Aribin Sillah Recordings

Music today has, for the most part anyways, become tangled up in everything that has nothing to do with music. Luckily, fate sometimes decides to smile upon us when it spurs those around us to do great things with music for the right reasons. A breath of fresh air is blowing in from La Belle Province, and it is called Aribin Sillah Recordings.

Hailing from Trois Riviere, this label houses a wide array of sound. There's plenty of the spastic and violent, but there's also a softer side if that's your cup of tea. This is a label built on a foundation of hard work and dedication. There is no glamour about it, no ego, this is for the love of music and the community it creates. This is a label with a heart of gold.

"The art of music means more to me that I can say. We do not consider ourselves as businessmen. We do not consider ourselves as musicians. We care about music as art, as 'moyen d'expression', as aesthetic of sound. We do not believe in playing music for popularity-money-sex-image. We believe in work. Still growing with the idea of a huge family, working together on shared ambitions. We still believe in Freedom. Respect."

www.aribinsillah.com
myspace.com/aribinsillahrecordings
Photo :: skotto robotto

BonVivant

Quebec as a whole has a rich history of music culture and particularly deep roots in the punk, hardcore and metal genres. However it seems like besides the few bigger break out artists, Quebec bands don't really reach out beyond their provincial border.This is too bad because there are sooo many bands that are sooo awesome. BonVivant is a very new band but a great example of the quality of bands that Quebec seems to effortlessly produce.

Montreal's BonVivant is a post-punk band that mix it up a bit. Quite poppy without being pop, a bit gnarly without being harsh, and although simple, crafty with arrangements. I tell my friends that they are new sounding but a reliable sound for a good time. Frédéric, Martin, and Charles are every bit as good live as recorded but have a party energy live that you just can't record.

If you get a chance, go party with them. Even if it's just you and their Myspace page you'll probably have a rad time.

Photo :: Louis Guillemette
BonVivant Myspace :: http://www.myspace.com/bonvivantrock

The Great Sabatini

I would imagine if you follow this here snazzy blogazine, you will relate to what I'm about to say. I like the metal guitar & drum sound, metal studio production, the technical standards of metal, and maybe even the ripping, cool, press photos, of dudes holding invisible crystal balls, while howling at the moon in corpse paint, all out metalized. But at the end of the day I'm sorta cheesed out by metal's habit of rehashing the music.

Enter Montreal's The Great Sabatini! If you relate to the above, this band is for you. All the good stuff about metal (unfortunately no sick warlock press photos...), minus the stock metal riffs recycled from 1980. It is a fact that The Great Sabatini rips it up with craftiness through band-wide poly rhythm, inventive, flowing drums, and throaty in-the-mix vocals that share a spot with the instruments instead of dominating your attention, so as to not ruin the wicked riffs. These dudes cover some ground in the mood department too, spanning doomy gloom trough to driving and anthemic. I have a feeling that if you dig on earlier Mastodon and the better Today Is The Day stuff, you'll enjoy ripping it to The Great Sabatini.

The Great Sabatini is all set to release Sad Parade Of Yesterdays. It's 12 jams deep and being supported out of the gate with the band taking a jaunt across Ontario in July. See them in Toronto on Wednesday, July, 8th, at the Smiling Buddha.

These three exclusive tracks on the players are a first listen of hot jams from Sad Parade Of Yesterdays. Track names are as follows and in order:

Album Track 3 > Robots
Album Track 5 > Lincoln Continental Breakfast
Album Track 10 > Birth Of The Cruel


Top image/ illustration :: http://www.myspace.com/thegreatsabatini

Expectorated Sequence

I like to think that I have a pretty good idea about what's going on. Expectorated Sequence from Montreal proves that I don't. Authentic, well written and played 90s-esque, melodic, screamy hardcore that has been active for nearly 7 years. I'm thankful for there staying power because it has guaranteed me a listen. I seriously can't believe I have only found them now... The band is currently finishing it's latest batch of recorded material and is expected to play the Smiling Buddha in Toronto, June 21 presented by A Mountain Far. See you at the show!

Photo:: from the the band's Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/expectoratedsequence