ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 13, 1983 By Steve Newton "Alll three of us have worked in factories," says French Letters vocalist Jay Homenchuk, referring to himself, bassist Kelly Cook, and guitarist Ben Louie. The three of them sit gathered in the lounge outside the heavy soundproofed door that leads into Gastown's Water Street Sound studio. … Continue reading French Letters make waves on the Vancouver scene thanks to CiTR, Tom Harrison, and lotsa macaroni
Category: from the ‘hood
Vancouver bar band Trama rose from the ashes of Shama to make good music, that’s all
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 18, 1983 By Steve Newton "We're not trying to shake up the music world," says Trama bassist-vocalist Michael Sicoly "We're just trying to make good music, that's all." They may not be shaking up the music world, but since forming 18 short months ago, Trama have certainly caused a good portion … Continue reading Vancouver bar band Trama rose from the ashes of Shama to make good music, that’s all
Midnite Rodeo Band guitarist Ed Molyski likes country guys who keep their sound
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 11, 1984 By Steve Newton Country music may not--or may never--be really popular in Vancouver, but that hasn't stopped Ed Molyski's Midnight Rodeo Band from becoming one of Canada's premier country acts. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1982 on RCA Records, produced no less than four hit singles, of which … Continue reading Midnite Rodeo Band guitarist Ed Molyski likes country guys who keep their sound
Barney Bentall finds something to live for after years of working the Vancouver club scene
liam regan photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 7, 1988 By Steve Newton Things are going well for Vancouver's Barney Bentall these days. The 28-year-old rocker and his band, the Legendary Hearts, have a hit on their hands, a self-titled debut album on Epic Records that has sold 45,000 copies in Canada in three months. The … Continue reading Barney Bentall finds something to live for after years of working the Vancouver club scene
Abandoned Youth makes good at Band Warz competition, swears off the top-40 circuit
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 3, 1991 By Steve Newton Yours truly doesn’t frequent a lot of top-40 clubs these days, but I did brave the radio-rock recesses of the Rock Cellar last week. Abandoned Youth, the local hard-rock outfit that represented B.C. in the recent Guitar Warz competition, was playing, and I wanted to see … Continue reading Abandoned Youth makes good at Band Warz competition, swears off the top-40 circuit
My niece Kylie Katz just released her first song, and it’s awesome!
By Steve Newton Today my 22-year-old niece Kylie released her first song, "What Could've Been", and I think it's awesome! That blinding light you see flowing out from the wilds of North Delta is me beaming with pride. Stay tuned for updates on the career of this promising singer-songwriter.
10 minutes in a studio with producer Bob Rock in 1991
By Steve Newton I did my first interview with hugely successful hard-rock producer Bob Rock in December of 1991. I went to meet him at Vancouver Studios, where he was working on albums by the London Choirboys and his own band, Rockhead. Four months earlier the massively popular album Rock made with Metallica, The Black … Continue reading 10 minutes in a studio with producer Bob Rock in 1991
Coast to Coast rocks Surrey like a hurricane while paying tribute to guitar great Michael Schenker
By Steve Newton I don't get out to too many tribute concerts. I've been reviewing nothing but the real thing for over 40 years now, so why settle for imitations? But I made the quick trip across the Scott Road border from North Delta to the Surrey Arts Centre last night because I believe Coast … Continue reading Coast to Coast rocks Surrey like a hurricane while paying tribute to guitar great Michael Schenker
Ear of Newt has two free tickets to Coast to Coast’s February 24 gig in Surrey: who wants ’em?
Coast to Coast By Steve Newton If you're a big fan of classic hard-rock bands like UFO, Scorpions, and the Michael Schenker Group, here's a contest for ya. Local tribute band Coast to Coast--known for cranking out fab versions of UFO's "Lights Out", the Scorps' "No One Like You", and MSG's "Armed and Ready"--is playing … Continue reading Ear of Newt has two free tickets to Coast to Coast’s February 24 gig in Surrey: who wants ’em?
Images in Vogue pondered taking their synths to England to make their mark on the new-music scene
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 23, 1983 By Steve Newton "I think the reason it's been called new music," says Images in Vogue synthesist Joe Vizvary, "is because there's been so much emphasis on old music, like with the Doors and Led Zeppelin. If people who were programming that on radio and listening to that at … Continue reading Images in Vogue pondered taking their synths to England to make their mark on the new-music scene
Soul vocalist Janelle Reid learned to sing before she could speak
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 31, 2021 By Steve Newton When Janelle Reid was a baby in Trinidad her parents used to play music on cassette tapes to keep her and her twin sister still. They were super-active kids, but the harmonious voices on the tapes really worked to calm them down. In Janelle's case, the … Continue reading Soul vocalist Janelle Reid learned to sing before she could speak
That time Bob Rock told me that “the dreaded David Foster album” was the nail in the coffin for the Payola$
By Steve Newton Back in 1991 I interviewed famed Vancouver producer Bob Rock, who at the time was flying high, coming off the production work on Metallica's multiplatinum Black Album. At one point in the conversation I mentioned Blue Murder, whose self-titled debut album Rock had produced two years earlier, but which was not a … Continue reading That time Bob Rock told me that “the dreaded David Foster album” was the nail in the coffin for the Payola$
Nature and the afterlife inspire Desirée Dawson’s soulful sounds
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 13, 2022 By Steve Newton The first CD that Desirée Dawson ever got as a gift was an album by the similarly named British crooner Des'ree. As a youngster growing up in White Rock, she also listened to a lot of R&B-inflected pop by the likes of Destiny's Child, Tracy Chapman, and Diana … Continue reading Nature and the afterlife inspire Desirée Dawson’s soulful sounds