LG Breton

This is the second release from this Canadian instrumentalist, composer,arranger and producer following ‘Consider It Done’.

The first thing that strikes you about the 5 track EP is, as the title suggests , features many string instruments – in fact they share centre stage with the vocals which gives the collection a refreshing feel but carefully avoids the trap of dominating the listening experience , guitars, banjos , violins, double bass and piano all join in the recording! Good headphones will deliver in bucket loads!

This is not the only thing the collection delivers…there is no shortage of song hooks either! The opener “For Better, Not For Worse” will get you after a few plays while the close up intimate vocals of “I Should Have Never Let You Go” will draw you in quickly! There is even a song in French…just in case you want something a little different!

This EP is a grower and particularly with the creative instrumentation, delivers something new with each listen!

8/10

TRACK LISTING

For Better Or Worse

I Should Have Never Let You Go

If I Could

Afterthoughts

Reverence - Steve Luff (Black Cat Radio, UK)

By: Jenna Melanson

EP – Strings Attached

Genre – Alt-Folk

Montreal, QC based artist, LG Breton released his second EP, “Strings Attached” back in February. The EP features five songs, which is said to celebrate all stringed instruments, such as guitars, banjo, violin, double-bass, piano and vocal cords.

The first song, “For Better, Not For Worse” has an infectious sound with vocals that provoke you to sing along, it’s the type of song that you can’t put on as background sound, it pulled in all my attention from the beginning.

I also had a fondness for the second track, “I Should Have Never Let You Go”. Again, the vocals have the ability to distract you from everything else around you.

Be sure to check out LG Breton, as he is a multi-talented artist, so head to his website, and learn all about him. - Canadian Beats

Montrealer LG Breton made a mark as a composer/producer/multi-instrumentalist (he has appeared on over 30 albums) prior to emerging as an accomplished singer/songwriter on 2011 debut album Consider It Done!.

A follow-up mini-album, Strings Attached, surfaced earlier this year, and standout track "I Should Have Never Let You Go" is now out as the first single. It's a catchy strings-embellished confection with a warm and mellow vibe.

Breton has cited the psychedelic pop of Syd Barrett and Beck as influences, but this is a straight-ahead tune with real radio potential.

- Kerry Doole - New Canadian Music

Weblinks to every article; TV and radio interviews published/aired since 2009 ! - LG Breton - Official Website

For over the past ten years Montreal’s LG Breton has been known more as a sideman and score composer, but all that changed last week with the release of his debut album, Consider It Done!

After having flirted with studio life as a producer and arranger, touring the world backing other artists on a variety of instruments, and writing the scores for three contemporary ballets and a rock opera, Breton has officially claimed the spotlight for himself. Before embarking on his mission to conquer the world through his music and love of red wine, Breton took the time to answer a few questions for That’s Funky Awesome. After you’re done reading, make to sure check out Breton on Twitter (@lgbreton), Facebook, Myspace, and his own site, www.lgbreton.com. If you like what you hear, support Canadian music and stop by iTunes to buy the album.

That’s Funky Awesome: First off, congratulations on making an album that manages to feature the glockenspiel on a few tunes. Has your time spent as a score composer influenced your choice of instrumentation on ‘Considert It Done!’?

LG Breton: Hey! Thanks for mentioning the glock. Very true, it is present on at least half of the songs on the album. Yeah, certainly, experimenting with instrumentation, recording techniques, etc. in my score composing activities probably influenced the way the album was put together in many ways. First, even though it is a “rock” album, I
certainly never even considered sticking to the basic “Drums-Bass-Guitar” rock ‘n’ roll instrumentation. I wanted to remain free to use as many interesting sounds and textures as I felt were appropriate for each song: acoustic, electric, electronic, orchestral, “toyish”, etc. The end result, so I’m being told, sounds like a collection of very “visual” tunes, sometimes full-on “cinematographic”. Songs like “Hey!” and “Watcha Wanna Throw Out?” for instance, have plenty of late 60s-early 70s English spy movies references. As for “My Life Begins Today” and “Consider It Done!”, I think both have some kind of a TV-series theme feel to them.

TFA: The album title almost seems to be a response to people who have been asking you about how the album is coming along.

LGB: You’re right! It is exactly the meaning in the case of the album’s title. The opening song of the same name has it’s own story and meaning, though. Let’s say that the song came first and that the same title felt quite right to tell my close ones that my own personal baby was finally ready.

TFA: You have a long and varied career in the Montreal music scene, including stints as a session player in support of other artists. This is your first solo effort-what made now the right time for making and releasing the album?

LGB: Three factors that have their roots in late 2008:

1- Inspiration struck! I started writing new, more “luminous” songs than usual.

2- Then, a few months later, I had the chance to try a couple of them live, three nights in a row, as the opening act for the artist I was working with then. And it just felt so right. I really didn’t want it to stop there.

3- The vinyl revival. Obviously, every album I’ve worked on before was released on CD, but the idea of offering my own personal stuff on a real record with two sides (and two distinct pacings), in a gatefold jacket with big artwork and all got me really excited! I just had to do it, and do it as well as I possibly could.

TFA: You play most of the instruments on the album. When you play live shows, how open to interpretation are you when it comes to other players tackling material that you’ve not only written but played on for the recordings?

LGB: After choosing the right musicians (shared references and musical sensibility, compatible personalities, etc.), I just try to make sure that everybody not only “plays” the song but “understands” it as well, in all its nuances and specificities. From then on, I find that the more you play the songs, the more spontaneous changes brought to the original arrangements will remain “à propos” and connected to the primary intention. In other words, I favour “organic” and evolving interpretation of the original parts by the best compatible multi-instrumentalists I can get to play with me.

TFA: Is there a tour planned in support of Consider It Done!? You have rescheduled UK dates mentioned on your website-is that still in the works?

LGB: Yes, of course. You see, although quite flattered and excited to be booked in unconquered territories, it just didn’t make much sense to tour that far from home before the album was available anywhere. But now that it is out, we’ll gladly visit every rockin’ city that will greet us with their best red wine and finest women.

TFA: When you write, is it from the outside looking in or the inside looking out?

LGB: Well, It depends. The lyrics to songs like “Losing My Cape”, “Watcha Wanna Throw Out?” or even “Saviour”, are clearly looking within the individual to find answers to personal or - That's Funky Awesome (Canadian Music Blog)

Excerpts (translated from French):

“Musician LG Breton gives a fortunate twist to his ‘60’s and 70’s rock
influences and “Consider It Done!” is a great example of that.”

“For his first solo album, muliti-instrumentalist Breton pens nine songs and performs one Syd Barrett classic.”

“This impeccable production offers a large array of songs, inventively arranged.”
- SOCAN - Paroles & Musique Magazine

Kicking off the year in style, we have a small give-away for one lucky AFG visitor.

If you were visiting this site back in 2007 you may have read how impressed we were by an up & coming Canadian outfit going by the name LG & Friends, who had just performed a very psychedelic version of See Emily Play in Montreal.

Well LG has just released his first CD and some lucky person is going to get a free copy. The album, called ‘Consider It Done!’, features See Emily Play and nine other tracks, and is a worthy addition to any CD collection!

Here’s more info about the album. To win is easy and the rules are simple, drop an email to col@pinkfloydz.com (make sure the
Subject Heading is See Emily Play to make sure it goes to the right place). All we need is your name and postal address. We will draw one email at random on 15 January. Good luck!

UPDATE And we have a winner. Congratulations go to Brad Ackland of Victoria Australia. - A Fleeting Glimpse (Pink Floyd Website)

(In French) Du rock pesant sans être lourd, plein d’humour et de clins d’œil, enrobé dans des arrangements soignés, servis par des musiciens complices, c’est la mixture qu’avait préparé LG Breton et son groupe pour le public de Saint-André-Avellin. Après avoir foulé la scène du P’tit café de l’Auberge de Jeunesse de la Petite-Nation comme musicien accompagnateur de Jamil il y a quelques mois, c’est à titre d’auteur-compositeur-interprète qu’il est revenu pour y brûler les planches samedi le 21 janvier.

Ce multi-instrumentiste ayant accompagné toute une pléiade d’artistes au cours de sa carrière en plus de composer ses propres chansons depuis l’adolescence, est venu présenter son premier album solo Consider it done! devant un public très participatif. Lorsqu’il a déclaré en fin de prestation que lui et ses musiciens avaient passé une soirée exquise avec les gens de la Petite-Nation, ça semblait très sincère.

Généreux, il a permis au public de découvrir une pièce ayant été retranchée de l’album, en plus d’offrir deux autres chansons lors du rappel, dont une très belle version de la pièce See Emily Play, datant de la première phase du légendaire groupe Pink Floyd, à l’époque où Syd Barrett en était encore une des figures dominantes. La toute dernière pièce interprétée en s'accompagnant au banjo s'intitule "Dentelle", il s'agit d'une chanson originale; ancienne mais inédite (un texte de Alain Cormier sur une musique de LG Breton).

En rencontrant ce musicien ayant passé la majorité de sa jeunesse dans l’Outaouais urbain, il est facile de se rendre compte que la franche camaraderie et l’humour sont au centre de ses nombreuses collaborations musicales Durant les tests de son, lui et ses musiciens se taquinaient déjà. La bonne humeur était de mise samedi au P’tit café. La présentation de chacune de ses chansons était prétexte à blaguer avec son public, le faire participer et l’inviter à voyager avec ses «petites histoires », comme il le disait lui-même. Que ce soit en réchauffant l’atmosphère de cette soirée glaciale à l’extérieur en offrant la pièce très rythmée N.A.D.I.A., qu’il a présenté comme une pièce d’été; ou en l’amenant avec lui faire du ménage à l’aide de la pièce Whatcha Wanna Throw out?, LG Breton a su conquérir son public samedi soir! - Transcontinental Medias

LG Breton
Forts de nombreux spectacles présentés un peu partout au Québec, en Ontario et du côté de New York, LG Breton et son incroyable groupe de musiciens reprennent du service cet automne.

Ils proposent une version mûrie et enrichie du spectacle tiré de l'album Consider It Done?!, salué par la critique depuis sa parution.

Avec LG Breton (voix & guitares), Bess (basse), Alain Quirion (batterie & voix), François Therrien (claviers & glockenspiel) et Geneviève Dufresne (voix, percussions & flûte).

Rock coloré et performances inspirées au menu.

« Consider It Done?! renferme une poignée de compos mémorables qui se détachent de leurs influences rétro en adoptant certains détours stylistiques amusants [...] » Journal Voir
- La Presse

Avec son premier album Consider It Done!, LG Breton, en plus de signer une relecture accomplie des éléments fondateurs de la musique populaire, propose le travail d’une vie.

LG Breton est de ceux qui font de la musique un choix de vie. Une carrière qui ne se passe pas nécessairement à l’avant-plan puisque, depuis presque 20 ans, le musicien prend part à une foule de projets des plus variés. Quand il ne signe pas de musiques pour des publicités, il compose pour la danse moderne ou collabore à des manifestations de toutes sortes.

Consider It Done!, paru à l’automne 2011, se révèle un projet que le musicien originaire de l’Outaouais caressait depuis plusieurs années. "C’était mon 30e album en carrière, lance LG Breton, rencontré dans les bureaux de Voir. Mais le tout premier qui porte mon nom. Consider It Done!, le titre, envoie un message à tous ceux qui m’ont déjà demandé si j’allais faire un album un jour. Aussi, l’album a trouvé son titre que quand j’ai écrit la chanson Consider It Done qui, elle, n’a rien à voir avec ça!"

Bercées par des arrangements opulents, les chansons de l’opus trouvent écho auprès des piliers du rock’n'roll; les mélodies de McCartney-Lennon sont évoquées au gré de l’écoute, autant que les envolées psychédéliques de The Who… Pour Breton, ces influences ne sont que purement naturelles. "C’est vrai qu’il y a des références aux années 60 et 70. Mais c’est pas tout comme ça; je crois que la clé se trouve dans le songwriting. La vraie chanson n’existe presque plus de nos jours. Prends Rihanna ou Lady Gaga: chez elles, c’est la production qui prime, c’est d’abord une question de gros son. Pour cet album, je voulais faire ce qui me plaisait: des chansons. Des vraies."

"Cela étant dit, je ne voulais pas faire d’hommage à cette époque, c’est pourquoi les différentes décennies sont représentées. En fait, ce qui est très 2000, c’est ce mélange des genres."

Il prend l’exemple de la twangy Saviour, qui adopte des sonorités country. "Je me suis inspiré du prêchi-prêcha de la droite chrétienne, donc musicalement on est plus près de l’americana. C’était logique de lui donner ces couleurs."

Fait inusité, l’album renferme une reprise de See Emily Play, classique de Pink Floyd, décrite comme un "bijou de toune pop". Questionné à savoir si l’obtention des droits lui a donné du fil à retordre, Breton explique: "Ça a été facile, une question de deux ou trois courriels. On pourrait penser que c’est archi-difficile, mais non. C’est juste une redevance que je vais donner sur le nombre d’exemplaires imprimés."

Il conclut, poussant la réflexion encore plus loin: "Ce qui unirait le plus l’album, c’est le côté cinématographique. Là, tu retrouves du pop-punk, plus loin, c’est une fausse bossa à la Beck… Chaque fois, c’est comme un petit bout de film et, ensemble, c’est comme un long métrage." - Voir (Quebec's leading cultural and lifestyle magazine)

Excerpts (translated from French):

“LG, that many of you have seen perform as a guitarist for a number of artists, finally releases a solo album entitled Consider It Done! The man took up the challenge and, let’s be clear, truly succeeded at it.”

“Consider It Done! offers a total escape within the creative “madness” of one of Quebec’s most accomplished musician.”

“Being exposed to all these varied “soundscapes” leaves the sustained impression of listening to a movie soundtrack.”

“With a playing that very well compares to those of the greatest guitarists, LG nevertheless goes way beyond the riffs and solos that one could expect from a guy that is mainly associated with guitar.”

“Rock fans, do yourself a favor and discover one of Quebec’s greatest musical talent; LG Breton and his “Consider It Done!” album.” - SYMPATICO.CA (Music section)