Calgary Musicians

My cousin, Chris, created these two videos of some amazing Calgary area musicians: Jasmine Whenham and The Fates:

Jasmine singing "Stewart's Coat"...


On the road with The Fates...


If you enjoyed these, please go check out the artists' websites linked above!

Estrum

Estrum is one of the many cool bands that I've discovered on MySpace. Self-described as "female fronted progressive, melodic metal" this band is somewhat reminiscent of Evanescence but still entirely unique. Zena's vocals are powerful and haunting and the soundscape is dark and gritty but beautiful at the same time. Watch live footage of an Estrum show at the Dirty Dog Bar put to a recording of the song "Yours":


If you like their music, you can buy their EP here.

C'est Jeanette

Another indie singer/songwriter worth checking out: Jeanette Lee. Jeanette and I actually went to high school together, but I swear I'm not biased or anything... her music is really good. She's a classically trained musician who has turned her focus to the melodic pop rock sounds that you might expect from the likes of Sarah McLachlan. And her lyrics are intelligent and sophisticated... if you don't want to take my word for it, just ask American Songwriter Magazine who awarded one of her songs Honorable Mention in their recent Lyric Contest.

You can listen to Jeanette's music on her website or her MySpace site. Or—now this is the really cool part—you can listen to her acoustic show at C'est What streamed live over the net on Thursday, June 14 at 10:00 p.m. E.S.T. Just head over to WhatsNext.ca and click on their Live Radio Feed.

Look for her new CD "After a Dark Horse Year" to be released later this year. Or, if you can't wait, go grab a copy of her self-titled debut CD. You won't be sorry.

Athena Reich

"Her vocals are pure and full of heart, and her songs have
unexpected melodic twists that move me to new emotional levels
very different from your average or even good pop singer.
Mostly, Athena's lyrics combine story telling with a surprising hook
that pushes past cynicism and irony and spins your
typical love song on its ear." ~ Cynthia Daniels
A couple of years ago, on my other blog, I wrote a post entitled Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition about this amazing new talent that I'd just experienced: Athena Reich. At the time, I described her as being a cross between Ani DiFranco, Kate Bush, Laurie Anderson and Liza Minnelli. (Yes, just try to imagine that combination... it ain't easy.) What was so cool the next time I saw her was that she had these promo cards where she described her style as Cabaret Punk Pop. See, if I'd just added Sleater-Kinney to my list, I would have had all the bases covered!


Athena is currently working on her upcoming 5th CD, "Little Girl Dreams". Most of the songs are finished, and she's getting ready to go into the studio. She's particularly excited about this CD:

Read more...

After years of hard work, I feel I am finally connecting with key players in the industry. Cynthia Daniels (who is the Grammy & Emmy award winning producer/engineer of Chaka Khan, Sandra Bernhard, the Broadway musical "The Producers" and countless others) has fallen in love with my music and will be producing "Little Girl Dreams". I am in conversation with major labels, am being requested by numerous colleges and venues, and am signed to one of the top managers in North America, MGAM. I have been working hard at my craft by taking master classes with multi-platinum hit songwriter Lorraine Ferro in New York City and by paying my dues on rugged tours across North America. I am coming into my own as an artist, and have never had so much fun or felt so care-free about performing, or my life. "Little Girl Dreams", more than anything I have created in the past, has the real potential to radically catapult my career to a much higher level.

You can listen to demos of "Little Girl Dreams" on her website. To read the lyrics, go to her Music Page (which is listed in her Store drop down menu).

In an attempt to raise the money to finish the album (and lord knows these things aren't cheap), she's asked her fans to help out: by donating and getting a Thank You on the CD, by pre-ordering the CD (a signed copy, no less), plus there are T-shirts and posters and tickets, oh my! What you get depends on what level of support you choose. I opted for TRUE FAN ($30-50): Receive a signed copy of "Little Girl Dreams" upon release, special mention on the CD and website, if desired, and the glowing satisfaction of being a modern day patron of the arts. If you want to support this talented artist, you can do it through The Field, a very cool website that allows you to Sponsor Artists. Check out Athena's website for the details.

Let Me Hear You Say Hallelujah

"It is the tale, not he who tells it."

Stephen King once wrote that in a short story of his. Ironic, given the fact that Stephen King could manage to make his grocery list a fascinating read. While I do believe the story counts for a great deal, the teller of the tale is equally important... if not more so.

The same could be said of music. Some people claim that it is the song, not he who sings it. And sometimes that's true. There are some songs that transcend all singers of it. But even those songs may be sung by someone who elevates it to a different level altogether. (There are also singers who can literally sing the dictionary and sound beautiful, but that's for another post.)

So let me tell you the story of when I found the singer who elevates Cohen's Hallelujah for me. Several years ago, a friend of mine who lives in my building mentioned that she was going to see this chick perform at a local music venue. This friend knew that I was into indie music and said that this was one performer I couldn't miss. I hear that a lot and it's not always true, but I go anyway just in case. And this time, it was not just true but TRUTH. The perfomer? Jasmine Whenham.

Read more...

So I went with my friend and several people that I didn't know to a venue that I'd never been to before. There was another musical act before Jasmine that sounded okay but I barely remember them. Then Jasmine came on. It wasn't an immediate opening of the heavens, light streaming down and the angel choir singing ahh-ahh's type of moment. But it was good, very good. And then she sang Hallelujah. A song that I already loved. A song whose definitive version I thought I'd already found in Jeff Buckley. But I changed my mind that night. All of the pain and pathos of that song was present in Jasmine's voice and suddenly I had tears in my eyes. I didn't break down sobbing because there were strange people in a strange place, but if I'd been alone...

I have since fallen in love with many of Jasmine's original songs, but that moment is one that will remain branded on my memory.

For a lyrical discussion of the song itself, you can read my Hallelujah post. To listen to Jasmine sing it, click on My Music Box in my sidebar.