The F-Holes

THE F-HOLES

August 31

The Exchange

At first glance, The F-Holes appear to have a very cheeky name. Upon closer inspection, however, the meaning behind it is much less so.

An F-Hole is a sound hole on an acoustic instrument like a guitar, explains Eric Lemoine, who plays a myriad of instruments in the "swing, Dixieland, roots-type" band, including the banjo, pedal steel and electric bass.

A friend thought The F-Holes would be a funny name for the band, and it stuck, he says.

The band hails from the not-so-far-away land of Manitoba - a place known for churning out musical greats like Neil Young. But they haven't spent much time in their home base of Winnipeg lately.

The group is trying to get in as much travelling as they can before winter hits. After an already long summer of touring, they're looking forward to trekking across Canada a few more times.

By the end of November, we'll have played about 120 tour dates," says Lemoine, speaking from his home in Winnipeg while on a short break between tours. The F-Holes' upcoming tour is in support of their new album, Angel in the Corner, which comes out Aug. 27.

The band - which includes Lemoine, Patrick Alexandre Leclerc, James McKee, Evan Friesen and Blake Thomson - has officially been together since 2004. Lemoine grew up with Leclerc and Friesen in Ste. Anne, a small town just outside of Winnipeg. They met the other guys after moving to Winnipeg.

Lemoine says when it comes to performing, it's the song writing and instrumentation the "five best friends" pride themselves on.

"It's something that a wide variety of people can enjoy," he says of The F-Holes' unique style.

While backstage at the recent Kitchener Blues Festival, a few 90-year-olds came up to the band and offered their praise, Lemoine says. He adds the group also hears from 18-year-olds who enjoy their music.

With a sound that's attracting old and young alike, Lemoine says the band has refined their craft since their self-titled debut album, which was released in 2009.

"I think each of us learned a lot from that first studio experience," he says. "When you get in there and you're paying $50 an hour to be in the studio, you feel a little bit of pressure to try and get the most bang for your buck. There's a balance between doing it fast and also being happy with that product."

With Angel in the Corner, the F-Holes spent a few months in pre-production, working on the songs and the instrumentation, before going into the studio. The album's offerings include the title track Angel in the Corner, Even Stevens, Up For a While, and Lemoine's favourite, Losing Touch - which he says "really, really stands out."

In Regina, The F-Holes will be performing with guest Little Miss Higgins, a blues artist from Saskatchewan, by way of Alberta and Kansas.

"She's one of our good friends and also we really enjoy playing her music," says Lemoine. "It's going to be a great night."
- The Leader Post

The root note of the F-holes, a band that approaches roots music with as much a sense of playful inventiveness as a nod to tradition, formed long before the band ever did.
Patrick Alexandre, who handles vocals, bass and harmonica duties, started playing music with banjo/guitarist Eric Lemoine and drummer Evan Friesen back in their early teens. That fraternal connection to his fellow musicians, Alexandre notes, is something he's always looked for in bands, even beyond his own.
"You read about Zeppelin, and John Bonham and Robert Plant were really good friends before [the band]." Alexandre says, home at Winnipeg for a brief touring break before heading out west. "I like reading biographies a lot, and that's always what I'm looking for. I'm looking for that friendship in bands and that brotherhood ... bands do inevitably get to that point, after being together for so long. You think of a band and that's been touring together for 10 years, they know each other inside out. But it helps if you guys are best friends for 10 years before that too."
Now fleshed out by Blake Thomson on guitar and saxophone and James McKee on trumpet and trombone, that longtime familiarity ensured the F-holes' second album, Angels in the Corner, was built around the strengths of the people in the band, rather than a more generic approach to songwriting.
"Me and Eric, the banjo player in the group, we share the writing. And I can't really speak for him, but for myself I would say that writing songs, at least the music part, I would have the band in mind. So I'm thinking, 'Oh, Evan's going to do a great drum thing here, and then the trumpet can come out blaring at this part.' Whereas before, a lot of the songs on the first album, most of them i'd say, they were just written as songs that could be done by any band, really. But these ones were more crafted to the F-holes songs."
It's that direction, of greater fusion, that he'd like to see the F-holes continue towards.
"I see this band progressing towards a more shared writing experience, he continues. "Even on this album, not the writing so much but all the arranging. We're working on this together, we're building songs together. Sometimes there's just a little skeleton of a song, and it's up to James to add some skin colour and for Evan to add some meat on the bones. But we're looking to make that even more of a shared experience." - Vue Weekly

The root note of the F-holes, a band that approaches roots music with as much a sense of playful inventiveness as a nod to tradition, formed long before the band ever did.
Patrick Alexandre, who handles vocals, bass and harmonica duties, started playing music with banjo/guitarist Eric Lemoine and drummer Evan Friesen back in their early teens. That fraternal connection to his fellow musicians, Alexandre notes, is something he's always looked for in bands, even beyond his own.
"You read about Zeppelin, and John Bonham and Robert Plant were really good friends before [the band]." Alexandre says, home at Winnipeg for a brief touring break before heading out west. "I like reading biographies a lot, and that's always what I'm looking for. I'm looking for that friendship in bands and that brotherhood ... bands do inevitably get to that point, after being together for so long. You think of a band and that's been touring together for 10 years, they know each other inside out. But it helps if you guys are best friends for 10 years before that too."
Now fleshed out by Blake Thomson on guitar and saxophone and James McKee on trumpet and trombone, that longtime familiarity ensured the F-holes' second album, Angels in the Corner, was built around the strengths of the people in the band, rather than a more generic approach to songwriting.
"Me and Eric, the banjo player in the group, we share the writing. And I can't really speak for him, but for myself I would say that writing songs, at least the music part, I would have the band in mind. So I'm thinking, 'Oh, Evan's going to do a great drum thing here, and then the trumpet can come out blaring at this part.' Whereas before, a lot of the songs on the first album, most of them i'd say, they were just written as songs that could be done by any band, really. But these ones were more crafted to the F-holes songs."
It's that direction, of greater fusion, that he'd like to see the F-holes continue towards.
"I see this band progressing towards a more shared writing experience, he continues. "Even on this album, not the writing so much but all the arranging. We're working on this together, we're building songs together. Sometimes there's just a little skeleton of a song, and it's up to James to add some skin colour and for Evan to add some meat on the bones. But we're looking to make that even more of a shared experience." - Vue Weekly

The frontman of local old-time/Dixieland jazz/roots/party band the F-Holes composes his share of the band’s songs on the piano, despite not being proficient on the instrument.
"I’m a terrible piano player," he admits with a laugh. "But it’s easier to hear how the melody will intersect with the chords and if there’s lyrics it’s easy for me to hear. I come up with the skeleton of the song, bring it to the band, then everyone adds their parts and we arrange it together."
All of the members of the Winnipeg quintet — Leclerc, Eric Lemoine, James McKee, Evan Friesen and Blake Thomson — are multi-instrumentalists, so even though Leclerc’s skills on the keyboard might not be strong enough for an onstage solo, he’s got plenty of help in the jam space and studio.
The results from their latest studio adventures will be unveiled Saturday when the F-Holes hold its release party for its new album, Angel in the Corner, the band’s second album, at the West End Cultural Centre. Tickets are $12 at Music Trader, Into the Music, the Folk Festival Music Store and the WECC. Local singer-songwriter Ben Wytinck opens.
"This album is much more collaborative effort; when I was writing it I had the F-Holes in mind. On the first album, some of the songs were six years old when we put them down and the F-Holes didn’t exist then. These songs were all like, ‘I know Evan could add some cool drums here, the banjo will work here, a good trumpet line can go here,’" Leclerc says.
Over the past few years, the band — named after the holes in instruments, such as hollow-bodied guitars and violins — has earned a reputation around town as a can’t-miss live act that transcends a simple genre description thanks to a mixture of ragtime, Dixieland jazz, rock and roots that offers a little something for everybody. The old-timey sound firmly is rooted in music from the past but has a contemporary edge that helps the band appeal to a wide demographic.
There was never a plan about how the band of 20-somethings would ultimately sound; it worked itself out through years of playing together.
The group’s seeds were planted in the south-eastern Manitoba town of Ste. Anne more than a decade ago when Leclerc, Friesen and Lemoine began playing together as teenagers. After moving to Winnipeg they hooked up with Thomson before the addition of horn player McKee solidified the lineup five years ago.
The band’s stage show and ability to get crowds moving comes after weekly residencies at different bars in the city where they got the chance to work on their live set, tackling everything from classic rock to country to blues standards.
"We all like really diverse music and we don’t all like the same music, so I guess what we play is where we kind of meet," Leclerc says.
"As far as the F-Holes albums, I want to keep pushing to different stuff. I’d like to see the next album recorded live off the floor.
"To be honest, within the year after releasing the last one (in 2009) I wanted to make another one. I think that album represented where we were at the time, but we outgrew it really quickly. We had a growth spurt after that and I hope the same thing will happen with this. I really like it right now, but I’m already thinking about doing the next one."
Many of Leclerc’s songs are based on true stories, but as he has become more settled in a solid relationship and become a father, he has resorted more and more on his imagination for inspiration.
"The problem now is I’m pretty happy; that’s when you have to start writing the fake stories. Like the song Cool Winter Nights — I’ve never killed anybody, so that’s one example.
"I’ve always had an overactive imagination," he says.
- The Free Press

The frontman of local old-time/Dixieland jazz/roots/party band the F-Holes composes his share of the band’s songs on the piano, despite not being proficient on the instrument.
"I’m a terrible piano player," he admits with a laugh. "But it’s easier to hear how the melody will intersect with the chords and if there’s lyrics it’s easy for me to hear. I come up with the skeleton of the song, bring it to the band, then everyone adds their parts and we arrange it together."
All of the members of the Winnipeg quintet — Leclerc, Eric Lemoine, James McKee, Evan Friesen and Blake Thomson — are multi-instrumentalists, so even though Leclerc’s skills on the keyboard might not be strong enough for an onstage solo, he’s got plenty of help in the jam space and studio.
The results from their latest studio adventures will be unveiled Saturday when the F-Holes hold its release party for its new album, Angel in the Corner, the band’s second album, at the West End Cultural Centre. Tickets are $12 at Music Trader, Into the Music, the Folk Festival Music Store and the WECC. Local singer-songwriter Ben Wytinck opens.
"This album is much more collaborative effort; when I was writing it I had the F-Holes in mind. On the first album, some of the songs were six years old when we put them down and the F-Holes didn’t exist then. These songs were all like, ‘I know Evan could add some cool drums here, the banjo will work here, a good trumpet line can go here,’" Leclerc says.
Over the past few years, the band — named after the holes in instruments, such as hollow-bodied guitars and violins — has earned a reputation around town as a can’t-miss live act that transcends a simple genre description thanks to a mixture of ragtime, Dixieland jazz, rock and roots that offers a little something for everybody. The old-timey sound firmly is rooted in music from the past but has a contemporary edge that helps the band appeal to a wide demographic.
There was never a plan about how the band of 20-somethings would ultimately sound; it worked itself out through years of playing together.
The group’s seeds were planted in the south-eastern Manitoba town of Ste. Anne more than a decade ago when Leclerc, Friesen and Lemoine began playing together as teenagers. After moving to Winnipeg they hooked up with Thomson before the addition of horn player McKee solidified the lineup five years ago.
The band’s stage show and ability to get crowds moving comes after weekly residencies at different bars in the city where they got the chance to work on their live set, tackling everything from classic rock to country to blues standards.
"We all like really diverse music and we don’t all like the same music, so I guess what we play is where we kind of meet," Leclerc says.
"As far as the F-Holes albums, I want to keep pushing to different stuff. I’d like to see the next album recorded live off the floor.
"To be honest, within the year after releasing the last one (in 2009) I wanted to make another one. I think that album represented where we were at the time, but we outgrew it really quickly. We had a growth spurt after that and I hope the same thing will happen with this. I really like it right now, but I’m already thinking about doing the next one."
Many of Leclerc’s songs are based on true stories, but as he has become more settled in a solid relationship and become a father, he has resorted more and more on his imagination for inspiration.
"The problem now is I’m pretty happy; that’s when you have to start writing the fake stories. Like the song Cool Winter Nights — I’ve never killed anybody, so that’s one example.
"I’ve always had an overactive imagination," he says.
- The Free Press

The F-Holes are back with their sophomore album, Angel in the Corner, and they’re f-ing stoked.

Lame puns about their name (it’s a stringed-instrument reference) aside, singer/upright bassist/harmonica player Patrick Alexandre says the band is itching to drop the record.

"We’ve had it in our hands for a month," he says. "With the first record, we got it in the afternoon of the release show. We wanted to give ourselves time for the second one."

And that they did. The quintet plays at the West End Cultural Centre on Friday to officially release their follow-up to 2009’s self-titled debut.

The F-Holes’ sound has been described as bluegrass, swing, roots and Dixieland and, although Alexandre says the band has tightened up its sound, it still defies single-word genre classification.

"It’s a more concentrated sound on this album," he says. "The first album was a conglomeration of six years’ worth of songs but, for this record, we really had the band in mind. When I was writing, I was thinking that the drums would come in here, and here the trumpet could take off."

It’s this indefinable sound that has gotten The F-Holes their fair share of attention in Winnipeg’s music scene since they officially became a band in 2005 after acquiring guitarist/saxophonist/vocalist Blake Thomson and trumpeter/trombonist James McKee.

With the smorgasbord of instruments between them, The F-Holes are also known to play musical chairs onstage. Alexandre acknowledges that replicating their first album live required almost constant switching around.

This time around, the band kept its live show in mind when it was recording Angel in the Corner.

"On the album, we stuck to not necessarily just what we can do live, but close to it," Alexandre says. "Something we can represent in a live setting."

Indeed, there’s nothing contrived about Angel in the Corner — it’s just fun, lively, bouncy grunge-roots.

"What’s authentic about our sound is that we’re not trying to go for a sound. We just play these instruments and that’s what it ended up sounding like. We’re friends first and we want to work together."

Yes, Alexandre has been friends with drummer Evan Friesen and vocalist/banjoist/bassist Eric Lemoine since their teenage years, and the chemistry he has with his bandmates is obvious — a good thing, seeing as how they’re about to embark on a CD-release tour with fellow friend and singer/songwriter Ben Wytink.

"We’re very excited to have Ben open for us," Alexandre says, adding that Wytink will accompany The F-Holes on bass. "He’s probably my favourite singer/songwriter in the city. He’s got a special way about him."

The F-Holes show no sign of slowing down. With their second record not even on shelves yet, Alexandre is already plotting the band’s next move.

"The second album is a lot more collaborative than the first, but personally, I want the third album to go further than that with more vocal harmonies," he says. "Having five singers makes it so much better — such a fuller sound."
THE?F-HOLES?CD-RELEASE PARTY
Aug 27, 8 p.m., West End
Cultural Centre
w/ Ben Wytinck, Marcel Desilets - Uptown Magazine

The F-Holes
The Exchange
Wednesday 31

Even though the F-Holes' second album, Angel in the Corner, won't be released until four days before the Winnipeg five-piece's Regina gig, the material is already road-weathered and the band is highly tuned after a three-week tour of Eastern Canada earlier this summer.

Regina is the first stop on the band's Western Canadian tour, which will take the rootsy Dixieland combo to some places a lot of bands overlook, like Enderby, BC and Twin Butte, AB. Chalk that up to the long drives between major centres in the west.

"If you're going to be out there, you might as well be playing," says F-Holes singer and bassist Patrick Alexandre. "We've been out west quite a few times, so we know which places work for us. Sometimes it's just a little bookstore that fits 18 people and other times it's a very large venue that fits 300.

"We probably won't get 300 people in a town that's not Winnipeg, but we're working on it."

Since their beginnings in 2004, the F-Holes have built a following for their raucous but well-honed live show. The band launched during a year-long residency at the Winnipeg club Hooligans (now The Standard) which allowed the group to develop and refine their sound in front of an audience week by week.

"It's not like we sat and said, 'Wouldn't it be cool to have a banjo and a trumpet in the same band?' Not that that's weird in any way," says Alexandre. "It was just that Eric [Lemoine] started playing the banjo, so now we have that in the band. We've got James McKee, who was a really close friend of everybody in the band and he plays trumpet, so I guess we've got a trumpet in the band now."

Rounding out the F-Holes' lineup is Blake Thompson on guitar and saxophone and Evan Friesen on drums.

During their residency and subsequent touring, the band has mastered the art of working an audience. They've built up a repertoire beyond their original compositions that ranges from the Tom Waits number "Jockey Full of Bourbon" to the theme from Nintendo video game Super Mario Brothers 2.

"If you scare somebody off with the Tom Waits song, and they're getting ready to pack it in and go, and then you start off with a very happy sounding Mario 2 song that even the most jaded hipster can't help but like," says Alexandre, "It's like fishing a little bit; you gotta let it go a bit and then pull it in. We try to craft our sets that way. In small-town Alberta we might follow up a more Dixieland song that they're not really used to with a Johnny Cash song or something." - Prairie Dog

It’s not every day that you come across a country band that relies as much on saxophones and trumpets as it does on banjos and pedal steel guitars. But that’s exactly the kind of oppositional dynamism that gives The F-Holes its sapling suppleness and oaken strength.

A vitriolic combination of Dixieland reverie and rockabilly bravado, the five-piece Manitoban ensemble’s blend of bluegrass, gypsy jazz and traditional three-part harmonies conjures up a tempest in a teapot. It’s all stirred up thanks to upright bassist and vocalist Patrick Alexandre, guitarist-saxophonist Blake Thompson, drummer Evan Friesen, trumpet-euphonium player James McKees and pedal steel-resonator guitarist Eric Lemoine, who also plays banjo and bass for the group.

According to Lemoine, the poly-instrumental philosophy and onstage larking of The F-Holes demands that each member be a multi-talented performer capable of switching positions as easily as sliding off of a greasy pole backwards.

“I started out playing guitar at 14 and didn’t initially pick up any other instruments until our trumpet player James introduced me to a friend of his who ended up having a banjo,” says Lemoine, the band’s pedal steel guitarist. “I started picking on the banjo and really liked what I heard. I have always wanted to learn it; I think every guitarist does. There’s a very, very specific tone to country, and I think even people who don’t know exactly what they’re listening to instantly recognize that tone. I love moving between the banjo and pedal steel throughout our performances. Both are instruments that can really evoke an emotional reaction.”

Wearing their hearts on their dapper sleeves with the release of the latest album, Angel in the Corner, antithetical wallflower Lemoine and his company of fellows debunk the notion that their name refers to anything but the flowing f-shaped scrawls that are cut from the faces of violins, cellos and the like.

A time-machine to a bygone era that never was, the quintet introduces southern acoustic blues to Django Reinhardt’s pre-Second World War swinging wonderland via 1960s surf rock. The result of all this cultural cross-pollination? A uniquely Canadian dish that sounds almost as good on plastic discs as it does on pine floorboards.

“We prefer to mish-mash our general interests together whether it’s older 1920s stuff or ’60s surf music,” Lemoine says. “The process of making and releasing our self-titled debut album prepared us for creating Angel in the Corner. The thing with our tunes is that there’s been a progression in how we play; for this tour we have been performing songs from new album in its entirety. We’ve learned to replicate our albums in the live setting, bringing all our instruments on tour with us and constantly switching between them and singing all the harmonies together. We take quite a bit of pride in being able to actually take that song out of the studio and perform it live.”

Angel in the Corner does an admirable job of summing up The F-Holes’ penchant for nostalgic innovation effectively priming the audience’s spiritual and carnal appetite for the reverential chord the band strikes when they perform in their full county-fair calibre regalia. Festival favourites, the good ol’ band’s easygoing attitude and fast-picking style have won them fans of all ages and walks of life — a condition Lemoine attributes to the ubiquitous appeal of their doggedly optimistic energy and simple down-home earthiness.

“You can think of our albums as snapshots in time,” he says. “We just performed at the Kitchener Blues Fest, and afterwards a couple of 90-year-old men came up to us and said that was the kind of music they listened to as teenagers. Then, a couple of 18- and 19-year-old rockabilly kids came up and were equally enthusiastic.” - FFW

THE F-HOLES
you've got a dirty mind
By Lindsay Wilson

Maybe it’s those bleak and dreary Manitoban winters that forces a bunch of bored musicians to hole up inside for half the year writing tomorrow’s hit songs. Maybe it’s just a coincidence. No matter the reason, Manitoba seems to be producing some great musicians - and The F-Holes are yet another example of a roots collective from Canada’s Midwest who are definitely worthy of having a listen to.

“I guess there’s always that cliché of Manitoba being cold. December, January and February are often spent indoors, writing music,” answers F-Holes member, Eric Lemoine, when asked to expound on what is meant by “the Manitoba sound” and its common themes of desolation and loneliness.

You hear the name F-Holes, and unless you are of a musical make-up, you may have your mind in the gutter. Actually, f-holes are the shape of the sound holes in instruments from the violin or viola to guitars and lutes.

“We were having a bluegrass jam once a week and our friend made a comment about all the f-holes in the instruments and how wouldn’t it be cool to have a bluegrass band called The F-Holes,” muses Lemoine. “We always get a wide range of responses.”

Made up of Lemoine (banjo, pedal steel, resonator, electric bass, vocals), Patrick Alexandre (upright bass, harmonica, guitar, lead vocals), Evan Friesen (drums, percussion), Blake Thomson (guitar, saxophone, vocals) and Jimmie James McKee (trumpet, euphonium, vocals), there certainly are a lot of f-holes on stage at one time … among other things.

Starting out in 2004, the original members of the band all grew up together (with the exception of McKee). It wasn’t until the trumpeter joined the band a couple of years later that the group began to find their current sound - which has continued to grow and change with the addition of banjo and upright bass.

With the recent release of their sophomore album, Angel In The Corner, these five teammates can already celebrate an overflowing performance season. As they make their way across the country, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver fans can make note of their early September concert dates - because these boys are pumped to showcase their new album to audiences new and old.

“With this album, I think we really sat down and focused on it together - after a year of heavy touring,” notes Lemoine.

“One of the tunes that we’re all particularly happy with is the single off the album, ‘Angel In The Corner.’ It’s good to listen to, good to dance to … it has all the elements that appeal to people,” says the multi-instrumentalist, reminiscing about a friend who described the track as “sexy stripper music” upon first hearing it.

Angel In The Corner, which was self-released on August 27, was recorded and mixed at Winnipeg’s Private Ear Studios. The engineer on board was Neil Cameron, producers included The F-Holes, Jaxon Haldane and Neil Cameron and the album was mastered by Troy Glessner at Spectre Mastering, located in Seattle.

In true roots fashion, these five multi-instrumentalists often integrate four-part harmonies on stage - completing their repertoire of alt-country, Dixieland and roots tunes with an overflow of tasty instrumentation, infectious lead vocals and an upbeat, jump-swing flavour that would keep a crowd on the dance floor.

“I honestly don’t think we’re ‘Dixieland’ straight-ahead by any means, but there are elements of Dixieland and swing in our music,” says Lemoine, commenting on his band mates’ authenticity.

“It’s one thing we take pride in, too: that on our albums, it’s us playing all our instruments so it’s representative of what you’ll see at a live show.”

Dating back to their 2009 debut full-length, self-titled album, there’s no mistaking these guys for anyone but themselves - as much of their album was recorded live, off-the-floor and on two-inch tape.

Since their 2004 beginnings, Lemoine feels the band has really honed their sound. Taking advantage of the number of vocalists, the integration of horns and the skill level of each band member has allowed this group to find a sound they can all their own - differentiating themselves from the slough of roots groups on the scene.

“That’s something we’ve really focused on - we really didn’t know we could sing,” laughs Lemoine about how he and the other band members (with the exception of their lead singer) have become vocalists through their process of self-discovery.

When it comes to the writing process, the lyricism is still largely left up to lead vocalist, Patrick Alexandre. Lemoine joins forces with him to write the music, taking it to the other members once the basics have been laid down.

“We sort of come up with a skeleton for a song, he (Patrick) writes some lyrics to it and then we get together with the guys and go from there,” says Lemoine.

Known for their honest and energetic live performances, The F-Holes will spend the remainder of this year on the road, showing - Beatroute

With Winnipeg jazz/ roots band the F-Holes, the F stands for fun, plain and simple on their latest CD “Angel In The Corner.”
They have a happy horn section, which draws the listener in on the title track which kicks things off.
The fun continues on “Even Stevens” about a night on the town which has those horns, some catchy banjo and a taste of rockabilly. This naughty little ditty is one of many highlights on the CD, because it is covered in a healthy dose of quirky fun.

The D-Rangers’ Jaxon Haldane produced the new CD and sings back up vocals on “ A Ballad For Ezmerelda.”

The whole CD is catchy, jazz filled fun with a little folk and distinctive vocals.
“Up For A While” is a catchy, upbeat, jazzy instrumental which stands out.

And “Two Cents” is one of many places where the lyrics stand out.
The understated banjo is a highlight of the entire CD.

And , of course, the horn section is at the forefront, especially on the exceedingly catchy “Mean Mean Mistake.”
Having seen them perform here once before, this CD actually does seem to capture the essence of the band performing live. It’s the type of CD you want to listen to over and over again.
- LA Beat

THE F-HOLES
Angel in the Corner (Independent)
One of the best things about the F-Holes is that they are not easily categorized. Are they a Dixie-jazz band? A roots outfit? A bluegrass group? A ragtimey rock band? Yes, yes, yes and yes.
On the Winnipeg quintet's second album, the F-Holes again pull out all the stops with a wild ride of styles and sounds, many with a classic old-time feel courtesy of instruments like stand-up bass, trumpet, euphonium, pedal steel, banjo and piano that make you want to hit the saloon and order a sarsaparilla. They create a strong New Orleans vibe on Even Stevens; get sultry on the Tex Mex-inspired Losing Touch; show off their swing thing on the groovy Two Cents; and blast off into jazz land on the instrumental Up for a While.
And as much fun as the music is on CD, make sure you check these guys out live. They are F-ing great. Four stars
-- RW - The Winnipeg Free Press

There are a lot of good F-Holes in the Winnipeg area. Just south of Lockport, about 40 minutes drive from downtown Winnipeg, is a great spot. In the middle of summer, when the current slows and the spawn is on, anglers regularly reel in channel catfish. Manitoba Monsters, as they’re known in F-Hole circles, can grow to nearly four feet long. Most people still-fish or bottom-fish for them, using crayfish or earthworms, but anglers with an individualistic streak have been known to bait their lines with soap or raisins. One Missouri catfish enthusiast greases his lures with Preparation H, which contains a small amount of shark liver oil and isn’t a bad thing to keep in your tacklebox for those long days in the F-Hole of your choice.

There’s no word on what sort of lure, if any, Winnipeg’s other F-Holes use to entice channel cats, or even if they catch them at all. You’d be better off asking them for recipes on how to cook the catfish after it’s been caught anyway. The roots-rocking Red River quintet plays a variation on jump blues rockabilly with brassy Dixieland flavour, so it’s a safe bet any recipes they give out will call for a lot of cayenne pepper. Then again, the group continues the tradition of irreverent revivalism Winnipeg bands like the D. Rangers, the Rowdymen and the Royal Winnipeg Porn Orchestra (sample song title: “Smokin’ Cigarettes and Watchin’ Hockey Night in Canada”), and pepper their live shows with songs from Tom Waits’ catalogue and the Super Mario Bros. video game, so who knows, maybe they like their catfish with wasabi?

Catfish, there’s lots of ways to catch them, and lots of ways to cook them. Yum. /Emmet Matheson - Prairie Dog Magazine

There are a lot of good F-Holes in the Winnipeg area. Just south of Lockport, about 40 minutes drive from downtown Winnipeg, is a great spot. In the middle of summer, when the current slows and the spawn is on, anglers regularly reel in channel catfish. Manitoba Monsters, as they’re known in F-Hole circles, can grow to nearly four feet long. Most people still-fish or bottom-fish for them, using crayfish or earthworms, but anglers with an individualistic streak have been known to bait their lines with soap or raisins. One Missouri catfish enthusiast greases his lures with Preparation H, which contains a small amount of shark liver oil and isn’t a bad thing to keep in your tacklebox for those long days in the F-Hole of your choice.

There’s no word on what sort of lure, if any, Winnipeg’s other F-Holes use to entice channel cats, or even if they catch them at all. You’d be better off asking them for recipes on how to cook the catfish after it’s been caught anyway. The roots-rocking Red River quintet plays a variation on jump blues rockabilly with brassy Dixieland flavour, so it’s a safe bet any recipes they give out will call for a lot of cayenne pepper. Then again, the group continues the tradition of irreverent revivalism Winnipeg bands like the D. Rangers, the Rowdymen and the Royal Winnipeg Porn Orchestra (sample song title: “Smokin’ Cigarettes and Watchin’ Hockey Night in Canada”), and pepper their live shows with songs from Tom Waits’ catalogue and the Super Mario Bros. video game, so who knows, maybe they like their catfish with wasabi?

Catfish, there’s lots of ways to catch them, and lots of ways to cook them. Yum. /Emmet Matheson - Prairie Dog Magazine

The Winnipeg-based roots band's name doesn't conjure up the most romantic imagery on first read - unless your idea of romance involves filthy degradation.

One glance at the well-dressed, well-groomed and well-spoken young gentlemen - who tender a simple explanation of their name's origin - those suspect thoughts quickly return to a PG-13 rating.

An f-hole, instrument-unsavvy friends, is an f-shaped sound hole in a violin, arched guitar, or upright bass.

"People realize that it's not offensive, but clever," says vocalist, banjo, and electric bass player Eric Lemoine, chuckling good-naturedly.

I wonder, do they ever get tired of explaining it, or wish that reporters would get over the clever play on words already and give some credit for their music?

The answer is likely yes, because their swingin', toe-tappin' brand of modern-day swing/country/bluegrass/blues hybrid is damn catchy.

The guys have a look and sound that isn't often born on the Prairies.

Lemoine says their influences have matured over the years, from pre-teen angst-ridden Nirvana-inspired bands to soulful forefathers like Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters and John Prine.

With one album behind them (a self-titled, 11-track LP), they're on a respectable-sized tour.

They hit the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival last month, where they shared a stage with the legendary bearded minstrel of our youth, Fred Penner.

"It was pretty surreal," Lemoine said. - Here NB

The Winnipeg-based roots band's name doesn't conjure up the most romantic imagery on first read - unless your idea of romance involves filthy degradation.

One glance at the well-dressed, well-groomed and well-spoken young gentlemen - who tender a simple explanation of their name's origin - those suspect thoughts quickly return to a PG-13 rating.

An f-hole, instrument-unsavvy friends, is an f-shaped sound hole in a violin, arched guitar, or upright bass.

"People realize that it's not offensive, but clever," says vocalist, banjo, and electric bass player Eric Lemoine, chuckling good-naturedly.

I wonder, do they ever get tired of explaining it, or wish that reporters would get over the clever play on words already and give some credit for their music?

The answer is likely yes, because their swingin', toe-tappin' brand of modern-day swing/country/bluegrass/blues hybrid is damn catchy.

The guys have a look and sound that isn't often born on the Prairies.

Lemoine says their influences have matured over the years, from pre-teen angst-ridden Nirvana-inspired bands to soulful forefathers like Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters and John Prine.

With one album behind them (a self-titled, 11-track LP), they're on a respectable-sized tour.

They hit the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival last month, where they shared a stage with the legendary bearded minstrel of our youth, Fred Penner.

"It was pretty surreal," Lemoine said. - Here NB

If you’re determined to avoid being confined by any one genre, invent your own. “And now for something completely different” might be the appropriate rally cry for this Winnipeg conglomerate that is rewriting the definition of roots music.
Over-the-top vocals meet pedal steel, blistering horns, banjo and fiddle to create this campy, slightly twisted take on country, blues, Dixieland, klezmer and anything that piques their interest, apparently. With music that would be at home on an off-Broadway stage, this 11-track opus swirls around the hell-fired vocals of Patrick Alexandre Leclerc (bass, fiddle) as Eric Lemoine provides pedal steel, banjo, guitar and vocal support. Evan Friesen plays drums. Blake Thomson adds electric/acoustic guitar, sax and vocals and James Mckee throws in flugelhorn, trumpet, trombone and vocals.
They steer towards legitimate country on tracks like Can’t Share My Life, Bury My Brother and the quite lovely Holding Out (thanks to Lemoine’s pedal steel) until you’re crushed by the chaotic Dixie Tune, which could re-invigorate a Benny Hill revival, or the humourous Coco. Or the rock bent on Blue Summer, revealing yet another aspect of this creative hybrid.
You have to hand it to a group of talented musicians who throw caution to the wind in their bid to make a distinctive mark. Anyone who can start an album with the all-in, high-energy Don’t Feel So Bad and end it with the sensitive, slightly sarcastic Goodbye has made more than a mark with this auspicious debut.
– By Eric Thom - Eric Thom

OVER the past couple of years the F-Holes have built up a well-deserved reputation as a live act to be reckoned with.
While it's nearly impossible to capture the spectacle of the band's live show on disc, their self-titled debut is a perfect primer of what to expect from the sharp-dressed quintet and proves they aren't just a party band: these guys can write. You get some psychobilly on Don't Feel So Bad, some roots (Can't Share My Life, Holding Out, Bury My Brother) and some Dixieland jazz (Dixie Time, Dixie Band), along with elements of swing, bluegrass and the blues throughout the 11 tracks.
And it sounds authentic with stand-up bass, banjo, pedal steel and horns bringing the old-time vibe alive.
Pick up the album and check the band out the next time you see their name in the listings. F-yeah. 4 stars.
-- RW - The Free Press

Local quintet the F-Holes offers up a wild mix of Dixieland jazz, roots, rock, bluegrass and swing at Le Garage Café in St. Boniface for an enthusiastic crowd during the penultimate night of Festival du Voyageur. The diverse group has been a regular on the local scene since 2004 and has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the city's best live acts.
-On 7, The Winnipeg Free Press - Winnipeg Free Press

Get your mind out the gutter...
Multi-instrumentalist Patrick Alexandre teaches us what an f-hole is
Jared Story
Musicians know that an f-hole is the f-shaped cut-out found on the body of violins and arched-top guitars. Non-musicians, like me, well...

"I don't know what you're thinking. Oh God, your dirty mind," Patrick Alexandre says sarcastically, knowing full-well that Patrick Alexandre & the F-Holes is one doozy of a dirty double entendre.

"It's ironic because the music is pretty open to most people. We've played children's festivals and we've played New Year's Eve at the Toad. We can pull it off."

They definitely can. Patrick Alexandre & the F-Holes play an extremely eclectic mix, a crowd-pleasing combination of bluegrass, country, jazz and blues, with plenty of good ol' rock 'n' roll to boot. The band, which also features Eric Lemoine, Evan Friesen, Blake Thomson and James McKee, has been together for over three years now and is definitely one of the more multi-instrumental bands in Winnipeg.

"In the first two sets, I play upright bass and sing, and Eric, who is the right-hand man in the band, plays banjo, pedal steel, resonator guitar and lap steel," Alexandre says. "Blake plays electric guitar for the most part and a little bit of saxophone, James is the trumpet player, and Evan plays drums. Come the third set, I switch over to mandolin and harmonica, and Eric switches over to electric bass, so we do funkier and rocking stuff then, just to get the party going a little bit harder."

Alexandre doesn't just switch instruments during the show for the hell of it. It's pretty damn difficult getting the funk out of a stand-up bass while also concentrating on singing. It can be very painful, too.

"On Canada Day (in Osborne Village) we were doing six sets and on the fifth set my fingers couldn't hack it," Alexandre says. "I was starting to bleed on my right hand, so I had to switch prematurely to the mandolin."

If you want to see Alexandre bleeding for bluegrass, he and the F-Holes will be on the Fringe Festival's free stage in Old Market Square on July 27 at 6:30 p.m. The band also has gigs coming up at the King's Head on Aug. 8 and at the Shine Thru Rain Festival, which takes place Aug. 22 to 24 at the Pine Tree Campground in Prawda, Man.

You can listen to the band at www.myspace.com/patrickalexandre.
- Uptown Magazine Winnipeg

There aren’t a lot of bands who can hop from playing a gig in the dingy nonchalance of the Times Change(d) to a children’s festival, or from a wedding reception to a university restaurant. But local band the F-Holes, who have a versatile sound that could be called jazz or blues as much as it could be country or swing, are doing just that.
“I think it’s something that appeals to a lot of different people. We’ve played some shows for the Children’s [Fringe Festival], and some shows where it’s just like an older crowd,” said Eric Lemoine, who plays banjo among other instruments in the band. “It seems everybody kind of enjoys parts of it.”

Along with Lemoine, the F-Holes consist of Patrick Alexandre (vocals, upright bass), Blake Thompson (guitar), Evan Friesen (drums), and the newest edition, James McKee on trumpet.

Their dynamic live set, that sounds like it could belong in a speakeasy circa 1930, has surprised some of their out of town audiences, expecting a sound that’s a bit more subtle.

“The out of town stuff’s always pretty interesting,” said Lemoine. “Small town bars are usually looking for AC/DC or something like that, and then we start playing this other stuff that they might not have heard, it usually goes over fairly well but it’s not necessarily what they’re used to listening to. It’s always pretty interesting; you meet some local flavour.”

While the band’s set may sound deliberately vintage and rambunctious, Lemoine says it was less of a conscious effort than it was the result of a combination of years of playing together with each member having their own distinct style.

“I think it just kinda came about. We didn’t always have this lineup. James is the newest one to the band. When James joined, Patrick started picking up the upright bass and I started introducing other instruments and banjo. I think everybody kind of has there own different styles, Blake our guitar player used to play in a surf band, and Evan our drummer has a bit more a jazz-style.”

The band’s lineup has built over a long period of time, with Lemoine, Friesen and Alexandre having played together since they were teenagers.

“With Blake, it’s kind of a funny story. I think we were about 17 and we went to the old Blue Note Café that was on Portage. There were lots of young bands that liked to play there and Blake’s surf band was playing. We actually approached Blake’s brother to try to get him to join us as our bass player,” said Lemoine. “So he came and played with us a couple times. And that’s how we met Blake our guitar player, and he just kind of joined the band after that.”

McKee joined the band after meeting Lemoine through a mutual friend. “The guys started inviting me more after work to jam sessions, we used to do it every Tuesday and Thursday night for like a year,” said McKee. “And I would go with my silencer at the end of my trumpet so I wouldn’t blow the roof off the house and we could jam all night long. That’s how I got introduced to everybody.” Having such a diverse sound lends flexibility to the band’s options for venues.

“Especially with the different styles that we do obviously, if there’s a certain place that’s bit more suited to country, we’ll load the sets with more of the country stuff,” said Lemoine. “We have that luxury where we can kind of tailor it more to the audience, if we know what they’re looking for.”

“We can even do jazz at a wedding reception,” added McKee.
The F-Holes recorded their self-titled debut album this past March, and it was critically well-received. With the recent purchase of a touring van, the band plans on taking on the festival circuit this summer.

“There are 30 to 40 music festivals that we’re applying to, we’ll see what we get out of that, and supplement that with bars and whatever else we can get,” said McKee.
“Its kind of tough because we’re looking to get into the Calgary Folk Fest, they receive about 20,000 submissions and they have 200 slots for independent artists. All the other ones are booked through either labels or agencies,” said Lemoine. “We’re gonna start with smaller festivals first and it gets easier once you build up a bit of a name for yourself.” - Sara Petz

The F-Holes, named after those little f-shaped sound holes on many acoustic instruments (what did you think?), blend swing, blues, country, bluegrass and jazz, creating a fiery concoction that will surely knock you on your feet. A dance album much of the time, on songs such as Don't Feel So Bad and Dixie Band, Patrick Alexandre and Co. bring the boogie for some serious jitterbugging, St. Louis shagging and lindy hopping. And if you need to sit down, the sombre country of Bury My Brother and the slow-blues ditty Blue Summer provide. So good and with so much variety, only a complete f-hole wouldn't dig this album.
— Jared Story - Jared Story

Sun Rating: 4 out of 5

Remember the retro-swing revival of the '90s? The F-Holes would have totally cleaned up back then. They've got the 23-skidoo threads, the old-school vibe, the doghouse bass and banjo and trumpet. More to the point, they've got an impeccably authentic, raucously entertaining blend of gypsy jazz, zippy dixieland, viper blues and roots. Trendy or not, it's pretty f-ing wonderful. -Darryl Sterdan - Darryl Sterdan

Get your minds out the gutter -- the F in F-Holes doesn't stand for that. Rather, it refers to the holes in acoustic guitars and standup basses -- which, as you will notice in the photo above, they employ rather handily to create the rootsy jazz and blues found on their self-titled debut album. For a closer look at their F-Holes, catch the band at one of the several gigs they've got lined up this month -- or simply read on. And if you want some free publicity for your next gig or CD, just drop us a line.

---

- Who's in the band, how old are they, what do they play, and what do they do for real money?

Eric Lemoine: Pedal steel, banjo, bass, resonator guitar, back up vocals.

Patrick Alexandre: Upright bass, harmonica, vocals.

Blake Thomson: Guitar, saxophone, backup vocals.

Evan Friesen: Drums

James McKee: Trumpet, euphonium, backup vocals.

- Describe your music and/or sound in 20 words or less.

Hard-hitting Dixieland, blues and bluegrass-influenced Manitoban roots music.

- Tell us about your latest CD or upcoming gig in 20 words or less.

We're playing the Ellice Street Festival (June 6), The Toad in the Hole (Canada Day Osborne Street Fest), as well as the Manitoba Stampede in Morris (July 18-19).

- What's your most original quality?

Our unique instrumentation and varied musical stylings.

- What's your motto?

"You're an F-Hole!"

- Name your favourite local musical acts (not including yourself, you egotist).

Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers.

- Now, name your favourite musical act of all time.

Tough one, I'm gonna go with The Band.

- Tell us about your best gig to date.

The Pyramid with Elliott Brood.

- Now tell us about your worst gig.

CP Rail Christmas party.

- OK, now describe your ultimate fantasy gig. Don't hold anything back.

When it's winter in Canada, the ultimate gig would be anywhere warmer.

- What's the best part of performing and/or touring?

The best part is engaging and interacting with the audience. There is no better feeling than having people screaming for encores at the end of the night. I guess getting paid to do something you love doesn't fall too far behind.

- What's the worst part of performing and/or touring?

Hauling Gear!!!!!!

- What piece of merch would you love to sell -- condoms, coffins, dog biscuits, jewel-encrusted scimitars?

F-Holes belt buckles.

- How would you like to travel from gig to gig? Limo, rickshaw, dirigible? Dream big.

Piggyback.

- What's the dumbest thing you've ever done? Come on, we won't tell anybody.

Chose music as a profession, after all these years of work, we should all have PhDs.

- Complete this sentence: I'll know I'm a success when ...

We're entertaining people at festivals across the world.

- What would it take to make you give up music? Not that we're suggesting anything.

I guess being in a horrible car accident where I lose both my arms. - Darryl Sterdan