#musicmonday Artist Feature – SOPHIA DANAI

Hometown: Langley, British Columbia
Label: The Hastings Set | Website: http://sophiadanai.com

Creativity, passion, and soul. These are the three words that best describe Sophia Danai.

Upon the first listen of her debut EP Wishing Well, it is easy to hear where the influences lie behind Danai’s music, which includes her early exposure to the likes of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. While the inspiration is clear, Danai’s spin on her own music is just that – her own. From the summertime vibe of “Let It Fly” to the smoky, soulful vocals of “Wish You Well”, Danai’s debut is a solid one. Produced by fellow local talent Chin Injeti, Wishing Well compacts elements from a range of inspirations from different eras and genres.

Wishing Well is available now on iTunes and Bandcamp.

CD REVIEW: Groenland – The Chase

The Chase is defined by lead singer Sabrina Halde as “the pursuit of an ideal, the desire to be in constant evolution, our tendency to put ourselves in danger to understand what we’re made of”. The title of Groenland’s debut album seems to hold both a concept and a way of life for the band from Montreal. Groenland is composed of Sabrina Halde (vocals, ukelele, keyboard, percussions), Jean-Vivier Levesque (keyboard, electros, percussions), Jonathan Charette (drums), Simon Gosselin (bass), Gabrielle Girard-Charest (cello), and Fanny C. Laurin (violin).

As stated in their biography on their website, the music of Groenland is ‘warm orchestral indie pop tunes with a touch of electro’ – the perfect description for what the listener is intended to hear. Halde’s resonating vocals layer warmly over the simplicity and the natural sounds of the instruments that the band uses throughout the album. The band highlights their tendencies towards upbeat sounds, which works well for them, but also exceeds in keyboard-based ballads such as in “Our Hearts Like Gold”.

There is a charm to Groenland that is communicated through the songs that the band has created for their debut album, and the band is definitely a positive addition within the Canadian music scene.

Key Tracks: Our Last Shot, Our Hearts Like Gold

The Chase is now available on iTunes, and more information on the album and on the band is available on their website: http://groenlandband.com.

CD REVIEW: The Belle Game – Ritual Tradition Habit

Today marks the release of The Belle Game’s first full-length album, Ritual Tradition Habit. A long time local favourite, The Belle Game has certainly grown musically as a band since their Inventing Letters days, adding new members to the original line-up of Adam Nanji (vocals, guitar), Andrea Lo, (lead vocals), Alex Andrew (rhythm guitar), and Katrina Jones (piano, back-up vox). Rounding off the rest of the band are newer additions Rob Chursinoff (drums) and Marcus Abramzik (bass).

There is a depth to Lo’s vocals that transcends the soundscapes that the band has built on their dark pop base. The title of the album actually refers to three individual songs that frame the band’s tracklist, the layering and weaving together of sounds, textures, and shimmering melodies bring upon a unique musical experience. The Belle Game succeeds in the detailing the fabric of their first full-length release.

Key Tracks: Wait Up For You, Bruises To Ash, Keeps Me Up At Night

Ritual Tradition Habit is available now on iTunes, and via the band’s website: http://thebellegame.com.

 

EVENTS: Stuart Davis @ ELECTRIC OWL, April 17, 2013

Stuart Davis is a multi-faceted individual, a touring artist, musician, comedian, and TV personality. His passion clearly lies in the art of the live performance, and he is currently touring North America in support of his latest release, Music For Mortals. Davis will be playing a show next week in Vancouver on April 17th at the Electric Owl, admission is $10. For more information, check out his official website: http://www.stuartdavis.com.

#musicmonday Artist Feature – SEAM

Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario
Label: Unsigned | Website: http://seammusic.com

There’s an element within Seam’s debut EP Sketches that is hard to pinpoint, but it seems to a part of their charm. There’s a sense of youth, of passion, and of dedication to their craft. Best described as “progressive folk-rock” in their biography, these Mississauga boys have been developing their sound for the past two years. The band is fronted by lead singer Sean Sroka with his acoustic guitar, and backed by percussionist Dave Setton, guitarist Jeff Campana, and bassist Ron Miller. Sroka’s vocals draw comparisons towards  the mellow tones of one Jason Mraz, and juxtaposes with the upbeat vibe that the rest of the band provides, intersecting elements of folk and rock.

SOTD: Joshua Hyslop – Wish You Well

CONTEST: The Neighbourhood

If you haven’t yet, check out our interview with Bryan Sammis of The Neighbourhood and his playlist picks. He handed over the creative duties of designing the card over to lead singer, Jesse Rutherford, who did  fantastic job.

Here’s how to enter the contest:

1) Follow us on Twitter @asapmusicblog and RT this message:

RT @asapmusicblog: Win a card designed by The Neighbourhood! – http://tinyurl.com/nbhdasap – RT to win! #nbhdasap

2) Like us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/asapmusicblog – find the designated The Neighbourhood contest status and “Like” it.

Fans from all over the world are welcome to enter!

Rules & Regulations: Contest will begin on March 8, 2013 and will end on March 18, 2013 – 11:59 PM (PST). There is one (1) card designed by Jesse Rutherford of The Neighbourhood to win. One (1) winner will be chosen from Twitter and/or Facebook, and will be contacted within 24 hours after contest closes. We reserve the right to void any entries we deem as duplicates, or if we are unable to contact the winner within 72 hours after the contest closes. One entry per account, per platform.