By: BD Maria Hughes Original Article
To me, it seemed like Alexisonfire meets Bob Marley meets a rag tag bunch of wild guys who crashed a button-down "Meet the Parents Night", demure "wine and cheese" soiree. Completely out of control. And I loved it! Just like the lead singer of Fancy Girls Market skateboarding off the stage right into the audience (!!) in the middle of a song at the TIMA Awards show back in 2008. The band - Adrian Schmidt, Matt Kittell, Devin Crossman, German Ocampo, and Nate Payne - routinely play at The Boathouse in Kitchener. Just recently they've been landing gigs in Toronto. Their most recent claim to fame is a 1st place win at Wilfred Laurier's "Last Band Standing" competition. I could not find rhyme nor reason in their performance. The lead singer left the stage to go kiss a girl two tables over. Back on stage, he crouched down and started screaming his lyrics. Followed by a Q&A with the sax player - all during the same song! Maybe I'm having an acid flashback?? No mistaking, though, each band member's musicianship. No mistaking how fantastic they sound all meshed together. Uniquely strange and strangely unique. A big thumbs up from me! You can find them at: myspace.com/thexsoundxfoundation and thesoundfoundation.ca or on America's Most Wanted…..
By: Colin Hunter from The Record's Nightlife Original Article
One frigid night last winter, a mostly unknown band stepped onstage at The Boathouse in Victoria Park. The band had only formed a few months earlier and had yet to establish much of a presence on the Kitchener music scene. They were the opening band of the night -- an unenviable position, considering the audience was still trickling into the small club when they took the stage. Then the band blew everyone away.
The band was The Sound Foundation, a five-piece funk-ska outfit that, by the end of their half-hour set, had most of the crowd dancing -- and had the other bands on the bill wondering how to follow such a performance. Now, almost a year later, The Sound Foundation has another gig booked at The Boathouse -- this time headlining their own CD release party on Nov. 15.
The self-titled EP almost (but not quite) captures the energy and vibrancy of their live show. It's still one of the strongest local releases of the year, featuring five tracks that showcase the band's unique, infectious style. The first track, a ska love song called Bless The Day, encapsulates all the elements that set The Sound Foundation above their peers: the nimble-fingered saxophone playing of Nate Payne, the razor sharp guitar work of Matt Kittell and the energetic vocals of Adrian Schmidt. They are backed up by the razor-sharp rhythm section of drummer German Ocampo and bassist Devin Crossman, creating a groove reminiscent of bands like The Slackers and The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The only downside to the album is that it's far too short. By the time the final (and best) track comes to a close, a mere 15 minutes have elapsed, leaving you hoping for more. The EP is a tantalizing tease and hopefully the first of many recordings to come. You can buy the album on Nov. 15 at the Boathouse for $10, which also covers admission to the show. That is some serious bang for your buck.
By: Shannon Busta Original Article
Yet another round of the infamous Last Band Standing came to a close at Wilf's last Thursday. Clearly, LBS has turned into a big deal for our student population, given that the pub was absolutely packed before anyone ever stepped up onstage.
Three of the competing bands were previous victors - Second Floor Escape, Andy's Ego and Music Box - while one wild-card group played for redemption: The Sound Foundation. With a grand prize of $1,000 and a chance to compete at the national level, these bands all came ready to put on a serious show. The energy only increased with each band's performance, and, not surprisingly, the later it got, the more dangerous the dance floor became.
The screaming boys from Second Floor Escape started the night off. Lucky enough to begin their set with a packed dance floor, the boys offered an especially high-energy (though less-than-unique) set of emo-inspired rock. Their tunes might put you in mind of The Used (minus the lyrical and instrumental compatibility), making for a relatively repetitive set.
Nevertheless, they tossed out an awful lot of energy and good cheer, despite having to play their set lacking some important equipment. In the face of having a floor packed with people ready to dance, Second Floor Escape decided to switch things up at the end of their set, busting out an acoustic guitar and offering up a brand new tune. It was clear that the audience appreciated the variety and the boys ended their set to some serious applause.
The five guys and one lady from Andy's Ego were up next and evidently came equipped with their own personal fan club. This group must have expected to take home the win, given that the entire bar moved up to within four feet of the stage for their performance. The end of every song was met by an uproar of applause and a rhythmic "Ego, Ego" chant.
Offering up a ridiculous amount of talent for an LBS competitor, Andy's Ego were expected by many to take home the grand prize.
But the folksy rock band didn't just have the talent and the popular vote on their side. The socially conscious group came in the hope of raising both awareness and a cool $1,000 for their friend's charity Eat to Feed Liberians. Nevertheless, it seems generosity, talent and popularity just aren't always enough to guarantee victory these days.
It turned out that the prize was to go to the third performance of the night, a band that also happened to be the wildcard. Losing at a previous show by a single point, The Sound Foundation was given a chance for redemption and clearly these guys took their second opportunity very seriously. On any other night at Wilf's, the saxophone-equipped, funky, ska-rock band would have been declared the highest-energy performer of the night. Last Thursday, however, their rip-roaring energy matched that of the other competitors.
Opening up with a decisively Sublime-inspired tune, the sunglasses-wearing five were soon performing for a moshing, skanking crowd. Their big personality and big sound packed the dance floor once again, despite the mass exodus that occurred after the departure of the Andy's Ego fan club.
When asked how he felt about taking home first prize, the Sound Foundation's saxophone player, Nate Payne, expressed nothing less than sheer excitement and genuine gratitude: "I just can't believe the talent we saw tonight; all the bands were really awesome." According to Payne, the entire cash prize will be put back into the band, helping pay for things like promotions and perhaps a CD.
By the end of The Sound Foundation's set, the alcohol had set in and people started heading off to bed. This didn't bother the last performers, though. Despite putting on a great show, The Sound Foundation didn't demonstrate quite as much passion for music as the fourth and final band to take the stage.
Not exactly strangers to performing at Wilf's, the gents from The Music Box clearly came out to have a good time. Starting off their set with a team "quack, quack, quack, quack" chant, they gave the distinct impression that they were there to play music and have a hell of a lot of fun doing it.
It was pretty clear that The Music Box would have been up on that stage regardless of there being a cash prize. Unfortunately, though, in the world of Last Band Standing, passion just isn't enough. The band's hybrid sound (something along the lines of electric folk with rock and country thrown into the mix) might have been in need of some refining.
That being said, the audience wouldn't have been surprised to see them win first prize. Regardless of who did take home the title of Last Band Standing, the audience could plainly tell that Waterloo is producing interesting and genuinely good new music.
The Sound Foundation's next gig is at The Starlight this Thursday night with supporting acts Sweetfire and Mike York.
