3 shows this weekend July 28-30

Friday, July 28
Joel and the Last of the Neighbours
Ghost House
Starred Opposite


Saturday, July 29
Starred Opposite
The Skeets
Trees Lounge

Sunday, July 30
Amelia Curran
Dusty Keelor

all shows at D'attic, 10:30pm, $5

sites to preview some tunes:
Joel and the Last of the Neighbours
Ghost House
Amelia Curran
Dusty Keelor


about the bands:

Joel and the Last of the Neighbours (vancouver)
On a street corner in Vancouver five years ago, three future Neighbours sat in a white station wagon. Joel had traditionally played solo and was about to take that sound across the country. Sean, needing a ride to the east coast, opted to pay his way in guitar work and Barry quickly confirmed that his bass would not be left out of the idea. Later that night, Jeff caught wind and it was obvious that he was going because no self-respecting rock band is devoid of a drummer. In six weeks, the newly formed band learned about a dozen songs and, much to many a friend's disbelief, the typically sober Joel leaves town with a bunch of alcoholic miscreants flagged as the A Minus, an homage to their main project, STATIONa.

In the wake of an unruly tour, it seemed that the band lacked a cause. STATIONa ate itself alive, shat itself into the A Minus toilet bowl and out came the Doers. Joel and the A Minus was flushed down the drain as a passing legacy and Joel turned his focus to his other band, Black Rice, while keeping his solo efforts on the side.

Months later, he was gearing up to get back in the studio for another album. It was decided that former A Minus, now the Doers, members ought to contribute to Return of the Fucked. So on a one practice refresher course they all stepped into the studio with Jesse who recorded and subsequently joined the band on organ and piano. Jesse would also later go on to replace Black Rice's bass player and continue to work together with Joel on various projects.

Love was in the air, unavoidable in the spring it seemed, and somehow the Last of the Neighbours was conceived; an identity rooted in the tenacity of good times, a membership limited to the idealistic with a love for the songs and a decent barbeque. The band survived in the shadow of their larger lives, lurking about and causing shit when permitted. An opportunity was made in the summer of 2005, sometime after the close of Black Rice and during a lull in the Doers' schedule and they hit the road for ten days, blazing across the prairies like a brush fire.

July 14th is the start of a new tour and the release of the new double double LP, Antidote. Again in the studio with Jesse at the helm and recorded in many favourite locations hand picked for comfort and style. The music featured covers the most recent work by the band along with classic favourites that never made it to tape and a bonus slew of noise driven audio sketches by Joel from the last decade of home recording, plus a music video to boot, created by the Neighbours' number one supporter, Kevin Hagell and Joel. The sound of the album it is largely like a gang of your friends hanging out in your back yard.

Teaming up with Jesse's band Ghost House, featuring some guest work from Joel, the two Vancouver bands are set to hang out all over Canada for a very solid month and they are all quite pleased about it.

Ghost House (vancouver)
Georgia Straight
Ghost House / Departures (Ghost House Music)
By elaine corden
Publish Date: 9-Mar-2006

While it’s tempting to use the term supergroup to describe Ghost House, let’s use fine pedigree instead and avoid the hype. Ostensibly the songs of producer- and musician-about-town Jesse Gander (ex–Black Rice, dbs and Operation Makeout), Ghost House’s debut record, Departures, boasts contributions from Cadeaux’s Katie Lapi, drumming wunderkind Allan Boyle, Marissa Johnson and Steve Matheson of the Seams, plus a host of other unsung Vancouver talents. Released with little fanfare last December, the record is a growing word-of-mouth favourite, appreciated largely for sounding like no other act in Vancouver right now.

As you might expect from someone who was in Black Rice, the songs are angular and asymmetric, yet possessed of enough melody to make them vaguely addictive. What you wouldn’t expect is the sprawling ambition and subtle sweetness of the record, which is postmath rock meets Rhodes-driven new wave, with shots of ’60s-girl-group backing vocals, alt-country guitars, and Motown bass lines thrown in to keep things interesting. With all due respect to Gander’s previous projects, Departures and Ghost House are all the more rewarding because they’re the band and the album we’ve always wanted from him. Buy it in a store or download it at www.ghosthousemusic.com/, and be amazed as it haunts your stereo for weeks on end.
...
Mote Magazine - Online Review

Ghost House
Departures
Independent

Vancouver band Ghost House's debut full length titled "Departures" has some high expectations to live up to due to the fact that the band's front man is one of Canada's most prolific production engineers. Jesse Gander has been working with Vancouver's Hive Studio for numerous years with some of his most recent work being
with S.T.R.E.E.T.S. and Vancougar. Gander is also an established musician in his own right with stints in Mint Record's Operation Makeout, Joel and the Last of the Neighbors, and angular rockers Black Rice.

Gander's latest work with his own Ghost House is a clear indication of his abilities as an artist and recording engineer. Having full control over the music has allowed Gander to create a sound that is unique and truly his own.

"Departures" features 10 tracks that fuse together rock, new wave, and jazz. The group opt for a piano based sound instead of heavy guitar but still manage to keep it rock and roll. Perhaps the most distracting part of the music is Gander's obscure voice, but as you listen to the album over again the spastic vocals begin to grow on you. All the song's on "Departures" are musically superior making use
of various key instruments and recording techniques. Ghost House manage to create their own style on "Departures" with diverse sounds and melodic writing that make for an enjoyable listen and give music
fans a brief introduction into what could be one of Canada's next big things.

Ghost House will be teaming up with Jesse's other band, Joel and the Last of the Neighbors and will be touring around Canada for the next month.
Keep an eye out for both of these bands as they promise to bring a party where ever they travel.

Paul Borchert
...
Chartattack.com

Ghost House, a band partially comprised of former members
of Operation Makeout and The WPP, hit the #1 spot on the University Of British Columbia's CITR station late last year with their Departures debut. The group hope to spread the word and their angular new wave
sounds from their Vancouver base right across the country with a tour.

Amelia Curran (halifax)
Amelia Curran was already a well-known actor, singer, songwriter, and pianist in her hometown of St. John's, Newfoundland when she arrived in Nova Scotia and, within months, recorded and released her first full-length album, "Barricade" (2000). The recording garnered her a 2002 East Coast Music Association (ECMA) nomination for Female Artist of the Year. In the meantime, Amelia put together the SenseAmelia Project, an elaborate seven-piece band. The project played extensively throughout the Atlantic Provinces and recorded "trip down little road" (2001), an album that received recognition on the charts at CBC Radio, HMV, and university radio stations across the country, was named top album of 2001 by Fred's Records in St. John's, and earned Amelia her second ECMA nomination, this time for Rock Group of the Year (2003). Amelia's third album, "Lullabies for Barflies" (2002), found her again in solo territory, and secured her a third ECMA nomination (2004) as well as a Nova Scotia Music Week nomination (2003), both for Female Artist of the Year.

While she was establishing herself as a songwriter, Amelia appeared on stage with John Mann, Danny Michel, Lennie Gallant and more at the noteworthy songwriters' event, Bluebird North, and with Terry Kelly, Ken Tobias, Don Ross, Dutch Robinson and others at the 2002 and 2003 Nova Scotia Music Week Songwriters' Circles. She has also shared performances with Sarah Harmer, Bob Wiseman, Damnhait Doyle, Gordie Sampson, Jane Siberry, and Holly MacNarland.

After recording "Lullabies," Amelia chose not to continue her album-a-year pace. Instead, she has spent the past three years honing her songwriting, guitar playing, and singing, and putting together The Mercy Band, a tight four-piece consisting of Amelia (acoustic guitar, vocals), Lukas Pearse (basses), Benn Ross (percussion, drums), and Phil Sedore (guitars, accordion, air organ, etc.). The foursome has already begun to win audiences and to record their first album (expected spring, 2006). Amelia's songs and three of the best East Coast musicians in any genre combine to create a hypnotic rock'n roll that captures audiences and promises to make Amelia's fourth record one of the most anticipated of the coming year.


Dusty Keelor (halifax)
Dusty has been hailed as one of Halifax's unsung heroes, living proof of the romantic renegade that attracts us all to a good folk song. With three acclaimed albums to his credit since 1999, he is no stranger to the industry. He was featured in the Atlantic Showcase at the 2005 Folk Alliance's Strictly Mundial in Montreal. His most recent release, Wanderers Grounds received a nomination for Best Folk/Roots Recording at the Music Industry of Nova Scotia Awards in 2004.

Most notably, perhaps, to fully appreciate the artist's uniquely celebrated past, are his two awards for Best Busker from The Coast Reader's Poll (Halifax' Weekly Newspaper). It is this lack of pretense both in his music and, in fact, his personality that allows listeners to truly connect with the troubadour's tales. To say such folk music is legendary is not to suggest it is the stuff of the past, but the romantic grit of reality.

Formerly known in some folk circles as Dusty Sorbet, he just released a collection of songs from his previous records. It is called "Just Don't Call Me Late For Dinner - The songs of Robert Dusty Keeler".

Starred Opposite (corner brook)

Featuring members of Corner Brook's Kuroda and Fredericton's Fat Jebus, they have been busy writing songs and playing shows for the past couple of months. Not unlike Kuroda but perhaps with more of a "pop" influence.

The Skeets (corner brook)

Featuring members of The Evelyn Room, Entropy, The Lingams and Piano Sale, this is a group of talented musicians who decided to get together and cover some of their favourite tunes just for the fun of it. They will make you dance, rock out and sing along!

Trees Lounge (corner brook)

Formally known as Where the Wild Things Are, these boys are a couple of young faces to watch out for on the local scene. Influenced by hot Canadian acts such as Broken Social Scene and Dependent Music acts such as Wintersleep and Brian Borcherdt, although they are much more than simply a knock-off of these bands.