Rock Garden

ROCK GARDEN "WANNA BE BAD" (CANADIAN-AMERICAN RECORDS)
RELEASED? 26th November.
SOUNDS LIKE? Fuzzy, busy, superior grunged up and down rawk
noises. I don't want to get too technical, but it's obvious that Rock
Garden are a band who can play, really play in the musician sense of
the word, yet they do this with in a loose and easy way, they carry
their gift lightly and, a cod 'guitar hero' solo aside, ''Wanna Be Bad'' is
dead good. The sound-a-likey verdict points towards the Creeper
Lagoon / Meow Meow axis, but Rock Garden really are their own
creation.
IS IT ANY GOOD? Yes.
WHERE IS IT? www.facebook.com/rockgardenmusic
- Unpeeled

Rock-Powerpop band Rock Garden ply their trade in and around Ajax,Ontario just outside of Toronto, Canada. The band have released their 10 song self-titled debut CD from which the first single, “Wanna Be Bad,” will be lifted on the 26th of November.
If you enjoy hook-filled, foot-stomping melodic gems packed into about three-and-a-half minutes of the best eighties sounding powerpop, then look no further. “Wanna Be Bad,” rolls back the clock to something different, yet familiar. If you need an excuse to jump around your room, this is it. Great ‘pick-you-up whenever you need it’ music. Just haul out and play your air guitar while jumping all over your room to the infectious beat of this fantastic power-pop showcase, which is loosely based on the style that made bands like The Knack, 20/20, Plimsouls, Motels and the Romantics become pop-rock icons.
The above principles apply to the entire self-titled, “Rock Garden” debut album. This is great power-pop that is easy to listen to yet rocks all across the floor. It’s fun music with punch.
Yes, real Rock ‘N Roll may now be lost as a pure art-form - but Rock Garden are seriously attempting to keep various fragments of its splendor ”alive and well,” while taking us back to our youth at the same time. Ah, the good old days when people simply wrote good songs and could actually play instruments that didn’t have to appear on a monitor screen or be installed onto a hard-drive!
On their debut album, Rock Garden deliver ten pop/rock gems characterized by driving beats, great drums and bass work, and solid vocal deliveries. All sprinkled with infectiously powerful guitar hooks and riffs. This is classic addictive power-pop that does not allow you to sit still.
Standouts for me, apart from the “Wanna Be Bad” single release, are the suggestive, dirty grind of “Cryin’ Shame” and “La La Land,” the laid-back “Fremont Street,” the bizarre but rocking “Come On Get Your Groove On,” and the equally rousing “You Do Me Good” and “Vegas.”
“Rock Garden” is an album bristling with instantly memorable songs that are packed with energy, emotion, powerful drumming, melodically moving bass lines, superb, lyrical guitar solos and vocals delivered with conviction.
If straight-up rock and powerpop is your bag, this is one of those albums that you can put on, and play all the way through. There’s not a clunker in the bunch.
Rock Garden have recently been signed to Canadian-American Records, the label who in the 1950's released popular artists such as Santo & Johnny, and Linda Scott. The label is now owned by the former pianist of Bill Haley and The Comets, Joey Welz, who says about the new single: ‘Wanna Be Bad” should bring adoring fans from all over the world.’
- Rick Jamm / Jamsphere

The sound of Canadian band Rock Garden comprises classic rock and power pop, and could easily be compared to such bands as The Romantics, and The Knack.

Unlike these bands however, Ontario based Rock Garden feature members at a range of ages. Zsuzsana Dawson, keyboardist and vocalist says: ‘The musical diversity represented by the varied ages and styles of our band members means that the band's combined life experience, thoughtfulness, boundless energy and classic rock sensibilities blend to create happy, hot, and harmonious music’.

Rock Garden are a band of passionate musicians, and this really comes across in the music. They are charismatic sounding with an astounding technique.

Lead vocalist Terrance Dawson says: ‘Our lyrics range from being deeply introspective and poetic, to saucy and suggestive. We play intricate powerful guitar melodies. Our vocals are melodic, and the drums are jazz-influenced. Rock Garden is rock at its most diverse, with our classic rock roots and big nods to jazz, folk and straight up blues’.
New single Wanna Be Bad is the first to be taken from their self-titled debut album. The track is guitar-driven power pop with a hook-laden guitar riff right from the intro. This energetic, commercial track is extremely radio-friendly.

Rock Garden have recently been signed to Canadian-American Records, the label who in the 1950s released popular artists such as Santo & Johnny, and Linda Scott. The label is now owned by former pianist of Bill Haley and The Comets, Joey Welz who says: 'Wanna Be Bad" should bring adoring fans from all over the world.'
Wanna Be Bad is released on Canadian-American Records. Impact date: November 26th 2012.
Core Band Members:
Terrance Dawson: Lead Vocals, Guitars
Zsuzsana Dawson: Keyboard, Vocals
Adam Clarke: Vocals, back up instruments
Ray Porrill: Percussion
- Music Elevator

Sometimes the best kind of music to listen to is just plain pop rock. The songs may not be out to change the world, but the listener can just sit back and let the fun sounds ease their problems away. We were introduced to a Canadian band lately that brings the best of this all to their energetic music. Welcome to the Rock Garden.

The Ontario based band combines a retro classic rock style with jazz and blues turned up to be fun and bouncy. The band is made up of Terrance Dawson: Lead Vocals and Guitars, Zsuzsana Dawson: Keyboard and Vocals, Adam Clarke: Vocals and back up instruments and Ray Porrill: Percussion. The band members have quite a large age range which helps them draw from a huge amount of influences and makes them hard to pigeonhole. They have been compared to The Romantics and The Knack before. I also had a memory of The Gin Blossoms creeping in when I listened to their catalog.
The band is now preparing to release their self-titled debut album Rock Garden. The album is full of guitar driven power-pop that is perfect for blasting out of a convertible as you drive down the coast. There are fun jangly odes to Las Vegas with the tracks ‘Fremont Street’ and ‘Vegas’ Rock garden is also able to slow it down and show off some introspective lyrics on the song ‘Been Here Before’. The lead track and perhaps best of the album is ‘Wanna Be Bad’. The guitar riff grabs your attention right from the start forcing you to stand up and pay some attention. A bridge comes in to stop you in your tracks for a moment before a powerful guitar solo reminiscent of the late 1970’s. This is a pretty complete song.
Go get an advance listen to the album for yourself at:
http://www.reverbnation.com/rockgarden
About The Author

Indie Band Guru
Music Blogger
Musician, manager, blogger, promoter, booking agent, and Berklee College of Music Business degree'd, music lover. Posted date: November 08, 2012
- Indie Band Guru