Josh Geddis

Discovering new bands has become pretty easy. These days, we've got music blogs, Soundcloud, Rdio, and Spotify. But among the more "traditional" methods of music discovery, there's one people have been trying less and less: going to live shows for bands you've never heard of.

So that's what we did. During North by Northeast, we picked shows by bands we'd never heard of, ideally at smaller venues, and with the earliest slots we could manage. These are some of the bands we found.

(Feature and Interview through link)

Josh Geddis' soulful Canadian folk has been one of Bayfield, Ontario's best-kept secrets for years. He's shared stages with the likes of Joel Plaskett and Jason Collett, and has just released his second full-length album. Check him out on Soundclou - The Globe and Mail

Bayfield-based singer/songwriter Josh Geddis claims he recorded Nights 'with the intention of putting the feel back into recorded music.' Well, mission accomplished. The follow-up to Yellow Tent (2008), Nights features eight original tunes recorded (mostly) live off the floor at Swamp Songs Recording Studio in Lucan, Ontario by Matt Weston. The intimate, up-front sound of the album is a perfect fit for Geddis' clever compositions that delve into folk, alt-country and rock. Geddis' Dylan-esque vocals, supported by some very strong backing harmonies, range from a whisper to a full-on roar. Mention must be made of the support provided by Robert Breen (bass), Kevin Kennedy (guitar/banjo), Jessica Langan (trumpet) and, in particular, Todd Phipps' soulful organ. A terrific piece of work from all involved. - John Sharpe
Performance: A
Production: A - Scene Magazine

Small town-hospitality at its finest! I'm being treated to a barbecue dinner at the home of Bayfield-based musician Josh Geddis, when I request the man to simplify his music to one, simplified genre signifier. "It's acoustic folk," he says, before adding, "but not too folky, and not limited to just an acoustic guitar and singing." You can hear a singer-songwriter intimacy in the insular moments of his quieter numbers, yet when backed by a full-band or even on his lonesome, Geddis has a defiantly roots-rock attitude, with foot-stomping and bleacher-reaching vocal performance intact. If he's one thing, he's hard to pin down.

Originally hailing from Strathroy, Ontario, Josh Geddis made his first marks in London, Ontario, touring the bar-band scene while in high school and playing bass in a few full-fledged ska groups in university. After 2005's demo EP "Fairytale Ashes of a Simpler Life," Geddis self-released his debut solo record "Yellow Tent" in 2008. That same year, he began teaching the music program at St. Anne's Catholic Secondary School in Clinton.

So far in Huron County, so good. "The small-town appreciation for music and art is a complete positive experience," Geddis says, "You never leave a gig thinking 'that person's a jerk!'" Since moving to Bayfield, Geddis has found himself on some enviable gigs, performing before Serena Ryder at the Goderich Out of the Storm benefit concert and opening for national touring acts like Broken Social Scene's Jason Collet and, most recently, folk-rock hero Joel Plaskett, a personal career milestone of Geddis'. "When you're in Bayfield and you see a band that has flown from Halifax to be there, that's pretty cool," he says.

Though Geddis has had success with performances in London and Toronto, the latter of which he's played two simultaneous showcases at the annual NXNE Festival, he finds an equal reward playing in his home county. "Small-town gigging and promoting culture and music in rural Ontario is just as gratifying if not more gratifying then going to a big city," he says, "I think the music community is moving toward the fact that the city is not the be-all and end-all."

As for a follow-up to "Yellow Tent," Geddis has been struggling to find his muse, which isn't all bad. "t's easy to write songs about the hard times," he explains, "but when you're married, you're living in a house a block from the beach in Bayfield, you have a good job working with really good kids, you've got to learn how to write about stuff other than the hard times. And that's been a bit of a hard time!" Suffice to say, the summer bodes well for new material; as a teacher, his summer's off provide the greatest opportunity to focus on developing new material. He expects a new release by next summer, featuring contributions from the variety of musicians he's played with live and on record over the past few years.

Post-barbecue bliss, I press Josh Geddis to dispense any parting pieces of wisdom. "Don't discount where you're from," he says, "promote your music here because those will be the fans that stick with you and support you locally. Then you can build from that." - SUN Media

Searching for Carmen Electra (?) & listening to Josh Geddis & Osterborg
Posted: 2008-07-25 09:28:26 Last updated: 2008-07-25 10:02:28
Among the sillier pursuits I stumble into trying to cover A&E in London is the celeb hunt. In this sub-gentre, seeing Jessica Simpson and John Mayer walking 2gether in the John Labatt Centre parking lot is the pinnacle (for me) & looking around Harris Park for Carmen Electra last night is the Entourage pits.
The divine Ms E is supposed to be a friend or whatever of the great Joan Jett, a rocker I really like . . . & in the process of Google-searching their 2gethership I found a bunch of 2007 speculative posts.

Well, if you saw her here - I didn't. It was pretty silly . . . & amusing to see the range of emotions the ex-Baywatch, ex- of guitarist Dave N and NBA man Rodman (along with Ms Jett an unlikely series of liaisions to put it mildly) called up . . . ranging from outright lechery to mockery sightings . . . "didn't see her, but I did see Peewee Herman, he was just over there" . . . to contempt as an example of what's wrong & pathetic with the whole celeb glutiverse.

I did see Placido Domingo sing Carmen once in Barcelona . . . & maybe that is enough electric Carmen for a lifetime.

So no celeb sighting . . . but fond memories of Baywatch . . . and thoughts of Dave Navarro smoking on stage in the dark at the John Labatt Centre.

A much nobler & still fun pursuit is listening to all the great music that is coming out of London this year . . . in that joyful department, there is Osterborg (didn't it used to be Osterberg?) with Pete Dekoker (vocals, guitar, keys), Cliff Gallup fancier & ace artist Tom Hilborn (guitar) and Paul Venno (machines drums). Osterborg (Nachtmusik) has three 10-minute plus tracks of beats, sonics, horror movie sounds & die a log & more . . . atmospheric w/ techno bottom . . . gotta like that . . . there is a DVD video of The Living Dead (the almost 13-minute epic) I still have to check out ....

Josh Geddis is someone I don't think I know . . . but Yellow Tent is pretty atmostpheric too ... shadows in the garden, our hero reading children's stories alone . . . & a fine roots feel (with lots ot Hammond organ - in accordion mode - to go with Josh's guitar, mandolin and violin) . . . I'm getting into the songs especially the title track where it's a small, beautiful world & the moonlight hits it just right . . . . Home County, Home County are you calling? . . . .is the Jane Carmichael on backup vocals the teacher at St. George's I wrote about just before the Kiwanis fest? Better check.

I'll listen to Osterborg and Josh Geddis & many more fine London recordings all summer long . . . have to do something fun while waiting for the next celeb watch to begin.
- James Reaney/London Free Press

CHRW LOCAL TOP 10

Here are the finalists in 94.9 CHRW poll of 2008 local albums listed alphabetically by artist followed by title. Visit chrwradio.com (see link) for details.

Carole Allison: Distracted Volume 1

The Carnies: The Lesser Demons

James Cummins: Bloom

Fraser: House on A Hill

Josh Geddis: Yellow Tent

Golden Death Music: Ephemera Blues

Lava Lamps: Yellow Umbrellas

The Matadors: Sweet Revenge

Olenka & the Autumn Lovers: Olenka & the Autumn Lovers

Andrew Vivona: Come On - London Free Press

Leading the bill tomorrow is London singer-songwriter Josh Geddis, whose Yellow Tent was a finalist in 94.9 CHRW's recent local album of the year event. Geddis released the fine album last summer after about two years of demos, recording and adjustments.

"The actual recording took place over several summer afternoons from June to August 2007 at Swamp Songs in London . . . mixing, production and some very picky fine-tuning and post-production winded up with an album release one year later," Geddis says of working on his roots music release.

IF YOU GO

What: Club show by London performers including Josh Geddis, InStereo, Alex R. Newman, Kevin Black and say domino!

When: Tomorrow, 8 p.m.

Where: London Music Club cellar lounge, 470 Colborne St.

Details: $8. Call 519-640-6996

- London Free Press

Yellow Tent is a pleasant first offering from London singer-songwriter Josh Geddis. A fixture on the stage of the late lamented Rockwater Brew & BBQ. . .The songs have some great hooks and the sound is filled out with Geddis' guitar playing. Recorded at London's Swamp Songs studio, the album features guest musicians like Kathryn Sarkany (cello), Matt Weston (harmonica/percussion), Bruce Locke (bass), Bob Breen (guitar/Hammond organ) and Jessica Langan (trumpet). Highlights include the exuberant "Gardenside Lights," featuring some great double-track vocals and the love ballad title track. - SCENE MAGAZINE

It's been about a couple years since local acoustic musician Josh Geddis hit the scene and released his four-track demo EP.

On that outing, the high school teacher revealed his love of highly melodic pop songs that fall somewhere between the emo-tinged songs of Dashboard Confessional and the folk-blues leanings of Bright Eyes.

However, all signs point to Geddis revealing a bit more of his influences (such as on the Sarah Slean-esque, piano-pounding track Cardboard Cuts) via an upcoming album slated for release sometime in the new year.

The singer-songwriter spent the past summer at Swamp Songs Studio; it's the London operation of audio engineer Matt Weston, who has also hosted sessions by Icewater and The Living Daylights and has played with Geddis in the past. The two years of writing has resulted in 10 songs that were mixed in the fall.

Previously, Geddis has played shows with like-minded acoustic troubadours such as Matthew Johnston and St. Catharines' Brett Friesen. You may also recognize his name as a writer and interviewer with independent music hub londonindie.com (see link).

He'll get the post-Christmas show season started with a headlining spot Dec. 27 at Call the Office.
- London Free Press