The Sweetness

The Sweetness – What’s It Like to Be A Sprinkler, I Wonder? (self released) :: Wherein a spate of mesmerizing double-tracked she-vocals slink against a spooky setting of sparse folksy blues. Don’t let the band name fool you because, as the album title intimates in its own wonky way, this is one record that goes beyond being merely idiosyncratic into a darker vein that dares to redefine the very essence of irrational ire that’s disconcertingly dire. - Jeffrey Morgan

From the first time Aly Tadros hit the tri-state , with her CD, Things Worth Keeping, until she came into Evansville in February 2010, the fan base for this folk debutante has gotten bigger and more passionate. That February, Aly was in the middle of the Ragged Haggard Tour with Douglass Jay Boyd. Aly then hooked up with Toronto native, Chloe Charles, and another chapter began.

And again, in the middle of another February, the gypsy jazz caravan made another stop in the tri-state. This time, the duo had added a double bassist, Sam McClellan. Originally from Saskatchewan, Canada, Sam was originally a classically-trained musician. After finishing at University of Toronto, she ditched the by-gone era she had been existing in and headed wherever the wind would take her. That “wind” took her to Chloe Charles, where she was featured on Charles’ 2010 EP, Little Green Bud. Now she is an integral part of what Aly and Chloe are singing, adding synergy to the heart and soul of the group.

Their first stop in the tri-state was a Sunday night house concert at the home of David Wells. David was their host while here in this area. He has also been involved in some regional promotion and bookings for the band. They headed to WUEV 91.5 FM (wuev.org) on Monday for a sit down with Paul Mattingly for an interview and performance to get their fans ready for their Monday evening gig. If it’s Monday night, it had to be Lamasco’s Bar & Grille. The west-side tavern has steadily grown a well-deserved rep for the best and most eclectic entertainment in Evansville. Amy Rivers-Word knows how to show the tri-state a good time and this night was no exception. The ladies brought all they had to the joint and the audience was most appreciative.

The last stop on this whirlwind was Tuesday night at the Cafe Arazu in Newburgh, Indiana. Cafe Arazu has the intimate atmosphere just right for Aly, Chloe, and Sam. When I arrived about an hour after they had began their show, it was already SRO and everyone had a smile on their face.

With the diverse expertise and backgrounds of these sirens of the world, their popularity is in perpetual motion while they criss-cross between the Americas and the rest of the globe. We in the tri-state will miss them and hope for a return trip that is tentatively scheduled for the early part of Summer 2011. When they return, the ladies will come back under the banner of “Sweetness.” This will be the name of the group and it will then include Douglass Jay Boyd. If you’d like to connect with the ladies and the tour you can catch up with them at alytadros.com, chloecharles.com or “friend” Aly, Chloe, and Sam (Antlers) on Facebook. - EvansvilleNights.com Night Blog

Following hot on the heels of our two days at New Skool Rules in Rotterdam, Canadian Blast returned to London for the first in a series of showcases presented in association with Mean Fiddler, upstairs at the Garage in the heart of Islington, London.

As the streets of London basked in spring evening sunshine, Chloe Charles took the stage. Although the Toronto based songwriter had played London earlier on her European tour, this was the first time she had played london with her full band “The Sweetness”. The band, who came together at the 48th Annual Folk Alliance Conference earlier this year recently recorded their debut EP with Gordon Raphael (Strokes/ Regina Spektor). With sweet four part harmonies, and underpinned by a finely painted double bass and driving cajon rhythms it’s hard to believe the band have beentogether for just a few weeks, the music moving and flowing between the four artists as the crowd swayed and swung along.

By the time Halifax’s In-Flight Safety took the stage the room was buzzing. Having recently had single ‘Model Homes’ playlisted on BBC Radio 2, and in the midst of an unlikely battle for video supremacy with Cee-Loo Green on Muzu.tv’s “Fight Club”, there was plenty of interest for the bands UK debut show, and they didn’t disappoint with their anthemic indie-rock, driven by frontman John Mullane’s guitars and vocals and Daniel Leadwell’s piano parts. Before long both the crowd and the band had raised the temperature in the room, frontman Mullane bantering with the crowd between songs.

London based Ghostcat turned up the heat yet further to close theevening with their
bouncy electro-pop, frontwoman Ali Cat encouraging the crowd to bust out their most outrageous dancemoves as they ran through single This is a Bust and Everybody on The Dance Floor, which got, well, everybody on the Dancefloor. - http://www.canadianblast.com