Robin Anne Ettles

Moncton's own Kolin Barley has assembled an all-star cast of some of the best musicians on the East Coast to help him bring his debut album of quirky, bluesy alternative rock to life. For starters, East Coast Music Award winner Robin Anne Ettles produced the record and played a half-dozen instruments on it. Danny Bourgeois, Chris Colepaugh, Fred Hétu (who plays a fantastic bunch of keys on the album's second track), Steve LeBlanc and Carey Beck played on the album. Melanie Keith and Andrea Somers each sang on the album. It's a who's who of some of the city's best. So you know the playing it top notch.

The songs, all penned by Barley save for "Invisible, I Am", written by Ettles, are mostly dark and dirty acoustic guitar-driven rockers. The quirky lyrics about drugs, alcohol and troubled relationships -- "Your ego is so big, you comb your hair with the Gunningsville Bridge" -- make you wonder where Barley's head is at sometimes, but it's a fun, interesting trip.

Barley's singing -- with a gritty, nasally voice on most tracks -- doesn't sound skilled or practised, but instead spur of the moment. It takes a bit of getting used to, but isn't bad. On "Pedal To The Metal", however, he surprises with a nice singing voice.

"I Shot My Wife Today" is kind of humourous. It has a simple synth riff (which sounds like an old video game in a weird way) and bouncy rhythm that you'd think really wouldn't fit the lyrics.

The album bounces around in style here and there. "Carmen" starts off slow and builds into a messy grunge tune. Ettles' "Invisible, I Am" has a slight industrial feel to it. "Gunningsville Bridge" is a piano-led ballad.

It's an interesting listen from no doubt an interesting character. - Times & Transcript, article by Eric Lewis, August 2007

2008

'It was easy to work on - tracks sounded good to begin with!'
- Brad Blackwood, Euphonic Masters (clients include Jully Black, will.i.am, Alvin Youngblood Hart) on the subject of 'Run', written by Peter Post and produced by Robin

'I have listened to some of your music - great stuff!'
- John Rowley, music supervisor & composer

'Really good song.'
- Ron Hynes, during an editing session for 'The Split'

'You rock at life. Bass playing too'
- Jolene Keats, Executive Director, Music NB

regarding 'Imitating Hercules' by The Ettles-Keith Project ...

''Imitating Hercules' from The Ettles-Keith Project displays both the uniqueness of their personalities and the cohesiveness of a championship team. while there is quite a diversity in the tracks, they still have a common thread. This is a very well put together project.'
- Blair Patton, host of Action Atlantic, C103 FM

'I can picture the whole album doing well ... great blend of totally different musical styles! I love the concept of what you are doing ...'
- Catou MacKinnon, CBC Mainstreet

'I really like the songs individually and as a group; cohesion is today's word.'
- John Knox, K94.5 FM

regarding Barley & The Durt ...

'There are some really nice sounds there.'
- Carey Beck, artist

'What the **** was that?'
- Iain MacD, Mount A student

'I had to shut it off, it was frightening me.'
- Gayle M., Mel's mom

'I listen to it fairly often, actually.'
- Paul Goguen, aka Paranerd

more to come ... - (various)

"Trippy ... I always find this kind of stuff you can get lost in, like a weird dream. "
- Eric Lewis, East Coast Noise, Times & Transcript, via e-mail

"Love the album, has a Stars-like sound, it's great! Congrats!"
- Meghan Scott, Boot Soup Entertainment

"It's ****ing wicked."
- Adam Gould, Broken Coast Productions

"I must say I was floored! Excellent song crafting and vibe on this gem."
- Pierre Pitre, via facebook

"CD sounds great!"
- Glen Deveau, Radio-Canada, via e-mail

"Really cool tunes."
- DJ Bones, via facebook

"It's a really great album."
- Monique LeBlanc, CinImage Productions

"Then there's an unlisted eighth track that GraceNote 'identifies' (if you can call it that) as 'Untitled' - is that the name of the track or does it really not have a name? Synthesizers that I can only call zany appear and I thought I'd slipped onto Passion Pit for just a second, before the clapping percussion and Mel Keith's voice kicks in followed by the ever present guitars. Can you have power chords right alongside keyboards? That really should belong to Stevie Wonder or Steely Dan. Well it seems that you can now and this is glorious. This track is a remixed by 'rae' and it's a relief to be out from the country rock sound of the rest of the album. Bizarre though putting it here when the rest of the record is so much of a specific type. It's the final track and I'm hooked. I don't care if this music is made by the PCD or Norwegian trolls, this album ain't going back."
- altsounds.com, regarding the remix of 'Don't Walk Away', which is the hidden track on the Mel Keith & The Strombachs record - (various)

"Trippy ... I always find this kind of stuff you can get lost in, like a weird dream. "
- Eric Lewis, East Coast Noise, Times & Transcript, via e-mail

"Love the album, has a Stars-like sound, it's great! Congrats!"
- Meghan Scott, Boot Soup Entertainment

"It's ****ing wicked."
- Adam Gould, Broken Coast Productions

"I must say I was floored! Excellent song crafting and vibe on this gem."
- Pierre Pitre, via facebook

"CD sounds great!"
- Glen Deveau, Radio-Canada, via e-mail

"Really cool tunes."
- DJ Bones, via facebook

"It's a really great album."
- Monique LeBlanc, CinImage Productions

"Then there's an unlisted eighth track that GraceNote 'identifies' (if you can call it that) as 'Untitled' - is that the name of the track or does it really not have a name? Synthesizers that I can only call zany appear and I thought I'd slipped onto Passion Pit for just a second, before the clapping percussion and Mel Keith's voice kicks in followed by the ever present guitars. Can you have power chords right alongside keyboards? That really should belong to Stevie Wonder or Steely Dan. Well it seems that you can now and this is glorious. This track is a remixed by 'rae' and it's a relief to be out from the country rock sound of the rest of the album. Bizarre though putting it here when the rest of the record is so much of a specific type. It's the final track and I'm hooked. I don't care if this music is made by the PCD or Norwegian trolls, this album ain't going back."
- altsounds.com, regarding the remix of 'Don't Walk Away', which is the hidden track on the Mel Keith & The Strombachs record - (various)

MerleSong / Dangerous Parade
September 18, 2009, 11:14 PM
Buy Mel Keith and the Strombachs - Self Titled [EP] From Amazon.com


Listening to Mel Keith and the Strombachs opening track - 'Is Anyone Here' - I can see why the promo self titled 8-track CD I've been sent has a sticker that says 'for fans of Lucinda Williams, Sheryl Crow and Kathleen Edwards' - much as I resent being put into a box like that. It's got a bit of a summery Sheryl feel to it, but the voice whilst similar is also totally totally different. There's a sparseness in Mel Keith's vocal phrasing, gaps that work to emphasise above the jangly country-rock guitar.

'Don't Walk Away' has got a breathy catch on the voice, just like when engineers first started playing with backwards snare sounds. That's got me intrigued, that little bit of experiment. Also, this track, the hook is really strong and I think I've heard it before. I know I haven't but my mind thinks it has. I love the way Mel Keith croaks a bit towards the end.

'Amazing' opens with strummy, jangly country-rock guitar and is very listenable due entirely to Mel Keith's voice. She has got the sort of East Coast / Canadian inflection that's charming to Northern British blokes who write CD reviews. It makes me look on the CD cover for some info and I find it's recorded in Moncton, New Brunswick. Is that where they are from? What's a Strombach? Apart from a 19th century zither playing child-murderer? Oooh, quick, drop the doo-wop backing vocal. At this point I could quite get into the whole feel of the record.

'Just Like Kathleen' jumps right in and Mel's accent twangs through nicely enough to tell of a bad girl called Kathleen who likes to sink a few beers while the cable TV plays on. I dunno but this all felt a trifle snobby. We're all a bit more grown up than that, aren't we dears? And is there a bit of a theme about bad girls as anti-heroes?

'You shine' starts off again with just the voice and folk guitar. It's all a tiny bit self-help about how even if you're messed up, don't you know how much you shine? It's almost embarrassingly earnest like Alanis Morissette, and strings out the phrases a bit like Alanis Morissette would but luckily it just about redeems itself. In fact by the end I almost love it.

Then there's an unlisted eighth track that GraceNote 'identifies' (if you can call it that) as 'Untitled' - is that the name of the track or does it really not have a name? Synthesizers that I can only call zany appear and I thought I'd slipped onto Passion Pit for just a second, before the clapping percussion and Mel Keith's voice kicks in followed by the ever present guitars. Can you have power chords right alongside keyboards? That really should belong to Stevie Wonder or Steely Dan. Well it seems that you can now and this is glorious. This track is a remixed by 'rae' and it's a relief to be out from the country rock sound of the rest of the album. Bizarre though putting it here when the rest of the record is so much of a specific type. It's the final track and I'm hooked. I don't care if this music is made by the PCD or Norwegian trolls, this album ain't going back.

So, yes, Mel Keith is from Moncton, New Brunswick. That's relevant because I'm a big follower of Canadian music but know next to nothing about stuff coming out of the Maritimes. She's played in the UK at Wakestock of all places, but is still hammering out loads of gigs in Eastern Canada. If Mel Keith sticks with the country-rock guitar, that's where she will stay and be happy and worthy to boot. If she does more like that last track, look out. - Altsounds.com

MerleSong / Dangerous Parade
September 18, 2009, 11:14 PM
Buy Mel Keith and the Strombachs - Self Titled [EP] From Amazon.com


Listening to Mel Keith and the Strombachs opening track - 'Is Anyone Here' - I can see why the promo self titled 8-track CD I've been sent has a sticker that says 'for fans of Lucinda Williams, Sheryl Crow and Kathleen Edwards' - much as I resent being put into a box like that. It's got a bit of a summery Sheryl feel to it, but the voice whilst similar is also totally totally different. There's a sparseness in Mel Keith's vocal phrasing, gaps that work to emphasise above the jangly country-rock guitar.

'Don't Walk Away' has got a breathy catch on the voice, just like when engineers first started playing with backwards snare sounds. That's got me intrigued, that little bit of experiment. Also, this track, the hook is really strong and I think I've heard it before. I know I haven't but my mind thinks it has. I love the way Mel Keith croaks a bit towards the end.

'Amazing' opens with strummy, jangly country-rock guitar and is very listenable due entirely to Mel Keith's voice. She has got the sort of East Coast / Canadian inflection that's charming to Northern British blokes who write CD reviews. It makes me look on the CD cover for some info and I find it's recorded in Moncton, New Brunswick. Is that where they are from? What's a Strombach? Apart from a 19th century zither playing child-murderer? Oooh, quick, drop the doo-wop backing vocal. At this point I could quite get into the whole feel of the record.

'Just Like Kathleen' jumps right in and Mel's accent twangs through nicely enough to tell of a bad girl called Kathleen who likes to sink a few beers while the cable TV plays on. I dunno but this all felt a trifle snobby. We're all a bit more grown up than that, aren't we dears? And is there a bit of a theme about bad girls as anti-heroes?

'You shine' starts off again with just the voice and folk guitar. It's all a tiny bit self-help about how even if you're messed up, don't you know how much you shine? It's almost embarrassingly earnest like Alanis Morissette, and strings out the phrases a bit like Alanis Morissette would but luckily it just about redeems itself. In fact by the end I almost love it.

Then there's an unlisted eighth track that GraceNote 'identifies' (if you can call it that) as 'Untitled' - is that the name of the track or does it really not have a name? Synthesizers that I can only call zany appear and I thought I'd slipped onto Passion Pit for just a second, before the clapping percussion and Mel Keith's voice kicks in followed by the ever present guitars. Can you have power chords right alongside keyboards? That really should belong to Stevie Wonder or Steely Dan. Well it seems that you can now and this is glorious. This track is a remixed by 'rae' and it's a relief to be out from the country rock sound of the rest of the album. Bizarre though putting it here when the rest of the record is so much of a specific type. It's the final track and I'm hooked. I don't care if this music is made by the PCD or Norwegian trolls, this album ain't going back.

So, yes, Mel Keith is from Moncton, New Brunswick. That's relevant because I'm a big follower of Canadian music but know next to nothing about stuff coming out of the Maritimes. She's played in the UK at Wakestock of all places, but is still hammering out loads of gigs in Eastern Canada. If Mel Keith sticks with the country-rock guitar, that's where she will stay and be happy and worthy to boot. If she does more like that last track, look out. - Altsounds.com