STEREOTYPE

Stadium rock stimulates Stereotype's sophomore CD print this article
Music

HEIDI WICKS
Special to The Telegram

Stereotype (Don-E Coady, Armondo Fowlow, Brad Morgan, Chris Kirby and Mark Marshall) rarely step onstage without channeling Freddie Mercury-style heart-and-soul and guts.

They always manage to inject Wembley-scale energy into every show, despite that their usual venue is about one-thousandth of stadium size.

"I love the big-voiced vibrato-laden voices of the late 70's like Paul Rogers (Free, Bad Company) or Paul Stanley (Kiss) or Ian Gillian (Deep Purple)," Don-E Coady says.

"And more contemporary guys like Chris Robinson from the Black Crowes. I'm a sucker for any guy or girl singer who can get up there and wail. Big voices. Love 'em."

Their sophomore record is called "2" - a hybrid of pop, rock and alternative, and promises to remind fans that although they spent a while in the lowlight, without playing for almost a year, they haven't gone anywhere.

"Maybe the reminder is for us," Coady said, mulling over how the addition of three new members may have altered band dynamic, "to remember how it feels to take music and shape your messages and hear the feedback they receive. Playing with Mark Marshall on drums and Brad Morgan on bass is a massive change because the rhythm section is the engine of a band.

"Chris Kirby on keys has been amazing, as well, because it adds that extra layer that we wanted for this time around - plus, he's a star in his own right. His debut CD "Chris Kirby on Rum and Religion" was my favourite '06 release, even before he joined the band."

Like most effectual music, each of the tracks on "Up Rock" tells a thought-provoking tale that is true to life, love, and the human condition. The songs reflect change, heartache, happiness, and living in the moment. Instead of listing the lyrics in the CD notes, Stereotype wrote a one or two sentence synopsis, telling it like it is.

"It's our typical like-it-is style," Coady admits, "'Runnin' Back' (is about how) there's nothing like being written off to put the fire in you. '2nite and Later 2nite' - How may times have you wished that you laid it all out, but choked? Here's an ode to your two cents. All the same, keeping your mouth shut is a good idea sometimes, but this song isn't about that."

Stereotype has evolved since its self-titled debut disc. Armondo Fowlow (guitar) describes it as a completely different experience.

"First of all, we had a rhythm section change plus a fifth member addition of keyboards. Having Don Ellis record the primary bed tracks took a lot of pressure off me and I could concentrate on being a guitar player instead of capturing sounds."

"I would say this album is wider sounding and has heavier guitar tones," Fowlow continues. "We also tried to bring a more dynamic sound to the album so it felt more like a live band rather than a slick product. Most of the tracks were recorded with all five members in a room playing together so what we lost in technical perfection we made up for in vibe."

"Up-Rock" was recorded and engineered by Don Ellis and Armondo Fowlow at Ellis' studio, Fat Tracks. Ellis is one of the best-known music producers in the province. Hence, the calibre of collaborators in Stereotype's company lately is increasing.

They recently taped an episode of Rogers Television's "Out of the Fog" with Stu Young, a world famous sound engineer who has worked with the likes of Prince, Guns'n'Roses, Bryan Adams, and many others.

The episode airs today on Rogers Television.

Though they're thrilled to have wrapped up their second CD, it seems the true essence of Stereotype is to remain true to those arena rock vibes.

"Playing a show live is like flying a kite," Coady ponders.

"Capturing the mojo (the wind) and gaining momentum with each song (step) - you're all rocking out (running) together, pulling and being pulled by the string (the music) - you try not to trip up in each other's parts (feet) or the mojo (wind) escapes and the kite struggles for a moment - but you can't let anybody watching see or feel happen while you try to regain your mojo and keep it up."

Stereotype's new disc, "2" will be released at a rockin' shindig at The Dock Thursday at 9 p.m. featuring guest opener Jerry Stamp. - The Telegram