first person shooter

First Person Shooter hits the mark
Local assassins take aim at “New Rock”

By Thane Simpson
http://thedialog.ca/view.php?aid=38280

These days in a metropolis like Toronto it’s hard to find anything original. Everything is imitated, duplicated and stuck on a plastic lunchbox so many times that it’s hard to remember why you liked it in the first place. The same goes with music.

Given the thousands of bands that play every night of the week throughout the city, it’s hard to find a band that doesn’t sound like a band you watched a week earlier; or a band that plays in more than one key so you’re not sitting around halfway through the set asking, “Didn’t they play this already?”

Then, every once in a while a band emerges from the rubble that’s left of rock music and sets out on an painstaking mission to save the world, and our ears. They call themselves First Person Shooter.

After being impressed with their presence on stage at a few of their shows, I was compelled to get my hands on their album. As soon as I saw it, I was amazed as to how clever it was.

The layout was just like a video game for a ps2 or something. From the case to the jacket, to the name of the band to the actual cd itself, it all coincided with their video game theme.

After I listened to it, I felt it was time to sit down with First Person Shooter’s founding members, Ryan Couture and Nikkole Stone and discuss what they hope to bring to rock music.

“Death,” Ryan says with a laugh. “It’s time for a change. Like it’s just a bunch of mopey guys with bangs.” fps seems hell-bent on snuffing out Emo. “Not that there’s anything wrong with being emotional, but this whole ‘pity me’ attitude is just a bunch of narcissistic bullshit!”

“Rock music is in a bad lull,” Nikkole added. “There isn’t rock music out there that’s grabbing people by the balls and making them listen anymore.”

Their album, 1st to 20, can only be described in one word: brilliant! From the song selection to the layout, this album smacks with originality, setting up a perfectly executed flank of catchy, foot-tapping riffs and well-written lyrics. Ryan breathes life back into the long-lost guitar solo with solid licks that are refreshing to listen to and even more fun to watch! FPS has put together a package that is both lethal and meaningful.

“We really wanted our songs to be about something,” Nikkole said. “I think that there are so many bands out there that are awesome but really at the end of the day, they’re not saying anything. Be aware of the world around you. I mean just look at it… there’s some crazy shit out there!”

This past year, fps has been busy. After all the promoting, poster making, web updates, 35 shows around Toronto, including The Horseshoe and Lee’s Palace, out of thousands of bands, fps received a huge nod of recognition from the Toronto Independent Music Awards this year for “Best Rock Band.” The fruits of their labour are starting to pay off.

“That was a pretty awesome surprise given that we’ve only been a band for a year and a half,” Nikkole said. “This time last year we hadn’t even played a gig yet.”

With their fan base and their popularity growing, it’s only a matter of time before fps becomes a well-recognized phenomenon around Toronto. If rock music is, in fact, on life support, then First Person Shooter might very well be the breath of fresh air it needs.

To find out more about First Person Shooter and up coming shows, you can visit their website at www.firstpersonshooter.ca, or their electronic press kit at www.sonicbids.com/firstpersonshooter.


Dates

Sunday, Dec. 3: O’Grady’s


fps will be appearing as part of the 12-hour charity rock-a-thon being put on by the new grunge (www.thenewgrunge.com) in support of the chum City Christmas Wish.


- The Dialog: George Brown College Student Magazine

Lead by Nikkole Stone, the final band of the night, First Person Shooter, took to the stage with their guns blazing. Firing songs of personal identity and socialism one after another in rapid succession, FPS were a force to be reckoned with. Immediately I was drawn to their passion and fast pace. FPS set a high standard and maintained it throughout the set.

There’s a reason “Goodbye City” has been listened to over 3000 times on MySpace (www.myspace.com/1stpersonshooter). It’s a catchy song that inspires ass moving, as evidenced by the number of revellers in the crowd who surged toward the stage to soak in the shining rock star rays.
- www.torontoindie.com

First Person Shooter
1st to 20 (Independent, www.firstpersonshooter.ca)
Right off the bat, I’m going to give a truckload of respect to First Person Shooter for daring to write a song with the word “Toronto” in the chorus, which would be the first track from their EP, “Green Grass of Toronto.” Every other city on the planet gets romanticized into oblivion, but our little Utopia only gets sly references at best. “Green Grass of Toronto” is a straight up anthem for dreaming about the big city and escaping your fucked up little town behind. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like the only people who love this town are the ones who weren’t born here. The freedom that a first-time big city dweller feels is the spirit of this song that really encompasses the whole band at this point, which is also a part of Toronto’s burgeoning “New Grunge” movement. The band’s alt-pop could use a few more interesting or memorable riffs to compliment their unabashed enthusiasm, but I suppose in rock and roll, as long as you can bring a few watts of excitement to the stage it really doesn’t matter. Like looking at many of the city’s west end haunts for the first time, that level of distance a long-time resident generally feels about the trendy areas doesn’t really exist within the realm of First Person Shooter’s uncomplicated outlook. Like any newcomer to the city, First Person Shooter would do well to shun trends while developing their own personality, while never forgetting that you have to go deep in order to be important. Not surprisingly enough, this disc should appeal to the Bovine Sex Club/Queen West crowd, who have just the right loud guitar pop-rock itch that can only be scratched by a finely tuned band like First Person Shooter. Oh, and my one last bit of advice: this band should drop the whole video game shtick – they clearly have enough talent that they don’t need to overcompensate like other gimmicky bands. - Tyrone Warner
File next to: College radio podcasts - www.wavelengthtoronto.com

bands: first person shooter

Purveyors of: AK47s and 909s and Nintendo DSs

First Person Shooter are sort of intimidating. Their fast-moving, punk-tinged pop snarls and growls, and their image matches the sound. The band is split into two teams: Red Team (Christina on synths and Nikkole on guitar and mike) and Blue Team (Ryan on guitar and Mike and Darren on bass). Their performances are missions, their songs are levels, and their instruments are weapons. Allana Mayer lacked the elite combat training necessary to sit down with the band, but creatively rearranged their emailed answers to make it look like she did.

In five sentences or less can we get a history of the band?

player two: First Person Shooter formed in may 2005 after player three (Ryan) answered the ad I placed on Myspace which read: “Me and red guitar need a band.” For the first 40 missions or so the band was a straight-shooting garage rock post-punk band with two guitars and two singers (Ryan and I), [plus a] bass player and a drummer (okay, actually it was more like about 10 bass players and 3 drummers). It was mostly good times, though we never really got along all that well. The whole thing seemed kind of analog for a band called First Person Shooter, and Ryan had just bought this big fancy drum machine, so back in December of 2006 we broke up the band and started over again with a new bass player (Darren) and a synth player/drum machine operator (Christina). Since then it’s been wicked – some great missions, a new website, tons of new levels, a new EP, and even a Wavelength gig!

player four: My last band, Edith Keeler Must Die, broke up last year. My old drummer heard that FPS was looking for a new bassist and recommended me. I dug the people and the tunes so I enlisted.

What's all this 2.0 stuff? Who's original and who are the new players?

P2: FPS 2.0 is just the way we refer to the current electronic phase of the band, post real drummer.
Ryan (player three) and I are the original founding members of the band. When we decided to move to electronic drums we recruited a couple of new players – Darren (player four) came to us on high recommendation from his previous band EKMD and Christina (player one) was the first and only person we considered for the 909 operator.

What's the story behind "discovering the 909"? Were you having a problem with drummers who weren't robotic enough for you?

player three: Yes, actually.

P2: Ryan and I were in an alley downtown last summer, smoking, waiting to go onstage. I can’t even remember which mission it would have been. But he was super stoked about the Roland MC909 that he’d just found at Long & McQuade and what it could do for our band – basically allow us to move to an entirely electronic, pre-programmed drum format. We were keen on the idea mainly because when we write songs we do it on the computer, and our demos always lost something in the translation to a live drummer and his kit.

player one: It's about the sound; real drums can't give us the feel that we're looking for. Real drums are awesome, but they just don't deliver the goods we want. Too bad drummers don't come in robot form – we'd be all over that.

P4: I had been working in my own home studio on electronic rock type music for years so joining FPS and learning to play live with the 909 as drummer was a rather smooth transition for me. I prefer the speed and limitless sound options available with electronic drums to a real drummer that talks back.

What's standard procedure for your "missions"?

P3: We mostly play songs. Mostly.

P2: Spend the day wishing one of us had a car, then tear across town after work to the jam space for the feats of strength. Lots of “hurry up and wait.” Load in, sound check, and then as much smoking and drinking as time/money will allow before we go on.

What should the audience expect from your Wavelength performance? I'm hoping it's bloodshed.

P4: Drunkenness and bloodshed.

P2: Maximum body count! And several new levels!

P3: I get abrasions on my strumming arm; sometimes it kinda bleeds.

P1: They can expect loud guitars, funky bass lines, really fast drums, and piercing synths.

Will you give the audience guns? Will you have guns? Can I have a gun?

P1: The audience never gets guns.

P3: Sorry, I don't have that many guns.

P2: I’m leery of arming an audience comprised mainly of Stillepost-ers and other assorted hipster types. I just think it would be an unwise move on our part.

P4: No, no, no.

And, finally: favourite first-person-shooter of all time, and whatever game it is that's sapping away all your waking hours currently.

P1: Duck Hunt, because I don't suck at it. As for what I'm currently into, I seem to like Brain Age 2. It's addictive.

P2: My favourite first person shooter game of all time would probably be Doom – classic and awesome. Currently I’m all about my Nintendo DS. Legend of Zelda is super cool, but Brain Age has an addiction factor of +10. Just ask player one.

P3: Postal 2. There's just something about pissing on a dude begging for his life. Currently I'm playing Oblivion: it's really really really addictive, but I don't have a lot of free time so I'm not gonna get sucked in. I'm not gonna get sucked in. I live in the real world and I don't own a sword and I'm not gonna get sucked in.

P4: My fave is Goldeneye. Right now the only game I'm playing is the "How am I gonna pay rent next month" game.

By Allana Mayer

- http://www.wavelengthtoronto.com/?q=node/2476

Interview: First Person Shooter December 2007
By: Lidia Vila

First Person Shooter, a quartet with shows as missions and attitude as arsenal.

You weren’t always the band you are today, in 2006 you reformed and introduced two new Players. What has the experience taught you?

Player one
All I can say is, out with the old and in with the new. The digital sound would not have been possible had all 4 members remained the same, because from what I understand, the ex-members weren’t too keen on going into the direction the band has now taken. Plus personality clashes don’t make for a very good time, which is what music in its entirety should be. I think Players 2 and 3 are extremely happy with the decision they made back in ‘06, and darren and I thank them for it.

Player two
To always go with your gut. Replacing half the band wasn’t the easiest choice, but the sound wasn’t right and we didn’t get along well in the old set up. The right people and the new gear (drum machines, keyboards, and more recently a laptop) finally made FPS sound like we had always envisioned.

Player three
Meet with people before you jam with them. Wastes less valuable jam space time.

How important is it that you maintain a balance of the sexes in the band? Has that been an issue before?

Player one
Nikkole and I have very strong personalities, so I really don’t think we can have another female in the band, 2 is enough and I’m sure the guys will agree. Seriously though, at the end of the day it’s all about how well everyone gets along, how great the ideas are and how talented you are.

Player two
It’s never been an issue. I won’t lie - it’s nice to have another girl in the band now, but it was more about finding the right people.

Player three
It’s not important, just kind of happened that way. We got an additional dude named andy now so it’s not really balanced anymore
anyway.

Player four
It’s not important, it just worked out that way.

What’s up with the whole theme, why do it in the first place? Do you think this might discourage labels because of the singularity of the idea?

Player one
We don’t want to be another band that gets lost in the mix. There is a lot of competition and the one thing we’re doing right is setting
ourselves apart from everyone else. People like it, we get props for it all the time.

We don’t care what labels think, we know our music is not major label material and that’s fine. They love to play it safe no matter how much they say they’re looking for a new sound. We appeal to other types of markets and that’s who we’re aiming for, not sony/BMG.

Player two
Why not do it? why not have a plot? I like being in a band that’s more than melodic indie pop love songs and ironic t-shirts.

The concept of “the band” has been done to death. There are thousands, of bands, in this city alone. If you want those label people to come knocking (IF!!) you have to be something different than everyone else.

Player three
We went with it cause we were raised by video games and other commercial media. We’re the kids concerned parents groups were worried would result from our shallow, ridiculously paced culture. That’s fine with us. The theme is kind of satire, y’know? While it’s admittedly a little visually esoteric, it doesn’t run into the songs at all. We don’t sing about Mario party or anything.

Player four
The theme helps to keep us recognizable. When you see a poster or cd case or even a band member in their stage gear you know at a glance that it’s First Person Shooter. Also, we all just really like video games. There are so many different genres and styles of video games that the possibilities for tie-ins are virtually endless. I actually spoke to several industry types at NXNE and indie week this year and they had only positive things to say about the theme. I think that labels will appreciate the fact that, on top of having great songs, we also have a fun and relevant way of presenting ourselves to potential listeners.

What’s your favourite video game?

Player one
I can’t say I have a favorite one at this moment.

Player two
Of all time? this is a lame girl answer but I stand by this game - Kingdom Hearts. the original only tho - the sequel blew.

Player three
I can’t pick a favorite. I’m really into sneaking/stealing type games right now though. Winter always makes me want to get my skulk on.

Player four
F-Zero

What’s next?

Player one
A new Player, new weapons, and new songs. 2008 is going to be very promising.

Player two
A new Player - we just found a new guitarist this week. This will allow three to play the drums (using a laptop and the 909) - a change we’re all excited about since he’s the one who does all our programming. This is to pave the way for this winter’s big project - our first full length record. live missions resume in late February or early march with all new levels.

Player three
What’s next is settling into my new position as machines operator (still singing though) and getting our new lead guitar up to speed. Then we’re gonna come back in February, start working on a proper 12-14 song album.

Player four
New songs, new Player, new album, new hairdos.

- http://www.torontoindie.com/?p=204

Music: First Person Shooter: Codec

Our Take

It seems appropriate to be reviewing a band called First Person Shooter on a site covering both games and music. Formed in 2005, this Canadian electro punk band have dubbed their debut EP Codec. Released in a DVD style case that is meant to mimic how a console game would look, this group has certainly nailed their presentation but does this translate to the actual music itself?

The answer thankfully is yes. While it’s clear that First Person Shooter makes use of a lot of stylistic elements both in presentation and in their music, their songs do have some substance to them. While their sound is primarily electro punk, the music on this six song EP do like to lean towards garage rock and industrial as well. Tracks such as “Litmus” feature prominent guitar work over the electronics, creating an interesting garage rock meets techno style. It stands out, and I hope that the band continues to mesh these styles together instead of leaning in one direction in the future.



First Person Shooter is fronted by Nikkole Stone, whose singing definitely feels like it has been punk/garage band influenced. At times her voice and delivery style reminds me slightly of Jamina Abegg from Be Your Own Pet, though Stone’s vocals are a bit lower in pitch. Though the band’s Myspace mentions that two other members provide backing vocals, these aren’t present on Codec and my guess is that their voices will be heard on First Person Shooter’s full length later in the year. But even if this doesn’t happen, Nikkole Stone is a worthy vocalist for the group. My only recommendation would be to up the energy level next time around, as on some tracks Stone’s words are filled with attitude and intensity while on others she seems to be holding back.



Sometimes when bands go to great lengths to establish a certain image or theme it feels as though their music lacks actual substance. But thankfully First Person Shooter hasn’t fallen into this trap, and has instead managed to mesh together two styles in a way that feels fresh. I would like to see a little more intensity in the vocals next time and see further fusion of the garage rock/punk with the electro influences, but aside from that First Person Shooter is off to a great start and definitely have the potential to attract listeners from far and wide.

http://www.firstpersonshooter.ca/

Chris Dahlberg
July 14, 2008

ORIGINAL LINK:http://www.cosmosgaming.com/articles.php?id=1395&articletype=review - www.cosmosgaming.com