Free Speech: themusicalrevolution.com

*Note: This newsletter is a reissue - all dates are null & void.

www.themusicalrevolution.com (currently innactive)
themusicalrevolution@yahoo.ca

Dec./2003.
Edition (c).

PROMO: Fri. Dec. 5 - GT's downtown - London. ON - "Meat Sweats" (Fin, Justin & Stevo) accoustic stylez a la Ben Harper, Dave, etc...

Saturdays in Dec. - GT's downtown - London, ON - "The Tribbianis" (Finny and the Cats) the best of 90's and today's cover rawk.

Sat. Dec. 13, 7:00PM - St. Columba & All Hallows Church - 2723, St. Clair Av. E., Toronto, ON - "Gunaseelan Dance Company" an Xmas/Fundraising Gala featuring Classical Indian/Chinese/Irish dancing. Dinner served (Indian Vegitarian). $15.00 at the door. Reserve by Dec. 10 - gunadance@yahoo.com

IN THIS ISSUE:
1. AARON KRONIS: Alternative Rock/Hip-Hop Fusion blends Detroit beats with heartfelt vocals and energy driven guitar solos. http://www.aaronkronis.com/daindex.html
2. PETE KYRIE BAND: Singer/Songwriter Pete Kyrie has critically admired guitar playing abilities and writes songs that come straight from the pages of our lives... http://www.petekyrieband.com/frameset.html
3. STEPHANIE BROWN: Visual Artist shares with themusicalrevolution. Piece: "Man Sings the Blues", 2002. Mixed media, Watercolour, Indy ink, oil pastel on watercolour paper [9 x 6 in]. See following email.

EDITORIAL:

Earlier this month I was re-reading the Nov. Newsletter. One of the articles was written by a close friend of mine, Paula B. The article expressed her dismay at having won tickets (radio contest) for a Molson Canadian Rocks House Party with SUM 41. In short, the party turned out to be 5000 people crammed into some Fairground all forced to drink 5 dollar Molsons Beer and endure weak performances by bands they probably wouldn't have actually bought tickets for. Bah!!

Upon reflection, I couldn't help but wonder how the hell the radio station benefits from all of this? Free Concert? A lot of organization? God knows they DON'T need the advertising... So - like the music NERD that I am I decide to do a little market research. The results are both surprising and educational for the wanna-be working musician and the every day listener.

What do I do? I get up at the ripe old time of 5:00 AM on Thur. Nov. 20th and flip my radio dial to 102.1 (The Edge, Toronto's premiere(?) rawk station) and procede to endure 4.5 hours of bad Howard Stern rip off material, a crap load of ads, the same news, weather, sports and traffic (80 goddamned times) and a little bit of music. 30 songs total (24 bands - they even manage to repeat one song).

Let me share a little secret with you here. Poor Me's from the North and I tend to be a little naive. I always figured that Rock Radio played our favorite music so we'd listen and the more of us that listened the more they could charge for their advertising. Apparently I'm 2 carats short of a diamond David Lee Roth because upon listening to the broadcast I find that they devote about 10% of their time to "our" music; "our" music as defined by their website which records user votes and compiles a weekly top 30 - http://www.edge.ca/station/sp_30.cfm.

But hey, my geekness doesn't stop there. It holds no bounds folks! I hit the world wide web!! In my immense wisdom I figure that maybe the radio station uses sales figures to determine what it is we might want to listen to. I check the the Nielsen Soundscan results for that week:
Albums: http://www.canoe.ca/JamMusicCharts/ALBUMS.html
Singles: http://www.canoe.ca/JamMusicCharts/SINGLES.html
Alas, "No Dice Ted Rice." (Who the fuck is Ted Rice anyway??). They devote 3% of their time to our top 100 albums and a whopping 0% of their time to our top 50 singles. ???

What the hell? There is NO WAY THAT ENOUGH OF US ARE STUPID ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO MORNING RADIO - TUNES THAT WE DON"T EVEN REALLY LIKE - JUST FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN A FREE SUM 41 TICKET!! I know Paula doesn't - she LIKES her music! Who are they trying to please? Where are they making this extra cash that they barely even have to appeal to their listeners any more?

To be honest - I don't really have an answer to this question but I do check a little something out. Sly Sherlock that I am, I decide to look up the Record Labels of those 24 artists. 100% of the artists played on the "Dean Blundell Show" on 102.1 The Edge Toronto, Thur. Nov. 20, 2003 are representatives of the 5 major record labels in Canada. The 29 songs that I listen to represent 1% of the record labels in this fine country of ours (as listed in "The Essential Contact" Ed. 13).

Not to really scare the "Bolsheviks" out of you but 1 Label in particular presides over half of the bands played that morning. As it turns out my buddies "High Holy Days" are indirectly members of that reich. So - bully them, chances are "pretty good" that we may be hearing them on a morning radio show sometime soon.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you are in a band and looking to become a star - you better get your chapstick ready, your kneepads on and get used to the taste of crow. If you are an avid music lover like myself - the revolution is here - it's time we started taking it all into our own hands or just get used to the audio equivelent of eating at McPigs, BK, Taco Smell, The Hut and Dirty Bird ALL THE TIME... (note - they've already shut down Sam's).

In light of this info many of you already probably know better than me - I have decided to dedicate this edition of themusicalrevolution newsletter to Independent Artists. The three artists that I am highlighting this month are all at different stages of success. I'll let you decide who you think is furthest along because I'm not sure what success really is to tell the truth.

INSPIRATIONS:

1. AARON KRONIS: I met this cat in residence - my third year of university. I still haven't figured out why the ladies called him "Cocky Frosh" but I do know that he has the meanest downstroke (on guitar) since James Hetfield left the building after the "Black Album" (Reload?). The last time that he and I talked music, he gave me an education in "the industry". This man knows promo kits, corporate sponsors, commercial radio, FACTOR grants and on and on... Check his label out: http://www.staminarecords.com/ But what about his music? Well, that's for you to decide. Hit up his site - it is very complete AND it has free tunes. http://www.aaronkronis.com/daindex.html
I have snatched up a sampling of his work (lyrics for his song "Fear") from his EPK but I really believe that you will have to check out the full songs to get a real idea of what this cat is all about!

Fear

When it’s your time
There’s no rhyme or reason
You can try to hide
From the pain that’s left you bleeding
So watch how you pray
Those could be the last words you say
But pay me no mind
And watch as the end comes

But don’t let the fear
Don’t let the fear control you
Just try to be real
Try to be all that you can be

It’s a do or die
Type of situation
And when the time is right
You open your wings start to fly
So don’t hide your eyes
There’s nothing to fear from this fall
But pay me no mind
And watch as the end comes

But don’t let the fear
Don’t let the fear control you
Just try to be real
Try to be all that you can be

But don’t let the fear
Don’t’ let the fear control you
Just try to be real
Try to be all that you can be
But don’t let the fear
Don’t’ let the fear control you
Just try to be real
Try to be all that you can be
Try to be all that you can be
Try to be all that you can be

2. PETE KYRIE BAND: Going a little further back in time now... 1991. The back of a limosine. London to Toronto and back via the liquor/beer store and a "Van Halen" concert at the Skydome. That is where I met this long blonde haired, ripped jeans wearing rocker cat who my boy Scotty introduced as Skinny Pete. Apparently (if I didn't but know it) I was priviledged to share this "enchanted" evening with the members of the infamous but definitely notorious "Toxic Angels". Scotty was the drummer and Pete was the lead guitarist/lead singer. I've since heard the material they recorded and lets just say that Pete has come a looooong way since then!

On his website he sates a kind of credo, " Music is my life, it is something that no matter what nationality, religion, age or gender someone is, they will be provoked into thought, express an opinion or just be taken to a place far from what they normally conceive as home, all just by listening to music. To me it is one of the strongest most powerful expressions in this journey we call life." Me thinks the boy matured - to say the least. Hit up his website - it's quite impressive and gives a great idea of what he's about. http://www.petekyrieband.com/frameset.html
Check out a few of his tunes. If you like you can even nominate him for the Pop/Rock London Music Award.
http://www.londonmusicawards.com
Remember that's: Pete Kyrie Band.

3. STEPHANIE BROWN: Steph Brown is the person that single-handedly made the "High Holy Days" "We Are The Champions" after-party worth being at (check the Nov. newsletter - themusicalrevolution). I still owe her my thanks for getting my drunk ass back home and for wrestling my skully back from her pirate friend (she even washed it for me). Catching word of the revolution, Steph asked if she could join and emailed me three samples of her own artwork. Her piece "Man Sings The Blues" really spoke to me. I do realize that this isn't a visual revolution but I think that after seeing the piece you will be able to appreciate its inspirational value and how it fits in. I asked Steph to send me some information about herself, the piece and a little promo. Steph writes:

To be truthful this art piece was just a practice for a new technique I was trying. It took me as little as 3min to create the painting. As I save everything, after Dan Arcand (High Holy Days) put it on their website I got a lot of feedback for the artwork and its become a favourite for everyone.
I'm completing my Bachelor of Fine Arts at Nipissing University. Once that's done, I'll probably go off to Sheridan College. I contributed to the artwork in the "High Holy Days" debut/demo Album. I'm working on a line of greeting cards and stationary and venturing into photography these days. My style of work is mainly abstract and portraitures. I always have works for sale and am willing and able to do commission works.
I have a web site/virtual gallery under work and it should be up and running in January for viewing. If anyone wants to inquire further they can drop me a line.
jer_ry@hotmail.com
Subject: art so I don't erase unknown senders.

Unfortunately, yahoogroups doesn't allow attachments so I will have to email "Man Sings The Blues" seperately. Luckily for me the group isn't huge yet so I should be able to get the pics out within the day. I hope you enjoy it as much as I, me, my, yeah well you kno...

Wicked. Well, here I am at the end of yet another Newsletter. Last month, I got a great deal of feedback and wish to take this time/space to publically thank all those who took the time to reply. I relish the interest. I would also like to welcome new members as this month has seen the most new signees since I first launched the idea way back in September. I sincerely hope that the information in this newsletter has served to entertain, maybe even inform?

Spread the news - an email containing full name to themusicalrevolution@yahoo.ca is all it takes to gain access to all this hubba-balloo.

Finally, hit me back - your ideas ARE the revolution, this country IS free, promote YOURself, that's the point...

2004.

Peace,
i220

PS. MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY!!

www.themusicalrevolution.com (currently innactive)
themusicalrevolution@yahoo.ca