From Under The Counter: A year in review
As we all cram a myriad of studying
periods and final projects into
the closing of our year, I felt that
the best way to compliment that in
this column would be to not cover
a single release, rather self-analyze
the hard work that the underground
music scene has been doing in recent
times.
I began this column with the intention of covering and discussing recent musical releases performed by London musicians. Heavily involved in this scene and not wanting to dissuade listeners, I have found it far more effective to not review artists in a traditional critique but rather explain the idea behind the music they are trying to create.
I find stylistic divisions and genres to be quite interesting on that regard because each genre has its own way of doing things. An electronic artist has a different creative process than a folk artist, and I think it’s really important to cherish these differences while also drawing links as musicians are often not homogenous in their listening habits.
When I first arrived in London from the Windsor area, I walked into a scene that felt different from back home. Blue-collar towns like Windsor are known to have healthy music scenes, mostly because there is nothing else to do.
People hang out with each other outside of shows, and they form bands or side projects for the sole intention of just making music. London in late 2012 didn’t seem to have that as some of my first show experiences with the exception of a few places were marked with a great deal of apathy and disorganization. Most of this was due to the lack of places to play as some of the most notable venues such as the Embassy had literally burnt out. Other local names like Call the Office had begun to lose touch with the scene in favour of more profitable ventures.
However, much of this changed by the time 2014 rolled around. An insurgence of interest on top of more open spaces began to bridge the gaps between people who had previously never worked together before. Last year, the collective effort of my peers produced festivals, events in new spaces, benefit shows/releases to support political causes, and was able to even host a Japanese band named Sete Star Sept in my basement when the guys were on tour.
All of this has culminated in a soon-to-be released compilation featuring many bands both new and old who have been a part of this change and many of them I have covered and discussed throughout the year.
This drastic change in environment that has allowed me to meet and work alongside such inspiring and motivated people has been one of the best experiences I have ever had. It really is something I believe everybody can pat themselves on the back for. Seriously, if you have ever been to a local show or bought a local band’s CD or even just listened to something online, you are a part of this change that has helped London improve its standing in the wider Canadian music scene.
There is no one person/band to congratulate or one venue to worship, only a community of people willing to spend their time and money on music that often never reaches the mainstream. Almost every band that you could think of started off in these places, playing for less than 10 people and trying to sell CDs at $5 just to cover basic costs.
I strongly believe that no artistic medium should be treated as a competition. The human mind is a powerful tool that allows us to reason and decipher our own existence. Art in all its forms seeks to use that mind to create something that will stand as a testament to time, to explain our feelings and emotions in the moment that they are constructed, and to inevitably translate the human condition to a common vernacular.
I began this column with the intention of covering and discussing recent musical releases performed by London musicians. Heavily involved in this scene and not wanting to dissuade listeners, I have found it far more effective to not review artists in a traditional critique but rather explain the idea behind the music they are trying to create.
I find stylistic divisions and genres to be quite interesting on that regard because each genre has its own way of doing things. An electronic artist has a different creative process than a folk artist, and I think it’s really important to cherish these differences while also drawing links as musicians are often not homogenous in their listening habits.
When I first arrived in London from the Windsor area, I walked into a scene that felt different from back home. Blue-collar towns like Windsor are known to have healthy music scenes, mostly because there is nothing else to do.
People hang out with each other outside of shows, and they form bands or side projects for the sole intention of just making music. London in late 2012 didn’t seem to have that as some of my first show experiences with the exception of a few places were marked with a great deal of apathy and disorganization. Most of this was due to the lack of places to play as some of the most notable venues such as the Embassy had literally burnt out. Other local names like Call the Office had begun to lose touch with the scene in favour of more profitable ventures.
However, much of this changed by the time 2014 rolled around. An insurgence of interest on top of more open spaces began to bridge the gaps between people who had previously never worked together before. Last year, the collective effort of my peers produced festivals, events in new spaces, benefit shows/releases to support political causes, and was able to even host a Japanese band named Sete Star Sept in my basement when the guys were on tour.
All of this has culminated in a soon-to-be released compilation featuring many bands both new and old who have been a part of this change and many of them I have covered and discussed throughout the year.
This drastic change in environment that has allowed me to meet and work alongside such inspiring and motivated people has been one of the best experiences I have ever had. It really is something I believe everybody can pat themselves on the back for. Seriously, if you have ever been to a local show or bought a local band’s CD or even just listened to something online, you are a part of this change that has helped London improve its standing in the wider Canadian music scene.
There is no one person/band to congratulate or one venue to worship, only a community of people willing to spend their time and money on music that often never reaches the mainstream. Almost every band that you could think of started off in these places, playing for less than 10 people and trying to sell CDs at $5 just to cover basic costs.
I strongly believe that no artistic medium should be treated as a competition. The human mind is a powerful tool that allows us to reason and decipher our own existence. Art in all its forms seeks to use that mind to create something that will stand as a testament to time, to explain our feelings and emotions in the moment that they are constructed, and to inevitably translate the human condition to a common vernacular.
