By: Sean “Thunderbeats” Dey

If someone asked me to personify Electronic music, I would undoubtedly say that it’s the awkward, silent kid you met in middle school. The kid who later grew up to be a god among men with the sole purpose of rewriting the definition of creative energy. And what was this god drinking on his throne at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival? Penthouse Clear Energy Drink of course.

Ultra Music Festival matures into an even better festival than the year before. UMF 11 is no exception to the rule. Some of the biggest names in the Electronic music industry were present, including: Black Eyed Peas, David Guetta, Moby, Benny Benassi, The Prodigy, Paul Van Dyk, ATB, Rabbit In The Moon, etc…

Not only the biggest in the mainstream Electronic music scene, but the huge upcoming artists as well, such as: Santigold, Shiny Toy Guns, Simian Mobile Disco, MSTRKRFT, Crystal Castles, The Bloody Beetroots, Late Of The Pier, Boys Noize… the list goes on and on.

I had a conversation with a friend a while ago about why people connect so firmly with Electronic music and his answer still resonates within me, even today. All music has a connection with a heartbeat. Our heartbeat is the center of life. Therefore, rhythm is the center of our life. As humans, we just want to connect with something. To connect with an Electro beat, or a Hip-Hop beat, or a House beat, is embracing life. Dancing as hard as you can is living to the fullest. Empowering yourself by dancing is a vehicle of expression for that vitality. That same beat was pumped through the streets of Miami thanks to the Winter Music Conference and Ultra Music Festival.

During Ultra Music Festival, I had the pleasure of running into a “shiny” new face in the Electronic-Indie music scene. Sisely Treasure, lead female vocalist of Shiny Toy Guns, is a promising new aspect of the Electronic music scene. Even though Treasure is a recent addition to Shiny Toy Guns (replacing vocalist Carah Faye Charnow), there is no question as to how well she compliments the already accomplished band.

\When I introduced myself to Sisely, I could do nothing but praise her and the band on their performance earlier in the day. The favor was returned with a friendly smile and an agreement to answer a few questions for us.

Why do you think Electronic music has grown so popular in the last couple years?

Treasure: I think it has to do with a lot of things. One of those things is climate of the industry. Electronic music comes in waves constantly because in most parts of the world it never dies, but in America it does. In most of America, especially in between the East and West coast; there is generally a lot of Rock and Alternative that infiltrates the radio. I think America hasn’t taken a whole lot of risk in music since Sept. 11th because of what happened in the industry and how record companies lost so much money. Nobody was willing to take risks. So, what we got from that was a super absorbed, saturated, gutter-rock radio. And then people got sick of that and go, “Oh wow, look at all these other kinds of music.” So, they crossover, and the indie kids prevail.

[laughter] They always do.

I’ve been listening to Shiny Toy Guns previous album “We Are Pilots” and I’ve noticed a bit of a change in styles from “We Are Pilots” and STG’s latest album “Season of Poison.” What influenced the change from dreamy Synth-Pop to the edgy, Indietronic music that you guys are creating now?

Treasure: The band went on the road and was playing all these songs that were really hard to play without tracks, you know, just really over produced. The older songs were light and “synthy-poppy,” and the band just wanted to rock out. Jeremy (keyboardist) and Chad (guitarist, lead vocalist), the whole time while they were on the road, started writing the more dirty songs, just playing really raw. There are hardly any [backing] tracks on the new stuff, besides the electronic drums and maybe a bit of distorted bass. Most of the new stuff we’re all playing live and that was the idea.

Do you notice any difference in the type of audience you played for with any of your older bands, as opposed to Shiny Toy Guns?

Treasure: We did a lot of dance clubs with Cooler Kids [Treasure's previous band]. Shiny Toy Guns has been around for a long time. Even when I opened for Shiny Toy Guns, they still had this cult following. It’s a whole different vibe when it’s not just people wanting to come and dance, but people that are really intently into your music and know every word to your songs.

When a group of musicians write a piece, everything is put into it; all of your energy, ideas, emotions. How do you push out that same energy night after night while on tour?

Treasure: For me personally, I look at it as something I love, and I get to do this for a job. How cool is that? So every time before I get out there, I remind myself of the reasons why I’m there. I just really love to get on stage. Not only that, but getting a reaction from the audience is a lot of fun. Every time you get up there, you don’t know what the audience is going to be like, especially for me. Having to step into this group that’s already established. I have to prove myself. Really, every night I have to prove myself to the audience. I know that, but I’ve always sort of been that way anyway. Whether they are huge fans of me or somebody else. You do that also when you’re in a band that’s opening for another band. You learn real quick that every night is a game to see how many people you can get on your side. It’s a lot of fun. It’s exciting! Even though it’s the same thing every night, it’s a different audience, and that keeps me on my toes.

If you were to recommend three upcoming artists, who would they be?

Treasure: Frankmusik, Metronomy, and of course, Late of the Pier because they’re my boys and I love them.

If you could own any synthesizer to date, which would it be and why?

Treasure: The Jupiter 8; Just because it was a synth my dad had while I was growing up. Any music that was made with the Jupiter 8, I gravitate towards because I heard the sound so much as a child and I loved it.

Growing up, were there any musicians that your parents listened to that really stuck with you?

Treasure: Well, luckily both of my parents are awesome. The first concert I ever went to was a Bowie concert. I’d also have to say Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Oh, and Ultravox was a huge influence, as well as Thomas Dolby.

What can we expect in the future from Shiny Toy Guns?

Treasure: More shows and more great music. We’re not done here yet, we’re just starting. We haven’t even scratched the surface. We’ve got a tour coming up with the All American Rejects and it’s going to be a whole new audience for the band. I can’t wait to see what it’s going to do for us in the next six weeks. Things could be completely different for us by the Summer time. You can also look forward to new music coming in the near future. We’re not going to wait to long.

Did you try Penthouse’s new energy drink at Ultra Music Festival?

Treasure: I did.

What did you think about Penthouse Clear?

Treasure: It was completely delicious! Really tasty. If it didn’t crack me out I would drink it all the time, but I know I can’t because I’ll overdose.

Witnessing STG play a live show is comparable to seeing a wildfire consume a firework factory. It’s beautiful and explosive, glittery and loud. Be sure to catch them on their “I Wanna Rock” tour with the All American Rejects. Tour dates can be found at www.Shinytoyguns.com/tour

By: Brett Millius

These days there’s a real lack of great record labels that you can really rely on. The days of Stax and Motown, Chrysalis and Island feel long gone. Even labels like Arts & Crafts who at one point seemed to be on the right path to such reliability have fizzled into a safety zone for their friend’s bands and side projects; hardly a holy temple for the newest and most exciting talent. However, there is one label out there that does manage to come closest to maintaining a consistent reputation for having a killer roster of bands. That label is Merge Records. One only has to hear the names of The Arcade Fire, M. Ward, Spoon, and Neutral Milk Hotel to get an idea of the critically acclaimed bands and songwriters they release. That’s why when I heard about Merge’s latest new band Telekinesis I was really excited to hear the record. The band is singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist/drummer Michael Lerner who wrote all the songs and plays almost every instrument on the album. It’s a solid listen that flows perfectly through the eleven tracks about the fragile heart of the indie rock dreamer kid. Lerner’s songs about escape (Tokyo, Imaginary Friends) and his cold, yearning heart (Rust, Calling all Doctors) will have fans of all of Merge’s songwriter based bands lining up at the door. His well written songs have catchy vocal melodies, chopping drum beats and sweeping keys arrangements. If I could give it a tag line I’d probably write something like: “Catchy As Hell” or “Joyous Melancholy”. This is a band I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on and looking forward to catching them live whenever they roll into town. In an era where everything is changing and you need something to trust in, I’m thankful my most recent leap for a Merge artist really paid off. Tune in to Telekinesis; it’s worth it.

By: BD Marie Hughes
For the past several years, I have enjoyed the best of “indie” at Clinton’s Tavern, on Bloor West at Christie, in Toronto.  One of the main components of any band’s performance is the competency of the audio engineer working their gig.  They are the “unsung heroes” behind-the-scenes..  A bad one can wreck havoc with a band’s show.  A good one gets the job done.  Without question, a great one is one that creates a phenomenal platform for a phenomenal sound.  He or she can make or break a band’s night.

Recently I got to know Sarah Herburger, one of Clinton’s interning audio engineers.  I was always impressed by how well the bands sound when she’s on duty.  She’s professional, patient, and takes attention to detail with bands when doing her work.  Naturally, I wanted to find out more!

BD:  Sarah, where did you get your technical training to become a sound engineer?

Sarah:  I went to The Harris Institute for the Arts College for producing and engineering from July 2007 to July 2008.  It’s at the corner of Queen St. East and Sherbourne in downtown Toronto. A lot of hard work! But I did graduate with honors!

BD:  How did you get your hands-on training?

Sarah:  The moment I graduated from Harris, I began my apprenticeship with one of Toronto’s live sound engineers.  At the same time, I began several internships at different venues around the city of Toronto.

BD:  How did you find these apprenticeships – did Harris help you or did you have to make the contacts on your own?

Sarah:  Well, I got introduced to a few engineers by the Live Sound teacher, Mr. Bo Cairo, at Harris. After that, it is was up to me to keep the contact up and go work with them every chance I could get. Bo Cairo used to be the house tech for Clinton’s. Then the job was handed down to Fletch. Fletch trained me. The man who I am in an apprenticeship with right now is a sub-in at Clinton’s.  Since I am also an intern with Fletch at Clinton’s, it was a natural fit! (laughs)

BD:  How often do you work?

Sarah:  Roughly 3 to 4 days a week.  I’m trying to get more days in my calendar.  Right now I’m on-call with Clinton’s.  Whenever they need me, I’m there.  (smiles)

BD:  And how long have you been working?

Sarah:  A bit over a year now.

BD:  How long do you have to apprentice before you are “legit”?  (laughs)

Sarah:  Depends on the person. Once the head engineers believe you’re ready, you’ll start getting gigs.

BD:  Sound or audio?

Sarah:  Sound tech or audio engineer – both one and the same!  (laughs)  One is just more professional.  I use “Audio Engineer” on my business card!  Yes!  I have a business card!  (we both laugh)

BD:  What are the steps you use to get a band ready to perform?  What does that board thingy do?  (laughing)

Sarah:  Well, the band needs to set up their gear which I then mic up. A feed gets sent from the microphones to the board which then sends the feed to the amplifiers and makes things very loud!

BD:  What advice can you give bands so that they can get the best out of you for a top-notch sounding performance?

Sarah:  Tune EVERYTHING! Including drums! Be accommodating and understanding. Don’t choke mic! (laughs)

BD:  You are a rare breed being a female audio engineer.  (smiles)  What challenges do you face in a male-dominated field?

Sarah:  Not many so far!  But there is always the odd person who’s a tad too old-fashioned.  Really, the main challenge is having to lift insanely heavy things from time to time.  But I’ve learned how to lift correctly.  In every situation you are working with different people with different personalities and viewpoints. You have to be confident. You have to be able to stand up for yourself and stand behind your knowledge, training and experience. Also, I had to figure out that it’s ok to ask for help.  (laughs)  I’m stubborn!

BD:  How can you interest other women to get involved in audio engineering?

Sarah:  I honestly don’t really care!  (laughs)  Either you want it or you don’t.  It’s not easy.  But, if you can handle it, it’s crazy fun!

BD:  Do you do any continuing education or just do “School of Life”?

Sarah:  (laughing)  Unless you’re counting my apprenticeship or internship – No!  I can’t stand classroom applications!  Away from work, I sleep! Does the offer still stand to go sailing with you this summer??

BD: Yes! All work and no play, you know? (laughing)

Photo Credit: James Fox

Written By: BD Marie Hughes

Derrick Ballard – Lead Vox, Guitar
Ryan Hutcheson – Guitar
Jed Atkinson – Bass
Dan Farrell – Drums, Vox

Gentlemen Husbands has been playing the downtown Toronto indie circuit for a while.  I’ve known “of” them but finally heard them play for the first time at The Elmo in February.  We got together after their Canadian Music Week performance at Clinton’s on Saturday, March 14.2009.

BD:  Gentlemen!  Stellar performance!  Perfect timing for CMW!  Can I get seat on an amp or something to chat?  (laughing)

GH Rick:  Oh yeah, grab a seat!  What a riot!  People were up dancin’, havin’ a good ol’ time!  Feels great to see!

BD:  How important is CMW to you?  Did that come from your invitation to play last year?

GH Rick:  CMW is a pretty exciting time to be in the city.  Yeah, last year we really had no idea what a big deal it was.  Luckily, someone pulled some strings and we got on a great bill at Lee’s Palace.  It was a good time – same with this year!

BD:  You guys have been together for quite some time – 6 years?  Playing rival bands, and now together.  What can you tell us about that process and how you all came together?  And gel together?

GH Jed:  We’re kinda just gellin’ now…

GH Rick:  The boys, Dean, Jegsy and Ryan, have all kinda been in and outta different hardcore bands together since grade 9.  I was always in the background, playin’ my acoustic guitar and ridin’ the free pass to shows!  (everyone laughs)  After a while, they kinda grew out of that scene and wanted to try something different.  So we got together around two years ago to play as Gentlemen Husbands.

BD:  You have played some amazing venues in Toronto:  The Opera House, The Horseshoe, Lee’s Palace, The Reverb, The Elmocombo, The Bovine.  Which rickety old joint is your favourite?  (laughs)  Maybe you better say Clinton’s because I think Sarah Herburger (one of Clinton’s sound engineers) is within earshot!

GH Dan:  Our favourite rickety joint isn’t in Toronto!  It’s at home in Cobourg!  But we really love The Horseshoe here and have also felt quite at home with Gregg at The Bovine!

BD:  You say you’ll play big venues, little venues, bars, basements, even your fans’ living rooms.  What about an elevator shaft?  (deadpan – then everyone laughs)

GH Rick:  Oh fuck, we’d do that in a heartbeat!  (everyone laughs)  The way we see it, the more people you play to, meet and speak with, the more you’re gonna learn.

BD:  Your first demo, “Hill 60” was well received.  You now have a debut EP called, “Something Along The Lines Of;  A Lesson in Unprofessionalism”, which sold at a phenomenal rate in a mere 2 months.  How did recording “Hill 60” prepare you for the EP?  What challenges did you face, if any?  Or what you found different in the process?

GH Ryan:  Well, on “Hill 60”, we kinda thought we wanted to play country and would aim at the CMT market.  We learned that you can’t break rules in a genre before you know the rules of the genre and none of us are country players by any means!  (laughs)

GH Rick:  With “Somethin Along The Lines” we were into a folk rock type vibe.  Banjo and acoustic guitar.  Basically all the songs on that EP began as acoustic strummer type folk songs and were built up from there.  I suppose the biggest challenge was tearin’ the songs apart and puttin’ them back together for a full band.  Now, we’re kind of going in a different direction again, as a 4 piece, which is kinda a more rock ‘n’ roll feel that we all feel suits us a lot better.

BD:  You describe your music as “more than something a little bit country, a little bit rock n roll”.  Now, I’m not going to ask you what are your music influences or what’s your favourite fucking colour, ok?   (laughing)  Rather, what musicians do you admire and why?  I mean, you’ve played with some of the city’s finest bands – Ten Second Epic, Attack in Black, Lucero, Down With Webster, Ill Scarlett, Casey Baker and the Buffalo Sinners – that’s a real genre mix!

GH Jed:  Yeah, for sure, probably because we love, literally, every style of music.  So, naturally, we wanna play with bands outside of our scene.

GH Dan:  Right now… Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson , Baby Dadds, Gene Krupa , Shelly Manne.  Jazz drummers.  But I used to really be into the heavier stuff.

GH Jed:  I dig Jim Croce, Paul Simon, seriously Chronic 2001 (Dre) is one of my favourite albums of all time!

GH Rick:  I’ve been drivin’ around crankin’ Bruce Springsteen – all I can find by him. Generally, I’m listenin’ to lyrics and vocal melodies and phrasing more than the music.

GH Ryan:  I was a huge 80′s metal fan – Winger, Maiden, Malmsteen and so on. Then got really into hardcore and, after high school, I swear, for a year or more, all I listened to was pop!  (laughing)  Huuuuge JT and Usher fan!  Now, I’m really hard into CMT but also like a lot of indie folk stuff – Bon Iver, Ray Lamontagne – that kinda thing.

BD:  You’ve received some radio play – The Star 93.3 fm – you did a live interview and performance with them.  What did you play?  Personally, I’m hooked on “Tapanga”.  (smiles)  What else is happening for Gentlemen Husbands on the radio air waves?

GH Ryan:  We played some more acoustic-based tunes – an old one called “Summertime”.  Then “The Learning” and “19” which are on “Something Along The Lines…”  Lately, we haven’t been pushing too much for radio time.  We get played on CBC radio a bit and, every once in a while, on some college stations.  We really want to hone our songwriting skills and find ourselves, not to mention get some better recordings done – which we’re in the process of right now.  Maybe, in 2010, push a little more in that direction.

BD:  You’re available on iTunes, Amazon, Napster, and just about every other digital retailer.  What other ways are you, Gentlemen Husbands, getting your music out there?  What’s in the future?

GH Ryan:  Well, in one word “Free”!

GH Rick:  (laughs)  Yeah, we’ve always liked getting things for free and figured that the rest of the world probably does too!  It’s not about money at this stage.  So we figured that putting it out there for free is, without a doubt, the best way to get heard.  We have a new 3 song EP comin’ out.  We will be givin’ that away at shows and it will be up for free download as soon as it is finished.  Other than that, we’re just trying to promote our shows, keep building a larger fan base and make some friends along the way!

www.myspace.com/GentlemenHusbands

One of our writers, Scott Bremner, thought it would be cool try to put together audio interviews. So check out our first TIMA audio interview with Ubiquitous Synergy Seekers, otherwise known as U.S.S. This is our first audio interview, please mind the quality!!

Check it out here:

U.S.S. Interview Part 1

U.S.S. Interview Part 2

U.S.S. on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/ubiquitoussynergyseeker