Posts Tagged ‘sandman viper command’
CMW: Sandman Viper Command @ Underground Cinema – March 12, 2011
April 21st, 2011 | By: Amanda Macchia
A third night of Music Parlour
February 22nd, 2011 | By: Stephanie Taylor
Rob Janson and Dan Reardon - Photo by Amanda Macchia
Last Thursday marked the third edition of the Music Parlour’s “Neighbours of Songs” at The Central, showcasing a balanced mix of elegance and rock.
Megan Bonnell and Eric Wichman (Olympic Island) began the night with a beautiful compilation of songs. The performance featured Megan’s elegant keyboarding and vocals, comparable to that of Regina Spektor, which were complimented by Eric’s performance on guitar.
Sandman Viper Command followed with a softened-electric set of some original material including, “Jose Did You See?” and “Oh Yeah, It’s Fusion,” plus a couple new songs they have been working on. They wrapped their set and the night’s performances with a cover of Roy Orbison’s “You Got It” and a rendition of Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak.”
For updates on the next instalment from Music Parlour, check out their website.
Check out more photos of Sandman Viper Command HERE.
An Interview With: Sandman Viper Command
January 22nd, 2011 | By: Stephanie Taylor
Dan Reardon and Rob Janson - Photo by Amanda Macchia
There was a bright side to a recent tour bus transmission failure for local show-goers as Sandman Viper Command were amongst the line-up of bands that performed at the Horseshoe Tavern last week, helping raise money to get friends The Meligrove Band back on the road. While doing a fair amount of their own touring after the release of their debut album Everybody See This in 2009, Sandman Viper Command now seem adamant on setting their sights on the future; embracing personal growth and perfecting their sound.
Still a fairly young band, the four Burlington natives have taken significant strides this past year that can undoubtedly be attributed to their dynamic and fun-loving garage-rock-meets-60’s-pop sound fusion. Like all things though, it did not come without hard work.
“There was no pressure when we were writing our songs. We wrote the first album when we were 18 or 19 and everyone was just doing what they can do,” said guitarist Dan Reardon.
But with a little help from a Canadian musician and producer Dave King (Kori Pop, Steve Strongman), Sandman Viper Command were pushed on their way to success.
“Dave King whipped us into shape,” lead vocalist and guitarist Rob Janson said. “Before that we were just trying to be a band.”
Beyond the recording process, Reardon and Janson, along with other members Aaron Harvey (bass) and Matt Meyer (drums), attribute a lot of their growth to the realization that they mesh well as individuals. While describing what they’ve learned since the release of their debut, they come to the conclusion that they “just really like each other,” which they admit with a few giggles.
And it seems to be working in their favour; their chemistry on stage and in the studio appears to be anything but lacking.
“I thought I’d run out of song ideas way before now,” said Janson. “And I’m starting to run out of song ideas,” he continues jokingly.
They also recognize the importance of networking and the impact it can have on a band’s success.
“You can be the greatest band in the world, but if no one knows you, it doesn’t mean anything,” said Meyer.
Opening for well-known local bands like the Arkells, Huron and The Rural Alberta Advantage amongst others, Sandman Viper Command have combined talent with networking to hook an increasing group of loyal followers while making friends along the way.
“Networking is the most important thing but camaraderie is the best part,” said Reardon.
However, it hasn’t been all play for the band as they’ve been working on some new material that they hope to release on a new 7-inch sometime this spring. The songs “Cold Wave” and “New Fast” will be the two tracks featured on the record.
“New Fast has a more stripped down, sexy sound,” said Reardon.
And their experimentation with various rock influences have resulted in songs that offer something a bit more edgy.
“Cold Wave is like a crazy acid trip,” he continues.
This psychedelic-inspired sound is likely to incorporate that same light-hearted feel that makes Sandman Viper Command unique, while providing a little variation to keep things interesting.
“If you don’t do acid it just has weird frequencies,” Reardon jokes.
Check out photos of Sandman Viper Command by clicking HERE.
Audioblood Two-Night Stand @ Rivoli, December 10 & 11, 2010
December 27th, 2010 | By: Amanda Macchia
The Balconies @ Rivoli - Photo by Amanda Macchia
It wasn’t quite Christmas yet, but the good folks at Audioblood treated the city to a two-night show at the Rivoli earlier in the month, featuring six Audioblood bands and two surprise guests.
Charlotte Cornfield kicked things off on the first night, December 10, with her folk-infiltrated pop music.
Immediately after, Burlington’s Sandman Viper Command hit things off with “Oh Yeah, It’s Fusion” – a perfect example of their clean, 60s-inspired indie pop – starting off with that memorable guitar riff that swells into an intense jam session (think Sam Roberts Band’s “The Gate”). Other tracks like “The Best of Plans” and “The Metal I’ve Spent” kept the crowd attentive, especially to lead guitarist Daniel Reardon’s crisp blues solos.
Up next was Toronto’s own Make Your Exit and their almost indefinable sound (let’s go with experimental folk rock for now), also to the crowd’s satisfaction. The bright jangling chords and drummer Steve Dagg’s intricate earthy rhythms featured on tracks like “Kids” complimented frontman Jeff Buckley’s subtle vocal tones. Most memorable though was the chanting of “but I didn’t drink it” of “Leave This Town” – full of piano fills, hollow guitar solos, and spot-on harmonies that would all make The Band proud.
Wrapping the first night up was special guest number one, Ruby Coast. As usual, the band won everyone over with their fast-paced indie rock, fully-equipped with simple melodies via Justice McLellan (lead vox, guitar), but mixed with the texture of the band’s use of recurring guitar and synth riffs. Their set was consistently high-energy and was a satisfactory conclusion of the night.
Twenty-four hours later Toronto’s Teenage Kicks imploded the undetermined atmosphere of night two with their mix of downbeats and distortion, ripping up tracks like “Shook Our Bones” and “I Get What You Give” and demonstrating to their hometown that they’ve been improving right in front of our eyes since their 7” release show this past summer. Their material is a complimentary mix of classic rock elements and their own contemporary preferences, resulting in a new and interesting sound.
Next was the bittersweet performance of Clothes Make The Man. After eight years of CMTM, the band announced that December 11’s show at the Rivoli would be their last. Nonetheless, the band delivered what was probably their most passionate and heart-felt performance to end their story. Tracks like “Chile,” with its simple lyrics and noisy chord progressions, not only demonstrate why Ryan McLennan’s voice is perfectly suited for their type of rock, but also why audiences have relied on CMTM for fun-guaranteed shows throughout the years.
Third up was Ottawa’s The Balconies. Jacquie Neville never fails to lead in the delivery of her band’s ridiculously catchy indie pop. Tracks like “Battle Royale” show just how addictive a melody can be, and paired with the song’s underlying blues lines and Liam Jaeger’s solid drumming, makes for an outstanding performance. Also included in the set was the mystifying “The Slo,” taking “underlying blues lines” to another level and highlighting Jacquie’s falsetto. They closed their set with the always-entertaining “Serious Bedtime” its now-well-known line “if you do it in the dark.”
The show, and the entire event, wrapped with the second special guest Great Bloomers. Their strong work ethic showed onstage, pounding out song after song of their alternative indie rock seven bands later in order to cap off what was a solid two nights of local talent on Queen West. Hopefully, we’ll do it again next year.
Check out more photos of The Balconies by clicking HERE.
Teenage Kicks, Sandman Viper Command @ Sneaky Dee’s, August 20, 2010
August 23rd, 2010 | By: Amanda Macchia
Teenage Kicks
Before Teenage Kicks officially released their latest 7” with a set at Sneaky Dee’s this past Friday night, Sandman Viper Command took to the stage to spill out their growingly catchy garage pop to the crowd. The Burlington band, who performed as part of The Beatles vs. The Stones night at the same venue the previous Friday, ripped through their set of kind of dainty and yet kind of callous tracks, all of which were absorbed by the dense crowd.
Tracks like “Oh Yeah, It’s Fusion” demonstrate the band’s ability to compose a simple, but intricate pop song with fragmented transitions, clean riffs, and pleasingly messy chord progressions that translate perfectly from record to stage. Frontman Rob Janson delivered each understated melody in an effortless and honest manner, all the while being backed by the unit of steady musicians that make up the rest of the band.
Teenage Kicks then proceeded to take the stage, performing songs including their 7” release “Shook Our Bones,” which can be downloaded with “I Get What You Give” for free at juicebox.com. Lead singer Peter van Helvoort’s gritty voice accompanied by the band’s signature raunchy powerchords juxtaposed nicely with the melodic guitar fills and straightforward lyrics featured in tracks such as the newly released single, sounding even more scintillating live on stage. Teenage Kicks consistently delivered classic working-class-esque rock for their entire set, pleasing the crowd with many of their own compositions and even an excellent re-working of Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools,” adding their own humble rock spin on the classic song.
If this Friday night was an indication of anything, Sandman Viper Command and Teenage Kicks are two examples of humble local talent, with the ability to leave their listeners and audience with the feeling that they’ve just witnessed an authentic rock show.
For More,
MySpace (Teenage Kicks): http://www.myspace.com/teenagekicksteenagekicks
MySpace (Sandman Viper Command): http://www.myspace.com/sandmanvipercommand
Missed out? Then catch Teenage Kicks at the El Mocambo on September 17th and Sandman Viper Command at the Silver Dollar on October 1!
Beatles vs. The Stones Covers Night @ Sneaky Dee’s, August 13, 2010
August 14th, 2010 | By: Amanda Macchia
Who would you rather be?
Numerous local bands took over the second floor of Sneaky Dee’s last Friday night in an effort to determine the undeterminable: when it comes down to the greatest, is it The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?
Turns out no one really cared which legend people considered more legendary. Instead, everyone who attended the event (Emily Haines was absent) probably just went to see oodles of talented musicians take on the challenging rolls of The Beatles and Stones and hear them cover about three packed hours worth of classics from the two bands’ remarkable songbooks. And to get drunk.
The Balconies and Sandman Viper Command, the show’s headliners, kicked things off with songs like “19th Nervous Breakdown” and “Taxman,” alternating Beatles and Stones songs and eventually bringing in members of Dinosaur Bones, Olympic Island, Fox Jaws and then some. Highlights include the covers of “Oh! Darling,” featuring the undoubtedly passionate Carleigh Aikins of Fox Jaws on lead vocals and “Gimmie Shelter” performed by the aforementioned Aikins and Rob Janson of Sandman Viper Command on lead vocals.
Alternating band members carried out song after song until the show eventually wrapped with everyone onstage and performing an epic rendition of “Hey Jude,” the excited crowd giving the apparently unstable floorboards a run for their money. In terms of competition, there was no conclusion as to which band is the greater, but it can be said that all of our local talent covering The Beatles and The Stones is the next best thing to the real thing.
Who Would You Rather Be: The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?
July 25th, 2010 | By: Melody Lau
Sandman Viper Command (Photo By Michael Fil)
As Emily Haines asks on “Gimme Sympathy” – Who would you rather be: The Beatles or The Rolling Stones? Well Toronto rockers The Balconies and Sandman Viper Command are going to bring this debate to Sneaky Dee’s on August 13 when they will present The Beatles VS. The Stones Covers Night. The list of musical guests are still TBA but doors will be at 9pm and it will only set you back $5. See you there!
Video: The Balconies @ C’est What – “The Slo”
February 26th, 2010 | By: Brian Vendiola
The Balconies were one of two surprise guests Tuesday night at Sandman Viper Command’s February residency – the other half being Hollerado – here’s a video taken from the show!
