San Felix
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San Felix

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | SELF
Established on Jan, 2014
Band Alternative Rock

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"San Felix: "Crumbledrunk""

Victoria-based indie rock crew San Felix have been running bottle drives and refurbishing vans to fund their latest EP Tropic of Self, and the hard work has finally paid off. The record will be released next month, but before it arrives, Exclaim! is pleased to premiere the album cut "Crumbledrunk" and its accompanying video.

The band get real on the new track, working through difficult conditions for the sake of artistic and emotional expression. "We filtered as little as possible, which led us to some energetic moments and to some rawness," guitarist and vocalist Ian Kopp tells Exclaim! "The studio was 30-plus degrees each day, and we worked up until the last possible moment — we actually missed our ferry off the island. I think the heat and the intensity and the excitement really stayed in the recording. It captures something like our own human experience."

You can hear that work ethic and intensity shine through on the punchy new song, which opens rowdy and riff-heavy before falling into a softer melodic jangle. "Crumbledrunk" has been paired with a new video clip, as well, capturing the band laying the track down live.

Give the audio a listen and watch the accompanying video in the players below. The band's Tropic of Self EP is due out on April 16. - Exclaim! Magazine


"THE PR PRESS PREMIERE: SAN FELIX - “TROPIC OF SELF”"

We’ve been anticipating the release of San Felix’s new EP, Tropic of Self, since uptempo lead single “Crumbledrunk” was unleashed to the masses in March. Mounting tension at its best, vocalist Ian Kopp’s gentle lines segue into the distorted trills of an epic outro that – if you’re feeling rather emotional – might have you shedding a tear in a completely awestruck and enjoyable manner.

On that note, we’re excited to bring you the exclusive premiere of the full EP, just ahead of the group’s cross-Canada trek that will see them play over 30 shows from Victoria to Halifax. Give it a listen below!

Their third EP in as many years, Tropic of Self is a raw and confident effort—it was tracked almost entirely live off the floor at Noise Floor Recording Studios in Gabriola, BC alongside Jordan Koop (You Say Party, The Courtneys). The instrumental “Luluminati” has a charmed simplicity; faint yet omnipresent fuzz. “Tiger in the Night” builds to bouncing rock rhythms that will have you nodding along with the beat.

Closing with “Exhausted By The Trappings Of Empire,” the Victoria quintet demonstrates a little soul up their sleeves to boot. “Life is thinner at the apex than before,” Kopp admits through the track, trying to sustain positivity and perseverance when it feels like the world is working against him. Over 6 minutes in length, “Exhausted” guides listeners to a whimsical end with its funky bassline; crashing cymbals; slinky grooves. San Felix has an aptitude for compelling outros and a drive unmatched.

Feel-good music makes you feel good; it’s a mantra this group takes to heart, and it plays to their advantage. - The Permanent Rain Press


"Monday Mag Exclusive: Click here to stream San Felix's Fire Island"

While star status is still on the horizon for San Felix for now, band members Ian Kopp, Brett Frankson, Mark Bell and Nick Tassell, know how to stretch a penny. In fact, they fundraised for months to record their new EP, Fire Island.

“We fundraised almost all of it through bottle drives,” says guitarist Kopp. “We made hundreds and hundreds of dollars off bottle drives. It definitely made the album more affordable for us.”

The enthusiastic group of young musicians, all Claremont secondary grads except Frankson, who is a Stelly’s grad, recorded the six-song EP with Victoria musician Sam Webber (also a Stelly’s grad) last fall.

“We recorded it at a series of places, Infiniti Studios and an undisclosed carpentry shop that Sam set up,” says Kopp.

The culmination of 18 months of hard work practicing and playing the festival circuit resulted in an impressive album that is “the best possible representation of our band currently,” Kopp adds.

Kopp, Bell and Tassell have been friends since Grade 1 and first jammed together at age 15. The group still practices in Bell’s parents’ Saanich garage.

“The garage is lined with egg cartons, and some of them are going moldy because the egg wasn’t cleaned off,” jokes Kopp.

San Felix’s EP Fire Island is now streaming at mondaymag.com and they’re celebrating with a release party, 7pm, April 5 which also features Winston Wolfe, Bodies and 222 at Intrepid Theatre Club, 1609 Blanshard. Tickets are $10 at the door. sanfelixband.com. - Monday Magazine


"San Felix's Teenage Dream"

In the midst of listening to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, Death Grips’ Jenny Death, and other popular hip-hop releases that have seemingly come in a tidal wave this past month, I’ve been pulled back to a genre I thought I’d long moved past: indie-rock. The genre’s very mention, for me, evokes memories of lockers clanging in hallways, fluctuating hormones, making it by on a 6-speed bicycle, and figuring out just what the future meant after graduation.

And now, on the cusp of leaving my teens, I look at my iTunes and see it’s largely filled with albums that are typically bass-heavy and devoid of any acoustics. Not like the Born Ruffians or Metric CDs I’ve shelved since middle school. But now there’s Victoria act San Felix and their debut release Fire Island to remind me that there’s always more ground to cover in a genre, regardless of its traditions.

As their website bio describes, “San Felix sounds like that time when you ordered a water and the waiter put mint leaves in it, and you thought ‘I was not expecting these mint leaves but I still enjoy them.’” That coy statement comes mildly close to their sound; perhaps San Felix isn’t what you had in mind, but they’re still enough to surprise you where they can. Not unlike indie acts like Tokyo Police Club, the band’s sound is highly accessible and dance-friendly.

A muffled but heavy bass line makes its way through twangy guitars, leaving room for the occasional mini-keyboard or bell-set solo. However, the band does hold on to a subtle folk sensibility from their earlier releases such as the Last Narrow Home EP.

The album maintains the speed of an indie-rock release, keeping the subject matter sentimental and leaving little to no room for silence in the opening four tracks. The energy culminates with the fourth track “35 Hours,” which feels like the soundtrack to a sugar rush. “Day of the Rat” is a riff-rolling jam that feels especially West Coast, as if it’s narrating a road trip from the rear window of a VW Westfalia. The track eventually breaks from its piano-driven power-ballad into a bass heavy jam that sounds as if it came off an Interpol record. It shows off the band’s ability to take risks, even if it means compromising the tone of the song.

Listening to Fire Island made me think of how genres never really go out of fashion. That one album you seemingly outgrew will always be around, believe me; it’s just been growing and comfortably doing its thing while you weren’t looking. - The Martlet


"Review: San Felix"

Victoria, BC four piece band San Felix consists of Nick, Ian, Mark and Brett. They released their new EP ‘Fire Island’ on April 3rd. The EP, consisting of six tracks, is upbeat and fun to listen to – perfect for those (hopefully) upcoming warm summer night parties.

“I Was A Vulture”, the opening track has a beat that makes you want to dance along. “Silence in Toronto”, one of my favourites off of the EP, starts off a bit slower but builds throughout the song and brings the vocal and instrumental parts together perfectly. “Elderberry”, also a favourite of mine, again starts off slow with just vocals and a bit of guitar, but towards the end gives the song an unexpected twist towards the end. “35 Hours” and “Garden Treasures” are both a bit more upbeat. “Day of the Rat” has a slower beat throughout the song and makes you want to sway along as you listen.

Overall, the EP is well put together and flows nicely from song to song. This was the first I had heard of this band but it won’t be the last, that’s for sure. If you like a folk/indie sounding rock you’ll want to check out this EP.

Rating: 4/5

Connect with San Felix:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sanfelixband
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanfelixband
Bandcamp: http://sanfelix.bandcamp.com/ - Canadian Beats


"San Felix: I Was a Vulture"

When given San Felix's latest single “I Was a Vulture” to review, I immediately listened to their first EP, Past Narrow Home. After doing so, the first thing I noticed when listening to “I Was a Vulture” was the difference in quality; it’s much more clean and has a more properly constructed mix that doesn’t leave you feeling as though you’re listening to the band from a distance. I also noticed that San Felix have, at least for this song, left out the banjo. With doing so, this takes away the folk sound generated on Past Narrow Home and brings a new alt-rock feel for the band.

When you first hit the play button the single comes to life with its catchy guitar riff, giving you a good feel for the song right from the start. One thing you may like about this single is the minimal drum beat; I found it helps you focus more on the lyrics rather than just the instrumental melody. I also couldn’t help but notice that the song starts hard at 0:02 and ends abruptly at 3:01 – which has me guessing this is a direct connector for two sandwiching songs. If this is the case, and the placement is right, it could make for a strong three song set! - The Permanent Rain Press


"San Felix - Fire Island EP Release Party Live Review"

On Sunday night, Intrepid Theatre played host to an intimate congregation of Victoria’s local bands, celebrating the release of San Felix’s new release, The Fire Island EP. The sold-out evening – which started off with Bodies, followed closely by punk rockers 222, and then Winston Wolfe as the lead up to the headlining San Felix – was crammed into the sardine can of a theatre which easily facilitated heat and dialogue exchanges between members of the audience and the performers.IMG_0366

The small stage was decorated with some strobing, psychedelic sea-fans and an original x-box where you could play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater in between sets, if you didn’t need to step outside to wring out your t-shirt. Despite being incredibly hot, the small venue proved to be a sound man’s wet dream. Every band sounded fantastic on stage. Bodies’ drummer in particular was well matched to the space, and his quick drum hits and pummelling rolls crashed into the audience with each song. The bassists, often the forgotten band member, also came off sounding incredibly punchy in each set.

The diverse styles of music offered by each act kept the night moving quickly. The contrast of Bodies’ glittery and clean bedroom pop to the much harder and aggressive punk rock of 222 was a refreshing and adrenaline pumping change of pace before dropping into the much anticipated and aquatic pop sounds of San Felix.

IMG_0373Well aware of the audience’s anticipation, San Felix sought to draw it out a little further with a tense and mood building first song. The lead guitarist engaged the audience jokingly by telling them directly to “wait a minute” before the full stop in “Elderberry,” which immediately drew everyone deeper into the troughs and swells of their music. Their sound embellishments with heavy distortion and synthesizers – played by the human swiss army knife, Brett Frankson – gives their sound a wide and dynamic emotional range. They also used an expert and sudden tempo-change on their performance of “The Day of the Rat” that took everyone by surprise before the song dropped back into its sunburnt ¾ voyage.

IMG_0376They weren’t without their pitfalls though. At some points, especially in the first couple of tracks, the vocal harmonies felt weak and timid. “35 Hours” was also very cluttered, making it hard to hear each of the instruments.

“I Was a Vulture,” the EP’s single, closed out the night. The steady groove of this song was brought to life even more fully than on the EP, and it was warmly received by the physically humid and enthusiastic audience. In this venue, San Felix was easily able to give a full body experience of what a Fire Island would feel and sound like. - Earbuddy


Discography

Tropic of Self - to be released 2016

Fire Island EP - 2015 - Self-released

Last Narrow Home EP - 2014 - Self-released

Photos

Bio

Forever astounded that the neighbours haven’t filed a
noise complaint, San Felix is Ian Kopp, Brett Frankson,
Mark Bell, and Nick Tassell. They are an enthusiastic group
of young men writing music together in a garage in
Victoria, BC - If Modest Mouse and the Talking Heads had a fist fight,
they would be the bruises. In 2017, you can catch them crossing Canada in May, and the Western United States in August. 


Forming out of a host of other Victoria-area acts, San Felix
is a sinuous blend of sand-strewn guitar, mirage-conjuring
synth, and a hook-heavy rhythm section. They are the
teenage dream haunted by honest introspection, equal
parts jubilation and tension. The energy and pace of their
live act catches in gentle lulls and canyon-edge stops,
while self-consciously brooding lyrics carve a unique place
in the landscape.

After a string of festival dates and several self-booked
tours around Canada, the band released their second EP
on April 3, 2015. Recorded with fellow Victorian Sam
Weber, Fire Island was funded in large part by weekend
bottle drives. On the heels of significant campus radio success
 for the effort, San Felix returned to the studio to produce
"Tropic of Self", released April 2016. A cross-Canada tour followed in summer of 2016, at the end of which came more recording - this time at Harbourside Studios, North Vancouver. 2017 will see these tracks released, alongside tours of Canada and the United States. Then perhaps the band will finally have time to sleep.







Band Members