That Awful Rhythm

lt is May 12th 2013 which means it is time to announce the next 'Song of the Week'.

From right here in our hometown of Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario lives the band earning this week's featured spot.

I honestly question as to why I had not discovered this band earlier. Each member possesses an insane amount of talent. And, of course, when put together, this band is something phenomenal.

That Awful Rhythm's music provides a pop, jazz and blues feel, even throwing in some rock references as well. On the band's Facebook page it states, "Jazz soul meets punk attitude and sings the blues". And, well, their catchy and incredible tune, American Marriage, is earning this week's 'Song of the Week' spot because of it.

Their insanely unique sound definitely sets them apart from most. But, it is not just their overall sound that makes them stand out. Their unbelievable songwriting skills is something else that blows me away. Each and every song this band composes is something that will honestly leave you scrambling for words. You can even find a sample of this in the biography section on their Facebook page, where it states, "The working poor had no more sins to repeat , they've worked to the bone for debts on their homes, they'll soon shovel to their children's feet; A trusted man with banners and plans, figured he'd always stay true, but muddy men came rolling in and true became lies favourite fool; He struggled to prove himself and left office in poorer health".

Although I did just come across this band in late 2012, the band's Facebook page has been active since late 2011. And, if you have not heard of That Awful Rhythm you should [most definitely] check them out very, very soon.

S.e. Elliott (vocals / guitar), Courtney Elliott (backing vocals), Sarah Beckner (backing vocals), Mike Burns (bass) and Stephen Gobmac (drums) are seriously talented young men and women and their work deserves to be heard by all. And, That Awful Rhythm truly deserve this week's 'Song of the Week' spot for their original, American Marriage.

If you have not had the honour of seeing American Marriage performed live yet, perhaps the mp3 will have to tide you over for now. Make sure you check out this week's 'Song of the Week', along with a few other tunes, available on That Awful Rhythm's Bandcamp page, here: - Basement Entertainment

Technological advancements in the 21st century have propelled the music industry into a new age – dawning a new revolution. New concepts and ideologies such as, copyleft and open-sourcing have propelled individual artists into a domain of freedom, expression, and community. No longer are artists financially restrained from producing “studio quality” tracks and production value music videos. No longer do artists have to jump through the bureaucratic hoops and hurtles of the record industry or representative labels in order to have their sound heard. We are in the midst of a new revolution, and one particular band has already taken note.



They call themselves, That Awful Rhythm and, despite the suggestive naming, they are anything but what their name entails. The four-member alternative pop folk-jazz rock group have already exploded in the Tri-City region of Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge, Ontario. Taking the stage is front man S.E. Elliott, saxophonist Peter House, bassist Mike Burnett, and drummer Kyle Becker. Not only are these four gentlemen genuinely passionate about the music they play, but they possess an interesting shared ideology regarding the freedom and distribution of their work. “We have faith in our communities. We know that if we work hard and take care of them that they will in turn, take care of us.” says the bands front man when asked about their climbing success. “Giving away songs for free spreads the music further and faster, and that is amplified by the option of manipulating the very music in the song.”



***Excerpt taken from That Awful Rhythm’s EPK***



As a growing trend, open-source music is taking hold in nation’s throughout the world. That Awful Rhythm is one of few emerging bands who are on the forefront of this revolution. Their debut album, licensed under Creative Commons, is freely available for download at www.thatawfulrhythm.com. Not only do they allow free distribution, but also give their fans the opportunity to use, manipulate, remix, rerecord, and re-release their tracks with few restrictions. For these talented individuals, monetary gain is not the game.



The message is raw, the motive is pure, and the method is sound. That Awful Rhythm is on the cusp of breaking through the imposed restrictions encouraged by the music production industry and becoming the torchbearer for freedom, expression, and community. - Cogito Ergo Sum