First I want to tell you about the first Zegema Beach Records show. It's happening on May 25th, 2014 in Hamilton, Ontario at the White House at 677 1/2 King Street at The White House. The majority of the money from the show will go to www.freeingspirit.com , a charity that teaches meditation and yoga to inmates. I will also be giving away free goodies to people who donate a little extra. The lineup is as follows:
ITTO (mathy screamo chaos from Chicago, the headliner)
LIFE IN VACUUM (sassy garage-rock meets The Blood Brothers, from Kitchener/Waterloo)
CONGRATULATIONS (members of Life In Vacuum and New Wings, 90s-sounding emo/screamo for fans of Indian Summer and Funeral Diner)
RESPIRE (members of Foxmoulder, epic post-hardcore from Toronto that incorporate a trumpet and border on Isis meets Mogwai)
SKETCHBOOKS (screamy punk/hardcore along the lines of Four Hundred Years, the hometown openers)

For more info on this show please check out the facebook event, linked here.


Next, I've posted 11 videos from Friday night's show in Hamilton, Ontario at Homegrown from the likes of LIFE IN VACUUM (full set), SLENDER LORIS and THE KETTLE BLACK.

LIFE IN VACUUM is a band I've recently been obsessing over after finding out 2 of these 3 dudes played in Congratulations and I picked up '5', which I've been rocking daily. They play a very sassy style of rock, punk, hardcore and screamo. The 6 songs they played were all culled from their new album and were spot-fucking on all night. Imagine if Nirvana, The Mark Inside, The Blood Brothers, Q And Not U as well as North Of America were put into a blender and you've got the right idea. This band is going to blow up, no doubt about it. Check out their bandcamp here.


LIFE IN VACUUM - 1 - You Did It To Yourself


LIFE IN VACUUM - 2 - The Edge of Boredom


LIFE IN VACUUM - 3 - I Don't Fit


LIFE IN VACUUM - 4 - 1984


LIFE IN VACUUM - 5 - Van Life


LIFE IN VACUUM - 6 - Dead


SLENDER LORIS are like nothing I've really listened to before. There is a mixture of so many genres I don't know which one to list first...acoustic, country-inspired screamo or post-rock? I don't even know. These 3 guys make a lot of noise with an acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, drums and 2 vocalists that exchange pleasantries either by crooning or screaming like banshees. Either way, it's emotional and the boys sure as hell enjoyed themselves - except for the puking... The band would have sounded much better had we been able to hear the bass and guitar better. Ah well, next time! Until then check their bandcamp here.

SLENDER LORIS - 1 - Chemtrails


SLENDER LORIS - 2 - Contrafact


SLENDER LORIS - 3 - Abcab


 

THE KETTLE BLACK
If I had trouble describing Slender Loris, I'm going to have a near-impossible time pigeonholing THE KETTLE BLACK. Nick plays all the instruments and does the vocals live (on record he employs some help) and is a clusterfuck amalgamation of Black Flag, Primus, Tool and...Great Big Sea? He is remarkable at his instruments and has a helluva stage presence. It may be a little unorthodox, but if you are looking for something new and very interesting then check out his songs here. (note: I was standing next to his cymbal and chime, and the first time he kicked it I thought I was going to be decapitated)

THE KETTLE BLACK
- 1 -


THE KETTLE BLACK
- 2 -