F Yeah Canadian Bands

RocketRocketShip’s debut EP is set to be released worldwide via iTunes on June 23rd. The band posted this on their Facebook page earlier today:

Happy Friday everyone! It’s official:
RocketRocketShip’s debut album “Your Best Kept Secret” will be released worldwide via Itunes June 23rd! Our little end of exams present for all of you! Have a great day, and weekend! ♥

Watch out for a feature coming from them around that time.

Check out Aria’s new music video for their song Purgatory. 

If you like what you see, go and give their Facebook page a like.

pupfresh:

Simple Plan have released a french version of “Summer Paradise” and you can stream it below.

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Count Me In is a pop punk 3 piece from Kelowna, B.C and guitarist/vocalist, Jason answered our call on our Facebook page and filled out this Q&A for us.

What was the first show you ever played and how many people were there?

Our first show was one we put on ourselves. The scene here in Kelowna isn’t the same as it used to be so now if you want to be in a band and play shows, you just have to do it and put on the shows yourself! So my band and some friends of mine in other bands just got together, rented out a hall, got a friend to do sound and invited all of our friends. Between all the bands and their friends we actually got a pretty decent 50-60ish turnout it was cool! My Youtube channel actually has some videos of that show although my girlfriend did the filming and well she was a little intoxicated so its not the smoothest ride haha.

What was the biggest show you ever played?

Well we’re still pretty new to the game so we’ve only played a handfull of shows and like I said the scene here for punk music isn’t the same so to us if we play to maybe 30 people thats awesome! We could care less about how many people we play to though, whether its 5 people or 200 people we just play cause we have fun playing. I have fun during band practice when we aren’t playing for anybody but ourselves. 

Who are your favorite bands to play shows with?

In Kelowna here there’s not alot of bands in the punk/rock whatever scene so we tend to play with alot of the same bands but because of that you sort of form a “brotherhood” of sort. Eight times out of ten, we’re playing with The ‘I’ In Team and if not them it’s probably Young Sparrows. I love those dudes, they’re good bros and I’m genuinly a fan of their bands so its cool to share the stage with them and get to see them play often.

Do you do any cover songs in your set?

We haven’t done a cover outside of band practice yet but we’ve toyed around with a couple. We’ve jammed out Sugar We’re Going Down a couple times as well as My Own Worst Enemy by Lit but we only have one guitar player so it kinda lacks the balls those songs need.. We do a pretty mean Dumpweed though so who knows we’ll see what happens!

Which songs usually get the best crowd reaction?

We have a couple songs on our facebook page called “High School” and “Ring Pop” that people seem to like alot. Lots of “whoa’s” and sing a long parts. We also have a newer song called “The Sharks Are Out” that people seem to get down on when we play it and theres an older song we had called “Here We Go Again” and it had a good ol clapping part and it was cool cause people would actually clap!

Do you have any ‘memorable fan moments’?

Hmm, not really! We’re still new and haven’t gotten out of Kelowna much as of yet. Most of our “fans” are actually just our friends which is just as awesome. I would prefer to think of any “fans” as friends anyways! When we play and our friends come out they’ll move around and throwdown even when nobody else is just to show us support and they’ll sing along even if they don’t know the words and its cool and makes me feel like a real rockstar so for right now those would be my most memorable FRIEND moments!

What do you think of social networking sites and promoting your music? (ex: Facebook/Twitter/MySpace/Bandcamp/Purevolume)

I’m a big fan.. it’s really made it easy and accessable for anybody to just make music and have a place to share it. The world is already so balls deep in technology and data sharing that to not embrace it to share your music is just ignorant and won’t get your music heard. Everybody and their grandma can now make music, record an album and sell it on itunes without even leaving their computer. Sure theres a downside to that.. but theres a downside to everything if you look for it. More people can make and share music now so inturn, there is now MORE music in the world to listen to. Too much of a good thing? I don’t think so.

Who do you consider to be your main influences?

I love lots of different types of music, everything from pop to metal to country to hip hop whatever. A good song is a good song. Period. That being said, I am a sucker for pop punk. It’s been my favorite genre since I was thirteen. I had always liked blink-182 when I saw them on tv or heard them on the radio but it wasn’t until my friend brought me a burned copy of Takeoff Your Pants and Jacket that everything changed for me. Blink 182 became and still is my favorite band of all time. They are my biggest influence and the reason I picked up a guitar in the first place. Since then my other influences include New Found Glory, The Wonder Years, The Starting Line, Fall Out Boy and any other band that continues to define the genre and wag their pop punk flag high!

What was your first concert?

This one is kind of a two parter - My first real big, arena type concert was seeing Sum 41 in 2002. Autopilot Off and Goldfinger opened up for them and it was epic! As much fun as those big concerts are, it’s the smaller scale shows that I’ve grown to love. Theres nothing like being able to see a band so intimate and personal. The first smaller show I ever saw was Treble Charger that same year. Hot Hot Heat had opened up for them and I watched them litterally front row center stage and when they finished, I thought it would be cool to reach up and press a key on the singer’s keyboard. The point of the story isn’t that I was a young dumb kid trying to be cool and touch his shit, it was that he was so close that I could. I saw New Found Glory in a similar setting a couple years ago and again a few months ago and both times were absolutely incredible.

What was the first CD you remember buying? 

Again this is another 2 parter - My early on CD collection consisted of what was bought for me… before “finding pop punk” as I like to say, I was pretty much just into whatever was popular on the radio or on Much Music. I had lots of complation CD’s like Much’s “Big Shiny Tunes” and some of the early “Now” series haha. The first CD I had that was actually “mine” was The Tragically Hip’s “Phantom Power” (Yeah Canada!) I loved that album! I loved the single “Poets” cause I thought it was super catchy even to a 10 year old and I remember the song “Fireworks” being the first time I ever heard the F-Bomb in a song (“You said you didn’t give a f**k about hockey and I never saw someone say that before”)
The first real cd though that I bought with my own money was blink 182’s Takeoff Your Pants and Jacket. I originally had a burned copy but after listening to it for the 100th time I knew I HAD to actually buy it. I was 13 and that CD revolutionized my life. I don’t think I would be the same person today if it wasn’t for that album. It was and still remains my number one favorite CD of all time. I have a tattoo to prove it too.

What was the last CD you bought?

Last CD I bought was Young Sparrows “We’re All On The Same Team Here” It’s really awesome and I’m super proud of those dudes! I can’t wait to put out an album and when we do I hope its at least half as awesome as theres!

What is your favorite song?

Oh man I’m not sure if I can pick a favorite song… maybe First Date by blink-182. I love everything about that song, its super catchy, everybody loves that opening drum solo AND the music video was shot just outside of Vancouver so whats not to love!

Since we’re a blog all about Canadian music, who are some of your favorite Canadian bands/singers?

Growing up some my faves were Sum 41, Gob, Simple Plan, Treble Charger but now these days I’d have to say my favorites would be Living With Lions, Everyone Everywhere, On Call Heroes, and all my hometown bro’s in The ‘I’ In Team, Young Sparrows and Twin Towns. 

And a message from Jason:
Right now we are preparing to go into the studio and record our first EP which we hope to have out by the end of the summer. After that we just want to get out and play shows wherever, whenever and with whomever! We just want to make and play the music we love and share it with anybody who wants to listen so to those who have or for those who one day will… thanks for listening 

Be sure to check out Count Me In at the following links:
www.facebook.com/countmeinpoppunk
www.twitter.com/cmipoppunk
www.youtube.com/mrpoppunk182

I post on there a lot when we are looking for new features and what not. Don’t forget to like us!

This petition was brought to my attention earlier today.

http://www.change.org/petitions/city-of-edmonton-stop-the-city-of-edmonton-from-fining-avenue-theater

The City of Edmonton notified Avenue Theater that they may be fined $250 for every unauthorized concert poster placed on city property. 

Personally, I don’t think its fair to penalize a venue for something they have no control over. Of course, they can stress to those who book events at their venue that they are not allowed to put up posters in certain areas, theres no way they can actually go about stopping them from doing so.

Here’s what Avenue Theater had to say about the whole thing:

The first thing I’d like to make clear is no fines have been issued currently and that it was a “courtesy call” we had received yesterday letting us know that there were 6 posters up on a bus stop in north Edmonton and that it would be a $250 fine per poster were they to proceed($1500 total).

This just brought forth the bylaw that holds the venue accountable for vandalism (postering) of city property. This is what we have an issue with. This is not just for Avenue Theatre, but for any venue. It is something that is so out of our hands and there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop these instances from occurring or protect ourselves once it happens. A countless number of bands/promoters/event organizers rent the Avenue Theatre for their own specific events and go about promoting said events in what ever way they see fit. We really do have no control over where they decide to put posters.

The issue with this bylaw also brings light to a bit of a double standard as when vandalism occurs on a private building, the owner of the building is responsible for remedying the situation at their own cost or face fines instead. This standard should be upheld for city property - if vandalism (via posters) occurs, it is unfair for the city to negate its responsibility to clean up the situation.

I would also like to point out that the petition was not made by anyone who works here at The Avenue Theatre but rather it’s a backlash from the music community about how absurd the prospect of such a thing is. We are trying to get in touch with the individual who started the petition to correct some of the wording to clarify the issue at hand.

We do not promote vandalism or encourage bands/local music enthusiasts/event promoters to poster in illegal areas (bus stops, decorative lamp posts) - and holding Avenue Theatre responsible isn’t targeting the responsible party.  

I heard of these guys awhile back and then the first time I actually heard them was when their song, Tonight, was featured on an episode of Degrassi. I bought their EP on iTunes and was hooked. I was in contact with lead singer, Mike Bilenki, not too long ago on Twitter and he agreed to us featuring them (with some help from their PR). So here is our Q&A with Mike from Take Me To The Pilot.

What was the first show you ever played and how many people were there?

The first show I ever played was at Lockport Junior High in Lockport Manitoba. It was a show for the local kids to showcase their bands so the whole school was there. I didn’t personally go to the school (my three bandmates did) so there was a lot of interest since people weren’t used to there being a new guy around. It was a lot of fun.

What was the biggest show you ever played?

We played to about 700 people in Dryden once. We were opening for Fefe Dobson and These Kids Wear Crowns at the time and the crowd was killer. We also played the big Canada Day celebration in Winnipeg last year, which probably brought out a comparable number of people.

Who are your favorite bands to play shows with?

And band whose members and crew are down-to-earth. There are too many big egos out there, especially in the music industry. Nothing is worse than having to share the stage with a band who insist on having things their way even at the expense of the other bands who they are sharing the stage with. Luckily we have never toured with a group like that. If you’re down to party, hang out, bro down (etc.), then we wanna be your friends.

Do you do any cover songs in your set?

We have done cover songs before, but we don’t necessarily include them in our set as a rule. These days we don’t play them as often since we have more original material that we want to put the emphasis on. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always fun to play cover tunes, but we’re out there trying to make a name for ourselves. People already know Blink-182’s songs… OURS are the ones that need exposure so they take priority. That being said there are still a couple covers that we will bust out for special occasions (ex. Sugar, We’re Going Down). It can be a great way to get a crowd of strangers on your side and get the party started.

Which songs usually get the best crowd reaction?

Green Eyes is typically the song that people respond the most to. That’s the one that people ALWAYS sing along to, and the applause is noticeably louder after we play it. I think people really identify with the emotion behind the song, it’s really honest and means a lot to me, which I think in turn translates to the people we get to play it for. Tonight and Call The Cops also get great reactions since they were our singles. ‘Cops’ is a total party song and ‘Tonight’ has that shout-along part that really lets the crowd get in on the action, which I think is so key. When you can get the audience to be a part of the show rather than just a bunch of spectators is when you know you’ve really done your job.

Do you have any ‘memorable fan moments’?

We’ve had a ton of them. People who bring us presents at shows, people who follow us from city to city, kids who made signs and covered our songs on Youtube… it’s all nuts. Really it’s the idea behind the gesture that counts the most. It’s like ‘Hey, that’s awesome because it shows how much you care’, which is huge because that’s what I’ve said from day one: I don’t just want people to listen to us, I want them to really care about the band.

Probably the coolest moments recently have been people getting TMTTP tattoos. That’s absolutely huge, it’s the biggest compliment in the world. I have lyrics tattooed on me so I fully appreciate exactly what it means when someone is willing to commit to having words that you wrote tattooed on them for the rest of their life. This band may last 10 more years or we may all die in a car crash tomorrow. But we will live on forever in that ink. It’s a very deep connection and to have been able to reach somebody on that level is indescribable. THAT’S caring. It blows my mind.

What do you think of social networking sites and promoting your music? (ex: Facebook/Twitter/MySpace/Bandcamp/Purevolume)

Best thing ever/worst thing ever. They’re amazing because it instantly makes you accessible to literally anyone. We have people in Spain, Texas and Australia who have heard our music and want us to come tour over there. That’s insane. It also allows us to do a healthy chunk of our promotional duties for absolutely no money which is HUGE because being in a band is expensive, and paying someone to do promotion for you isn’t cheap.

But the convenience also makes it difficult in that now anybody can start a band with a little bit of design work and some well-placed friend requests. As a result there are a million more bands out there to compete with, which in turn makes it much harder to catch somebody’s eye. I remember two years ago when we first put out our EP people would be so impressed that we were on iTunes. Nowadays it’s like ‘So what, my newborn niece is on iTunes!’ But that’s where touring comes in.

So many people make the mistake of having their online presence be the sole promotion their band does. Problem is that nobody is looking for a ‘bedroom internet band’. Facebook is great, but as a way to help, not as your entire operation. You have to remember that bands play shows. That’s still the be-all, end-all to me. If you’re not willing to get out there and play shows there’s only so far you’re gonna go. At a certain point you have to hit the road, just like in the old days. That’ll never change, no matter how far technology gets. The difference is that you’ll be able to get a few more people out to see you via your Facebook account.

Who do you consider to be your main influences?

Whatever moves me, really. I’m not necessarily the kind of musician who is that closely tied to his influences. My two musical heroes are Eddie Van Halen and Elton John, and TMTTP sounds nothing like either of them. But what they have given me is a good sense of melody and an understand of what it means to play music and write songs. The bands I listen to change every week for the most part. (Right now I’m listening to a lot of old All-American Rejects, The Summer Set, Andy Grammar, Making April, Prince Caspian and Billy Joel) But what I love is feeling something when I listen to a song, whether it’s excitement, sadness, melancholy or the need to party. I just want to feel SOMETHING, and that’s what I strive for when I write songs: to create those moments for whoever’s listening.

What was your first concert?

I went to see Van Halen when I was 14. It remains one of the greatest moments of my life. They are my favourite band, and I got to come face-to-face with an idol, one who I never would have dreamed I would ever get to see live. They’re on tour again right now and I’m going to see them again in May. Absolutely jazzed about it.

What was the first CD you remember buying?

It would have been either a Hanson or a Backstreet Boys album when I was around 6 or 7 years old, and it would have been a cassette tape, not a CD. Actually I think it was a Hanson album, I loved those guys. I also used to listen to James Taylor and Huey Lewis and The News with my dad in the car, which are two acts I still love to this day.

What was the last CD you bought?

The last physical CD I bought was Childish Gambino’s ‘Camp’ (AMAZING RECORD), but I’ve bought lots more music since then. I do most of my music shopping via iTunes these days since we spend a lot of time on the road and it’s a lot easier to bring your iPod than a CD collection. The last album purchase I made digitally was Andrew Hyatt’s new EP, which is unreal. Andrew’s a huge talent and it was produced by Derek Hoffman (of Brighter Brightest) who is a friend and another huge talent, so it was definitely a must-have for me. I haven’t stopped listening to it since.

What is your favourite song?

This changes so much that I won’t give you just one song. My current top 5 is:

1. Jump by Van Halen (I think this will honestly always top my list)

2. Sinking Like A Sunset by Tom Cochrane

3. Springsteen by Eric Church

4. Piano Man by Billy Joel

5. All The Small Things by Blink-128

There are honestly so many more, though. Music isn’t about one song for the sole reason that it’s impossible for me to narrow it down and not feel guilty for all the great songs that deserved to get mentioned but didn’t. I feel guilty even limiting it to 5. I could give you 50, and even THEN I’d feel bad. Next question please.

Since we’re a blog all about Canadian music, who are some of your favourite Canadian bands/singers?

Agh! Again with this! I’ll do my best but I feel terrible leaving anybody out. We’re gonna have to do a follow-up interview just so I can complete my list, but here goes…

The New Cities, Brighter Brightest, Prince Caspian, Andrew Hyatt, Marianas Trench, Hartford, Crystalyne, Live The Story, Neverest, Ten Second Epic….

…just to name a few, and again I just KNOW I forgot some and it’s killing me (if I ever have to make an acceptance speech where I thank people I will probably have a stroke). Most of these are friends of

ours and bands we’ve gotten to tour with, which is probably why I like them so much. It’s really hard to get a complete picture of a band just by listening to their records; you really need to see them live to actually get what they’re all about, and that’s likely why I’m such a fan of all these acts: I’ve been at their shows. If a band you like ever comes to town, GO SEE THEM. They’ll win you over all over again and it’ll give you a whole new appreciation for what they do.

Don’t forget to check out Take Me To The Pilot at the following links:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/take-me-to-the-pilot/id387715631
 http://www.tmttp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/takemetothepilot 

Big thanks to Mike and Pam for this. 

If you or your band are interested in being featured, don’t hesitate to send us a message here, on Facebook, Twitter, or email (fyeahcanadianbands@hotmail.com)

Hey guys! I got a newsletter from HMV where all you have to do is tell them what your favorite albums/artists/etc are and you could win a $1000 gift card to spend on anything at HMV!

Guess what though?
There’s a section for your top 3 favorite CANADIAN bands/artists! Did you find any bands here that you’d like to show with some big names? Do it here!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TELLHMV

Mike reached out to us on Twitter when we were looking for a band to feature. He was super quick getting back to us with the Q&A so here is our feature with Mike Luno Band.

What was the first show you ever played and how many people were there?
With the band’s original line-up: at a Christmas 1996 benefit show at a pub called Bobby McGee’s in Victoria, BC. About 100 people present.
With the current line-up: at the Princeton Pub, Vancouver, last week: about 100 present.

What was the biggest show you ever played?
Concert Under the Stars, 2001, Victoria, BC: about 300

Who are your favorite bands to play shows with?
Any bands including Issah Contractor or Shaun Verreault

Do you do any cover songs in your set? 
usually one or two

Which songs usually get the best crowd reaction?
of originals: Rugburn, Skin, Your Very Best Knives. Of covers: I’m Your Man (Cohen), What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding (Lowe, Costello) 

Do you have any ‘memorable fan moments’?
TV Host Nancy Sinclair (Victoria) featured us on her weekly show and hired us to play her 30th birthday party

What do you think of social networking sites and promoting your music? (ex: Facebook/Twitter/MySpace/Bandcamp/Purevolume) 
An amazing way to reach people and spread the word about a band - also a more cooperative, less competitive model than the record label approach

Who do you consider to be your main influences?
Dave Matthews Band, Leonard Cohen, Screaming Headless Torsos, Sting/Police, Daniel Lanois

What was your first concert?
Kiss, Vancouver, 1979 (opening act - Loverboy)

What was the first CD you remember buying?
CD - Peter Gabriel’s first album (untitled). Vinyl - Kiss: Love Gun

What was the last CD you bought?
Wide Mouth Mason - No Bad Days

What is your favorite song?
Blue In Green - Miles Davis (Screaming Headless Torsos version contains lyrics…hard to choose between them)

Since we’re a blog all about Canadian music, who are some of your favorite Canadian bands/singers?
Leonard Cohen, Wide Mouth Mason, Daniel Lanois, Rush, Ed Bickert, Joni Mitchell, Pat Travers, the Trews, the Band, the Friendly Giant :)

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