April 27 2014 – T-Mak World presents Indie On Indie where we match up two musicians of different bands and give them the task to review one of the other band’s songs. This time round, we’re excited to bring you our CMW-edition Indie On Indie with some of the very best of Canadian rock’n’roll, One Bad Son from Saskatoon and based in Vancouver and Open Air from Calgary.
- Artist 1 – Adam (Granny) Grant is the bassist of One Bad Son. This is Granny’s third installment of Indie on Indie and he reviewed Preacher Man.
- Artist 2 – Tyler Bourne is the bassist of Open Air. He reviewed Retribution Blues.
Up first is Adam Grant’s review of Preacher Man:
I was first introduced to the guys of Open Air last year and we actually ended up playing several shows together through the course of 2013. Upon chatting, we immediately bonded over the similarities in our long lists of influences. When I was asked to do this review, I was told I could choose a song from their latest effort, Extended Play. But as soon as I heard the opening bars of “Preacher Man,” I knew that was the song I wanted to talk about.
The opening keyboard line from multi-instrumentalist Steve Lilley reminded me instantly of the bridge part from Zeppelin’s “No Quarter”, (which happens to be my all-time favourite Zeppelin song). It has that sparse, lonely, haunting feel to it which perfectly supports the opening melody from vocalist Steven Mansfield. His first lyric referencing Blue Oyster Cult really catches the attention of the listener. And he ties it all together by neatly ending the song with a twist on the opening line. The guys do a great job of driving the song forward by having the rest of the band come in on a heavy, rocking riff that sits well with Lilley’s keys. The tight rhythm section consisting of Josh Hearnden on drums and Tyler Bourne on bass provides the foundation for the song, allowing it to continuously build on into a catchy, bluesy chorus. After breaking down to the opening keyboard part, Garrett Greenhall rips a totally bitchin solo, which seems to effortlessly carry the song into a full chorus/outro climax. Open Air brings the heat with “Preacher Man”, they put together a great song that captures that classic feel in a unique way.
Next up is Ty Bourne’s review of Retribution Blues:
We first played with One Bad Son at The Vat in Red Deer. We had already heard them play at a gig in Calgary with MonsterTruck, so we were really excited by the opportunity to open up one of their shows. Their music is phenomenal, as is their live show, so it was great to share the stage with them. We got to spend a bit of time with them as well, and that was amazing. Not only is their outlook on music and the industry similar to ours, but they are completely honest, grounded guys who are friendly and caring. We respect that a lot. Audiences can definitely get that vibe from them when they are on stage, and that’s how they are in person as well. They are completely dedicated to their craft and that dedication is driven by their absolute love for what they do. The more we’ve played with them and as their success continues to rise, they remain humble and honest and down-to-earth, and they’re still doing it for the same reasons they were doing it ten years ago–we have nothing but respect and good wishes for these guys.
Now onto the tune. From the first notes of One Bad Son’s “Retribution Blues“, you are transported to a time when classic rock flowed through the veins of listeners the world over. The catchy guitar riff and vocal melody are quickly accompanied by a rhythm section (flawlessly delivered by Granny and Dahl) that will have your head bobbing and your hands drumming until the song (sadly) comes to an end. Hicks’ soul-scorching solos throughout the song beautifully compliment Volk’s pained lyrics and perfect delivery: A song about a past relationship ended, delivered in a way that pulls at the heart strings without being petty or needy–no small feat, as a personal experience is hard to share in an honest way. The song speaks of reflection and recognizing imperfections in not only yourself but the ones you hold dear.
For all intents and purposes, this song is a classic that you’ve loved for years–even though it was written fairly recently. There is a comfortable familiarity to this song without falling victim to the generic or mundane. It is an excellent blend of rhythm, musical talent and catchiness that keeps its edge and interest throughout. This song will be on radio stations for years to come and will withstand the test of time.
We would like to thank both Granny and Tyler for their contributions to the Indie On Indie series. We couldn’t agree more with Bourne that the guys from One Bad Son are very down to earth, humble and fun guys to hang with, so we’re very disappointed that their visit to Toronto for CMW 2014 had to be cancelled. One Bad Son just finished recording their follow up album to the One Bad Son album which put three songs at the top of the rock charts in Canada and we can’t wait to hear the results. We look forward to catching them on an eastern Canada tour later this year.
Bourne’s words are equally true about themselves. Open Air are also great, down to earth, friendly guys who put on a kick ass show. Open Air will be back in Toronto for Canadian Music Week in a couple weeks. If you like real rock and if you’re reading T-Mak World, we have to assume you do, do not miss their shows, they’re playing the Bovine on Thursday, May 8 at midnight and the Underground on Friday May 9 at 1am. Open Air gets our highest recommendation. In particular, if you plan to go the the Underground Garage show, get there very early because there will be a very long line to get in. When you go see either One Bad Son or Open Air, after their show go say hello to them, they’d love to hear from you.
Article and photos by Steve Mallinson
