Girl + The Machine

Girl + The Machine e uma banda Canadese com estilo muito proprio. A voz doce da vocalista contrasta com a marcante batida electronica dos meninos da banda. Especializada em performances com producoes arte-visuais, faz um trabalho de conscientizacao global, que promove paz e serenidade e derncia racismo, violencia, opressao e degradcoa do meio ambiente. Confira no NoCapricho esta banda que veio especialmente de Toronto para tocar para voce.

A new sound contrasting their female singers 'candy voice against her edgy electronic-rock band of boys. With their globally recogniazable visual art show performance and (topical) lyrics...we were touched to receive them all the way from Toronto, Canada - Capricho Magazine

Girl and the Machine, the brialliant pop artfit, play the El Mocambo on Friday night. Anyone who enjoys Bjork when she's fun, or Gwen when she's not a sell-out, should come to this show. Doors open at 9 PM. Cost is a paltry $5. Roll bloody pennies if you have to.

From Another Article

And, by lottery-calibre coincidence, mysterio-cloaked poetess and her mechanical sound-churners, Girl and the Machine, also play the El Mo Tuesday night. And I know you don't have plans (and I'm getting sick of pointing it out.)

From Another Article

It's easy to be Jagger when there's 20,000 people in an arena, watching and gushing and fawning. Not so much when you're playing a field of leathered, aged, hippie fossils who only want whatever modernized version of Country Joe and the Fish that the LSD has allowed to remain in their heads. At any rate, when the majority of the audience is sitting at picknic tables not even facing the stage, and the PA system is 30% blown, it's tough to fake a vibe other than apathy. This was the situation faced by Toronto locals, Girl + the Machine last Friday June 17th at the Bradstock Festival in Bradford, Ontario.

But, in a show of unexpected professionalism, the band managed to swagger through a tight set that seemed to transform song by song from a dirge-ish, atmospheric music exercise, to slightly punky, dirty pop that was just a lot of fun. Kind of like the Cure's career in reverse.

Front woman, the mysterious Girl, used her Malaysian cuteness to disarm all the male cynics present. It seems to be accidental, kind of like the stripper that manages to make you think that she really likes you. Either way, when the first song isn't about "yellow sun" and she doesn't move like a Hello Kitty, you find yourself immediately rooting for her.

The first half of the set consisted of longer songs, averaging over four minutes. Girl swayed through some very respectable Art School-style thinker/feelers. It seemed like the type of thing to be played at dinner parties if your friends are really smart. Or if you're a girl that just got dumped by your first girlfriend that you met in sculpting class and still have the bust you made of her (and you were even considering telling your parents about.) The three-piece behind her seemed very comfortable with this style of drone. And, although this type of music generally dares you not to be bored live; the singer's a girl. And you are starting to want to do her…

A couple of little squeaks from our front lady and the band threw itself into a series of I-don't-care-about-anything-but-my-hair pop numbers. Of course, the lyrics could have been about Middle Eastern women being executed for alleged adultery, but it sounded fun. Girl started an adorable bunny hop that Gwen-ed us all. The band kept the energy level up, as the numbers dropped to around three minutes apiece. Even some of the Elders looked up from their Chomsky-talk to take a listen and a look (a couple even danced.)

Goeffoh's alternately heavy, Creep-esque guitar bursts and clean strum/scratch, matched the stable bass of Fred. Both supported the artistic figurine Girl with balance and poise. Predictably, they played before a backdrop of insect file footage and such.

Whether they were trying to win over the room, or they just didn't fucking care, they played and looked good. Not only well worth the zero dollars I spent on the show but, worth the twenty I spent on petrol to get there.

Sources tell me their Saturday set was brilliant. A full audience and a technically perfect experience. The fact that I reviewed a basic soundcheck and liked it says even more about their performing abilities.

- Blogto.com - Stephen Garbas

Compiled of diverse personalities, Girl +the Machine bring something distinctive to the stage. This four-member band plays tunes that entertain the senses, and can only be described by the term “Fusion Music”. The dominant sound, ‘Alt. Rock’ is merged together with the members love for Drum N’ Bass (Boh!), Reggae, and bands like Sonic Youth, and Portishead. This contrasting mix produces an atmospheric, progressive and very diverse end result.
Girl + the Machine is featured on the CBC’s website ‘New Music Canada’. On the page is a listing of 10 tracks to listen to, some released and some unreleased. Each song is not only different sounding, but some songs are in totally separate genres from one another. It seems that the band, is in the process of developing a sound that combines all of their individual approaches into one a core-sound, a musical style that merges all these genres into a one of a kind Girl + the Machine sound. “We all have such different musical tastes that it would be impossible to choose one dominant sound, we play whatever we feel” explained Geoff. Inventing and re-inventing was a key theme for the band when describing their composing techniques.
The lead singer, who has adopted the name “Girl”, is naturally creative. Whether it is in the recording studio, the art studio, or the kitchen, where she cooks up her strictly vegetarian dishes, Girl is one talented chic. Her voice is reminiscent of Gwen Stefani’s, with an unique twist and emotion, “I write music in English, Mandarin, Japanese and Cantonese, Next is Tibetan!” The other members, or should I say “machines” inspire Girl.
Geoff, the guitarist, is a unique character. His “top 5 desert island records” are: Nirvana “In Utero”, Sonic Youth “Washing Machine”, Pink Floyd “Dark Side of the Moon”, RUN DMC “Raising Hell”, and Radio Head “Ok Computer”, a fine selection I might add.
Fred, who plays bass and keyboard, is an down to earth individual who describes his favorite things as being peace, love, conversation, wilderness, wildness, adventure, achievement, enlightenment, tolerance and compassion.
Neil, a “Bramptonian” is the bands drummer. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to meet him but I am told that he is a funny character. His bio on the band page is quite amusing. For example he names his first concert as being “Zamfir, Master of the pan flute”.
So what can u expect from Girl + the Machine’s live shows? On top of their charismatic performance, they like to experiment with different ways of inspiring their audiences. Projected moving visuals, visual art (by Girl) and dancers decorate the stage, while sweet smells from the audience fill the concert hall to create an energizing environment to boogie down in. G+TM is playing at the ‘Ear to the Ground’ Fest taking place this September (16-18th) @ Exhibition Place, keep your ‘ear to the ground’ for details… They will also be playing at The Bradstock Festival June 18th.
Incorporated into their passion for music and entertaining, Girl +the Machine has a higher purpose; they are very active in the community. Each member has certain cause they are motivated to help/promote. These causes range anywhere from animal rights to environmental issues to social justice and promoting independent news. Musical Inspiration varies from band member to band member. Girl, a visual artist, finds that images and philosophy are her main inspirations. At the same time other members talked about sounds of the city/nature, and just life itself provoking musical creation. “I get inspired by life itself. I believe life is like a movie and everything has a soundtrack,” said the bands guitarist Geoff.
To purchase their album ‘Lala Songs’ or to hear a sample of their music and check out Girl’s visual art check www.girlandthemachine.com - Keep 6 Toronto Urban Lifestyle Magazine

The weekend of September 16th is the Ear To The Ground festival in Toronto. Check out their site for a list of bands and their set times. It's an amazing line-up, including a performance by locals Girl + The Machine.

A new discovery for me, Girl + The Machine conjure images of late-era Souxsie with a penchant for mod. They're an interesting mix of sequenced drums, accented vocals, and post-punk guitar with a slice of dub just to keep things level.

They're on at 11:15pm, Saturday September 17th, on the SubUrban (who thinks this shit up?) stage, between Solvent and controller.controller. - Are You Familiar

Sultry female vocals, sexy electronic beats, shimmering soundscapes, and experimental film projections combine to create the Zen-like experience that is a Girl and the Machine performance. The Deleon White Gallery's atmosphere will serve as a brilliant site for the environment created by this awesome group. To refer to them simply as a "band" would be doing them a serious disservice. - mcluhanfestival.com

Girl + the Machine opened up for Vulcan Dub Squad at Zaphod's last Friday. I thought they were more compelling than the headliners, mostly because I like a good vocalist and Jackie L. - the aformentioned Girl - has a nice, clear voice with a sultry edge. The rest of the band is good to. Bassist Fred got a lot of mileage out of his two multi-effect pedals. You might have thought he was playing a synthesizer if you were going by sound alone. There's a spacy, sci-fi edge to their sound - Broadcast, Laika or Portishead with more international favour. The band also has a budding sideline in art - Andrew Carver - The Ottawa Sun

...clearly transcends limits of previously constructed genres.' - Speak Music

Love McCartney and Led Zep? Auto makers are after your money

So, you are a well-educated professional, perhaps in your 40s, but more likely in your 50s, and you want some luxury in your transportation.

The world, as they say, is your oyster. Auto makers have discovered (rediscovered?) fiftysomething buyers, and there are a lot of them.

So auto makers are introducing a nice array of new models for aging baby boomers, all the while keeping in mind that old industry axiom: you can sell a young man's car to an old man, but you can't sell an old man's car to a young man.

Well, young is a relative term here. By young, we're referring to people who are at least two or three decades away from falling off the edge of the demographic table -- to borrow a line from General Motors vice-chairman Bob Lutz. Many of these buyers might be very interested in cars like the Toyota Avalon, the Buick Lucerne and the Cadillac DTS.

Naturally these big, soft-riding cars hold absolutely no appeal to the kind of people who listen to Stop Die Resuscitate on their iPods.

In fact, if you know their song Bad Night, if you're a fan of The High Dials and Girl + The Machine, you might as well stop reading right now. You're too young and probably too poor to be interested in any of these traditional upscale sedans.

But if you grew up listening to Led Zeppelin riffs, overlooked that achy back to attend sixtysomething Paul McCartney's recent concert in Toronto and plan on taking in the Eagles final (yeah, sure!) concert gig, then carry on.

Auto makers say they understand that many buyers in the 50-plus range are very careful with their money, though they have quite a bit of it and they're willing to spend some of it on a car with loads of creature comforts, a somewhat softer ride and styling that doesn't scream "retirement village."

They also know that despite a culture seemingly obsessed with youth or at least staying young, buyers 50 and older account for more than half of all passenger car sales in North America. Buyers more than 60 years old buy about one-quarter of all new cars in Canada and the United States combined. That's clout.

Toyota's "affordable" luxury car for these buyers is the Avalon. It has reclining rear seats and "puddle lamps" that activate as the driver approaches so you won't dip a Florsheim into a puddle.

Then there are the rear doors that open to almost right angles, compared with the 75-degrees of most vehicles. That makes it easier for middle-age folks to enter and exit the car.

People like demographer David Foot have also noted that this age of buyer is very social, so Toyota redesigned the exhaust system to get rid of almost the entire hump funning down the centre of the floor in some competitive vehicles. Being hump-less is better for carrying friends in back.

And don't forget that big boost in horsepower, to a whopping 280. With prices ranging from $39,900-$46,825, the Avalon is a subtle luxury car with a manageable price tag for the right type of buyer.

Among the Detroit-based auto makers, General Motors, like Toyota, has seen the possibilities in the fiftysomething set, and is leading the charge among North American-based companies. Most particularly through its Buick division.

Buick sedan owners average more than 60 years of age, but Buick wants to add more fiftysomethings into the mix. So this fall Buick is adding to its lineup a new model called the Lucerne, which replaces the LeSabre in Buick showrooms.

The Lucerne ($33,355-$42,685) features an available 245-watt, nine-speaker sound system that can hook up to an MP3 player. It also offers a V-8 engine with 275 horsepower -- the first Buick car to offer a V-8 in a decade.

To give that extra level of comfort for older consumers, the Lucerne has GM's "QuietTuning" to help block out wind and engine noise. For safety, six air bags are standard. And there is even a parking-assistance feature that warns drivers if they get too close to something.

On the "little luxury" side of the equation, the Lucerne's windshield wipers are dead quiet and are available with heated washer fluid.

Finally, for slightly richer buyers, Cadillac has the DTS, an upgraded version of the former DeVille. With a price range estimated to start in the low-$50,000s, stretching to the low-$60,000s, the DTS takes its name from the high-performance model in the old DeVille lineup.

The basic mechanical bits and pieces underneath are about the same, but the styling inside and out is more in line with the rest of Cadillac's jazzy-looking lineup.

Cadillac has redrawn the DTS to pull in some of those 50-something buyers, without alienating older buyers, not to mention the many limousine companies, which use these big sedans to pick people up from the airport. Power comes from two versions of the same 4.6-litre V-8 in the Lucerne. One version is rated at 275 hp, the other 291 hp.

Cadillac designers brought their now-common brand design - JEREMY CATO

All four members add up to sonic enlightenment through slamming jackhammer aural - Dayjob Magazine

Aaron from the musical group Grandaddy

we all wish we were canadian. and not secretly. i wish it out loud all the time.
luckies.
i like the Girl + The Machine recordings too. good and weird.
keep on trippin. Stay in Touch.
aaron

Kurt Swinghammer - Musician

What the heck is going on with Brampton - it's become a hot bed of creativity. Sorry I can't make your gigs down south - Happy Trails


Ravi Persaud - Musician, CBC television
Introduction @ The Expressionist magazine launch.

This band (Girl + The Machine) is my favorite band and I hope you like them!

- Introduction @ Blue Moon Toronto Dec 4th, 2004. - Various People