busybeeburns
07-09-2006, 07:04 PM
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The Miniatures is perhaps the best band to ever come out of Waterloo Region.
So it's no stretch to also view their most recent release, Dead Flowers, as one of the best CDs of 2006.
The magic of Dead Flowers is its originality - a CD with absolutely no filler. In fact, none of the 11 tracks are there to simply fill up the space around the singles.
"We really set out to make a complete CD," said singer/guitarist Ian Smith during a telephone interview on his way back from Montreal where the band opened for Sam Roberts.
The band performs tonight at Cambridge Fall Fair.
Dead Flowers has a definite British feel - a sound somewhere between early Elvis Costello and the end of glam rock era when bands like David Bowie and Mott The Hoople ruled the radio.
Smith, along with drummer Nick Skalkos, bassist Ryan Allen, and keyboardist/guitarist Kevin Hundt released their debut album, Coma Kid, in 2004.
To expand his inspirations, Smith spent time in Britain and hooked up with British producer Scott Shields, (Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros).
Dead Flowers demonstrates the importance of lyrics and songwriting.
While Smith penned the majority of songs on the CD, he also hooked up with Shields on some others.
"He had a huge influence on this CD," said Smith. "Touring around London also had an impact."
The Miniatures shared studio time between Catherine North Studios in Hamilton - with producer Dan Achen (Junkhouse) - and Shields in The Townhouse in London.
While the Townhouse was a multi-million dollar facility - "Coldplay was recording on the floor below" - Smith said Catherine North felt more like home for the band.
"It's an old church and there's more room," said Smith.
So far, the CD has been selling well, but Smith has been critical of the Canadian music scene, where corporations get behind a few performers and the rest are left to survive.
In the song Sleaze Radio, a slam at commercial rock on the radio, Smith sings "buy your songs from a cash machine and send it up the mainstream."
However,the singer does admit that the Canadian music business is getting a little better.
Along with completing the second video from Dead Flowers - the stirring Actors and Soldiers - the band leaves for a tour of England in November.
They take the stage tonight at 7 p.m.
http://www.cambridgetimes.ca/cam/news/news_608977.html
The Miniatures is perhaps the best band to ever come out of Waterloo Region.
So it's no stretch to also view their most recent release, Dead Flowers, as one of the best CDs of 2006.
The magic of Dead Flowers is its originality - a CD with absolutely no filler. In fact, none of the 11 tracks are there to simply fill up the space around the singles.
"We really set out to make a complete CD," said singer/guitarist Ian Smith during a telephone interview on his way back from Montreal where the band opened for Sam Roberts.
The band performs tonight at Cambridge Fall Fair.
Dead Flowers has a definite British feel - a sound somewhere between early Elvis Costello and the end of glam rock era when bands like David Bowie and Mott The Hoople ruled the radio.
Smith, along with drummer Nick Skalkos, bassist Ryan Allen, and keyboardist/guitarist Kevin Hundt released their debut album, Coma Kid, in 2004.
To expand his inspirations, Smith spent time in Britain and hooked up with British producer Scott Shields, (Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros).
Dead Flowers demonstrates the importance of lyrics and songwriting.
While Smith penned the majority of songs on the CD, he also hooked up with Shields on some others.
"He had a huge influence on this CD," said Smith. "Touring around London also had an impact."
The Miniatures shared studio time between Catherine North Studios in Hamilton - with producer Dan Achen (Junkhouse) - and Shields in The Townhouse in London.
While the Townhouse was a multi-million dollar facility - "Coldplay was recording on the floor below" - Smith said Catherine North felt more like home for the band.
"It's an old church and there's more room," said Smith.
So far, the CD has been selling well, but Smith has been critical of the Canadian music scene, where corporations get behind a few performers and the rest are left to survive.
In the song Sleaze Radio, a slam at commercial rock on the radio, Smith sings "buy your songs from a cash machine and send it up the mainstream."
However,the singer does admit that the Canadian music business is getting a little better.
Along with completing the second video from Dead Flowers - the stirring Actors and Soldiers - the band leaves for a tour of England in November.
They take the stage tonight at 7 p.m.
http://www.cambridgetimes.ca/cam/news/news_608977.html