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Get A Head

Drum Tuning and Head Selection Ask a novice or intermediate drummer what they find the most difficult thing to do on a drum kit and many won’t talk about some complex rhythm or beat but about how difficult they find tuning their kit. The trick to proper tuning is equal tension on every lug. This sounds like a simple concept, but it can drive even the most seasoned professional completely nuts. There is not a day go by in a busy drum shop that some frustrated drummer arrives with a drum that just will not tune to his or her satisfaction. Let’s tackle this problem right from the beginning. Begin on the resonant head (bottom). Begin by removing both the hoops and the old skins from the drum. Clean the bearing edges with a soft cloth and tip the drum over and ensure any loose dust and wood chips are dumped out. You don’t want this clutter between the bearing edge and the new skin. Fit the new head over the bearing edge on the reso side. Does it sit evenly all the way around...
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Kickin' it

Kick Your kick is the center of your kit and the low end driver behind most tunes. Let’s have a look at what you need to consider when creating your own sound. There are two schools of thought here those drummers that look for a thump without an identifiable note and those who want a tone or note out of their kick. The thumpers out there are looking for the lowest sound their kick can produce and are looking for feel rather than a sound. To get this out of your kick you are going to need a thicker head so look for a two ply head for both batter (back) and resonant (front). I always start with the batter head tuning my 2 ply head until its finger tight all the way around. I then switch to a key and tune until the wrinkles disappear and then add a quarter to half more turn to each lug. My reso head gets finger tightened then I carefully tune using the key until the wrinkles just disappear. This is as low as she will go brother. If you find there is too many overtone...
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Mise en Scene "Still Life On Fire"

This band has exploded over the last year gaining attention in Paris, England, Australia and Germany but is still playing small clubs when it returns, as it must, to Winnipeg. Perhaps this will change with the release of “Still Life on Fire”. I admit that I have seen Mise en Scene 3 or 4 times in the last couple of years and came away underwhelmed by their live performance. But…this record has been a truly eye opening experience. Stefani Blondal Johnson’s vocals are passionate, with a real emotional depth and stunning, shimmering quality that was missing live. There is a savage energy here that is found in punk, spanked guitar, pinched organs and the pounding drums of Jodi Dunlop. But there is also a heavy dose of 1980’s pop with lots of harmonies and synth under currents. Think Bikini Kill, early Blondie or Garbage. The first single CLOSER blasts out of my speakers like a laser beam of angst and anguish. Johnson’s abused vocal screams tear into your skull while the flaming staccato dr...
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The Middle Coast "the Making of:" Review

Hailing from Brandon MB, The Middle Coast (formerly Until Red) are about to release their first major record “The Making of:” It’s an album that feels oddly familiar and comfortable with a sound firmly planted in the 1970’s that hints at the Eagles, America and Stevie Wonder. Recorded here and in Vancouver with a trio of producers, this recording perfectly matches their live sound. Roman Clarke (drums/vocals) has an outstanding voice which soars on the tune “House Lights”. Liam Duncan (keys/vocals) and Dylan MacDonald (vocals/guitar) can certainly sing too and together their harmonies are what bring on that nostalgic vibe. The first single “Paycheck” is a breezy, B3 organ dripping tune that I am sure you’ll hear wafting out of open car windows as you wait for the light to change this summer. The boys keep it pretty simple musically, with a familiar song structure that include sweet hooky choruses, and transparent lyrics. Guitar tones are slightly overdriven, layered over vapid org...
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Alpha Male Tea Party, "Health" Review

The English have always been obsessed with instrumental prog-rock like no one else on the planet. Weary trips with early Genesis or Pink Floyd when Syd Barrett controlled the drugs began this genre, with recent bands like the unfortunately named Alpha Male Tea Party picking up this mostly instrumental banner. The difference here is that Liverpool’s AMTP are loud, really loud, borrowing heavily from punk and metal to craft their sonic assault. They sub-divide each musical measure using advanced calculus to craft stop-and-go riffs that begin with a wall of juiced-up tele guitar run through a dozen pedals into colossal amps each set on stun. The result on their newest record “Health” is a surprisingly melodic at times. This trio has some interesting musical ideas that they explore, but the requirements of the instrumental prog-rock genre and their insistence on eventually incinerating their audience with every tune ultimately leaves me wishing for a little bit more restraint and my hea...
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Chuck Copenace EP 1 review

Ojiway Jazz trumpeter Chuck Copenace’s new release EP 1 showcases both his enthusiasm for jazz and the deep respect he has for his culture. His experience playing with a virtual who’s who of Winnipeg bands including funk/jazz innovators Moses Mayes, roots act Nathan, and rockers Indian City, to name but a few, has widened his musical vista and you can hear those influences across these four tracks. “ARVO" is driven by drummer Brendan Kinley and rooted in Ashley Au’s bass work Chuck is free to take flight guiding us through the melody handing solos off to guitarist Victor Lopez and Alto Sax player Eric Bachmann before his powerful, dynamic trumpet brings us back. “Appetite" opens with a shared funky dual-horn line leading into Chuck’s inspired brassy lead. A round and mellow alto sax follows. Chuck’s second departure is more introspective, as we are guided into an clever electric guitar bridge and finally back to the shared two-horn melody to bring us home. “Front” feels li...
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Pedal Your Way to Sonic Bliss

Guitar players are always on a sonic quest looking to get the sounds they hear in their heads out and onto their pedal boards. Achieving this acoustic alchemy can be tricky and it is different for each player. One is looking for a warm, bluesy slide tone, another a shrieking, shredding metal attack and a third that crystal, glassy, clean tone.  But regardless of those sounds in your head, there are some guidelines…not rules because after all we are musicians and we break all the rules when looking for our tones…but guidelines that at least get our musical journey off on the right note.  So let’s consider which pedals might get us to our ideal sound and in what order we might place them in our quest for our sonic holy grail.   Stay in Tune Tuners usually come first as you want a perfectly tuned signal hitting your cool effects. You can get this job done cheaply and effectively with some of the clip on tuners that have become so essential in the last few years. Apex...
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