says Zeghers.
So SitDownTracy signed up with the Canadian Movember Foundation and set up an official Movember event. The foundation sent them some promotion resources and prizes to give away at the party and a Winnipeg institution was born.
Now in its third year, SitDownTracy’s annual Movember show is proof that moustaches work to bring people together.
But the statistics also prove that moustaches are money magnets. In 2009, Movember Canada raised $7.8 million and by 2010 the total global funds raised since 2003 were nearly equivalent to $75 million in Canadian currency.
It’s fascinating to see such big numbers, but what it all comes down to is the upper lip of each man that participates. Zeghers relishes in the preparation and the execution.
“I had the goatee going on and the moustache combo,” Zeghers says of his pre-Movember facial hair. “Kind of Spanish inquisition-style.”
While the official rules dictate that all participants (known as Mo Bros) should begin the month with completely shaved faces, Zeghers wants to get the most acute humiliation out of Movember that he can.
“My personal feeling on the subject is that it is more embarrassing to have a full grown moustache for the entire month instead of starting from the ground up,” he says.
So with the arrival of November the goatee departed and the campaign began. Each of the four guys in SitDownTracy also register separately so that they can raise pledges for their moustaches.
But besides the charity aspect of Movember, Zeghers says it also provides an opportunity for the moustache-shy to give it a go.
“Doing it for Movember is a good excuse for people to try a moustache for a month and then shave it off and not have to be totally embarrassed or self-conscious,” Zeghers says.
The two-pronged awareness and fundraising approach that Movember takes towards men’s health means that even those people who aren’t taking pledges can be part of the movement.
“I think awareness is just as important as the fund raising,” says Aaron Frost, a teaching assistant in the Theatre and Film Department at the University of Winnipeg.
“I think if I can still grow a moustache people see that and assume that I’m taking part,” says Frost, who is not actively raising money. “I think if you look like you’re taking part that’s half the battle.”
“Hopefully the idea that people get is that its perfectly normal to go out and get a finger up the bum,” says Frost, who admits that Movember has reminded him that he needs to get his prostate checked.
With the stellar combination of hilarious fashion choices and the positive message
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Fringe: SitDownTracy & Mariachi Ghost
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From 11:00 pm until midnight, SitDownTracy will be unleashing a musical barrage on the beer-guzzling...From 11:00 pm until midnight, SitDownTracy will be unleashing a musical barrage on the beer-guzzling Fringe-goers of Old Market Square.
If you didn't catch SitDownTracy at the Lo Pub in June, you have no idea of the bold new sound the group has fashioned for their upcoming album!!
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SitDownTracy - Pleasant Like Wildlife (Independent)
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Apparently this EP was recorded live in a sheep barn near Teulon and, while there aren’t any animal ...Apparently this EP was recorded live in a sheep barn near Teulon and, while there aren’t any animal sounds, you can almost tell: the production is rough and the vocals are so muffled at times you can’t make out the lyrics. Then again, all that just adds to the down-home vibe of this indie rock band. The major highlight is A Train, which is one of the catchier songs with all the "whoos" around the chorus. The quintet uses a variety of instruments, including a saxophone that really adds to Arms Length. Female vocals carry these songs, but male vocals back up and occasionally take over, for some variety.
3 STARS
By: Deborah Remus
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More instruments, more experiments Winnipeg’s SitDownTracy is back and more diverse than ever
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If you like SitDownTracy, you may not be as familiar with them as you think. After three years and a...If you like SitDownTracy, you may not be as familiar with them as you think. After three years and an EP titled Roaring Noon, the group is upping the ante with a new EP.
Comfortable with each other and displaying their good chemistry, SitDownTracy discussed their sound, upcoming EP and live performance over drinks at the Toad late last month.
“The first (album) is kind of more, I hate using the term country/rootsy, but you can definitely hear more of that,” said Janelle Mailhot, who sings and plays guitar in the group.
“Manitoba, prairies,” added Matt Powers (drums), who joins Mailhot in the band with Trevor Graumann (guitar, banjo), Aaron Zeghers (bass, violin) and Sean Perkins (accordion, sax, harmonica).
“Exactly, and this one is a lot more rock, more pop, a lot more dynamic,” Mailhot added. “Even the songs’ lengths have gotten longer.”
The band is tentatively looking at an October release for the EP, titled Pleasant Like Wildlife. The songs on the CD move steadily away from the country-ish vibe of the band’s last disc and more toward a folk-roots sound with a license to experiment with more instruments.
The difference, according to the band, is new recruit Perkins, who was an integral addition for Pleasant Like Wildlife.
“He does whatever we tell him to do,” Powers said. “He plays accordion, saxophone, he does percussion, keyboard, tambourine, he sings.”
The core of the band is drums, bass, acoustic guitar and electric guitar. Additional instruments in a SitDownTracy set include four keyboards, banjos, violins and Perkins’s aforementioned arsenal.
Despite a stage set-up that requires multiple trips to assemble, the band tries to keep things simple.
“Something that’s really important to us is that we don’t record anything we can’t pull off live, so in all of our recordings you won’t see any additional instruments, 12 harmonies and all this crazy stuff,” Mailhot said. “The recording, and I’m sure it’s the same for a lot of people, relies on the initial performance. There’s not a lot of post-production, it’s more just making sure the levels are right.”
SitDownTracy’s upcoming live shows will be almost entirely comprised of new songs that appear on the upcoming EP.
Standout tracks include Arms Length, which has enough guitar riffs for a few songs and careful, subtle tempo shifts; and Neche, ND (pronounced as North Dakota in the song) with its lovely male/female vocals and banjo/harmonica pairing.
“There’s a difference between (the old album) and this new stuff,” Graumann said. “Sean being there is a huge part of that, but even more, (our) sensibility has changed.”
by Samuel Swanson
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CD Review : Sit Down Tracy, “Roaring Noon”
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A tepid morning breeze blows through a Winnipeg street in late summer, rustling trash and dust up fr...A tepid morning breeze blows through a Winnipeg street in late summer, rustling trash and dust up from the gutters. A 1982 Diplomat backfires in an alley, behind an all-night pizza joint. A woman yells down into the echoing alley at the man behind the wheel, sending an empty bottle crashing behind the Dodge as it skids into the street.
Two blocks over, in front of a pawn shop, a man leans over and vomits into the road, wiping his mouth on the back of a filthy sleeve. He hasn’t slept properly in days, shambling his way from one all night party to another where, inevitably, someone was playing a rusty old guitar. He is on his way home, at the far end of this street. His T-shirt is bloody, and his feet throb with every step.
Somewhere, not far from the thoroughfare, a church is congregating for morning mass. Chiming bells tingle in the rising heat, but drown quickly beneath the buzz of traffic from the highway to the south. A child laughs, briefly. A dozen rubber walker-ends crunch crumbling walkway. Tears fall in the church from the nose of a haggard crone, twisting beads beneath her fingers in the dim light. A cat shits in the graveyard.
A man wakes on the mattress of his apartment. In vain, he rubs the pain from his bleary eyes. The window is open, but still the small room reeks of stale cigarettes and sweat. He stands, walks to the kitchen sink. He drinks from the tap, spitting into the drain. Images of the past week skirt his memory, tinged with shame, kept at bay by the Roaring Noon.
???.5 out of ?????
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SitDownTracy - In Store at Grooves!
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SitDownTracy, another great western Canadian band pops down to Grooves on February 27th for an in-st...SitDownTracy, another great western Canadian band pops down to Grooves on February 27th for an in-store concert!!!
Here's what it says on
www.myspace.com/sitdowntracy
SitDownTracy is a five piece indie rock band hailing from balmy Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada, whose songs and musicianship are a wild collaboration if varying styles. Since 2007, the band has cooperatively penned over two dozen songs that carry a weighted and wanting spirit that is just moments away from exploding into a raw and haunting chorus. Thus far, their music has been an ecstatic and complex mix of the classic four-piece mantra – guitar, drums, bass, and vocals. But with the recent addition of a fifth member, SitDownTracy has been challenging themselves to incorporate a wider variety of sounds and instruments, including the organ, banjo, accordion, violin, and saxophone. SitDownTracy’s upcoming debut album, Roaring noon. is an example of their prowess as a tight and talented live band. Recorded to tape in 2009, Roaring noon. is a raw and honest depiction of SitDownTracy and their live performance. The Band is ready to hit the road, and bring the live show to you.
www.myspace.com/sitdowntracy
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Calling all Canadian music gurus!
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Calling all Canadian music gurus! Calling all couch potatoes who are feed-up with boring, mundane ba...Calling all Canadian music gurus! Calling all couch potatoes who are feed-up with boring, mundane bands from Toronto! Calling those who “think” they know what is hip and fresh, but truly have no idea due to their pop-culture brainwashing…extra detergent! I’m talking about a band that, in my eyes…I should say ears, will be soon taking over the airwaves and the Junos in the very near future. I classify them as a well measured blend of Tegan and Sara, Hank Williams (the cool one…the original), and the White Stripes; they call themselves SIT DOWN TRACY!
The self-proclaimed indie/country/rock band, SIT DOWN TRACY, hailing from chilly Winnipeg, Manitoba, has recently commenced a tour, their very first, promoting their freshly press debut album, “Roaring Noon”.
The album is bound to perk an eardrum or two. The simply mesmerizing voice of lead singer and guitarist, Janelle Mailhot, is what will initially draw you to this band. The solid, steadfast rhythm section clashing with frolicking fingers on wooden fret boards is what will keep you tuned in until the last note of the last song on “Roaring Noon” is struck; did I mention that they also have an accordion player!
SIT DOWN TRACY is still just another unsigned Canadian band, but with a little exposure and some recognition, they are bound for success. The adventure starts tonight in Thunder Bay and will continue on through Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and many more communities not knowing yet what is on the way!
SIT DOWN TRACY will be in Toronto, at Rancho Relaxo, on February 28th at 8pm and again on March 6th at the Poor Alex, again at 8pm. If you’re not from the Toronto area, go check-out the band’s Myspace page for show listings in Southern Ontario and Quebec or just to give them a listen: http://www.myspace.com/sitdowntracy.
So, forget about wasting your money on the latest ring-tones and go support something Canadian already! I’ll see you all at the Toronto shows!
Kirk Verner
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Atonomy of a Kickass First Album
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Okay, so Roaring Noon isn’t SitDownTracy’s first album. They released a demo in the summer of 2008, ...Okay, so Roaring Noon isn’t SitDownTracy’s first album. They released a demo in the summer of 2008, but for an indie band, having a full-length album to perform and tour with is essential. Recently, I spoke to band member Janelle Mailhot about what went into creating the album, and, not surprisingly, in the end it all came down to the basics: art, love, and analog.
AS: How did SitDownTracy come to the decision to record a full-length album, and what other professionals did youenlist to help you put Roaring Noon together? Did you have a lot of support?
JM: An old college instructor of mine was incredibly supportive of my musical aspirations, and suggested I see his friend, Dan Donahue, who has been performing and producing since he was in his 20s. Dan’s mentor was Daniel Lanois, and they share a preference for analog over digital recording, which lends itself wonderfully to the warm yet live sound we were going for. We purposely left tiny mistakes and talking in the final mix, because we wanted a true representation of our live performance.
Dan has produced most of Fred Penner’s albums—and won a Juno for one of them—so it was kinda funny having multiple Fred Penners as our audience while recording. Dan’s basement studio is really cozy, which was a very nice introduction to the recording process, which can be very intimidating.
Dan tackled our project as a mentor, so he was very helpful with all of our silly questions and suggested we work with Scott Pinder for mastering and Polar Bear Productions for duplicating the record. We were so very lucky to have all these professionals working on our project, and now we have a piece which we’re incredibly proud of.
AS: SitDownTracy is a very powerful live band. Can you comment on what it was like bringing that sound to the album? How much depended on the recording process, and how much depended on post-production?
JM: Recording in analog helped a lot with keeping the power and energy in the album. It’s still tamer than our live performance, but the passion and energy translates well on the record. Really, the sound was left up to us. All the power and energy you hear is because we’ve been preparing for this for two years, so we really got into recording. Dan kept mixing at a minimum, and certainly, mastering beefs up the sound to be radio-worthy, but it all came down to our performances.
AS: Based on some posts on your website, I get the impression that there was quite a long wait between when you finished recording and when you got the final master of Roaring Noon. What are some of the challenges involved, for an indie band, in waiting for that final product to be published?
JM: Recording was quick. We were all very well practiced, so we didn’t need many takes. The delay was mostly because life gets in the way. Each of us were ill at different times, and then there was the fear of flooding [in SitDownTracy’s home province of Manitoba], so sandbagging took priority. Also, we weren’t sitting with Dan when he was tweaking the mixes, we were sending emails, which severely slowed the process.
We’d planned on finishing the project in only two months, so we could release it no later than the fall. By the time six months rolled around, we had grown incredibly impatient, but still, it’s better that it was done correctly instead of quickly. In the end, we’re very pleased with the final product.
AS: You’ve got some music videos up on your YouTube page, and I hear that the cover art for Roaring Noon is pretty spectacular. How do you find visual artists to collaborate with on this level, and how much do these visual elements inspire your music?
JM: Art is the easy part. Three members of SitDownTracy are avid filmmakers, and many of our friends are designers and writers. We didn’t even have to ask for poster or album designs. Our friends are such sincere fans that they offered long before we were in a position to need it. Scott Hutchinson has such a talent for design, we j
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Canadain Indies SitDownTracy Release Roaring noon.
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Anatomy of a Kick Ass First Album
Okay, so Roaring Noon isn’t SitDownTracy’s first album. They re...Anatomy of a Kick Ass First Album
Okay, so Roaring Noon isn’t SitDownTracy’s first album. They released a demo in the summer of 2008, but for an indie band, having a full-length EP to perform and tour with is essential.
Recently, I spoke to band member Janelle Mailhot about what went into creating the album, and, not surprisingly, in the end it all came down to the basics: art, love, and analog.
AS: How did SitDownTracy come to the decision to record a full-length album, and what other professionals did youenlist to help you put Roaring Noon together? Did you have a lot of support?
JM: An old college instructor of mine was incredibly supportive of my musical aspirations, and suggested I see his friend, Dan Donahue, who has been performing and producing since he was in his 20s. Dan’s mentor was Daniel Lanois, and they share a preference for analog over digital recording, which lends itself wonderfully to the warm yet live sound we were going for. We purposely left tiny mistakes and talking in the final mix, because we wanted a true representation of our live performance.
Dan has produced most of Fred Penner‘s albums—and won a Juno for one of them—so it was kinda funny having multiple Fred Penners as our audience while recording. Dan’s basement studio is really cozy, which was a very nice introduction to the recording process, which can be very intimidating.
Dan tackled our project as a mentor, so he was very helpful with all of our silly questions and suggested we work with Scott Pinder for mastering and Polar Bear Productions for duplicating the record. We were so very lucky to have all these professionals working on our project, and now we have a piece which we’re incredibly proud of.
SitDownTracy is a very powerful live band. Can you comment on what it was like bringing that sound to the album? How much depended on the recording process, and how much depended on post-production?
Recording in analog helped a lot with keeping the power and energy in the album. It’s still tamer than our live performance, but the passion and energy translates well on the record. Really, the sound was left up to us. All the power and energy you hear is because we’ve been preparing for this for two years, so we really got into recording. Dan kept mixing at a minimum, and certainly, mastering beefs up the sound to be radio-worthy, but it all came down to our performances.
Based on some posts on your website, I get the impression that there was quite a long wait between when you finished recording and when you got the final master of Roaring Noon. What are some of the challenges involved, for an indie band, in waiting for that final product to be published?
Recording was quick. We were all very well practiced, so we didn’t need many takes. The delay was mostly because life gets in the way. Each of us were ill at different times, and then there was the fear of flooding [in SitDownTracy’s home province of Manitoba], so sandbagging took priority. Also, we weren’t sitting with Dan when he was tweaking the mixes, we were sending emails, which severely slowed the process.
We’d planned on finishing the project in only two months, so we could release it no later than the fall. By the time six months rolled around, we had grown incredibly impatient, but still, it’s better that it was done correctly instead of quickly. In the end, we’re very pleased with the final product.
You’ve got some music videos up on your YouTube page, and I hear that the cover art for Roaring Noon is pretty spectacular. How do you find visual artists to collaborate with on this level, and how much do these visual elements inspire your music?
Art is the easy part. Three members of SitDownTracy are avid filmmakers, and many of our friends are designers and writers. We didn’t even have to ask for poster or album designs. Our friends are such sincere fans that they offered long before we were in a position to need it. Scott
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Scene & Heard - Darryl Sterdan
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"Thesis"
Their MySpace page calls them a gospel band. But anyone who's seen them knows they're a ..."Thesis"
Their MySpace page calls them a gospel band. But anyone who's seen them knows they're a ramshackle roots-rock foursome that juxtaposes the angelic melancholy of singer Janelle Mailhot and the blisteringly raw licks of guitarist Trevor Graumann. But this too-short EP lets you know they can pen a decent song or three to boot. And that's the gospel.
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Local Heroes - Jared Story
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rating: B
Partially the result of a school project, Thesis, the three-song offering from SitDownT...rating: B
Partially the result of a school project, Thesis, the three-song offering from SitDownTracy, might make me reconsider my anti-homework stance. A mix of roots music and indie rock, the contrast between Janelle Mailhot's quiet voice and Trevor Graumann's punchy lead guitar work is most interesting. These tunes wet the whistle, providing a taste of what should be more stellar songs to come.
supersonic
